Public Works outlines upkeep, tree plan and anti-dumping efforts

Terrence Robinson, deputy director of operations and maintenance for Richmond's Department of Public Works, gave the Governmental Operations Committee an overview of the department's operations and pending projects, saying the division’s mission is “to provide a clean, safe, and healthy environment.”

Robinson told the committee the operations and maintenance portfolio includes six major divisions and roughly 382 full-time equivalents with 30 funded vacancies. He summarized workload and program volumes: the Urban Forestry Division handles roughly 120,000 total tree sites (about 76,000 of them occupied), Street Cleaning sweeps about 5,000 lane miles a year, grounds maintenance covers about 3,000 acres across parks, medians and school sites, and roadway maintenance repairs roughly 6,000 square yards of sidewalks and more than 11,000 potholes annually. Solid waste services cover curbside trash for about 65,000 residents and curbside recycling for about 62,000 residents; Robinson said the system moves roughly 76,000 tons of trash per year.

Robin…