Storm Prep & Cleanup
Yet another storm passed through Avalon earlier this week, which is starting to sound like a broken record. As with past storms, most of the week was spent prepping & cleaning up from the storm. Fortunately our crews have our storm drill down due to plenty of experience this winter. Prep consisted of clearing out the material behind the k-rails located the Yacht Club, installing k-rail at the WWTP to protect it, and clearing storm drains throughout town. The storm drain gate at Middle Beach also had to be dug out several times due to the high tide blocking it with sand. Fortunately this storm was not as severe as last week’s, and the cleanup was rather minimal.
Pebbly Beach Road Repairs
As we all know, the numerous storms so far this year have taken its toll on Pebbly Beach Road. Fallen rock from the hillside has forced us to replace several k-rail fence barriers. This large fallen rock has punched many holes in the asphalt creating potholes. Crews used cold patch asphalt to repair many of the larger potholes along the road. Wind waves from the ocean pushed a lot of rock onto the road that needed to be cleared as well. The wind & waves also constantly push over the barriers we have setup to prevent people & vehicles from entering the more compromised areas along the ocean side of the road. Crews worked on putting these barriers back in place to safety up these areas again.
Animal Shelter Cleanup
Last week’s mudslide not only affected the WWTP, but it also affected our animal shelter in that area. This shelter is used to by Code Enforcement to house stray cats & dogs. A wall of mud & debris completely blocked access to the shelter. Crews used our mini-excavator, and skid steer (from the WWTP) to clear a large portion of what is now dirt & debris. They then had to do a tremendous amount of shoveling to clear the areas where the equipment could not get to. The shelter is now clear of most of the dirt & debris, and is once again fully functional. On a side note, the couple of cats being housed there were not injured.
Fire Department Light Fixture Replacement
Jon Gilbert was tasked to replace all of the old fluorescent light fixtures with more efficiently LED fixtures. A scissor lift was rented & brought over from the mainland to be able to reach the ceiling. Public Works crews assisted with the project. A total of 20 light fixtures will eventually be installed. Additional conduit & wiring needed to be installed to make the lighting work properly. The new light fixtures will be more energy efficient, and will provide much better overall lighting for the Fire Department building.