PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT

THOMAS N. (Tommy) HARRIS Public Works Supervisor Town of Somerville, TN Date of Hire: September 1, 1985

STREETS
As Public Works Supervisor for the Town of Somerville, Tommy Harris is responsible for repairing pot holes, keeping drainage clear along ditches and storm water pipes, install and repair street signs, and paint parking lines.

SANITATION

Somerville’s Solid Waste Department contracts out the garbage pick up with Waste Connections, Inc.  Waste Connections provides once a week curb side pickup, half of the customers on Monday, and the other half on Tuesday.  As part of a customer’s regular service,  brush, hedges, grass, and branches from tree trimming are also picked up on those days.  Branches must be no more than three inches (3”) in diameter, or five feet (5’) in length.  These items must be bagged, boxed, or in bundles that can be easily handled by one man. Discarded furniture and appliances will also be picked up on Wednesday. Compressors must be removed from all appliances. The Town's Public Works crew picks up leaves from October 15th through April 15th, if leaves are raked to the edge of the street in piles, without limbs or other trash in the piles. The crew will also pick up brush and branches that are larger than three inches (3") in diameter, if they are cut no longer than six feet (6'). Construction material must be disposed of by the property owner or resident.

SEWER
The Somerville Sewer treatment plant is a Biological Natural System. It requires a Grade I certified operator. The Town has one employee with this certification. Somerville's plant has a capacity of 890,000 gallons per day and presently operates around 500,000 gallons per day. Treatment water is discharged into the Loosahatchie River. The collection system has 1,500 customers. There are presently seventy-five (75) customers with individual grinder pump stations. The Town has eight (8) lift stations that bring sewage to the plant for treatment.

CEMETERY
The Town of Somerville operates the City Cemetery. It's Circa is 1829, and is full of history. Ownership of burial lots is restricted to residents and/or taxpayers of the Town of Somerville. A non-resident is eligible provided family connections within Fayette County, Tennessee can be established. The Town has recently begun contracting ground maintenance out to a private contractor. The Town continues to handle all other aspects of the cemetery.

Tommy Harris is a lifelong resident of Fayette County. He was raised in the Moscow area and attended public schools, graduating in 1966 from Fayette County High School. Tommy has been a resident of Somerville for 42 years and is married to the former Janie Neill. They have two daughters and three grandsons.