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ARDEN HILLS SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION - AUGUST 11,2025 25 reasons. She asked if we could push one out until later in the year, would the maintenance worker or Street Lead be better. She is in favor of ensuring rve hal,e reasonable and quality services. Public Works Director/Cit1' Engineer Srvearingen feels l'ery strongly about the Street Lead. That is a missing piece. He understands adding a maintenance worker is a big ask. The information shows there is a labor gap r.vhen rve don't have that additional rvorker. Councilmember Weber said he is saying we can push the maintenance worker off to the second half of 2026. Public Works Director/Cit1' Engineer Srvearingen confirmed. We have been performing work "vith eight full time guys. He meets for thirty minutes at the end of the rvork day with the Leads. the Superintendent and the Assistant Public Works Director. There are so many times wliere it is clear that if lve just had one more person, we could fil1 that gap. After mashing together the PTO calendar with the projects that we have going on, one more person would make a big difference. We can continue to make due with what we have but we have the data to support the need. Councilmember Weber said public works jobs are posted in the spring. If we get past that, those people are gone. Hiring someone later in the year will probably be more training. By pushing the hiring of that position to later in the year, we are passing on those people. He supports the lead position. He likes the idea of a half year. We have to see how the chips fall before we take that bite. In general, he supports the plan. Councilmember Holden asked if the seasonal calendaris set. Is there anything seasonals can do? Public Works Director/Cit1' Engineer Srvearingen said the seasonals rvill always be busy. It is tough to task them with rvhat requires a full-time operator. We have considered bumping it to l0 seasonals, especially after leaming of the hydrant servicing. The seasonals tend to be young and they don't have the skills that an experienced maintenance worker has. Nlal'or Grant said rve have one that isn't a kid. Public Works Director/Cit1' Engineer Srvearingen said u,e had a solid crerv this year. N{a1'or Grant asked rvhat the oldest seasonal worker is. Public Works Director/Cit1'Engineer Srvearingen said he's the one who left to go to Ramsey County. Councilmember Holden said we are paying at or above r.vhat other Cities are paying. That's a plus for us. We do get transfers. Councilmember Monson asked if Staff needs anything else from us. NIayor Grant said it's his place to ask that. Councilmember Nlonson understands. She noted it's almost 9:00 pm and rve are discussing how old our workers are.