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Resolution 7545 - Rehiring the Public Works Supervisor Position December 14, 2009 Page 2 • Capital Improvement Projects: Approximately $45 million of improvement projects are planned for the next eight years. These projects require a tremendous amount of Staff time to coordinate and create spikes in O&M activities. Fortunately, there was very little CIP work the past three years during the vacancies, but construction for the first street project made many days this past summer a “fire drill”. • Aging Infrastructure: Much of Mounds View’s infrastructure, both public and private, is aging and will require more upkeep and repair work, including more after-hours emergency call-outs. Similar to the impacts of CIP work, this aging infrastructure demands PW staff time, as evident by the issuance of 73 right-of-way permits so far this year (prior high was 34 in 2004). • Asset/Records Management: A core purpose of public works is to manage infrastructure records, including documenting O&M activities and central filing. These activities have taken a back seat to the “hear and now” demands, creating inadequate maintenance records and an ever-increasing backlog of documents needing filing. This has a domino effect require more time to find records and creates more risk with audits and public inquiries. • Undo Workload Burdens: The vacant PW Supervisor duties have been primarily distributed to the Parks Supervisor and PW Director. This has led to a deterioration of effort needed to perform their essential duties and responsibilities. In addition to fixing the needs described above, advantages associated with rehiring the PW Supervisor were also discussed at the work session, briefly described as follows: • No Budget Impact: This position has been budgeted every year since being vacated, including 2010. Only half, or about $40,000 is budgeted from the general fund. This amount can be offset by expenditure reductions associated with having this position filled. • Reduced Consultant Fees: Freeing the PW Director of PW Supervisor duties will allow engineering and other project-related activities for CIP work to be performed in-house rather than solely hiring consultants. A simple, conservative analysis of the CIP by Staff determined upwards of $750,000 being saved in consultant costs during the next 8 years. • Future Staffing Levels: It is anticipated that much efficiency will be found having a PW Supervisor planning and scheduling labor forces and mellowing the highs and lows associated with seasonal workload. This will allow for a reduction in Staff needs, doing more with less. In addition, an opportunity exists to capture the 23-year knowledge of the Parks Supervisor before retirement. The ultimate goal is to have a single supervisor for the O&M division with several working lead persons providing in-field oversight. The PW Supervisor is responsible for directly supervising eight full-time and five seasonal personnel performing operation, maintenance, and repair activities to the City’s drinking water and wastewater collection systems, streets and pathways, stormwater conveyance and treatment systems, vehicles and equipment, and the public works facility. It is vital that this infrastructure is properly managed by the City, and filling this vacancy will not only ensure that this happens, but will free other PW personnel to ensure that all other City infrastructure is also given the attention needed to be properly managed. Position Description: Attached for Council review and consideration for approval is the position description for the PW Supervisor. The only changes to this document from the version reviewed at the work session include reordering the “Essential Duties and Responsibilities” list to group like-