The town maintains drainage areas on town-maintained property and on property that it has the right to access. Areas with access rights are called rights of way or easements.

Maintaining the drainage areas in ditches, rights of way and easements ensures water flow is not restricted. On some of these areas:

• Grass is mowed periodically.
• Trees are removed or trimmed to prevent roots from penetrating sewer lines and to keep the area clear.
• Riprap, grass seed and straw, or other devices may be installed to control erosion.

Place Work Order

Easement Work

Advance notice — Before work is done on an easement, the property owner will be contacted about the purpose and approximate amount of time for the work. The advance notice allows property owners to ask questions and to remove personal items prior to clearing.

During clearing — A town employee is on site at all times to monitor progress and to address community members' concerns.

The Public Works Division cleans stormwater catch basins on town-maintained streets annually, using water pressure and a jet vacuum to remove debris from the curbside drainage systems.  

Street Sweeping

The town sweeps town-maintained, curb and gutter streets during early morning hours on the last Friday of each month. To ensure safety and effective sweeping:

• Maintain a safe distance from the street-sweeping truck during operation.
• Do not park vehicles on curb and gutter streets during sweeping.
• Do not place brush, leaves or other vegetation on streets with curbing.

Report Issues

When reporting an issue, please provide the specific location of the problem, such as the nearest street address or intersection.

• Call 911 to report a broken or dislocated drain cover or other conditions that pose an immediate threat to safety.
• Report a blocked storm drain by placing a work order.
• Report illegal dumping into storm drains to the Stormwater and Environmental Services Division.

Although it is usually best for the ecosystem to leave large wood debris in streams and rivers, the debris sometimes obstructs flow under bridges and through culverts and must be removed to protect infrastructure.

The town removes large woody debris from streams and rivers on a case-by-case basis. The Public Works Division periodically inspects culverts and bridges for accumulations of large woody debris and removes the debris when necessary. 

Large woody debris may look unsightly to some people, but it is beneficial to aquatic ecosystems and may reduce flooding during smaller storms. 

Woody debris in waterways:

• Protects water quality and provides habitat for aquatic organisms.
• Slows the flow of water.
• Protects stream banks from collapsing.