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[1. Call to Order.]
GOOD AFTERNOON.I AM, WE'RE HERE TODAY FOR THE BUDGET WORKSHOP FOR FISCAL YEAR 24 FOR BUILDING AND FIRE CODE SERVICES, PUBLIC WORKS, ENGINEERING AND PLANNING AND ZONING.
IS THAT YOU? TURN IT OVER TO ME.
COUNSEL, THIS IS LIKE, JUST LIKE YOU SAID, UH, I'LL CALL IT OUR NEXT FOUR MAJOR DEPARTMENTS WE WANTED TO BRING FORWARD.
THESE ARE MORE, I'LL CALL IT, TIED TO DIRECTLY TO DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
UH, A LITTLE BIT TO INTERNAL, BUT MOSTLY TO OUR EXTERNAL PARTNERS, OUR DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITIES.
SO WE THOUGHT IT'D BE GOOD TO, TO HAVE THEM COME BEFORE YOU AT THE SAME TIME SO YOU CAN KIND OF GET AN OVERALL FLAVOR OF WHAT'S TAKING PLACE OUT THERE AND SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS, WHAT THEY'RE SEEING AS FAR AS TRENDS.
UM, I WILL, I'LL TELL YOU AS PART OF THE PROCESS, NOT JUST THESE DEPARTMENTS, ALL DEPARTMENTS, I CHALLENGE THEM TO LOOK AT THEIR OPERATIONS, LOOK ABOUT PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS, LOOK AT WHEN'S THE LAST TIME WE UPDATED OUR FEES AND CHARGES.
SO YOU MAY SEE SOME OF THOSE THIS, THIS AFTERNOON.
THE, THE POINT OF THAT IS NOT TO MAKE ANY FINAL DECISIONS ON 'EM, BUT JUST TO SAY THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT, UH, THESE DEPARTMENTS ARE LOOKING AT.
BUT THE OVERALL EFFORT IS HOW DO WE IMPROVE CUSTOMER SERVICE TO OUR, UM, FRIENDS OUT IN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
[2. Presentation and discussion of the Building and Fire Code Services Department FY 2024 budget, including but not limited to operational and financial modifications. ]
OUR FIRST PRESENTATION IS GONNA BE ON BUILDING AND FIRE CODE SERVICES DEPARTMENT, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO OPERATION AND FINANCIAL MODIFICATIONS.I'M THE PLAN REVIEW PERMITTING SUPERVISOR FOR THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT.
UH, SCOTT BOYLE CAN'T BE HERE TODAY.
HE, UH, HAD SOMETHING COME UP.
SO I'LL BE DOING THIS ON MY OWN.
JUST APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE IF I'M DOING SOMETHING WRONG.
SO,
SO OUR MISSION STATEMENT AND PURPOSE TO ENSURE THE HEALTH, SAFETY, WELFARE OF OUR CITIZENS AND VISITORS IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT.
WE DO THIS BY ENSURING THAT ALL LIFE SAFETY MEASURES HAVE BEEN MET DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS.
OBVIOUSLY WE'RE HERE FOR LIFE SAFETY.
UM, WHETHER IT BE THROUGH HUMAN ERROR TO PREVENT PEOPLE FROM DYING AND GETTING PEOPLE SAFETY OUT OF BUILDINGS OR THROUGH MOTHER NATURE TO PREVENT PEOPLE FROM DYING AND GETTING PEOPLE SAFELY PROTECTED SOMEHOW.
UH, CURRENT ORGANIZATIONAL CHART, WE'VE GOT 18 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES.
UM, WE HAVE AN INSPECTION STAFF SIDE AND A PLAN REVIEW STAFF SIDE WITH IS SPLIT UP UNDER THE SUPERVISOR OF INSPECTIONS, OVERSEES ALL THE BUILDING INSPECTORS, AND THEN THE PLAN REVIEW AND PERMITTING SUPERVISOR OVERSEES ALL THE PLAN REVIEWERS AND ONE HYBRID INSPECTOR.
A FISCAL YEAR 23 BUDGET IS $2,450,370.
