Public Works Department

The Public Works Department has many important municipal responsibilities:

Construction, Maintenance & Repair of Infrastructure Systems

The Public Works Department is responsible for the construction, maintenance, and repair of the city's infrastructure systems, including stormwater, streets, sidewalks, parks, signage, and trail systems, for conducting annual citywide service programs for the residents, and for maintaining the quality and safety of all city facilities and park land.

Construction and repair responsibilities are scheduled at specific times throughout the year, while maintenance responsibilities are generally conducted on an ongoing basis. Infrastructure may specifically include concrete and asphalt streets, street signage, gutters, curbs, sidewalks, creek erosion projects, ditching and creek control, and underground stormwater lines.

Citywide Service Programs

The Public Works Department is responsible for conducting the fall residential leaf and brush pick up programs (1 in the fall, another following the winter holidays to pick up Christmas trees, and the 3rd in the spring). A tub grinder is used to grind this debris into wood chips for placement on city trails, and for residents to use as mulch, free of cost. In addition, the Public Works Department is responsible for snow removal services during the winter months, and for clearing post-storm debris from public right-of-ways year-around.

Maintenance of the City Parks System

The Public Works Department is responsible for completing a number of small and medium scale construction and repair projects in the parks. The department is also responsible for mowing approximately 200 acres of park land throughout the growing season and conducting safety inspections of all playground equipment on an ongoing basis. In addition, the Public Works Department is responsible for ensuring that all park land, park facilities, and shelters are kept clean and safe for public use.