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Home My WebLink About1D, Public Works Supervision & StaffingMEMORANDUM DATE: October 19, 2009 Item LD TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Ron Moorse, City Administrator Greg Hoag, Public Works Director SUBJECT: Public Works Supervision and Staffing Public Works Supervisory Structure At their December 15, 2008, meeting, the City Council discussed the vacant public works superintendent position and whether that position should be filled or replaced with a working foreman. In the interim, the Council directed that the first line supervisory position should be an acting working foreman. Since that meeting, the public works maintenance operation has been monitored and options for the supervisory structure have been reviewed. Through this monitoring, it has been observed that the working foreman position can, in large part, provide the daily work planning and coordination necessary for effective maintenance operations, particularly if the Public Works Director maintains a close focus on the public works maintenance operation. Therefore, it is recommended that the Public Works Department supervisory structure be revised to reflect a working foreman position as the first level supervisory position. Public Works Staffing The authorized Public Works maintenance staffing level is eight maintenance staff and a supervisor. The current staffing level is seven maintenance staff and an acting working foreman. With the resolution of the first line supervisor position, it is important to fill the eighth maintenance worker position. While the maintenance staff has been able to accomplish its day- to-day activities, there are a substantial number of activities that cannot be accomplished due to lack of staff. The deferred maintenance will cause greater costs in the future as these activities become larger projects, generate problems with higher cost solutions, and may become emergency situations that pull staff away from planned activities. It is important that the maintenance operation move beyond a reactive mode to a preventative and proactive mode that enables maintenance activities to be accomplished more efficiently and effectively. This requires both effective work planning and adequate staffing. 10/ 16/2009 Page 2 Following is a list of maintenance activities that could be done more efficiently and cost- effectively if done proactively: • Sewer line cleaning and root cutting: In addition to the goal of cleaning one third of the sewer lines each year, which is nearly being met, more frequent attention also needs to be paid to those areas with root problems, to avoid blocked lines and sewer back-ups. The cost of a sewer back-up into a home is in the tens of thousands of dollars and causes a major hardship for the homeowners. • Preventative maintenance on sewer lift stations can prevent operational problems, particularly emergency problems, including sewer back-ups. • There are manhole castings that have sunk below grade and dirt has fallen into the manhole or covered the manhole. These castings need to be repaired in a planned, proactive way, rather than waiting until access is needed. • Storm sewer structures and lines need to be cleaned regularly to avoid sediment build-up that blocks the lines and can cause flooding problems. • Trimming on trails and easement areas: If trimming is done regularly, it limits the amount of trimming needed. But once the areas are overgrown, it becomes a major project to trim the overgrowth back. Regular trimming also maintains a consistent appearance and character. • Trees along roadways need to be trimmed on a regular basis to avoid having to do major trimming, and to avoid City trucks hitting branches, which can damage the lights on the trucks, and also damage the trees, making them more susceptible to disease. • Proactive trail maintenance and repair can prevent major deterioration, reduce higher cost repairs, and extend the life of the trails • Timely curb and gutter repair (i.e. when a segment is settling causing pooling of water) addresses the water pooling problem, but also prevents damage from the water undermining the curb and gutter causing more extensive damage and higher costs for replacement. • Ballfield fences require on -going repair to maintain appearance, and to avoid deterioration to the point of needing replacement • On -going park sign maintenance maintains appearance and avoids the need for total repainting of the signs, which is a much more substantial project. • Regular exercising of valves on hydrants and gate valves can ensure the valves are working and are accessible, so that when it is necessary to close a valve it can be done easily and quickly as opposed to finding that it is not accessible due to a build up of silt or being rusted shut. • Updating, correcting, and mapping the location of utilities infrastructure such as off -road gate valves, which enables them to be easily and quickly located when work is needed on them, whether in an emergency or non -emergency situation. • While street sweeping is done regularly on a city-wide basis, there are wooded areas near lakes that should be swept more frequently to protect water quality. 10/ 16/2009 Page 3 These activities need to be added to the activities currently being accomplished, but cannot be added without full staffing. Attached are two reports showing the hours spent on the various maintenance activities in 2009 through October 10. One report shows the hours of the full time staff and the other report shows the hours of the seasonal staff. Council Direction Requested Direction regarding revising the Public Works Department supervisory structure to reflect a working foreman position as the first line supervisory position, and direction regarding filling the eighth maintenance worker position. 2009 Full Time Maintenance Staff Hours by Activity (Through October 10, 2009) Snow & Ice Control 367.5 Paved Surface Maintenance & Repair 638 Vehicle & Equipment Repairs & Maintenance 1234.5 General Turf Maintenance 741.5 I Forestry 328 Garden Maintenance 359 Building/Structure/Facility/Maintenance & Repair 496.5 Athletic Fields & Court Maintenance 1188 Sign & Signal Maintenance 120.5 Water System Maintenance & Repair 746 Water Service Maintenance (Meters, etc.) 448.5 Sewer System Maintenance & Repairs 608.5 Lift Station Repair & Maintenance 1275 I&I Mitigation 159.5 Surface Water Management/Environmental 441.5 Locates & ROW Inspections/Maintenance 440.5 Time Off 1749.5 Training/Meetings 776.5 Special Project/Other 304.5 Supervision 905.5 Stand By/On Call 308 ---------------- a: d Totai 13637 2009 Seasonal Maintenance Staff Hours by Activity (Through October 10, 2009) Snow & Ice Control 0 Paved Surface Maintenance & Repair 58.5 Vehicle & Equipment Repairs & Maintenance 87.5 General Turf Maintenance 1301.5 Forestry 210.5 Garden Maintenance 180.5 Building/Structure/Facility/Maintenance & Repair 270.5 Athletic Fields & Court Maintenance 336 Sign & Signal Maintenance 165 Water System Maintenance & Repair 102.5 Water Service Maintenance (Meters, etc.) 8 Sewer System Maintenance & Repairs 248 Lift Station Repair & Maintenance 12 I&I Mitigation 569.5 Surface Water Management/Environmental 30 Locates & ROW Inspections/Maintenance 7 Time Off 0 Training/Meetings 1 Special Project/Other 83 Supervision 0 Stand By/On Call .......� 0 a .:_„ 3