Chris Pelletier, Nederland Public Works Manager. Public Works was kept busy this month with snowplowing, utility taps, drainage work, and end of year grading. Water and sewer taps are usually interesting for property owners to watch and often offer some entertainment value. They are also fairly time consuming, requiring quite a bit of attention from the time it takes to locate the utilities for the excavator to the time the work is completed. Town Staff must monitor progress from start to finish. 

A brief snowstorm was a welcome reprieve from the windy dry weather that has been fueling multiple fires in the state. Several PW employees were evacuated for different fires and have finally been able to return to their homes. Town of Nederland employees are dedicated public servants that show up to perform their work regardless of hardships they may be dealing with. During this last snow event the Department trained two new employees to snow plow in town which takes time and affected our response somewhat but all in all went fairly well. 

Grading and drainage work has been continuing this month as the Department tries to button up last minute drainage issues before the ground freezes. Opening up critical culverts in preparation for the freeze thaw cycles that happen during the winter months is essential to mitigating run-off which causes excess wear to road surfaces. The Department will focus on this effort as the weather permits.

The Parks staff has done some work at the skate park this month sealing the concrete on the skating surfaces. This is important work that will extend the longevity of the facility that has been so popular during the pandemic. Staff has found an environmentally safe solution for sealing concrete that is very user friendly. Additionally, time was spent sealing the cracks in the park which will help to keep water and ice from causing more damage. 

Utilities staff performed some hydrant flushing last month in the Indian Peaks subdivision. This is an important function that staff is required to perform every five years to assess flow and overall condition of the hydrant. Staff does a portion of these hydrants every year. In addition to assessing the condition and flow of the hydrant it is also important to flush out sections of the water main for water quality purposes.  

Planning for the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is in full swing with a couple of meetings planned this month to get feedback from the Sustainability Advisory Board (SAB) and the Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Advisory Board (PROSAB). The public is welcome to attend these meetings. A preliminary concept plan has been created and Public Works is looking for feedback on these plans. Some of the things being considered at this stage are:

Extent of burying overhead utilities, and placement of surface infrastructure

Conceptual location of the proposed sidewalk

Parking configuration

Traffic flow

Wayfinding

Drainage considerations

Staff will continue to receive input on this project into January when staff hopes to present a plan to the BOT. Staff is scheduled to continue gathering input from the Planning Commission and the Downtown Development Authority in December. The public is welcome to attend any of these meetings.

Staff is also working on providing information to the BOT on rate change impacts. Impacts being considered are:

Software capabilities and costs for upgrades

Staff time to implement new changes

Changes to billing and associated expenses

 The upcoming rate study will provide several options for the BOT to consider when establishing future rates. It is important to ensure that what is being proposed is within the capability of the billing software and makes sense economically. One of the items being considered is to establish a tiered rate structure that charges customers different fees based on different volumes used. Staff needs a little more time to make this determination however it appears that the software currently being used by the town is capable of providing this service.  The Town’s current water bills are very basic within the current system, meaning that only a post card is needed which reduces postage costs. The town currently charges one flat rate for base fees and usage fees and therefore the calculation is simple and requires little space. If a more comprehensive structure is adopted then more space will be required on the bill which will in turn necessitate a larger piece of paper, an envelope, and more postage. Additionally, it will take more time to administer, all of which adds more cost and will need to be considered. Staff is planning on providing more information in December.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Visitor’s Center restrooms have been closed to minimize staff’s potential contact with the virus. Nederland’s Public Works Department is critical to operations and it is important that the department reduces their exposure as much as possible. The BOT requested town staff to research updating the facility with fixtures that are touch free and adding improved ventilation to exchange the air better. With funding acquired through the Cares Act and distributed by DOLA, town staff was able to secure enough funding to make these upgrades. The upgrades will include ionizing air scrubbers, touchless faucets and toilets, and automatic door openers with commercial grade doors. Staff will have these upgrades completed by the end of December.

(Originally published in the November 19, 2020, edition of The Mountain-Ear.)