February 28, 2003

Public Works Department – Field Operations Division

Initial Budget Presentation to the Mayor and Town Council

2003-2004

 

I. Mission Statement

 

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

 

II. 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 Streetscape improvements

·        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 stormwater 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

 

III. Division Revenue Estimates

 

Provided with Management and Support Services section.

 

IV. Departmental Base Budget Cost Estimates

 

The following table presents budget data for the division.

 

Field Operations Division (All Sections)

 

	2002-2003	Requested 2003-2004
BUDGET CATEGORY	Original Budget	Budget
Personnel	2,096,831	2,079,400
Operations	1,707,103	1,747,700
Capital Equipment	0	11,000
TOTAL	3,803,934	3,838,100

 

Key Cost Issues in Base Budget Request

 

• Cost of asphalt increasing an estimated 12%

 

V. Key Programs or Services that are Going Well

 

• Routine inspection and removal of debris from catch basins and outfalls
• Routine collection of loose leaves, except for those periods for which this program is impacted due to significant storms
• Responses to emergencies and special events
• Use of cost effective pavement treatments and maintenance practices
• Street sweeping and cleaning services, especially during periods when one of the two sweepers is out of service
• Maintenance of traffic signals and detection loops
• Ongoing provision of street lighting Town-wide
• In-house construction of streetscape improvements

 

VI. Key Programs or Services that Could be Improved

 

·        Reconstruction of selective streets

 

·        Inspection and improvements to aging stormwater drainage infrastructure

 

VII. Proposed Additions or Reductions

 

Additions

 

·        Additional Street Reconstruction

 

Cost -- $22,000.  The requested addition would restore funding to a total of $58,000, which is still below the previous budget of $72,000.  Among the current needs are Friday Center Drive, Coleridge Drive, and possibly unfunded portions of repairs to Holly Lane and Curtis Road.

 

·        Contract Snow Removal

 

Cost -- $8,000.  Funds would be used to establish formal agreements with local contractors for motor graders and loaders to assist with snow removal following significant snowfalls.  In 2001-02, we spent ~$15,000 for this service and this year we have spent ~$10,600.  Without dedicated funding, it is difficult to ensure adequate support.

 

·        Resurfacing

 

Cost -- $28,500.  Our current resurfacing contract allows for up to a two-year extension at the base rates, if mutually agreeable to both parties.  Our contractor (Central Paving Company, Inc.) has notified us that they will not extend the current contract unit prices, due to increases and uncertainties associated with oil prices.  Based on information provide by the current contractor and our average bid prices last year, we currently anticipated a overall increase of 12% or $28,500 in our cost.

 

·        Sand/Salt Box Spreader

 

Cost -- $7,500.  Expansion to five spreaders to enhance snow/ice removal operations.  Our goal is to have one unit mounted on each of our eight primary plow trucks.  This piece of equipment was removed from our base budget request last year as a result of  reduced revenues.

 

·        Drainage Channel Maintenance

 

Cost -- $35,000.  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 since that time.  The cost estimate assumes that the Town would perform some of the work.

 

·        Add Paving Machine

 

Total cost -- $95,000.  First year cost -- $7,700.  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.

 

VIII.        5% Cut

 

See discussion under Solid Waste Services section.

 

February 28, 2003

Public Works – Internal Services

Initial Budget Presentation to the Mayor and Town Council

2003-2004

 

I.          Mission Statement

 

The primary mission of the Internal Services Division, Public Works Department is to provide fleet maintenance services and facilities maintenance services to all Town Departments except for Transit’s fleet maintenance and Housing’s facilities maintenance.

 

II.        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

 

III.       Departmental Revenue Estimates

 

Provided with Management & Support Services Division section.

 

IV.       Departmental Base Budget Cost Estimates

 

Budget Category	2002-2003  Original Budget	Requested 2003-2004 Budget
Personnel	911,519	935,000
Operations	816,024	845,000
Capital Equipment	27,000	13,000
TOTAL	1,754,543	1,793,000

 

 

Key Cost Issues in the Base Budget

 

• Estimated unit cost for fuel will be increased from currently budgeted $.95.

 

V.        Key Programs or Services that are Going Well

 

            Fleet Section:

 

• Fleet Replacement Program

ü      Elimination of marginally operational vehicles

ü      Improvements to operational reliability

ü      Mechanic position reallocation

 

• Technician training – 4 of 5 fleet mechanics have achieved multiple Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certifications.

 

Buildings Section:

 

• Capital Project Management: The addition of a Mechanic Supervisor position to building maintenance has increased staff time available for project management.

