MOUNT PLEASANT CITY MANAGER ED THATCHER’S UPDATE

PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT MAKES NEW PROGRESS UNDER DIRECTOR KEITH BOYD

It is often said in municipal government that the Public Works employees are the city’s unsung heroes, and I completely agree.

These staff members are on call 24/7 to keep our city operating, offering not only hard work during normal business hours, but an emergency response in what can present extreme conditions such as severe weather, power outages and accidents.

Public Works employees are also highly skilled in a broad range of trades including electricity, plumbing and construction with many having earned special degrees and certifications.

At the helm of our Public Works Department is Keith Boyd, who began his career with the city in 1987 as a laborer in the Streets Division. A stand-out employee, he rose through the ranks to become a Street Foreman and then Operations Manager. In 2021, we were pleased to promote Keith to Director of Public Works, where he now oversees the Streets, Fleet and Building Maintenance divisions with 17 employees.

Within a short period of time, Keith and his team have made many accomplishments and equally important, have embraced a culture of excellence that is centered upon customer service and teamwork.

The Street Division team maintains over 110 miles of asphalt street and six miles of concrete streets. Keeping these corridors through the city safe is truly a never-ending job and our employees are dedicated to doing whatever is needed from repairing potholes, cutting low hanging tree limbs down, street cleaning, addressing drainage issues, replacing culverts and inspecting new driveways and driveway tie ins.

In 2021 alone, the division completed 33,000 square yards of mill and inlay street resurfacing as well as 31,000 square yards of slurry seal surfacing. Despite supply chain challenges in 2022, the division has 21,000 square yards of mill and inlay work going to City Council for approval to complete. Simply put, Keith and his team are pushing forward to do all that they can to improve street conditions in Mount Pleasant.

The Streets Division has also made significant improvements at the Cortznes cemetery, including installing a new sidewalk with the new pavilion, and adding new sections of concrete pavement at the County Club and Greenhill Avenue with additional paving improvements on the horizon.

At the same time, Keith directs the Fleet Division in maintaining 119 City vehicles and 136 pieces of equipment while his Building Maintenance division cares for 12 City facilities.

When things are running like they should, we tend to forget who is making that possible. But when there is a problem, we become incredibly aware of our need and appreciation for the Public Works Department.

It is an honor to work with Keith and his team, and we are grateful for all that they do.

Ed Thatcher,
City Manager, City of Mount Pleasant

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