Lisbon public works has spent most of the past month tackling the fallen leaves in city streets.
Public works director Travis Bagby said that Lisbon has more than 30 miles of roads that crews work through to pick up leaves.
“It takes a long time for us to get through the town,” Bagby said. “It takes us multiple days to do one loop of the city, and at that point, we’re starting over again.”
Other projects have included stump grinding, water main projects and other work.
Mayor Doug O’Connor said that the majority of calls he receives this time of years is leaves weren’t picked up on time, but he said there were a number of incidents – like early snowfall and colder temperatures – that would take more time for the crew to pick up leaves.
“Citizens got to give the public works time to get the job done,” O’Connor said.
City administrator Brandon Siggins said that he was recently on vacation in Milwaukee, Wis., and seeing the piles of leaves along some city streets that still need to be picked up, Lisbon’s leaves routes are not as bad as that community.
“We have one machine that is picking up leaves,” Siggins said. “Our city crews are doing the best they can do.”
Bagby said they have received comments and discussion on social media attacking the public works department, which is why he provided the council a break down of what they’ve tackled in the month.
“It’s a slap in the face to our public works crew to say they just sit around or drive around town,” O’Connor said. “It’s a slap in the face to people who are doing their jobs.”
Siggins noted he knows what projects are being tackled by Bagby and crew every day.
Siggins said he would much rather have Bagby presenting longer view goals for his department and to answer some queries from the council than present a monthly or even quarterly report of the projects he and his team tackle.
O’Connor noted that winter’s next snowfalls are coming soon and that will mean the public work crews are going to be spending time plowing city streets and moving snow, especially weekends and evenings and early mornings as opposed to time with their families.
Council member Sara Nost said it is not the council’s job to micromanage the employees of the city.
“We have managers like Brandon and Travis who do that type of management,” Nost said.
Public works department employee Ryan Stoneking noted that it can take them longer in clean-up for leaves, as the city crews work to make sure the gutter lines and storm sewers are not blocked up with leaves.
Bid date for water
main projects coming
in early JanuaryThe city will be going out for bids on the water main projects and the new well project in early January.
City engineer David Schechinger said they are currently determining the route that will impact the fewest number of trees for the water main project before taking it out to bid.
“This project will impact several streets, which is what is taking us a little longer,” Schechinger said.
The water main project and new well project will have a public hearing in early January, and then go out for bids by the end of January for the projects.
No council meeting Dec. 26 There will not be a meeting of the Lisbon City Council Monday, Dec. 26. The council will use the Dec. 12 meeting to approve any bills that need to be paid for the month of December and will have a meeting Jan. 9, 2023.
The City of Lisbon will begin their budget process at the Dec. 12 meeting and tackle portions of the budget hearings at council meetings in January and February.