City Council Meeting Date: September 13, 2016
To: Mayor and City Council
City Administrator
From: David E. Bennett, Public Works Director/City Engineer
Title
Review proposed 2017 Public Works Department Operating Funds and 2017-2021 Capital Improvement Plan and Capital Equipment Plan.
Body
Action Requested:
The Northfield City Council requested to review the 2017 Public Works Department Operating Funds and Capital Improvement/Equipment Plan.
Summary Report:
The Public Works department consists of four divisions that include; Engineering, Streets and Parks, Facilities, and Utilities. The primary source of funding is through the General Fund with the exception of the Utility Enterprise Funds (Sanitary, Storm, Water, and Garbage).
Overall for 2017, no major operational changes are being proposed except for additional funding in the Streets and Parks Department. The Streets and Parks Division is requesting additional overtime and two additional seasonal part-time staff.
During the mowing season, full-time operators and seasonal staff are busy mowing public grounds and parks. With two additional seasonal staff, they would be on staff earlier in the spring and later in the fall to assist with mowing. This along with additional overtime will assist the division that is falling behind on routine maintenance of sidewalks, playgrounds, and tree trimming. The additional seasonal staff will free up time for full-time operators to work on other tasks.
A summary changes for each division’s budget is below.
Engineering
The division is proposing minor changes, mainly in staffing costs and additional funding for professional services. The professional services are used as necessary to pay for legal and services rendered for items that come up throughout the year. For example, if the City needs assistance on a traffic concerns. Key items for 2017 included the 2017 Street Improvement Project and getting the Pavement Management Program restarted.
Streets and Parks
The division oversees the Street, Parks, Street lighting, and Athletic Facilities budgets within the General Fund. The additional seasonal staff and overtime are summarized above for the department. The supplies and services for the division have been adjusted for inflation and recent budget trends. The downtown maintenance item has consistently been over budget and has been increased to become in line with annual expenditures. The main changes in the Parks budget besides staffing are electricity and refuse disposal. Key items in 2017 include preservation of trails by fog sealing roughly 10 miles and reconstructing parts of the Liberty Park Trail. The Street division will continue its annual streets preservation and rehabilitation program. The 2017-2021 Street CIP map is attached.
Facilities
This division oversees budgets for City Facilities along with the Ice Arena and Pool. Minimal changes are proposed for the City Hall budget and mainly staffing cost adjustments in Facilities.
The Ice Arena primary change was adjusting the electricity to reflect the actual use of electricity at the arena.
The Outdoor Pool primary adjustment is staffing costs. A pool slide was planned for in 2016, however an increase in funding is needed to fund this amenity and is now proposed in 2017.
The Street Maintenance Facility is the oldest facility that the City maintains (that hasn’t been renovated recently), additional capital items for 2017 have been included in the CIP and we are planning on the Roof Replacement in 2019. This will require continued funding of the City Facilities Fund at the proposed requested level of $60,000 in 2017.
Utilities
Water
The Water division had large capital expenditures in 2016 with Well 6 Pump House Project that will be wrapping up in 2017. The primary changes in operation cost for 2017 are for personnel and a reporting software program that will assist staff in reporting to the Department of Health. Minor increases to electricity cost to reflect current usage and decrease in chemical usage.
Wastewater
The Wastewater division operations budget is seeing a minor increase from 2016 with the addition of upgrading reporting software for issuance of report to the MPCA. Also, the electricity has been increased based on previous years usage to cover costs. Key items in 2017 include continued implementation of the Capital Projects identified in the Wastewater Treatment Plant Facilities Plan.
Stormwater
The Stormwater division primary objectives in 2017 are continued implementation of the MPCA MS4 permit, and an assessment of all of the City’s storm water ponds. Grant Park Pond cleanout project has been moved back to 2020, and with the completion of the storm water pond assessment this will allow for an improved budget forecasting for capital and maintenance work along with determining the utility rate.
Financial Impacts:
This is the starting point for our 2017 budgets.
Tentative Timelines:
Council will be asked to consider the preliminary budget on September 20, 2016.