Vallejo 'vigilantes' to ramp up pothole repairs, despite stop work order from city

VALLEJO, Calif. (KGO) -- Vallejo residents say they're fed up with potholes on city streets. Some of them have banded together in the new year as vigilantes of sorts, taking matters into their own hands.

They call themselves the "Vallejo potholegate vigilantes."

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"Pretty much, we watch a YouTube video, a few of them, on how to repair asphalt. We are up to about 60 right now. Sixty or 70," resident David Marsteller said.

Asked how many are left, the "vigilantes" laugh.

The vigilantes started last week by unifying the community on social media to take responsibility for their city.

Garrett Toles, a resident who is running for Vallejo city council, said, "We want to avoid people driving over potholes and damaging their vehicles or having to avoid potholes and damaging other vehicles and causing accidents. At this point it's a public safety concern."

VIDEO: Man's rapid heartbeat returns to normal when ambulance hits pothole

Paramedics were racing a 59-year-old man to the hospital when they hit a pothole, shockingly saving the man's life.

But on Monday the City of Vallejo sent out a stop work notice to the vigilantes, saying the work was not permitted.

A city official told ABC7 News on the phone that the proper tools and materials are not being used, and they have environmental concerns that some of the asphalt could lift out of the patches and get into storm drains, making the city liable.

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The citizens group admits the city has been out repairing some potholes, but say it's not enough, so they are ignoring the stop work notice.

They're even going to accelerate the pothole repair Thursday by handing out buckets of asphalt to neighbors to take back to their streets and alleys.

A GoFundMe page has raised more $2,400, enough to furnish plenty of supplies.