Dwayne Polarek is the City of Lake Station’s project manager. He had previously worked with the city’s infrastructure, but under the most recent Mayor, Polarek has taken on a new role.
“I was pretty much the only one that knew the infrastructure of the city,” Polarek said. “I spent a lot of nights, stormy nights let's just say, out there in the city with my rain gear and boots on looking at these pipes. After the rain would go away in the pipes, the water would disappear. I'd be putting a camera system in to see what was going on, whether it was open, plumbed, or just undersized. So I had some knowledge of the infrastructure.”
Roads are the first thing people normally think of when it comes to infrastructure, but Polarek’s knowledge lies in the city’s stormwater system.
“That made me a good candidate to help envision what needs to happen and how to go about it,” Polarek said. “Now the tough part is that you have several areas of the city. If you upgrade one spot, then you have to try to look at it as a whole picture and dice it up into pieces of a puzzle being put back together.”
This system spans across the whole city, and some pieces of it are decades old.
“It wasn't till a few years ago that they actually took it seriously,” said Polarek. “I informed our new administration of the situation and they are great to work with. They wanted to fix it the right way, they do things the right way.”
Rather than just paving over old problems, Lake Station – with Polarek’s guidance – is taking the time to dig up outdated infrastructure and put new-and-improved structures in place to enhance the wellbeing of the city. Forethought like this is integral to the city’s future.
While he loves it, Polarek’s life is not all work. When not focused on Lake Station’s new infrastructure goals, he spends time with his wife and enjoys his hobbies.
“I have a loving family, my wife puts up with me,” Polarek joked. “She's a great lady. Outside of work, I'm a hobbyist. I love working on old cars and mechanical-type things, and I also enjoy camping. My wife and I have some land up in Michigan that we like to go spend time at and I love going out to explore the little towns to find nice little places to eat. That's as simple as it gets.”
Polarek’s love for his family and hobbies is supported by the love of his job. He takes genuine pride in the work he does in Lake Station.
“I have photos of what things used to look like and what they look like today, and I can only imagine what it will soon be like with the new stations being built. I'm just seeing big changes,” Polarek said. “I can see the vision that is being put on paper now, especially with the master plan. As long as it's followed and implemented, we will make huge changes.”
For more information about the City of Lake Station, visit its website at www.lakestation-in.gov
