“Public Works Connects Us” is the theme for 2017’s National Public Works Week May 21-27, celebrating the vital role public works plays in connecting people. As the cornerstone of civilization, public works provides, maintains and improves the structures and services that assure a higher quality of life for communities. Streets, roads, bridges, and public transportation link people in the U.S. from coast to coast. Clean water and sanitation services keep us healthy and allow our communities to grow and prosper.
“Public Works Week is a time to celebrate a special group of people who dedicate their lives to making all of our lives better,” said City of Springfield Public Works Director Dan Smith. “At the City of Springfield, we are blessed to have some of the best in the business working to make sure our community has the infrastructure necessary to greatly enhance our quality of life.”
The City will host a dedication ceremony at 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 23 to honor one such individual whose life was devoted to transportation in the Ozarks – former Public Works Director Phil Broyles. The City will rename the Public Works and Environmental Services Compound at 1111 W. Chestnut Expressway after Broyles, who passed away in 2014.
Broyles served the people of the state of Missouri in local, regional and statewide roles for over 40 years. He came to the City after a 30-year career with the Missouri Department of Transportation. After retiring from MoDOT, Phil resumed service to the people of Springfield as the assistant director of Public Works and replaced the retiring director on an interim basis in 2010. Broyles was confirmed in the position permanently in 2011. He was named one of the Top 10 Public Works Professionals in the country by the American Public Works Association in 2012.
Public Works is also marking National Public Works Week with the release of its first annual report, which highlights the activities and accomplishments of each division during 2016. The report also includes a “state of the streets” section that reports that 70 percent of Springfield streets are rated in good condition or better, according to third-party pavement condition rating contractor IMS Infrastructure Management Services.
About National Public Works Week
Since 1960, the American Public Works Association has sponsored National Public Works Week as a way to energize and educate the public on the importance of the contribution of public works to their daily lives.
“Every year National Public Works Week gets bigger and better. The number of participating municipalities continues to grow, which means the number of citizens who are exposed to the value of public works grows. At APWA, one of our main goals is to educate the general public about the value and necessities of public works projects throughout North America, and public works professionals are our best ambassadors,” according to apwa.net.
In Springfield, traditional public works responsibilities are split between the departments of Public Works and Environmental Services.
Springfield’s Public Works Department manages more than 1,700 lane miles of roadways, 139 traffic signals and 38,000 traffic and street signs while also managing Hazelwood Municipal Cemetery and caring for the urban tree canopy.
The city’s Environmental Services department is in charge of more than 1,200 miles of sanitary sewers, guiding wastewater to the city’s two treatment plants which process an average of 40 million gallons per day. Environmental Services staff also manage solid waste and recycling programs, air quality control and environmental compliance activities.
Both departments have long held a reputation for leadership, innovation and environmental stewardship.
In 2013, Public Works and Environmental Services collectively earned accreditation from the American Public Works Association — a distinction fewer than 1 percent of communities in the country have attained.
For more information, contact Communication Coordinator Kristen Milam at 573-819-3713 or kmilam@springfieldmo.gov.
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