New Beach Sand
Another sign that summer is getting closer is the installation of new sand for our beaches. Public Works crews delivered numerous truckloads of sand to our in-town beach areas. This is done every year to help replenish the sand that is washed away over the winter from ocean storm waves and rain. The sand is acquired from Pebbly Beach Building Supply, and delivered with the use of our dump truck & flatbed trucks. Crews then spread the sand to cover the entire beach area. Our mini-excavator is used to spread the bulk of it out, then it is spread further by hand. It is a rather laboring task as the sand must at times be pushed into areas heavy equipment cannot access. Once it is completely spread out the sand surface finished by the use of a sand drag. Both our visitors and residents truly appreciate the fresh coat of sand our beaches receive this time of year.
Harbor Ramp Work
Harbor Maintenance crews worked on several ramps at the Green Pier & Mole to make them safer to use. Non-slip material was added to prevent people from slipping, which reduces our liability. Several ramps wheels were replaced as well, along with the wood panels they roll upon. This has to be done relatively often due to the tremendous amount of movement the base of the ramps experience caused by ocean waves & current. This work is part of our crews efforts to prepare our harbor for the busy summer season.
High Surf/Tidal Flooding
Our harbor encountered a very high surf and tide level Wednesday night/Thursday morning, which caused flooding along several areas of the our waterfront. Some of the fresh sand we installed got pushed into Front Street, and the onto Crescent Ave. near Clarissa. Crews has to use hoses supplied with saltwater from our hydrants, and brooms, to remove the sand from the pavers & street areas. Harbor Maintenance had to repair a broken freshwater line under the Green Pier, along with other various repairs to damaged floats/ramps. Fortunately no serious damage occurred, but it definitely created a few unexpected headaches for our crews. Dealing with these unexpected situations however is an important part of our duty as Public Works and Harbor Maintenance.
Safety Training
Thor Benzing from CIRA visited the island this week to perform a risk assessment of all of the City’s facilities. While doing so he performed two safety training sessions Friday morning at City Hall for Public Works, and other departments. The sessions included training on Heat Illness Prevention, and Traffic Control & Flagging. Such training is performed annually, and helps us meet our OSHA safety training requirements. Thor will be providing additional in-person safety training going forward.