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New DPW director outlines pothole and streetlight work; department tracking repeat trouble spots
Summary
New Department of Public Works director Larry Searls reported on pothole patching, repeat problem locations, contractor use for streetlight repairs and a carbon-reduction grant for LED conversion; staff logged 169 service requests in two months.
Larry Searls, Pontiac’s recently appointed Department of Public Works director, briefed the City Council on April 1 about the city’s pothole patching and streetlight repair efforts and the operational constraints affecting response times.
Searls said DPW has recorded 169 service requests between February 1 and April 1; 81 requests remained open at the time of the report. He said staff have identified roughly two dozen repeat trouble areas that will require more durable repairs later this fiscal year and into the next.
Searls described several operational limitations: the city lacks on-site storage for asphalt materials, which restricts the ability to maintain extended shifts and overnight stock; some suppliers and yards have constrained hours; materials left in equipment overnight can harden; and the city’s fleet and staff capacity are limited. Those constraints contribute to recurring potholes and make it difficult to respond with continuous crews.
On streetlights, Searls said the city’s contract with an outside lighting contractor has been reestablished and $242,000 had been spent on repairs since the last council update. Twelve distinct lighting systems were repaired and four more were in active repair as of the April 8 target date. The DPW director said the city has applied for a carbon-reduction grant to convert roughly 79 city‑owned lights to LEDs, which typically pay back in under four years on energy savings; work on DTE‑owned lights will follow DTE schedules.
Council members asked about mowing, sidewalk leveling and staffing. Searls said crews are ready to begin mowing seasonally and the department is operating under material and storage constraints that affect shift patterns. He said sidewalk leveling contracts are in place and replacement programs are active.
Council requested regular, by‑district reports on pothole repairs and repeat trouble locations; Searls said DPW can provide monthly updates.
