By Michael E. Shaw

Public works director

I have written about four of the six divisions in public works. This week I will give you an idea of how the administrative and electrical divisions fit into the overall picture of the department.

Administration

The administrative portion is comprised of three people including me. We are charged with overseeing the operational budget, capital improvements budget, and implementing new programs and projects along with addressing inquiries from the general public and other town departments. Our annual operational budget is approximately $6.5 million. When you include the  capital equipment and capital projects budget of $3.4 million, one begins to realize overseeing where money goes is a huge task. 

Each month the administrative division prepares an accounting of vehicle maintenance and fuel costs for each town department. The vehicle maintenance division is responsible for repairs on all town vehicles. The cost of parts and services is reported to various departments so they can budget accordingly. All diesel and gasoline transactions for town vehicles are monitored by the public works department. The average annual fuel purchase is 127,000 gallons of diesel and 63,000 gallons of gasoline. Each department is sent a monthly report providing detailed information. The report gives them tools to track their fuel consumption by date, vehicle number, type of fuel, gallons used and associated costs.

Our Capital Improvement Program (CIP) has been successful over the last five years. Major infrastructure upgrades are completed under this process. The Maple Avenue, Higgins Beach, and Mast Road drainage and roadway projects are examples of work done as a Capital Improvement projects.  There is currently a major project underway in the Hillside Avenue neighborhood that will improve storm water runoff.  

The CIP process usually takes a year in getting to the actual construction.  Once the town council approves funding for a project, an engineering firm is selected to design it. During this time there will be scheduled meetings with residents who may be able to contribute information on existing problems. Survey work is done at this time as well. Once we have a design, the job goes out to bid and then on to construction. During this process the administrative people at public works are tracking costs and making decisions which will eventually determine the success of the project.  

Perhaps one of the most important operations performed by administrative staff is dealing with the public, who we view as customers. During the course of a typical day we receive numerous calls from residents regarding everything from trash pickup schedules to questions about requirements for excavating within the town’s right-of-way. These phone calls often require specific operations be performed by public works. When this occurs a “Request for service work order” is generated from the call. The work order will have the caller’s contact information and type of work to be done. Annually, we process approximately 1,050 work orders that may contain requests for pot hole repair, for burials at either of the two cemeteries that public works maintains, for ditch cleaning, or for tree work. Each work order is processed from initial contact through to completion. The work order system allows us to give a realistic time frame on when the work can be completed. 

Electrical division

The electrical division is responsible for lighting and other electrical infrastructure needs in Scarborough. Be it traffic signals, fire alarms, cables, or facility related electrical needs in most cases we are responsible for repair and maintenance. Our primary focus is on traffic signals. In Scarborough there are 35 intersections and 297 traffic signals. Each intersection has a sophisticated controller cabinet which functions as the ‘brain’ responsible for the sequencing of signals that keep traffic moving as efficiently as possible. Route 1 and Payne Road have linked signal systems. By having interconnected systems we are able to move traffic more efficiently.  

For example, from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. on a weekday, traffic lights from Haigis Parkway to Green Acres Lane on Route 1, are programmed so a driver can pass through all intersections in that section without having to stop for a red light, provided the driver is traveling at the posted speed limit. This programming keeps commuter traffic moving smoothly.

The public works department has become a complex undertaking. The complexity has arisen out of a need to address issues from the public, state and Federal government, and various town departments. By creating separate divisions within public works we can channel work to the division best equipped to handle it. As part of the team we are all willing to help each other and pitch in whenever necessary so that we can give the best service to both our customers – the residents  – and our fellow town departments.

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.