Scarborough Public Works Director

In my last article I attempted to give readers a general sense of public works. I wrote about not only the size of our town but about the number of public works’ staff employed.

I discussed what the operations division was responsible for. These are the men that do those functions that are typically associated with public works. In this article I want to tell you about two more of the six divisions comprising public works - vehicle maintenance and GIS (Geographic Informational Services).

The vehicle maintenance division is comprised of 10 staff members. Seven of these folks are technicians involved directly with repair and routine maintenance. Three more people are responsible for scheduling, specification writing and inventory control. 

The technicians perform work on vehicles that are operated by police, fire, rescue, public works, school, code enforcement and community services departments. Total, there are more than 200 pieces of rolling equipment that these folks work on. When you add all the miscellaneous support equipment – saws, compactors, signboards and mowers, to name a few, these folks are kept quite busy.

The complexity of the equipment today is amazing. Computers and electronics are commonplace in all vehicles today. As if that were not enough, the hydraulic systems on plow trucks, heavy equipment and fire apparatus would boggle just about anyone’s mind.

All technicians undergo rigorous training to keep up with changes in the industry. There are no help lines open at 2 a.m. on a winter morning when a plow truck needs to be fixed.   The technician has to know his business.  

Throughout the year equipment technicians attend various classes and workshops. Many of these classes are actually hosted by Scarborough Public Works Department. During the last few years, with the purchase of new equipment, we have included technical training as part of the bid specifications. This provides technicians with specific training and the latest skills necessary to maintain each new piece of equipment.  

As with any division in public works, flexibility is a key component. During the winter (November to April) all technicians are on-call. Regardless of the hour, they may respond to repair a plow truck or, in some cases, to drive the plow truck. Because the technicians are willing to fill in as needed we consider them a great asset to our winter operations. 

Geographical Information Systems (GIS) were not a typical part of public works 10 years ago. Since that time many large communities have created GIS departments either in their public works or planning departments. Currently we share our GIS person with the city of Saco. This arrangement was established three years ago and has been beneficial to both communities.  It has given us the opportunity to build strong informational bases in a cost effective manner.

Perhaps a little information on what GIS can do for the town might be useful. Although many people associate the program with colorful maps, GIS is much, much more. The information behind the picture such as pipe location, catchbasin location, tree types and condition, fire hydrant location and flow rate, etc. provide invaluable details for planning and maintenance.  

Currently we have a great number of layers – groups of information – that are used by almost all departments. The original goal of the GIS was to be a resource for all town departments and to use the data as a collection point for any information about town infrastructure. You may ask why we need to keep such close records on our infrastructure. Some funding for road improvements from state and federal agencies is based on road miles. GIS provides the town with proper information without which we may be shorting ourselves of funds necessary for road improvements.

GIS functions as more than just a place to store all this information about the town. It is a great analytical tool for departments as well.  With the right software it can plot efficient plow run routes, do a build-out analysis, and show where service calls are generated.

In this increasingly technical world GIS will become even more valuable. You may have noticed that many towns and cities have GIS data available to their residents. During the next couple of years we hope to make some of  Scarborough’s GIS data accessible not only to town employees but to residents as well. 

Although not particularly visible, the vehicle maintenance and GIS divisions provide  critical support to the operations of various town departments. Whether it’s a plow truck, police cruiser, school bus, or fire engine, chances are that it has been carefully maintained by technicians in the public works vehicle maintenance division. 

Just as the vehicle maintenance crews make sure the equipment is in top working order, the GIS division ensures the operators know how to get to their destination. The information gathered with the cooperation of the many town departments provides resources necessary for town function. The information is critical at all times, especially in emergency situations. 

The Scarborough Fire, Police and Public Works Departments  produce a weekly feature for the Leader educating the public about various duties of the departments and public safety issues.