Study reviewing facility needs in Milton
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The Milton Public Works building is located at 620 W. Madison Ave. behind the current fire station.
MILTON — The city of Milton has grown in recent years.
Its public works building hasn’t.
That’s causing headaches for crews trying to fit a growing number of large vehicles and equipment in the 35-year-old facility on Madison Avenue, across from the city’s Merchants Row district.
“We know we need something bigger,” Public Works Director Howard Robinson said. “We need more size. That’s the big issue.”
A city study is underway to decide whether a building addition and upgrades at the current public works building could fix the space crunch and other problems or if a new facility at one of several proposed, city-owned sites would be more cost effective.
Portage-based General Engineering Co. will handle the $18,750 study, which the city council approved this month. The firm will present the study’s results to the city’s public works committee July 6.
Robinson said he’s eager to give consultants input on the department’s facility needs.
“We’re trying to find out the most effective way to manage growth over the next 30 years,” he said. “But we also want to give direction on things we know haven’t worked in the past.”
A major issue at the public works building is a lack of vehicle storage space. Workers must find a way to wedge a growing fleet of 25 large vehicles into the garage’s 9,800 square foot storage area.
Robinson said it’s a challenge to organize the department’s fleet so workers can reach vehicles they need for daily assignments.
“On weekends, when there’s emergency work, sometimes one person will have to move eight or nine trucks just to get to the vehicle they need,” he said.
Robinson said the department plans to gradually replace its fleet of plow trucks with larger wing plow trucks to improve highway snow removal.
“Those wing plows will need an extra 10 feet per stall. That’ll just eat up even more space,” he said.
Heat at the public works building is another issue. In the winter, Robinson said, temperatures in the building’s storage area hover near freezing. For temperature-sensitive equipment and supplies such as street paint, workers built a small, heated room within the storage area.
“That room makes up for storage we don’t have. We’ve been dealing with that for over 10 years,” Robinson said.
Some city vehicles need warm storage. In August, the city will be getting a new sewer vacuum truck. City Administrator Todd Schmidt said the $200,000 vehicle has equipment that can get damaged in cold weather.
“With an investment like that, leaving it out in the snow or the cold might not be a good idea,” he said.
Schmidt said the city plans to rent climate-controlled storage space for the truck.
Other rooms in the public works garage are undersized and under-equipped for the department’s needs, Robinson said.
He said the 1,700-square-foot mechanics bay doesn’t have a vehicle hoist and is short on storage space. Mechanics keep tools and inventory in a small closet, and the department’s break room doubles as overflow storage for street signs and supplies.
One of the department’s administrative offices is located in a converted storage closet.
General Engineering consultant Jason Jackson said the public works study should yield hard answers on whether an addition and upgrades are a viable option.
“An addition might last 75 years, but if the old building has been there 35 years, what will it look like in several years? How will it hold up?” he said.
The city has tabbed seven sites for possible construction of a new public works facility. Jackson said consultants plan to review each.
“We’ll want to know whether each site’s large enough and whether there’s room for future expansion,” he said.
Another factor in site selection, Jackson said, would be review of bordering property. For instance, one possible location for a new city garage is on the south end of King Park, along Hilltop Drive.
“We’d want to look at how a new facility would impact neighboring properties,” Jackson said.
Apr 20, 2010 at 5:08 p.m.
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ww...now I love the smell of that idea! :)
Apr 20, 2010 at 3:53 p.m.
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Dear usual suspects. If Milton holds off a couple years, they’ll more than likely have plenty of storage space at the (soon to be defunct) ethanol plant. ww
Apr 20, 2010 at 12:44 p.m.
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facts101: How about a meeting with city workers, management and the guys in the Maitenance shop, they could put heads together and come up with all the answers because they ARE the ones working these positions and areas. They also may have the foresight to submit an educated opinion on what is needed in the future. Nobody is going to know whats needed exactly for the next 35+ years, but they would have a better idea than anyone. You said it yourself facts101...
"Damn people think just alittle bit will ya! It is not that hard to find this information unless you too lazy and would just rather sit and complain."
Apr 20, 2010 at 12:24 p.m.
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Facts...re-read Janesvillean's comment, sense just a bit of sarcasm? Calm yourself!
Apr 20, 2010 at 11:46 a.m.
