Street superintendent: crosswalks repainted, sweeper delivered and crews preparing training

Street Superintendent Buddy Glenn reported the city’s street crews had completed repainting crosswalks, performed concrete repairs on Ridgeview Court, made several asphalt patches, addressed drainage high spots, and continued routine right-of-way mowing.

Glenn told the committee that the city took delivery of a new street sweeper and conducted an initial one-day training session. He said the machine will not be put into regular service until it has tag and insurance; staff expect a 10-day tag to arrive the following day from the vendor. Glenn described multiple controls and hydraulics on the unit and said he planned to send two employees for initial sweeping runs so operators could train together.

“There’s a lot of whistles and bells on this thing…that’s when we talk about training and long-term training on that, that there’s a lot to learn,” Glenn said. He recommended sending two operators for initial training passes and then rotating operators to build experience. Glenn also said the department may purchase additional gutter/belly brooms and that the sweeper’s remote controls and other features improve safety compared with older equipment.

Glenn estimated a useful service life in the neighborhood of 12 years for the new sweeper and said the department intends to surplus the older unit through the city’s surplus process.

Other maintenance work Glenn mentioned included digging out high spots that were holding water and ongoing pothole repair. He said staff have been interviewing applicants for open positions in the department and expect to fill a posted position soon.