Mayor Honors Public Works and Finance Employees

Los Gatos Mayor Joe Pirzynski declared the week of May 15-21 as National Public Works Week and gave the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for fiscal year 2010-11 to Finance and Administrative Services Director Stephen Conway Monday evening.

National Public Works Week was instituted as a public education campaign by the American Public Works Association in 1960 and calls attention to the importance of public works in community life, Pirzynski said.

Receiving the proclamation was Los Gatos Parks and Public Works Director Todd Capurso, who said, "This is really the most wonderful time of the year." 

Pirzynski said public works services in Los Gatos are an integral part of citizens' everyday lives, and the health, safety and comfort of Los Gatos greatly depend on public facilities run by Capurso's department.

Among the department's many responsibilities are to take care of the more than 100 miles of streets, 20,000 street trees, 14 parks, the , the Civic Center and the new library under construction next to Town Hall. "You have a wonderful and very dedicated staff," Capurso said. 

In commemoration of the observance, the parks and public works department will have a community open house from 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday. The event will feature tours of the Parks and Public Works Service Center at 41 Miles Ave.

Conway was pleased to receive the award, which coincidentally was presented to him as the council was preparing to review and adopt Los Gatos' operating and capital budget for fiscal year 2011-12.