Friday, February 23, 2001
Public Works Department – Management & Support Services Division
Initial Budget Presentation to the Mayor and Town Council
2001-2002

Mission Statement

The primary mission of the Management & Support Services Division is overall administrative support necessary for achievement of public works operational goals and objectives.

Brief Services Description

The key services provided by the division are:

·        Management oversight of four operating divisions

·        Budget preparation, monitoring and control

·        Development and implementation of capital improvement programs

·        Personnel management, including coordination of training programs

·        Departmental safety coordination

·        Preparation of reports, both ongoing, routine staff work and special assignments as needed

·        Overall departmental review of design and development plans

·        Enforcement of Town’s Landscape and Tree Protection Ordinance

·        Provide landscape design services for Town projects

Division Revenue Estimates

See attached table.

Key Revenue Issues

(None)

Departmental Base Budget Cost Estimates

The following table presents budget data for the division.

Division Name – Management & Support Services

Key Cost Issues in Base Budget Request

(None)

Key Programs/Services That Are Going Well

·        Plan review process for compliance with Landscape and Tree Protection Ordinance

Key Programs/Services That Could Be Improved

·        Overall career development training program.

·        Departmental safety program. During 2000-01, the department hired an Occupational Health and Safety Officer on a 50-50 shared basis with the Town of Carrboro. This individual is responsible for overall safety coordination and is assigned to the Solid Waste Services Superintendent.  Ideally, the department should have this position on a full-time basis.

Proposed Additions or Reductions

Conversion of new Occupational Health and Safety Officer position to full-time

Cost - $27,000 1^st year.  Present half time position would have more time to take lead on safety compliance and training in department.  Likely benefit would include reduction in risk of future safety violations (cf., OSHA enforcement) and possible fines.

CAD Equipment for Landscape Design Staff

Cost – $5,000.  Funds would provide hardware and software for the design staff to acquire computer aided design capability.  All design work is now done manually, including multiple revisions of maps and drawings for projects such as Streetscape.  The need to provide multiple iterations of these drawings necessitates many hours of staff work that could be greatly reduced with CAD equipment. 

Friday, February 23, 2001
Public Works Department – Field Operations Division
Initial Budget Presentation to the Mayor and Town Council
2001-2002

Mission Statement

The primary mission of the Field Operations Division is provision of safe, well maintained rights-of-way and sound infrastructure throughout the Town.

Brief Services Description

The key services provided by the division are:

Traffic Section

·        Installing and maintaining signs and pavement markings along Town streets
·        Maintaining closed loop traffic signalization system
·        Providing street lighting town-wide

Construction Section

·        Reconstructing selected streets
·        Installing sidewalks and other projects, including storm drains, including Streetscape
·        Constructing small to medium projects for Public Works and other Town departments

Streets Section

·        Maintaining Town’s rights-of-way, including streets and sidewalks
·        Seasonally collecting leaves at the curb
·        Cleaning streets in times of inclement weather and following special events

Right-of-Way/Drainage Section

·        Maintaining Town’s storm water drainage system
·        Scheduled cleaning and sweeping of Town streets
·        Maintaining rights-of-way through removal of trees and vegetation interfering with sight and planting and maintaining street trees

Division Revenue Estimates

Provided with Management and Support Services section.

Departmental Base Budget Cost Estimates

The following table presents budget data for the division.

Division Name – Field Operations (All Sections)

Key Cost Issues in Base Budget Request

(None)

Key Programs/Services That Are Going Well

·        Installation of curb ramps in compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act

·        Routine inspection and removal of debris from catch basins and outfalls

·        Responses to emergencies and special events

·        Expansion of street maintenance program to include alternative treatments in addition to annual contracted resurfacing

·        Maintenance of closed loop traffic signalization system

·        Ongoing provision of street lighting town-wide

·        In-house design and construction of streetscape improvements

Key Programs/Services That Could Be Improved

·        Ongoing street maintenance, including patching and street reconstruction

·        Street sweeping and cleaning services, especially during periods when single sweeper is out of service

·        Inspection and improvements to aging storm water drainage infrastructure

·        Ability to install and maintain traffic signs and pavement markings in a timely and comprehensive fashion

Proposed Additions or Reductions

Additional Traffic Signal Maintenance 

Cost -- $33,500.   This addition would fund a position in the Traffic program to provide additional maintenance to the traffic signal system.  This additional maintenance will be required by the State as part of our agreement with them to maintain the system.  The State is currently in the process of revising the schedules under which the Town receives reimbursement for maintenance operations.  These changes will increase the number and type of maintenance operations on each part of the signal system (cabinets, loops, signal heads, etc.).  We anticipate the changes to be put into effect in July of this year.  Under the proposed changes, our analysis indicates that one additional technician would be required. 

We anticipate being reimbursed in excess of the costs associated with the additional person.  Preliminary analysis suggests that additional revenue could equal about $46,000, related to the schedule under which we are reimbursed for maintenance and new intersections that are scheduled to be added to the system.  Additional costs and/or revenues may be associated with the schedule that governs engineering aspects of the system. 

Additional Contract Patching

Cost -- $25,000.  Funds would be used for additional contract patching to supplement our in-house patching program.  The need for additional patching was identified in the most recent analysis of the Town’s streets by ITRE.  The Town’s street mileage has increased by about 34% in the past 15 years, while we have added one position to our maintenance capability in that time.

Cost -- $25,000.  Funds would allow for contracted clearing of the drainage channel in the Oaks neighborhood.  This channel was last cleared at the time of acceptance of the channel and a significant amount of silt and vegetation has accumulated in it.  The cost estimate assumes that the Town would perform some of the work.

Additional Street Reconstruction

Cost -- $50,000.  Funds would allow for contracted reconstruction of Town streets now in need of restoration.  Our analysis of the street system indicates that there are at least five streets needing major repair that are not funded in the base budget.  Total costs for contracted repair of these streets exceed $400,000.  Our annual reconstruction budget is $71,800 and has been at that level for several years.  At the current level of funding, we are forced to make interim repairs to deteriorated streets using patching funds; these interim repairs are temporary and eventually fail, resulting in additional cost and eventual reconstruction.

Restore CWIII Position

Cost -- $32,000.  Funds would fill the authorized but unfunded position in Construction that was frozen two years ago.  This position would allow us more capability to build sidewalks, make drainage improvements, repair and install curb and gutter and complete other small construction projects and maintenance duties. 

Add Paving Machine

Total cost -- $85,000.  First year cost -- $9,300.  Funds would add a small paving machine to the Streets section in Field Operations.  A paving machine would allow us to perform more effective patching, especially on larger patches, as well as pave asphalt sidewalks, bike paths and greenways.  These tasks are now performed either by contract or by hand.

Mission Statement

To provide fleet maintenance services and facilities maintenance services to all Town Departments except for Transit’s fleet maintenance and Housing’s facilities maintenance.

Brief Services Description

The key services provided by the division are:

Fleet Section:

• Full-services automotive garage, including refueling station
  
  
• Preventive Maintenance
  
  
• Major repair work
  
  
• 24-hour emergency road service on-call
  
  
• Management of the Vehicle Replacement Program

Buildings Section:

• Preventive maintenance, repair and minor construction services
  
  
• Management of telephone systems
  
  
• Management of custodial contract
  
  
• 24-hour emergency repair service on-call
  
  
• Construction and major renovation project management
  
  
• Management of the Building Condition Assessment Program

Division Revenue Estimates

Provided with Management and Support Services

Division Base Budget Cost Estimates

The following table presents budget data for the division.

Division Name-Internal Services (All)

Key Cost Issues in the Base Budget

• Increase of 26% (from $0.73 to $0.92 per gallon) for the average unit cost of fuel.

• M&R Vehicles costs are down $5,250 (2.4%)

• Utility Costs are up as follows:

  Ø     Electricity is up $8,000 (7.7%)
  
  Ø     Natural Gas is up $5,400 (27.6%)
  
  Ø     Water/Sewer is up 1,100 (5.4%)

Key Programs/Services That Are Going Well

• Fiscal year 2001/2002 marks the beginning of our fourth year under the “Fleet Replacement Program” that was authorized by the Council beginning in Fiscal 1998/1999.  Two of the objectives of this program were to eliminate the peaks and valleys in the funding requirements for fleet replacement and to decrease the number of vehicles in our fleet that were being retained well beyond their planned service life.  We believe that both of these objectives are being achieved.  We have eliminated most of the marginally operational vehicles from our fleet, improving operational reliability and holding the line on or reducing annual maintenance costs.
  

• We are in our second year of an initiative called the “Cyclic Maintenance Program”.  Under this program, each of the Town’s buildings is periodically visited by a Cyclic Maintenance Team for a pre-inspection, followed by three to five days of concentrated maintenance efforts.  This program has been well received by our customers and seems to have reduced our backlog of maintenance service work and the number of service calls coming in to our maintenance operations center.

Key Programs/Services That Could Be Improved

• Our fleet maintenance program has been a leader in the use of automated maintenance management systems over the last decade; however, we have not upgraded our systems in several years and we have fallen behind.  In the next year or two we need to upgrade the “Faster” fleet maintenance management system software to the most recent version and replace our aging hardware with new equipment.

• Over the past two years we have become much better at assessing our building maintenance backlog of maintenance and repair.  One result of this is that we have identified a long list of maintenance, repair and renovation projects that need to be done in the near future.  In addition to this workload, we are in the beginning phase of development for a major construction project to relocate the Public Works Operations Facilities to a new location.  We have a pressing need to add project management capability to the Public Works staff.

Proposed Additions or Reductions

Addition of new Facilities Project Manager Position  

Cost - $69,000. This position would provide project management capability for buildings-related projects of all kinds, including major building renovation projects and small- and medium-sized repair and enhancement projects. Providing this resource would allow the Superintendent and Supervisor more time to perform needed administrative and supervisory work in the Buildings program. It also would be a resource to the Assistant Town Manager in overall project management for the Town. In addition, the position would be responsible for the ongoing building assessment program and managing building maintenance related CIP budgets.

