SPRINGDALE -- Sam Goade is finally off the streets of Springdale.
The city's Public Works director has retired after 16 years.
"I remember the first day, in this room, I told the supervisors, 'Make sure I help you do your job,'" Goade said during an interview in his office June 6.
"I learned first thing to stay out of their way. They don't need me fooling around with stuff they know how to do -- some of them have been here 25 to 30 years. They needed money and equipment."
Goade said the Public Works Department established a policy: Help with problems as legalities, money and manpower allowed.
"Call the city," Jerry McCoy, the department's supervisor for signs and markings, mimicked Goade. "If we don't know about it, we can't fix it."
Goade came to Springdale at the behest of former Mayor Jerre Van Hoose after stints with wastewater equipment and treatment in Lenexa, Kan., Green Forest and Berryville.
"What impressed me about Sam early on when I became mayor, was the way he dealt with the residents and their questions. He was good to listen and to try to help them understand what we could do," Mayor Doug Sprouse said.
"Whenever there was a budget disagreement or complaint, he took up for his employees," Sprouse added. "And that's an admirable trait."
Terry Anderson, supervisor for street and general construction, said, "He's probably the best boss I've ever had."
"It's pretty low-key working with Sam. He handles his corner of the world," said Brad Baldwin, director of the city's Engineering Department, who has added Goade's responsibilities to his own. Goade often helped design projects, he said.
"He's almost got a clandestine operations unit," Baldwin said. "You think, 'Oh man, how will they get this done?' The next thing you know, they just quietly built it."
After Goade's arrival, the Public Works Department undertook a street inventory, complete with pie charts and photographs to show City Council members. Soon, all the streets in the city were graded, starting with those in the worst condition, Goade said.
"They had $200,000 budgeted each year for streets," Goade said of the city. "I knew we had to get that up to $1 million."
A bond program in 2004 brought in $4 million for streets.
"The pie chart started to look better," Goade said. "Now we try to keep up with improvements."
"Sam's great, and he did a good job," Baldwin said. "He helped Springdale make an amazing transformation."
Goade also had a part five years ago in developing the "green tunnel" that moves motorists through town without ever stopping at a red light.
Vehicles move in "platoons" from a light, Goade said. Cameras at each intersection notify the next light, making sure the light is green as the next platoon approaches. Without any interruptions, if a driver moves at the speed limit, he'll travel along Thompson Street hitting green lights all the way.
"It cost $300,000, but a lot of people don't realize it's there," Goade continued. "It saves a lot of time. The way this city keeps growing, we've got to keep cars moving."
Goade also was instrumental in the city's graffiti abatement program, Sprouse said. The Public Works Department cleans even graffiti on private property immediately, at no cost. This takes a load off property owners who have been victimized, Sprouse said. Goade has overseen the city's bulk waste and recycling programs.
"Just a few weeks after I was in office, we had the record ice storm of 2009." Sprouse recalled. "He was good in putting together a plan to deal with the mess and FEMA. He was instrumental in getting it cleaned up."
Goade joined an Arkansas delegation a few years back that visited Missouri to see how that state approaches winter weather.
"Like everything else, it costs a lot of money," Goade said. The City Council approved $750,000 worth of equipment and storage facilities for supplies to handle snow removal.
He explained the Public Works staff has a 30- to 45-minute window when they need to treat the streets so what falls won't stick.
"Three years ago, we spent the money, and we love our trucks," Goade said. "But we've had no snow and ice since then. Maybe I hope they have a bad one the first winter I'm gone."
Goade and his wife, Theresa, plan to move full time to a cabin they built in 2005 on Table Rock Lake in Missouri.
"I'm going to like it when it really snows hard," Goade said. "I'll call down here and say, 'Are y'all ready to get out there?'"
NW News on 07/09/2018