Longtime Highway Employee Tilden To Retire At Year’s End
December 18, 2019 at 1:05 a.m.
By David [email protected]
After all, Moriarty, 43, has served as assistant superintendent under Tilden, 58, for about the last eight years.
Tilden’s last day is Dec. 31. A reception for him is planned after the county commissioners meeting Monday.
In June 1980, Tilden started at the Fulton County Highway Department the day after graduating high school. He was summer help for two months before joining the FCHD full time. He worked there until November 2007 when he joined the KCHD as the sign technician.
Tilden was the sign technician from November 2007 to August 2010 when he took over the reigns as superintendent from Dennis Pletcher.
At FCHD, Tilden had worked as a truck driver for about eight years, assistant superintendent for three years and then superintendent for 14 to 15 years, he said.
Before joining the KCHD full time, Moriarty studied to be a health teacher at and graduated from Purdue University. While at Purdue, he was a part-time mower with the KCHD.
“When I got out, I couldn’t find a teaching job, so I started full time as a truck driver,” Moriarty said. “So as I worked my way up through, I became an operator, a drainage foreman and a drainage supervisor, and then the assistant superintendent.”
Moriarty became assistant superintendent in mid-2011.
Tilden said the biggest difference between FCHD and KCHD is the number of road miles.
“We only have about 793 miles in Fulton County, county road mileage. And it’s about 1,163 in this county. Definitely more road miles. More people, more population. More urbanish in places. Fulton County is pretty rural, where you have both in this county,” Tilden said.
Moriarty said one of the biggest things he’s learned from Tilden over the years is how to deal with the public.
“He does a very good job. Very understanding. Works well with our community. And has the greater good at heart in any decision that he makes. I think that carries over, and he treats the guys with respect, and is always looking out for the best,” Moriarty said.
Tilden said he’s learned from Moriarty as well.
“Well, probably one of the most things I’ve learned from him is the technology, as far as computers. To be honest with you, probably before I came here, I didn’t hardly have a cellphone, I didn’t hardly do emails and even text. Barely had a computer when I left Fulton County, let alone when I came here. So that’s one thing I learned. He’s pretty crafty, he can do all the computer stuff. He is kind of my IT guy before the IT guys,” Tilden said of Moriarty.
He also stated Moriarty has a “real good knowledge” about drainage, works well with the other highway employees and he’s respected by them.
Moriarty doesn’t foresee any changes at the department we he takes over Jan. 1.
“We just want to continue what Scott’s left behind. That’s the big thing is, we want to maintain the success that he’s had and the road program that he’s built. We want to continue that,” Moriarty said.
Tilden said the hardest part about maintaining the county roads is the effect the winter has on them.
“Usually the springs are the most horrifying. You find out very quick in spring time how your roads went through the winter. Some winters, they go through pretty good, and some years, we’ve had some really bad winters where things really went to pot. And then there’s pothole fighting until you get them under control,” Tilden said.
“It’s a challenge because we face all the different seasons. We’re not just dealing with paving and chip sealing, we’re dealing with winter activities, the effects of winter and then we have flooding and sometimes you get the thunderstorm events that bring down lots of trees. We get a lot of things thrown at us.”
He said he’d rather have a foot of snow than a half inch of ice on the road because the snow can be plowed and vehicles can stay on the road, while it’s not always the case with ice.
As for misconceptions about the highway department, Moriarty said the biggest one is that all the highway department does is pave and plow.
“There are so many different aspects and most people who come to work here seem so surprised at all the different things that we do,” Moriarty said. “I mean, from bridges to signs to drainage.”
Tilden added, “Mowing, to grading gravel roads to chip seal to paving, brush cutting to tiles and culvers being put in to burming. Just a lot of different aspects to it. Different seasons for all of that, besides the snow and ice season. The snow and ice season can be pretty expensive: fuel wise, equipment wear and tear, your shop budget, hard on the roads. Those three to four months might be harder than the other eight months on everything else.”
The KCHD has about 39 employees, Tilden said, including 26 truck drivers, three mechanics, two road foreman, drainage supervisor, an assistant superintendent and superintendent, an office manager and administrative assistant, sign technician and a parts man. In the summer, five to six part-time employees are hired to help mow the rights of way.
Once he retires, Tilden said he’s got enough stuff to do at home to last several months. On the side for a number of years, he has mowed and weed-eated a 14-acre cemetery in Akron, which he’ll continue to do.
“I may get into the landscaping a little bit more and yard services. Keep up my cemetery. I’ve always done it after-hours and on weekends,” Tilden said. “Nothing planned. Probably later on, get a part-time job or something, maybe. But no immediate plans.”
The last couple of weeks, Tilden will continue to show Moriarty whatever he needs to know to take over as superintendent. Tilden said he’ll be around afterwards if Moriarty needs to call him for anything.
“I’m very excited,” Moriarty said of becoming superintendent. “I think it’s a good opportunity to improve. The big thing that I’m most concerned with, and the reasons I took (the job), is to make sure we continue the line of service that we have provided for so long. I would hate to see that go back in any way, shape or form, and us as a group has a responsibility to continue that; and being the assistant, Scott has shown me what that example is of how we should behave and do our maintenance and preserve our roads. And we just want to continue that on.”
