07-28-2021 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:July 28, 2021 RE:Introduction of Utilities Supervisor – Alex Evenson The City recently hired a Utilities Supervisor for the first time as part of the new structure within the Public Works Department. An internal candidate, Alex Evenson, emerged as the front runner for the position and he was promoted around a month ago. Mr. Evenson will be at the meeting to introduce himself, talk about what his new role is and provide a few examples of what he is working on currently and what lies ahead in the future. Topics he will discuss include: -The current drought and its impact on our water supply: The current drought is beginning to take a toll on water supply systems across the metro and the state. We purchase our water from St. Paul Regional Water Services and they take their water from the Mississippi river. They are currently able to produce plenty of water to serve all of their customers but they are working with the DNR to conserve water wherever possible. The big way to conserve water during a drought are outdoor watering restrictions. Alex will expand on this topic at the meeting. -Updating technology at our lift stations: The public works department used last year as a test year for new technology at our sanitary sewer lift stations. They had demonstration units from two companies for a computer box that monitors the stations and can contact staff if there are problems. This technology is a step up from our current dialer systems and allows staff members to diagnose the issue from home and potentially save a trip to the station. -Our sanitary sewer televising/jetting program: Alex has been in charge of the sanitary sewer televising and jetting program and will talk about the benefits of having the sewer camera trailer and how it has helped our maintenance of the system.