Public Works


Public Works

The Public Works Department provides vital services and positively impacts the quality of life in the Town of Northlake. Public works proactively plan for future needs, manage public investments, promote environmental quality, and protect citizens' health and safety. The department oversees the design and construction of new public infrastructure, provides year-round maintenance and repair of existing municipal infrastructure, and strives to deliver these essential services efficiently and timely. Programs in the Public Works Department are funded by the General Fund and the Utility Fund.

FY 2021 Accomplishments

  1. 100% regulatory compliance for the water and wastewater systems
  2. Installed over 1400 water meters
  3. Department at full staffing levels

FY 2022 Goals

  1. 100% regulatory compliance for the water and wastewater systems.
  2. Completion of the southside water pump station and southside water tower

FY 2022 Changes

  • Added 1 new maintenance worker
  • Added 1 Sr. Plant Operator
  • Added 1 Sr. Inspector

The Public Works department is budgeted between the General Fund and the Water/Wastewater Fund. They also purchase vehicles and equipment out of the equipment fund regularly. These expenditures have been filtered down to represent operational costs. Items like wholesale utility costs have been left fourto clearly show you the functional overview.

Expenditures by Category


Public Works is less personnel intensive with those expenditures only accounting for 43% of the total. The remaining expenditures are primarily made composed of capital at 15%, internal services at 18%, and maintenance at 12%. Services, supplies, and utilities combined make up the remaining 12%.

FTE's


Public Works personnel has continued to grow with the increase in utility and roadway infrastructure. Additional staffing will be needed to maintain current assets and monitor the development of new ones. In FY 2022, staffing allocation between the General Fund and Water/Wastewater fund was adjusted to represent better the division of work between streets and water/sewer.

Service Driver


As Northlake grows, so does the need for reliable utility service. The first step in providing that service is to establish a utility account with the Town. Establishing such an account allows the Town to provide services, accurately track and bill residents for those services, and ensure that residents receive timely assistance when there is an issue. The public works department is currently responsible for almost 6,000 accounts.

Invest in Infastructure


Maintaining a safe and reliable wastewater system is a strategic goal that has been set by the Town Council. To achieve this goal, Public Works seeks to ensure that all wastewater collection lines (which transport collected surface water) are clean and free of blockage, thus allowing for the efficient and reliable transportation of wastewater to treatment facilities. Since the fiscal year 2016-17, Public Works has cleaned more than 22 miles worth of wastewater collection lines.

Quality Service


Tracking technical service complaints about water and were helping to provide a simple snapshot regarding the state of some of the Town's key infrastructure. Complaint tracking also plays a critical role in identifying customer issues and promoting departmental accountability when it comes to resolving issues.