DURHAM – The five men who work in Durham’s first Public Works Department are out to make a point – townspeople made the right decision when they invested in them more than a year ago.

“I like working for the people,” Ron Dube, department foreman, said last week as the crew gathered for a photo op at its new building with its new equipment. “We have to realize, we’re working for the taxpayer.”

Dube also is working for Shawn Bennett, the road commissioner in both Durham and Pownal. Mechanic Scott Wheelis and driver/laborers Tim Grant and Josh Davis complete the five-man crew, in a department that residents approved creating at the April 2013 annual town meeting. Voters approved $2.8 million to start the department, including equipment and the $890,000 purchase price of 14 acres of land and buildings formerly owned by Copp Excavating on Royalsborough Road.

The public works garage can hold six equipped plow trucks, there is an additional building out back, and the office space is shiny-new.

“We’re very fortunate,” said Bennett. “We got a lot more building for a lot less money than what we would have gotten had we built new.”

Bennett said that the department will be able to deliver more efficient road work to Durham residents. The town had always contracted that work out.

“We’ll have more control of spending,” he said. “We’ll have a full-time crew on the roads. Just in drainage projects alone, we have paid more than $8 per square foot. We do it now for $3 or $4.”

Dube and Wheelis became the first public works employees on April 22, while Grant and Davis started on May 5. They will work 10-hour days Monday through Thursday during the summer months, and four nine-hour days plus four hours on Friday when Daylight Saving Time ends.

Bennett said that the town is way behind on drainage work because it was so expensive.

“We’re working on drainage projects steady,” he said. “We’re extremely behind, but now we’re much better able to plan.”

Durham picks up 60 percent of Bennett’s salary, because it has more road mileage than Pownal. Now with two crews to manage, Bennett, 46, is busy, indeed.

“I multi-task all the time,” he said.

When Bennett is in Pownal, Dube manages the crew.

“He knows I’m competent,” Dube said. “I’ve always wanted to be a working foreman. I ran a small crew in Orono, but this was the opportunity of a lifetime for me.”

Dube, 54, was an equipment operator in Orono. He and his wife were finalizing the sale of their Milford home last weekend, and are looking for something in the area. Dube said that his work in Durham will be different, because it is more rural than Orono, with more road mileage.

Bennett, Pownal’s road commissioner since 2003, said that the rest of the public works team has good experience in the construction field. They have both plowing and mechanical experience, he said.

“A cracker-jack mechanic, Scott is,” Dube said. “He’s a good one.”

The biggest challenge that lies ahead for this new crew, Bennett said, is preparing to work on winter roads.

“They need to get to know the roads and the routes,” he said. “The bar was set high for us by the previous contractor, Mike Copp. We accept the challenge.”

Dube agrees.

“Tell the people of Durham, when it snows, we’re going to be here,” he said. “We’re going to do a good job for them.”

Members of Durham’s first Public Works Department pose in front of the town’s new plow truck and excavator. From left are driver/laborer Tim Grant, Road Commissioner Shawn Bennett, mechanic/operator Scott Wheelis, foreman Ron Dube and driver/laborer Josh Davis.

DURHAM – The five men who work in Durham’s first Public Works Department are out to make a point – townspeople made the right decision when they invested in them more than a year ago.

“I like working for the people,” Ron Dube, department foreman, said last week as the crew gathered for a photo op at its new building with its new equipment. “We have to realize, we’re working for the taxpayer.”

Dube also is working for Shawn Bennett, the road commissioner in both Durham and Pownal. Mechanic Scott Wheelis and driver/laborers Tim Grant and Josh Davis complete the five-man crew, in a department that residents approved creating at the April 2013 annual town meeting. Voters approved $2.8 million to start the department, including equipment and the $890,000 purchase price of 14 acres of land and buildings formerly owned by Copp Excavating on Royalsborough Road.

The public works garage can hold six equipped plow trucks, there is an additional building out back, and the office space is shiny-new.

“We’re very fortunate,” said Bennett. “We got a lot more building for a lot less money than what we would have gotten had we built new.”

Bennett said that the department will be able to deliver more efficient road work to Durham residents. The town had always contracted that work out.

“We’ll have more control of spending,” he said. “We’ll have a full-time crew on the roads. Just in drainage projects alone, we have paid more than $8 per square foot. We do it now for $3 or $4.”

Dube and Wheelis became the first public works employees on April 22, while Grant and Davis started on May 5. They will work 10-hour days Monday through Thursday during the summer months, and four nine-hour days plus four hours on Friday when Daylight Saving Time ends.

Bennett said that the town is way behind on drainage work because it was so expensive.

“We’re working on drainage projects steady,” he said. “We’re extremely behind, but now we’re much better able to plan.”

Durham picks up 60 percent of Bennett’s salary, because it has more road mileage than Pownal. Now with two crews to manage, Bennett, 46, is busy, indeed.

“I multi-task all the time,” he said.

When Bennett is in Pownal, Dube manages the crew.

“He knows I’m competent,” Dube said. “I’ve always wanted to be a working foreman. I ran a small crew in Orono, but this was the opportunity of a lifetime for me.”

Dube, 54, was an equipment operator in Orono. He and his wife were finalizing the sale of their Milford home last weekend, and are looking for something in the area. Dube said that his work in Durham will be different, because it is more rural than Orono, with more road mileage.

Bennett, Pownal’s road commissioner since 2003, said that the rest of the public works team has good experience in the construction field. They have both plowing and mechanical experience, he said.

“A cracker-jack mechanic, Scott is,” Dube said. “He’s a good one.”

The biggest challenge that lies ahead for this new crew, Bennett said, is preparing to work on winter roads.

“They need to get to know the roads and the routes,” he said. “The bar was set high for us by the previous contractor, Mike Copp. We accept the challenge.”

Dube agrees.

“Tell the people of Durham, when it snows, we’re going to be here,” he said. “We’re going to do a good job for them.”

Members of Durham’s first Public Works Department pose in front of the town’s new plow truck and excavator. From left are driver/laborer Tim Grant, Road Commissioner Shawn Bennett, mechanic/operator Scott Wheelis, foreman Ron Dube and driver/laborer Josh Davis.