Sincerely, Jackie Hardy

June 13, 2012

Dear Governor Brewer and Director Halikowski (Director of ADOT),

I just returned from cleaning another one-mile section of Highway 89A between Cottonwood and Sedona (MP-364 to 365) only to find more piles of reflectors from the ADOT reflector replacement project.

In all, there were three separate piles consisting of only reflectors only and two piles of asphalt with reflectors mixed in them.

Please help me understand how this has been allowed to go unnoticed and corrected. Please let your ADOT folks know that those who CRAP up the Verde Valley won’t get away with it! I would say it’s time to review the performance of those who seem to think that the tax payers will tolerate this behavior.

I will be spending the next few weeks trying to find our state leaders, County Supervisors, Mayors and City Managers who wish to restore the beauty to Arizona and correct some bad ADOT behavior.

We have a 94 year old World War veteran and several other veterans who clean our highways, what would you say to them about this behavior and our three Arizona veterans highways that are trashed? Highway I-10 is our Arizona Pearl Harbor Highway, I-17 is our Arizona Veterans Highway and I-40 is our Arizona Purple Heart Trail.

These highways are a disgrace to our veterans and Arizona residents!

Does ADOT really care? How is the “Partnering” ADOT pretends to promote?

Gary Chamberlain
Cornville AZ
“Point Man” FVUSA

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Readers, please contact …..

Governor Jan Brewer-Arizona
Executive Tower
1700 West Washington Street
Phoenix, AZ 85007
(602) 542-4331

ADOT Director John Halikowski
206 South 17th Ave.
MD-100A
Phoenix, AZ
(602) 712 7227

Dear Mr. Halikowski (Director of ADOT),

Those of us who are part of Folksville USA’s effort to restore the beauty to Arizona’s highways have now reached the point of realizing that there must be a meeting with your office, Governor Jan Brewer and the Arizona Representatives from both parties to review the poor performance associated with the tax payer funded ADOT Adopt-A-Highway Program and its crippling rules, regulations and requirements.

Working together, we can all do a much better job of making this program work and benefit Arizona.

Without this meeting, Arizona will never have the clean highways it needs to attract tourists, new residents and the new businesses that could bring jobs to our state.

Without this meeting the tax payers of Arizona are funding another failed program that only benefits public sector employees some of which don’t do their jobs and the proof of this accusation is the lack of the ADOT “Activity Reports” to support compliance with ADOT’s requirements.

The following information was taken from ADOT’s Adopt-A-Highway web site on May 26, 2012.

Volunteer groups adopt a two mile section along available State, Interstate, or United States highway. Groups sign up by completing a two year permit application. We generally ask that groups perform cleanups three to four times each year. Members of the Adopt a Highway Volunteer Program should be volunteers and not paid to pick up litter. Groups can partner with other volunteer groups, but may not pay another group or company to pick up litter.

ADOT will provide safety training, trash bags, and two signs to be used at each end of the adopted section. Signs will ONLY be installed once a cleanup activity is completed. If safety vests are not available from ADOT, the volunteer group must purchase them. Washable safety vests can be obtained from local vendors.

More information about becoming an Adopt a Highway volunteer can be found under the Volunteer link in the left hand navigation menu.

FVUSA comment to requirements:

Three to four times per means that each group commits approximately 9-12 hours per year in exchange for a sign with the Volunteer Groups name shown, two steel posts to hold the sign, two holes dug in the ground for the two posts, concrete to secure the two sign posts, a asset tag on each group sign for monitoring the signs, the guarantee and contract that each volunteer group signs that their volunteer groups will honor their commitment to the tax payer funded program which is to be managed by Arizona ADOTemployees that the volunteer groups honor their commitment.

Our Verde Valley “Folksville USA” effort is a perfect example of how private citizens, working together have changed the appearance of our highways and increased the performance of our 30 groups from 25% to 90% honoring their commitment to the program.

I will be spending the next few weeks trying to find our state leaders, County Supervisors, Mayors and City Managers who will arrange such a meeting and I hope that ADOT takes the lead on making this happen.

We have a 94 year old World War veteran who helps us clean our highways, what would you say to him and other veterans who see how we disgrace our three Arizona veteran’s highways?

The I-10 is our Pearl Harbor Highway, the I-17 is our Arizona Veteran’s Highway and our I-40 is our Purple Heart Trail Highway are a disgrace!

Do we really care?

Gary Chamberlain “Point Man” FVUSA

I made no attempt to pick up the road markers …. the ADOPT subcontractor who gets paid, with tax payer dollars, needs to do the complete job – and I will let you know if they do not do it – at no charge to ADOT.

If safety and doing a good job of cleaning our highways is our combined goal, when will ADOT be picking up the medians?

The public is asking this question so what will ADOT tell them?

Gary Chamberlain
“Point Man” FVUSA
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Additional comments not in the e-mail above to Don Cassono (ADOT):

If ADOT isn’t interested in mowing, pruning brush back from guardrails for the safety and effectiveness of all ADOT Adopt-A-Highway Groups, then how can these volunteers safely honor their commitment to the ADOT AAH Program?

The efforts of the Adopt-A-Highway groups enhance the beauty of Arizona which improves the economy of Arizona by attracting tourists, new residents and businesses that bring jobs. Doing a half-assed job of mowing, pruning and cleaning our highways is also noticed by those who visit and live in Arizona.

Maybe ADOT could subcontract the services they cannot seem to get done to those who can …. other states subcontract mowing, pruning and litter recovery. These subcontractors pay their helpers $8-$10 per hour to provide these services.

How do I know this is true? I ask questions and visit with these subcontractors – to which I receive information and answers.

Gary Chamberlain
“Point Man” FVUSA

The Flagstaff District has made contact with the Contractor that handles the road markers. They will make sure that this does not happen again and they will check the area for any additional markers that you did not find.

Once again I want to remind you that as an Adopt A Highway Permittee you are not allowed to do any cleanup in the medians. Safety is the first order of business for all volunteers and working in the median is in violation of your permits.

Regards,
Don

Don Cassano, Ombudsman
Arizona Department of Transportation
206 S. 17th Ave., Room 192
Phoenix, AZ 85007

ADOT is ultimately responsible for its outside contractors and should be held accountable.

Want to know why people think Wisconsin is so beautiful?

In our city neighborhood we believe if you walk by or toss a piece of trash, you are a piece of trash. Easy, heh? It’s a good thing to pick up and discard trash. Practice frequently.

Burt Stephenson and Abigail Pennewell
Proud Cheeseheads