EVANS CITY — Norm Nelson, borough director of public works, said residents who are quick to disparage him and his four-person crew should take a walk in his boots.

Nelson on Wednesday said some residents expect him to do the impossible, such as control the excessive runoff in a hard rainstorm.

Nelson, who has worked for the borough since 1982, wanted to talk about his work after a number of residents complained about runoff on First Street in the area off Mars-Evans City Road known as Evans City Heights.

He said the garage of one complainant, Ray Martin, is three feet below street level. Nelson said in a hard or prolonged rain, water runs down Martin’s driveway and it has affected his garage.

Nelson said workers have attempted several fixes for First Street residents, but he has exhausted all potential measures that could be taken by the borough. While Nelson said he sympathizes with Martin, the homeowner should have a catch basin installed at the top of his driveway to alleviate the problem.

“There’s no more I can do,” Nelson said.

He said the borough council’s street committee recently met him at Martin’s property, and the council members added to his frustration by telling Martin they would come up with a solution to the problem by the Nov. 7 borough meeting.

“They won’t,” Nelson said.

He also talked about the five-member borough council, saying it does not properly investigate issues before making decisions. Nelson used as an example council’s vote to install no parking signs on Third Street after receiving complaints from a few residents about cars parking there.

When Nelson’s crew put the signs up, per the council’s vote, other neighbors who did not want the signs complained.

Nelson said council also demonstrates an ignorance of his job, which includes sewer, water and maintenance issues, occasional park maintenance plus the completion of lengthy state-required reports as well as the sewer, water and streets portion of the annual budget.

“(Council) expects you to jump (when a resident complains to it about an issue,)” Nelson said. “Sometimes you can’t jump.”

Nelson said conversely council members often drag their feet in making decisions while a problem grows worse, and he receives the brunt of residents’ anger.

“I’ll be glad when the elections come,” he said.

Council President Bill Painter said on Thursday that he agrees with Nelson that council sometimes puts issues off. Painter blamed that on the lack of consensus among council members on most issues.

Regarding the no parking signs, Painter said it was Nelson’s recommendation that council do that.

Nelson said he mainly wants residents to understand the nature of his job before complaining.

“This job is not like working in a mill,” Nelson said. “I love this town, I really do. I’ve been here 30 years. But the complaints of the public are difficult.

“I’m very frustrated. A lot of people don’t know what we do. I’d love to bring them down here and show them the things we do in one day.”

Also adding to Nelson’s workload is the decision to read all 860 water meters every month, which resulted from residents complaining about high estimated bills.

The job takes all five men two days to complete, but that means no other tasks get done during those days.

Nelson said that in the past, meters were read every other month with off months being estimated according to the home’s average use over the past year.

“It averages out every other month,” he said.

Nelson started work as a laborer on the maintenance crew in 1982. He was named public works director in 1988.

Regarding Nelson’s work, Painter said, “Some areas could be improved upon, but overall he has done a good job.”