FISCAL YEAR 24 BUDGET ARE PROPOSED AS 2,436,000 HUNDRED $50.
OUR PROPOSED FEE CHANGES, WHICH WE HAVE ATTACHED ON THE FOLLOWING PAGES, UM, WE PROVIDED, UH, THE FULL FEE SCHEDULE AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE PROVIDED A COMPARISON OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE FOR A 3000 SQUARE FOOT HOUSE NOW AND THREE HOUSE, 3000 SQUARE FOOT HOUSE WITH THE PROPOSED FEES.
AND THEN ALSO A 10,000 SQUARE FOOT COMMERCIAL BUILDING NOW AND A 10,000 SQUARE FOOT COMMERCIAL BUILDING WITH THE PROPOSED FEES.
WE HAVE ALSO LOOKED AT AN OPTION TO START DOING MORE REINSPECTION CHARGES.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE IT CODIFIED THAT WE CAN CHARGE A $50 REINSPECTION FEE, BUT WE TYPICALLY DON'T DO IT UNTIL WE'VE BEEN OUT MULTIPLE TIMES FOR THE SAME REJECTION AND THEY'VE BEEN REJECTED ON THE SAME ITEMS OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
SO ANOTHER OPTION THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TO BRING IN MORE REVENUE WOULD BE ADDING THOSE REINSPECTION CHARGES.
WE GO TO THE DARK ON APRIL 19TH TO DISCUSS THIS WITH THEM, GET THEIR THOUGHTS ON IT, AND TAKE ANY FEEDBACK THAT THEY HAVE INTO ACCOUNT.
WHY DON'T YOU TELL US WHO THE DIRK IS? CHRIS? OH, DEVELOPMENT IMPACT REVIEW COMMITTEE FOR THE CITY OF EDMOND.
UH, THIS IS OUR COST COMPARISON OF A RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMIT FOR A 3000 SQUARE FOOT HOME.
SO IN ADDITION TO THE BUILDING PERMIT, WE'VE ALSO ADDED THE AVERAGE PLUMBING PERMIT, ELECTRICAL PERMIT, MECHANICAL PERMIT, THE ORIGINAL COST.
NOW, FOR THOSE ON AVERAGE, THIS IS NOT PERFECT CUZ THEY'RE ALL A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
OBVIOUSLY IF THEY HAVE DIFFERENT, LIKE MULTIPLE HEAT AND AIR UNITS VERSUS LIKE DIFFERENT STYLES THAT THEY GET CHARGED A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.
SO THE CURRENT COST RIGHT NOW IS ABOUT $794 FOR THAT 3000 SQUARE FOOT HOUSE AND ALL THE PERMITS RELATED TO IT.
AND THEN THE PROPOSED COST WOULD ACTUALLY BE $1,113.
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$319 FOR A 3000 SQUARE FOOT HOUSE.JUST FOR CONTEXT, WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME THAT THESE FEES WERE REVIEWED AND UPDATED? IT'S BEEN AT LEAST 15 YEARS SINCE WE'VE DONE A FEE INCREASE.
SO, UH, WE DID A MINOR MODIFICATION AT THAT TIME TO THE RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMIT, BUT WE DIDN'T INCREASE ANY OF THE OTHER FEES.
WE JUST UPDATED THE BASE FEE TO THE RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMIT.
THE IMPACT FEE HAS CHANGED SINCE THEN, CORRECT? RIGHT.
BUT THOSE AREN'T RUN THROUGH OUR DEPARTMENT.
SO THOSE WILL BE, I THINK THOSE ARE IN YOUR PRESENTATION LATER ON.
BUT IT'S IN THE BUILDING COSTS.
SO YOU'LL NOTE ON THE, IN YOUR AGENDA PACKET AND ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN IT SAYS CAPACITY FEES ARE NOT INCLUDED BECAUSE WE WEREN'T SURE WHAT THAT WAS GONNA LOOK LIKE.
AND THOSE WEREN'T ACTUALLY PERMIT FEES CHARGED BY THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT.
