Shakopee Snapshot: Fall 2025

PUBLIC WORKS

From milking cows to being a Public Works ‘MacGyver’

Keith Weckman reflects on 32 years with the City

as a kid growing up on our dairy farm, so moving to Parks and getting to work out side was nice. What’s changed the most since you started? Weckman: You know

Parks Maintenance Operator Keith Weck man began his career with Public Works in April 1993, when Shakopee’s population was just around 12,000. Since then, the City has grown to over 47,000 residents, and Weck man has been around to witness it all. A Shakopee native, Weckman was born and raised on a dairy farm just south of Shako pee High School, where the family home still stands today. Growing up, he was no stranger to hard work, spending his days milking cows. Today, Weckman is known as an excep tional craftsman, a person who can take an idea and bring it to life with skill and preci sion. Whether it’s a custom part or a com plex piece of equipment, his creations are built to last for generations. Weckman is often found in the shop fabricating parts to improve existing systems or solve problems in the field. If a part doesn’t exist or some thing can’t be found, Weckman can make it. Do you remember your first day on the job? What was it like? Weckman: I was a mechanic at a marine shop. My uncle Harry used to work for the City; he gave me a call and said, “This would be a good job for you,” so I applied. I got hired as a mechanic and did that for 24–25 years. Then, when a park position came up, I applied for that. I had never worked outside, other than

what the biggest part that has changed is? Technology! From when I started to now, it has changed so much. Now, when a vehicle comes in, you can’t do anything without a laptop or scan tool to get into that vehicle. Everything is controlled by a computer. Things have changed a lot, not just the tech nology, but the people and the town. The town has quadrupled in size since I started here. Is there a road, building, park or project you worked on that you’re proud of? Weckman: There is, the Public Works shop. I helped in the design of it. We got to help lay things out for the shop and everything when they built it. I ended up doing a bunch of work in there because we wanted our reels and our oil that sits all up on a thing there going a certain way. The way they orig inally had that was the other way, we turned them all around. I welded all those beams in. We had an old Hobart welder, I was out in the sand and

Maintenance Operator Keith Weckman works on a Shakopee fire vehicle. dirt during construction welding everything together. Who was someone early in your career that made a difference for you? Weckman: That I would give to my Uncle Harry and my wife, Kim. Harry’s the one that first told me I should apply, and Kim kept encouraging me, too. Are you glad you made that choice? Weckman: Oh yeah! You look at the days you have off and the hours. That was my biggest thing. When my kids were in sports and all that, I was out of here at 2:30 p.m. Yeah, we end up working some extra hours plowing, but that comes with the job.

A Note from Public Works Director Bill Egan Keith has been an anchor in our department for over 32 years. His tal ents shine brightest in high-pressure situations. When there’s a tough challenge and no obvious solution, Keith doesn’t just fix the problem, he creates the solution. His ingenuity and problem-solving skills have supported every division at one point or another. Simply put, he’s our very own “MacGyver.” Keith has designed and fabricated numerous tools and custom solu tions that have saved the City countless dollars over the years. One standout example is the mini-V plows used to clear sidewalks and trails in the winter—tools he built more than 20 years ago that we still rely on today.

Anyone who knows Keith won’t be surprised to hear this, but I’ve personally seen him sprinting between jobs because he cares that much about getting the job done right. I even received a note from a coach who noticed someone working on a field, going above and beyond when no one was watching. That someone, of course, was Keith. That’s just who he is. Keith, thank you for everything. You’ve set the bar high for all of us. We’re grateful for your years of service and proud to work alongside you.

10 Shakopee Snapshot