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setinmyways: Why these people insult my intelligence every time they post thier mindless dribble. Maybe if they would proof read and give it serious thought to what they post. They would not post such mindless things.Its one thing to have an opinion its another to be able to back it up with something. These people have nothing but complaints about how things are.Yet they offer nothing towards a viable solution except more complaining.
Apr 20, 2010 at 10:21 a.m.
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facts101, instead of insulting people, do you think you could just state your opinion? In every post here you have resorted to name calling, the lowest form of an insult.
Apr 20, 2010 at 10:10 a.m.
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janesvillean : fully staffed dept yep another mindless idea. How many people would you like to employ in this dept? And don't forget pay and benefits for all those people. So you think $18,000 is alot. Figure in hourly wages plus benefits and its alot more than $18,000. And how often would you need these people to do a project? And when they have nothing to do will you still pay them to sit around? Milton is not Janesville and does not need a fully staffed dept to take care of these things. Damn I wish you people would think before coming up with these mindless statements.
Apr 20, 2010 at 9:58 a.m.
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Napalm, I agree with you. Instead of paying $18,000 on a study, the city should have a facilities planning department staffed by fully trained architects and engineers, so they don't have to resort to outside contracts. The bill for that should be a mere million or so annually, unlike the wasteful eighteen-thou.
Apr 20, 2010 at 8:58 a.m.
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Napalm do really have any clue as to what your talking about? Poor Management...LOL its called age and growth you stooge. The fact that this should have been taken care of 10 years ago also plays in to it. But past councils wanted to keep taxes low and ignored the very things a city needs to survive. Now the chickens have come home to roost and it really could not happen at a worst time. But its something that has to be addressed.Maybe you and Cardtrader could hook up it would educate you both. And he only has until July to get his work done so you could help him.
Apr 20, 2010 at 5:48 a.m.
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Ah another uninformed minon heard from. Cardtrader tell you what look on the internet and take a look at what you can find. Make sure you project new equipment being bought. Plus how much storage does Milton need compared to say Edgerton or Evansville. And make sure the equipment needs are pretty much the same for all you look at. Now study Milton and find places where a new building could be built. Plus make sure the area contains proper utility needs for the building. Then take a look at if they can add to the old building given space needs. And please look at building design since your there. What type of building is going to suit the needs of Milton for the next 30-40 years. How much of that space has to be heated? How much room does your maintance area need? How much room for storage and how much of that storage needs a heated area? Don't forget space needs for workers such as a break area and office space. What size should that be? And using your best guess make sure it will last 30-40 years or beyond. What equipment is going to be needed in 20 years and how much space is it going to take? Please take your time you have until July to finish and make sure you include a drawing of the new building if thats what you decide to do. So many questions so little time for someone with such a weak grasp on how the world really works. Get going! Oh and as I asked the others. Was your name on the last council ballot? Or is it easier to sit and complain than getting involved and trying to change things?
Apr 19, 2010 at 10:12 p.m.
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Facts your full of yourself and other stuff as well, you can look and see what other towns are size have and what there projections in growth looks like on the internet you dont need to waste $18,750 dollars to do that.
Apr 19, 2010 at 9:40 p.m.
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Napalm kind of like your response.
Apr 19, 2010 at 11:01 a.m.
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Well heres another 3 uninformed morons. Do any of you know what the study consists of? My guess is no you don't. Yea just go ahead and build a new building yep that will do it. And five years from now when you find out that its too small and does not have the space to last 35+ years throw some more money at it and get it wrong again. EDUCATE yourselves people find out what the study will tell the city. Find out how much storage space is needed and how much needs to be heated. And can the building be built "green" or does it have to be designed to do that. And how long if you build "green" will it take to recoup your costs. If you don't put forth the study you could end up with a nice pole barn which gains you nothing for future use. Damn people think just alittle bit will ya! It is not that hard to find this information unless you too lazy and would just rather sit and complain. Now how many of you ran for city council this last election? HANDS? None of you thats what I thought its so much easier to sit and complain. Than to get involved.
Apr 18, 2010 at 10:58 p.m.
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What a waste of tax payers dollars, study what you already have all the answers Build a new Building and be done with it now it is going to cost the tax payers an additional $18,750 what idiots.
Apr 18, 2010 at 9:27 p.m.
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It does sound like they need a new facility in a new location. I just wish they didn't waste this money studying the subject.
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