THEY'RE CHARGED FOR PUBLIC WORKS.
THIS IS THE COMPARISON, COMPARISON FOR THE 10,000 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING.
THE CURRENT COST, UM, LIKE I SAID, EVERYTHING'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
SO LIKE I TOOK FIVE PACKAGE UNITS AS AN EXAMPLE FOR THE MECHANICAL PERMIT.
SO THIS WOULD KIND OF BE MORE OF LIKE A WAREHOUSE BUILDING, JUST VERY OPEN, VERY BASIC.
UH, SO THE CURRENT COST WOULD BE $3,222 AND 75 CENTS.
THE PROPOSED COST THAT WE HAVE SHOWN WOULD BE $4,773 AND 50 CENTS.
AND SO THIS IS AN INCREASE OF $1,550 AND 75 CENTS OVER ALL FOR A 10,000 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING.
THAT DOES INCLUDE BUILDING ELECTRICAL, MECHANICAL AND PLUMBING FIRE ALARM AND FIRE SPRINKLER HISTORICAL DATA AND TRENDS.
I KNOW A LOT OF YOU WANNA KNOW HOW MUCH HAS BEEN BUILT, UM, AND KIND OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE YEAR TO YEAR, UM, FROM THE LAST, OBVIOUSLY NOT INCLUDING THIS YEAR, BUT OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS.
THIS IS KIND OF HOW THOSE TRENDS HAVE LAID OUT FOR BOTH COMMERCIAL NEW AND RESIDENTIAL NEW CONSTRUCTION.
UM, A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE GOT IN THE WORKS FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, WE'RE LOOKING AT A MORE DETAILED PLAN REVIEW PROCESS, SEEING IF WE CAN CATCH MORE ON THE PLAN REVIEW AND CAUSING LESS WORK FOR THE INSPECTORS TO HAVE TO CATCH IN THE FIELD AND LESS SURPRISES FOR OUR BUILDERS AND DEVELOPERS AS WE GET INTO THE FIELD.
SO WE'RE KIND OF LOOKING TO EXPAND THAT PLAN REVIEW PROCESS AND IN THE SAME TIME CREATE A FASTER TURNAROUND TIME SO THAT WE'RE GETTING THESE PERMITS OUT QUICKER AND THEY'RE NOT HAVING TO WAIT AS LONG ON 'EM.
UH, WE'D REALLY, RIGHT NOW WE CURRENTLY HAVE SIX INSPECTORS AND THEY DO A LOT OF CROSSOVER.
LIKE, SO OUR BUILDING CAN SOMETIMES DO ELECTRICAL OR MECHANICAL OR PLUMBING, AND THEN THE ELECTRICAL CAN DO PLUMBING SOMETIMES.
AND SO WE'RE GOING TO, OVER THE NEXT FIVE TO 10 YEARS, TRY TO PUSH THAT BACK MORE INTO A SPECIALIZED AREA TO WHERE WE HAVE LIKE TWO INSPECTORS FOR BUILDING TWO THAT FOCUS ON ELECTRIC, TWO THAT FOCUS ON MECHANICAL, AND TWO THAT FOCUS ON PLUMBING.
UH, WE'VE FOUND THAT ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE MORE IN THEIR AREA OF EXPERTISE, THAT WE'RE PERFORMING A BETTER SERVICE AND DOING A BETTER JOB.
WE HAVE ADDITIONAL COLLABORATIONS IN THE WORKS WITH EDMOND FIRE DEPARTMENT, NEW CONSTRUCTION PERMITS THAT WE'RE BEING REQUIRED TO DO AT THE STATE LEVEL THAT'LL THEN TURN INTO EXISTING INSPECTION PERMITS AND OPERATIONAL PERMITS AT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT LEVEL.
WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH THEM ON A TARGET HAZARD PROGRAM TO HELP THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ACTUALLY RESPONDING TO THESE BUILDINGS ONCE THEY'RE BUILT, KNOW WHAT'S OUT THERE AND WHERE TO FIND THINGS.
