Public Works 2012 Annual Report

Public Works At-a-Glance The Lee’s Summit Public Works Department provides a diverse range of services to the community through its four divisions, which includes Engineering and Administration, the Municipal Airport & Landfill, and the Operations Division that is responsible for maintaining the city’s public infrastructure. The department currently has 109 employees.

Budget Information

Connect With Us: (816) 969-1800 lspw.net PublicWorks@cityofls.net

2012 Annual Report Public Works Department

Service Enhancements 

AVL — Automated Vehicle Locating (AVL) system was installed on all snow plow equipment. The AVL system provides real time locations of all snow vehicles and can provide historical data including location, time of day and vehicle speed.

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Work Order Procedures — Public Works Operations implemented new procedures to increase efficiency and complete work orders in a more timely manner. The downward trend in the average number of days work orders remained open fell from a high of 51 days to 23 days for the last six months of 2012.

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Contractor Training — Staff developed and presented training for local contractors on compliance with ADA regulations. The training session is now available metro-wide through the local chapter of the American Public Works Association.

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Use of Social Media — Created Facebook page for Lee’s Summit Municipal Airport to promote events, activities, and services.

Mission Statement The Lee’s Summit Public Works Department is dedicated to maintaining and improving the quality of the community through environmentally and economically sound infrastructure preservation and growth while providing outstanding service to our customers.

Completed Projects 

Curb Bond Program — Replaced 429,500 linear feet of the worst curbs on residential streets, which represents 107% of original goal using 85% of the budget.

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Stormwater Bond Program — Five projects were completed on Patterson Dr., Ash St., Swann Circle, Peterson St., and Ashurst Dr. to relieve structure flooding.  Sidewalk Bond Program — Projects included replacement of over 880 ramps to bring them up to full American with Disabilities (ADA) compliance. Work is underway on 2,700 vertical offsets in sidewalks using a process that “slices” concrete to provide a smooth joint, saving the time and cost of complete removal and replacement of the sidewalk panel.

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Traffic Calming — Projects were constructed on 5th St., east of Todd George Pkwy., and in the Crossings subdivision.

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Street Lights — Systems were installed on Tudor Rd – Douglas St. to M291, Woods Chapel Road – Independence Ave. to Lee’s Summit Rd., Ward Rd. south of 3rd St. and Persels Rd. between Ward Rd. and M291.

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Transit — Improvements to the Blue Parkway Park & Ride lot included a shelter, landscaping, new fencing and monument signage.

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Road Safety Audits — Audits of signing, marking and other traffic safety related issues were completed for the Raintree and Lakewood neighborhoods of the community.

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Pavement Management Program — The city’s annual pavement maintenance program included 20 miles of overlay work, 25 miles of micro-surfacing work, 32 miles of crack sealing, 12.5 miles of curb replacement and replacement of 142 sidewalk ramps to comply with current ADA requirements.

Community Outreach  National Public Works Week — The Equipment Show is an annual event held each May at the Lee’s Summit Municipal Airport for families to explore the city’s equipment and enjoy a variety of children’s activities.

Accomplishments and Awards 

APWA re-accreditation — On July 6, 2012 Public Works received its second national re-accreditation from the American Public Works Association (APWA) for continued compliance with industrywide management practices and procedures. The department achieved additional recognition by having seven practices identified as “model practices,” that are exceeding industry standards. The Lee’s Summit Public Works department originally received accreditation in 2004 and was the 16 th agency in the nation, 2nd in the state, and the 1st in the KC metro area to receive this recognition.

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ITE Award — The City of Lee's Summit received the 2012 MidWestern Institute of Transportation Engineers (MWITE) Transportation Achievement Safety Award for its School Traffic Safety Study Program.

The cyclical and proactive program was developed by Public Works to improve traffic conditions for vehicular, pedestrian, bicycle, and bus traffic around school areas.

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Bicycle Friendly Community Award — The City received a Bicycle Friendly Community Bronze Designation. The award from the Bicycle Friendly America organization is based on the community’s level of commitment to the 5Es – Engineering, Education, Encouragement, Enforcement, and Evaluation & Planningrelative to bicycle facilities and programs.

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Regulatory Compliance Record — The Lee’s Summit Municipal Landfill achieved a perfect record on Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) inspections in 2012. In the inspection, MDNR will look for issues such as possible groundwater pollution, air pollution, methane gas control, blowing litter, and overall operation of the facility. Each of the 67 critical areas inspected achieved satisfactory ratings during all four site visits.

 APWA Outreach Committee — Staff worked with the Kansas City Metro Chapter of the American Public Works Association (APWA) on student outreach activities. Events educated students of all ages about the role of public works in everyone’s life and career opportunities in the field. 

Adopt-A-Street — The Public Works Management Team has adopted Chipman Rd. from Douglas St. to M-291. In 2012, this group removed 27 bags of litter from the roadway.

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Stream Team — Public Works sponsored two Stream Team events with approximately 185 volunteers. Two tons of trash and debris was removed from local creeks and streams during the two events. 

Emerald Isle St. Patrick’s Day Parade Staff constructed an environmental float utilizing recycled materials for the creation of a “recycled sculpture” that is now on display at the North Recycling Center.

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Athletic Shoe Recycling — Two events were held, collecting 275 pairs of shoes. These shoes were recycled into soft rubber mats that will be used for playground surfaces.

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Paper Shredding — Three paper shredding events allowed citizens to dispose of sensitive documents in an environmentally friendly manner at no charge. Approximately 24,000 pounds of paper were collected.

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Bicycle Recycling — In the first year of this program, 157 bikes were collected in the two events. The bicycles were refurbished and provided to needy children in the metropolitan area.

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Electronics Recycling — The electronics recycling collection event served approximately 200 citizens and resulted in 37,000 pounds of material being diverted away from the landfill and recycled.