Carmichael resident paints "Fix the roads" messages near potholes to get county's attention

A frustrated Carmichael resident is taking a colorful approach to calling for road repairs, painting "Fix the roads" messages on the asphalt near potholes and cracks along a neighborhood street.

CBS News Sacramento counted more than two dozen messages painted along Stollwood Drive, just off Winding Way.

Neighbors say the messages have appeared overnight over the past several days, though no one seems to know who is behind them.

"It happens at night. I have no idea who is doing it. I just see it in the mornings when I get up," nearby resident Darrell Brunelli said.

Another neighbor, Robert Aring, said the condition of the road is clearly frustrating someone.

"I don't know. It's in bad shape, but they fixed some of the holes," Aring said.

Most roads in Carmichael, including Stollwood Drive, fall under Sacramento County's jurisdiction. The county maintains more than 5,000 miles of roadways and addresses more than 70,000 potholes each year.

County spokesperson Matt Robinson said Stollwood Drive is already on the county's list for attention, and officials will look into whether work can be moved up. However, he said painting messages on the roadway "is not the best in terms of getting our attention."

The county recommends residents use 311 to report potholes and other road problems. The county said it received a complaint about the painted messages themselves Monday and sent crews to clean them up. But the messages continued to appear.

Brunelli said he found the tactic amusing and understands the frustration behind it. He said he blew out a tire on the road about six months ago.

"I thought it was a comical way to do it. I'm not against it," Brunelli said.

Some neighbors said reporting potholes through 311 has resulted in repairs.

"There have been cases and I've reported them and they've come and patched them," Aring said.

But Brunelli said patching individual potholes is not enough and that the street needs more extensive work.

"The streets really need complete repair, not just pothole fixes," he said.

The county said some projects are on the horizon to assess the area, but did not provide a timeline. Officials said pothole repairs are handled year-round.