 |
Timothy Nolan
Public Services Superintendent
|
| Address: |
Newtown Road
Danbury, CT 06810
|
| Telephone: |
(203) 797-4605
|
Listing files in 'Public Services Division'
About Us:
The Public Services Division provides a majority of the services that the residents and taxpayers expect as it relates to our roads, playgrounds, parks and other recreational facilities.
The Public Services Division Superintendent, Tim Nolan, works in conjunction with a General Foreman and a Foreman along with a lead mechanic, two lead park maintainers, in managing and administrating one of the most diversified divisions of the Public Works Department. The Public Services Division includes Equipment Maintenance, Forestry, Park Maintenance, and Highway.
The Director’s vision in creating a division that is a single source in providing all of the public services to the residents and taxpayers has paid off. Our response time has been drastically reduced and priorities are more aligned across the board.
The fleet maintenance division priorities are more aligned with a variety of programs that this division administrates and ensures that all city vehicles are ready for the execution of their programs.
The snow removal and ice control program is the single most important task that the Public Services Division deals with collectively.
Highway
About Us:
The Highway Division includes forty-three (43) staff members who vary from secretary-dispatcher to laborer/masons. The Highway Division walks, curbs, bridges, storm drains and waterways.is responsible for the maintenance and reconstruction of city streets,
The Highway Division takes the safety of citizens very seriously by actively maintaining public right of ways. A considerable amount of time is devoted to performing routine maintenance which includes filling potholes and other road repairs, road sweeping and storm drain cleaning to prevent drainage problems.
Upon the arrival of winter, the Highway Division is prepared to maintain safe road conditions and has divided the City into thirty-eight (38) routes to plow and sand. Crews mix more than 16,000 cubic yards of sand with salt in order to prepare for winter snow and ice storms. Several parking lots for public buildings and schools are also part of the responsibility of this Division for snow removal.
A two-man crew also works in conjunction with the Traffic Authority to make and install traffic control and warning signs.
An added benefit to the residents of the City are the annual clean-up programs, which the Division offers in both the spring and fall. This program provides the citizens of Danbury with an opportunity to remove the leaves and yard debris that litter their property. Leaf bags are picked up at curbside and disposed of in the appropriate manner. The Division also administrates a very successful bulky waste removal program.
The Division has implemented a two-crew construction program allowing for a considerable amount of previously contracted work to now be performed in-house. Also the Highway Division purchased a used, larger paving box and used 10-wheel trucks for in-house paving program.
Our Accomplishments:
Within the past year, 5.03 miles of road were resurfaced, utilizing 7,495.02 tons of asphalt and 1,145 L.F of curbing installed throughout the City. Additionally, drainage and icing problems were corrected at more than forty-eight (48) locations throughout the City with over 3,750 L.F. of drainage pipe, over one hundred (100) new catch basins and forty-two (42) new sumps installed. In addition, the street sweeping program includes mechanically sweeping 240 miles of city roads providing cleaner streets and minimizing the deterioration of drains while facilitating good gutter flow. The Highway Division also upgraded Rogers Park Little League baseball fields and built a new parking lot at Farrington Park.
This Division responded to 25 snow and ice events this past winter.
The Highway Division has maintenance programs with long-term goals of reducing the impact to downstream ditches, roadways and drains to minimize the deterioration of wetlands.
Parks Maintenance
About Us:
Parks Maintenance is comprised of 15 full time and 10 seasonal employees. This Division is responsible for the maintenance of all of our playgrounds, parks and recreational fields. Parks Maintenance also maintains the grounds for all of the City’s public buildings and schools. Overall, the Division mows over 400 acres of lawn at least once a week and maintains the grass islands in the City’s right of ways. The Division has seasonal schedules, which vary considerably and in the winter are one of the key departments responsible for keeping our downtown sidewalks cleared. This Division teams up with the Public Buildings Division and together, they plow and clear snow at most of our school grounds and public buildings. The Division’s mechanic maintains all of the small equipment and large mowers.
