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Mayor Cyndi Baronzzi Dickey highlighted the accomplishments of the street department as part of her annual state of the city address.
In addition to the department's annual duties including mowing of both city and vacant properties, tree trimming, cleaning ditches, trash pickup along city roadway and downtown cleanup, Dickey said that the department had responded to 88 calls from the city for assistance. The department also assisted with the Sugartree and Burchfield Alley renovation projects which were intended to promote use of the city's municipal parking downtown.
For the Sugartree project the department performed the demolition of the previous damaged concrete, tree removal, "installed parking stops in the parking area," and completed concrete bases for the light poles. For the Burchfield project, the department completed trenching for electrical conduct and assisted with pressure washing and painting.
Dickey said that the department had installed 360 feet of 12-inch pipe, five new catch basins, and replacement or repair of over 100 feet of concrete curbing throughout the city. Dickey also said that the department had sold 3,000 tons of grindings from the 2023 Street Paving Project netting "$40,000 in additional revenue for the city."
This year the department used 70 tons of hot mix and a further 35 tons of cold patch blacktop throughout the city and completed crack sealing on Highland and North Union Avenue, and State Street to combat deterioration.
The department was more than prepared for the 2023 winter weather season with over 2,000 tons of pure salt stockpiled. Of that stockpile the department deployed roughly 500 tons of pure salt in its efforts to keep roads clear and safe for residents, and still has a stockpile of roughly 1,700 tons at the department's garage.
Dickey said that 2023 also saw several equipment purchases for the department including: a 20-foot trailer for hauling roller and mowing equipment; a 12-inch digging bucket for the mini excavator; a 2500-watt Generac generator; an electric jack hammer; Stihl and Husqvarna leaf blowers; a Stihl weed trimmer; two electric brake controllers for the department's small dump trucks; a roll gate spreader for the five ton dump truck; and concrete stamps.
The department also ordered a new 2023 Western Star five-ton dump truck.