Elgin Sweepers Keep Maplewood Streets Clean Year-Round
BY Sarah Larson
Maplewood, Minnesota, is a suburb of St. Paul. With harsh winters and bustling changes among the seasons, street cleaning is a priority part of pavement maintenance to keep the town of about 40,000 residents looking idyllic and improve stormwater quality.
The municipality’s street cleaning program includes two rounds in the spring, cleaning after major storms in the summer, prepping for patching, cleaning up from milling prior to spot paving and cleaning through the fall beginning in mid-October and lasting as long as the weather permits.
Troy Brink is the streets and storm superintendent for Maplewood Public Works. He has been with the city for 24 years. Joe Sheeran is the communications manager for Maplewood.
The pair noted the necessity of street cleanings throughout the year with spring and fall being key timeframes.
“Sand and sediment build over the course of the winter,” Sheeran said. “Spring and early summer are key times to get that cleared before that material reaches storm sewers and goes to waterways. We’re proactive.”
To keep Maplewood’s streets clean, the city employs 10 people including eight maintenance workers and two crew chiefs. They use the Elgin Pelican, which is a three-wheel mechanical sweeper designed to provide high maneuverability and visibility.
One of Maplewood’s sweeper operators has been sweeping for more than 40 years. Doug Edge swept the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, which consistently ranks among the top in attendance, when he was a kid, and now he works for Maplewood. Edge’s grandfather is believed to have received the very first Elgin sweeper in Minnesota. Since selecting Elgin, Maplewood hasn’t ventured away in sweeper choice.
Mike McPhillips Sweeping Inc. is a family business that’s been serving contractors and municipalities in Minnesota and Wisconsin for 80 years.
“The sweepers have come a long way as far as comfort for operators,” Brink said. “The one button that drops all the brooms is nice. The guys like the greaseless pins and the remote hoses for grease points. It makes it easier to grease.”
Now Edge’s nephews, who work at Mike McPhillips Sweeping Inc., are also helping on Maplewood’s sweepers for upkeep. As a family business serving contractors and municipalities in Minnesota and Wisconsin, Mike McPhillips Sweeping Inc. has been in the sweeping industry for 80 years. Edge’s uncle runs the business.
Despite the history and operator family connections, Brink noted that the reliability of the Elgin is what keeps them coming back.
“I would say it’s reliable,” said Brink. “I don’t see us going away from the Pelican. I don’t think there is one that compares to cleaning leaves off streets.”
Brink noted that the fall season is the busiest.
“We try to keep up with the leaves. Late leaf drops are tough because we’re not able to get as many up,” said Brink. “We use two Elgin Pelicans and have them leapfrog one another. We do a curb line pass with each sweeper, and once one is full, the other is ready.”
With more than 150 miles of streets to clean, Sheeran and Brink pointed out that street cleaning is far more than looks.
“It helps us improve stormwater quality by getting the sediment and leaves cleaned up before it can reach lakes and streams,” said Brink. “We used to use sand in the winter time and now we use straight salt, so there is not as much sediment as when sand was used.”