Our Accomplishments:
During the winter months, the Parks Maintenance Division partners with the Highway and Forestry Division to perform snow plowing and sanding in the downtown area. In the spring, the Parks Maintenance Division partnered with the Highway Division to recondition the J.V. softball field and the varsity baseball fields at Danbury High School, to re-grade the little league fields in Rogers Park and repaired athletic fencing at several locations. All of the City playgrounds and gardens received new mulch and all of the repairs that were needed. This Division is also responsible for the beautiful landscapes in the parks at public buildings, monuments and many other locations throughout the City. The crews also cut back and opened up fence lines at several of the schools, reclaiming overgrown areas.
The Division will continue to strive to make Danbury recognized as one of the municipalities in the tri-state area which has the best-kept grounds, the highest level of usage by the public and provides some of the best recreation fulfillment possible.
Equipment Maintenance
About Us:
Equipment Maintenance has a small staff of four (4) mechanics which maintains all of the City’s heavy equipment and trucks. The division also commissions new trucks and equipment when necessary. The goal of the Equipment Maintenance Division is to provide the best maintenance program for our heavy fleet which will ensure the longest, trouble free operation of our fleet. Our Equipment Maintenance Division works hard keeping our older fleet, which is on the average of 15 years old, running every day.
Our Accomplishments:
Equipment Maintenance has continued their goal of providing operable equipment when it is needed, while all critical equipment is kept up and running for immediate use as required. Future goals consist of prolonging the life of the equipment by doing more routine services and by reducing the down time for equipment that is being repaired. With the help of new diagnostic equipment, vehicles were recycled for use in different city departments, further reducing costs by minimizing outsourcing. Providing the safest and most reliable trucks and equipment possible for City operators will continue to be their main priority.
The Division continued with the maintenance and rehabilitation program for our four (4) sweepers. This work was traditionally performed by a vendor and is another example of the Public Work Director’s goal to do more work in-house. The Head Mechanic worked closely with the Director and Superintendent of Public Services locating heavy equipment to do more in-house construction projects. The head mechanic played a key role in finding used equipment and trucks for our in-house paving program.
This division is the back-bone of our snow removal and ice control program. Keeping our various trucks and equipment running during these past storms has been a huge challenge.
Forestry
About Us:
The Forestry Division consists of four (4) people including the Lead Tree Operator, Mark Miller, who is also our Tree Warden, Tree Worker-Climber, Tree Worker-Bucket Operator and a Truck Driver. The work performed by the Forestry Division includes the maintenance of the City’s landscapes. Trees and shrubs are removed and trimmed to provide a safe environment at the parks, playgrounds, schools, public buildings and all our right of ways. The crew is called into action to assist the Highway Division with snow plowing and sanding during the winter. This Division is responsible for the beautiful landscapes in the parks, at public buildings, monuments and many other locations throughout the City.
Our Accomplishments:
During the winter months the Forestry Division performed snow plowing and sanding downtown to assist the Highway and Parks Maintenance Departments. They are the key division responsible for clearing the crosswalks in the downtown area.
During the past year, the Division did pruning and tree removal at locations throughout the City and responded to many tree calls due to storm damage. Tree work was performed at city schools for parking lot upgrades and building additions. Roadside cutting and pruning wasalso performed for large paving projects throughout the City. The fertilization of the large American Elms, Cooper Beeches and Oaks in the downtown area was completed.
This past year the planting program included installing new mulch at all of the City school and playgrounds and the replacement of four (4) new trees within the City.
To celebrate Arbor Day, we planted a tree at Pembroke School and Lake Kenosia. Once again, they participated in the Arbor Day program at Tarrywile Park, pruning and removing dead trees.
This May, the Forestry Division once again presented one of the most popular displays at the Seventh Annual Public Works Awareness open house at the Danbury Public Works Complex on Newtown Road. The students really enjoy looking at the trucks and equipment. The tree climbing demonstration is always a big hit. We are looking forward to this event again next year.
The Division was proud of the appearance of Main St. and the Rose Garden for the Memorial Day Parade, and takes great pride in showcasing their work for the residents and visitors to the City. Once again, Danbury was named Tree City USA for the 24th year.
Notice of Tree Warden Decision Pursuant to Connecticut General Statues 23-59, Forestry Division of the Public Works Department