This summer season has been a bit different than many past summers. We have seen a good deal of rain which has helped address the drought conditions of many years and brought up lake levels. It has also created different sets of problems for city crews and their activities over the summer season.
With each rain, particularly large ones we see drainage issues. We have some areas with adequate paved roads and drainage but much of the city is served by gravel roads with little or no drainage facilities. Each rain brings erosion on these roadways that carry materials of sand or gravel to low lying areas. Public works spend a large amount of time dealing with these in some fashion all over the city. Roads are graded, shaped, and crowned. Ditches are installed and after a few years they fill up with sand or gravel and we start all over again. Gravel roads are less costly to install but far more costly to maintain. It does keep staff busy in many ways.
Another issue we’ve had this year with the rains has been mowing. Roadside mowing is a large task that occurs all season long but this year has been difficult to keep up with. We try to stay ahead of it but in the spring there are calls to limit mowing to save the wild flowers and then very quickly it gets out of hand. In most years we manage to keep pace but this year the rains just kept coming. Calls come in asking for mowing as we continued to mow with as much equipment and manpower we have. As I understand it in most years the rain relents in August and we finally catch up, but that didn’t happen this year.
Summer is the time we clean out, fix up, and expand facilities. The clean out and fix up happened but very little expansion occurred. A good part of this was budget constraints, but we also saw the reconstruction of Co. Rd. 4 occur which displaced some of our activity. This certainly falls into the fixed up category but was very disruptive for many people who rely on this roadway. As we always say “short term pain for long term gain”. This project as I understand it will have its first lift of asphalt installed by the middle of October. That will bring some relief to many.
With Labor Day weekend upon us, many of us focus on family, the end of summer, and the start of school. The city starts to focus on the coming season. Irrigation lines need to be blown out. Plows and equipment is readied for the “S” word. Final pumping of the wastewater at the plant occurs so that adequate storage exists for winter use. Those items needing repair and winter work are readied. We shift our focus and resources to a new season.
Have a great Labor Day Weekend and enjoy the last hurrah of summer as the seasons are a changing.
