Duties as Assigned

The City’s Street Department has generally been a maintenance crew. This means we take care of what we currently have and make repairs to extend the life of streets and storm sewers.  I often joke that we take care of everything that is under the street, beside the street, hanging over the street, and draining off the street. 

We generally do not get involved in new construction until the project has been completed and turned over to us. The projects we handle range from concrete street patching, ADA-compliant concrete ramp replacement, bridge deck repairs, guardrail repairs, asphalt street patching, curb replacement, grading gravel streets and alleys, crack sealing, sign installation and replacement, snow removal, highway mowing and trimming, traffic management, mosquito spraying, demolitions, storm cleanup, tree removal and trimming of overhanging branches, culvert cleaning, ditch cleaning, and storm sewer repairs and replacements. 

The Street Department also does the heavy lifting for the annual Clean City large-item collection event. Over the four-day event, our crew works 10-hour days collecting unwanted large items from residents, loading them onto trucks, and hauling them to the landfill. It’s a busy few days that require plenty of hard work and teamwork to get the job done.

Then there are always the “duties as assigned,” or special projects we get to work on. These have included tearing down parts of the Dempster’s building, hauling dirt to rebuild the shooting range for the Police Department, building new access roads into the landfill, and replacing 80 feet of 60-inch culvert under east Grant Street.

Almost every day, I receive phone messages or have someone stop me to ask if we could look at a spot, a tree hanging in the street, or a sidewalk that is unsafe. A couple of topics that I get a lot have to do with the right-of-way, trees on the right-of-way, and sidewalks. 

The right-of-way is a strip of your property along the roadway that is designated for public use.  This right-of-way allows the appropriate governing body the right to access and perform work on utilities.

This brings me to trees on the right-of-way, which may be the number one reason people call me.

“I have a tree on your right-of-way that is dropping branches. I want you to remove it”. 

The Street Department will only remove trees on the right-of-way if they are dead or pose a hazard to the traveling public. Branches that fall from trees in the right-of-way into a property owner’s yard are the property owner’s responsibility.

Lastly, let’s talk about sidewalks. Sidewalks are the responsibility of the property owner. Repairs to sidewalks that are heaving, broken, or missing are the property owner’s responsibility, too.  The Street Department replaces sidewalks when they must be removed as part of a street or storm sewer repair.

I hope this helps clarify the variety of responsibilities the Street Department handles and the work that goes on behind the scenes to keep our community running smoothly. We have a great team that takes pride in maintaining safe streets, addressing maintenance needs, and taking care of the infrastructure our residents rely on every day. There’s a lot more to our job than meets the eye, and we’re proud of the work we do to serve the community

Jason Moore
Street Superintendent