HomeMy WebLinkAbout#04 - PW Operational Assessment Recommendation
STAFF REPORT
DATE: May 13, 2025
WORKSHOP
TO: Mayor and Councilmembers
FROM: Nicole Miller, City Administrator
Marty Powers, Public Works Director
AGENDA ITEM: Presentation of Public Works Operational Assessment Report
CORE STRATEGIES:
☐ Vibrant, inclusive, connected community ☐ Efficient, reliable, innovative services
☒ Responsive, transparent, adaptive governance ☐ Balanced Finances now and future
☐ Managed Growth ☐ Resilient Infrastructure
BACKGROUND:
As part of the 2025 budget, staff has planned for a department assessment for our Public Works
Department. The purpose of this assessment is to work in partnership with the department to
align the with best practices, efficient operations, use of technology, and to match the department
size with our growing community and service level expectations. In January 2025, the City
Council awarded a contract to Raftelis to perform the operational assessment.
Raftelis and City Staff have been working together over the last few months to exchange
information and discuss recommendations.
ISSUE BEFORE COUNCIL:
Does the City Council have any additional questions about the Public Works Operational
Assessment?
PROPOSAL DETAILS/ANALYSIS:
Brian Kirsch and Scott Parker from Raftelis will present their findings and recommendations to
the City Council.
ATTACHMENTS:
Public Works Operational Assessment Report
CITY OF
Lake Elmo, MN
Public Works Organizational Assessment
Report / May 9, 2025
CITY OF LAKE ELMO, MN PUBLIC WORKS ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENT
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19 Garfield Place, Suite 500 Cincinnati, OH 45202
www.raftelis.com
May 9, 2025
Nicole Miller
City Administrator
City of Lake Elmo
Subject: Public Works Organizational Assessment Project Report
Dear Ms. Miller,
We are pleased to present this project report for the City of Lake Elmo Public Works Organizational Assessment.
The report includes observations and recommendations for incorporating best management practices into Public
Works operations and creating staff capacity in several key areas.
The Public Works staff who engaged in this process take pride in their work and strive to offer exceptional service to
the community. The operational improvements and staffing adjustments that are recommended here are intended to
make the Public Works staff more efficient and effective. Addressing these areas will ensure that the Department of
Public Works continues to be an asset to the Lake Elmo community.
Thank you for the opportunity to work with the City of Lake Elmo.
Sincerely,
J. Scott Parker
Vice President – Organizational Assessment
CITY OF LAKE ELMO, MN PUBLIC WORKS ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENT
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CITY OF LAKE ELMO, MN PUBLIC WORKS ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENT
Table of Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................ 1
INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................... 3
BACKGROUND AND METHODOLOGY .......................................................... 3
ABOUT THE CITY OF LAKE ELMO ................................................................ 3
ABOUT THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT .............................................. 4
Core Services Matrix .......................................................................................................5
Staffing..............................................................................................................................5
ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS............................................... 6
Comparative Analysis of Workloads Over Time ...........................................................7
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN ................................................................... 26
CONCLUSION ...................................................................................... 29
CITY OF LAKE ELMO, MN PUBLIC WORKS ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENT
List of Tables
Table 1: List of Report Recommendations ...............................................................................2
Table 2: Public Works Department Core Services ...................................................................5
Table 3: Selected Department Statistics and Authorized FTEs, 2013 – 2023 ........................8
Table 4: Proposed Implementation Plan for Recommendations .......................................... 26
List of Figures
Figure 1: Public Works and Relevant Departments’ Organizational Structure, FY2024 .......4
Figure 2: Water Customer Accounts per PW FTE ....................................................................8
Figure 3: Sewer Customer Accounts per PW FTE ...................................................................9
Figure 4: MGD Water Produced per PW FTE .......................................................................... 10
Figure 5: MGD Wastewater Collected per PW FTE ................................................................ 11
Figure 6: Acres of Parkland per PW FTE ................................................................................ 12
Figure 7: Miles of Road per PW FTE ....................................................................................... 13
Figure 8: Proposed Organizational Structure with Addition of Lead Operator and Operators
.................................................................................................................................................... 19
PUBLIC WORKS ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENT 1
Executive Summary
The City of Lake Elmo (City) contracted Raftelis to complete an operational, organizational, and management
analysis of its Department of Public Works (Department). This assessment aimed to identify opportunities for
improving operational efficiency and effectiveness and review organizational structure, technology, processes, and
policies to provide efficient and effective service to the fast-growing community of Lake Elmo.
To complete this assessment, the project team engaged with nine operators, three members of the leadership team,
three members of the billing, finance, and HR departments, and three (contracted) engineering team members to
develop a comprehensive understanding of the Public Works Department operations. The perspectives from staff
and leadership were combined with an analysis of available data and information related to current workloads and
staff performance, including data related to capital and operating statistics, service level targets, budgets, capital
improvement plans, and annual financial reports. Information gained from interviews and documentary research
was compared with industry best practices and helped shape a series of recommendations with the intent of improved
efficiency and effectiveness of Department operations, while working to ensure the ability of the Department to
handle continued growth in the future.
The City of Lake Elmo has several unique challenges associated with its Public Works operations. For example, the
City has experienced rapid population growth over the last 10 years. By 2050, Lake Elmo is expected to be the fastest-
growing community in Washington County, with a population projected to increase 67% to 19,000 residents by mid-
century1. More recently, the City’s growth rate has ranked as the fastest growing in the entire state2. In some
important ways, the growth in workload demands that Public Works has experienced has far outpaced the rate of
population growth. In 2013, the City had only several dozen sewer customers and now has over 2,600. In the same
time span, the City’s water customers have grown from just over 1,000 to approximately 3,500. The City and its
residents also have had concerns over PFAS contamination in the water supply, to which the City settled a $2.7M
drinking water lawsuit with 3M3.
Despite these challenges, in many respects the Department is providing a high level of service, given its size and
challenges. For example, it has developed and tracks service level targets, such as valve exercising, hydrant flushing,
and sewer jetting. The service level targets qualify as industry best practices, and the Department, to this point, has
been able to meet its targets. These types of preventative maintenance activities are needed if the Department is to
maximize the value it receives from its assets. In addition, the Department has implemented asset management
software (Beehive) that allows the Department to track maintenance activities and the condition of its assets. Finally,
the Department has a pay grade structure (Operator III, II, I) that rewards employee motivation, and is at least partly
responsible for the superior employee retention observed.
Ultimately, the primary difficulties faced by the Department are growth-related. While it has been able to meet its
service level targets, the effort has clearly strained the Department and its resources, and the current pace is unlikely
to be sustainable. The Department last created additional Operator positions in 2019. In just the four years from 2019
to 2023, the growth in the Department’s major service areas has been rapid, with cumulative growth of:
74% increase in sewer customers
1 Population growth in Lake Elmo: https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/lake-elmo-rosemount-and-carver-
among-cities-set-for-population-boom
2 https://www.startribune.com/lake-elmo-growth-rate-surges/600179062
3 PFAS Lawsuit: 3M, Lake Elmo settle for $2.7M, land transfer in drinking water lawsuit | MPR News
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.
