City cuts ribbon on Sanitation and Water Construction facility

Mayor Joshua Kight could not help but recall the first time he and other new members of the Dublin City Council visited the Sanitation and Water Construction facility not long after they took office in 2022.

“We did a tour of various city facilities, and everybody knew about city hall and the fire stations,” Kight said. “But there were other places that we had not seen before and didn’t know much about.” 

Kight and council members were surprised to see the conditions of the sanitation and water construction facility. What they saw were buckets on the floor, catching rain water from a leak, and pieces of siding falling. Then Councilwoman Tess Godfrey saw a rat.

“She immediately ran out of the building and she said, ‘This is unacceptable. We have to do better for our employees.’ So, three years ago this journey started to do better for the employees and this town,” Kight said. 

“We are here because we want to say thank you to our employees for all that they have been doing. We will say that not just through words but through the action of this new facility.” 

The city of Dublin held a ribbon cutting and grand opening of its newly upgraded sanitation and water construction facility on Tuesday, July 1.

“We know that the old building was not good for morale,” Kight said. “It was not a good look if you wanted to hire or retain employees, and it had problems with safety and cleanliness.”

Kight said it took three years and $3.5 million for the upgrade. He thanked the taxpayers who helped with this by approving the SPLOST.

“That penny sales tax was not only paid by the citizens of Dublin and Laurens County but by a lot of the people who have visited our town and stopped at the interstate,” Kight said.

The mayor thanked city engineer James Ivey, who designed the project.

“He went above and beyond, and he wanted to make sure everything was just right,” Kight said.

He also thanked the Akins General Contractors who delivered the project on schedule and close to budget.

“Thank you guys for all of the work you did on this project and for providing lunch,” Kight said. 

Construction began in August 2024 and it ended on June 22.

Tony Braziel, the water utility director, called the new digs “a far cry to where they used to be.”

“It has been a long time coming,” said Braziel, who has been with the city for 30 years. “The city infrastructure has been doing like a lot of us, getting older. So this is good. This has come a long way. 

Kight acknowledged that many people there might have worked out of the old building. He said most of the city’s services worked out of this building when they called it Central Services.

“There were a lot of different departments here,” the mayor said. “We knew, after all of these years, it was time for an upgrade. You all deserved a clean and functional place that you can take pride in.” 

Braziel remembered when it was Central Services. 

“The guys have worked hard a long time, and a token of gratitude goes a long way,” he said.  

Daron Powell, superintendent of the water department, has been with the city for 30 years. 

“We have started on one end of the older building and have moved over to the other end,” Powell said. “Over the years, when people would leave the building to get their place, we would just expand ours. These guys have worked hard, and they deserve it.” 

Public Works Director Robbie Petrie deals with sanitation, the street department, the shop, city parks and cemeteries. He liked the look of the new updated building.

“This is great,” Petrie said. “It was dilapidated when I started here a on April 1 of last year. These guys deserve this.”

There was only one bathroom for the sanitation workers. Now there are two, along with a locker room.

“This is a huge upgrade,” Petrie said. “Hopefully, it will lift some morale. The guys are excited and ready to be moving in. We would have moved in (last Tuesday), but we’re waiting on the internet. As soon as the internet is turned on, they are moving in.”

The mayor admitted that public facilities like fire stations, gymnasiums and recreational areas do attract more attention.

“But the city must never neglect its critical infrastructure,” Kight said. “If you don’t have water or sanitation, you don’t have a town. You don’t have a community without that critical infrastructure, and it takes people – you – to work that infrastructure. This is the foundation level of our town. This is a building that we hope you can take pride in as you do the work that is so important to our community.

“Behind the scenes you are the workhorses,” he added. “Sometimes the behind-the-scenes people, when you are efficient and quiet, it can seem like you are overlooked. Today, we wanted you to know that we recognize you – the guys who are in the trenches and are in the trucks who are sweating and working hard. You are the most critical part of how this town works and this building is for you.”

Kight also thanked Dublin City Manager Josh Powell, who kept track of everything and for overseeing this project. 

“I think this building is beautiful, and I think it turned out very nice,” Powell said. “At the end of the day, it is all about the employees, and we want you to know that we appreciate you and what you do to keep our city running.”