Department Spotlight

by Theresa Dardanell Emmitsburg Public Works Department Before I met with the Director of the Emmitsburg Public Works Department, James Click, I thought I knew all of the responsibilities of the department. I was amazed at what I didn’t know. According to the website, the public works department “consists of the following public services: water and sewer, streets, lights, maintenance to all parks and recreation facilities, and snow removal, as well as operating the yard waste and recycling site.” That might not sound like a lot until you find out more. One example is “streets,” which includes keeping streets clean, repairing and replacing street lights, painting crosswalks and curbs, repairing and replacing signs, trimming trees, and putting up banners and flags for holidays and events. There are 12 miles of roads/streets and 350 street lights in Emmitsburg. “Parks and Recreation facilities” consists of the Community Park, Memorial Park, Silo Hill, and Emmit Gardens—a total of 70 acres of parkland. Some of the work at these locations includes mowing; weed killing; and maintenance of playground equipment, pavilions, picnic tables, ball field fences, and restroom buildings. “Water and sewer” includes reading, repairing, and replacing water meters; repairing water leaks and sewer backups; and staffing the wastewater treatment plant and monitoring it every day, around the clock. There are 7 miles of sewer pipe, 10 miles of water pipe, and 133 fire hydrants in town. In 2005, James Click combined the Department of Public Works and the Water/Sewer Department so that the employees could work together as a team for a more efficient operation. There are only eight employees to handle all of the jobs in both departments.  Along with James Click, the Public Works department members are: Steve Fissel, Building Maintenance; Dave Wantz, Public Works; Chris Wantz, Public Works. The Water/Sewer Department members are: Dan Fissel, Water and Sewer Superintendent; Wayne Sharrer, Senior Operator; Matthew Desmond, Lead Operator; Jacob Fisher, Operator. The town benefits from this working relationship; when snow removal requires additional help, the crew works together to get the job done as quickly as possible. They also take turns working at the yard waste and recycling drop-off center at the wastewater treatment plant on Creamery Road; this service is available to residents all year on the first and third Saturday of every month, from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Because they share the responsibilities, members of the crew need to know how to operate the many different vehicles in the fleet, as well as how to use all the various equipment. Along with the 4×4 trucks, there are trucks for plowing, salting, and hauling; a sludge truck for cleaning sewer lines and septic tanks; a backhoe; a pull-behind trailer lift; several mowers; as well as other equipment. According to James Click, the members of the crew enjoy their work and want to do a good job for the community. “We look out for the townspeople whatever they may need.  That’s the biggest thing.” Emmitsburg Public Works Department crew: Chris Wantz, Dave Wantz, James Click, and Steve Fissel.