Public Works cleans 300,000 ft of ditches, wins jet-vac gains but lags on sidewalks and herbicide program

Glynn County Public Works told commissioners it exceeded targets for ditch-cleaning and storm-pipe flushing after adding equipment and crews, but also reported missed targets for sidewalk replacement and mixed results from a new herbicide program.

Public Works Director Danny Smith said the department’s goal to mechanically mow and maintain outfall canals twice annually expanded to include mid-size canals; staff now mow the routes proactively rather than only responding to calls. Tony Bison, road and drainage division manager, said the department exceeded a 100,000-linear-foot ditch‑cleaning goal by clearing about 300,000 linear feet and that jet‑vac crews flushed roughly 35,000 linear feet of pipe against a 10,000‑foot target. The work removed an estimated 13,000 cubic yards of sediment, Smith said.

The department credited two new pieces of equipment — an additional “granda” mower and two vac/jet trucks — for the gains. “One of the reasons why we were able to do this and do so much more was because we already had one piece of machinery ... and we were able to acquire a second one,” Bison said.

At the same time staff reported early challenges with a herbicide application program intended to reduce mechanical labor. The first year saw about a 25% success rate, Smith said, and staff plan a revised approach and more targeted herbicide selection to avoid erosion on sandy soils.

Sidewalk replacement lagged the department’s 2,500‑linear‑foot annual goal: staff replaced about 1,800 linear feet last year. Smith told commissioners that removal and replacement is labor‑intensive and that additional labor or contracting resources would be required to meet the target across the county’s backlog.

Public Works also reported improvement but incomplete performance on citizen responsiveness: staff are contacting roughly 75% of service‑requesting customers within two business days, short of the program’s 100% goal. Smith said some of the remaining gap reflects cultural change and the triage required to prioritize immediate safety calls over lower-priority repairs.

White‑goods pickup remains a significant operational workload. Smith said the county retains collection of bulk items in-house rather than outsourcing them under the Republic Services trash contract; roughly eight staff operate knuckle‑boom trucks on scheduled routes and the county is considering whether the hauler contract should eventually take on those pickups.

Why it matters: the ditch and pipe work reduce localized flooding risk and remove sediment that can block drainage. Sidewalk backlogs and slower customer-response rates highlight capital and staffing needs Public Works staff said they plan further adjustments, additional training, and a combination of in‑house work and contracted services to close performance gaps.