Fort Walton Beach Council agenda — 10-22-2007 special agenda — reading text

most city thoroughfares as well as water wells, holding ponds, and certain other areas; Cemetery- Two ( 2) City cemeteries. They are assisted during the growing season by ROW maintenance as well as Street Maintenance. Service Maintenance-Areas adjacent to City Hall Additional mowing activities are performed by units within Golf Course, Parks and Recreation, and Utilities. It has been suggested that some or all mowing and related turf maintenance activities be consolidated under one ( 1) unit to potentially achieve increase efficiency and cost savings. Alternative Services Delivery Study for Fort Walton Beach, Florida Page 12- 14  Public Works Recommendation # 57: Continue to provide mowing and related services with current units. Much of the work is somewhat specialized including ROW Maintenance' s work on thoroughfares that must not only meet State standards for the work performed under contract but also must be closely coordinated with horticultural work and interested civic organizations. Golf course mowing and maintenance is highly specialized with different equipment and techniques used for greens, fringes, fairways, tees, clubhouse landscaping, etc. Parks and Recreation also has specific requirements for many of their playfields. In addition, most mowing is performed by unit personnel in conjunction with other assigned duties. Continuing to have each unit performing the mowing and maintenance work within their respective areas of responsibility enhances the flexibility and responsiveness necessary within smaller organizations. Alternative Services Delivery Study for Fort Walton Beach, Florida Page 12- 15  SECTION 13.0 UTILITIES Management Advisory Group, Inc. 2007  13.0 UTILITIES The Utilities Department is responsible for providing safe, cost- effective potable water, wastewater treatment and stormwater management services to the city' s citizens 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 the Utilities Fund. The intent is to manage the department's finances in a manner similar to a private business. 13. 1 Oraanization and StaffinQ 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 the recommended City budget. We note that, in practice, the survey team now reports to the Department Director rather than to the Operations Manager. Following are the structure, staffing and major services provided by each of these divisions: Administration The total number of authorized and filled positions is seven ( 7). This includes the Department Director and Senior Staff Assistant as well as the Utilities Division Operations Manager, the Environmental Specialist, the Survey Party Chief, an Engineering Aide and the CAD Specialist. Alternative Services Delivery Study for Fort Walton Beach, Florida Page 13- 1  Utilities Exhibit 13- 1 Utilities Current Organization Chart CITY COUNCIL Major services: Provides management and coordination of the operating divisions and monitors compliance with all City, State and Federal codes, policies and regulations. The Environmental Specialist addresses water quality and stormwater management issues and GIS implementation. The survey crew locates water and sewer lines and accesses, determines location references and updates maps. The CAD Specialist supports design activities and the program to convert manual utility infrastructure drawings to CAD. Alternative Services Delivery Study for Fort Walton Beach, Florida Page 13-2  Utilities Water Operations 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 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 provides after- hours water "turn on" services, as necessary. 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 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 storage to meet domestic and firefighting needs. Sewer Operations The total number of authorized positions is 13 of which 11 are filled~ The 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 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 as the Maintenance Mechanic' s assistance. The Operators are scheduled so that two 2) people are on duty seven ( 7) days a week from 7: 00 a. m. until 11 : 30 p. m. Alternative Services Delivery Study for Fort Walton Beach, Florida Page 13-3  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 performs weekly monitoring of CBOD levels. The pretreatment coordinator deals with City businesses to help avoid release of contaminates and greases into the sewer system Water Distribution 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 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 The total number of authorized positions is 11 of which 10 are filled. Sewer Collection has two ( 2) primary units- Construction and Collection Systems. The Construction Foreman II reports directly to the Utilities Division Operations Manager. Reporting directly to him are a Heavy Equipment Operator and four ( 4) service workers. The Collection Systems Supervisor also reports directly to the division operations manager. Reporting directly to him are three ( 3) Collection Systems Workers ( one Alternative Services Delivery Study for Fort Walton Beach, Florida Page 13-4  Utilities currently vacant and the other two both absent on Workers' Compensation injuries) and 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, 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 CIP projects in- house, except in- place lining of sewer pipes. 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. 13.2 Maior Policies and Ooerationallssues 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: Water Distribution Water Operations Sewer Collection Sewer Operations Stormwater Administration Alternative Services Delivery Study for Fort Walton Beach, Florida Page 13. 5  Utilities This structure is followed in presenting the department's budget. Operationally, 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 distribution systems, respectively. Each is headed by a construction 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 crew is responsible for maintaining the infrastructure for wastewater collection. This is done through routine inspections, sewer line washes, lift station and pump station cleaning, pump replacements, valve and control maintenance, and similar functions. The survey and CAD units