Imagine going into your backyard, and just outside of it, seeing a messy canal laced with trash, debris, and even some unwanted creatures. The city hasn’t done anything about it.
“Where’s my taxpayer money going? I pay taxes. I think this needs to be, if this is their responsibility to take care of it, and to make it right,” said Homeowner Lanelle Brown.
That’s the reality for Brown who just moved to the Sherwood Forest area in Baton Rouge.
“When I saw it I said ‘no, I can’t live with this here,'” added Brown.
The filthiness of the canal isn’t the only thing Brown is worried about. She thinks it could cause flooding because it’s blocked.
“My neighbor says she’s been complaining for years. She has a reference number, and all of this. So, it’s not like it hasn’t been already reported,” said Brown.
Brown says she has emailed DPW, but now it’s time to call.
“She says there’s a lot of things on the list, and I understand that,” explained Brown.
Now, all she can do is wait.
“I mean, I don’t have a choice, I have to be hear. What am I going to do? I have to be here,” Brown concluded.
We reached out to the Department of Public Works ourselves to see how many complaints they’re working on. One worker told us she couldn’t give us a specific number or a timeline of when they would get done.
If you’ve had similar issues, just head to the resources below:
Dial 311 or head to https://brgov.com/dept/dpw/