UH, BETTER COMMUNICATION WITH THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY AND AN INCREASE IN OUR ISO RATING.
UM, I THINK SCOTT HAD THIS IN A PREVIOUS PRESENTATION.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT HOW DO WE, NOT EVERYTHING IS PERFECT, APPLES TO APPLES, BUT HOW DO WE GENERALLY COMPARE WITH OUR PEERS REGARDING FEES AND CHARGES? ARE WE, SO EVEN WITH THESE INCREASES WOULD WOULD BE AT OR ABOVE OR BELOW OR HOW DO WE FIT INTO THE OVERALL SCHEME? WE DID A STUDY LAST YEAR OF THE, UM, EDMUND MIDWEST CITY MOORE, NORMAN, OKLAHOMA CITY, AND YUKON AS A COMPARISON.
AT THE TIME, WE WERE THE FOURTH LOWEST IN THE METRO AREA.
OUT OF THOSE SIX, UM, MIDWEST CITY AND OKLAHOMA CITY HAVE EITHER RECENTLY GONE A FEE, RECENTLY UNDERGONE A FEE INCREASE OR ARE CURRENTLY UNDERGOING A FEE INCREASE.
I THINK IT'S OKLAHOMA CITY THAT'S UNDERGOING ONE IN MIDWEST CITY JUST RECENTLY UNDERWENT ONE.
AND WE WOULD PROBABLY, THIS WOULD PUT US PROBABLY THIRD.
UM, SO IT WOULD BUMP US UP FROM THE FOURTH PLACE TO THE THIRD.
SO WE WOULD BE SECOND OR THIRD DEPENDING ON WHERE THEY FALL WITH THEIR FINAL NUMBERS ON THAT.
BUT IN A, I UNDERSTAND SECOND AND THIRD, BUT YOU SAID JUST COMPARISON.
YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES YOU'RE LIKE, HEY, I LOST THE RACE.
WELL, YOU FIND OUT YOU LOST THE RACE BY LIKE FIVE MINUTES.
YOU KNOW, JUST WHAT IS THAT GAP? IS IT, HEY, WE'RE WE'RE 2% LOWER THAN THE FIRST, OR ARE WE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER? OR, OR WHAT? UM, SO FOR AN EXAMPLE, WHEN WE DID THE STUDY LAST YEAR,
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WE CAME IN AT, FOR THAT 3000 SQUARE FOOT HOUSE, UH, JUST WITH THE KIND OF AVERAGE, BASED OFF THE NUMBERS THAT WE PUT TOGETHER, WE WERE 728 WHERE THE LOWEST WAS 5 85 AND THE HIGHEST WAS 10 25.WITH OKLAHOMA CITY BEING THE HIGHEST AND MIDWEST CITY BEING THE LOWEST.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YEAH.
SO, MIDWEST CITY AT THE TIME WAS 585 AND OKLAHOMA CITY AT THE TIME WAS 1025 AND WE WERE SEVEN AND WE WERE 7 28.
AND WITH THE INCREASE, WHAT WOULD IT BE? UM, WITH THE INCREASE THAT WOULD BE THE 1113 VERSUS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY CURRENTLY HAVE NOW.
THAT'S WHY LIKE THEY'RE WORKING ON THEIR FEES.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT PUTS US OVERALL.
THAT'S WHY I SAID PROBABLY A SECOND.
I THINK IT'S IN, I'VE BOUGHT PERMITS IN OKLAHOMA CITY AND IN EDMOND, AND THEY'RE NOT THAT, WHILE YOU MAY BE LOOKING AT THE BASE RATE FOR IN THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT AND FOR INSPECTIONS AND PLAN REVIEW AND THINGS LIKE THAT, UM, THEY DO THEIRS DIFFERENT IN THE, ON THE IMPACT FEE SIDE.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO, I I DO THINK THERE'S A GOOD MOMENT TO GO INTO ALL OF THIS IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT, UH, THE IMPACT FEE SIDE AND, AND BUILDING DEPARTMENT FEE, UH, AND HOW, LOOK AT IT AS A WHOLE BECAUSE THERE IN OKLAHOMA CITY, THERE ARE SOME FEES THAT THE DEVELOPER PAYS.
