Q. Who can I call to find out if my street is public or private?

A. The Engineering Division's records and technical services staff (904-630-1341) maintains a database and maps of all the registered streets in the City of Jacksonville. They can easily answer this question.

Q. Why won't the city pave my road?

A. Under current policy, expenditures such as the paving of a road must be used to benefit the entire tax paying public.

Q. Who do I call to report pot holes, street drainage problems, resurfacing needs, etc.?

A. Items of this nature should be reported to 904-630-CITY (2489) or may be entered through the 630-CITY Web site.

Q. Is it possible to install a security gate across a public road?

A. No. As the road is a public road, the rights of the public to use the road must remain intact. To prohibit such use with a gate is considered a violation of public rights and state law.

Q. I have an unopened right of way adjacent to my property that I would like to have closed. Who do I contact to discuss this matter?

A. The Real Estate Division at (904) 630-1600 can give you guidance with regards to this issue.

Q. We would like to change the name of our street. Who do we talk to about this?

A. The Planning and Development Department is now in charge of the addressing and street name process. They can be contacted at (904) 630-1900.

Q. There is a drainage easement and ditch behind my house that needs cleaning. I reported this to the One-Call Center and have been told the ditch is a private ditch and the city does not maintain it. How can this be if the ditch is in a dedicated public easement?

A. If the ditch does not carry stormwater from a public street, it is not considered a part of the city's infrastructure system. Many rear yard ditches or swales were designed to drain the abutting private properties and have no impact on street drainage. In these cases maintenance can not be performed with the use of public funding.

Q. Why doesn't the city maintain the platted alley behind my house?

A. The majority of the platted or dedicated alleys in Jacksonville became of record in the early 1900s. The original intent of these alleys was to supply the abutting owners with a shared rear yard access or driveway, not a public street. As such they are not considered a part of the maintained municipal infrastructure.