Public Works

Public Works

About Us
Accomplishments FY 2020-2021
FAQ

Government / Departments / Public Works

For any service requests please contact CityLine 311 available 24-7 via live chat, email ([email protected]), or phone (203-744-4311).

About Us

Danbury’s Public Works Department is proud to serve many of the most important city functions that have a direct impact on the welfare and quality of life of its residents. Staffed with trained professionals and dedicated employees, the Department is comprised of five Divisions: Engineering, Public Buildings, Public Utilities, Construction Services and Public Services (Parks Maintenance, Highway, Forestry and Vehicle Maintenance). Under the leadership of the Director/City Engineer, these Divisions tirelessly provide and maintain the core services that help keep our city running smoothly day in and day out. Transportation systems, clean water, sewage treatment, utilities, public spaces, emergency response operations and essential infrastructure are among the many contributions Public Works makes for the health and safety of our community.

During this extremely challenging year for our community dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, our Public Works team continued to tirelessly provide essential services to our residents along with front line assistance to the city’s efforts keeping our residents healthy and safe. Public Works reported to work every day as an essential department and was called on multiple times to help erect temporary structures along with all of the support facilities and utilities required.

The team continues to be one of the most diversified Public Works Departments in the State of Connecticut with an essential work force of over 160 employees. Under the Director, Division Superintendents are accountable for the performance of their departments along with effective, efficient spending of our taxpayers’ money. The Director instills respect, integrity and responsiveness to the work culture. These traits represent Public Work’s highest priorities to Danbury’s vibrant populace. The Director is a hands-on leader, keeping his team on course and motivated in addition to holding high responsibilities and complex support for the Mayor’s objectives.

The Director actively serves on many influential boards. He is ESF-3 Chair for Region 5’s Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, the State Panel for Construction Projects, School Buildings Projects Advisory Council, Evaluation Committee for the Southeast Danbury Rail Study, 2020 Task Force, Association of Housatonic Valley Public Works Professionals and the Western Council of Governments, to name a few. Last year the Director implemented the Wastewater to Biodiesel Student Program at UCONN as part of the major WPCP upgrade. His personal goal is to have his department provide a legacy of long-term, sustainable enhancements for the community, to continue reactive and preventive maintenance and to help Danbury achieve more than is conceivable.

In FY 2019/2020, the Department again operated under tight budget constraints. Funds allocated to perform all their annual programs, maintain all public buildings and schools, maintain all parks, greenways, beaches, playgrounds, school grounds, right of way grass islands, maintain all roads and bridges, decorative lights downtown, maintain the multi-million dollar fleet of vehicles and
heavy equipment was only 4.1% of the total allocated city budget. The Department pays for all of the fuel other departments use, electric bills for the entire city’s street lights, maintenance and repairs for the large fleet of police vehicles and all utilities for our public buildings, exclusive of the schools.

The Public Works Department has the very important responsibility of managing a $13.5 million Operating Budget, in addition to a $10.3 million Water Fund and a $14.3 million Sewer Fund.
In addition, the Public Works Department has to manage this year’s Capital Project allocation of $80.3 million, as well as managing the existing Capital Project Program balances.

Working with tight funding was again a challenge in 2020/2021. The Department’s goal remains for a concentrated effort to continue high quality standards and perform more work with less funding and personnel. The Director continues to be hopeful for recognition of the extreme need and benefit for larger Public Works funding in the future for the greater good, growth and well-being of the community. Until then, dedication to Danbury keeps Public Works delivering the same quality of services as previous low funded years. The Department will continue to be creative and resourceful looking for cost effective ways to perform cyclic tasks and keeping priorities for sustainability, urban ecology and the best quality of life for Danbury’s citizens at the forefront.

Accomplishments

With operational support from the Mayor’s office and other city departments, all Divisions of Public Works had major accomplishments in Fiscal Year 2020/2021. The following is a summary of some of our accomplishments:

  • Completed the design and received State approval for the Ellsworth Avenue School Addition. Construction will begin in the summer of 2021.
  • The bond has been approved and schematic design started for the Danbury Career Center.
  • Road and right of way improvements on Grand Street.
  • Completion of the Ellen Levy Animal Control Facility.
  • New Tertiary Treatment Facility for improved phosphorus removal has commenced.
  • Construction of a new Fats, Oils & Grease (FOG) Receiving and REA Biodiesel Facility has begun.
  • National Arbor Day Foundation designated Danbury Tree City for the 31st year.
  • Reclaimed, milled, and paved 10.17 miles of city roads.
  • Turf Field Replacements at Kaplanis, Perry, and Danbury High School Fields.
  • Danbury Fire Boat Dock has been permitted and completed.
  • Design completed for the Basketball Court at Rogers Park.

FAQ

Free sand is available for residents at the city garage on Newtown Rd but only may be picked up in 5 gallon buckets.

