Public Works Committee Meeting - November 24, 2025

The Public Works Committee convened on November 24, 2025, with Council members Foot, Harley (via transcript reference, likely Hartley or Harley), Parkinson, and Brown, alongside Public Works Director Lorenzo Anderson, Deputy Director James Carwell, and Solid Waste Director Ms. Weathers. The committee reviewed the status of critical infrastructure divisions, focusing on equipment procurement, staffing shortages, and operational bottlenecks across traffic, paving, drainage, the motor pool, and the landfill. Staff presented a comprehensive "wish list" of priorities, including new heavy machinery, additional personnel slots, and software for fleet management. The CAO provided a conditional "yes" regarding funding availability, contingent upon revenue recovered from selling outdated non-police equipment stored at the Michael Avalon facility.

Consent Calendar

• The meeting was marked as having a quorum of council members present.
• Routine procedural matters regarding the audit of asset disposal proceeded without objection.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Councilman Parkinson: Expressed gratitude for the work of Public Works staff, specifically highlighting Director Anderson's educational outreach to high school students in Ward Seven. Councilman Parkinson also commended the committee's focus on front-line services, equating Public Works staffing priorities to those of sworn law enforcement and firefighters.
• Councilwoman Brown: Advocated for the implementation of debris guards on storm drains to prevent clogging from plastics and trash, calling for proactive solutions rather than reactive repairs. She supported the priority of hiring Public Works personnel to address blight and safety concerns.

Discussion Items

Traffic Division

• Equipment Needs: Staff identified a critical lack of adequate striping equipment for general roadways. The current push machines are deemed sufficient only for parking lots, not city-wide striping. A commercial striping machine, estimated at $300,000 to $500,000, was flagged as an immediate priority.
• Safety Concerns: Director Anderson expressed that the lack of effective equipment leads to complaints regarding double yellow lines and ADA-compliant striping style bars. Councilman Harley noted that relying on a single bucket truck creates a redundancy risk; if that unit fails, all traffic signal and street light aerial repairs must be contracted out.
• Personnel: The division currently has only two technicians, whereas a functional crew size of at least six was previously established. Staff requested four additional slots to manage signal timing and maintenance.
• Signal Timing: The committee discussed the gap in having an internal Traffic Engineer. While a former engineer (Robert Lee) remains available via personal friendship for informal consultation, Councilman Parkinson and Director Ford (likely referring to Councilman Ford/foot or similar role) emphasized the need for an internal, qualified position to manage signal timing changes and coordinate with the state DOT.
• State Coordination: A specific instance was cited where the state DOT's roadwork on Lakeland Drive and Highway 80 caused traffic chaos in Jackson. The committee agreed on the need for better communication protocols to distinguish between city and state-controlled signal failures.

Paving and Street Maintenance

• Equipment: A new paver has already been paid for and delivered to the yard. It is a smaller, transportable unit suitable for residential streets and intersections, capable of working in-house with an adequate crew. A trailer is required to transport the paver, with funding already allocated.
• Crewing Requirements: To operate the paver and maintain a continuous paving crew without pulling staff from patching duties, nine additional personnel are required. Currently, the division has nine workers available, but this total is insufficient for the expanded scope.
• Striping: With manual push machines, the capacity to line new streets is insufficient. Councilman Harley noted complaints from constituents about new streets lacking markings. The committee confirmed that contractors are responsible for striping on new constructions, but daily maintenance striping falls on Public Works.

Drainage and Stormwater

• Street Sweeping: A $385,000 mechanical street sweeper (standalone truck) arrived on November 24. Staff noted the need for two additional sweepers to cover the city adequately, as one machine cannot manage the volume of debris and silt accumulation that clogs drainage systems. Plans include operating sweepers during off-peak hours to increase efficiency.
• Curb and Gutter Cleanup: To address dirt buildup in curbs, staff proposed using articulating skid steer attachments to angle into curbs without damaging roadways, followed by street sweepers. Manual labor crews will also be deployed for initial heavy cleaning on thoroughfares like Baba Rush Boulevard.
• Vacuum Trucks: The fleet includes one active VAC truck and others in repair. Councilmember Harley requested a contingency contract with a private company to handle emergency drainage cleanup during the rainy season to ensure redundancy.
• Camera Inspection: The committee discussed the need for a TV camera system (estimated $120,000-$200,000 for a trailer system) to inspect underground storm lines for breaks and blockages before digging, saving long-term costs. While a camera trailer was returned from the Water department, it lacked the camera equipment.
• Ditch Maintenance: Heavy growth in ditches requires larger equipment. Staff recommended a small excavator with a forestry mulch attachment to clear debris and trees. Councilman Erneston suggested leveraging federal resources (Corps of Engineers) and a 15-million-dollar bond portion dedicated to rip-rapping ditches.

