Page 6 - Sept/Oct 2018 Vol 36 No 3

NATIONAL PUBLIC WORKS WEEK CELEBRATED ACROSS THE STATE – MAY 20-26

THE POWER OF PUBLIC WORKS

Alcoa Chattanooga

The City of Alcoa’s Public Services Public Works Week for the City of Chattanooga’s Department of Public Works is filled
Department celebrated National Public with camaraderie, community service, recognition of service, civic engagement and some
Works Week by participating in the healthy competition. This year marked the 12th annual Public Works Week for the City of
annual Alcoa Intermediate School Career Chattanooga. We hosted a multitude of events for employees and the community.
Day and hosting the third consecutive
City of Alcoa Public Services Equipment Public Works employees participated in two community service projects this year:
Rodeo. a stream cleanup at Friar Branch and volunteering at Bethel Bible Village, a children’s
home run by a local non-profit organization.
Participation in the Career Day enables
the Public Works employees to reach out The Chattanooga community was invited to feel the “Power of Public Works” by
to children in the 3rd to 5th grades. Many participating in a Scavenger Hunt via social media. The first to post four photos of
of the children begin thinking about the different items, such as a crew working, a city facility managed by the department, a
possibilities for their future at this age, photo from the equipment rodeo, or a selfie with a public works employee (bonus points
and showcasing equipment and explaining if you captured one with Public Works Administrator Justin Holland), won a donated
the services provided by municipal public prize package.
works and utilities departments provides
an avenue of introduction into the world Our equipment operators had a chance to show off their skills at the Equipment
of Public Works. Career Day participation Rodeo. The first place winners for our six events will represent the City of Chattanooga
provides an excellent opportunity for at the annual TCAPWA Conference Equipment Rodeo later this year.
employees to bestow and reinforce
good citizenship etiquette that impact New this year, we invited our award winners and their families to a special breakfast
our streams, roads, utilities and the cruise on Chattanooga’s Southern Belle Riverboat. Employees and partners were
community as a whole. recognized in award categories such as Division Employee of the Year, Community
Involvement, Emergency Response, Innovation and Sustainability, and Meritorious
The third annual equipment rodeo was Service. The Project of the Year was The Big Dig, led by our Engineering Division
a day filled with fun and a couple of hours with Design Construction by Civic Engineering, S&ME serving as our Environment
of respite for the Public Works and Electric Consultant and the contractor for the project, Wright Brothers Construction.
Department employees. Before the event
each employee was given an orange, in- The week concluded with the Employee Appreciation Luncheon where the City of
house designed Public Works Week t-shirt Chattanooga Department of Public Works comes together to celebrate a successful week.
along with a drinking glass imprinted with
the year and city logo. Employees were
treated to an appreciation lunch the day
of the event. Anticipation was building as
the time came for the equipment rodeo
competition since the winners in these
events qualify as the city’s participants in
the annual TCAPWA Equipment Rodeo.
Winners from the 2017 city rodeo went on
to yield first and second place individual-
event winners in the 2017 TCAPWA
competition. But, more importantly, the
Alcoa rodeo increases the camaraderie
and unity between the departments. In
three short years, this event has become
the talk of many crews and employees
outside of Public Services months ahead
of the event.

National Public Works Week provides
the perfect opportunity for Public Works
and Electric Department employees to
come together to celebrate and show their
pride in being public servants and making
our community a wonderful place to call
home.

6 TPW September/October 2018