Frequently Asked Questions

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1. Where can I purchase a culvert pipe to go across my driveway?

The Street Division will sell you a culvert pipe for the same prices the city pays for it. They will also remove the old pipe, discard it, clean your ditch, and place the new pipe with an aggregate cover at no cost to the property owner. Call 816-271-4848 and ask for the field supervisor.

2. My street was resurfaced just 5 years ago. There is nothing wrong with it. Why are you closing it to put a Micro Seal on it?

You are right! Your street has no problems and we want to keep it that way. If you are going to be out in the sun for any length of time, you put on sunscreen to protect your skin from being damaged. Like your skin, the sun, and wind can damage an asphalt pavement by oxidizing (drying out) the pavement. That’s why the pavement color begins to lighten after a couple of years. Micro Seal will not only protect the pavement from the environment, but will also provide a new wearing surface for traffic. Remember that a dollar spent now, will prevent us from having to spend ten dollars down the road.

3. My street looks like it needs to be resurfaced. How can I find out if it is on the list to be done?

The Street Division maintains the pavement management program, which covers every City maintained street in St Joseph. Each section of street in St Joseph is inspected and given a pavement condition rating. Once the all inspections are made, a work program is created using the information obtained during the inspections. 95% of the Street Divisions annual maintenance and preventive maintenance is done from this program. If you are interested in finding out what is planned for your street, call 271-4848.

4. My alley is full of ruts from the heavy rains. It needs to be graveled. Will the City furnish the gravel it needs?

The Street Division does not provide materials such as gravel for alleys. However, if you call the Street Division at 271-4848, a supervisor will come out and give you a material estimate and the cost for the material. If you purchase the material from one of the local quarries, the Street Division will prepare the alley surface, haul, spread and compact the gravel at no cost to the property owner.

5. During the storm last night, I had a limb blow down in my yard. I cut it up and placed it on the curb. Will the Street Division pick it up for me?

The Street Division will pick up what has fallen in the street. The tree or limb will be cut off at the curb or ditch line. The rest of the tree or limb is the property owner’s responsibility to dispose of. Only when widespread damage occurs and only at the direction of the City Manager, the Street Division may pick up trees and brush from yards if they were placed at the curb.

6. The curb and gutter in front of my house is full of leaves and grass clippings. I called the Street Division over a month ago. Why won’t they come out when I call and sweep the street?

Ordinances state that the property owners are responsible for keeping the curb and gutter in front of the property free of leaves and other debris. The Street Division does sweep and flush streets as a public service. We do this using district sweeper routes. There are sweeper routes for all 9 work districts. These are generally swept twice annually. Eventually, we will get to your street. If you call 271-4848 and ask for the Street Cleaning Supervisor, he’ll let you know what district you are in and how long it will be before the sweeper reaches you.

7. My first question is how long is the street repair list? The second question is whom do I have to know to get my street fixed?

When you called in about your street, a supervisor will check the condition. It was found that the pavement does have a lot of cracks. The street, although not pretty, is not a hazard to traffic or pedestrians. This makes it a low priority. There are 77.75 miles of concrete streets in St Joseph. 48.59 miles of these streets need to be either repaired or reconstructed. The answer to your second questions is: you don’t have to know anyone. Your street is as important to us as any other street. Our problem is we have only one 5-man crew that works year around on concrete reconstruction. During the four months of fall and winter, we add two additional crews to make repairs. The number of streets in need of repairs and the number of personnel we have is the deciding factor. We have to prioritize our work by condition. A pavement that is a hazard to the public takes a higher priority.

8. I need to have warning signs to slow down traffic for children. Will the City put them up?

No. This decision is based on a national study, which shows this type of signage gives a false sense of security, which can actually lead to more problems. However, you can purchase the signs from a dealer and place them yourself. There are two things you must do to place them. 1)You should call for utility locates at 1-800-344-7483. 2) You must place the sign on private property off the right-of-way. You can call 271-4848 for right-of-way location.

9. I hit a hole on a railroad crossing. Is the Street Division responsible for patching it?

The Street Division does not maintain railroad crossings. If you call 271-4848 and tell us the location, we will call the railroad that is responsible.

10. I understand the City has a curb and sidewalk program, but I don’t know whom to call to find out about it?

Call 271-4848. We can transfer you to the right person.

11. When I stop at an intersection with traffic signals, why don't I get a green light every time they change?

The signals are activated by an underground loop. The vehicle must cross the loop for the detector to acknowledge a vehicle is there. The white "Stop Bars" painted on the street are the visual point where the vehicle needs to stop to activate the signals. The bar is 2 feet wide and runs from the curb to the centerline of the street. The front bumper of the vehicle needs to be at this bar when stopped for a red light.

12. How do I report a malfunction of a traffic signal?

Call the City Yards at 271-4848. The phones are answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There is a signal technician on standby at all times to respond to these reports.

13. How do I get a permit to close a street, sidewalk, or get a dumpster?

Call the City Yards at 271-4848. We will need the location, reason for the request, a starting and ending date, and the company doing the work along with a 24-hour phone number for a contact person doing the work.

Any closure will require proper signing and barricading. Traffic Control Plans will be drawn up for the closure. Because of the increasing requests for seasonal work, 24-hour to 48-hour advanced notice should be given to allow for inspecting the area and drawing up the plans.

14. In a 2 Hour Block Zone, if I park on one side of the street can I move my vehicle to the other side of the street and start my 2 hours over again?

No, the 2 hour block zone is for the whole block both sides of the street. You have to move to a completely new block to start the 2 hours over.

15. If I receive a parking ticket and don't agree with it what can I do?

At any time a parking ticket is issued and the driver of the vehicle is in disagreement with validity of the violation, they should contact the Financial Service Department at 271-4760 or click here for a "Request for Dismissal" form. The customer complaint is forwarded to the Parking Supervisor and investigated. The form is then forwarded to the City Prosecutor for his or her decision on the ticket. At that time, the person who received the ticket is notified whether the City Prosecutor had dismissed the ticket or not. If the ticket was not dismissed, a "Request for Trial in Municipal Court" can be filled out.

16. Who is responsible for cleaning dirty inlets?

The Sewer Maintenance division cleans inlets as soon as possible after they receive a complaint. This scheduling depends on other priorities such as sewer back-ups and cave-ins that may occur.

17. What is your crew doing in our neighborhood?

There may be many reasons Sewer Maintenance trucks are in your neighborhood. They may be there for a mainline sewer back up, they may be checking the main line with a TV System, reconstructing or cleaning an inlet, or answering a Citizen concern.