The City of Grand Junction has 13 departments that provide services to the community. They each have a defined role, and the work they perform is made clear by the name of the department. They are: Communications & Engagement, City Clerk, Community Development, Finance, Fire, Police, Human Resources, Information Technology, Parks & Recreation, Engineering and Transportation, Utilities, Visit Grand Junction, and General Services.
The General Services Department provides essential support services to the community that make the city a better place to live and visit. General Services is comprised of eight different divisions, which include managing a fleet of nearly 800 vehicles, maintaining 54 city-owned buildings, and overseeing the new dual-stream recycling program and the compost waste pilot program. This department like all the others, plays a significant role in enhancing the quality of life for Grand Junction residents and provides essential services to the community.
Jerod Timothy moved from Utah to Grand Junction in 2004 with his wife, who had been accepted into the nursing program at what was then called Mesa State College. “We figured we’d move to Grand Junction for two years and then move back but after being here, we loved it so much, with the outdoors right at our fingertips, we couldn’t leave,” he said. As avid outdoors people, Timothy and his family now have two children, ages 7 and 9, who love camping, fishing, hiking, and hunting. “This is really the perfect place for all that,” he said. “We just love the small-town feel of Grand Junction and how wonderful the people are. It’s a great place to raise kids.”
Timothy holds a civil engineering degree and originally started as a land surveyor for the City of Grand Junction in 2006. Throughout his career, he has held roles in real estate, engineering, and general services, starting in 2018. The relationships he’s built over those years are invaluable. “I know everyone, where to go, and who to ask for assistance. In turn, I get many calls, so I get to work with many departments and divisions,” he said. “The City of Grand Junction employees are great, which adds even more to job satisfaction. Everyone is always ready to chip in.”
During his last seven years in the department, Timothy has helped to oversee various projects, including rehabilitating a section of the riverbank bordering the Colorado Riverfront that had suffered significant erosion, renovating Grand Junction City Hall, constructing the childcare center that opened in 2022, and now updating 11 miles of the Riverfront Trail from asphalt to concrete path. One of the projects he is most proud is creating a childcare facility for city employee families that has now been expanded to serve other major employers in Grand Junction.
The latest project the Special Projects Team is hard at work on is the Riverfront Trail, where approximately 11 miles of trail is in disrepair and being updated from asphalt to concrete. In 2022, the City procured a concrete laydown machine for the project team to operate. “To date, we have removed and replaced approximately four miles of dilapidated asphalt trail and replaced it with concrete,” Timothy said. The trail is 30 years old in areas and weather has created trip hazards due to uneven surfaces. “We were able to go in there with trained in-house staff members and complete this trail in a timely fashion and, ultimately, maximize tax dollars,” he said. “We are doing it for about 50 to 60 percent of the cost to subcontract it. We can get those 11 miles done within using city budget dollars and keep it in-house.” This allows the City additional revenue to put toward other projects that are a priority for residents.
By having City staff perform the work crews can tackle the most needed areas first, Timothy continued, and the impact for trail users can be minimized. “Currently, our goal is to do 2-3 miles a year, and we are hoping to have all 11 miles completed by late 2025,” he said. The team even helped rehabilitate a section of the riverbank bordering the Colorado River in 2020. “This area had significant erosion along the bank during the high spring runoff of 2019, resulting in the loss of approximately 700 feet by 65 feet,” Timothy said. “Moreover, the force of the runoff had also ravaged nearly 700 feet of concrete trail that traversed the area.”
The work of the project team addressed the immediate damage caused by the spring runoff and helped mitigate future risks of erosion and trail destruction. Additionally, the damaged concrete trail was replaced, ultimately helping provide a safer and more enjoyable walking, riding and rolling path for residents and visitors. “When it’s all said and done, we represent the City of Grand Junction, and share a common goal: to care for our community, provide exemplary customer service, and create a top-notch product,” he said.
Fun fact: The City of Grand Junction has invested in trail creation, reconstruction, improvements, and maintenance totaling $23 million over the last five years and into what is planned in 2025. That equates to $4 million per year! This does not include Safe Route To Schools, nor sidewalk improvements.