Drivers across the metro area are feeling the bone jarring effects of potholes and repair shops are seeing an increase in the number of damaged tires and vehicles. If you're thinking about filing a complaint against the city there are a couple of things you need to know.
"Under state law, we are required to have both notice and a reasonable opportunity to fix the pothole before any liability is placed on the city," Omaha Assistant Attorney Jeffrey Bloom says.
Bloom says the criteria they use to determine "reasonable opportunity" includes weather conditions at the time and whether street maintenance personnel were available to fix potholes or if they were still doing snow removal. They also look at similar sized cities to see how long it takes them to fill potholes.
Bloom says claims can be filed against the city in writing through the city clerk's office. "It is then sent up to the law department to investigate. Each case is investigated on an individual basis." They usually see around 100 claims each year.
Bloom encourages everyone to report potholes, whether they hit it or not, through the Mayor's hotline at 444-5555 so they can try and fix it before damage occurs.
If you want to file a claim against the City of Omaha, here are the procedures you should follow: http://www.cityofomaha.org/cityclerk/claims/