NORTH BEND – The city’s Public Works Department building is a bit of a misnomer. Nestled among a quiet grove of trees along North Bend Way, elk often frolic through the almost year-old $2.6-million facility. The office setting may appear lackadaisical from the street, but the work being done within is anything but that.

It’s in this quiet, tranquil setting that the department of 13 employees ushered in National Public Works Week on May 18 the way they do the other days of the year: busily working.

Broken into four major groups – street, sewer, storm and parks – Public Works employees keep the city’s parks trim, handle the wastewater duties, make sure traffic flows properly and keep stormwater flowing, among a bevy of other duties.

“I’m continually amazed at the quality of work they produce with that size of department,” said City Administrator George Martinez.

For the complete story, pick up a copy of this week’s Valley Record