By By Lisa Tindell – news writer
If you've ever been traveling along the streets of downtown Brewton at 6 a.m., chances are you've seen employees of the Brewton Public Works Department busy making sure the city is attractive.
Part of the work the department handles on those early mornings is work that is taken for granted by most residents in the community.
&#8220I see those plants every day as I go to and from work,” said Sharon Laster of Brewton. &#8220They really caught my eye this week. The park looks so nice with the grass cut and everything trimmed so nicely. I notice the plants and the parks but sometimes I just don't think about how they got there or who takes care of them.”
The department works on a schedule to make sure that decorative plants and shrubs are kept green as well keeping streets and sidewalks around town clean.
&#8220We have a rotating schedule for every job we do around town,” Howard said.
&#8220We do the sidewalks on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. We have to water the plants pretty much every day. Our Friday schedule has us doing the cleaning around City Hall, the message center and the library. In between we are busy keeping the streets clean and doing work around town. We also make sure the grass is cut and shrubs are trimmed around the parks we maintain. We even make sure the train depot is always clean and presentable.”
As more and more activities are planned and held around Brewton, the busier the Public Works Department becomes.
&#8220It seems like we have had more and more activities held around Brewton over the past year,” Howard said. &#8220When the activity increases in our parks or other areas of town, we have to make sure that the area is cleaned and well manicured to put Brewton in the best light for visitors to the city. It is getting to be very busy, but it's all part of the job.”
Howard said coordination of events with various groups, such as the Chamber of Commerce and other agencies can be very intense.
&#8220There is a lot of coordinating required to make sure everything is taken care of before an event takes place,” Howard said. &#8220We coordinate with groups to make sure things like the Songwriters Festival, the Blueberry Festival, the Biker Bash and other events are handled properly. Sometimes the job is labor intensive, but it's all in a day's work.”
Brewton Mayor Ted Jennings commended the department for their dedication to their job.
&#8220The department does an outstanding job for Brewton,” Jennings said. &#8220They are basically on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week for this community. They take great pride in their work and are always ready to help.”
Jennings said the department is responsible for the upkeep of all grounds owned by the City of Brewton and work very closely with other committees and agencies on the city's behalf.
&#8220The department takes care of our parks and streets,” Jennings said. &#8220They work closely with the Tree and Beautification Board and other committees. They also work with state and government agencies on grant applications and they do an excellent job for Brewton.”
With some 85 miles of right-of-way and 450 acres at the Brewton Municipal Airport to keep in shape, the department spends countless man-hours on the job.
&#8220We keep all of the streets clean as well as the right-of-way areas along those 85 miles,” Howard said. &#8220We also take care of 450 acres of property at the airport. We cut the 450 acres twice each year. That work calls for a lot of man power and many hours of work.”
Howard and his crew work year-round to ensure Brewton is kept clean and is attractive for residents and visitors alike.
&#8220We are proud of what the department does for Brewton,” Jennings said. &#8220They keep our city looking good for everyone to see.”