09-02-25 City Council Meeting Packet

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PUBLIC WORKS ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENT 35 A second option Lake Elmo could consider would be to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP), or approach local auto repair facilities to obtain a service contract to ensure appropriate maintenance work is performed. 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 is to free up Department staff time by eliminating a non-core service performed by Public Works 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 vehicle to a vendor for more complex work. 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 largely 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. Ultimately, the choice between a certified mechanic or a service contract should be determined by local market conditions and the City’s preferences. In eithe case, the City will need to determine the service level expectations for the mechanic, including how maintenance will be conducted and priced on diesel engines, heavy equipment, or hydraulics, as well as more typical preventative maintenance activities. Recommendation 9: Stakeholders within the City should collaborate on potential Parks staffing The City recently produced a Parks Master Plan containing recommendations regarding the future of the City’s parks, involving identified capital projects, improvements, and staffing. The recommendations were labeled as ‘High’, ‘Medium’, and ‘Low’ priority. A recommendation to hire a Parks Director was specially singled out as ‘First Priority’, with highlighted text stating, “Adding this position is the most critical action the city can take toward improving their park and trail system as the future unfolds.” The recommendation for a Parks Director may be sound, but the recommendation omits discussion of this role’s scope and function, how it might fit either within or alongside the Public Works Department, or how it might fit within the larger City organization. Specifically, Parks Director positions rarely exist outside of Parks Departments that contain other parks staff to oversee. Based on our analysis, the workload for a separate Parks department does not exist at this time. Recent developments within the City, however, call for an intentional process to plan for staffing some form of parks leadership position in the coming years. In general, the growth that has matured the parks system sufficiently to warrant a master plan will soon warrant a staff member to implement the master plan. One specific development that may justify planning for a staff position is the recent acquisition of a 77-acre tract of land, currently intended as a park containing a multisport complex. Development of this multisport complex may, depending on the amenities provided, mark a significant turn in the level of service that the City’s parks offer its residents. The City should conduct a workshop (or convene a workgroup) of relevant stakeholders, including the City Administrator, Director and/or Assistant Director of Public Works, the Parks Advisory Board, and City Council members to work through how a parks leadership position might best serve the needs of the City. The group should answer such questions as: