City preparing for annual spring cleaning

The city's public works department is busy preparing for its annual spring work.
Currently road crews are filling potholes with a temporary cold mix.
Duane Grado, public works manager, said the city will be using hot mix as soon as the weather warms up.
"Right now with the snow and water in the potholes, the mix won't stick. We just need Mother Nature to give us some warmer weather," said Grado.
The public works department has not received many calls this year about potholes around the city.
Grado said residents can call the pothole hotline about any pothole they think needs attention at 694-4520.
Next week, city road crews will begin training for street cleaning.
"We will be training new operators and getting the kinks out of the machines," said Grado.
Public works department hopes to begin street cleaning by April 13, concentrating first on the downtown core.
Moose Javains will be notified about which streets will be cleaned and when to have vehicles removed from the streets as to avoid tickets. The whole process will take about nine weeks to complete.
Randy Kinnee, parks and recreation operations manager, said the city will begin cleaning Crescent Park, ball diamonds, soccer fields and entrances to the city by the middle of April.
"We will be removing waste and garbage that has built up over the winter months," said Kinnee.
Kinnee said the department will be hiring summer students which would increase the maintenance staff to 50.
As for potted plants and flower baskets that will decorate the downtown, Kinnee said the city will begin to grow the plants in a greenhouse soon and baskets will start appearing downtown after the long weekend in May.
In early May, the city should start work on the Phyllis Dewar outdoor pool, getting it ready for the opening in June. Kinnee said the water must be drained and the empty tank washed down, cleaned and repaired.
After that, crews will repaint the walls and refill the pool. The swimming pool building will also receive some tender loving care with wall and floors being repainted and all the change rooms cleaned.
"We will make sure the building will be in as good as shape as possible considering it is over 100 years old," said Kinnee.

Colin Dewar can be reached at 691-1263.