A Compton couple fixed neighborhood potholes. The city has ordered them to stop
Fast Break
Karen Garcia March 29, 2024
It started with a popped tire.
Daisy De La Rosa, 29, was pulling into the driveway of her Compton home
about four weeks ago
when her
car
tire hit the edge of a pothole and popped. It was just the latest time she had to fix her car because of a pothole.
She and her husband, Alex De La Rosa, 35,
were deflated but
took quick action to fix the hole so they could get back to working as independently contracted couriers who depend on their vehicle for deliveries.
While the couple waited
for the tire to be fixedon their vehicle to be repaired
, Alex watched YouTube videos on how to
properly
fill a pothole.
Rather than ask the city to repair the deteriorating streets, they
the couple
decided to act.
With a newly installed tire, the couple drove to
their nearest
Home Depot, bought $400 worth of supplies and repaired not only the pothole in front of their home but four others on the
ir
street.
Several neighbors,
appreciatingwho appreciated
the couple’s work, requested their services. But the city of Compton was not happy.
More rain, more car-damaging potholes. Here’s how you can get repaid for damage
The city issued a cease-and-desist letter dated March 14, demanding that the couple stop “unauthorized repairs to public roadways.”
“Your actions have raised serious concerns as they
[pose]post
a threat to public safety and the integrity of our city’s infrastructure. It is imperative that all maintenance and repair work on public roadways be conducted in accordance with established regulations and procedures to ensure the safety and well-being of our residents and visitors,” the letter states.
The couple said they
were fed up with paying for car repairs caused by holes and
are disappointed in the city’s reaction. Daisy said she
only
wanted to invest in her hometown and felt the city wasn’t doing enough to repair the roads in her community.
The couple was fed up with having to pay for car repairs caused by the holes.
“[The city] is upset with us because we basically embarrassed them,” Daisy said.
A Compton city representative could not be reached for comment.
This Compton restaurant has a kind message for whoever stole its potted palm
In a statement to ABC7, the city said it has set aside money for road repairs, but its Public Works Department is
currently
“critically understaffed, and efforts are underway to recruit the vacant positions.” Despite the shortages,
the city stated its
the street division team is
still
actively working to fill potholes
, the city said
.
Compton residents can report the
exact
location of a pothole through the city’s official app.
According to the cease-and-desist letter, the couple could face fines, penalties and “potential liability for damages” for their work. But the threat hasn’t stopped
them; Daisy saidthe couple, with Daisy saying
they’re filling holes
in
between deliveries or after work, thanks to support from their community.
The couple funded the cost of filling the potholes at first but
When they started getting messages
of supportfrom others in the community
, Daisy set up a GoFundMe campaign page to pay for bags of asphalt. The
ir
initial goal was $1,000, but as of March 29,
they’d collectedthey’ve exceeded the goal, collecting
$1,255.
‘No burnin out: Compton tire shop owner graffitis own business in dispute over street takeovers
In addition to the funding, more than 150 supporters have signed an online petition to endorse the couple and their work in Compton. Two companies, Road Soup and American Road Patch, have donated supplies and come out to see the couple at work.
This isn’t the first time someone has sidestepped the
ir
local government office to maintain a road.
Last April,
Former California
Gov.governor
Arnold Schwarzenegger was spotted last April shoveling asphalt repair mix into a hole on a Brentwood street. He closed
up
two holes although one was
not a pothole but
a service trench for gas line repairs.
, not a pothole.
