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Public Service director outlines water, streets and fleet work; city adds street‑sweeper and leak detection program
Summary
Department of Public Service presented operations highlights including a new street‑sweeper program, resumed meter replacements, satellite leak detection, fleet updates and streetlight/traffic signal work.
The Department of Public Service briefed the committee on June 23 about recent and planned work on water, streets, fleet and facilities, including a new in‑house street‑sweeper program and a pilot satellite leak detection pass.
The director said customer service sends more than 10,000 water bills a month and the department has handled over 10,000 calls so far in 2025. The utilities division has replaced about 360 water meters year‑to‑date and responded to about 14 water‑main breaks this year. “They get called out at 02:00 in the morning…they come right in,” the director said of the utilities crews.
Public Service has purchased a new street sweeper and has mapped the city into five sweeping zones to begin a live program July 1. Funding for the sweeper uses a mix of stormwater and capital funds; the director said the purchase was also supported by Issue 12 bond proceeds. The department said it maintains over 325 lane miles of streets, plowed over 7,000 lane miles this winter (multiple passes), used roughly 900 tons of salt and 6,000 gallons of brine.
Staff summarized other in‑house shifts: a new sign shop that has produced about 40 signs in 2025, a pavement‑marking touch‑up program for residential and high‑pedestrian areas, a first crash‑attenuator (safety) vehicle for high‑speed work, and a right‑sizing approach to fleet procurement. The fleet group services roughly 450 pieces of equipment.
On water quality and reporting, the director praised the consumer confidence report (CCR) preparation and noted the department is working with Ohio EPA reporting requirements. The department also piloted a satellite leak detection pass; staff will follow up in autumn to confirm repairs.
Council asked follow‑up questions on stormwater coordination, roundabout stop‑bar sightlines and whether the sweeper purchase was funded by Issue 12; staff said engineering, parks and other divisions would be engaged as needed. No formal actions were taken.
