A Department of Public Service and Properties and a Department of Engineering and Construction are hereby established, and the Council shall provide by ordinance for the organization thereof.
(a) The Director of Public Service and Properties shall be appointed by the Mayor, who shall be eligible to become such Director, but in all instances the appointment shall require confirmation by a majority vote of Council. The Director of Public Service and Properties may be removed from office by the Mayor with the concurrence of five (5) members of Council; provided, however, that if the Mayor is the Director, the Mayor may be removed as such Director by the vote of five (5) members of Council.
Except as otherwise provided in this Charter, the Director of Public Service and Properties shall have charge of all public buildings, parks, playgrounds, public squares and places, cemeteries, and all other public places belonging to the Municipality of Richmond Heights or dedicated to public use.
The Director of Public Service and Properties shall have charge of the repair and maintenance, resurfacing, sprinkling, cleaning and lighting of streets, alleys, lanes, bridges, sidewalks, and other public highways and public places; of the removal from streets, alleys, lanes, bridges and other public highways of snow, ice, mud, debris and other obstructions or impairments to the safe public use thereof, resulting from wind, water, storm, flood, lightning or other disasters of natural or man-made origin; of the inspection of openings and cuts into pavements and repairing the same, whether made by the Municipality of Richmond Heights or by others; of the maintenance, repair and cleaning of sewers, drains, ditches and culverts; of the collection and disposal of garbage and waste, and supervision of sewage disposal plants, if any.
The Director of Public Service and Properties shall be charged with the repair and maintenance of water mains, pump systems, pipes, purification and filtration plants, if any, and the water distribution system; of all public buildings, parks, playgrounds, cemeteries, and other public places belonging to the Municipality of Richmond Heights or dedicated to public use. The Director shall manage and control or have charge of sewage treatment plants, water works and all public utilities of the Municipality of Richmond Heights, if any, and shall enforce all obligations of privately owned or other publicly operated public utilities enforceable by the Municipality of Richmond Heights. The Director shall have charge of, manage and control public markets and other public buildings, supervise private markets, and preserve all property belonging to the Municipality of Richmond Heights and pertaining to the functions thereof.
(b) The Director of Engineering and Construction shall be appointed by the Mayor, but in all instances the appointment shall require confirmation by a majority vote of Council. The Director of Engineering and Construction may be removed from office by the Mayor with the concurrence of five (5) members of Council.
The Director of Engineering and Construction shall be the Chief Engineer of the Municipality of Richmond Heights. The Director of Engineering shall have charge of and be responsible for the making, preparation and preservation of all surveys, maps, plans, specifications, drawings, and estimates for public works, including the construction and improvement of streets, alleys, lanes, bridges, viaducts, aqueducts, sidewalks, and other public highways; of sewers, sewage systems, drains, ditches, culverts, streams and water courses; of water mains, pump systems, pipes, purification and filtration plants, and the water distribution system and of public buildings, parks, playgrounds, public squares and places, cemeteries and all other public places belonging to the Municipality of Richmond Heights or dedicated to public use. At the direction of the Mayor and Council, the Director shall be assigned other responsibilities as required by the Municipality.
(c) The Director of Public Service and Properties and the Director of Engineering and Construction shall have the supervision and control of each of their respective Departments, under and subject to the direction of the Mayor and shall work closely with each other. The Director of Public Service and Properties and the Director of Engineering and Construction shall have the power to prescribe rules and regulations not inconsistent with this Charter, for the management of each of their respective Departments; for the conduct of the officers and employees of each of their respective the Departments; for the distribution and performance of each of their respective Department's business; and for the custody and preservation of the books, records, papers and property under each of their respective Department's control.
The Director of Public Service and Properties and the Director of Engineering and Construction may establish and maintain regulations, subject to the approval of the Mayor, for the
coordination of the work of, and cooperation in the service of each of their respective Departments with any and all other departments, divisions, or duly constituted bodies of the Municipality of Richmond Heights, to the end that efficiency, economy and maximum service to the Municipality and its residents may be secured. Further, each Director shall perform such other duties consistent with that Director’s office, as may be required by this Charter, by ordinance of the Council, or as directed by the Mayor.
Annually, on such date as may be fixed by the Council, the Director of Public Service and Properties and the Director of Engineering and Construction shall render to the Mayor a full report of the transactions of each Director’s respective Departments for the year, and at the same time forward a copy thereof to the Council, and at any time each of the Directors shall furnish to the Council and/or Mayor such information relating to each of their respective Departments as either Department may require. The annual report of such Departments shall be a matter of public record.
(Amended 11-2-93; 11-6-18; 11-8-22)