Update on 44th and Avalon, Incident with City

Below is additional clarity on our irrigation line repair. We are proceeding with the City taking financial responsibility for this major repair. Here is the breakdown:

  • Two weeks ago, a City contractor making a sidewalk repair at Avalon and 44th Street damaged the main irrigation line on our private system, in addition to a City water line. The irrigation line damaged suspended irrigation water to the entire neighborhood and jeopardizes our next scheduled delivery the second week of April. The incident also caused property damage to the adjacent resident. 
  • The City recognized that they struck the irrigation line and the insurance company is handling the claim for our repair. Our neighbor and an IWDD trustee, Nathan Hubbel, has been tirelessly working between the City’s Risk Management Department and their adjuster (Custard Insurance), and Premiere Irrigation, to get our claim addressed as quickly as possible.
  • The repair will require reducing a lane on 44th Street to replace 10’ of damaged 18” concrete pipe. It will be the most significant repair to our private irrigation line on record, with an estimate of $8,278. The permit application to the City to reduce 44th Street for repair has been submitted, and we are waiting for city approval. We are hoping to get approval early next week so the repair may begin. We have continued to follow up with the City but have not yet received permit approval.  
  • We are proceeding with the repair under guidance that it will be fully covered under the current claim with the City. Premiere Irrigation has been authorized to make the repair. 

These sorts of issues are exactly the ones our IWDD was formed to resolve, but we didn’t expect it to happen this quickly. What a way to start! Our trustee’s Laura Stover, Nathan Hubbell, and Jeff Bloker (myself) are at the same time working to finalize the formulation steps outlined by the City. The IWDD will not receive any County funding for about 18 months, and we have only $1600 remaining in our account from the last collection (summer of 2019). So far, we have received about $1,000 dollars. We are in need of additional funds $6,000 to provide financial security, especially if we are asked to pay Premiere to later be reimbursed. We are asking for a $50 collection to provide breathing room for future financial matters over the next 18 months. 

Our goal is to have our neighborhood system back up and running while minimizing cost to the neighborhood. I hope this helps explain things. Thank you all for your support!

Jeff, Nathan, and Laura

Irrigation fund collection:

Write a $50 check to “ACNA”

Deliver to: Laura Stover, 4039 E. Pinchot Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85018