Public Works Week: Celebrating Infrastructure in Local Government

May 19 – 25, 2024 is National Public Works Week, a national celebration led by the American Public Works Association to educate the public about the importance of Public Works in our everyday lives.  Public Works is the broad term for the Department that oversees streets, parks, and utility activities in the Village.  Did you know, the Village of Weston has:

• 8 Parks totaling 268.7 acres of land
• 118.83 Centerline miles of roads
  • 258.57 lane miles in the Village 
• 111.2 miles of Water main
  • 8 Wells
  • 4 Water Towers
  • 1 Treatment Plant
  • 918 Fire Hydrants
• 102.9 Miles of Sanitary Sewer
  • 13 Lift Stations
  • 2,011 Manholes 
• 71.0 Miles of Storm Sewer
  • 1,087 Manholes
  • 2,948 Inlets/Catch Basins that receive stormwater
• 50+ Pieces of Equipment

Those assets above are maintained by 18 front-line staff members on the parks, streets, and utility crew.

All the infrastructure listed is maintained throughout the year, whether that’s plowing snow off the road, patching potholes, repairing damaged curbs and gutters, replacing water valves, cleaning out sanitary sewer mains, etc. Our crew is out in the public ensuring the infrastructure is ready to support the community!  

A day without Public Works means no water readily available at the tap, no flushing of toilets, no roadways to get to and from your destination, along with many other essential functions the staff provides the community daily.  Their work generally goes unseen so we all can continue with our daily lives, it’s only when those daily routines are interrupted that we generally reflect on the services we’re provided.  Remember to drive with caution around work zones and leave plenty of space when you see orange cones and flashing lights.  Please be conscious of the Streets, Utilities, and Parks crews this year as they are working in the community, and thank them for their contributions.    

How much does Public Works Cost?

2024 Operating Budgets are:

• Streets = $2,280,146
• Parks = $499,629
• Water Utility = $3,060,653
• Sanitary Sewer Utility = $3,590,614
• Storm Water Utility = $694,844

- Total 2024 Budgeted Operating Funds = $10,125,886

This amount covers the day-to-day operations of the Public Works Department to ensure daily service to the community is continued.  

Besides our day-to-day operations, we also have a Capital Improvement Fund for the larger scale projects the community takes on to rebuild aging and deteriorated infrastructure.