When a mechanical failure at Nevin Plaza recently left residents of the 142-unit affordable housing development without hot water, a city worker went the distance to fix the problem — literally.
Urquilla was contacted about the problem on Sunday, Feb. 28, and immediately sent a plumbing company to inspect it, according to Richmond City Manager Laura Snideman. The plumbing company determined that the recirculation boiler pump needed replacement. The problem was the replacement part is rare and difficult to find. And suppliers weren’t open Sunday, despite frantic efforts by staff to find one. Urquilla finally found a supplier Monday morning, but the part was located about 100 miles away in the city of Patterson, Snideman said.
Delivering the part would have taken three days, but “Jose said…we can’t let our folks wait that long,” Snideman said. Urquilla hopped in a truck, picked up the part and was able to fix the problem and restore hot water to the building’s residents the same day.
Snideman praised Urquilla for going above and beyond to minimize the impact the mechanical failure had on the building’s residents.
“We have incredibly dedicated staff and they’re doing amazing things every day, and it’s the reason a lot of us join public service,” Snideman said.
Snideman on Tuesday additionally offered kudos to the Richmond fire crew that successfully delivered and revived a breeched baby in the Iron Triangle neighborhood, which the Standard reported about here.
