Public Works and Utilities staff delivered a monthly update to Petersburg City Council on Oct. 7, 2025, reporting completed and ongoing maintenance, a successful citywide cleanup, and operational tracking of fire hydrants and paving projects.

Public Works reported completion of ceiling repair and painting at the Huston Courthouse and masonry and chimney repairs at the Commonwealth's Attorney building. Staff said they repaved the parking lot across from the farmers market and upgraded electrical outlets to allow seasonal lighting. The citywide cleanup on Sept. 27 drew over 100 cars and collected nearly 14 tons of trash, staff said; a shredding event will be scheduled in November.

Utilities work included coordination with the fire department on hydrant flushing and repairs and a new tracking system for hydrants that logs location, report date, work orders and repair dates. Staff reported they have identified 24 hydrants needing attention; 12 have been repaired and 12 were reported within the past three weeks and are scheduled for remediation. Two sites with longer outages identified by staff were 2520 County Drive and 1609 West Washington Street.

Paving and milling projects were done primarily at night on multiple segments, and staff said an October schedule will be posted on the city website. The department announced the annual fall leaf pickup schedule will run Nov. 17 through Jan. 23, 2026, with dates by ward and a bagging option for missed pickups.

Council members raised operational questions. Councilman Westbrook asked whether Ward 3 could avoid always being last on the leaf pickup schedule; Public Works said they would explore scheduling adjustments and potential staggered routes to expedite service. Staff said they will continue coordination across departments to expedite repairs and seasonal work.