 

• Technician Training – 4 of 6 building mechanics have taken advantage of off-duty training to achieve a GED or advanced training in HVAC or electrical trades. We continue to provide in-house safety training for lock-out/ tag-out, confined space entry, CPR, bucket-truck operation and forklift operation.

 

VI.              Key Programs or Services that Could be Improved

 

Fleet Section:

 

• Automated Maintenance Management Software – “Faster” upgrade underway.
• Quality Assurance Program

 

Buildings Section:

 

• Automated Maintenance Management Software –  MP2 PM Module
• Custodial Service Contract Management
• Archive Storage Management
• Telephone Systems Management

 

VII.           Proposed Additions or Reductions

 

VIII.    5% Cut

 

See discussion under Solid Waste Services section.

February 28, 2003

Public Works Department – Landscape Division

Initial Budget Presentation to the Mayor and Town Council

2003-2004

 

I. Mission Statement

 

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

 

II. 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

 

III. Division Revenue Estimates

 

Provided with Management & Support Services Division section.

 

IV. Departmental Base Budget Cost Estimates

 

The following table presents budget data for the division.

 

 Landscape Division

 

Budget Category	2002-2003	Requested 2003-2004
	Original Budget	Budget
Personnel	940,606	948,100
Operations	387,302	390,300
Capital Equipment	0	11,600
TOTAL	1,327,908	1,350,000

 

Key Cost Issues in Base Budget Request

 

(None)

 

V. Key Programs or Services that are Going Well

 

·        Seven day a week (including holidays) service to high maintenance areas, including parks, Franklin Street, parking lots and selected Housing units.

·        Special event coordination, including two annual street fairs, the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony and various dedications.

 

VI. Key Programs or 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 and existing curbs and sidewalk areas throughout Town.

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

 

VII. Proposed Additions or Reductions

 

Additions

 

• Addition of resources for maintenance of Meadowmont park

 

Cost - $3,500 1^st year. Funds would be used to maintain the soccer fields and trails at Meadowmont park.

 

• Addition of resources for maintenance of Parkside annexation

 

Cost - $900 1^st year. Funds would be used to maintain the median and shoulders in the Parkside area.

 

VIII. 5% Cut

 

See discussion under Solid Waste Services section.

 

 

February 28, 2003

Solid Waste Services Division

Initial Budget Presentation to the Mayor and Town Council

2003-2004

 

I.          Mission Statement

           

            The primary mission of the Public Works Solid Waste Services Division is to collect and

            Dispose of municipal solid waste generated within the Town of Chapel Hill.

 

II.        Brief Services Description

 

The key services provided by the division are, residential and commercial refuse collection, brush collection, town center litter clean-up, public rights-of-way clean-up and dumpster rental. 

 

III.       Departmental Revenue Estimates

 

Provided with Management & Support Services Division section.

 

IV.       Departmental Base Budget Cost Estimates

 

The following table presents budget data for the division.

 

Budget Category	2002-2003  Original Budget	Requested 2003-2004 Budget
Personnel	1,581,748	1,072,000
Operations	1,655,810	1,574,400
Capital Equipment	0	0
TOTAL	3,237,558	3,154,500

 

 

V.            Key Programs or Services that are Going Well  

           

Once weekly collection of residential garbage and once weekly collection of residential yard waste.

 

VI.       Key Programs or Services that Could be Improved

 

Solid Waste Services citation enforcement could be improved by adding a full time enforcement officer.

 

VII.     Proposed Additions or Reductions

 

             Additional residential solid waste crew and truck -- $108,300 (1 SEO II and 2 Collectors, plus ½ year installment payment on rear loading garbage truck). Our residential workload has continued to grow in the past several years. In Meadowmont alone we have added over 200 collection points in the past year, plus, with as many more planned for the next few years. This growth has been mirrored in the Airport Road area and Erwin Road corridor.

                        

VIII.        5% Cut.

 

The only way to achieve such a large reduction would be to eliminate a program. The single program reduction that could cut the budget by the suggested level would be to eliminate commercial garbage service.

 

Assuming a 10/1/03 implementation date and laying off three commercial drivers, first year savings could equal $708,500.  Subsequent years would equal $521,500.  The difference lies in the one-time sale of capital assets in the first year. We would recommend that the three positions not be eliminated; rather, we would propose using these employees for backup for other programs, for special event cleanup and for storm response, especially winter storms. The adjusted savings if the positions were retained would be $647,000 in the first year and $387,000 in subsequent years.