This year, the theme for National Public Works Week (which was celebrated from May 17–23) is “The Rhythm of Public Works.” The overall goal of this annual event is to raise awareness of the important contributions of Public Works, as well as the critical role that infrastructure, facilities, and services play in the quality of life in our community. As we all make our way through these difficult, uncertain, and unprecedented times, we realize now more than ever that there is an ever-present connection between everyone and everything. As our town, state, country, and world has been shutting down in an attempt to keep people healthy and save lives, we have become more and more aware of all that we take for granted.

Every community has a rhythm, a heartbeat that reflects its essence and tempo of life. We think of our community as a symphony of essential services, working in concert to create a great place to live, while also taking all measures necessary to maintain services while also keeping residents and employees safe and healthy.

During National Public Works week we would like to reflect on how Public Works keeps a community’s rhythm moving by providing an orchestra of infrastructure services in transportation, water, wastewater and storm-water treatment, emergency management, first response, solid waste, and rightof-way management. Though our department’s staffing has been cut in half as a budgetary saving measure, we remain diligent in our efforts to continue to provide all of these services to the community to the best of our ability, given the time and staffing available.

Be nice to each other. We are not all in the same boat, but we are all in the same storm. Stay safe, well, and sane. We will get through this, if we all work together while staying apart.

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