As the seasons change from summer to fall, the tasks for municipal public works staff change as well. The Express News recently submitted questions to the village of Germantown asking about the priorities and tasks for the Department of Public Works in the fall, with responses provided by Scott Anderson, Highways, Parks, and Buildings & Grounds Superintendent for the village of Germantown. The questions and answers are listed below.

Express News: September has arrived. What are the priorities for Public Works and other village staff in the fall? Is it finishing up various road projects and then handling fall leaves in mid October through November?

Anderson: We’ve come to the point in summer where any new non-emergency requests that come in are already being placed into cue for the 2023 construction season. Our staff still has many tasks to complete before the weather changes, and while this list isn’t all encompassing, some of the larger tasks are: Fall pavement crack-sealing, fall brush pick-up, stump grinding and restoration, right-of-way ditch mowing, manicured turf mowing (through Thanksgiving), street sweeping with additional effort in heavily treed areas for fallen leaves, restoration of asphalt associated with curb replacement project, pothole patching on all plow routes, corner marking of all village sidewalks and parking lots, decorating of all village campuses for Christmas, set up for Tannenbaum Trail / Christmas parade event, set-up and take-down for November election, and several building maintenance related projects.

Express News: For fallen leaves, what can the public do to make that an easier process so the leaves aren’t scattered on roadways?

Anderson: Germantown does not offer bulk fall leaf collection. During sweeping operations DPW (Department of Public Works) staff is instructed to leave behind leaf piles that are placed directly into the roadway. They’re a couple options for residents when it comes to fall leaf clean up. Probably the easiest is to mulch leaves in place, which provides an excellent benefit, to turf by adding nutrients. Village staff mulches leaves at all village campuses and in all village parks. Mulching leaves also helps minimize intersection flooding by keeping storm inlets and drainage ways clear during heavy rainfall. Residents can also take advantage of the village’s Residential Yard Waste Facility as leaves are accepted at this location (formerly Recycling Center). While village staff works to complete the clean up of leaves that have fallen into the roadway, residents can also help reduce intersection flooding. It’s in everyone’s best interests to clear storm inlet drains and check culvert ends around their properties when heavy rain is in the forecast.

Express News: Winter is bound to happen sometime. When does the preparation for winter begin, as far as ordering and storing road salt? Also, does work on vehicles used for snowplowing happen in fall or winter or is work done at all times of the year to have them ready when winter comes?

Anderson: Germantown like many surrounding communities is part of the Wisconsin DOT (Department of Transportation) salt purchasing contract. While it hasn’t happened in a while, during periods of salt shortage, being part of this contract offers Germantown and other municipalities priority for available salt over private salt purchasers in the area. Salt can be purchased almost anytime from August through May of the following year. In most recent years, our salt storage shed is filled near capacity toward the end of the season and ready for the following winter! Snow removal equipment makes up roughly 30 percent of the entire village fleet including police and fire (vehicles). While it’s only a fraction of our entire village fleet, winter equipment repair accounts for numerous hours of staff time comparatively. Maintenance on winter equipment is without a doubt most prevalent from November through April, although tasks are completed year-round. Even though today (Sept. 8) is sunny and 75 degrees, DPW shop staff is completing an in depth injector replacement project on one of our patrol trucks. This project like any other helps to ensure that our fleet is in the best possible condition for whatever winter mess comes our way! Each year DPW staff intends to be 100 percent prepared for winter no later than mid-November. That said, if winter moves in earlier as it did on Halloween several years ago, we are always prepared for a small-scale event.

Express News: What are tasks done by village staff in the fall and winter that the public might not know about?

Anderson: In the Public Works industry, there has long been an idea that the biggest task completed by a Public Works Department is snow removal. When winter weather brings our community to a grinding halt, that idea couldn’t be any more true. DPW staff plays a key role ensuring that emergency service, commerce and the motoring public can travel as safe as possible as soon as possible. While we proudly play our role during winter operations, we have a very talented staff who support the village and it’s infrastructure in so many different ways. Every task we complete in the summer requires equipment maintenance and planning for the following construction season. These tasks are completed during the winter months, so that we’re well prepared for the next construction season. While it would be nearly impossible to list every little thing completed within our department during the winter months, some of the projects completed when the snow isn’t falling include: tree trimming and removal, street name and custom sign creation, roadway sign replacement, turf equipment maintenance and repair, village building maintenance including: light plumbing and electrical, led lighting conversion and interior construction projects. Last winter several of our staff constructed a temporary working platform at the library. This project was completed for a fire suppression contractor to work off of while completing a fire suppression mainline replacement project. This project like others often leads to a project coming in under budget, helping the village save money where and whenever possible.

-Questions submitted and story compiled by Thomas J. McKillen, Express News Managing Editor

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