Georgia Cities Week: Celebrating Public Works

This week is Georgia Cities Week, a celebration started by the Georgia Municipal Association to recognize the role city governments and city services play in making our communities great. The City of Dalton is fortunate to have a dedicated group of employees who work daily to make this the best place to live, work, and play in the Peach State. 

The Dalton Public Works Department employs 75 people in seven divisions: Administration, Street Maintenance, Sanitation, Fleet Maintenance, Traffic, Landscaping, and Stormwater.

With their work to maintain Dalton's roads and infrastructure along with collecting the city's garbage, recycling, and refuse, the Public Works Department is the city agency that impacts daily life in our community most often. There's a lot of work that's done behind the scenes, though, including in the area of stormwater control. Work is being done on a daily basis to lessen the impact of new construction in the city and get the localized flooding we experience from heavy rainfalls under control through the construction of new stormwater control features such as a recent project that was recently completed in the Crown Mill area. Most people may not think about stormwater until it impacts their home or business, but Public Works is on it throughout the year. 

There's plenty more work done by Public Works that you might not realize. Street Maintenance Division does more than just paving roadways. They also have been working on a project to repair the cart paths at Nob North Golf Course in support of the city's Parks and Recreation Department. They also work to demolish structures whenever the need arises, such as the demolition of the old Lee Printing building downtown to make way for the new Burr Park. They also teamed up with the Stormwater Division to repair the roadway on Rocky Face Circle after stormwater destroyed part of the roadway. 

The Public Works Department also does a lot to help our community thrive. There's work to rehab the sidewalks on Morris Street where a commercial renaissance is taking place and remaking the neighborhood. The department works with non-profits such as the Creative Arts Guild whenever work is needed to help with events. They work to make downtown events like races, festivals, and Burr Park concerts go off without a hitch by making sure the streets and sidewalks are clear and clean. If you've ever wondered who decorates downtown for the holiday season, that's the Public Works Department, too. 

This year, members of the Public Works Department have also been performing an entirely different kind of work as well, being detailed to the Hamilton Medical Center to support the hospital's staff during the recent COVID-19 state of emergency. Employees have been working with the food service team, helping to clean and maintain the building, and much more during the crisis. 

We're proud of the professionals who put the work in Public Works. Their efforts are making our city a better place on a daily basis.