Next week the City of Chattanooga will showcase the “Power of Public Works” during 2018 National Public Works Week, May 21-25. The week will celebrate workers and raise awareness to the services they deliver that citizens depends on every day. This year’s theme observes the role public works plays in powering Chattanooga.
The City’s Public Works professionals include those who manage water, sewer, public transportation and refuse removal systems, as well as those responsible for maintaining public buildings, grounds and open spaces.
"They maintain and improve the systems and services vital to a community’s health, safety and comfort," officials said.
“The hard work of our public works professionals often times can go unnoticed,” said Justin Holland, administrator of Public Works. “Public Works Week gives us an opportunity to increase awareness of all the different ways our department serves the people of Chattanooga and show our appreciation for the work these men and women do each day to power our community.”
Activities and programs scheduled for the week give Chattanoogans a glimpse of services provided by public works professionals, as well as the communities they serve. In Chattanooga, the Public Works Department will be observing the week with a number of employee events, including stream and roadside clean ups, an awards banquet recognizing outstanding employees and the annual equipment rodeo, which is open to the community.
The Public Works Department’s equipment rodeo gives the public a chance to watch public works employees with a commercial driver’s license show off their skills while they compete in different courses using heavy equipment.
Also back by popular demand is the Chattanooga Public Works Scavenger Hunt. The public can participate by snapping photos of things like Public Works crews working, a selfie with an employee -- bonus if it’s with Public Works Administrator Justin Holland -- and then tag @CHAPublicWorks and the hashtag #PowerOfPW.
For more information on Chattanooga’s Public Works Week and the Public Works Department visit
http://www.chattanooga.gov/public-works or
connect.chattanooga.gov/publicworksweek.