Pretty sure the city does not generally repave residential alleys or fill in potholes. Abount 1/2 are still dirt roads in my area of the city. They used to have a program that allowed owners of properties on the block to have their alley "improved" and one option was to have it paved, which included getting rid of the open drainage (gulley) system. Enough property owners had to pay to cover the costs. When we had it done in the 1980s it was $250 per household. Can't find information on this on the city website. If you live on this block you may wish to contact the city to see if they still offer the program.