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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Compromise spares Clay Street cottonwood ... Ashland $97K from turf goal ... Police reports, March 22 ... Compromise spares Clay Street cottonwood ... Ashland $97K from turf goal ... Police reports, March 22 ... GUEST OPINION Guest Opinion: Sewage spill case still unresolved Comment By Caroline Shaffer DailyTidings.com By Caroline Shaffer Posted Mar. 12, 2016 at 12:01 AM By Caroline Shaffer Posted Mar. 12, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News My name is Caroline Shaffer; I, along with my husband, four kids and mother, lived at 288 Morton St. until our house was destroyed by city sewage last October. I know there has been a lot of interest in our case, and we are most grateful for the tremendous support we have received from the greater Ashland community. I wanted to reach out publicly, not only to express gratitude, but also to give voice to some lingering concerns, and correct some slight inaccuracies in the city’s recent statement concerning its handling of the incident. It is true that in pursuit of remedy we have run into a cap in the city’s liability that, in our case, covers about half of our damages. We are not in a position to be able to absorb the remainder which, if not covered by the city, will leave us financially destitute. This cap, coupled with unanswered questions surrounding the circumstances of the incident, has left many of our fellow citizens with a sense of vulnerability. This could have happened to any of us. And it could happen again. An investigation into why a brick ended up in our aging sewer system in the first place, and why the city failed to dispatch a technician to the site until three hours after they were first notified of the onslaught of pressurized sewage, has apparently not been done. At least the results have not been made public. While I realize that our city administration is made up of people who are compassionate and sympathetic to our case, I think it is worth pointing out that, despite the city’s statement to the contrary, no effort on the part of city personnel was ever made to reach out to us. I understand that the city faces liability and that there are protocols in place surrounding communication and discussion with insurance; however, I would respectfully suggest that open transparency and basic communication are necessary and appropriate. When you are the victim of an accident, you usually have an advocate in the form of an insurance agent who ushers you through the process of assessing your needs and making you whole. In this case we have no advocate, other than our attorney, who we have to pay for. There is only one insurance company, one presumably not used to dealing with individuals, and it is beholden only to the city. It has no interest in communicating with or assisting a private citizen beyond the minimum legal obligation. We have had no guidance when making decisions about demolition, storage, replacement, testing, code and safety recommendations for dealing with dangerous biohazardous waste. No access to a timeline or idea of what to expect. Over four months after the incident, we are still in the dark and making enormous financial decisions at great personal risk to our family and future. The time line on the afternoon of the sewage disaster is relatively clear. I began calling the city wastewater treatment office and various other numbers at 4:37 p.m. I left messages, actually spoke with someone at the main city administrative offices, and had two professional plumbers attempting to reach someone as well. I eventually called the police. We are being told that the sewage technician who showed up did not get the message to dispatch until almost 6:20, then arrived at the site an hour and a half later. Clearly that is a breakdown in the city’s emergency response system. To date, there is no other emergency number listed, or any after-hours recording that steers you to appropriate personnel. While I remain hopeful that we will eventually be recompensed for our costs, I am equally hopeful that there can be lessons learned and steps taken to prevent another Ashland family from suffering a similar fate. Caroline Shaffer of Ashland is joined in this guest opinion by Federico and Finnegan Behncke, Susan Shaffer and Ethan, Emily, Corin and Richard Elmore. Editor's note: The city of Ashland has posted a statement about the sequence of events on its website at bit.ly/coacasosb . By Caroline Shaffer DailyTidings.com By Caroline Shaffer Posted Mar. 12, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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