#04 - PW Operational Assessment Recommendation

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PUBLIC WORKS ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENT 21  Calendar and Scheduling: Managing staff schedules and on-call responsibilities, tracking staff vacations and callouts, and setting up appointments  File Management: Organizing, scanning, and disposing of outdated documents The more tasks this individual can take on, the greater the value this role will be to the Department, largely by removing these tasks from those that must otherwise be completed by the Director or Assistant Director. The list of tasks above is varied and will require significant training. An initial investment of time by the Assistant Director or Director in creating a binder of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for this individual to reference will pay dividends in helping them learn their role. Some of the tasks listed above will only be done periodically, and a book of SOPs laying out where to find reports, when they must be completed, how they are to be completed, etc. will reduce the oversight necessary from the Assistant Director and Director, as well as help ensure a more consistent and efficient work product. The SOPs should document critical operations and duties to provide reference materials for the new Administrative Assistant, as well as any potential future employees. The SOPs should include guides to common tasks the Administrative Assistant may conduct using various software platforms, and the SOPs should be reviewed periodically so any revisions in processes or major software updates are accounted for. Initially, this position is envisioned being allocated roughly 0.5 FTE to the Department and the rest to general administration. This allocation may change over time, particularly if the individual can take on more duties within the Department. Recommendation 8: Either hire a certified mechanic or sign a service contract with a local vendor The Department operates a fleet including plow, salting, light-duty, and heavy equipment. Many larger cities or public works departments include a Fleet component that provides, at a minimum, basic maintenance of light-duty vehicles. Currently, the City does not employ a mechanic. However, there is at least one Operator who performs some of this work, though this person is not an ASCE certified mechanic. Naturally, there is a desire by the City to obtain auto repair work at as low a cost as possible, but having non-certified mechanics work on vehicles is not an appropriate strategy and may open the City up to significant liability risk. To address its needs, the City should either hire an ASCE-certified mechanic, issue a Request for Proposals (RFP), or approach local auto repair facilities to obtain a service contract. A service contract will likely be most cost-effective if it includes all City light-duty vehicles, rather than just those within the Department. There are numerous advantages to a vehicle maintenance service contract. The first advantage is freeing Department staff time by eliminating a non-core service performed by Department staff. The second is that the specialists can maintain all the necessary parts and tools to conduct all repairs, rather than the City maintaining only those for basic work, only to have to send the car to a vendor for more complex work. There are potential cost savings as well. Many service contracts include basic maintenance, such as oil changes and tire rotations, within the cost of the contract. The automotive work currently done by the City is also likely being done on a more informal basis, without the work being recorded as part of a larger asset management program. The service vendor would have a computerized documentation system that would record all work done on vehicles, and while this system would not be owned by the City, the City could request this information when needed. Alternatively, the City could hire a certified mechanic, though unless it felt that it could keep the mechanic busy performing vehicle maintenance full-time, it is unlikely to be cost-effective compared to a service contract. Employing a mechanic may provide other, non-financial benefits to the City, such as the convenience of having an in-house mechanic. There may also be non-financial downsides, though, such as what happens to vehicle maintenance if the mechanic position is vacant for an extended period of time. Ultimately, the choice between a certified mechanic or a service contract will be determined by local market conditions and the City’s preferences.