Motor Pool and Garage

• Organizational Structure: The committee reviewed the complex structure where Fire has independent mechanics, Police maintains a separate garage (even within the same facility), and Public Works manages the municipal garage. Councilman Parkinson raised concerns about the lack of a unified oversight structure for the Michael Avalon facility.
• Accountability: Councilman Foot highlighted the need for a fleet management software system to track repair costs (e.g., vehicles like "TK 55" requiring frequent repairs) and implement preventive maintenance schedules, moving away from a chaotic "first-come, first-served" emergency model.
• Personnel: Councilman Foot emphasized the need for more mechanics to ensure equipment can be repaired in-house rather than sent to vendors, though he acknowledged the budget constraints regarding new hires.

Landfill and Solid Waste

• Operational Status: The landfill has been partially inoperable. To reopen a cell, two pieces of equipment are critical: an excavator and a crawler dozer, with a total bid of $933,951 (including scales and installation). Funding is secured.
• Revenue and Costs: Once operational, the landfill is projected to generate $130,000 to $200,000 in the first fiscal year through tipping fees and potential contracts with other municipalities. Current tipping fees to Waste Management are rising by up to 50%, making the landfill's reactivation a cost-saving measure.
• Wood Debris Management: A long-term plan involves permitting an old cell specifically for limb debris to avoid burying wood, which reduces usable capacity. Wood debris currently must be chipped. This new cell would save significant operational costs.

Grass Maintenance and Blight

• Staffing: A 15-person crew is being transferred from Parks and Recreation to Public Works to focus on curb and gutter grass and right-of-way maintenance. The committee discussed using growth inhibitors on golf courses to reduce mowing frequency to three times a year.
• Community Partnerships: Councilman Parkinson suggested exploring contracts with neighborhood associations or local "mom and pop" contractors in specific wards to handle grass cutting and litter pickup, noting the inefficiency of a single citywide contractor approach.

Procurement and Finance

• Vendor Portal Issues: The CAO addressed difficulties vendors face with the Self-Service Portal. Some vendors refuse to use the system due to tracking concerns or lack of technical proficiency. The city is committed to accepting responsibility for data entry on behalf of these vendors to ensure payments are processed.
• Auction: A meeting to auction off outdated non-police equipment at the Michael Avalon facility is in progress. The proceeds from this sale are earmarked to fund the new Public Works equipment described in this meeting.

Key Outcomes

• Priority Funding: The CAO provided a conditional "yes" to funding the proposed equipment, contingent on the successful liquidation of outdated fleet assets at the Michael Avalon facility.
• Equipment Orders:
  • A commercial striping machine ($300k-$500k) is on the wish list for budget approval.
  • A new paver is in the yard; a trailer is ordered.
  • A mechanical street sweeper ($385,000) has been received.
  • An excavator and crawler dozer for the landfill ($933,951) are bid out, awaiting award on the December 16th agenda.
• Personnel Requests:
  • Traffic Division: Hire 4 additional technicians and 1 Traffic Engineer.
  • Paving Division: Hire 9 additional crew members to ensure continuous operation.
  • General: Staff hiring is being prioritized as equal to sworn law enforcement and fire services.
• Strategic Directives:
  • Council members are directed to identify potential local contractors for grass maintenance in their respective wards.
  • Staff to finalize the plan for a dedicated wood debris cell at the landfill.
  • Staff to coordinate with the state DOT to improve communication regarding traffic signal failures.
  • A media event is proposed to showcase new equipment once deployed to highlight tax dollar efficiency.
• Next Steps:
  • HR and Finance to prioritize the staffing requests mentioned.
  • Procurement to expedite the trailer order for the paver and the landfill equipment award.
  • Council to review the list of needed equipment and costs for prioritization in upcoming budget cycles.