01-26-2022 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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STAFF REPORT TO: Mayor Keis and Members of City Council FROM: Bill Dircks, Public Works Director DATE: January 14, 2022 RE: ICWC Contract Renewal ACTION TO BE CONSIDERED: Motion to approve the two-year contract with the State of Minnesota Department of Corrections for the use of an Institution Community Work Crew at an overtime rate of $85/hour. BACKGROUND: The City once again contracted with the State of Minnesota Department of Corrections for the use of an Institution Community Work Crew in 2021. The crew has been utilized by the City for over ten years and has been on an as-needed basis for the past several years. This allows the City to utilize a crew of up to ten offender crew members and a crew supervisor for a full day of work on Fridays. In the past the crew has completed numerous projects for the City including tree trimming, hydrant painting, manhole cover replacement, construction of a few retaining walls, general right-of-way and park maintenance, and special projects such as sodding the Veteran’s Memorial Park site in 2015, and gutting and renovation of a city-owned house on County Road B2. Last year the crew did mostly tree trimming, which they are able to do with great efficiency and get a lot done in a small amount of time. They also helped with a couple storm sewer projects, rainwater garden planting and maintenance, and other miscellaneous work around the City. Crew sizes have been limited due to the pandemic and a shortage of available crew members at some of the prisons but when a crew shows up to work, it gets a lot of work done, regardless of the crew size. The cost for the crew is $85 per hour for overtime, which is a $10 increase from the previous three contracts. The last price adjustment was prior to 2017. The City is typically only able to use the crew on Fridays, which is considered overtime, but it is still a good value. The work crew can accomplish large amounts of work during a full day. The crew members work hard and the supervisors do a nice job of directing them. The State DOC is offering a two-year contract this year so staff recommends renewing the contract with the State of Minnesota Department of Corrections for 2020 and 2021 at the terms listed above and in the attached contract. SOURCE OF FUNDS: Funds for the work crew come from the Streets portion of the General Fund. If the crew assists with EAB work then those hours will be paid for using the grant funds the City received. $12,500 has been budgeted in 2022 for the crew. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff recommends approval of the two-year contract with the State of Minnesota Department of Corrections for the use of an Institution Community Work Crew at an overtime rate of $85/hour.