Shrewsbury DPW hosts contests to design new logo, update records

332

By Laura Hayes, Senior Community Reporter

A Shrewsbury DPW car bears the town seal on its driver side door. A new contest is underway to help define a new logo specifically for the DPW.  Photo/SH DPW
A Shrewsbury DPW car bears the town seal on its driver side door. A new contest is underway to help define a new logo specifically for the DPW.
(Photo/SH DPW)

SHREWSBURY — The Shrewsbury Department of Public Works (DPW) is hosting two contests. One asks high school students to design a logo for the department, while the other seeks help updating the department’s records. 

DPW Business Manager David Snowdon introduced the two contests, which can be found on the town’s website, during an Aug. 10 Board of Selectmen meeting. 

“I think it’s a great way to get young people involved with our community. … We have a lot of really talented kids in our community,” said Chair John Samia after Snowdon’s presentation. 

The contests are part of the department’s work to increase engagement and the department’s ability to connect with the community, Snowdon said. 

 

Logo contest

The DPW operates as an umbrella over its various divisions, which combined in 2018. The logo, which will be on the town website, will help define the DPW umbrella, Snowdon said. 

“We’re hoping that this project here will encourage the next generation of residents to be interested in town work,” Snowdon said.

It won’t replace the official town seal, he continued. 

The contest is open to all Shrewsbury residents entering ninth through 12th grade this fall. The designer of the winning logo will receive $500. 

The contest closes at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 30. 

 

UNIPAY Enrollment contest 

The second contest, which also runs through Sept. 30, is designed to update DPW’s records and encourage residents to use UNIPAY, which Snowdon told the Community Advocate is the town’s online utility bill system. 

He said there are about 10,000 billable accounts in the DPW’s water and sewer division, but only 592 accounts are set up to receive notifications of their utility bills through UNIPAY and 307 are set up for automatic payments. 

“The DPW would like to increase the number of people enrolled in automatic payment, as it reduces the workload for both the Treasurer/Collector’s office and the Water and Sewer billing department while also providing customers more up-to-date bank account information,” Snowdon said. 

To qualify for the contests, residents need to complete three steps: update or confirm their account information, sign up for SeeClickFix and enroll in UNIPAY. 

All of the contestants will be entered to win 10 prizes. Two grand prize winners will receive 10 rolls of large Pay-As-You-Throw bags and 10 rolls of small bags. 

Any residents who have already signed up will be entered, Snowdon told the Board of Selectmen.

“We think it could be quite successful in improving our enrollment and account information,” he said.

For more information on the contests, visit https://shrewsburyma.gov/1028/DPW-Contests

RELATED CONTENT:

New Shrewsbury Summer Festival comes to town Aug. 22 (communityadvocate.com)

Shrewsbury municipal staff now wearing masks in Town Hall (communityadvocate.com)

Commission lays out plans to treat invasive plant in Lake Quinsigamond (communityadvocate.com)

No posts to display