Carbide Grader Blade

There’s a new tool in the tool box for road maintenance.  This is a carbide tooth grader blade.  This will be used primarily for gravel roads but it can also be used in the winter to break up icy surfaces.  The blade has replaceable “teeth” that rotate. 

In the past year or so the city has been attempting to better the surfaces of gravel roads.  Rather than grading them flat we are trying to establish and maintain a crown in the center of the roadway.  This helps with drainage and to some extent limits some erosion of the roadway surface.  Water is able to shed to the side of the roadway rather than running down the road.  A packer was also acquired that mounts on the back of the grader.  With the packer downward pressure is applied on the newly graded surfaces to help it maintain the crown and stabilize it.  This change in approach has also helped minimize the need to grade as often as the surface seems to be more durable. 

Taking this to the next step is where the carbide tooth blade comes in.  With the tooth design gravel can be stirred up to create a “fresh” surface.  The fine materials that typically float on the surface can be incorporated into the gravel and a new surface is established using the existing road bed materials.  With replaceable rotating teeth resistance on the blade is minimized saving fuel and allowing for the breakup of larger rocks that may be part of the road materials.  With these new approaches being added we hope to further minimize the need for repeated grading becoming more efficient with road maintenance and resulting in better overall surfacing.

These changes to the roads will take some time to see the benefit.  Roadways were traditionally bladed somewhat flat so it will take some time to build the crowns and reclaim the surface.  All in good time improvements are being made to operations which will eventually translate to better roadway surfaces. 

As a side benefit to this new tool it gives us an option to break up ice covered roads.  Generally you think of salt to accomplish ice removal on roadways.  This is a traditional approach that works most of the time.  This doesn’t however work well when temperatures are below about 15 degrees. The sun can help but breaking up the surface somewhat with groves provides for better traction while weakening the icy surface.  Having this texture also allows for salt to stay on the roadway longer giving that time to work when temperatures rebound. 

We applaud the Public Works crew for constantly looking at new approaches to find solutions that better operations and performance of the roadways that serve the public.      

New City Administrator

I have given notice to the city that I intend on retiring on March 15, 2018.  The city has taken the step of hiring David Drown Associates to do an executive search for my replacement as City Administrator Clerk/Treasurer.  The council, at their November meeting, reviewed materials that will be available as part of the recruitment process.  A Position Profile was approved and dates were established for the selection of the finalists and interviews. 

Applications will be received until December 6, 2017.  Once received, they will be screened to select semifinalists.  These individuals will complete a questionnaire and accomplish a personality index.  With the selection of the semifinalists the city council will meet in a special meeting on January 4^th to select five or six candidates for interviews. 

All the finalists will then undergo a background check.  A criminal background check will be done at the county, state and national level.  The sex offender registry is checked.  Social Security number, employment and education are verified.  Finally there is also a Credit Check accomplished.  Prior to the interviews the finalists will also undergo an intellectual profile dealing with verbal, mathematical, logical and mental aptitudes and abilities.    

Interviews will be conducted by the city council on January 25^th at a special meeting which will likely start about noon and go until early evening.  It is hoped that a candidate can be selected at the conclusion of that meeting and an offer can be made to the selected person. 

It is anticipated that the selected person could start as early as February 26^th.  If they start then that will provide some time with an overlap to get up to speed on the activities and issues of importance with the city.