Latest News
E-Editions
After all, Moriarty, 43, has served as assistant superintendent under Tilden, 58, for about the last eight years.
Tilden’s last day is Dec. 31. A reception for him is planned after the county commissioners meeting Monday.
In June 1980, Tilden started at the Fulton County Highway Department the day after graduating high school. He was summer help for two months before joining the FCHD full time. He worked there until November 2007 when he joined the KCHD as the sign technician.
Tilden was the sign technician from November 2007 to August 2010 when he took over the reigns as superintendent from Dennis Pletcher.
At FCHD, Tilden had worked as a truck driver for about eight years, assistant superintendent for three years and then superintendent for 14 to 15 years, he said.
Before joining the KCHD full time, Moriarty studied to be a health teacher at and graduated from Purdue University. While at Purdue, he was a part-time mower with the KCHD.
“When I got out, I couldn’t find a teaching job, so I started full time as a truck driver,” Moriarty said. “So as I worked my way up through, I became an operator, a drainage foreman and a drainage supervisor, and then the assistant superintendent.”
Moriarty became assistant superintendent in mid-2011.
Tilden said the biggest difference between FCHD and KCHD is the number of road miles.
“We only have about 793 miles in Fulton County, county road mileage. And it’s about 1,163 in this county. Definitely more road miles. More people, more population. More urbanish in places. Fulton County is pretty rural, where you have both in this county,” Tilden said.
Moriarty said one of the biggest things he’s learned from Tilden over the years is how to deal with the public.
“He does a very good job. Very understanding. Works well with our community. And has the greater good at heart in any decision that he makes. I think that carries over, and he treats the guys with respect, and is always looking out for the best,” Moriarty said.
Tilden said he’s learned from Moriarty as well.
“Well, probably one of the most things I’ve learned from him is the technology, as far as computers. To be honest with you, probably before I came here, I didn’t hardly have a cellphone, I didn’t hardly do emails and even text. Barely had a computer when I left Fulton County, let alone when I came here. So that’s one thing I learned. He’s pretty crafty, he can do all the computer stuff. He is kind of my IT guy before the IT guys,” Tilden said of Moriarty.
He also stated Moriarty has a “real good knowledge” about drainage, works well with the other highway employees and he’s respected by them.
Moriarty doesn’t foresee any changes at the department we he takes over Jan. 1.
“We just want to continue what Scott’s left behind. That’s the big thing is, we want to maintain the success that he’s had and the road program that he’s built. We want to continue that,” Moriarty said.
Tilden said the hardest part about maintaining the county roads is the effect the winter has on them.
“Usually the springs are the most horrifying. You find out very quick in spring time how your roads went through the winter. Some winters, they go through pretty good, and some years, we’ve had some really bad winters where things really went to pot. And then there’s pothole fighting until you get them under control,” Tilden said.
“It’s a challenge because we face all the different seasons. We’re not just dealing with paving and chip sealing, we’re dealing with winter activities, the effects of winter and then we have flooding and sometimes you get the thunderstorm events that bring down lots of trees. We get a lot of things thrown at us.”
He said he’d rather have a foot of snow than a half inch of ice on the road because the snow can be plowed and vehicles can stay on the road, while it’s not always the case with ice.
As for misconceptions about the highway department, Moriarty said the biggest one is that all the highway department does is pave and plow.
“There are so many different aspects and most people who come to work here seem so surprised at all the different things that we do,” Moriarty said. “I mean, from bridges to signs to drainage.”
Tilden added, “Mowing, to grading gravel roads to chip seal to paving, brush cutting to tiles and culvers being put in to burming. Just a lot of different aspects to it. Different seasons for all of that, besides the snow and ice season. The snow and ice season can be pretty expensive: fuel wise, equipment wear and tear, your shop budget, hard on the roads. Those three to four months might be harder than the other eight months on everything else.”
The KCHD has about 39 employees, Tilden said, including 26 truck drivers, three mechanics, two road foreman, drainage supervisor, an assistant superintendent and superintendent, an office manager and administrative assistant, sign technician and a parts man. In the summer, five to six part-time employees are hired to help mow the rights of way.
Once he retires, Tilden said he’s got enough stuff to do at home to last several months. On the side for a number of years, he has mowed and weed-eated a 14-acre cemetery in Akron, which he’ll continue to do.
“I may get into the landscaping a little bit more and yard services. Keep up my cemetery. I’ve always done it after-hours and on weekends,” Tilden said. “Nothing planned. Probably later on, get a part-time job or something, maybe. But no immediate plans.”
The last couple of weeks, Tilden will continue to show Moriarty whatever he needs to know to take over as superintendent. Tilden said he’ll be around afterwards if Moriarty needs to call him for anything.
“I’m very excited,” Moriarty said of becoming superintendent. “I think it’s a good opportunity to improve. The big thing that I’m most concerned with, and the reasons I took (the job), is to make sure we continue the line of service that we have provided for so long. I would hate to see that go back in any way, shape or form, and us as a group has a responsibility to continue that; and being the assistant, Scott has shown me what that example is of how we should behave and do our maintenance and preserve our roads. And we just want to continue that on.”
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092