The
Department of Public Works and Transportation is the largest department
within the City of St. Joseph, both in terms of number of employees
and budget. With responsibilities ranging from airports, mass transit,
landfill operations and street maintenance to stormwater and sewage
treatment, the department is basically charged
with overseeing the basic pieces of public infrastructure
that effect the community on a daily basis. Safety is paramount throughout
all programs, whether the safety of the public or safety of departmental
staff.
Services provided by the divisions and staff of the Public Works and Transportation Department include street maintenance, sewer maintenance, traffic signal maintenance, new roadway construction, sanitary sewer treatment, public stormwater facility maintenance, engineering design, public transit service, general aviation facility administration, landfill operations, and recycling operations. Fundamentally, the department fulfills the role of constructing or maintaining the principal infrastructure assets that are used to provide mobility for the community, ensure the public safety of its structures, and provides services such as landfill and sewage treatment, that support a healthy living environment.
The Divisions, each with multiple areas of responsibility, overseen are
- Aviation (Rosecrans Memorial Airport)
- Streets and Infrastructure Maintenance and Repair (SIM&R)
- Water Protection
- St. Joseph Transit
- Engineering
- Landfill
- Administration
Each division is managed by a Division Manager, and the public is encouraged to contact each directly regarding possible issues within their respective areas of responsibility.
Some of the most common issues asked about within the department are contact points for access (driveway) permits, street maintenance complaints (potholes), snow policy, sidewalks, and construction project status. The Department would invite the public to speak directly with the divisions given responsibility for this and many other subject whenever a question arises. It is the policy of the Department to respond in a timely manner to all public contacts that request a response.