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01/06/2023 03:58 PMWhen residents think of Public Works it’s most likely related to fixing pot holes and plowing snow, and while the Department certainly handles those tasks, there are numerous jobs and emergency duties performed by these town employees every day that go unnoticed. From downed trees to, mechanical repairs, to signage updating, Guilford’s Public Works is on call 24/7 to help solve residents’ complaints and concerns.
New Public Works Director Dave Castro, who came on in July, oversees a department that remains dedicated to serving residents, no matter the time of day or the season.
“We do more than just plow snow. There are a lot of Departments that need our help with work around town. We just went to Baldwin school and put in a curbing there and a whole drainage system for them over there,” Castro said. “We maintain the stump dump, we obviously do potholes, and we do emergency road work all the time. We are involved in a lot of mowing, road work — the crews really do an incredible job out there.”
According to Castro, his department also assists police and fire with traffic control, and are swamped with leaf removal duties every fall, a crucial task that prevents flooding and dangerous road conditions for motorists. The Department’s repair facility is also a critical component in keeping other town departments up and functioning.
“Our repair facility repairs all vehicles in town expect for the Fire Department,” Castro said. “All of the police vehicles come in and we try and get them out by the next day, unless we are waiting for a part. Obviously, police vehicles are needed every day and are an important part of the town. The guys take care of all that kind of work.”
From dead animals in the road to fallen trees, the department is on call at all hours.
“We are on call 24/7. We basically work hand-in-hand with police and fire with any of their issues,” according to Castro. “And the tree work we do is really one of the biggest jobs we take on. Most people probably don’t realize it, but there are trees constantly falling down around town. It really is a constant battle. We were just approved to get a bucket truck for tree work, so that will be a big tool in trimming trees and helping with that work.”
Public Works also works closely with other departments, most specifically with Parks and Recreation. Parks and Recreation Director Rick Maynard said his department relies heavily on Castro and his team for projects big and small.
“We have always had a great relationship with them. Dave is great. We always work together and supplement each other,” said Maynard. “They do all our vehicle repairs, which is imperative for us. They help us out all the time. They scrape the parking lots of the beaches and parks and level the lots out, getting rid of the potholes. It a great relationship and we do a lot together to make sure we keep the town up and running.”
Castro said that his crews will be utilizing a new innovation for dealing with snow this year. According to the Director, the department will now only use salt on roadways and no longer utilize sand, as the accumulation of sand leads to further issues including intensive spring removal.
“We are going to straight salt, no more sand. We have sand left over from previous years, but when that is used up we are going to just straight salt,” Castro said. “This is going to enable the roads to be cleared faster. It will also make clean up of sand and the sweeping of sand easier. We have a lot of bicyclists here in town and the sand gets everywhere, so, with the salt that is no longer a factor. Sand can make it dangerous for bikers as it piles up and this will improve that. There are a lot of swales in town that fill with sand and sediment, so we are going to start maintaining them next year. You see a lot of places in town where these dips on the side of the road usually with drainage pipes between houses and the road. So, we are going to be cleaning those out and by going to salt that will make it much easier to maintain.”
First Selectman Matt Hoey said the Public Works Department is simply essential for the functioning of the town.
“They are literally part of our first responder team for storms, hurricanes, wires going down. They clear the roads when trees go down. They enable first responders to get through. Without them, the police and fire obviously aren’t able to reach emergencies, so they truly are critical to the town. Dave and his crews do an excellent job out there.”
Castro has high praise for his employees, who sometimes don’t necessarily get their due credit when it comes to the services they provide.
“They work very hard. When it is snowing at night or if there’s a tree down-they are here. They care about this town. They care. They want to volunteer. Even if some of these guys don’t live here, they really do care about Guilford. They consider it their town. When they see things, they point it out,” Castro said. “Twenty-four seven they are ready to go. I wish we could do more. We always talk about it, the town deserves more, and we wish we could do more. Sometimes it’s budgetary, sometimes it’s a time constraint, but these guys would stay out there constantly if I didn’t tell them it was time to go home.”
The Public Works Department can be reached at 203-453-8081.