Orientation with Laramie County Public Works

This post continues the information from my recent meetings with the various elected officials and county department heads.

I had a great visit with Laramie County Public Works Director Molly Bennett and her staff. The briefing and tour of her department were exceptionally comprehensive, providing a deep understanding of the department's operations. It included information on her yearly budget, staffing needs, and areas of responsibility, which include maintaining approximately 1,200 miles of non-paved gravel roadways and approximately 250 miles of paved asphalt roadways. They also handle snow and ice control in the county areas, pavement striping, sign maintenance, dust mitigation, right-of-way mowing, tree and shrub trilling, culvert installation and drainage control, and guard rail maintenance. Molly works hard at being proactive, providing outside trainers to sharpen the skills of her motor-grader operators, and has implemented a new computer tracking system that helps monitor the condition of the roadways and how often they require maintenance. This system is just getting off the ground, and it will take a bit until it is fully implemented; I was impressed with her forward thinking. The Public Works maintenance facility handles maintenance needs for the department's heavy equipment, including tire repair and metal fabrication. While there, I got to help celebrate the retirement of two staff members; their dedication and knowledge will be missed