HomeMy WebLinkAboutAnnual Report of the Engineer Feb 1974VILLAGE OF CAYUGA HEIGHTS
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE ENGINEER
FEBRUARY 1974
JOHN B. ROGERS
SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT ALTERATIONS AND ADDITIONS
About a year ago contractors for this construction work, Stewart and Bennett,
moved onto the job and have done and excellent job in keeping on or ahead of
schedule. The 2,000,000 mgd. plant which will include secondary and tertiary
(phosphate removal) is now about 75% complete and would have been completed ahead
of schedule except for delay in delivery of some required materials. It is estimated
that the plant will be in operation in October of 1974 and final completion by the
end of the year 1974.
SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT OPERATION
On June 29, 1973 Mr. Harold Cornelius retired as Chief Plant Operator after
giving the Village good service for over 17 years. After Mr. Cornelius' retirement
difficulties arose in the operation of the plant. Upon investigation of alternatives
for the operation of the plant and keeping in mind that the plant will be taken
over by Tompkins County upon completion of the new additions and alterations, it
was decided that the beat interest of the Village and of Tompkins County could be
served by operating the plant on a contract basis at least until the construction
work was completed. The Village advertised for bids for a contractor to operate
the plant and the bid of Mr. Gary Gleason of Trumansburg, New York was accepted
and a contract was signed with him for the operation of the plant.
• SEWER LINES
During the past year after testing numerous lines throughout the Village with
a newly acquired air - pressure sewer line testing device, 1,500 feet of 10" sewer
line has been replaced and 2,500 feet of 8" sewer line has been replaced. This
work was done with a minimum outside contractor's work. In connection with the
replacement of sewer line work extensive road repair work had to be completed
because most of the sewer lines lie within the road right -of -way and under the
paved portion of the road.
STREETS
Under the Village's annual road maintenance program the roads in the Village.
have been kept in good condition. There are now 21.16 miles of road in the Village.
Where road paving has been damaged with the replacement of sewer lines, proper
back filling with bank run gravel or crushed gravel, tamping and proper repaving
was done as soon as the sewer line was completed to keep the roads in good condition.
There are a number of places throughout the Village where shoulder work on the
roads needs attention and this will be in our road program for the coming year.
PUBLIC WORKS EQUIPMENT
During the past year the Village replaced its ten year old backhoe with a
new, larger and more versatile backhoe and front -end loader. The major use was
made of this backhoe in the sewer-line replacement carried out this year in the
Village. The Village also purchased a new pickup truck for use by our Public Works
• General Foreman. The Village has on order through bids but not yet delivered, a
diesel powered dump truck which will be used for sewer line replacement work and
also will replace our 4 -wheel drive major snow plow truck.
Engineer's Annual Report 2/74 Page 2
Since 1961 when the Village owned but one dump truck and looked to the Town
for road maintenance equipment and snowplowing, the Village equipment inventory
has grown so that in now includes the following: 20 cubic yard trash collection
packer, 16 cubic yard backup trash collection packer, grader, front -end loader
and backhoe, small road roller, 4 -wheel drive power wagon with small snow plow,
tractor - mower, truck mounted salt and cinder spreader, 2 dump trucks, 2 large
snow plows, 1 snow plow wing, 2 pickup trucks, l full -track sidewalk snow plow,
a sewer cleaning machine, air pressure sewer testing machine, 2 leaf vacuum
machines, also small tools such as welders, power saws, 3" and 4" pumps. All
this equipment is needed if we are to make efficient use of our public works
personnel.
ELM TREE REMOVAL
During the past year 50 to 75 elm trees were removed by our public works
crew from the Village road rights -of -way and other Village property. An additional
50 elm trees were removed by contract from Village property where it was felt
that this was the safer way to accomplish the work. All of these trees had to
be trucked to the County Solid Waste Disposal Area. In addition the wood from
several hundred trees that were cut down on private property and cut into proper
lengths were removed by Village forces as the Village contribution to the elm tree
removal program.
STREET LIGHTS
A Public Works Committee of the Board of Trustees and the Engineer are in
• the process of a survey of Village street lights. The survey undertaken is not
only to try to locate areas where street lights afe needed or there are too many
street lights in relation to the general criteria for the Village but they are
also looking into the type and intensity of street lights. There are some
experimental street lights on the lower end of Hanshaw Road near the corner of
Cayuga Heights Road. I am sure the Public Works Committee would appreciate
opinions from the residents of the Village of this type of street lamp. This
Spring the Village must establish its criteria for underground street lighting
as required for all new housing developments in the Village.
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