Todd Hoppenstedt arrived to begin work recently as the new public works director in the village of Montgomery.
During his first few days, he looked at a variety of issues facing the village.
“From the surface it may look old but I know much of the infrastructure is new,” he said when asked about the water main issues that plagued village officials in the past.
Hoppenstedt said sewer and water mains have an average life expectancy of some 100 years and said the only reason the village fixed Boulder Hill’s water mains is that the village water department provides water to that community.
Since the community has recently experienced a growth spurt, he said streets will need repaving.
It was just at the turn of the century in 2000 when census numbers showed 5,000 residents called Montgomery home. That number has increased to over 15,000 in just a few years. Those same residents approved a new 1 percent village sales tax last fall to raise an estimated $1.8 million a year to be used for infrastructure improvements around the village.
Hoppenstedt said those projects are at the top of his list as he begins his duties in the growing area. Most recently working as the superintendent of operations in Carol Springs, Hoppenstedt said he views his new duties as “a breath of fresh air.”
“I don’t know how in tune the people in Public Works are as far as training but that is something I will push for to make sure everyone is properly trained. We will get out there doing service that people expect and rely on but we will be doing it safely and cost effectively,” he said.
Hoppenstedt said he is aware of the negative attention placed on the Public Works Department due to concerns about snow removal during the blizzard last winter.
“I understand the circumstances related to that storm. There were equipment failures and people were out sick and then people had water issues,” he said.
He said he can manage a snowstorm and said he is working now, in the heat of summer, in preparation for the sub-zero temperatures and snowfall that is normally expected in this region during the winter months.
“When it comes to equipment breakdowns, you do your best to maintain it properly. Managing the snowstorm, those are things you work on, getting familiar at this point in the season and address department-wide before the snow flies,” he said.
He said road crews will begin to “pre-treat’ areas early on during bad winter weather.
“If you don’t pre-treat it is harder on equipment and you use more salt to treat the road. If you can prevent bonding (the snow and ice to the road) we can scrape it right and use less salt,” he said.
He has serious concerns with chemically treating area roads in the winter.
“Everything ends up in the Fox (River). We need to be good stewards while trying to combat a storm,” he said.
Judy Pochel is a freelance writer for The Beacon-News
More Top Picks Best Lightweight Luggage