PUBLIC WORKS ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENT 3
Introduction
Background and Methodology
The City of Lake Elmo engaged Raftelis to assist with a comprehensive operational, organizational, and management
analysis of the Department of Public Works. This assessment aims to analyze operations, service levels, infrastructure
management, organizational structure, and staffing levels and to provide recommendations for improving efficiency
and effectiveness.
After the project kickoff, Raftelis spent two days on-site interviewing key staff and discussing the Department's
practices. The consulting team held small group interviews with representatives at all levels to gather insights into
daily operations and staff perceptions regarding staffing levels, workloads, intergroup relationships, and potential
efficiency improvements. Remote interviews were conducted with the Engineering team to accommodate staff
schedules and ensure the project timeline was managed effectively.
Information gained from the interviews was then supplemented and verified by a review of documents and data
provided by the Department. Sources include:
Annual budgets
Annual financial reports
Capital Improvement Plans (CIPs)
Historical staffing levels
Growth projections
Water and sewer flow rates
Operating and capital statistics
Public Works metrics
Job descriptions
Raftelis then combined information from document reviews with themes identified in the interviews to evaluate the
desired level of service compared with staffing levels. This information, where appropriate, was also compared to
best practices guidelines from industry organizations such as the American Water Works Association (AWWA).
This comparative analysis allowed the project team to clearly define recommendations to increase staff capacity in
several key areas and provide a framework for future staffing and service level decisions.
About The City of Lake Elmo
The City of Lake Elmo spans 24.2 square miles in Washington County, Minnesota. It is located along U.S. Interstate
694, U.S. Route 36, and U.S. Interstate 94, approximately 18 miles northeast of St. Paul, the state capital. The City
sits on Lake Elmo, a 256.8acre lake that contains several fish species, making it a destination for boating, shopping,
dining, fishing, and other recreational activities.
According to the latest American Community Survey data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the City’s permanent
resident population is 13,756.4 The permanent population has grown by nearly 21.5% over the last 10 years. Most
Lake Elmo community members reside in owner-occupied housing.
4 U.S. Census: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Lake Elmo city, Minnesota
4 CITY OF LAKE ELMO, MN
About the Public Works Department
The City of Lake Elmo's Public Works Department manages the City's water and sewer systems, maintains roadways
and sidewalks, performs street sweeping, and oversees the City's infrastructure planning, design, construction,
operation, and maintenance. This includes streets, drinking water, sanitary sewer, and stormwater systems.
Additionally, the Public Works staff is responsible for maintaining parks, sidewalks, trails, and all City buildings and
vehicles.
A Public Works Director leads the Department, and the current Director undertook this role in 2019. The Assistant
Director oversees the Department's operations and maintains utility maintenance records and planning. According
to the City of Lake Elmo’s 2023 budget, the total staffing complement for the Department includes 11.0 full-time
equivalent (FTE) positions and operators who oversee parks, water, and sewer. The organizational structure of the
Department and other relevant portions of the City’s organizational structure are shown in the figure below.
Figure 1: Public Works and Relevant Departments’ Organizational Structure, FY2024
PUBLIC WORKS ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENT 5
CORE SERVICES MATRIX
The following table provides an overview of core services. This list is not intended to be all-inclusive but illustrates
staff responsibilities throughout Public Works.
Table 2: Public Works Department Core Services
Function Summary
Public Parks
Maintenance of public works
Street and sidewalk sweeping
Maintenance of parks and trails
Tree trimming
Snow plowing and salting roads
Utilities
Infrastructure planning, design, and maintenance
Drinking water
Sanitary sewer
Stormwater systems
Utility locates
Hydrant/valve flushing and turning
Sewer
Lift station and grinder pump maintenance and repair
Line maintenance and repair
Sewer inspections
Sewer line locates
STAFFING
Authorized staffing in the Public Works Department grew from five to 11 FTEs between 2012 and 2023. In that
same time period, water customer accounts grew by 229%, and sewer accounts grew by 8,534%. The staffing levels
for the Department have remained at 11 FTEs since 2019, which was the most recent year a new Operator position
was added. The only other full-time addition since 2019 was that of the Assistant Director.
6 CITY OF LAKE ELMO, MN
Analysis and
Recommendations
Population growth in a city inevitably increases demand for services. Often, those demands for services grow in
rough proportion to the growth in population, and this approximates what is seen with the Department of Public
Works regarding its service areas of roads and parks. The rapid population growth Lake Elmo has experienced,
growing from 8,069 residents in 2012 to 13,514 in 2023, would strain most municipal departments. Importantly,
though, the Department also provides water and sewer services, which have grown at much faster rates than would
be suggested by population growth. Prior to 2012, there were no more than 30 sewer customers in the City. The
water system, while not as nascent as the sewer system, served only a fraction of the City residents. In other words,
the water and sewer systems’ growth are not due just to new residents but primarily to rising participation rates in
the utilities from existing City residents. This, combined with simple overall growth, places its own workload
demands on services.
As mentioned previously in this report, the Department has not added a Public Works Operator since 2019.
Nevertheless, it has clearly defined Levels of Service (i.e., target rates for various preventative maintenance activities
such as valve turning, hydrant flushing, sewer jetting, etc.). The maintenance activities adhere to industry standards,
and the Department successfully implements those plans. It has comprehensive Capital Improvement Plans (CIPs)
for each of its service areas, and it has implemented Asset Management software (Beehive). Some of the maintenance
service level targets that the Department has set and strives to meet include:
Sewers jetted every three years
Valves are exercised every three years
Unidirectional hydrant flushing performed every summer; dead-end valves flushed in autumn
Ditches mowed twice per year
Biannual facility inspections
Additionally, the Department has established service level targets related to customer service, including examples
such as:
Water or sewer leaks investigated within 30 minutes
Water or sewer quality complaints responded to within 24 hours
Tree complaints or concerns are investigated within three days
Park complaints investigated within one to two days based on safety concerns
The Department is also advantaged in a key respect in that its utility infrastructure is almost entirely new. Most cities
grapple with the repair and replacement of aging infrastructure while needing to contend with growth. Typically,
their ability to perform preventative maintenance can be overwhelmed with the need to conduct reactive
maintenance, leading to a downward spiral of asset conditions. For example, the Department’s water and sewer
utilities have few assets more than 20 years old, with many being substantially younger. What results is a lower than
normal demand for reactive maintenance. This will change as the utility systems age; the need to conduct reactive
maintenance will rise, even with appropriate preventative maintenance programs.
Another advantage held by the Department is its people. The Public Works Operators, in particular, are experienced
and have had little turnover. Across the nation, many public works departments and utilities struggle to attract and
PUBLIC WORKS ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENT 7
retain quality operators. Not only does the Department lack this problem, but its rules regarding position grades
(Operator III, II, I) allow operators to “self-promote” if they serve appropriate time-in-service and earn additional
licensure levels. Almost every operator in the Department has pursued this strategy, leading to most operators being
licensed and classed at the highest grade (Operator I).
