Practice Task 25 · Parts 1–4

From: Priya Chandran, Resident, 14 Larkspur Crescent

To: Public Works Department, Town of Fennwick

Subject: Three streetlights out for over a month

Dear Public Works Department,

I am writing about three streetlights on Larkspur Crescent, near the intersection with Birchmount Road, that have been dark since early October. I first reported this through the online portal on October 6th, and the ticket was marked "received," but nothing has changed since then, and it is now mid-November.

The stretch without lighting is the same one where the elementary school crossing guard stands each morning, and several neighbours have mentioned near-misses with cars that do not see pedestrians until they are quite close. I understand that crews are likely stretched thin this time of year, but I wanted to flag the safety angle specifically, since this feels more urgent than an ordinary maintenance request.

Could you tell me whether the delay is due to a parts shortage, a staffing issue, or something else? I would also like to know whether there is a way to escalate requests that involve a school crossing, since I imagine ours is not the only one.

Finally, I noticed the portal lists a target repair window of "10 business days" for lighting outages. Since we are now well past that, I would appreciate an updated estimate.

Thank you for your attention to this,

Priya Chandran

— REPLY —

From: Desmond Ferreira, Public Works Department

To: Priya Chandran

Subject: RE: Three streetlights out for over a month

Dear Ms. Chandran,

Thank you for the detailed report, and I apologize for the delay. The 10-business-day target applies to single-light outages; a cluster of three lights on the same circuit usually points to a transformer or wiring fault rather than three separate bulbs, and those repairs require a licensed electrical contractor rather than our regular maintenance crew. That is the cause of the delay in this case, not a parts shortage or general staffing shortfall.

I have reviewed the file and confirmed that a contractor is now booked for November 22nd. I have also flagged your report as involving a school crossing, which moves it into our priority queue; going forward, any outage report that mentions a crossing guard location, whether from you or another resident, is automatically escalated the same way, so you do not need to request that specifically each time.

In the meantime, I have asked the school board to consider placing a temporary portable light at the crossing until the repair is complete, though that decision is theirs to make, not ours.

I will follow up once the repair is finished.

Desmond Ferreira

Public Works Department