Town of Sheboygan Public Works and Utilities keeps town thriving
The population of the town continues to grow
TOWN OF SHEBOYGAN — A lean team is keeping Sheboygan County’s fourth largest municipality in good shape as it continues to grow.
The Town of Sheboygan’s Department of Public Works is led by Director Tom Holtan which oversees a staff of nine workers which also includes Town Utilities. It provides high quality services with relatively low property taxes. The most current population estimate of the Town of Sheboygan is 8,587 according to the Wisconsin Department of Administration. The town’s most northern border is Playbird Road and it’s most western limit is Rangeline Road. It’s southern border is a bit more complicated. The town has landlocked property on Washington Avenue, Indiana Avenue, Union Avenue and even has land behind Festival Foods.
Public Works
The town’s Department of Public Works maintains 55 miles of roads but does not include roads or highways maintained by the Sheboygan County Highway Department. County Road Y, County Road J, County Road DL, Highway 42 and Interstate 43 as well as all roundabouts are maintained by the county.
In addition to snow plowing and fixing potholes, the department is also responsible for maintaining town properties including the Town Hall, three parks, a wayside and a former landfill. During the summer months, the department hires additional staff to cut grass and help with park maintenance.
“Because we’re lean, it can be a challenge to keep up with the needs sometimes,” said Holtan. “Whether it’s the dead ash trees or storm damage that can take weeks to clean-up.” He added the Town Board has been supportive of getting the equipment and staffing it needs. “We’ve been growing as a department,” said Tod Holfeltz, Deputy Director of Public Works. “Overall, it’s just growing pains.”
Holfeltz has been with the town’s DPW for 31 years and served as Town Constable. “When I first started with the town, we had two snow plow trucks with no wings,” he explained. The DPW was originally located in a small shop near North 40th Street and Superior Avenue. The shop had no sewer or water and was heated by firewood. When the roundabout was constructed in 2007, the department relocated to Enterprise Drive in the town’s Business Park.
Utilities
The town’s Sanitary District No. 2 collects wastewater through 75 miles of sewage main. The Pigeon River Pump Station went into operation in August 1981 and has four pumps with a capacity of 1,550 gallons per minute. The station pumps wastewater into the City of Sheboygan sewer system, which then ends up at the Sheboygan Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant at Lakeshore Drive and Washington Avenue.
WKTS News was granted the rare opportunity to go four stories below ground to see the pumps in action. Damian Nevers is the Deputy Director of Utilities. He explained that there are seven lift stations throughout the town. The Pigeon River Pump Station is the largest one of the seven. The town collects approximately 600,000 gallons of sewage everyday and pays the City of Sheboygan to treat it.
Annually, contractors inspect and clean one sixth of the sewer main system. Once wastewater leaves the Pump Station, it travels south under North 8th Street, east on Pershing Avenue and south on North 6th Street. The sewage travels about five miles to the city’s far south side where it gets treated before entering Lake Michigan.
Sanitary District No. 3 provides clean drinking water.
Unlike the Sheboygan Water Utility where water is collected from Lake Michigan and treated on Park Avenue, the town’s water comes from the aquifer. There are three well houses that provide water to the township. The driving force behind the town’s first Well House on Superior Avenue, constructed in 1986, was a health scare in 1984.
Two dumps near North 40th Street and Saemann Avenue were suspected of contaminating ground water. A water advisory was issued for a six-square block area between Superior Avenue to the south, Spring Court to the north, North 44th Street to the west and North 38th Street to the east. Given the emergency situation, town officials had asked the City of Sheboygan to connect town properties to city water. City officials would only do so if the properties were annexed into the city limits.
Well House No. 1 on Superior Avenue and Well House No. 2 in the B.I.B. Estates Subdivision pumps 600 gallons per minute. The town’s newest Well House No. 3 was built in 2004 on Lakeshore Road and it pumps 1,000 gallons per minute.
The town has three water towers, all of which are visible from Interstate 43. The first tower was built in 1986 at North 40th Street and Superior Avenue and is 146-feet tall. Holding 200,000 gallons, it was constructed in conjunction with Well House No. 1. Between the two, the project was $1.2 million. The second water tower, located on Enterprise Drive, was constructed in 1995 and it has a capacity of 300,000 gallons. It stands 194-feet tall.
Construction on the third tower started last year and holds 750,000 gallons. It is located on County Road Y near Playbird Road and Highway 42. The nearly 169-foot tall structure, which features the town’s logo, will be put into service later this year. Water towers are completely drained and inspected every 10 years.
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