Street Budget Category

AGENCY: Public Works

DEPARTMENT: Streets

SUBAGENCY: Street Sweeping

DEPARTMENT HEAD: Paul Hermanson, Director

FISCAL YEAR: January 1, 2014 – December 31, 2014

PURPOSE: To provide for pavement sweeping to remove sand and litter from streets and curb gutters. Sweeping also reduces dust during dry weather. Street sweeping is also storm sewer maintenance practice because it limits sediment washed into stormwater facilities. Water quality practices for street sweeping focus on sediment disposal. Reducing the amount of sediment washed into catch basins, detention facilities, drywells, and other facilities can save money because sweeping is generally cheaper than removing sediment from facilities. Sweeping also helps protect facilities from clogging with sediment.

RESPONSIBILITIES: This budget provides for: the city will sweep streets once every two weeks or on dates as determined by weather, special events or pavement work; develops routes for street sweeping based on parking, street width, traffic volume and environmental features; sweeper is inspected to ensure that it is working according to the manufacturers specifications; most effective sweeping occurs at the curb line and efforts should be made to sweep when street parking is light because parking reduces the pollutants swept; environmental hotspots have been identified and considered when sweeping is scheduled. Temporary storage areas are contained and disposed of regularly; sweeper bin is washout in a contained area; hours, miles and loads of debris are recorded daily; employees are trained in stormwater pollution prevention and the city will sweep streets after paving activities to remove loose aggregate.

STAFF: The various activities that are covered by street sweeping comprise approximately 7% of the Department’s time.

The program uses a mechanical wet brush street sweeper, used to sweep streets; equipment operator that is capable and qualified to operate the street sweeper; mechanic is responsible for the repair and maintenance of the equipment used during street sweeping operations; foreman is responsible for coordinating all activities during street sweeping operations; superintendent plans, monitors and adjusts street sweeping based on policy and conditions. Coordinates with City Hall on event based street sweeping plans and properly landfill materials for pollutant disposal.

Many of the Department's operations in this category are seasonal in nature. Peak manpower needs of this Division are met with the use of temporary personnel.

Total Employee Hours (Estimated) 1,092.