Public Works director outlines staffing, services and big projects including $6M bridge and $2.25M HVAC plan

Tom Ritter, who presented an operations briefing to the Town Council on May 5, said Bedford's Public Service (Public Works) operation has 23 full‑time employees who handle fleet and equipment maintenance, facilities, grounds and parks, refuse and transfer‑station operations, street and stormwater maintenance, emergency support and special events.

Ritter said the department maintains seven parks and four cemeteries, manages refuse collection for roughly 3,500 homes, and that the transfer station processed 15,504 tons of material in 2025 (1,362 tons recycled; 14,142 tons trash). He described the town's brush‑grinding contract and the practice of storing and selling millings at $15 per ton.

Ritter reviewed current projects: the McGee Street bridge replacement, which he described as a more than $6 million project and has encountered coordination issues with Norfolk Southern; and a municipal building HVAC/electrical project estimated at $2,250,000 that staff expects to pursue following evaluation of options by Thompson and Litton. He also noted a partnership with the county parks and recreation department to increase use of Liberty Lake Park and upcoming expansion of a carnival event there.

Councilors asked operational questions about staffing and specific programs; Ritter said the department has certified staff for traffic maintenance and ornamental spraying, and listed recent accomplishments including installing 1,856 feet of new sidewalk and completing more than four miles of road paving in the last cycle. Council thanked Ritter and praised the department's work.

No formal vote was required; the briefing provided context for multiple budget and capital requests later on the agenda.