ENGINEERING AND PUBLIC WORKS
Road Work:
N. Lincoln Avenue Reconstruction
As promised, the project from Washington to Jefferson is complete and was opened prior to the start of the school year. Another segment will be completed next year.
Simmons Road Reconstruction
The section between Fairwood Hills and Kyle Roads was completed during summer vacation. Thank you to the motorists who tolerated the incovenience.
2006 Pavement Overlay Program
Reese Construction has completed work on Cedar, West Madison, West Adams, Maces Grove, Cherry (north of White Oak), White Oak Drive, Wesley (west of Lincoln), Monroe Circle, Howland Court, Shallowbrook, Wildwood (west of Smiley), Deer Run, Brandonwood, Jamie Lane, Joshua, Quail Run, Ramblewood, Greentrail, Somerset, Woodlake, Phillip Court, Shadowridge (from Wesley to Dustin), Venita (from Frontage Road to RR tracks), and 7th Street (from Lincoln to Parkview). Mr. Jack Haydon, an O’Fallon resident and President of Reese Construction, is retiring at the end of this construction season. He has been a valued consultant to the City beyond his contractor status, and his company has always delivered quality work. Public Works greatly appreciates his service.
Regency Park/N. Green Mount Road Intersection
Work is ongoing. Please be aware of the dangers of construction at this busy intersection. When complete, there will be a new traffic signal at this location.
2006 Concrete Repair Program
Please be alert to this ongoing project. Workers and barricades are in numerous locations during the day.
Water System Capital Improvements
There has been a delay in the construction of two, one-million gallon elevated water storage tanks in O’Fallon and a new booster pump station in Fairview Heights. The Illinois EPA has in formed the City
that they will not be in a position to respond to our design and construction plans until the Summer of 2007. One of the storage tanks will be located at the intersection of Simmons and Porter Roads on the grounds of the new Family Sports Park, and a second tank will be located across from Fulton Junior High School on Kyle Road. The tanks will both be plumbed for toilet facilities. The tank across from Fulton will serve the bicycle trail head (O’Fallon to Troy) that the Metro East Parks District is planning.
Seven Hills Road Culvert Extension
The culvert is in place and the associated work, drainage and sidewalks should be completed by mid-October. The sidewalk will provide connection between Moye School Road and Wildwood along Seven Hills.
Obstructions to Sidewalks & Streets
Please ensure that your vegetation along public rights-of-way meets the following provisions of City ordinances and beware of some of the consequences for interference with pedestrian use:
§ 98.13 TREES . . . Trees placed along any street within the city shall be planted on a line at least seven feet inside the property line abutting the street or alley. Any person who plants any tree upon any street contrary to the provisions of this chapter shall be subject to the penalty provided for violation of this code and for each tree so planted. Such tree may be cut down and removed by the Superintendent of Streets or Water at the expense of the property owner. Trees along any street of the City shall have the branches thereof cut and trimmed up to at least ten feet above the ground, so that the same shall not inconvenience the passage of persons or vehicles along any street or sidewalk, or obstruct the light of street lamps. . .
§ 98.14 OBSTRUCTIONS . . .No person shall place or cause to be placed or erected on any public ground, or in any public street, alley or sidewalk in the City any debris, materials or obstruction, except as may be permitted . . .
§ 99.02 PUBLIC TREE CARE . . .The City shall have the right to plant, prune, maintain, and remove trees, plants, and shrubs within the lines of all streets, alleys, avenues, lanes, squares and public grounds as may be necessary to insure public safety or to preserve or enhance the symmetry and beauty of such public grounds.
Walking is an activity that many of our residents enjoy. Please help us provide a safe environment for the walkers of our community.
Water Conservation
If water professionals in the 1930s through 1960s were asked, “What is water conservation?”, most would have said, “Water Conservation involves building a reservoir to capture runoff that would otherwise be wasted by flowing into an unusable water body, like the ocean.”
Starting in the 1970s water professionals became aware that minimizing water waste was essential. American Water Works Association’s water resources policy in 1975 included the statement, “Every effective means to prevent and minimize waste and promote wise use should be employed by all entities, public and private, engaged in water resource activities.”
A common public perception is that water conservation means restricting or curtailing customer use as a temporary response to drought.
Though water use restrictions are a useful short-term drought management tool, most utility-sponsored water conservation programs emphasize lasting long-term improvements in water use efficiency while maintaining quality of life standards. Water conservation, very simply, is doing more with less, not doing without.
There is a broad array of reasons to pursue efficient water use, for example:
· Cost savings – lowering water production and/or distribution costs will save the utility and its constituent’s money in reduced operation cost and possibly deferred capital costs
· Wastewater treatment and disposal benefits – reduction of interior water use cuts wastewater flows, resulting in cost savings and lower environmental impacts of treated wastewater disposal
· Environmental benefits – water removed from a water body for human use could be used for environmental or other purposes. For example, protection of endangered species often requires a reliable source of good quality water
· Competing beneficial uses – in addition to environmental uses, water left in place could be used for agriculture, power production, recreation and aesthetic enjoyment
· Water supply limitations – few places now enjoy unlimited water supplies. Water conservation can stretch existing supplies
· Energy savings – reducing water production will save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions
· Improved supply reliability – conservation can reduce the frequency and duration of drought water use curtailments by essentially increasing supply
· Customer benefits – customers who conserve water may enjoy lower water and wastewater bills
· Regulatory compliance – some state regulatory agencies require water conservation plans and/or implementation progress to qualify for permits, grants, and loans
Adapted from Water Conservation Programs –
A Planning Manual (M52) American Water Works Association
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