Despite the strengths of the Department, there are challenges as well. Most notable among them is the heavy
workload in the Department and the pressures to meet service-level targets. For various groups within the
Department, there are concerns regarding work-life balance and morale. In short, while the Department has
identified appropriate service level targets and is able to meet them, the pressure and strain required to achieve them
has created a somewhat unsustainable environment. If left unaddressed, this level of unsustainability will likely
increase as the City continues to grow and assets age.
For example, one major issue for the operators is the ability to take paid time off (PTO). Additionally, there is a
noticeable lack of effective communication between operators and management regarding the overall goals and
vision.
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF WORKLOADS OVER TIME
Benchmarking is typically used to compare the quantitative and/or qualitative metrics of an organization against
those of peer organizations or an industry as a whole. Public works departments often struggle to benchmark against
one another due to the numerous unique factors that set them apart, such as the differing relative sizes of the services
they provide (e.g., utilities, streets, parks), relative to the number of staff dedicated to that service. Some agencies
devote full crews to any one or all of these service offerings. Others, like Lake Elmo, expect their staff to perform
ALL of these services. In other words, little or dubious insight might be gained by comparing the City’s Department
of Public Works to those of other cities. Instead, what can provide meaningful insight is an examination of metrics
that quantify relative workloads and how they have changed over time. Unfortunately, there is no way to examine
the cumulative workload of the Department across all its services over time. Instead, the following graphs will look
at the Department’s component services individually: water, sewer, streets and roadways, and parks.
The graphs in this section present workloads normalized by total FTEs in the Department. The City’s Annual
Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) contains tables of statistical information, including the number of FTEs
allocated to each activity by year. These allocated FTEs can help indicate the amount of labor expended on an
activity in a year, but these allocations may be inexact. The allocation method may have changed over time, and
some allocated labor may not be directly related to the operation and maintenance of assets (e.g., allocated time of
the Administrator or Director, utility billing). For this reason, the workload metrics are normalized by the total staff
within the Department, as these ratios represent the total demand to do work per employee.
8 CITY OF LAKE ELMO, MN
Table 3: Selected Department Statistics and Authorized FTEs, 2013 – 2023
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Sewer Pipe
(mi.) 4 4 4 8 8 29 29 32 33 36 40
Sewer
Customers 29 45 96 321 712 1,253 1,436 1,612 1,937 2,206 2,504
Water Pipe
(mi.) 39 40 43 50 50 58 58 73 75 82 90
Water
Customers 1,051 1,073 1,234 1,538 1,727 2,317 2,423 2,522 2,863 3,196 3,466
Acres of Parks 420 420 420 420 420 427 427 427 517 517 526
Paved Road
(mi.) 63 65 65 103 103 112 112 92 95 97 97
Population 8,069 8,069 8,069 8,069 9,625 10,521 11,105 11,105 12,655 13,514 13,514
Total PW
Employees 5 6 5 6 9 10 11 10 10 11 11
Figure 2 shows the water customer accounts served per Department employee. In other words, the denominator is
the total number of FTEs within the Department, which are predominantly Operators and is a good proxy for the
capacity to operate and maintain infrastructure. In Figure 2 the number of accounts per FTE has consistently grown
after 2019, reflecting that no new operator positions had been added since 2019. The general trend across the
timespan in the figure is for increasing numbers of accounts served per employee over time. Between 2017 and 2023,
the number of accounts served per employee has grown by 64%.
Figure 2: Water Customer Accounts per PW FTE
Figure 3 presents the number of sewer customer accounts per total Public Works FTEs. Again, the sewer utility had
very few customers in the initial years of the graph and has seen rapid growth, so the years of 2012 to 2016 should
be evaluated in context. Notably, no other service area has grown faster than the sewer utility for the Department.
210
179
247 256
192
232 220
252
286 291
315
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Ac
c
o
u
n
t
s
p
e
r
F
T
E
Water Customer Accounts per PW FTE
PUBLIC WORKS ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENT 9
Since 2018, the ratio of sewer customers to Public Works FTEs has nearly doubled. This figure is a strong indication
that the Department’s labor resources may be strained by the growth in the sewer utility.
Figure 3: Sewer Customer Accounts per PW FTE
Figure 4 presents water production (MGD) per total Public Works FTEs. Notably, this rate has been basically
constant from 2020 to 2023, despite a growth in water accounts and only one additional FTE during that time. This
supports the notion that per account water usage has fallen during this timeframe.
6 8
19
54
79
125 131
161
194 201
228
0
50
100
150
200
250
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Ac
c
o
u
n
t
s
/
F
T
E
Sewer Customer Accounts per PW FTE
10 CITY OF LAKE ELMO, MN
Figure 4: MGD Water Produced per PW FTE
Figure 5 presents the wastewater flow per Public Works FTE. Again, the general trend is one of increasing flow rates
per FTE over time. Notably, this trend has also been evident from 2018 onward. Again, the reason this trend is
notable is that the last time the Department hired an additional Public Works Operator was in 2019, and this graph
is suggestive of increasing labor demands per employee.
0.07
0.05
0.06 0.06
0.03 0.03
0.07
0.10 0.10 0.10
0.11
0.00
0.02
0.04
0.06
0.08
0.10
0.12
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
MG
D
/
F
T
E
MGD Water Produced per PW FTE
PUBLIC WORKS ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENT 11
Figure 5: MGD Wastewater Collected per PW FTE
The number of acres of parkland has grown over time, though the rate of growth has been much more modest than
the rate of growth in the number of water and wastewater customer accounts. Figure 6 presents the acres of parkland
per total Public Works FTE. Here, the number of acres per Public Works employee is highest in the early years of
the figure, which is unusual compared to the other major services that have been examined thus far. However, it is
again notable that since 2019, the latest year in which an additional Public Works Operator was added, the ratio of
parkland to employees has again been rising, as parkland has been added to the City while the number of Operators
has not grown.
0.06
0.02 0.03 0.03 0.03
0.07
0.11
0.13
0.11
0.24
0.20
0.00
0.05
0.10
0.15
0.20
0.25
0.30
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
MG
D
/
F
T
E
MGD Wastewater Collected per PW FTE
12 CITY OF LAKE ELMO, MN
Figure 6: Acres of Parkland per PW FTE
Figure 7 presents the miles of paved road per Public Works employee. This metric is unusual in that it is the only
major infrastructure metric that has fluctuated up and down over time. The length varied from 63 miles in 2023 to
112 miles in 2018 and 2019 before dropping to 97 miles in 2023. This is the only potential workload measure shown
in this report that has declined over time.
