Agenda Packets - 2009/12/07 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Review Public Works Supervisor Job Description and Discuss Hiring Schedule December 7, 2009 Page 2 streets and trails, stormwater conveyance and treatment, vehicles and equipment fleet, and public works facility. In addition, the PW Supervisor is to assume the duties of the PW Director during any short-term absences (sick/vacation leave, off-site meetings, etc.). Also attached for reference is an organization chart of the Public Works Department. Public Works has 15 full-time regular and 10 part-time/seasonal employees for a combined total of 25. The department is divided into three divisions: PW Administration, Engineering, and O&M. The PW Administration and Engineering personnel work out of City Hall and the O&M personnel work out of the public works facility (on Bronson). The O&M division is further subdivided into seven groups: drinking water, wastewater, streets/trails, stormwater, vehicles/equipment, parks/park facilities, and buildings/grounds. The Need for a Public Works Supervisor: During the PW Supervisor discussion at the August retreat, findings from internal assessments and PW employee interviews were presented that gave a synopsis of current public works operations. The department operations, especially the O&M activities, are typically planned day to day due to inadequate staffing levels required to effectively maintain, operate, repair, and improve the City’s infrastructure. This situation was further magnified this year with the implementation of the first Street and Utility Improvement Project and other capital improvement projects. With some days in outright triage mode, it became more apparent that current staffing is not keeping pace with workload requirements. Maintain Staffing Levels: The PW Department is organized for 15 regular, full-time and 10 part-time/seasonal employees for a full-time equivalent (FTE) of approximately 18. With exception to the addition of the MVCC custodian, this has been the historic PW staffing level for roughly the past 18 years. Unclear Roles/Responsibilities: All PW employees are impacted by the recent vacancies of the PW Supervisor and Director positions. While these two top positions were vacant, department leadership suffered and individual roles and responsibilities became unclear due to lack of direction and from the necessity of many employees performing tasks outside their job descriptions without additional compensation. While much of this confusion has been fixed, unclear roles and responsibilities still exists with O&M personnel, leading to employee frustration and dissatisfaction. Intra-Department Communication: Public Works is the only City department with personnel working out of two separate locations. Clear communication is essential for public works to effectively serve the constituents of Mounds View, and this requires a clear chain-of- command for ensuring work is delegated and completed. As the attached organization chart and PW Supervisor position description demonstrate, this chain-of-command and communication is primarily between the PW Director and O&M Supervisors. Capital Improvement Projects: Over the next eight years, there is approximately $45 million of capital improvement projects planned for Mounds View, including about $28 million of the $45 million designated for the street and utility projects. There is a tremendous amount of PW administration/engineering staff time required to manage these projects and coordinate with consultants and contractors. In addition, O&M personnel are impacted with spikes in utility locates, infrastructure assessments, mailbox and sign fabrication, and construction coordination/inspection. Luckily, the years prior to 2009 corresponding to the PW vacancies