Public Works Items
Crews continued to work on areas along the waterfront to prepare for the busy season. Street and sidewalk wash downs were performed on lower Metropole, and the entire length of Front Street. This also included pressure washing the alley between Sumner & Catalina. The concrete barriers were removed across from the Yacht Club to allow for additional parking in that area. Additional landscaping was done, which included adding mulch in the planters near the Mole. The Wrigley Fountain was cleaned, and got a fresh coat of paint on the inside of the fountain base. A solar pump was also installed onto the Sombrero Fountain that will allow the top portion to be a functional fountain. Finally, crews prepared the cemetery to ensure it is looking good it’s Memorial Day weekend visitors.
Harbor Maintenance Items
As we all know, our Harbor Maintenance crews have been extremely busy getting the harbor ready for the busy boating season. This week they performed repairs to several ramps, and ramp base areas. This included replacing the wood base paneling, and ramp wheels for several float ramps. They also hauled out the old pumpout float, which had been parked on a mooring for the past several months. The float will be brought to the Field of Dreams to eventually be demolished and disposed. Crews will also be installing new float number sign brackets and signs at the Mole next week. They are on schedule to have most everything ready for what we hope will be a busy holiday weekend in our harbor.
Patrol Boat Work at Garage
Our mechanics have been focusing on making sure all of our harbor patrol boats are up & running to prepare for the busy summer season. It is important that the whole feet is fully functional as these boats get a lot of use during the summer, and often will have to get hauled out for various repairs. The high swell we experienced last week stirred up a lot dirt & debris in the harbor, which fouled a couple of the boat motors causing them to overheat. The boats had to be removed to have the debris cleared from the water intake and cooling systems. As of now, looks like all but one boat will be up & running for the holiday weekend. Work to other equipment and vehicles was also performed between boat repairs.
Kickball Tournament
As part of National Public Works Appreciation Week, the staff at City Hall hosted a kickball tournament at Joe Machado Field that included Public Works. Lunch was provided by Virgie’s thanks to Frank Rojo and his mother. After lunch the kickball match between City Hall staff and Public Works begun. Both teams initially appeared to be equally matched, but Public Works ended up with the win. The PW appreciation week also included several social media posts through the week (thanks to Carolyn Dailey), which many have probably seen, displaying the hard working efforts our crews provide on a daily basis. We wish to thank all those that helped put everything together for us throughout the week.