Crews work daily to respond and repair potholes throughout the City. 

To report a pothole please visit our KentWorks portal or call Public Works Operations at 253-856-5600 

What is a property owner’s responsibility for streets and sidewalks?

Streets and sidewalks are for everyone’s use. They add value to private property by providing access to the property and a way to get to other places in the city.  When property is developed, property owners dedicate part of the land as “public right-of-way” for streets, sidewalks, utilities and similar public uses.  What some property owners do not realize is that they are responsible for maintaining part of the public right-of-way next to their property, including the sidewalk and planting strip, or the roadway shoulder if unimproved. Property owners are also responsible for maintaining unpaved alleys next to their property. 

Why is sidewalk repair my responsibility? 

Kent City Code 6.04.100 requires that property owners keep the sidewalk adjacent to their property fit and safe for the purposes of public travel.  As such, property owners must repair cracks and other damage to the sidewalk as well as ensure that snow and ice do not pose a hazard to pedestrians. If the sidewalk is determined to be unfit or unsafe, the Municipal Code requires Kent Public Works (KPW) to direct the abutting property owner to fix their sidewalk. 

When does my sidewalk need to be repaired?

A sidewalk is considered to be damaged and in need of repair in the following instances:

• The sidewalk is cracked 
• There is a fault or other discontinuity greater than 1/2 inch in the sidewalk 
• Any piece of the sidewalk can be moved with ordinary foot pressure
• If in the view of KPW the grade or slope of the sidewalk creates a concern for safe pedestrian passage. 
• If Kent Public Works notices that your sidewalk needs to be repaired, the damaged area of the sidewalk will be marked with paint. This is an expedient way of alerting pedestrians to the damage.
  You may also notice that asphalt has been placed over cracks and uplifts on sidewalks. These “shims” are temporary in nature and are placed over cracks in order to make the damaged area safe before long-term repairs can be made.
• If Kent Public Works determines that your sidewalk needs to be repaired, you will be notified that you need to obtain a Street Use Sidewalk repair permit.

How to obtain a sidewalk repair permit:

If there is an unsafe condition and you need to repair the sidewalk, you will need to apply for a Street Use/Cut permit. 
Please contact the Permit Center for more information on how to obtain this permit.

The City will perform repairs in situations where: 

• If the City does work in an area, such as utility work, and causes damage.
• If the City planted a tree during a capital project, and it is along a major street, then the City assumes responsibility for the tree as well as the damage to the sidewalk caused by roots from the tree.

Why does the City of Kent have street sweeping?

The City's street sweeping program removes dirt and debris from City streets to provide a healthy, safe, and attractive environment for Kent residents and visitors.  Regular removal of leaves and debris by members of the public as well as City crews is necessary to prevent stormwater drains from clogging, which can result in street flooding.  Street sweeping also protects water quality and minimizes the burden on the storm system from surface debris. 

• Currently the city has approximately 476 miles of curb and gutters that need to be swept at various times throughout each month.
• Within the gutters we have just under 20,000 catch basins.
• In the past it was more about the appearance of the streets. Now, not only about appearance, but more about the environment. National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System or commonly known as NPDES requires that at least 95% of these catch basins are inspected for cleaning every two years.  Catch basins must be cleaned if they are found to be dirty during inspection. 
• The more debris we remove from the streets and gutters before it enters the system, the less time is spent on cleaning.

Will my street be swept if there is no curb or gutter?

The City cleans only streets with curbs. The accumulation of debris at the curb is caused by the design of the street and vehicular movement. Streets are designed with a crown in the middle sloping toward the sides. Water and debris move toward the curb and gutter areas. Vehicle movement scatters debris to the edges of traffic lanes.  Streets with no curbs are affected by the same factors as curbed streets, but with no curb the debris is dispersed onto areas adjacent to the paved surfaces. Uncurbed streets are, in effect, self-cleaning. 

Street Sweeping Helpful Information:

• From October 1^st through December 31^st the sweepers are scheduled to sweep each area twice a month.  Due to Fall/Winter weather conditions, which include rain, snow, freezing temperatures, and heavy leaf accumulations, the sweepers will sweep as often as the weather will allow staying on schedule.  If your street is missed because of any of the above conditions it will be made up on the next regularly scheduled day.
• Regular sweeping of streets is conducted January 1^st through September 30^th of each year.
• The City has separated the Kent into 20 zones and placed these zones on a regular sweeping schedule.  This allows for a more efficient way to cover the identified streets and provide a consistent schedule for the residents and businesses to follow so that vehicles and other items can be moved from the street to make room for the sweeper to operate.
• City Staff requests that you park your cars off the street on your scheduled day.  Sweeping around parked cars requires more time and reduces the effectiveness of keeping our storm drains clear.  Moving cars will allow the sweeper to do a better job for you and your neighbors. 
• It is also recommended that trees in the public right of way near or from your property to be properly trimmed (minimum 14 feet from ground to lowest limb) to allow room for the sweeper to pass underneath unobstructed. 
• In general, sweepers will come through the designated zones between the hours of 7:00 AM-3:00 PM in residential areas.  In business and industrial areas, sweeping will begin at 4:00 AM, so not to interfere with business schedules.
• Sweepers will not operate during inclement weather, as mentioned above, if a  scheduled day is missed due to inclement weather or a holiday, sweeping will resume on the next regularly scheduled day.

The city identifies streets that  need an asphalt overlay. City crews perform grind and inlay, or dig out repairs prior to the contracted overlays.