Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Works Report topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Public Works presents 2024 annual report: sidewalks, water meters and transit updates
Summary
Public Works Director Sean Wells briefed council June 17 on 2024 accomplishments including 110 staff, $13 million in engineering construction valuation, ADA improvements, water metering upgrades and transit service expansions including battery electric bus grants.
Sean Wells, director of Pullman Public Works, presented the department's 2024 annual report to the City Council on June 17, detailing capital projects, maintenance activities, stormwater work, and transit operations.
Wells said the department employs 110 staff across engineering, maintenance and operations, transit and administration. He reported the engineering group completed 11 capital improvement projects in 2024 with a combined construction valuation of roughly $13 million and highlighted Water Tank 12, cemetery expansion, Canyon View Trail and significant downtown project work.
Why this matters: the report summarized both one‑time capital investments and recurring maintenance needs — including ADA access, sidewalk reconstruction and roadway resurfacing — and flagged areas where recurring funding and staff capacity are constrained.
Key 2024 highlights presented by Wells:
- Engineering and complete streets: 26 reconstructed ADA ramps plus 39 new ramps, 3,000 feet of reconstructed sidewalk, 3,600 feet of infill sidewalks and 3,100 feet of bike/pedestrian paths; rapid‑flashing beacons, pedestrian refuge islands and other traffic‑calming features were installed during downtown work.
- Water and stormwater: crews responded to 10 water‑main breaks in 2024 (Wells said 90 percent of those breaks were in cast‑iron mains in the 6–8‑inch range). The city installed 862 meter transceiver units (MXUs) — 392 replacements and 470 new — to improve automated meter reading and reduce manual meter reads.
- Wastewater: the treatment plant produced approximately 4,196 dry tons of biosolids in 2024, most of which were hauled to composters, and staff conducted a high volume of in‑house lab tests for regulatory compliance.
- Transit: Pullman Transit restored midnight weekday and Saturday services in 2024 and added service to Pullman‑Moscow Regional Airport, recording 884 airport route riders in 2024. The city received grants to purchase battery electric buses and expected delivery of new buses in the coming months; two additional electric bus grants were noted as received.
Wells and councilmembers discussed ridership trends: fixed‑route ridership fell 7.2 percent from 2023 to 2024, while Dial‑A‑Ride ridership increased; councilmembers raised questions about causes and about replacing aging fleet vehicles. Wells said fleet replacement and new electric buses will help address an aging fleet and that staff will continue to evaluate ridership surveys and operational changes.
Wells also noted the city anticipates ramping sidewalk‑maintenance funding in 2026 and increasing pavement maintenance from historically low levels. Councilmembers thanked the public‑works team for their workload and praised communication about downtown and Pine Street projects.
The report was informational; Wells said a full published annual report would be available the following week.
