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The city of Chillicothe is going back to one of its own to head the public works department.
“We’ve decided to go another route,” said Mayor Troy Childers Sr. May 9 as he introduced the motion of appointing 25-year-old Josh Cooper as the Superintendent of Public Works.
Cooper has worked for the city for the last six years as a full-time public works employee, and before that worked part-time in the Chillicothe City Cemetery for three summers.
The 2004 Illinois Valley Central High School graduate originally wanted to become a policemen when he graduated from school, but grew tried of going to school and wanted to make a living.
Randy Rupp retired from public works, and the rest, they say, is history.
“There’s something different to do every day and you’re not stuck behind a desk,” said Cooper about public works.
He said he likes the summer months of work the most and the long hours of winter weather is probably his greatest dislike of the job.
In fact, the first time he truly plowed a major snow was the Dec. 1 storm a few years ago.
The first day of plowing he was on the streets at 3 a.m. and worked until 11:30 p.m. at night. He went home, slept a couple hours, and was back on the road again around 3 a.m. The last big snow — Feb. 1, 2011 — Cooper said residents were happy if they were plowed in at their homes, a switch from normal sentiments.
He received his water operator’s license in November 2007, a license that only he and his boss at the time, Sid Crabel, held.
Crabel retired in May 2009 after working for the city for more than 30 years.
Since Cooper had his water operator’s license, he served in the interim until Dave Tutterow was hired for a salary of $60,000, plus rental abatement of $400 per month up to 12 months.
“I think we’re heading in a different direction,” said Childers when asked why Tutterow was not reappointed.
Childers pointed out Cooper worked under both the late Art Jackson, who served as cemetery/parks supervisor and Crabel.
“We felt he had more experience on both of those (aspects) than anyone else we looked at,” said Childers.
Calling him “very computer savy,” Childers said he thinks Cooper will put his experience to use in truly coordinating the efforts of both the public works and cemetery/parks departments.
The city of Chillicothe is going back to one of its own to head the public works department.
“We’ve decided to go another route,” said Mayor Troy Childers Sr. May 9 as he introduced the motion of appointing 25-year-old Josh Cooper as the Superintendent of Public Works.
Cooper has worked for the city for the last six years as a full-time public works employee, and before that worked part-time in the Chillicothe City Cemetery for three summers.
The 2004 Illinois Valley Central High School graduate originally wanted to become a policemen when he graduated from school, but grew tried of going to school and wanted to make a living.
Randy Rupp retired from public works, and the rest, they say, is history.
“There’s something different to do every day and you’re not stuck behind a desk,” said Cooper about public works.
He said he likes the summer months of work the most and the long hours of winter weather is probably his greatest dislike of the job.
In fact, the first time he truly plowed a major snow was the Dec. 1 storm a few years ago.
The first day of plowing he was on the streets at 3 a.m. and worked until 11:30 p.m. at night. He went home, slept a couple hours, and was back on the road again around 3 a.m. The last big snow — Feb. 1, 2011 — Cooper said residents were happy if they were plowed in at their homes, a switch from normal sentiments.
He received his water operator’s license in November 2007, a license that only he and his boss at the time, Sid Crabel, held.
Crabel retired in May 2009 after working for the city for more than 30 years.
Since Cooper had his water operator’s license, he served in the interim until Dave Tutterow was hired for a salary of $60,000, plus rental abatement of $400 per month up to 12 months.
“I think we’re heading in a different direction,” said Childers when asked why Tutterow was not reappointed.
Childers pointed out Cooper worked under both the late Art Jackson, who served as cemetery/parks supervisor and Crabel.
“We felt he had more experience on both of those (aspects) than anyone else we looked at,” said Childers.
Calling him “very computer savy,” Childers said he thinks Cooper will put his experience to use in truly coordinating the efforts of both the public works and cemetery/parks departments.
After Jackson died in August 2008, the council has not had a separate supervisor for the city’s cemetery/parks department.
When Tutterow came, the superintendent of public works was to head both departments.
Cooper also said residents most likely will not notice many changes, but he does plan to try to make the department run more efficiently.
For example, instead of a public works employee physically checking some of the lift stations to make sure they are working properly,
Cooper will use the computer to see how things are operating, saving an employee’s time.
“If we use technology and are more efficient, then we can free them up to do other things,” said Cooper.
When not overseeing 10 or 11 people at work, Cooper likes to bowl and golf.
He bought a house two years ago and is still a newlywed, marrying Roni Aug. 7 of last year.
He will have a probationary period of six months, worked out with the union, so if either side is not happy with the arrangement, he can retain his job as an employee.
