Street department outlines spring work, new trucks and plans to rebid refuse contract

Ryan, speaking for the street department, walked the board through ongoing spring operations and equipment changes intended to improve efficiency and reduce labor strain.

He said the department began CIP road projects (Liberty Street and King Street), completed winter repairs and bridge/overpass cleanups, and opened the Yardway site for seasonal use (open Saturdays through Tuesdays starting March 30). Ryan said leaf pickup began with six crews on the North Side and wastewater utility assistance, and that brush pickup would follow.

For pavement maintenance, Ryan described the use of a product called mastic to seal wide cracks and reduce winter pothole formation, zipping and milling repairs for deeper fixes and some planned slurry seal work for roads farther down the rehabilitation list.

Ryan also described new equipment: a five‑ton asphalt/pothole truck with a conveyor to minimize manual shoveling, and a hook‑lift plow that allows crews to switch from leaf vac to salter/plow in roughly a half hour. He said the new equipment should cut labor strain and increase productivity.

On refuse and recycling, Ryan said the city’s contract with Harters began in 2014 (initial seven years plus a seven‑year extension) and expires in 2027; staff is preparing to rebid for 2028 to give bidders time to arrange fleets and facilities.

Board members asked about encampment cleanup under overpasses (Ryan: these cleanups are focused on homeless encampments, though dumping occurs), truck control uniformity, pothole reporting (online/311 available), jurisdictional responsibility for state highway potholes and crew allocation during high‑demand seasons. Ryan said crews are shifted to meet the most urgent tasks and that some projects require all hands on deck.