Vaca Public Works 'Agency of the Year'

Vaca Public Works 'Agency of the Year'
By Tom Hall/Staff Writer

Work hard enough, and someone will notice.

Vacaville's Public Works Department found that true last week as it was named "Agency of the Year" by the Solano Transportation Authority.

The Department is dealing with the expansion of two freeway overcrossings, a major arterial's realignment, numerous road resurfacing projects, and has just finished a large park-and-ride lot.

The city won the STA's biggest annual award for the first time Wednesday, along with the "Project Delivery" award for the second consecutive year.

Dale Pfeiffer, the city's director of public works, said the recognition is a testament not only to his employees' hard work, but also the dedication of Mayor Len Augustine in dealing with regional issues.

"Not only do we have the best and hardest-working staff, but the mayor has done tremendous work in being involved with local, regional and statewide transportation issues," he said.

"Agency of the Year," an award voted on by the board of the STA, goes to the local agency "most committed and dedicated to helping Solano County's transportation programs and issues in an exemplary fashion," according to a release.

Among the projects Vacaville public works officials completed this year are the Bella Vista Park-and-Ride Lot on the south side of Interstate 80 and the Davis Street Plaza project, which realigned the dangerous I-80 offramp at Davis Street and improved existing roads in the area.

For the "project delivery" award, Vacaville was lauded for its work on both the Nut Tree Road overcrossing and the Leisure Town Road overcrossing. The latter is the northern-most section of the Jepson Parkway project that seeks to connect eastern Suisun City to Vacaville.

This year's edition of the STA awards was its eighth. The city of Dixon won "Agency of the Year" in 2004.

Tom Hall can be reached at vacaville@thereporter.com.