Upper Arlington details LED upgrades, sewer AI, new vactor truck and five‑year fleet plan

Upper Arlington officials reviewed public works, electrical and fleet operations at the Jan. 13 City Council meeting, outlining near‑term capital purchases and ongoing maintenance priorities that will affect street lighting, traffic signals, sanitary sewers, snow removal and vehicles.

The presentation, led by Director Wofa and public works staff, said the city has “just shy of 2,000 street lights” and that the 2025 budget included $76,000 to buy LED retrofit kits that the city expects to have reimbursed by a grant. Director Wofa said the electrical team also maintains about 53 traffic signals and manages timing changes based primarily on traffic volumes: “The primary thing is volumes,” he said when asked how staff decide to adjust signal timing.

The public‑works overview listed several capital and operational items. Sanitary‑sewer maintenance follows the city’s Capacity Management, Operations and Maintenance (CMOM) manual; the manual requires cleaning and televising about 10% of the system annually, which the presentation quantified as roughly 86,000 feet per year. To speed inspections and data capture, the city now records video of sewer runs and runs that footage through an AI tool that identifies defects and exports findings to the city’s GIS mapping system, staff said.

Staff showed a recently acquired vactor truck, funded in the 2024 budget and delivered about two weeks before the meeting, and noted council approved a new street sweeper in the 2025 budget. The presentation said the city vacuums and clears manholes and storm inlets to prevent backups and that hydrant maintenance is coordinated with the City of Columbus under an existing agreement; Columbus maintains the water mains while Upper Arlington maintains the hydrants. Staff raised procurement and parts‑availability concerns for hydrants and said budgeted funds are in place for continued maintenance.

Fleet and operations details included: 138 vehicles and about 300 pieces of equipment under fleet care, a fleet staff of five mechanics and a supervisor, and 1,034 fleet work orders logged in 2024 (a mix of short preventive‑maintenance tasks and longer repairs). Staff said they will create a five‑year vehicle capital plan (a multi‑year CIP) this year to move from annual budgeting toward longer‑range replacement forecasting. The Click‑to‑Fix service‑request app was retired Jan. 1; the city redirected users to a persistent service‑request widget on the city website.

Snow and ice procedures were summarized: the city runs seven plow routes, prioritizes arterials and collectors, then residential streets, and aims for “bare pavement within 24 hours of the last snowfall,” Director Wofa said. Leaf collection runs for two months each year on 10‑hour days, six days a week, operating district‑by‑district. Staff said the parks department handles parking lots and paths; schools are responsible for their parking lots and sidewalks.

Council members asked for clarifications. Council member Kulitz asked how staff decide signal timing changes; Director Wofa said counts and complaints both prompt reviews and staff take counts around traffic generators such as the new community center. Council member Adams asked about sustainability and electrification; staff said vehicle electrification will be evaluated as part of the five‑year fleet plan and that facility upgrades and solar at the community center are being considered.

Staff listed items they will carry forward in 2025: completing priority‑area sanitary‑sewer lining over the next few years, updating CMOM procedures, pursuing hydrant parts procurement, planning a fueling‑station replacement, advancing the fleet five‑year CIP, and reviewing the food‑waste contract that expires at year end.

Director Wofa and public‑works manager Tony Moore urged residents to use the website service‑request widget for non‑emergency issues and said on‑call staff remain available for electrical emergencies that can pose safety hazards.

A full slide deck and supporting exhibits, including maps showing sanitary and storm sewer responsibilities and photos of the inspection camera and equipment, were presented to council during the meeting.