#04 - PW Operational Assessment Recommendation

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2 CITY OF LAKE ELMO, MN  39% increase in sewer pipe length  43% increase in water customers  55% increase in water pipe length  23% increase in park acreage The Department has taken steps to gain efficiency (e.g., improved water meter technology, screening of utility locates requests) and should be applauded for those efforts. Nevertheless, there are limits as to what can be gained via efficiency measures without adding staffing capacity. The recommendations contained within this report are intended to help the Department adapt to the growth it has seen as well as prepare it to meet workload demands in the future. Overall, fully implementing our recommendations will require dedicated effort over the next one to three years. The table below summarizes the recommendations included in this assessment by topic area. Table 1: List of Report Recommendations Number Recommendations Yearly Planning and Prioritization 1 Create an annual work plan to determine when significant work initiatives are scheduled or expected. Organizational Structure and Staffing 2 Use the annual work plan to revisit policies restricting Operator PTO. 3 Modify the Department’s summer hours to increase efficiency. 4 Increase staffing by two Operators and one Lead Operator. 5 Designate about six Operators as Utility Specialists and limit on-call rotations to the Utility Specialists. 6 Edit the Director’s job description to remove responsibilities for heavy equipment operation and add focus on public outreach and achieving strategic goals. 7 Hire an administrative assistant to help with administrative needs. 8 Either hire a certified mechanic or sign a service contract with a local vendor. 9 Stakeholders within the City should collaborate on potential Parks staffing. Work Processes 10 Implement the Beehive CMMS to fully utilize its capabilities. Leadership 11 Obtain leadership training for those in supervisory roles. Safety 12 Work to instill and sustain a culture of safety.