CHICKASHA — Tall weeds and blocked railroad crossings are current concerns to City Council members and their constituents.
Weeds are “out of control” in Chickasha, Ward 1 Councilwoman Kea Ginn said during a recent council meeting.
“We’re writing citations,” City Manager Keith Johnson responded.
The city’s code enforcement department had written 43 citations and abated 27 properties as of July 5, Community Development Director Rachel Bernish informed Southwest Ledger. The City of Chickasha has 280 active code enforcement cases but only one code enforcement officer, she said. “We have posted a job opening for a second.”
Dr. R.P. Ashanti-Alexander complained again, the second time in five weeks, about Union Pacific trains blocking intersections for prolonged periods. “Trains sit for hours,” the Ward 3 councilman said. “I don’t mean a couple of hours; it’s five to six hours.”
Callers to City Hall who complain about the inconvenience – to neighborhood residents and to first responders – have been given a telephone number for Union Pacific Railroad, and City Manager Keith Johnson drafted a letter to Congressman Tom Cole and Sen. James Lankford to register the community’s concerns.
The Railroad Division of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation advises, “If you encounter a public crossing that is blocked by a nonmoving train for a period of more than 20 minutes, or if there is an emergency, call the toll-free emergency number displayed on the blue Emergency Notification Sign posted at the crossing.”
The ENS sign also displays the U.S. Department of Transportation railroad crossing number. “If you can read that number, provide it to the railroad when you call.”
Blocked crossings also can be reported to the Federal Railroad Administration using their online Blocked Crossing Incident Report Form.
Chickasha residents concerned about trains blocking crossings for excessive periods of time also are urged to call Congressman Cole.
Numerous municipal and state laws to restrict the length of trains or to set a limit on the number of minutes a train can block an at-grade railroad crossing have been derailed by federal courts.
Federal judges consistently cite two sections of federal law: the so-called Termination Act that created the federal Surface Transportation Board, which oversees rail carriers, and the Federal Railroad Safety Act, which governs safety aspects of rail operations.
Consequently, officials at all levels of government are pressuring Congress to develop a solution.