CONCORD – The city of Concord is honoring those who work in professions that provide and maintain public facilities and services during National Public Works Week, May 15-21.
Activities and programs will be held across the country to celebrate the contributions of public works professionals as well as the communities they serve.
The American Public Works Association (APWA) initiated NPWW in 1960 to highlight the importance of public works in the day-to-day life of communities. NPWW “seeks to enhance the prestige of the often-unsung heroes of our society — the professionals who serve the public good every day with quiet dedication.”
The following city of Concord departments provide or support these services:
• Buildings and grounds,
• Electric systems,
• Engineering,
• Fleet services,
• Solid waste services,
• Stormwater services,
• Transportation,
• Wastewater resources,
• Water resources.
These professionals are, in short, the people who maintain and improve the systems and services vital to a community’s health, safety and comfort.
Sometimes public workers are recognized following the restoration of service after a power outage or a water main break; however, the daily work of the individuals in these departments is rarely considered or appreciated by the public. It is easy to complain when public works services are interrupted, but please take a moment to appreciate the work and workers behind such services as:
• Grass being mowed in our parks and along our greenways;
• Lights turning on at the flip of a switch;
• Someone reviewing proposed development plans and overseeing construction to make sure that the city receives quality infrastructure;
• The availability of functioning vehicles to deliver city services;
• The regular removal of unwanted goods from our property;
• The drainage of water from our roads during a storm;
• Paved roads and functioning traffic signals;
• Individuals climbing in sewer manholes to remove lodged debris to prevent sewage back-ups in our homes and the overflow of sewage to our streams; and
• Treated water flowing from our faucets at the turn of a knob.
The city of Concord’s public works professionals are based at the Alfred M. Brown Operations Center on Warren Coleman Boulevard.