84
70
84
70
47
43
39
43
52
47 48
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
AC
R
E
S
/
F
T
E
Acres of Parkland per PW FTE
PUBLIC WORKS ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENT 13
Figure 7: Miles of Paved Road per PW FTE
Examined individually, the figures presented in this section do not often tell a clear story or identify the cause of
observed trends. However, when these figures are considered as a whole, there is a compelling narrative that the
rapid growth within the City has not been met with proportional growth in the Public Works workforce in recent
years. Perhaps the strongest evidence of this is seen in reviewing each of the graphs, focusing on 2019 onward. In
each case (with the one exception of miles of paved road per FTE), the general trend indicates leaner staffing in 2023
than in 2019. This metric is significant in that 2019 was the most recent year an additional Public Works Operator
FTE was added. These individuals are the ones who actually perform the labor required of the Department’s assets.
Since 2019, the only other FTE added to the Department was an Assistant Director in 2022.
12.6
10.8
13.0
17.2
11.4 11.2
10.2
9.2 9.5 8.8 8.8
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
MI
L
E
S
P
E
R
F
T
E
Miles of Paved Road per PW FTE
14 CITY OF LAKE ELMO, MN
YEARLY PLANNING AND PRIORITIZATION
Recommendation 1: Create an annual work plan to determine when significant work
initiatives are scheduled or expected
Work scheduling for the Department consists of balancing and prioritizing different kinds of work. There are day-to-
day activities (e.g., daily utility rounds), one-off projects (e.g., waterline leak repair), and seasonal projects and
activities (e.g., snow removal). The seasonal projects and activities represent a majority of preventative maintenance-
related Level of Service targets and can be high-visibility projects for residents. (Residents will be aware if streets are
plowed in a timely manner or if potholes are neglected.) Examples of such activities include:
Sewer line jetting
Valve turning
Hydrant flushing
Street paving/pothole repair
Snow plowing
Ice rink maintenance/trail grooming
Despite the regularity of these activities, the Department lacks a documented annual work plan. While these activities
and projects are still being completed, the lack of a work plan leads to deficiencies in resource planning, reactive
work taking priority over planned work, and intradepartmental communications. The Department should create an
annual work plan that identifies the date windows in which projects are likely to occur and estimates the labor
requirements within that time window. For example, pothole repair might be anticipated in June and July. Estimates
of the total number of days within that timeframe that crews will be engaged in the activity and the crew size should
be made. Weather events, high-priority or emergency projects, and other conditions will inevitably cause some days
within this time window to be devoted to non-pothole activities Nevertheless, the annual work plan is intended to be
an informed estimate that can be used to coordinate various seasonal project activities in a way that is most efficient
for staff. For instance, while pothole repair can be accomplished whenever conditions allow it, valve turning is
conducted for three weeks each summer using rental equipment. An annual work plan can prioritize the time-
sensitive nature of valve turning and allow the Department to plan around the activity.
This plan can also assist the Department in assessing and communicating its labor needs. The activities included in
the list above and other relevant activities represent some of the Department's baseline labor requirements. An
accounting of these needs can help express the amount of labor required to conduct its basic seasonal project activities
and allow for accurate “comparables” with the time available.
Finally, in Raftelis’ interviews with Department staff, a consistent observation was the lack of communication of the
“big picture” of projects, their timing, and assignments. Implementing an annual work plan that outlines significant
scheduled projects can enhance communication between management and staff, ultimately leading to increased
transparency and efficiency. It can also assist with morale by communicating the expected baseline work needs.
PUBLIC WORKS ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENT 15
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND STAFFING
Recommendation 2: Use the annual work plan to revisit policies restricting Operator PTO
Recent, temporary, guidelines established within the Department allowed for a maximum of two Public Works
Operators approved for PTO per day, a reduction from previous limits of four Operators approved for PTO on a
given day. The reduction in this limit, while temporary, is indicative of the strain the Department is experiencing to
meet workload demands with available staffing. (This limit has since been lifted.)
The reduced PTO limit negatively affected morale within the Department. Operators have had numerous PTO
requests denied, despite some requests being made months in advance, to the point that Operators do not feel that
they are likely to be able to take the vacation that they have earned on the dates they would prefer to take it. Given
a two-person PTO limit, however, denial of PTO requests is a likely outcome. Given the number of Operator
positions (including the Lead Operator), and assuming an average accrual of 7.5 hours of PTO per pay period, plus
an additional six days of sick leave per year, the Operators collectively earn almost 2,200 hours of time off each year.
In other words, if time off were evenly distributed throughout the year, at least one Operator would be out every
working day of the year. Time off requests are not distributed evenly, however. They naturally cluster around
holidays and school breaks, which then leads to denials of PTO requests.
While the perception of the need for aggressive PTO limits is understandable (i.e., the sense that Level of Service
targets can only be met with a full complement of staff), a change in approach is warranted. First, there is some
flexibility as to when some of the Department’s project work must be completed. Of all the work the Department
completes in a year, the Department has significant flexibility as to when certain activities are conducted. Secondly,
as noted earlier, on average, at least one Operator will be off every workday (assuming all PTO and sick leave is
taken). Every day, then, that two or more Operators are on PTO mathematically results in one or more days that the
Operators are fully staffed.
Denial of PTO requests has had negative consequences on the Operators’ morale. Raftelis recommends that the
Department revisit this limit with the goal of increasing it by using the annual work plan (Recommendation 1) to
inform what this limit should be. This recommendation should be considered strategically as the annual work plan
is being crafted. When planning certain seasonal projects, consideration should be given to grant PTO requests as
part of the planning process. The potential to grant PTO may also be able to fluctuate seasonally based on work
needs. Certain weeks of the year might intentionally be identified as “low power” weeks in which no major projects
are planned. For example, aligning such a week with the local school district’s schedule for spring break may be
advantageous. There is likely to be higher demand for PTO on that week, and as long as the Department is able to
meet day-to-day operational needs, the time off that is taken that week will ensure more days of fully staffed operation
the remainder of the year.
Expounding on the notion of fluctuating PTO limits, the Department may wish to give special consideration to the
snow plowing season (generally considered to be November 1 to March 31). Within the snow plowing season, the
Department may not wish to approve so much PTO on any given day that it cannot staff the seven plowing routes
in the City should there be a snowstorm. However, given the quality of modern weather forecasting, the Department
may wish to grant additional PTO requests with a week’s notice should the forecast be sufficiently clear of potential
snow risks. Reportedly, at least a form of this conditional granting of PTO (“approved off pending a snow event”)
has been in place for several years.
Ultimately, working to make the PTO that Operators have accrued more easily accessible to them is likely to improve
morale within the Department at no fiscal cost and should be considered as the annual work plan is developed.
16 CITY OF LAKE ELMO, MN
Recommendation 3: Modify the Department’s summer hours to increase efficiency
During the winter months, the Department’s Operators work a standard eight-hour day (Monday to Friday). In the
non-winter months, Operators work four nine-hour days (Monday to Thursday) and a four-hour day on Friday
morning. This “summer schedule” is considered a win-win proposition. The Operators appreciate the early start to
the weekend, and management believes that they are significantly more productive under this scheme, thanks to the
longer uninterrupted hours of work in the afternoons of the nine-hour days. This alternative summer schedule
improves productivity by minimizing the inevitable inefficiency that occurs during the startup and cleanups as crews
transition from lunches and breaks. It extends the time spent working uninterrupted in the afternoons.
