Cleves reopens flood‑damaged park after three-week cleanup; council grants public‑works paid day off

Village of Cleves staff and volunteers completed a multi-stage cleanup of a flood‑affected park in a little over three weeks, clearing several inches of silt from road surfaces, sanitizing playground and picnic areas, and removing more than a dozen truckloads of debris, the parks manager said.

John, the parks manager, described the response: crews scraped silt with equipment, used a 4,000-gallon water truck to wash surfaces, disinfected playground turf and picnic shelters, repaired courts and replaced a pickleball net. “We scraped all the surface off with a bobcat and then came in with a water truck,” John said, and volunteers contributed significant labor during the effort.

Council recognized volunteers and public-works staff for the cleanup and, during the meeting, approved a motion to grant public-works employees a paid day off on June 20 in recognition of National Public Works Week. The motion to give the paid day off was made and seconded and passed by a 5–0 roll call. The administration noted operational caveats: essential water and emergency services would remain reachable in case of urgent maintenance during any holiday closure.

Council members said the cleanup work extends beyond the park; staff are repairing streets, potholes and catch basins and performing routine maintenance across the village. Officials also noted the village coordinated volunteers and staff to reopen the park sooner than initially predicted.