Increase Custodial Contract Funding

Cost - $2,500 Funds would provide flexibility and contingency as we re-bid the custodial contract for Public Works, Town Hall and the Post Office/Courthouse.  We anticipate changing contractors due to relatively poor performance of the current contractor; past experience has shown that low bidders are often not capable of providing needed resources to perform as we expect.

Increase M&R Buildings

Cost - $5,000  Funds would restore previous reductions in this primary maintenance account for buildings that Public Works maintains.

 Add Funds to Fleet Maintenance Supplies Account

Cost - $2,500  Funds would restore cuts from this account.  This account provides tools and equipment for the fleet mechanics.

Friday, February 23, 2001
Public Works Department – Landscape Division
Initial Budget Presentation to the Mayor and Town Council
2001-2002

Mission Statement

The primary mission of the Landscape Division is maintenance of grounds at Town’s facilities, including Public Housing, recreational areas, entranceways and cemeteries.

Brief Services Description

The key services provided by the division are:

·        Scheduled grounds maintenance at parks, cemeteries, parking lots, public facilities, Public Housing and other public locations

·        Maintenance of rights-of-way through replacement of trees and shrubs and mowing of road shoulders

·        Maintenance and inspection of Town’s playgrounds, including equipment, at parks and Public Housing sites to assure that playground safety standards are met

Division Revenue Estimates

Provided with Management and Support Services section.

Departmental Base Budget Cost Estimates

The following table presents budget data for the division.

Division Name – Landscape

14

Key Cost Issues in Base Budget Request

(None)

Key Programs/Services That Are Going Well

·        Seven day a week (including holidays) service areas, includes Parks, Franklin Street, parking lots and select Housing units.

·        Special event coordination, includes two annual Street Fairs, the Fiesta Del Pueblo, the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony and various dedications.

Key Programs/Services That Could Be Improved

·        General mowing services along rights-of-way (including sidewalks and bike ways) because of inadequate resources to properly maintain (edge, mow, blow, etc.) recent sidewalk additions.

·        Playgrounds Town-wide are in need of service upgrades due to increased frequency of use and the stricter enforcement of playground safety regulations.

Proposed Additions or Reductions

Addition of resources for maintenance of NC 86 landscaping

Cost - $21,000 1^st year. Funds would be used to maintain the landscaping along the recently improved NC 86; service requirements relate to mowing and maintenance of anticipated new fall plantings. A quote for $21,000 was submitted by a local vendor to maintain this area.

Addition of truck for maintenance of ball fields

Cost - $16,500. First year cost would be $1,800. Funds would add a new pickup truck primarily for use by the ball field prep position during the softball season. In addition, the truck would serve as an additional vehicle for other landscape divisional work programs.

Addition of maintenance vehicle for use along rights-of-way and other areas

Cost - $10,500. First year cost would be $1,100. Funds would provide a 4-wheel drive all-terrain vehicle (ATV) maintenance vehicle (e.g., John Deere “Gator”), that would be used primarily along greenways and in parks and cemeteries to assist in litter pickup and other manual tasks.

Addition of snow plows

Cost - $18,000. Funds would provide three plows for three different classes of vehicle/equipment to help clear snow from driveways and parking lots. The three plows would cost $8,000, $6,000 and $4,000.

Addition of backhoe/loader for use in digging operations

Cost - $68,000. First year cost - $7,400. Funds would provide the division with a dedicated backhoe/loader for use in landscape maintenance operations requiring digging. Currently, the division has to borrow equipment and operators when available from other operations. Such equipment would be used extensively to dig hoes for trees, ditches for irrigation systems and drainage improvements. It also would used to load/unload miscellaneous supplies, including topsoil and mulch and could be used for snow removal.

Friday,February 23, 2001
Public Works Department – Solid Waste Services Division
Initial Budget Presentation to the Mayor and Town Council
2001-2002

Mission Statement

The primary mission of the Solid Waste Services Division is collecting and hauling Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) generated within the Town of Chapel Hill.

Brief Services Description

The key services provided by the division are:

·        Scheduled twice weekly backyard and once weekly curbside collection of residential refuse at rear yards

·        Scheduled twice weekly collection of commercial waste, with optional extra service

·        Unscheduled removal of yard waste at curb side

·        Removal of bulky items upon request (for a fee)

Division Revenue Estimates

Provided with Management & Support Services Division section.

Departmental Base Budget Cost Estimates

The following table presents budget data for the division.

Division Name – Solid Waste Services

Key Cost Issues in Base Budget Request

·        Base budget does not include any increase in tipping fee for Municipal Solid Waste or yard waste.

Key Programs/Services That Are Going Well

Proposed Additions or Reductions

Add Knuckle Boom Truck

Total cost -- $85,000.  First year cost -- $9,300.  Funds would add a knuckle boom loader to the Solid Waste Services fleet for yard waste collection.  The existing unit, with two employees, collects about the same amount as two rear-loading trucks with a total of six employees.