New DPW Director Makes Himself at Home

(C. Proxmire, Dec. 5, 2012)

If there was “something in the water”, Loyd Cureton would know about it.  The new Department of Public Works Director cannot explain exactly what causes it, but he can see from his experiences as interim DPW Director that there is something special about the community.

“There are people here that just go out and pick up litter,” Cureton said with amazement.  “We go out to the parks to do work and people come out and want to know who we are, and what we’re doing, and to thank us for our work.

“When I first came on as interim, I got such a warm welcome from management.  It really feels more like home than work.”

Cureton had already retired after a long career with the Walled Lake DPW, where he started out working in the water department over 20 years ago.  He worked his way up the ranks, gaining certifications in Water System Management from the state.  He also took a lot of pride in improving public parks in that community.  After working his way to the top of the city’s pay scale, he considered that retirement might benefit the city, and he was satisfied with what he’d accomplished there.

He retired in 2011 and began consulting with OHM, a firm based in Livonia, which is how he ended up in Ferndale.  “They asked me to take the interim position here and I never intended for it to be long term.  I didn’t think I would like it so much.  As the City began looking to fill the Director position, I went through the process to apply, and here I am.  It really is a dream job.”  His hiring was announced at the Nov. 26 City Council meeting.

Prior to Cureton’s arrival four months ago, a series of abrupt changes spread worry throughout the DPW.  Former Director Byron Photiades, who had been with the DPW for 39 years, suddenly retired after an on-the-job heart attack took the life of another longtime employee Donald Gattes.

As with any unexpected change, when a consulting firm was brought in to manage the department, some worried there would be sweeping changes or even cleaning house.  But instead Cureton found that things in Ferndale were already “running pretty smoothly.”

“This is a good group of people with a lot of experience and talent,” Cureton said.  “We’ve made some improvements, but I’m not here to fix anything that isn’t broken.”

The big challenge the DPW faced was figuring out who would do the tasks that Gattes once did.  “It seems like every time I have a question about things the response is “Oh, well Don did that.  He was a very valuable employee.  And though I did not meet him personally, I can see how important he was to the organization.”

One big change that Cureton implemented was having mandatory morning meetings.  The Director gets to the office early to check any emails and look over work orders so that when the crew arrives bright and early at 7:30am he has the day’s work already organized.

“We all meet in one place and go over the day, and everyone has to be there.  The supervisors break the work details down and everyone has a chance to give input.  The discussions are really helpful because you find out things you wouldn’t.  Like if we’re going to fix a water main break, someone might speak up and say ‘we have a lot of problems in that spot,’ or if we are considering a repair someone might say ‘we’ve tried that before and it didn’t work because…’ That type of information comes only from experience, and everyone in the department has their own set of knowledge.  If we talk about a problem together, odds are someone in the group has some experience with it.

“I don’t want to manage from the top down.  If we have a problem I like to bring it to the group and ask them for ideas.”

The meetings also help improve team spirit.  “They’re so motivated,” Cureton said.  “As an example I mentioned how disappointed I was with some of the playground equipment, and they went right out and started making repairs. They see a problem and they’re like ‘let’s go.’”

The DPW has many responsibilities throughout the city.  They manage the water system, making sure there is safe, consistent water for homes and businesses.  They manage the equipment and upkeep of the parks.  They handle snow and leaf removal, and manage the contract for trash pickup.  They also are responsible for maintaining city-owned buildings and property, and the city’s parking system.

“The DPW is unique in that people use our services every day without even thinking about it.  They drive on the roads, play in the park.  It’s rewarding to touch lives like this on a day to day basis.  There’s a saying in public works that as long as you’re doing your job, nobody notices.”

The saying is only partially true in Ferndale however, as people frequently “pop in” to the DPW yard on E. Cambourne just to see how things are going.  They can also come to the yard to drop off used motor oil to be recycled, to pick up recycling bins and to get questions answered.

“I loved being outside – wind, rain, snow, doesn’t bother me.  But there is also an opportunity to interact with the public which is very rewarding.  Plus at the end of the day, the work is rewarding to.  It’s easy to see what you have accomplished with your day.  You know how many streets you got plowed or how much grass you got cut.”  He encourages anyone to stop by with questions or just to say hello.

To learn more about the DPW, check out their page on the City of Ferndale website at http://ferndale-mi.com/Services/DeptofPublicWorks/Overview.asp.