A veritable plethora of items was discussed during Wednesday (Nov 12th) evening’s Danville City Council Public Works Committee meeting. But the most substantial in regard to the future came at the end, when Public Works and Engineering unveiled a top ten priority list for the near future, over the next few years. This includes a Comprehensive Plan; and a Five Year Capital Improvement Plan.
Speaking afterwards with Director of Public Works and Engineering Dave Ruwe, CIMG was told that this was just an informational overview, and any requested moving around of money or additional funding could come later. One example where that might be needed is the “number five” item on the list; calling for special software to keep better track of the department’s work, and to avoid waste. Ruwe explains.
AUDIO: There’s a lot that goes into Work Order and Asset Management Software. It’s all about making sure that assets such as all of our infrastructure; our sewers, our streets, things like that; are all being maintained at a high level, and at an acceptable level. But then also looking at, okay, ‘what are we needing to put into a specific section of road, per say?’ And then balancing that out and saying ‘Okay, well, if it’s going to take that much effort here, it’s actually cheaper to just go ahead and just replace it.’ There’s a lot we can do with that type of software that helps us better spend our dollars.
Ruwe says the overall goal of this “top ten” list is to make City of Danville Public Works and Engineering first and foremost proactive, rather than reactive.
