Cedar Boat Club takes matters into own hands, fills potholes at Ellis Harbor

CEDAR RAPIDS - If you won't, we will.

That was the sentiment Wednesday of members of the Cedar Boat Club, who found a brother-in-law's dump truck, bought about $80 worth of their own recycled asphalt and got to work filling potholes in the city's park road on the peninsula at the Ellis Boat Harbor.

Kathryn Hull, the boat club's commodore, said the boat club took measures into its own hands on Harbor Road because the potholes were so bad and because the club feared people would get hurt Sunday evening when they turn out for the club's annual July 3 fireworks show at the harbor.

“They haven't touched the road since the flood three years ago,” Hull said of City Hall. “And these potholes are beyond ridiculous. You could easily hurt yourself. They've been telling us all summer that they're going to fix this road. They knew the fireworks show was coming up.”

Gail Loskill, spokeswoman for the city's Parks and Recreation Department, said Wednesday that the city is seeking bids on Aug. 2 to fix the Harbor Road this fall. Since the permanent road work has been scheduled, it didn't make sense for the city to spend money for a temporary fix, she said.

“We're happy the boat club can address it this weekend,” Loskill said.

Carl Cortez, a long time harbor boathouse owner and member of the Harbor Association, boat club and the city's River Recreation Commission, on Wednesday said the temporary fix on Harbor Road represented “upset taxpayers” taking matters into their own hands.

“We've asked them I don't' know how many times,” Cortez said. “Everybody said, ‘FEMA is going to pay for this road and fix it.' Going, going and doing are two different things. If it's not downtown or a hotel they want to buy, then forget it.”

On Tuesday evening, the City Council did approve plans for a $250,000 project to replace steel pilings in the harbor as well as sidewalks that were damaged by the June 2008 flood. This work and the permanent repairs on Harbor Road will be paid for with Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster funds, the city said.