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D. PLANNING AND ENGINEERING <br /> A number of issues affect the staffing level projection for the Public <br /> Works Department. These include the Council's desire to provide <br /> more thorough and inclusive levels of rental housing inspection, <br /> zoning and sign code enforcement along with nuisance code issues, <br /> the increasing vacation accrual among a "senior" maintenance crew, <br /> and the level of project construction identified by the City Council. <br /> Some of these issues are in 'flux' at the time of these projections and, <br /> therefore, the final staffing needs may be adjusted after decisions in <br /> these areas are made. <br /> In the Engineering and Planning Department, the positions of City <br /> Planner, Building Inspector, and Engineering Aide would be <br /> continued as the workload in these areas continues to expand. It is <br /> also projected to continue the Recycling Coordinator/Code <br /> Enforcement position and add a new position of Housing Inspector. <br /> The major issue at this time is the Council's stated desire to increase <br /> the rental housing inspection program to include nearly complete <br /> coverage of the rental stock in the City. This may also include <br /> enhanced review and inspections of operations in the City's 3 <br /> manufactured housing parks. <br /> A full time housing inspector is projected to meet the needs of a <br /> vastly increased program of housing inspection. Currently, <br /> approximately 10% of the rental units in the City are inspected <br /> annually. This includes one visit to each building and one or more <br /> unit inspections in each building. Therefore, 4-plexes are completely <br /> inspected on a 4 year cycle, 6-plexes on a 6 year cycle, etc. To <br /> achieve more complete review of each unit in the City will require a <br /> nearly 9-fold increase in the number of inspections required. <br /> Fortunately, this will not require a 9-fold increase in time as it will be <br /> more efficient (timewise) to inspect additional units on each floor of <br /> a building. Further discussion with Council will determine the level of <br /> expertise needed for this position. It is expected that a recent <br /> graduate of North Hennepin's Building Inspection Technology <br /> program or a similar background will be an appropriate candidate for <br /> this position. The experience of the building inspector is a necessity <br /> 24 <br />