- Residents of the Regis building feel ignored regarding repairs to a sinkhole that opened in January.
- Banners have been displayed at the sinkhole site, criticizing local officials for inaction.
- Lisa Kilker has spray-painted signs aimed at city council rep Juanita Johnson and Mayor Jean Stothert.
After months of feeling overlooked, Regis building residents voice their frustrations with local leaders over the 16th street sinkhole.
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Residents at the Regis building told KMTV they feel they've been ignored, since experiencing complications in the basement of their building, they believe led to a sinkhole that opened in January.
"We were not getting anywhere with the city, so we decided to start pounding the pavement, you know, keep it PG, keep it simple, keep it light, you know, and not really offend anybody, but at the same time, like please make it aware that we are desperate at this point," said Lisa Kilker.
That's why they've strung up banners along the barricades blocking the 16th street sinkhole, Lisa Kilker spray-painted two signs. One calling out their city council representative, Juanita Johnson, and on Monday, Mayor Jean Stothert.
"We're doing everything that we can to like save this building and save the residents of the building and. I think this is honestly just the best way to go about it at this point," said Kilker.
Kilker said she's using the mayoral campaign to get attention and hopefully answers.
"To me, it means number one being responsive. When there's an issue, one of the things I do, even as the treasurer, when somebody reaches out to us, I make sure somebody responds," said mayoral candidate John Ewing.
The mayor refuted residents comments that her office has been unresponsive to their concerns.
"To say that we're not in contact with anybody is just another false statement we are," said Mayor Stothert, " the important thing is why there's still barricades there is you have to find out the cause of why that sinkhole happened and then you have to fix the cause before you fix the alleyway and that's what we want to do first and that's what we're trying to do, but it appears it's some structural issue with the with the building."
Tom Dinaro lives in the building, he said he's worried about his home and the alley next to it.
"Infrastructure is important and this should be one of the mainstays of civilized society is roads and streets and rivers and pipes and plumbing," said Dinaro.
Dinaro and others met with Ewing to discuss public safety concerns and to give him a look at the basement of the building.
"We should be looking at how we help resolve this for the people in this building," said Ewing.
Monday, Mayor Jean Stothert confirmed that the city is in litigation with the building.
"Now that there's a lawsuit filed now we have to hold off and just barricade it to make sure that no one gets injured," said Stothert.
Mayor Stothert said City Engineers are still searching for the water source, but believe a structural issue with the Regis Building caused the sinkhole.