A side effect of the summer hours is the desire among Operators to take Fridays off. Currently, by using just four
hours of their accrued PTO, Operators can get a full three-day weekend. Given the low PTO cost to Operators,
Fridays are always minimally staffed.
Management has noted increased productivity that comes from workdays that are longer than eight hours and has
been considering extending the current summer hours of “four nines and a four” to the winter months in addition to
adopting the “four 10s” schedule in the summer. This report remains neutral as to whether “four nines and a four”
is appropriate during the winter. The increased productivity gained by “four nines and a four” is not questioned. The
issue is that the reduced hours scheduled for Fridays may require some amount of overtime if roads must be plowed
on a Friday. Other potential downsides include spending longer hours outside in the Minnesota winter and the lack
of available daylight, which can pose a safety hazard. Nonetheless, the benefits of longer hours, even in the winter,
may be worth the cost, but this should be evaluated by the Department. There may also be compromise strategies in
which “summer hours” are extended longer than they have been historically (e.g., summer hours could be in place
from March 15 to December 1). We believe these sorts of details are best sorted out by the Department.
Raftelis does propose dividing the Operators into two groups to address these staffing challenges during the summer
months. Crew A would work Monday through Thursday, while Crew B would work Tuesday through Friday. This
arrangement ensures that each crew has three consecutive days off while maintaining a four-day work schedule of
10-hour shifts. The summer schedule theoretically allows every Operator to enjoy a three-day weekend.
We recommend this change based on the fact that under the current summer schedule, Mondays to Thursdays are
considered productive field workdays, while Fridays address more housekeeping-type activities. Changing the
schedule to ensure everyone gets a three-day weekend (except for the individual on-call) may improve productivity,
reduce the total demand for PTO during the summer and help spread PTO requests throughout the rest of the year.
The longer 10-hour days should lead both to greater efficiency and to improved workplace morale. See Figure 12 for
a depiction of the structure of Crew A and Crew B.
Recommendation 4: Increase staffing by two Operators and one Lead Operator
Over the past six years, workloads have increased significantly, but no additional Operators have been hired since
2019. The number of sewer customer accounts has grown from fewer than 30 in 2013 to over 2,500 by 2023. The
number of water customer accounts has grown by over 330% between 2013 and 2023. In contrast, the number of
Operators has grown from four to nine. Given the growing workload demands, the Department has adopted
efficiency strategies to free up the workforce. One example is replacing water meters that use Automatic Meter
Reading (AMR) technology with those that use Automatic Meter Infrastructure (AMI) technology, which no longer
requires Operators to drive around the City to obtain meter reads. A second example is more intense screening of
utility locate requests, in which a desktop determination is now made as to whether the proposed activity actually
PUBLIC WORKS ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENT 17
requires an Operator to respond in person to mark City assets. Despite these strategies, the growing workload
demands are straining the Department. Target service levels continue to be met, but in a manner that is unlikely to
be sustainable. Two areas in which the strain is evident are in recent strategies to limit PTO usage (see
Recommendation 2) and the manner in which tasks are staffed and performed. Specifically, there is a perception of
excessive pressure to complete tasks more quickly while staffing tasks with fewer Operators than may be
recommended for safe operation.
The current complement of Operators has a single Lead Operator overseeing eight Operators. Although this role is
not officially a supervisory position, it does have some supervisory characteristics. Normal recommendations would
be for no position to oversee more than five to eight people. Usually, a front-line supervisor, for example, a Lead
Operator, is more of a Team Lead-type role with a smaller span of control of four to six individuals and is not
monitoring teams on multiple worksites.
Given the demonstrated need, Raftelis recommends that the Department hire additional Operators. Additional
Operators, in turn, suggest the need for an additional Lead Operator. Specifically, Raftelis recommends in the short
term that the Department hires one Operator and one Lead Operator. The project team believes that in the longer
term (as soon as the following year), a second new Operator is likely warranted. However, the Department is
currently recruiting to fill an open Operator position, a vacancy created due to retirement. Filling this vacant position
and those of the two new recommended positions would represent a significant undertaking for the Department in
the short term. Assuming these positions are filled this year, the Department may assess in the next year or two
whether creating and filling the second new position for Operator is warranted.
The hiring of additional Operators and a Lead Operator will also require investment in tools and equipment for these
individuals. One or more trucks may be required for the new staff members. Additionally, the Department’s
workspace is nearly at capacity now, with little space to park additional vehicles indoors. If the community continues
to grow as it has in the recent past, it is likely that additional building and/or garage space will be needed in the
coming years.
As noted earlier in the report, the Department has identified appropriate service level targets and is meeting those
targets. However, the effort required to meet them has been growing for years. Additional staff resources will allow
the Department to meet those targets more effectively today in a manner that is safe and sustainable for the workforce
and prepare the Department for a future where workload demands continue to grow.
Recommendation 5: Designate up to six Operators as Utility Specialists and limit on-call
rotations to the Utility Specialists
Currently, Public Works Operators are not differentiated by the types of work that they do. There are not “water
operators” or “sewer operators” or “streets operators”. Each week, however, one Operator is designated to be on
call. This on-call Operator is responsible for checking and resolving any alarms within the water and sewer systems,
particularly after-hours and weekends. The on-call Operator is also responsible for performing daily rounds on the
utility systems. The on-call responsibility rotates weekly amongst all Operators. With a complement of eight
Operators and a Lead Operator (currently seven Operators due to the vacancy), each Operator is on call once
approximately every two months.
Some Operators expressed a lack of comfort with working on the utility system, noting that they rarely work with it
outside of their call weeks. The Department has the advantage of being, in relative terms, a simple utility system with
few mechanical components and operations that do not require constant monitoring. Yet, it is still complex enough
that infrequent exposure fails to produce the familiarity that one would expect in Operators. The issue expressed by
18 CITY OF LAKE ELMO, MN
the Operators is likely to be compounded in the short and medium term. In the short term, the addition of new
Operators will reduce the frequency of the on-call rotation for each Operator if the current scheme of rotation
amongst all Operators continues. If the Department hires an additional three Operators, which it may do over the
next year or so, each Operator will be on call once every 12 weeks, or roughly once every three months. It will be
even harder to gain familiarity with the system with reduced exposure. In the medium term, the addition of new
PFAS treatment plants will further complicate the water system’s operation. Reportedly, these treatment plants
should not have a large impact on labor needs but will be a complicating factor in gaining mastery of the water system
operations for the Operators. Additionally, as existing equipment ages, it will require more know-how to keep it
running properly, further emphasizing the need for expertise in the system.
To address the issues noted above, Raftelis recommends that the Department designate approximately six Operators
as Utility Specialists. The primary differentiation of Utility Specialists from other Operators is that the on-call rotation
would be staffed only by the Utility Specialists. The on-call Operator would continue to have primary responsibility
for the daily rounds, as well. Specifically, Raftelis recommends that both Lead Operators be designated as Utility
Specialists. As to the other four positions, it would be preferable that they be staffed with four of the most senior
operators (e.g., Public Works Operator I’s).
