KANSAS CITY, Mo. — No matter how it's spelled out, Frank Sereno says roads in Waldo are in poor condition.
“To get the city’s attention, I’ve had to be very, very creative over the last few years,” Sereno said.
As he works to turn a corner and start anew, he says there's no turning back now.
“This year is no different than it’s been in the past 10 years," Sereno said. "The potholes are here. The craters are here. The damage is back."
Now sitting near a busy intersection with a large sign for hours at a time, Sereno says he didn't think he'd get to this point to capture the eyes and ears of the city.
“It’s an effort,” he said. “I’ve got to load this huge marquee sign in our family trailer. I’m embarrassed that it’s taken all of this effort for the city to finally pay attention to us.”
Sereno has also created a website, RePave Waldo, and made a petition, which has 2,300 signatures.
“I get cars honking, a lot of high fives, a lot of waves — I love it,” he said. “The obligation of the city is to provide infrastructure and street preservation. We have to get back to the basics in the city.”
The fruits of his labor led the city of Kansas City, Missouri, to take notice. Sereno has meetings planned with the mayor as well as city council members.
KCMO Public Works Department says Wornall Road construction was already planned from 74-79th streets, and the projects will go out to bid this spring. A spokesperson for the department says other arterial roads in Waldo are included, too, within the city’s five-year plan.
“Public Works reconstructed Wornall Road from 85th Street to 89th Street and added curb, gutter, and sidewalks, streetlight upgrades, a new water line and storm sewer upgrades," a department spokesperson said. "This GO KC project cost $3.8 million and was completed in spring 2019. This does not include all of the Smart Sewer and KC Water upgrades that have been ongoing in the Waldo neighborhood over the last few years, which amounts to nearly $26 million of utility upgrades and storm sewer investment.”
But for Sereno, it’s personal.
“If it needs to happen that I sit on a street corner for hours at a time, I’m willing to do it. I’m not going away,” he said.
Wornall construction, a $6 million project using federal and Go KC bond funds, is slated to start late summer, according to KCMO Public Works.
The city's weekly resurfacing schedule can be viewed here.
