Frankfort’s streets and parks crews are gearing up for a busy spring and summer season that will bring 16 paving projects, new permanent speed bumps near parks, expanded alley work and continued upgrades in city parks, according to city superintendents Ryan Edgar and Brian Kilman.
Street Superintendent Brian Kilman said the city has already awarded this year’s paving contract under the state’s Community Crossings Matching Grant program and is moving earlier than usual on prep work so road construction can proceed more smoothly. E&B Paving received the contract for the upcoming paving season, which will cover 16 street segments across Frankfort.
“We did just award a winner — E&B Paving got the contract this year,” Kilman said, noting that the city typically waits until spring or summer to start heavy work but is pushing ahead sooner this year.
What residents can expect
The street department plans to coordinate closely with utilities, tackle longstanding trouble spots near railroad tracks, install additional speed bumps around parks and increase attention on city alleys, while the parks department prepares for a full season of maintenance, playground upgrades and special events. Both superintendents also urged residents to use city tools to report problems such as potholes and to help keep trash and recycling under control as spring winds pick up.
Road paving, potholes and rail crossings
Kilman said crews have already been out patching potholes daily for more than two weeks and encouraged residents to report trouble spots through the city website. https://frankfort-in.gov
“It is a large city, so if anybody does [see potholes], please just let us know,” he said. Residents can submit an online form on the City of Frankfort website, and “you don’t even have to put your name — it comes right to our system, and we go take a look at the issue.”
A recurring concern has been rough crossings near railroad tracks. Kilman explained that those areas are technically railroad property, but the city often steps in. “It’s technically the railroad’s property, but I have a few contacts that I get in touch with,” he said. When response is slow, “we’ll go look at it…they either send a crew out or they give us permission to go ahead and patch those areas.”
He acknowledged the city sometimes absorbs the cost just to keep roads passable. “We just eat the cost just to get the potholes,” Kilman said, adding that railroads will occasionally bring in more durable hot patch, making the arrangement “a give‑and‑take.”
16 paving projects and new speed bumps
With the Community Crossings funding in place, Frankfort will see 16 paving projects this summer, including work on Fifth Street between Walnut and Armstrong and several other residential streets. Ahead of the paving, street crews have already begun trimming trees in affected corridors and are coordinating with Frankfort City Light & Power to remove higher limbs before large trucks move in.
“I feel like every year when we’re paving, with the way the trucks go up and down and everything, we always have a tree that’s in the way and then we’re rushing to get it cut and cleaned up while they’re there trying to lay asphalt,” Kilman said. “Trying to get out ahead of that” is a key goal this spring.
As part of the same program, the city will remove old railroad ties on Fifth Street, Walnut and Armstrong, similar to the work completed on Barner Street last year. Kilman said the department is also “going to look at again putting the rollover speed bumps in around all the parks,” targeting Kyger Street by TPA Park, the Dorner Park area, Crescent Street and Third Street.
“When I start talking about speed bumps, I get multiple messages about, ‘When can we get three or four on this road?’” Kilman said, noting that many residents who live near parks are asking for traffic calming.
Alleys, trash and recycling
Kilman said alleys will be a major focus again this year after staffing challenges limited progress last season. The department is looking to use a larger skid steer and additional grading equipment to hit alleys twice, add more stone than in past years and rebuild approaches in and out of alleyways.
“Alleys is one of our main focuses,” he said. “We’re working on more of the approaches in and out of the alleys, digging those up and putting all new base down and fixing the approaches.”
He also asked for public cooperation on trash and recycling. Residents are urged to have trash and recycling out by 7 a.m. because routes sometimes change. “There’s times where we run some routes differently…so just remember, just get it out at 7 a.m. or the night before,” Kilman said.
Windy days have created problems with loose recycling, so Kilman is working on an ordinance that would require recycling to be in a container or bag. “If we can just get it bagged or get it into a container, that would solve that issue big time,” he said. The city is also exploring options such as color‑coded bags or homeowner‑purchased cans for recycling.
Parks: cleanup, lights and summer prep
Parks Superintendent Ryan Edgar said his crew has largely finished taking down the TPA Park holiday light display and is shifting into spring maintenance. The popular light tunnels, which require six or seven workers and a dozen or more arches each, were again a draw for visitors from around and beyond Indiana, he said.
“We pretty much got everything cleaned up, everything’s put up,” Edgar said of the winter lights. He noted that traffic counts and donations came in “right about where they were last year, just a little bit under,” which he attributed partly to December’s cold and snow.[7]
With warmer weather approaching, parks staff are rebuilding bleachers, servicing mowers, cleaning around concession stands and preparing ball fields. Edgar said the city manages seven to eight parks, plus several grass lots, and relies on three seasonal employees each summer to help with flowers, mulching and landscaping.
“Up to the 4th of July, it’s crazy,” Edgar said of the parks schedule, adding that activity ramps up again in September as crews begin preparing for the next holiday light season.
Park improvements and amenities
Edgar said the parks department is not finished with upgrades at Third Street Park, where new playground equipment was added last summer. Additional pieces have been ordered and will be installed once they are assembled. A community cleanup day is also being planned for the park area next to the railroad tracks.
Other planned improvements include resurfacing basketball courts at the main park and Circle Park, adding 10–11 new picnic tables under the large shelter and refurbishing existing tables for use in neighborhood parks. Shelter houses are already starting to fill up with spring and summer reservations, Edgar said.
The city is also evaluating future use of the main park concession stand. The current lease expires soon, and Edgar said the department will “reevaluate that and maybe come up with something for the summer for somebody to use it and open it up,” leaving open the possibility that the city might eventually operate it directly.
Both superintendents emphasized that as Frankfort heads into another active construction and recreation season, communication from residents remains important. Whether it’s a pothole, a downed tree limb or a recycling concern, they said local input helps crews prioritize work and keep the city’s streets and parks in good shape.
