Since 1960, National Public Works Week has celebrated the people who plan, build, manage and operate the necessary services that enhance our everyday lives.

From May 19-25, municipal leaders across the U.S. and Canada highlighted their public works department with mayoral proclamations, staff recognition celebrations and community-wide events that allowed residents to meet the men and women behind their local departments, inspect their equipment and learn more about what they do.

A three-pillar approach

The city of Santa Ana, Calif., kicked off National Public Works Week with a community-wide event on May 18 that included free tacos, free animal adoptions (subsidized by the department of public works), musical performances, demonstrations and interactive exhibits for the whole family. According to Nabil Saba, executive director of Santa Ana’s public works agency, the event is part of the city’s three-pillar approach to Public Works Week that connects residents with the people who work to advance their quality of life.

“We take a multifaceted approach to Public Works Week, and we try to improve on it year after year,” he said. “It is a great opportunity to demonstrate what we do and how big the effort is to keep the city clean and functional. It is a huge effort, and there is a huge amount of people working to make sure those services are there.”

Santa Ana has 330 employees in its public works department, and besides the community celebration, the city also held a staff retreat on May 22 to honor the accomplishments of the past 12 months and set goals for the year ahead. Saba said the retreat serves as a team-building event and helps employees who may not work together get to know one another and bond over friendly competitions and games.

“We also held an ice cream social with everyone who works in city hall so that they could mingle with the public works department and thank them for all that they do,” he said.

According to Saba, National Public Works Week offers cities the chance to bring awareness to an often-overlooked aspect of a community’s infrastructure. While they may not be as visible as the public safety departments, the men and women of public works are constantly working behind the scenes to ensure that the city runs smoothly.

“We may not be fighting crimes, but we are in the background replacing lights, making sure the sewer line is safe and that the pipe isn’t clogged,” he said.

The department also takes the opportunity to expand upon public outreach throughout the year to visit schools and inspire young people to consider a future career within public works.

“Everyone knows what a police officer does or what a firefighter does, but there are so many opportunities in public works, and we want them to know what those job opportunities are,” said Santa Ana community liaison Michelle Micallef.

Illuminating the contributions

          In Maryland, the Montgomery County Department of Transportation held a family-friendly Truck Day on May 18, which allowed residents to touch, see, climb and explore the various vehicles that keep the county running. As part of the event, MCDOT also showcased entries in its annual “Paint the Plow” contest and allowed attendees to vote for their favorite. First, second and third-place winners receive cash prizes for their schools, which makes it a win-win for everyone involved and showcases how all aspects of a community are reliant upon one another.

          “It’s always inspiring to see how public works agencies celebrate,” said American Public Works Association President Gary Losier in a press release. “Whether they open their wastewater facility for a public tour or host a touch-a-truck event for children and their families, they do a fantastic job of illuminating how public works make our communities better, safer and more enjoyable places to call home.”

          Community events like the ones held during Public Works Week are the first step to creating a relationship with the residents of a city or county, but it’s not the last. Once that connection is created, it must be maintained and respected. “Once you let them know what we do, how it is valuable and why the services are there, you are inviting them to get engaged with the department and hold it to account,” he said. “We have an app residents can download and report any issue that they have so that we can get on it right away. Better communication leads to better service, a more beautiful community and the highest quality of life that we can provide.”

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