Skip to main content

Personal tools

Translate

Goals

The Grounds Department's goals for 2015-16 and 2016-17

Status of 2015-16 Goals

  • Resurface playground asphalt (outside of play zones) at needed Elementary Schools. — Completed with more needed
  • Resurface asphalt staff and student parking lots at needed Middle and High Schools (prioritize and schedule). — Completed with more needed
  • Install a separate metered system (from MIR 5000) that taps into the main water line for use by coaches. Currently, coaches are manually accessing quick couplers connected to the main water line in watering their fields. These quick couplers are not metered nor do they communicate with the District wide MIR 5000 computerized irrigation system that automatically shuts the water off in the event of a water line break. A separated metered system that prevents the coaches from over-riding the MIR 5000 system and defeating its purpose is the solution. — Completed
  • Transition at least two ornamental lawns from independent manual  irrigation system to computer controlled system. — Completed
  • Provide Elementary School playgrounds with ADA access updates, woodchips, and sand in meeting ADA safety code (March 2012). — In progress 

2016-17 Goals

  • Landscaping Assistant Supervisor to obtain his Pest Control License issued by the New Mexico Department of Agriculture.
  • Start eliminating two-way radio communication between the main irrigation system and equipment in the field and bring them into the APS Intranet system for faster communication and less communication breakdowns.
  • In improving on irrigation system reliability, efficiency, and ultimately cost, install Rainbird irrigation system in new construction or renovations at one half the cost of Motorola. Three are in place at real problem areas and three are in progress at new construction sites.
  • Tie in exiting Motorola systems currently radio controlled and connect to the Internet control in vastly improving performance quality and speed. And at six of the larger school clusters with more complex configurations, upgrade to ACE controllers.
  • Complete upgrading backflow prevention assemblies.
  • Complete labeling and identifying irrigation program lines and station descriptions.
  • Complete the conversion (started July 2016) of irrigation routes from schools and the cluster schools that feed them (proximity regions) to irrigation “controllers” regions (connected regions). This much more contiguous route will vastly streamline work and increase technicians’ knowledge of fewer systems.
  • Transition two ornamental lawns from independent manual irrigation system to computer controlled system.
  • Replace badly worn and outdated equipment. Most needed are frontend loaders, Bobcats, track hoes (with better reach), backhoes, and service vehicles. Fatigued existing equipment is unreliable and their maintenance costs have become prohibitive. The Grounds Department has had to rely on renting equipment so work is not put on hold which is also quite prohibitive.
  • Evaluate all preventive maintenance programs department wide; fine tune existing programs and introduce new programs if necessary and possible.
  • As student and school safety is top priority, improve condition of asphalt around playgrounds and repave parking lots where needed. While trip hazards are repaired daily, much of the District’s paving was laid prior to application of a base course that provides a more durable and lasting foundation. These old lots need constant maintenance and should be replaced entirely. The Paving Shop made a great deal of progress in 2015-16 (note Highlight above), but much more needs to be done.
  • Expand duties of Portable Shop technicians to include assisting the Playground Shop.
This page was last updated on: November 1, 2018.