Mayor's Corner: Public Works

by Thompson Falls Mayor Rusti Leivestad

Googling public works: responsible for design, construction, renovation and operation of public infrastructure… and personnel necessary for the government to provide and sustain structures and services essential to the welfare and acceptable quality of life for its citizens.

Thinking about this as our Public Works/road crew plowed the snow this morning before many of us had left for work. Most appreciative, as I remember needing to plow a quarter mile in Trout Creek to get to the main road (after first clearing our personal driveway). Interesting fact: there are between 15,000 to 17,000 miles of street that Thompson Falls Public Works maintains.

Another example of Public Works: January 6, 2025, there was a call to City Hall that a resident was having sewage backing up. Going to the scene, checking manholes, Public Works discovered the blockage in the sewer main. Within a half hour they had begun to clear the blockage. This included running a piece of machinery called a jetter which they used in multiple locations. They “flushed” out wipes and shop towels. They were back to normal operation within the hour. This required a letter from me to customers on this section of sewer line to remind them that it is prohibited to put garbage into the system. It is important to be aware that abuse of the system adds to the cost of the operation of the system and can require rate increases to cover these unnecessary expenses. Please, if anyone has questions about the regulations, check with us at City Hall and we’ll be happy to provide you with answers.

And, for those still wondering about the rumor that we put fluoride in our water, the answer is no.

Check out the City of Thompson Falls website (downloads section) to see the water quality reports. Again, if you have questions about this or any other city issue, call. If we don’t have the answer readily available, we will check it out and get back to you. (406) 827-3557.