In the event that the grate on the drain has begun to cave in or rot and needs to be replaced please report it to 311. The Highway Department will then place a large marker above the drain, altering residents to the potential danger as well as indicating that it has been marked for repair. Drain replacement may take some time due to weather conditions and available manpower, if the marker is lost please email us and we will forward the information to the Highway Department.

Residents may freely dispose of household hazardous waste at the HRRA-sponsored event; one event is typically held in May in Newtown and the other is in September in Danbury. The calendar of events and a list of acceptable items can be found here: http://hrra.org/household-hazardous-waste/.

If you have other questions regarding how to dispose of household waste, the State DEP provides helpful information here.

For information on Winters Brothers Transfer Station, please click here: http://wintersbrosct.com/services/transfer-stations/

Residents may freely dispose of household hazardous waste at the HRRA-sponsored event; one event is typically held in May in Newtown and the other is in September in Danbury. The calendar of events can be found here: http://www.hrra.org/current_interest.php. The list of acceptable items that can be brought to these events can be found here: http://www.hrra.org/hhw_what_to_bring.php.

If you have other questions regarding how to dispose of household waste, the State DEP provides helpful information here.

For a list of items that can be disposed of at our local Mom and Pop Recycling Center, please click here.

You may submit a service request asking for a street light to be fixed and it may take some time due to the process. After your request is received a representative from the Highway Department will inspect the light in question and then send a report over to Eversource who will then provide a confirmation number which is logged in our system. Once the request for the light to be fixed is received by Eversource it is then their responsibility to fix it and is out of the hands of the City of Danbury. If you have questions regarding a light that was not fixed, Eversource may be contacted at 1-800-286-2000.

Curb repair begins in the spring after the asphalt plants open and is broken down into two parts: hand repair and machine repair. Hand repair is done first and is relegated to smaller breaks while machine repair may not begin until late summer and is for large-scale repairs. As a result, your curbing may have been broken by the plow driver during a storm in December but it may not be fixed until August or September of the following year as other factors - such as weather conditions and available manpower - influence when it will be fixed. Please be sure to contact 311 to report your broken curb, or email us if you have reported it broken and are looking for an update.

If you would like to request new drains or catch basins on your road please contact 311 and describe your problem to them and it will be sent over to the Highway Department for evaluation. The installation of new drains can be very costly and encompass many studies which may take some time before the project is completed; as a result please be sure to email 311 for updates on your service request.

The City of Danbury provides curbside pick-up for yard debris during the spring and the autumn months. The program runs for six weeks and alternates between zip codes for each week. Residents should place their leaves in paper bags that are not taped and place them curbside for pick-up. Other yard debris such as grass clippings or sod, as well as any rocks or pressure treated lumber will not be picked up. If your bags have been sitting on the curb during the weeks allocated and have not been picked up, please contact 311 in order to notify us. If you wish to dispose of yard debris at times when we are not performing curbside pick-up, you can bring your debris to Ferris Mulch on Plumtrees Rd.

Street sweeping typically begins in the middle of spring and runs throughout the end summer into early fall and is dependent on many factors such as the availability of manpower, machines, as well as weather conditions. If your road has not yet been swept, please submit a service request so that it is logged and properly recorded.

The City of Danbury is proud to offer residents the opportunity to dispose of their recyclables at our recycling truck; which is located at a different location each day of the week from 10am - 2pm. Residents may dispose of such items as glass, plastics 1 and 2, cardboard, newspaper, magazines, and phone books free-of-charge. If you arrive at a designated location during the allotted time and the truck is not there it may be because: 1) The truck is full and the driver had to leave, or, 2) The driver is on a separate route (as he is also a truck driver for the city). Please do not dispose of your materials there in the hopes that he will stop by and pick them up but please bring them home and return on a different day. The schedule of places is:

Monday: War Memorial Parking Lot (Rogers Park)
Tuesday: 100 Aunt Hack Rd (Richter Park)
Wednesday: 35 Hayestown Rd (the PAL Building)
Thursday: 171 S. King St (the volunteer fire house)
Friday: 65 Mill Plain Rd (the green)

Yes, if the plow driver tore up your lawn while plowing please report it to 311 to make sure that it is logged and recorded properly. Many times residents are unaware that their lawn has been damaged until after the snow melts; if that is the case please report it to 311 as soon as it is noticed.

Occasional "scalping" of lawns occurs during winter plowing operations. Some of these are deep enough to fill and re-seed. Others, while unsightly at first, are too shallow to fill. These will grow back on their own from the roots of the grass. Some areas, like corners, intersections, and hills among others, are prone to such damage more than other areas. The deep areas will be filled and seeded as time permits. The rest will be left to grow back on their own.

No, it is the responsibility of the property owner to maintain the drains that are located in front of their house. The city does not have the resources to commit our employees to clear leaves and other debris that are blocking the 3,800 drains within the city limits.