ANNUAL REPORT 2006 - Denver Zoo

ZOO OPERATIONSFacilities MaintenanceArt BentonMulti-trades Supervisor2006 was another exciting year for thefacilities maintenance department. A totalof 2,629 work orders were completed duringthe year, 407 of which were preventativemaintenance and over 100 considered tobe high priority or safety related. We havecontinued improving our work order systemand implemented a larger preventativemaintenance program so that all of thezoo’s equipment is being serviced on aregular basis.Our painters sanded, primed andpainted over 6,300 feet of steel publicexhibit railings throughout the zoo.They also completed interior andexterior work at the Gates ConservationEducation Center as well as work at theVeterinary Hospital, Bird World and theConservation Carousel.The HVAC (heating ventilation and airconditioning) department rebuilt asecond boiler at Tropical Discovery, hadall the ductwork cleaned at EmeraldForest and assisted the Planningdepartment with a new system at theGates Center. We have expanded theuse of digital controls for our HVACsystems so that we can troubleshootand correct any problems remotelyincluding on weekends and evenings.The plumbing department had a busyyear replacing several undergroundvalves throughout the zoo. A newtwelve-inch “pot strainer” was installedat the polar bear pool system tocapture leaves and hair that havehistorically clogged the pumpsperiodically. A new on-demandwater heater was added at LorikeetAdventure and mister systems wereinstalled at great apes, both felinebuildings, the cheetah exhibit and atthe African Kraal.We continue to upgrade our fleet of vehicles,carts and equipment in accordance with thefive-year plan that was developed a coupleof years ago. In 2006, we acquired a pickuptruck for the maintenance department;a stake bed truck with a lift gate and tiltbed to be shared by several departments;and a number of replacement carts forhorticulture and animal department staff.Perhaps our most important acquisitionswere a street sweeper and scrubber foruse in the parking garage and pathwaysthroughout the zoo. This equipment hasproved invaluable in maintaining a cleanproperty and has freed up staff to performother duties..36