By Dr. Phyllis Olmstead
“If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.”
--Coined by ad agency owner Charles Rosner for VISTA, sometimes attributed to Leroy Eldridge Cleaver due to use.
The City of Apopka, Orange County, and the Florida Department of Transportation have solutions to issues you see every day. If you do not know where you are and report an issue to the wrong agency, they will forward it to the correct one.
Related: Meet Apopka's next police chief.
One example of a quick fix was a call made last Thursday to the Zellwood-Apopka Roads and Drains Manager for Orange County about chunks of asphalt that had popped out of Rock Springs Road. These are different than potholes.
The manager, Tony Shepherd, indicated he had scheduled his team to drive the area to patch spider lines and potholes this coming week. Continuing down Park Avenue through the school, a large hole was in the northbound lane south of Summit. A message was left for the manager about the danger to the middle and elementary students and parents. Summitt is a heavily walked intersection with Park Avenue; the students do not stay in the crosswalks.
Driving to an appointment at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday morning, crews were finishing a hot paving job in the area! The team had cut out two large areas, filled in, graded, packed, and rolled the asphalt. Hot on the job!
A large pothole was spotted in Apopka at 10:25 a.m. on Saturday. It was reported with a photograph on the SeeClickFix app. On Monday morning, the 22nd of September, a message was sent at 8:19 a.m. that Apopka Streets and Drains had fixed the hole. It was a quick turnaround.
Solving Problems: 311 - Orange County's solution for reporting
You can solve a myriad of problems in the county by dialing 311. It offers a cell phone number 311, a landline number 407-836-3111, computer requests online, an Apple app, and an Android App. It operates Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. If the problem is not in the County, they will pass it on to the appropriate jurisdiction. If you call in the issue or chat, be prepared to write down or record the case number so you can check to see if the problem is resolved.
The app is simple: 1. Open the App, 2. Select New Report, 3. Select Issue, 4. Touch camera. 5. Choose an existing photo or take a new photo. 6. Press and hold the red pin to move the location marker to the address of the situation, 7. Describe the issue. Click Save. 8. Click Submit.
For more details on SeeClickFix, go here: SeeClickFix—Apopka’s Solution
On the computer: 1. Click Launch the Computer, 2. Select a Request Category, 3. Type an address or move the map around to pin the location. Click the Confirm Location button, 4. Add an image or No Photo, 5. Type a description, describe the nature of your concern, and click Confirm Details. 6. Choose how to report. Click Next Submit Request.
For more details, go here: Florida Department of Transportation—Deland Office
Contacting the FDOT Public Information Officer is the easiest way to report a state road issue. 1. Click the link above. 2. Click General Inquiry. 3. Opt for District 5 (Central Florida). 4. Complete the request, Dragging and Dropping or uploading photos or files. 5. Click the Submit button.
Problems Solved
Be it a clogged storm drain, stinking lift station or storm pond, dangerous dead tree branch, missing street signs, mosquitos, speeding drivers, damaged park equipment, graffiti, dangerous housing, abandoned cars, piles or trash, broken water meters, stray or dead animals you can dial, app, chat, or type your way to solving a problem instead of only ranting and raving about it.
