Fort Walton Beach Council agenda — 11-26-2007 special agenda — reading text

responsiveness necessary within smaller organizations. 1. L I L. Alternative Services Delivery Study for Fort Walton Beach, Florida Page 12- 15 L. r L.  13. 0 SECTION UTILITIES II t t t t t t. t t 2007 i InC. Group, Advisory Management t I: 13.0 UTILITIES The Utilities Department is responsible for providing safe, cost- effective potable E water, wastewater treatment and stormwater management services to the city' s citizens I: and businesses. The department functions as an enterprise fund which means that all costs ( including depreciation) and all revenues from user charges are accounted for in t the Utilities Fund. The intent is to manage the department's finances in a manner similar to a private business. C 13. 1 Oraanization and Staffina II The ordinance establishing the Utilities Department specifies that it consists of six divisions. Exhibit 13- 1 on the following page represents the current structure as noted in E the recommended City budget. We note that, in practice, the survey team now reports to the Department Director rather than to the Operations Manager. I: Following are the structure, staffing and major services provided by each of these divisions: E L Administration The total number of authorized and filled positions is seven ( 7). This includes I the Department Director and Senior Staff Assistant as well as the Utilities Division Operations Manager, the Environmental Specialist, the Survey Party Chief, an I: Engineering Aide and the CAD Specialist. Ii I 11 Alternative Services Delivery Study for Fort Walton Beach, Florida Page 13- 1  Utilities Exhibit 13- 1 t Utilities Current Organization Chart CITY COUNCIL I t E Ii I.: L I: Major services: Provides management and coordination of the operating I divisions and monitors compliance with all City, State and Federal codes, policies and regulations. The Environmental Specialist addresses water quality and stormwater E management issues and GIS implementation. The survey crew locates water and sewer lines and accesses, determines location references and updates maps. The I: CAD Specialist supports design activities and the program to convert manual utility I: infrastructure drawings to CAD. E Alternative Services Delivery Study for Fort Walton Beach, Florida Page 13-2 r  Utilities Water Operations t The total number of authorized and filled positions is seven ( 7). The division Superintendent has five ( 5) Water Treatment Operators and one ( 1) Service Worker II Ii reporting directly to him. The five ( 5) operators provide 6: 30 a. m. to 3: 00 p. m. coverage seven ( 7) days a week and the Service Worker provides 3: 00 p. m. to 11 : 30 p. m. coverage five ( 5) days a week. He is the first responder for alarms/ problems and 11 provides after- hours water "turn on" services, as necessary. II Major services: Maintains the City' s nine ( 9) potable water wells, five ( 5) elevated water storage tanks, and four ( 4) ground water storage tanks. The division is II responsible for production of drinking water; ensuring that it is safe and free of objectionable color, taste, and odor; and ensuring there is sufficient pressure and II storage to meet domestic and firefighting needs. Sewer Operations The total number of authorized positions is 13 of which 11 are The filled.:. division Superintendent position is vacant. Reporting directly to the Superintendent position are the Wastewater Plant Supervisor ( who is serving as Superintendent until that position is filled), a Maintenance Mechanic, a Wastewater Pretreatment E Coordinator, and a Lab Manager. Seven ( 7) Wastewater Plant Operators ( including one vacancy) report directly to the supervisor as well as a Service Worker II who functions Ii as the Maintenance Mechanic' s assistance. The Operators are scheduled so that two E 2) people are on duty seven ( 7) days a week from 7: 00 a. m. until 11 : 30 p. m. Ii E Alternative Services Delivery Study for Fort Walton Beach, Florida Page 13-3 I:  Utilities Major services: Operates and maintains the sewer plant so that wastewater is treated to a standard that allows it to be used as golf course irrigation water or to be safely released to a spray field. The Lab Manager conducts daily meter calibrations and L: performs weekly monitoring of CBOD levels. The pretreatment coordinator deals with E City businesses to help avoid release of contaminates and greases into the sewer system E Water Distribution t The total number of authorized positions is five ( 5), of which four ( 4) are filled. The unit is headed by a Construction Foreman I who reports directly to the Utilities Division Operations Manager. Reporting directly to the foreman are a Heavy Equipment I: Operator ( currently vacant) and three Service Workers. Major services: The division maintains 113 miles of water mains; 10,400 service lines, valves and water meters; and 700 fire hydrants. Staff also replaces undersized water mains, installs new fire hydrants, makes service taps for new construction, and extends water mains as needed. The unit performs essentially all water CIP projects in- house. Sewer Collection l- The total number of authorized positions is 11 of which 10 are filled. Sewer I Collection has two ( 2) primary units- Construction and Collection Systems. The Construction Foreman II reports directly to the Utilities Division Operations Manager. I: Reporting directly to him are a Heavy Equipment Operator and four ( 4) service workers. I: The Collection Systems Supervisor also reports directly to the division operations manager. Reporting directly to him are three ( 3) Collection Systems Workers ( one E Alternative Services Delivery Study for Fort Walton Beach, Florida Page 13-4 E L Utilities currently vacant and the other two both absent on Workers' Compensation injuries) and L a Lift Station Mechanic. Major services: Maintains 41 sewage lift stations, two ( 2) major pump stations and 100 miles of gravity sewer lines. They also respond to customer complaints, L. inspect sewer mains and laterals with closed circuit television equipment, and repair or replace sewer mains and laterals, as needed. The unit performs essentially all sewer L CIP projects in- house, except in- place lining of sewer pipes. L Stormwater The total number of authorized positions is zero ( 0). This division currently consists only of capital improvement projects. The intent is that this will become an operational division when an anticipated stormwater utility is created. t 13.2 Maior Policies and ODerationallssues Organization Structure Finding: The department' s organization structure is consistent with the 2005 ordinance that established Utilities but does not reflect actual operations. The ordinance specifies that the department shall consist of the following divisions: L Water Distribution Water Operations IJ Sewer Collection I Sewer Operations I Stormwater Administration I: I Alternative Services Delivery Study for Fort Walton Beach, Florida Page 13-5 I  Utilities J. This structure is followed in presenting the department's budget. Operationally, I: however, the structure is somewhat different. These differences are as follows: The Sewer Collection and Water Distribution " divisions" are, in practice, construction crews that work on the wastewater collection and water E Each is headed by a construction distribution systems, respectively. foreman who reports to a " Utilities Division Operations Manager." A third unit, called " Collection Systems," is headed by a supervisor who also reports directly to the operations manager. The wastewater construction crew performs all CIP work on the system while the collection systems 11 crew is responsible for maintaining the infrastructure for wastewater Ii: collection. This is done through routine inspections, sewer line washes, lift station and pump station cleaning, pump replacements, valve and I: control maintenance, and similar functions. The survey and CAD units also report operationally to the Utilities Division Operations Manager rather than the department director. I: I: Recommendation # 58: Revise the Utilities Department organization structure and Ordinance 1659 to reflect actual organizational relationships. In addition, certain I personnel changes should be made, not only to support the revised organizational concept but also to more closely align related functions. The recommended changes I are as follows: I I I Alternative Services Delivery Study for Fort Walton Beach, Florida Page 13-6 I 111- l1li"" Utilities Recommendation # 59: Retain the Administration and