Kip Overton - Public Works Director of the City of Adel

This month we spoke with Kip Overton - Public Works Director of the City of Adel, who has worked for the city for the past 30 years.

City Maintenance. It is an unknown glory of Adel instilled with the markings of pride.  

It is something we may not think about, or only think about in connection to taxes. But this unsung hero is often the welcome mat greeting tourists, travelers, and citizens.  

Consider this: how quickly are the roadways cleared after the snow? How well are the water works kept? Are improvements being made continuously? These are the markings of a good community, and not all can boast Adel's responsiveness.  

Kip Overton was drawn to Adel through a job posting. As a post-graduate of Kirkwood College, Kip chose Adel for its small town charm, which meant there was variety everyday. Knowing that its proximity to the metro would equate to growth resulting in career challenges to execute well, and the unique opportunity to solve problems in a proactive community, Adel seemed the perfect fit and it hasn't disappointed, "From plowing snow to digging graves to going on pet calls to catch loose animals; its something different everyday."

Public Works Director is a hired position that reports to the City Administrator and provides detailed reports to the City Council to justify yearly expenses and receive an approved budget. This year, the City of Adel Public Works department will be hiring a new team member and purchasing an additional snowplow due to growth and several new housing developments throughout town.

Kip's responsibilities include overseeing the maintenance of the City of Adel's streets, water, sewer, storm water, and shared responsibilities of park maintenance. Each day, Kip will coordinate and assist his team of 5 employees in the completion of rotating responsibilities throughout town, such as street sweeping, road patching, snow plowing, and water treatment maintenance. Kip's department is also responsible for the waste water department, setting up barricades during events, and the replacement of street signs.

Adel currently has three snow plows with specific routes to clear and 2 end loaders used to move the piled up snow into convenient locations to be hauled away.

Public Works maintains 46 lane miles of street- lane miles are identified as "up the street and back down."  

Except for state highways and country roads, the City is responsible for all other roadways within the borders of Adel.  

Kip is a dedicated Public Works Director who is basically on call 24/7: coming in as early as 4am to organize snow plows and staying late to ensure drivers can get home during their evening commutes. But the last snowfall of the season means street cleaning has just begun.

"Our goal is to get everything done quickly. As soon as we think its done snowing for the year we get on top of picking up all the sand from the winter, cleaning with the street sweeper."  

This helps maintain the quality of the roads, our cars, and improves the appearance of Adel. Public Works could be considered cosmetic in its approach- striving to maintain the picturesque charm of the city while maintaining her necessary functions.

Tony Duran and Kip Overton

With an early spring upon us, we welcome back the potholes traditional of the season. Luckily Kip and his team are able to spread throughout the community, driving every street in town identifying potholes that are then ranked by their severity and repaired promptly. "We budget so much money for street panel replacement should a large section of a road need repair. If someone calls [a pothole] in, we send someone out right away to check it out and get it patched."

Kip inside the Adel Water Plant

In addition, there is a lot of behind-the-scenes maintenance that takes place at the water treatment plant, wastewater treatment plan, and the two, wastewater pumping stations. The City is currently developing another well to service demand. Since our water is from the wells, not the river, we do not have the nitrate issues other communities are facing.  

Thanks to Kip and his team, the city is responsive should a water main break or boil order be required. Watch DiscoverAdel.com as well as the AdelIowa.org websites for proper procedures.

It is important to note that homeowners experiencing sewer troubles, bubbling up water in your yard and storm drains, or other potential infrastructural concerns contact the City of Adel immediately. This is a great first step, simultaneously helping you determine if the trouble is city related and informing Public Works of potential repair work.

As new members rapidly join our community and we continue to attract new businesses, we are proud to roll out the red carpet complete with clean streets, quality water, and the other unsung heroes of the community's infrastructure.  

Adel's small town charm and reputation are personified and protected by Kip Overton and the Public Works department. It is his dedication and the hard work of his team that keeps the city running like a well-oiled machine.

City of Adel
301 S. 10th Street
Adel, Iowa 50003
Phone: (515) 993-4525
Website: www.adeliowa.org
Facebook: facebook.com/CityofAdelIowa  

Sponsored by 4Rkids & the Dallas County Library Association.