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Newton County public works director details storm response, paving plans and fleet upkeep
Summary
On the county podcast, Public Works Director Chris Malcolm described year-round storm preparation, staffing and equipment needs, annual paving targets and a citizen reporting app that generates work orders for road issues.
Chris Malcolm, Newton County public works director, told the county’s podcast that the department runs year-round storm-preparation drills, stages crews across the county during severe weather and relies on multiple funding streams to repave roads and replace heavy equipment.
On “Do You Know Newton?,” Public Information Officer Brian Fazio interviewed Malcolm about staffing, winter storms and day-to-day operations. Malcolm said crews began storm preparations at about 3:30 a.m. during the most recent event, that the department operates roughly 11 staging areas during large weather responses and that crews use both brine and salt when conditions require it. "We prepare year round, believe it or not. And we have what we call blue sky day meetings when it's not snowing," Malcolm said.
The nut graf: county roads, storm clearance and pavement affect everyday travel and emergency access for residents across Newton County’s roughly 279-square-mile area; Malcolm described how limited staff and expensive equipment constrain how quickly the county can resurface and repair roads.
Malcolm said the public works department employs about 55 full-time workers and about 75 people when seasonal staff are included, and that its operations are organized into nine divisions including fleet maintenance and pavement. "Pavement is the biggest. I think it's like 25 in pavement because it takes so much," he said. He described the county’s maintenance responsibility as focused on county roads and subdivisions; larger state highways and some city streets are maintained by state or municipal agencies.
On paving, Malcolm described the typical process—removing failed surface sections, deep patching, placing a leveling layer and then applying two surface layers—and said Newton County aims to repave roughly 20 miles a year, with last year’s work totaling about 25 miles. He said the department uses a mix of funding sources for paving and equipment, citing state funds, SPLOST, impact fees and some general-fund money.
Malcolm also discussed fleet management. He said the county maintains around 500 pieces of equipment and vehicles and has about nine mechanics in the shop. "You need to make your payments or paying repairs—one of the two," he said, describing the trade-offs between keeping older equipment running and replacing it.
On storm operations and emergency response, Malcolm said the department moves to 12-hour rotations during major events and aims to have response teams within about 20 minutes of an initial call when possible. He said the department maintains roughly 10 emergency-response crews that can clear trees and debris, work with the county’s Emergency Management Agency and operate from the county Emergency Operations Center during major incidents.
Malcolm gave several operational figures: crews applied an estimated 8,000 gallons of brine during the recent storm, the county maintains about 800 paved miles within the county (including city and state roads, not all maintained by the county), and the trash-collection program uses eight trucks and collected over 4,000 bags (more than 42 tons) last year. He framed culvert replacement as an emerging workload because many culverts installed during the early 2000s are reaching the end of their useful lives.
Malcolm urged residents to report road problems using the county’s mobile app or website, which can attach photos and geolocation and convert reports into work orders. "As soon as you get it, a work order's put in," he said. Fazio noted the board of commissioners approved the county’s LME list for 2025 and pointed listeners to NewtonCountyGA.gov for the paving list and other updates.
Ending: Malcolm highlighted that most public-works employees live in the county and said that motivates crews to respond in storms and maintain infrastructure. He encouraged residents to use the app to report potholes or other hazards so staff can prioritize work orders. The county website holds the current paving list and information on employment and services.