There is a question as to the desirability of this role. Historically, in the water and wastewater industry, the
opportunity to earn compensation and overtime from being on call was considered a perk among Operators.
However, in recent years, Raftelis’ experience shows that overtime work is increasingly difficult to recruit for. It
appears that younger employees increasingly value their time. The Department has evidence of this trend as well.
Recent retirements/vacancies have opened two weekly on-call “slots,” and these slots have remained open for a
considerable time. (The on-call work is still being covered, but out of requirement rather than opportunity.) Further,
when given the choice of receiving overtime pay or comp time, the Operators have exhibited a strong preference for
comp time, indicating that their time is worth more than their wages.
It may be that the role of Utility Specialist requires incentives beyond the compensation received for being on-call.
There are several potential mechanisms that could be explored and could include things such as:
A uniform increase in base wages for Operators designated as Utility Specialists
An increase in step on the pay scale
More generous terms of on-call compensation (e.g., instead of one hour of automatic pay when on call, an
increase to one and a half hours)
Preferential scheduling for overtime requests when not on call (e.g., if desired, they could be last to be called
out for weekend plowing work if not on-call)
Should there be significant interest in the Utility Specialist role, preferential selection should be made of the most
experienced Operators (i.e., Operator I’s) before opening the role to less experienced positions. It should be noted
that any of the approaches mentioned above will likely require negotiation with the Operators’ union.
It should also be noted that the intention of this recommendation is not to segregate the Operators into utility and
non-utility skillsets. Currently, there is no need to divide the Operators such that one Lead Operator leads the Utility
Specialists and the other leads the non-Utility Specialists. All Operators should continue to be required to earn the
licenses appropriate for their level (III, II, or I) and encouraged to advance their licensure. Rather, the intention is to
ensure that those who respond to after-hours call outs are experienced, comfortable, and competent in working
independently to solve whatever issues have arisen with utility infrastructure.
PUBLIC WORKS ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENT 19
Figure 8 below shows the proposed organizational structure of the Department and related functions with the
addition of a Lead Operator and two new Operators, who are included as part of the Operators / Utility Specialists.
(The Administrative Assistant position is discussed in Recommendation 7.)
Finance Director
(1 FTE)
Public Works
Director
(1 FTE)
Lead Operator A
(1 FTE)
Finance
Coordinator
(1 FTE)
Payroll/Payables
Clerk
(1 FTE)
Utility Billing Clerk
(1 FTE)
Administrative
Services Director
(1 FTE)
Operators / Utility
Specialists
(5 FTE)
Lead Operator B
(1 FTE)
Operators / Utility
Specialists
(5 FTE)
Administrative
Assistant
(0.5 FTE)
Asst. Public Works
Director
(1 FTE)
City Administrator
(1 FTE)
Figure 8: Proposed Organizational Structure with Addition of Lead Operator and Operators
Recommendation 6: Edit the Director’s job description to remove responsibilities for heavy
equipment operation and add focus on public outreach and achieving strategic goals
As cities grow, their organizations inevitably exhibit more specialization. In smaller Public Works departments or
utilities, staff tend to “wear a lot of hats.” As they grow, however, this becomes less and less possible. This is largely
a matter of scale; the more infrastructure in service, the more it needs care and attention, and this is beyond what
any one person or group can do. Moreover, as organizations grow and specialize, staff aim to work at their highest
levels, where they can provide the highest value for the organization. In response, more specialized job titles begin
to appear in the organization: engineer, public information officer, GIS analyst, safety and training manager, etc.
In Lake Elmo, the demands of the Director's time have increased alongside the City's development. The growth
within the City has led to ongoing change that requires coordination within other city departments, with developers
and residents, who now expect a higher level of service, particularly concerning communications about Department
operations. The Director has also identified numerous service-level targets, coordinates efforts to meet those targets,
and tracks progress to ensure the targets are achieved. Yet within the Director’s job description, it is a requirement
that the Director have “extensive operator skills” related to heavy equipment, and the Director is sometimes behind
20 CITY OF LAKE ELMO, MN
the controls of heavy equipment. This is likely not the highest and best use of the already busy Director’s time. (To
be sure, the fact that the Director feels the need to work in the field indicates that the Operators are understaffed.)
The “Position Details" section of the Director’s job description does not address the role of public communication.
Raftelis recommends that the Director’s job description be reviewed and edited to reflect the need for executive-level
work within the Department. This review should de-emphasize duties and skills more in-line with Operators. Rather,
it should stress expectations related to leading the strategic direction of the Department and specifically add language
regarding coordinating communications with the public.
In the project team’s interviews, there was a consistent theme about a lack of communication that exists within the
Department relative to the strategy and relevance of work staff is expected to do. There is also a significant need for
effective communication and customer service between the Department and the community, notably in response to
public inquiries about water quality. When combined with the addition of staff noted in Recommendation 4, the
organization should rework the Director’s job description to identify the executive components of the position to
emphasize the importance of communication and providing strategic direction to the Department and the public.
This can help advance the professionalization of the Department as well as its standing with the public and other
stakeholders.
Recommendation 7: Hire an Administrative Assistant to help with administrative needs
The City previously had an Administrative Assistant who was allocated 0.4 FTE to the Department and recently left
their position. This had an impact on Department operations, which require administrative and clerical support,
especially from someone knowledgeable about public works operations. Efficient organizations thrive when
employees can perform at their highest levels. In the absence of administrative support, these more clerical tasks must
be taken on by either the Director or the Assistant Director. Raftelis recommends that this position be filled with at
least 0.5 FTE allocated to the Department. Over time, and with the right candidate, this individual could be provided
with sufficient duties to warrant a full 1.0 FTE allocation to the Department. Ideally, the new hire should have
experience in public works or utility operations. Additionally, this individual must be capable of learning and
operating new software applications and be able to read maps using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), which,
with the work plan and growth of the City, will be increasingly critical to efficient Department operations. As such,
the more proficient the candidate is in computer usage, the greater the role they will be able to take on within the
Department.
The potential duties the Administrative Assistant could help with is listed below:
Customer Service: Responding to phone and email inquiries
Park Reservations: Managing reservations
Data Entry: Updating spreadsheets (e.g., backflow preventer tests, well logs, fluoride reports)
Permit Processing: Handling road right-of-way and temporary parking permit applications
Communication Management: Taking calls/emails, resolving routine queries, and forwarding them to
appropriate departments
Minutes and Agendas: Creating and distributing minutes for park commissions and safety committees,
updating agendas and meeting reminders
Website and Document Updates: Updating public works web pages, printing records/maps, and editing
forms/documents
Complaint Resolution: Handling minor complaints (e.g., garbage, tree issues, mailbox damage) and
directing them appropriately
Fuel and Equipment Records: Entering maintenance data into software and generating fuel reports
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.
