At a time when a lot of other work is on hold, our “road and bridge” crews are still at it. This takes on special meaning this week, the 60th annual National Public Works Week. This year’s theme is “the Rhythm of Public Works,” the symphony of essential services that work in concert to create a great place to live.
Despite all that is going on around us, public works departments have not skipped a beat. Arapahoe County’s Public Works employees have stayed the course either from home or in the field (at a safe distance) to keep up with roadway improvements, to make critical building inspections that ensure safety, to process plans and permits to progress development, and to respond to emergencies and move regional improvement projects forward, all part of the effort to enhance quality of life for the County’s citizens.
The Arapahoe Board of Commissioners extend a heartfelt thank you, not only for the many accomplishments these dedicated employees are achieving as they adapt to this new environment, but also for their successes from last year, including:
- Road & Bridge: Replaced nearly 1,000 road signs, used their special “Arapablend” on 31 miles of gravel roads and placed a whopping 28,000 tons of asphalt
- Transportation: Began construction on the intersection at Quincy and Gun Club and completed the Harvest Trail and the High Plains Trail – connecting thousands of neighbors to regional recreation
- Engineering Services: Prepared new wireless communication facility requirements to help enhance critical utility infrastructure that connects our communities, and worked with FEMA to reduce cost of flood insurance for County residents – while keeping them safe
- Planning: Adopted a new Land Development Code, began long-range planning efforts out east and gained state certifications for Animal Control Officers
- Building: Had a banner year with inspector certifications—more than the last 10 years combined—in addition to making organizational changes that provide more opportunity for staff and continuing to expertly manage a high workload of new building permits
- Support Services: Helped County employees streamline and improve numerous internal operations, and provided mapping and surveying services to our County
For Arapahoe County’s Public Works staff, the beat goes on and the outcomes they’ve achieved can be heard and seen across the County.
