The Public Works Department moved to its current location at 110 Santa Fe Pike in July of 1996. The new facility is named for a previous Sanitation Director, E. T. Frierson.

Vision: The City of Columbia's Public Works Department will be one of the top professional Public Works organizations in the state. Our projects will play a vital role in maintaining a good quality of life for the citizens of Columbia.

Mission: Provide the citizens of Columbia with safe and accessible transportation and drainage infrastructure, and provide efficient disposal of commercial and household waste.

The Department

Administration organizes, delegates, supervises, and evaluates all service areas of the department in an effective and efficient manner. This involves: Annual budget preparation, work planning and scheduling, project supervision, and developing operational procedures.

The Streets and Maintenance Division is responsible for the maintenance of 240 miles of city streets and rights of way. The staff performs a variety of demanding and diverse maintenance services involving pavement maintenance, snow and ice removal, sidewalk and curb replacement, street sweeping, litter control, and other functions. They also repair storm drains, which includes small to major maintenance projects, and clean storm drainage channels, culverts, grates, and catch basins.

The Traffic Division provides and maintains traffic control devices for the safe and orderly movement of vehicles on City streets. This involves the installation of traffic signs and signals, plus the maintenance of visible lane markings and crosswalks.

The Fleet Maintenance Division repairs City vehicles and equipment and coordinates the use of contract services for fleet maintenance and repairs. This activity may involve minor to major repairs. The city garage is responsible for the repair and maintenance of all City vehicles and equipment including backhoes, loaders, street sweepers, tractors, and a dozer.

The Sanitation Division collects residential and commercial garbage and other refuse on a scheduled basis (see below). This service is performed for approximately 13,000 residences and 1,200 businesses.

Trash Collection
Household trash and garbage is collected on a weekly basis throughout the City. Commercial collection is by agreement, and the fee is based on the number of scheduled pick-ups at the business.

Bulky Item Collection
Bulky items such as appliances, furniture and other assorted refuse are collected at curbside on Mondays and must be scheduled with the Public Works office by 2 p.m. on the preceding Friday. No collections will be added after that time or while the trucks are working their routes. The Public Works Department will not remove construction debris, anything with refrigerants (refrigerators and air conditioners), water heaters, tires, or loads that are a mixture of brush and other solid items.

Brush and Leaves
Brush and leaves will be collected Tuesday through Friday. Leaves must be bagged in biodegradable bags, or put in a pile at the street for collection. The citywide collection services are intended to remove brush and tree trimmings during routine yard maintenance and grounds beautifications. The program is not intended to expedite commercial or demolition projects, brush or bulky items removed from home or building construction, clearing lots, as well as subdivision development. These activities are the responsibility of the developer, builder, or owner.

Special Pickups
Special arrangements must be made for large amounts (more than three pick-up truckloads) of bulky items or brush. Special pickups will generally be made on Fridays. Any specially arranged loads that amount to more than one empty collection vehicle (more than three pickup truckloads) will be charged an additional $50.00 per additional load. The payment is required in advance of the pickup.

Remember, if your load of refuse is more than three pickup truckloads, arrangements must be made in advance for collection. The Public Works Director will develop schedules during these days.

Brush and leaves cannot be mixed with bulky items or other trash. We want the service to be quick and convenient for as many citizens as possible so the Public Works Department reserves the right to deny collections that will require devoting equipment and personnel for extended periods of time.

Strategic Plan

Goal

Improve the delivery of services by the Public Works Department to the citizens of the City of Columbia.

Strategy 1
Convert all the flashers (school or warning) from wire electric powered to solar electric powered.

Strategy 2
To upgrade, replace and provide conformity to traffic and way-finding signs, so that they meet the MUTCD and are more aesthetically pleasing throughout the community.

Strategy 3
To conclude traffic system evaluation, develop a program for traffic signal cabinet modifications and upgrades. Continue the upgrade of traffic signal lights with LED modules.

Strategy 4
Improve the routing and efficiency of sanitation operations by installing vehicle locations units (AVL) on each collection unit.