22 CITY OF LAKE ELMO, MN
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:
What is the scope of this position? Is this role intended to obtain grant funding and deliver capital projects
from the master plan? Is this role intended to plan and coordinate programming within the parks?
Where in the City’s organizational structure should this role reside? If this role is in the Public Works
Department, what would be an appropriate title (e.g., Assistant Director, Manager)?
When should this hiring occur? The multisport complex represents a large opportunity for the City but
lacks definitive plans. Should this position be filled to help the community plan its design, or be hired once
the park has been built?
Being intentional in answering questions of the “what” and “why” of this park leadership position will help create
agreement within the City as to the purpose of this role and help identify the ideal candidate for this envisioned role.
WORK PROCESSES
Recommendation 10: Implement the Beehive CMMS to fully utilize its capabilities
Industry standard software for public works departments includes asset management software that combines GIS
mapping with asset inventories to help track the location, condition, and maintenance performed on assets. When
asset management capabilities are combined with the capacity to issue, track, and complete work orders, these
software packages are known as Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS). The industry standard
practice is for work orders to be developed within the CMMS and assigned to operators. The operators perform the
PUBLIC WORKS ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENT 23
work and record their work in the CMMS, and that work order is attached to the asset’s record within the CMMS.
Moreover, operators are commonly issued mobile devices so that they can access the CMMS in the field, allowing
them to use the GIS capabilities, receive work orders, and fill out the work orders without having to return to the
office.
A properly designed and implemented CMMS provides numerous advantages to organizations. It improves
workflows, communications, and analysis of asset conditions. It also allows reporting not just of the work that is
being done, but the backlog of work that is not being accomplished and may require more resources. It can be an
invaluable tool not just for tracking asset conditions but also for tracking workforce conditions. By showing the
amount of work that is being accomplished, the ratio of corrective to preventative maintenance that is occurring, and
the backlog of work orders, a CMMS can quantitatively make the case as to whether more staff are required. The
reports produced by a CMMS can aid leadership in making more informed decisions and be an effective tool to
communicate with parties outside the Department.
The City utilizes an asset management software program known as Beehive. Beehive has been in use for several years
within the Department and has been utilized to develop the Department’s asset inventory. Unfortunately, Beehive
does not include any Parks assets, as the Department has not purchased a Parks module. Additionally, it is not used
to its full capability work order system. Operators in the field primarily rely on Beehive for utility locates and GIS
mapping, using a mobile app version. In its role as an asset management program, work that is done on the utility
system is recorded within Beehive by the Assistant Director following the completion of the work. Work orders are
not issued prior to work, negating the ability to plan work or track work backlogs, and the sort of data that would
allow for the tracking of level of effort (e.g., labor hours, equipment, and supplies used) is not collected. Rather than
the Operators entering all of this data in the field and the Assistant Director performing quality control checks on
completed work orders, the Assistant Director enters data on asset status and the type of work performed.
To fully realize the value of Beehive, the Department should implement all of its functionality. This would involve
developing the work order capabilities of Beehive to include the most efficient recording of the data for that work.
Once a work order is created, it can be assigned to specific Operators, who upon completion of the work, will fill out
the necessary information in the work order. It can then be reviewed for detail and accuracy before approval.
Currently, when work is completed, information about the work is relayed to the Assistant Director, who enters the
data into Beehive. To enhance functionality, the Parks module should be acquired and mobile devices provided for
Operators working in the field.
The proper use and maintenance of this tool will be imperative to the success of the proposed work plan noted in
Recommendation 1. The work recorded in the CMMS should be reviewed and referenced when the work plan is
reviewed and decisions on operational initiatives or capital improvements are made. Most CMMS packages come
with their own standard set of reports, allowing custom reports to be created. It is important, then, that the
Department select or develop the necessary reporting tools to make the best use of their data.
It is also necessary to invest in sufficient staff training to ensure all staff can use Beehive proficiently. Failure to obtain
adequate training is a common cause of poor adoption of software in organizations and can jeopardize the substantial
investment made in the software. The Department should evaluate training courses offered on the program and take
advantage of as many of them as it deems necessary to properly utilize the tool toward its strategic objectives.
24 CITY OF LAKE ELMO, MN
LEADERSHIP
Recommendation 11: Obtain leadership training for those in supervisory roles
Within the public works industry, people all too often are trained in the technical skills required of their roles as they
promote through their careers but receive little to no leadership or supervisory training as they promote into positions
of authority. This is an area in which many organizations struggle to provide appropriate resources. Larger cities and
organizations are more likely to have formalized development programs for their leaders and supervisors. In contrast,
smaller organizations are more likely to seek ad hoc or external training programs. As a city grows, one unexpected
side effect is the strain on supervisory roles as the need for supervision becomes more prominent. More staff means
more supervision, and there is a different level of skill required to supervise two staff members compared to 10.
The Operators’ Union has filed several grievances regarding the workplace environment and management's behavior.
Morale is low among operators, some of whom report high levels of work-related anxiety. This observation is
included not to validate those complaints or assign blame, but to illustrate what sorts of things that may be alleviated
with improved supervisory skills.
Raftelis recommends that workers in supervisory roles, including Lead Operators, as a matter of policy, be provided
with periodic leadership or supervisory training. The soft skills developed through these training courses can help to
improve workforce morale. Just as importantly, this sort of training is a vital component of succession planning.
Given the City’s size, it is likely that most training will need to be sourced externally. There may be some areas where
internal training would be indicated, such as if the City wishes to have a consistent application of employee appraisal
metrics. The elements of the training should include:
Effective Leadership – Training on effective supervisor leadership to include topics like situational
leadership, work planning, communication, building and motivating strong teams, coaching, and conflict
resolution.
Efficient Work Execution – Training Lead Operators and others on best practices and efficiency standards
for the use of equipment, coordination of resources, and assignment of the number of workers who should
respond to different types of jobs.
Focus on Safety – Setting clear expectations regarding a culture of safety and performance of work according
to established and required safety practices.
Performance Expectations – Communicate how to consistently apply performance appraisal metrics tied to
expectations for specific job categories.
SAFETY
Recommendation 12: Work to instill and sustain a culture of safety
During the interview process, there were consistent concerns raised regarding safety issues, in a manner indicating a
culture that prioritizes efficiency and productivity over safety. In part, Operators are concerned that job tasks are
assigned with fewer staff than recommended by knowledgeable third parties. Furthermore, if staff are routinely
placed in unsafe situations due to low staffing, it becomes difficult to hold them accountable for their unsafe actions,
which can place the organization at unacceptable exposure to risks that could impact it in a number of ways, up to
and including significant financial risk. This is why organizations speak of cultivating a “culture” of safety. It is a
recognition that if one aspect of safety is ignored, other aspects of safety are more difficult to maintain.
