10-23-2019 Workshop & Council Packet

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STAFF REPORT TO:Mayor Keis and Members of City Council FROM:Bill Dircks, Public Works Director Chris Heineman, City Administrator DATE:October 23, 2019 RE:Full-Time Public Works Maintenance I Position ACTION TO BE CONSIDERED: Approval of hiring Alex Evenson for Public Works Maintenance I Position. BACKGROUND: In 2017, a Public Works Apprentice position was created as an alternative to filling a full-time position in the Public Works Department. Part of the Apprentice program included a full hiring process once the full-time position was posted. The City Council authorized the posting of the full-time Public Works Maintenance I position at the September 11 City Council meeting. Staff received 20 applications for the position, and three applicants were selected for interviews which took place on Thursday, October 17. The interview panel included Public Works Director Bill Dircks and City Clerk Heidi Heller. All three candidates were well-qualified. One candidate had over 20 years of experience with the Ramsey County Public Works Department, which is focused on street and storm sewer maintenance. The second candidate had over six years of municipal public works experience, primarily focused on utility work. Mr. Evenson’s role as Apprentice allowed him to gain experience in all facets of public works to become a well-rounded candidate, which made him stand out as the top candidate. Mr. Evenson has been working in the Public Works Department as an Apprentice since November, 2017 and was a seasonal employee in the department for four years prior to that. He has extensive experience in all facets of the Public Works Department and has proven himself to be very capable in all duties. He has been in charge of the sanitary sewer maintenance program for the past two years and has made tremendous strides in getting much of our system televised with the camera trailer that was purchased in 2017. He has excellent technology skills and has proven to be a very fast learner. As part of the Apprentice program he has successfully earned his Class B Commercial Driver’s License and attended safety training classes. He will be required to obtain a Class D Wastewater Collection System License and a Class D Water License by December 31, 2020. He is also included in the on-call rotation. The transition to full-time should be seamless for both employee and employer. The apprentice program has worked very well for the City of Little Canada, and the preliminary budget for 2020 currently includes funds to hire a replacement for this position. Staff is recommending that we initiate this hiring process during the first quarter of 2020. The apprentice also fits the strategic planning goal of getting optimum staffing in all departments. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: