Maintenance Dept. keeps Fernandina Beach running

Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm

Reporter - News Analyst

During a half-hour workshop on February 18, 2014,  Streets & Parks Manager Rex Lester and Facilities & Fleet Manager Jeremiah Glisson presented the Fernandina Beach City Commission (FBCC) with a detailed look at the city’s Maintenance Department, its accomplishments and future projects.

As part of a 2011 reorganization to reduce costs and improve efficiency, the Maintenance Department experienced a 22% staffing cut.  Today the department consists of 5 divisions:  Streets and Parks under Manager Rex Lester, Facilities and Fleet under Manager Jeremiah Glisson. This department also handles sanitation responsibilities (Division 5) not contracted out to Advanced Disposal.

Streets and Parks

Fernandina Beach Streets & Parks Manager Rex Lester

Manager Rex Lester enumerated maintenance responsibilities for his divisions:

• Responsible for maintaining all City streets, right-of-ways, and grounds of all City properties, including Cemetery, Greenway, parking lots, beach accesses, etc.
• Maintain all City uniform traffic control signage
• Provide City Special event setup and breakdowns
• Maintain the staging debris sites
• Handle storm debris cleanup and other
• Sanitation functions
• Other assigned miscellaneous projects

Current or completed projects include:

• Storm water maintenance.  Lester’s team assisted in the installation of 500 feet of pipe for a storm water system at the Ybor Alvarez Complex.
• Annual cleaning of storm drain ditches
• Grinding of the city’s mulch site 3-4 times per year
• Installed 144 beach access signs purchased with grant funding
• Main Beach Boardwalk project
• Ybor Alvarez Complex irrigation project.  City staff installed 9,000 feet of irrigation pipe.

Lester and his team are gearing up for future projects, including:

• Constructing an artificial reef offshore using material from the city and the county
• The annual Arbor Day tree planting
• Street resurfacing projects for FY 2013-14 ($275K budgeted)
• Sidewalk trip hazard replacement ($75K budgeted)
• North 2^nd at Broome Street parking lot project

Preventive maintenance is an important part of the job.  As a result routine inspections are scheduled for traffic lights and crosswalks, boardwalk and beach accesses, playgrounds and parks, and traffic signs.  Lester stressed the importance of sidewalk inspections, reporting that falling is the 2^nd leading cause of accidental death worldwide with over half a million people dying from falls each year.

The city has 48 beach accesses, 23 with walkovers and 25 natural.  Lester’s people maintain those as well as 38 city irrigation systems.

Fleet and Facilities

Facilities & Fleet Manager Jeremiah Glisson briefs Fernandina Beach City Commission.

Manager Jeremiah Glisson provided the FBCC with an overview of services provided by his divisions:

• Acquisition, maintenance, and disposal of all City vehicles and equipment
• Maintenance of City buildings and structures, including janitorial services and city-owned lighting
• Recycle events and services
• City special event setup and breakdowns
• Other assigned miscellaneous projects

The size of the city’s fleet has decreased by 17% over the last 8 years while staffing has remained constant at 3 for the past 30 years. Glisson reported that the city maintains a diverse fleet of 217 rolling stock, 98 of which are cars or trucks.  One recent job, completed in house for $14,000, saved the city $6,000 over outsourcing.  Glisson is looking to lease/purchase replacements for Engine 101 and Rescue 101.  He also plans to purchase a replacement dump truck and a replacement front-end loader as well as a new gang reel mower.

Glisson reminded commissioners that following FBCC adoption of a Vehicle Use Policy, there have been considerable improvements to fleet management practices.  But because annual purchases have been declining over the last 8-9 years, the delay in purchasing is merely a fiscal Band-Aid since vehicles will still need replacement at a future date.

Glisson’s Facilities Division maintains more than 70 city buildings and structures.  The staff of 5.5 people includes 2 HVAC/Electricians, a Maintenance Technician, a Foreman and a part time Maintenance technician.  This team is also heavily involved in city special events.

As with Streets & Parks, preventive maintenance is important in the operations of Glisson’s divisions to reduce downtime, keep repairs small and improve safety.  Preventive maintenance efforts have doubled over the past year.

Upcoming projects for the Facilities Division include reconditioning the eaves on the Atlantic Recreation Center auditorium, because eave supports are badly rusted on the 1959 building,  Also scheduled for replacement is the 14 year-old roof on the Golf Course clubhouse which because of a complicated roof design and construction delays resulted in premature roof failure and numerous leaks.  The Facilities Division will also tackle the MLK Center restroom expansion project to add ADA accessible restrooms funded partially by recreation impact fees.

Commissioners thanked both Lester and Glisson for the work of their department.  Vice Mayor Sarah Pelican also singled out city resident and volunteer Len Kreger for his assistance on many projects.

Editor's Note: Suanne Z. Thamm is a native of Chautauqua County, NY, who moved to Fernandina Beach from Alexandria,VA, in 1994. As a long time city resident and city watcher, she provides interesting insight into the many issues that impact our city. We are grateful for Suanne's many contributions to the Fernandina Observer.

February 20, 2014 2:01 p.m.