PUBLIC WORKS ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENT 25
The Department should work to develop a culture of safety and instill that culture into all elements of its work. This
requires several steps based around communication, collaboration, and coordination of safety activities. Currently,
the Department provides safety training courses from external providers to its staff, and this should continue. Safety
training courses are a necessary component of a culture of safety, but they alone are not sufficient. Another
component of a safety culture involves an ongoing discussion regarding the tasks and work environments that
Operators experience. Given that a primary concern regards staffing levels, representatives of the Operators and
management should work together to agree to staffing guidelines for common tasks. For instance, if a crew is
performing tree trimming and operating a woodchipper, safe operating guidelines would direct that one Operator
should always be located near the emergency shut-off switch, and the task should be staffed accordingly. Other
activities that should have staffing guidelines agreed to include any work that occurs in the street, such as tree
trimming, and confined space entries. These standards should be agreed to, codified, and monitored and tracked as
part of compliance with SOPs.
The final element to building a culture of safety is to ensure that a safe harbor that employees can turn to outside of
the Department exists. In the City, this resource would most naturally reside with Human Resources, though in
larger organizations it might be the Safety Officer. The intent of the notion of a safe harbor is to have an independent
resource that employees can turn to for questions of unsafe behavior outside of their line of supervision.
Each of these steps should help address the perception that minimal staffing levels on job tasks are a product of the
strain produced by the need to meet service level targets with the available staffing. Implementing our staffing
recommendations, as well as implementing the work order system in Beehive, flips the staffing formulation. The
question among leadership should no longer be, “How can we meet our service level targets with our total number
of Operators?” Now, the question becomes, “Given the safe staffing requirements and the work orders that we must
complete to meet our service level targets, how many total Operators does the Department need?”
26 CITY OF LAKE ELMO, MN
Implementation Plan
Table 4 contains a proposed implementation plan for the recommendations contained within this report. The
recommendations are assigned a prioritization level (1 = highest; 4 = lowest), as well as an estimate of the expected
time to complete or implement each recommendation. Some of the recommendations may be subject to external
factors, however, such as the available job market, which may delay the time to full implementation. Other
recommendations, such as Recommendation 3, are likely dependent upon the Department being able to hire
additional Operators prior to their own implementation.
Table 4: Proposed Implementation Plan for Recommendations
Rec
# Recommendations Implementation Steps Priority Time to
Accomplish
Person(s)
Responsible
1
Create an annual work
plan to determine
when significant work
initiatives are
scheduled or expected
Identify major annual work
initiatives
Assess timeframe of each
initiative and estimate total work
effort required
Optimize schedule to ensure
that the Department is not
overscheduled at any one time
Publish schedule and share with
Operators
1 2-4 months
Director,
Assistant
Director of
Public Works
2
Use the annual work
plan to revisit policies
restricting Operator
PTO
Review annual work plan and
daily activities to determine
minimum staffing needs each
day
Recognize that some
unscheduled sick leave should be
expected
Set max pre-approved PTO limits
based on minimum staffing
needs
1 3-5 months
Director,
Assistant
Director of
Public Works
3
Modify the
Department's summer
hours to increase
efficiency
Set summer hours with two
crews, each working four 10-hr
days
Transition to this schedule may
be delayed until one or more
Operator positions are filled
2 1-12
months
Director of
Public Works
PUBLIC WORKS ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENT 27
4
Increase staffing by
two Operators and one
Lead Operator
Work with the Human Resources
Department to fill the existing
Operator vacancy plus two
additional Operator positions,
and one Lead Operator position
One of the new Operator
positions should be held until
next year to minimize disruption
Obtain the tools/vehicles
necessary to equip new staff
1 1-18
months
Director of
Public Works
5
Designate about six
Operators as Utility
Specialists and limit on-
call rotations to the
Utility Specialists
The Lead Operators should
automatically be designated
Utility Specialists
The remaining Specialists should
be Operator I's
The idea should be discussed
with the Operators to assess
interest
There may need to be
adjustments to pay or other
incentives to build sufficient buy-
in
2 3-12
months
Director,
Assistant
Director, City
Administrator,
Operators
6
Edit the Director's job
description to remove
responsibilities for
heavy equipment
operations and add a
focus on public
outreach and achieving
strategic goals
Review Director's job description
with the intent of removing
lower value functions and
focusing on strategic success and
outreach to community
1 1-2 months
Director of
Public Works,
City
Administrator,
Administrative
Services
Director
7
Hire an Administrative
Assistant to help with
administrative needs
Produce SOP manuals for
activities intended for the
Administrative Assistant
Recruit an Administrative
Assistant with computer literacy
and the ability to read GIS maps
2 6-12
months
Assistant
Director and
Director of
Public Works,
Administrative
Services
Director
8
Stakeholders within
the City should
collaborate on
potential Parks staffing
Stakeholders should form a
workgroup to envision what
Parks leadership staffing is
appropriate
Identify the scope, role, and
intention of Parks staffing
2 12-24
months
Parks Advisory
Board, City
Council, City
Administrator,
Public Works
leadership
28 CITY OF LAKE ELMO, MN
9
Either hire a certified
mechanic or sign a
service contract with a
local vendor
Obtain bids from local vendors
for automotive repair work for
all City-owned light-duty vehicles
Determine relative cost of bid
versus paying a full-time ASCE-
mechanic in-house plus tools and
supplies
2 6-12
months
Director and
Assistant
Director of
Public Works,
other
department
heads
10
Implement Beehive
CMMS to fully utilize its
capabilities
Obtain Parks module for Beehive
and input assets
Develop work order capability
within Beehive and work order
process within Department
Issue tablets to Operators and
provide training
1 12-24
months
Director and
Assistant
Director of
Public Works
11
Obtain leadership
training for those in
supervisory roles
Identify potential supervisory /
leadership training programs
Obtain appropriate training
Note, different trainings may be
suitable for Lead Operators
versus Director
4 12-24
months
Public Works
Director
12
Work to instill and
sustain a culture of
safety
Create a working group of
Department leadership and staff
to agree to minimum staffing
levels for common tasks
Create a reporting structure
outside of the Department for
near misses / unsafe behavior
1 ongoing
Director and
Assistant
Director of
Public Works,
Operators,
Administrative
Services
Director
PUBLIC WORKS ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENT 29
Conclusion
Over the last decade, the City of Lake Elmo Department of Public Works staff has faced high rates of growth in the
infrastructure that must be maintained that has far outpaced the rate of population growth within the City. Despite
that, the Department has worked to identify service level targets that align with industry standards, track their efforts,
and meet the identified service level targets despite not adding additional Operator positions since 2019. The strain
of meeting those work demands is becoming evident. Staff concerns with work/life balance, the ability to take time
off, and workplace safety indicate that conditions are not sustainable.
The recommendations offered by this report are intended to aid the City in ensuring the staff capacity needed to
balance reactive work with preventative maintenance activities to prolong the useful life of the City’s critical assets.
They are designed to create the staffing capacity to attract and retain employees. They also offer the City a pathway
to develop a data-driven approach to work planning and assessing future staffing needs. Successfully implemented,
these recommendations should provide the Department with adequate resources to be efficient and effective now as
well as provide a methodology whereby the Department can support future requests for additional resources
necessary to provide high quality service to the community.