07/31/2026
💡 Who turns on the lights, keeps our buildings cool, replaces outdated boiler systems, and fixes damaged walls - often before you even notice?
🏛️ Ryan Alger, Butch Davis, and Cole ZuWallack work within the Central Facilities team for Burlington Parks, Recreation and Waterfront. They help take care of city-owned structures — from the Boathouse to the City Hall clock tower. Historic preservation adds an extra challenge to maintenance in the city. As Ryan puts it, “We don’t just drill a hole in the wall, we ask, 'are we drilling through granite that’s been there for 100 years?'”
In this conversation we learn about the many hats required as part of their job —including electricians, builders, and project leads - and what makes them succeed as a team.
“If the AC isn’t working, people know it, right? But people don’t always understand the mechanics side of it, and the labor spent,” says Ryan.
🤝 The biggest key to their success is collaboration. In Ryan’s words, “There is graffiti cleanup and things we don’t enjoy, but we can lean on each other during these jobs, and we laugh and joke about it. Somebody needs to do it right, and it’s not just one guy, it’s all of us coming together. It’s a small group, but we get a lot accomplished.”
🔗 Read the rest of the interview: https://www.burlingtonvt.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=3866
