Terracare Associates, a Lakewood, Colo.-based commercial landscape maintenance and public infrastructure management contractor, has signed a new public infrastructure contract with the city of Cottonwood Heights, Utah (pop. 34,017).

The Cottonwood Heights City Council unanimously approved in September  a 42-month contract with Terracare Associates to provide all public works services to the community, including snow plowing, street and sign repairs, concrete replacement and storm drain maintenance.

Contractual agreements between the city of Cottonwood Heights and Terracare Associates began on Nov. 1.

“We spent a great deal of time with the cities of Lone Tree and Centennial in Colorado, where Terracare currently provides public works services,” said Cottonwood Heights City Manager John Park. “Both cities highly recommended Terracare. They have been a tremendous team partner wherever they are, and we believe that will continue in Cottonwood Heights.”

Cottonwood Heights is the first city in Utah to fully privatize its public works services. Transferring public works from the public sector to private enterprise poses numerous benefits for a community, including cost reductions, increased budget stability and budget forecasting and better control over how city improvements are managed.