Public Works' Week in Review for March 23, 2023

The Public Works Department is made up of various sub-departments including Fleet, Line Repair, Streets/Stormwater and Traffic, Wastewater, and Water. Each week, over 100 employees are responsible for the maintenance, monitoring, and improvement of existing and new infrastructure across League City which includes everything from roadways and traffic lights to storm drains, sewers, and water production.

Below are some tips and projects they are working on:

Fats, Oils, and Grease (F.O.G.) Blockage

Utility Line Repair Department was dispatched to a backed-up sewer call after hours. After snaking the sewer line multiple times, it was determined there was a severe blockage. Emergency line locates were called in and excavations were carried out immediately to restore service to the customer. Once all proper trench safety was installed and the sewer was cut open, it was determined the line was full of grease that had accumulated over a period of time.

F.O.G. comes from meat fats in food scraps, cooking oil, shortening, lard, butter, margarine, gravy, and food products such as mayonnaise, salad dressings, and sour cream. F.O.G. poured down kitchen drains accumulates inside sewer pipes. As the F.O.G. builds up, it restricts the flow in the pipe and can cause untreated wastewater to back up into homes and businesses, resulting in cleanup and restorations.

Street Sign Maintenance Activities

This week the Traffic Control crew began a sign sweep in the neighborhood of Cedar Landing. As part of the annual maintenance activities, the goal is to check and replace old and worn street name signs in two neighborhoods a year to help keep our City looking nice and the signs legible. The new street name signs are made of high intensity prismatic reflective sheeting as well as correct sign and letter sizing as per the speed of the road so the signs can be seen day or night as needed.

Our sign crew is also currently working to bring a second sign printer online to keep up with the demands of our growing City. They have taken on most in-house signs projects to reduce outsourcing signage which reduces cost, ensures we have a great product anytime needed, and that the signs always meet requirements. All signs are then inventoried into our GIS program to track when the signs were installed.

Meet Fleet Maintenance Department's Newest Mechanic

Fleet Maintenance would like to welcome Brandon Wiltse as a new mechanic to the City. Brandon brings over 4 years of automotive experience with him and he is excited to gain additional working knowledge of welding and fabrication. Brandon transferred from the Streets, Storm, and Traffic Department.

Live Oak Leaves Turning Red??

In late Winter/early Spring, as temperatures rise, you may notice that Live Oak leaves appear red/reddish-brown. There is nothing wrong with the tree-it is a normal process. Although Live Oaks are considered "evergreen," they still must shed their old leaves (red/reddish-brown leaves). If you look closely, you'll notice that trees are pushing out bright green, new Spring foliage as the old leaves are falling away.

Check out the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension page for more details: https://plantclinic.tamu.edu/factsheets/live-oak/