Public Works

Today I shadowed the personnel in the Public Works Division.  I woke up at 4am to join them when they start work at 6:30 am.  Florescent green vest in hand, I rode along to the park where they needed to move sign twenty feet away from where they located it a week prior.  It was interesting to see the small front loader tractor excavate the sign and an auger dig the new hole for the sign.  We then ventured to one of the neighborhoods that consisted of one way streets that need better signage to help citizens comply.  We dug another hole for a "One Way" sign, but this time they let me help direct the auger into the grass and dirt and back out again.  It was interesting to note that it is surprisingly more difficult to dig into grass with the auger than dirt.  Perhaps the moisture from watering the grass compacts the dirt making it more difficult to penetrate?  Once the second sign was in place, I got to see them use a new tool for banding the "Do Not Enter" sign to an existing light pole.  The guys used a tool called a Band It that enables them to place two bands around the pole with attached brackets where the sign can be bolted in on the top and bottom.


After the experience of installing street signs, I rode along in a water truck.  We drove up and down one of the sixteen remaining dirt roads in town to help the other staff member grade it.  It was interesting to see how the water truck was filled by literally sucking the water from a nearby canal through a hose and it took fifteen minutes to fill it up.  My last ride along was with a street sweeper.  I was fascinated to learn how it worked.  Apparently the little brooms on each side of the truck sweep the trash inward where it is caught up by the big broom in the back.  From there the trash is elevated into a holding tank located just behind the driver and passenger seats.  I just looked behind me through Plexiglas to see what the truck collected.  The last job before lunch was to fill the sweeper with water.  It was cool to see the sweeper get filled with water from a nearby hydrant.

Generally it was great to have this opportunity to ask a bunch of questions and experience a glimpse of the work done in Public Works.  It was also great to spend the morning with seven guys who really like their jobs.  Their tasks change daily depending on the needs of the City.  The morning I shadowed was focused on maintaining dirt roads and installing street signs.  When need arises other days they may repair traffic signals, put out traffic barricades, or clean up the right of ways.  The guys seem to be just as interested in my job with the City as I was with theirs.  I think this experience developed a better mutual understanding.