A Lifelong Foundation

My career has been built on 40 years in the manufacturing and construction trenches. For 26 of those years, I operated my own electrical and HVAC company, handling everything from residential service calls to complex commercial fire restorations. Construction isn’t just my job; it’s my language.

After several years of assisting the City of Lexington as an interim building official, I officially accepted the permanent position on April 1st of this year. I knew exactly where my priority lay: resolving the stand-still on directional boring.

Breaking the Deadlock

Ever since the accident in April 2025, the community has been understandably concerned about underground utility work. When I stepped into the role, I issued a 15-day hold on all Right-of-Way permits. I didn’t do this to slow progress, but to ensure that we could fully implement the city’s new ordinances effectively and safely.

To bridge the gap between regulation and reality, I reached out to my colleagues at Nick Rasa I was put in contact with Charlie Peel and John Spatafora. I was candid about my concerns: with two boring directional companies and one overhead contractor moving into town simultaneously, we needed more than just a plan, we needed a partnership. Education and Collaboration

Transparency was our goal. We brought all the companies together to create a unified action plan. While we hammered out the logistics, Andrea Fuhrer from 811 visited Lexington to provide an educational session for our Public Works Department. The wealth of information she shared has been instrumental in helping our team mark utilities accurately and in a timely manner.

The Power of Precision Mapping

The real “game changer” has been the integration of 811’s digital tools. I worked closely with one of our contractors to develop a daily planning process using 811 site-mapping

overlays.

By correlating these overlays with specific ticket numbers, we can now draw precise lines parallel to the street. This shows exactly where every foot of infrastructure will be laid. This process only takes 30 to 40 minutes a day, but the payoff is massive:

• For the City: We have a digital footprint of the work.

• For the Residents: We offer total transparency on where and when work is happening in their neighborhoods.

• For the Contractors: It provides a clear, safe roadmap to follow.

Looking Ahead

In a very short time, we have turned a difficult situation into a model of teamwork. By leveraging the tools provided by 811 and prioritizing open communication between the city and contractors, we’ve created a process that meets Lexington’s needs and ensures our growth is as safe as it is steady.