Public Works

Planning & Zoning
(Building Division) 



The Public Works
Building Department handles aspects of Building Code Conformance (as it applies to City Ordinances) and Zoning.  While we contract with St. Louis County for construction oversight, the City was originally formed to control land use and therefore maintains local control of Zoning. 

Zoning

(Land Use & Density)
  • Zoning District determination & enforcement.
  • Comprehensive Plan Development and enforcement
  • Administrative support of the Sunset Hills Zoning Commission and Board of Adjustment (appeals & variances)

Building Code Enforcement


  • Residential and Commercial Building Code issuance of Occupancy Permits
  • Associated Complaint follow-up and enforcement

Flood Plain Administration


  • Coordination of "Letter of Map Revision" (LOMR) permit issuance with FEMA
  • Issuance of Flood Plain Development Permits for work within the Flood Plain Areas

Storm Water

"Best Management Practices" (BMP's) in coordination with MSD


  • Issuance of Land Disturbance Permits
  • Weekly and incident inspection of active land disturbance areas

Tree Management

  • Issuance of Tree Removal Permits for new construction project areas
  • Coordination with the Parks Department on tree-related matters that are referred to the Sunset Hills Urban Forest Commission

Street Division
(Administrative/Technical Support) 
The Public Works
Department also provides technical & administrative support to the Street Division with in-house GIS resources, Database Administration, Contract and Pavement Management  oversight. 

GIS Resources


  • Incorporating aerial photography, data from St. Louis County, MSD, and in-house developed data-layers; the Sunset Hills Public Works Department uses Arcview GIS to monitor, categorize and maintain numerous City assets from sidewalks, to Pavement Management, to street signs. 
Database Administration
  • The Public Works Department developed and maintains several databases in-house to monitor and maintain items such as complaint response, fleet maintenance, and many of the assets tracked in GIS.

Pavement Management


  • The Public Works Department inspects the City's street network each year using the PASER method of pavement evaluation to target maintenance resources in the most effective manner possible.
    • The City Street Network include 202 street pavement sections or 48.2 center-line miles.
      • 82 sections of asphalt pavement or 24.04 miles
      • 104 sections of concrete or 17.37 miles
      • 16 sections of asphalt over concrete pavement or 3.30 miles

Contract Management


  • The City provides management of Contracted forces providing reconstructive services of streets, bridges and other City maintained assets.

Street Division



The Public Works
Street Department handles aspects of city streets including reconstruction, repair, snow removal, signage, and striping. In addition, the department is responsible for items such as Building Maintenance, Flood Control, Storm Water, Traffic control and Tree Maintenance as described below. .


Building & Grounds Maintenance


  • Painting
  • Plumbing
  • Electrical
  • Sprinkler (irrigation) system

Fleet Preventative Maintenance


  • City cars
  • Trucks pick up
  • Dump trucks (5500 to 8500 series)
  • Snow plows and material spreaders
  • Computer system for material spreaders
  • Heavy construction equipment (skid-loader, backhoe and all attachments, and tar melter)

Flood Control Operations


  • Sand bagging
  • Road Closure as required

Mowing


  • Right-of-Ways
  • Weed control 
  • Campus Grounds
  • Some street islands

Roadway Maintenance


  • Concrete Slab Replacements
  • Concrete patching (expansion joints)
  • Joint router / crack sealing (asphalt / concrete)
  • Sidewalk replacements
  • Asphalt patching
  • Asphalt paving
  • Guard-rail replacement and installation
  • Trash pick up along rights of way
  • Box culvert cleaning

Street Signs & Pavement Markings


  • Maintenance, Installation and Routine Inspection of Street Signs.
  • Pavement Markings
    • 166 of 202 pavement sections have striping, including:
      • 32.05 miles of yellow 4" line
      • 33.05 miles of white 4" line
      • 69 Turn Arrows
      • 3231 SF of stop bars & crosswalk area.

Snow Removal


  • City roadway network and most private drives
  • Plowing
  • Salting
  • All Campus and Park related parking lots and drives
  • Sidewalks for Campus grounds including the Community Center

Storm Water


  • MS4 Phase II Information 
  • Storm water culvert and grates (maintenance)
  • Repair and replacement of pipe
  • Placement of inlets
  • Jetting (to open clogged pipe)
  • Vacuum of gutter lines in the roadway

Traffic Control


  • Traffic control performed as required or assigned
  • Traffic caution light maintenance including:
    • Robyn Road
    • Geyer Road (near Rotherwood Ct.)

Tree Maintenance

(in Right of Way) 
  • Inspection of trees with Parks Department Arborists
  • Trim or remove trees when required
  • Stump removal including:
    • Back fill, 
    • seed, 
    • fertilize and 
    • straw