Third in a series on the work of Noblesville’s city departments . . .
Noblesville Deputy Mayor
The following column is the third in a series on the various departments within the City of Noblesville, highlighting the hard work and dedication of the staff members who keep our community of 62,000 going strong.
Today’s column focuses on a single department – and one whose work is necessary for anyone who drives, runs, walks, builds, works or lives within our city. That’s why there is no such thing as a “slow season” for the Noblesville Engineering Department.
With a staff of 12 employees, and led by director John Beery, who has been with the city since 2006, Engineering manages the installation of all public works infrastructure for new residential, commercial and industrial developments – as well as the scoping, design, management and inspection of all capital improvement roadway projects.
Think of a massive infrastructure project like the proposed east-west corridor along Pleasant Street from State Road 37 to Hague Road with the White River in-between – and you can imagine the complexity of their many responsibilities; either through hands-on work, collaborating with other government units at the county, state and federal level; or overseeing consultants.
Local residents should appreciate the work of our engineering staff – even when you encounter “Road Closed” signs. Those signs mean improvements are coming, without which our city would literally grind to a halt.
Each year, the Engineering Department reviews and grades every city street and alley for the annual street rehabilitation list. The roads and alleys deemed highest priority based on a variety of technical factors are resurfaced first – not simply on the whim of an elected official. In 2017, Noblesville rehabbed 6.8 miles of roadway and 1.12 miles of alleys. And 2018 is following this same process.
Even as technical as their jobs are, there also is artistry to municipal engineering. Their work helps build greater pride in our community. Take a drive around the Five Points intersection at South 10th Street, Greenfield and Christian avenues. I think you’ll agree the roundabout with its brickwork and centerpiece monument is not only functional but cool looking.
In addition to “paving the way” for automobile travel, Engineering also manages the construction of new pedestrian trails to our already robust trail system – which takes time when projects require complicated right-of-way and property negotiations. 2017 alone saw the addition of 9.3 miles of trails, including the initial 1.4 miles of the Midland Trace Trail. A new trail head will soon open on Hazel Dell Road, and construction for the next phase of the Midland is already underway.
Another major responsibility of the Engineering Department is to develop procedures for prospective developments like the BorgWarner Technical Center, due to open in the coming months. And they provide construction management and support services for other city departments as well.
Everyone in the department would agree, though, that safety remains their top priority.
Whenever a new project is proposed, the first questions are always – what will the impact on traffic be? Is it safe? Historically, Noblesville experiences an average annual increase of about 50 traffic crashes for every 1,800 new residents. Engineering continuously reviews accident reports to evaluate steps that can be taken to reduce the number of crashes. Thankfully, despite our continued growth, the city experienced zero traffic fatalities in 2017.
Finally, the Engineering Department oversees the city’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Program, and manages compliance for ADA and Title VI programs.
It’s startling to see how much our city accomplishes with so lean a staff – and does so with great results that are evident in the quality of our roadways, trails, sidewalks, neighborhoods, developments and sewer system – thanks to the Noblesville Engineering Department and the limited tax dollars that fund their efforts.
Want to read more about the City of Noblesville departments working on behalf of citizens? Check out the 2017 Annual Report. And if you missed the earlier columns in this series, be sure to check out previous editions on Human Resources and Information Technology followed by City Court and Clerk.