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Special City Council Meeting <br /> Monday,June 1,2015 <br /> Page 17 <br /> and how much was needed to sustain that maintenance fund. Mr. Culver further <br /> noted that parking lot improvements and retaining walls were also part of pathway <br /> projects, and also needed analysis and adjustments accordingly. <br /> One of the department's highest priorities, snow and ice operations, Mr. Culver <br /> reported continued to be unpredictable from year to year. However, Mr. Culver <br /> noted that staff had committed to build a reserve of salt and ice removal materials, <br /> but was unable to predict cost impacts on future purchases. <br /> While from a staffing perspective,Mr. Culver considered the department to be in <br /> a good place, he anticipated continuing to see significant turnover with retire- <br /> ments in addition to that. As that continued, Mr. Culver advised that he would <br /> continue to monitor the organizational structure and changes as they occur. <br /> In the near future, and in reviewing the long-term organizational chart, Mr. Culver <br /> advised that he saw the need for a third maintenance worker, since the two cur- <br /> rent mechanics, maintaining in excess of 150 vehicles in the fleet, were having <br /> difficulty keeping up without added overtime and longer delays in accomplishing <br /> those repairs. While those overtime requests are not always granted, Mr. Culver <br /> noted negative impacts on operations with delayed repairs and causing other <br /> maintenance workers to perform their own maintenance or minor repairs of vehi- <br /> cles or equipment, further detracting from their main duties. Since this creates is- <br /> sues with union rules as well, Mr. Culver noted the need to address this in the near <br /> future. <br /> Mr. Culver address potential losses in the future for both indoor and outdoor ma- <br /> terials and equipment storage facilities and the need to accommodate that shortage <br /> with a potential cost to address it long-term. <br /> With the higher commodity demand and costs for salt and oil creating significant <br /> material cost volatility, Mr. Culver noted the need to continue pursuing annual <br /> and/or purchasing opportunities and use of state contracts. <br /> Specific to water main breaks, Councilmember Willmus asked if those were re- <br /> paired in-house or using an outside vendor; and where materials removed from <br /> those sites are stockpiled. <br /> Mr. Culver advised that both in-house and outside vendors are used, depending on <br /> the complexity and location of the breaks; and storage of soils removed depended <br /> on the particular situation and time of year as well. <br /> Regarding pathway and parking lot issues and costs, Mayor Roe noted modeling <br /> and projections used by the CIP Task Force accounting for additional mileage go- <br /> ing into the system annually, estimating a levy increase of$80,000 for the CIP to <br /> cover costs in that projected timeframe; and intended to be programmed in as part <br />