UPDATE June 30, 2025:
The potholes that once made it a headache to visit the Clewiston Post Office have finally been filled.
For years, neighbors complained about deep potholes in the parking lot and overgrown grass that made the post office look neglected. The city says it asked the postmaster to fix the problems, but nothing happened, so officials turned to Congressman Scott Franklin's office for help.
Watch Austin's report about the fixes:
Franklin's office tells Fox 4 after hearing concerns from the city and from us, they contacted USPS to get the ball rolling on repairs. They say pothole repairs were completed earlier this month, and landscaping is now being handled weekly.
Franklin's team says it is a great example of how speaking up can spark action.
ORIGINAL REPORTING:
Neighbors say it's hard to miss the big potholes outside the Clewiston Post Office, and they say it's just one sign the building is being neglected. But now, the city wants to change that.
Fox 4's Hendry County Community Correspondent, Austin Schargorodski, works in the area every day. So, he stopped by to talk to people about the problems and the roadblocks to getting them fixed.
Watch to hear what neighbors told Austin about the post office problems:
When you pull into the Clewiston Post Office parking lot, Sam Walker says you have to slow down to a crawl to avoid all the potholes.
"A car low to the ground, it would just tear it up. You can't even get in the parking lot without falling in those potholes, and it's actually been ongoing for years," said Walker.
Roly Gonzalez said the same thing. Now, the problems are affecting more people than just his neighbors.
"The folks in Montura don't even have post offices over there, they're just completely filled up. So they're having to come to Clewiston. They're having to come to Clewiston and purchase a lockbox here, and it deteriorates," said Gonzalez.
The city says it's gotten so bad, it's contacted code enforcement and the postmaster. But with no fix in sight, they've turned to Congressman Scott Franklin's office for help.
City Manager Danny Williams laid out the problems in a letter, stating that the potholes are a safety hazard for residents and visitors and the landscaping remains poorly maintained, which does not reflect the pride the community takes in it’s public facilities.
"The grass gets very high here, and we wonder if they have lawn maintenance. It's obviously mowed now, because I think the city's been on to them recently and they have cleaned that up," said Walker.
So, Schargorodski reached out to Franklin's team himself. A spokesperson said this was the first they'd heard of the issue and that they hadn't received the city's letter yet. But they say once they do, they'll start working toward a solution.
"Scott Franklin, we need your help. Clewiston needs your help. Please," said Gonzalez.
