...for City of Southlake news, business, and community happenings.
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- Facilities
Friday, April 19, 2024
Loyal Champions Club members know it takes a full team to keep our award-winning facility running at world-class capacity.
Everyone in the Community Services Department plays their part in keeping The Marq in tip-top shape, from the front-facing Managers on Duty to our dependable custodians. When it comes to major maintenance management and projects, however, no one knows more than our new Building Operations Supervisor, Robert Sexton!
Robert is a long-time Parks and Recreation professional with ample aquatics, parks, and maintenance experience. His unique background makes him a perfect addition to our team. Robert hit the ground running when he started with us. Now that the dust has settled, let’s get to know him a bit better.
What did you do before coming to Southlake?
I was the parks and aquatics maintenance supervisor for the City of Hurst Parks Department. I worked for the City of Hurst Parks Department for 22 years. I did landscape, athletics, and irrigation. For the last 13 years, I did aquatics maintenance and started to do playground maintenance also.
What made you want to go into local government?
I actually fell into local government by accident. When I was 18, I was working at a hamburger restaurant and a group of code enforcement guys came in and told me about a position open in the parks department. I looked into it and applied. It was the best decision I have ever made!
What are you most excited about in your new position?
The most exciting thing about my position for me is getting to learn a whole new system of operation!
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
Outside of work, I enjoy fishing, getting to go scuba diving at some of the local dive parks, grilling out, and hanging out with the family.
What’s a good piece of maintenance advice staff and members should keep in mind?
Preventative maintenance is key!
Welcome to the team Robert! We are so happy to have you looking out for our incredible facility. If you see Robert out at about throughout The Marq, make sure to thank him for his hard work!
When it comes to providing a multitude of services from one central department, Public Works comes to mind.
The department plays a vital role in distributing services that contribute to the quality of life for our residents, businesses and visitors from quality infrastructure to water quality and mobility.
They also provide safety and security by taking protective measures to reduce infrastructure risk within the City of Southlake.
“Our professionals take great pride in serving the citizens of Southlake,” Director of Public Works Rob Cohen said. “We implement the Southlake standard when it comes to taking care of City’s infrastructure needs, maintaining mobility and providing our customers with safe drinking water. Our team is well-versed and trained; it is a true honor and privilege serving alongside our public works professionals.”
There are several divisions of Public Works that contribute to the health and safety our community: Environmental Services, Streets and Drainage, Wastewater, Water, Mobility, Facilities, Engineering and Administration.
All divisions are staffed with knowledgeable professionals who are dedicated to providing the Southlake community with world-class service by protecting the public’s interest and improving quality infrastructure.
The Environmental Services Division promotes environmental wellness through public awareness, resource conversation and programs. Their ultimate goal is to protect public health by utilizing regulatory programs in addition to public education to teach others how to utilize the environment’s natural resources through storm water management, as well as Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG) and water conservation programs.
The Streets and Drainage Division maintains the City’s infrastructure including roadways, stormwater infrastructure, and sidewalks. They oversee 209 miles of streets and 36 miles of drainage ditches, gutters, street curbs and medians. This division is often the first division called to assist first responders with blocked roadways from flooding, downed trees, debris or other disaster relief.
The Wastewater Division manages the daily operations of Southlake’s sewer system. They repair and perform preventative maintenance on over 200 miles of wastewater pipeline in addition to 13 lift stations. Staff also inspects and maintains over 3,000 manholes. Their tasks are required to be in compliance with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s (TCEQ) and most staff members are licensed in TCEQ Wastewater Collections.
The Water Division serves as the infrastructure side of Southlake Water Utilities. This team covers more than 11,314 water accounts, three major pump stations capable of processing more than 26 million gallons of water daily, storage tanks with a capacity of 21 million gallons of water per day, 302 miles of distribution pipe, 2,838 fire hydrants and 7,764 water valves. If customers have an interest in conserving water, the City offers programs and services that allow customers to conserve water and detect leaks in their water systems.
The Mobility Division is centered around mobility project management. The Traffic Team is responsible for roadway safety that includes signal operation, school zones and crosswalks. The division also works with regional partners in an effort to improve mobility.
