By Douglas R. Sweeney
The Lexington City Council unanimously approved a new $330,000 office for the public works director and his staff at its Feb. 2 meeting. The current space is too small to be effective.
The Public Works Department is responsible for not only mundane tasks such as sewer line maintenance but also for the flags, banners, and seasonal decorations that give Lexington its classic look. The department employs 44 people, six of whom work in the office.
According to Public Works Director David A. Woody, he and his staff are in “very cramped quarters.” Woody believes that the new office will give his staff more space to operate and serve the city. The new office will be located at the end of Shop Road, adjacent to the current Public Works office on the east side of town near U.S. Route 11.
The most visible service that the Public Works Department provides for Lexington, according to Woody, is twice weekly garbage removal.
Lexington City Manager T. Jon Ellestad said, “The existing office is extremely crowded and does not present a professional appearance.”
The new Public Works office is the most expensive item in the plan. It will cost Lexington $330,000 over the next two years. The entire plan calls for nearly $1 million in improvements over the next five years.
In his memorandum to the Lexington City Council regarding the plan, Ellestad explained that he tried to limit the number of projects because of the need for a new courthouse. The courthouse is a cooperative effort between Rockbridge County and Lexington and therefore not listed in the city's Capital Improvements Plan.
The joint city-county courthouse will cost $30 million, 25 percent of which must come from Lexington.
Produced by Washington and Lee journalism students.
Lead supervisor: Prof. Claudette Artwick
Reporting supervisor: Prof. Doug Cumming
Editing supervisor: Prof. Pamela Luecke
Technical supervisor: Michael Todd