Prepared to Serve

“The entire Public Works crew believes we can handle whatever situation might come up, whether it’s something we’ve done before or a challenge we’ve never experienced,” Kyle Billingsley, director of the department, said with both
confidence and pride.

Billingsley joined Nolensville Public Works in 2014 and moved up the chain to director in 2019. He started part-time when he was 21, watching his team grow from three employees to six. Only one of those decided to move on in the four years since Billingsley was promoted.

“That’s something else that makes me proud,” he said. “I think a large part of the reason is because I’ve worked in the field. I understand the day-to-day tasks and how it all comes together. I knew how I wanted to be treated and that’s how I try to treat my crew.” In other words, Billingsley applies the Golden Rule to his team with outstanding results.

“We cover a variety of responsibilities,” he continued, “and I like that. When I first started, most of what we did was the maintenance of right-of-ways, mow, install speed cushions, and pothole repairs. We still do all those things because our first concern is to make sure the town is safe for our residents. But we’ve taken on a lot more.”

Nolensville has new snow equipment, which required operation and upkeep training. “We use it only two or three times per year,” Billingsley explained, “but we’re ready to go when it’s needed. I keep an eye on any changing weather conditions since dispatch will call Public Works if there’s flooding, downed trees, or any other weather-related situations.

“One of our new projects is repairing and/or replacing sidewalks. Public Works is doing it for the first time, and we’re saving the town a ton of money. Some of our crew already had experience with concrete so we were confident we could handle it. Besides, this is our community so we have a sense of pride that an outside contractor may not share. We do the job right and we don’t leave a mess to inconvenience the citizens. The community feedback has been extremely positive.”

Billingsley’s team stands ready to assist and support other departments in the town. They’re called in to contribute to special events planning, partnering with the police and fire departments to make certain safety as well as organizational protocols are maintained. According to Billingsley, the community at large always exhibits a high level of involvement through volunteering its time and effort.

“There are moments when it’s all just a bit overwhelming,” Billingsley said with a chuckle. “Overall, though, I appreciate the variety.

“Currently, we’re cleaning up what will be the town’s first park. It’s located in a subdivision, and the town purchased it. We’ll have it ready when the town decides exactly how it wants the development to move forward.

“I think the 1500 pounds of asphalt patch we use each month speaks to how busy we are! It may seem a little chaotic from time to time, but that’s only natural when one department is handling so many different responsibilities. We couldn’t do it if each person on the team weren’t completely dedicated to what he does.

“Oh. I almost forgot. We also maintain the town vehicles for oil changes and minor repairs. Again, that saves money.

“There’s never a problem with staffing in Nolensville. The town is so pleasant that people actually look forward to living here. As far as Public Works is concerned, though, that also means any new hires must already be at least moderately skilled in some of the work we do.

“I think one of the most important things is I want all of us to take pride in how we serve the town, whether it’s filling a pothole or pushing a snowdrift out of the way.”