EVANS CITY — The borough is getting newly painted curbs and fire hydrants without paying workers.

Public works director Norm Nelson said Monday that six to 10 inmates at the Butler County Prison and others completing a community service sentence worked for three days last week, and are scheduled to continue this week.

The borough’s only expense is buying the paint, Nelson said.

He said that the past week marked the first time in his long tenure at the borough that county prisoners and those doing community service have been brought in to do work.

The individuals work for about four to five hours per day, Nelson said.

“They are doing a wonderful job,” he said.

Nelson said once the curbs and hydrants are painted, he may have the workers clear brush at the former water plant’s dam.

“They get out and get the work done, and it helps with the hours they have to get for community service,” Nelson said.

Borough Council President Lee Dyer agreed that the new program is going well, and that the workers did an excellent job.

“We intend to use (the program) as frequently as we can,” Dyer said.

He said in addition to saving the borough money, the program improves safety with newly painted crosswalks, curbs and handicapped parking spaces.

“Those are all safety issues for our citizens,” Dyer said.

Jim Switzer, the community service coordinator at the county Department of Community Corrections, said most of the workers are those fulfilling their community service sentence after a DUI or other offense. He said only a few workers are inmates on work release from the county prison.

He said all workers are monitored by himself and his partner while on the job.

Switzer said the most common jobs done by the individuals are trash pickup, yard work and light landscaping, which is done with county tools and equipment.

He said municipalities that have taken advantage of the workers either regularly or sporadically include Cranberry, Clay and Concord townships; Harmony, Chicora, Eau Claire and Butler.

The workers also regularly cut grass at the baseball fields in Center Township, and have worked at SEBCO Park in Jefferson Township once this summer.

Some days only four workers climb into the county van headed to a job site, and sometimes more than 20 are scheduled.

He said the workers also do yard duties for elderly and disabled veterans as well as churches and nonprofit organizations. The veterans receive services through the Veterans In Need (VINE) program.

“We tend to put a slightly greater emphasis on working for our veterans,” Switzer said.

He also coordinates service work for the county’s juvenile offenders, who are kept separate from adult work crews. The juveniles work on trash pickup, landscaping, mulching, and trimming hedges.

“I have worked with very, very young offenders,” Switzer said.

Switzer said sentencing adult offenders to community service began in 2005 and 2006 as a consequence after a conviction for DUI.

“It has slowly expanded from there,” he said.

Switzer said community service is mandatory for DUI convictions, and optional for other crimes.