The Facilities Division is responsible for all preventative maintenance on City buildings and structures. The team oversees almost 1 million gross square feet of infrastructure such as buildings and parking garages. They also coordinate project management for capital renovations and assist in planning future buildings.
The Administrative and Engineering Division oversees the planning, design and construction of the Capital Improvement Program, as well as identifies, manages and oversees infrastructure projects in Southlake.
Visit our website for more information about the Public Works Department.
All City of Southlake facilities will open tomorrow, February 22 for normal business hours.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigated the winter storm.
Here is the last information on City of Southlake program and meeting cancelations:
City
Parks and Recreation Programs
Southlake Water System Update
The City of Southlake has received bottled water from the State of Texas for distribution to Southlake residents during the boil order on Friday, February 19. One case of bottled water is available per Southlake resident household, while supplies last. COVID-19 protocols are in place. Please stay in your vehicle and open your trunk/hatchback and volunteers will load the water into your vehicle.
Location: Gateway Church
Date: Friday, February 19
Time: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (or while supplies last)
Water has been steadily coming into our system throughout the night. While our tanks are beginning to fill up, an exact timeline of when the water will reach every home is unclear. We are much closer to achieving this goal than we were yesterday morning.
We’ve heard that some of you have a little water coming out of your faucets. If that is the case, that is good news. But, be sure to conserve, using water only for necessities. It helps replenish the system and our homes and businesses that much faster.
Don’t forget that we are under a boil water notice and that any water that you or your pets are going to consume must be boiled first.
Electric Outage
Tri-County Electric posted to their Facebook page that most members have had their power restored. ERCOT still lists the grid at Level 3 Alert, but the load shed requirements remain at zero. Tri-County Electric has requested members who are experiencing an outage of more than three hours to report it online at oms.tcectexas.com, through the member app TCEC Connect or by calling 817-444-3201. Tri-County prefers notification through the website or app because it is faster.
Oncor posted the press release from ERCOT to their social media channels, stating that significant progress was made to restoring outages, but some people around the state still do not have power. ERCOT states there is not additional load shed requirements for the grid, but that some level of rotating outages may be needed over the coming days.
Please visit our winter weather page on www.ProtectSouthlake.com, the City of Southlake Facebook Page, and the Southlake DPS Facebook page for the latest information.
All City of Southlake facilities, including The Marq Champions Club and the Library, will be closed Monday, February 15.
Residents will be able to access City e-services or contact the City.
To keep up with all news and information coming from the City of Southlake, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Nextdoor, as well as MySouthlakeNews.com and CityofSouthlake.com.
You can also sign up for our weekly e-newsletter!
He may not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but he can certainly keep them efficiently-maintained, clean and functional. Kurt Ackermann ensures that everything with the City’s physical plant is well cared for and runs smoothly, protecting the significant public investment in office buildings, public safety stations, parking garages, and other municipal facilities.
With over 800,000 square feet of facilities to manage today, and 80,000 more coming when The Marq-Champions Club opens next year, Ackermann and his team have a big responsibility. Fortunately, his technical experience and customer service mindset are conducive to first-rate work.
“I’ve worked with Kurt on a number of projects,” said Assistant City Manager Ben Thatcher. “In every case he has energetically worked to get the job done quickly and to a quality standard expected. You can count on him to see a project to its conclusion with a smile and a great attitude, even while handling ongoing responsibilities.”
Public Works Director, Rob Cohen agrees. “He’s really an outstanding employee,” said Cohen. “Kurt is always on the go, competently managing a variety of projects and tasks at any given moment. He continually provides great service, and manages timely execution while minimizing impact to staff productivity. I also appreciate the way he keeps a keen eye on the bottom line.”
Ackermann began working with the City of Southlake in January 2012. Since then, he has led his team to:
“In spite of a heavy work load, Kurt always displays a positive attitude, remains flexible, and responds quickly,” said Cohen. “He does these things with little to no fanfare, going about his day-to-day business with a focus on doing a great job for the City of
Southlake.”
Although Kurt Ackermann’s work is doesn’t always attract public attention, it is vital to City operations. For his outstanding performance, exceptional attitude, and modest demeanor, Kurt Ackermann has been selected as one of the City’s important unsung heroes.