WALSTONBURG — Greene County Public Works celebrated a major upgrade in facilities last week when officials gathered to cut the ribbon on the first dedicated space to serve the department.
Public Works employees, county officials and community members gathered on Jan. 26 at the $960,000 facility at 2189 Firetower Road in Walstonburg.
“It’s a wonderful day in Greene County,” Board of Commissioners Chairman Bennie Heath said during the ceremony. “Thank you so much for coming out today, we do sincerely appreciate it and we are so thankful and grateful for the opportunity that we’ve had to build.”
Public works has managed the county water system since 1988 and has worked out of a maintenance shop at the county landfill since then. The water system grew, but the department’s facilities did not, officials said.
“The water system is growing, and we have been housed in the maintenance shop at the landfill ever since the county took the water. We’ve just outgrown it,” said Public Work Director David Jones, who has been advocating for a new building for the department for 20 years.
New and updated technology for water services, more space for equipment organization and better phone lines are just a few things the Public Works Department is excited to use in the new workspace, Jones said.
“This one does have shower facilities for the employees,” Jones said. “When you’re out working on water and sewer lines, you get nasty. The employees need somewhere that they can shower and change clothes. We do have those facilities available in the new building where the other one did not.”
Jones said there are four offices, a conference room and a break area or kitchenette as well in the new building.
The Public Works Department and the Board of Commissioners hope that the new building will provide better service to Greene County and its residents, Heath said.
“This building will facilitate the many people of this Public Works Department,” Heath said. “This has been long coming. This facility has taken quite a few years. The sun, the moon, the stars aligned appropriately and we got the opportunity to have it built. It should carry us quite a few years into the future.”
The planning for this building project took several years, Heath said, while construction started in 2023.
Kyle DeHaven, the County Manager of Greene County, thanked staff and county leaders for all the efforts to build the new facility.
“I would like to thank our commissioners for their investment in a growing utility,” DeHaven said. “I think our water and sewer infrastructure is one of the highlights of our county, and we will continue to work towards that goal of growth.”
Vernon Rolison, a public works employee, also said that the project was a long time coming.
“As we have been getting bigger, it’s been a lot tougher not having the facilities for the infrastructure of the water,” Rolison said.
The facility offers a lot more space for the water and sewer equipment, Rolison said. There is an opportunity to organize their tools instead of it all sharing a small space with the landfill facility, he said.
The new building has garage doors so that the department’s work vehicles can be housed in the facility, Rolison said.
“Everybody realized the common goal that needed to be accomplished,” Rolison said. “They (Greene County Board of Commissioner) did a good job at getting it done.”
Heath in a later phone interview said that the project was paid in full by federal American Recovery Act funds. “This is really a major major upgrade,” he said.
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