UM, AND, AND I TRULY BELIEVE IT ALL ENDS UP GETTING PASSED ON TO THE LOT SALE OR THE BUILDING PERMIT EVENTUALLY.
BUT, UH, IT'S JUST DIFFERENT IN A WAY WHEN YOU'RE COMPARING THAT THERE ARE, THERE'S DEVELOPER FEES THAT THEY HAVE THAT WE DON'T.
UM, AND THEN ON THE OTHER SIDE, THERE'S IMPACT FEES ADDED TO OUR BUILDING PERMIT COST THAT THEY DON'T HAVE.
SO WHERE OUR, UM, BUILDING PERMITS ARE MORE EXPENSIVE THAN OKLAHOMA CITY BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT FEE, THE BUILDING, UH, A BUILDING PERMIT, A COMPARABLE BUILDING PERMIT IN OKLAHOMA CITY IS LESS TO THE BUILDER, BUT THE DEVELOPER PROBABLY PAID MORE FEES ON THE DEVELOPMENT SIDE.
SO ANY SAYING ALL OF THAT, I WOULD JUST URGE IF THAT CONVERSATION HAPPENS LATER TO LOOK, TO LOOK AT IT AS A WHOLE WITH DEVELOPER AND BUILDER, UM, AND, AND COMPARE IT THAT WAY.
NOW, NOW ONE OF THE THOUGHTS WE'RE HAVING IS, IS TO MOVE BUILDING, BUILDING.
I ALWAYS GET BUILDING AND FIRE.
WHAT ARE WE BUILDING AND FIRE CODE SERVICES, I JUST USED TO CALL 'EM BUILDING SAFETY.
IT'S, IT'S THE ABILITY TO THEN HIRE APPROPRIATE STAFFING TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE THROUGHPUT BACK TO THE TURNAROUND TIMES.
UM, SO IT'S WHERE THE FEES AND CHARGES ALLOW US TO, TO HIRE ADDITIONAL STAFF WITH THE GOAL OF KEEPING OUR TURNAROUND TIMES EITHER AND EVEN IMPROVING THEM.
I THINK OUR GOAL IS TO, TO CONTINUE TO REDUCE THAT MORE EFFICIENT.
UM, CUZ YOU KNOW, AS WE TALKED TO
JUST TIME IS WHAT TIME IS MONEY WHEN YOU'RE BUILDING.
I ASSUME IT'LL STREAMLINE IT IF YOU HAVE PEOPLE IN SPECIFIC INSPECTIONS, IT WILL YES.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY DO IT, BUT YOU CAN GO TO OKLAHOMA CITY AND GO TO THE COUNTER AND YOU GET IT AND YOU GET IN LINE AND, UM, IT MAY BE 10 MINUTES AND YOU HAVE A BUILDING PERMIT OR MAYBE 30.
AND I'M NOT SAYING WE HAVE TO BE THAT WAY, BUT IT IS, IT IS THAT QUICK MM-HMM.
NOT WE HAVE, BUT I'M SURE THEY HAVE TO DIFFERENT, I'M SURE THEY STAFF MORE PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT TOO.
THEY JUST LOOK AT BUILDING ITEMS. YEAH.
WHEN OUR STUFF GOES THROUGH PLAN REVIEW.
SO OUR RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS AND MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS PLAN REVIEW AND IT'S US AND ENGINEERING THAT REVIEW IT.
AND THEN OUR COMMERCIAL PERMITS GO THROUGH PLAN REVIEW AND IT'S US UND ELECTRIC URBAN FORESTRY.
UM, NOW THEIR COMMERCIAL PERMITS ARE, IS A DIFFERENT STORY.
AND GOES IN FOR REVIEW IN A LONGER AMOUNT OF TIME THAT YEAH, THEY DO.
THEY, I MEAN, I'VE WATCHED THEM.
THEY TAKE IT AND THEY GO VERIFY IT WITH THE PLAT MM-HMM.
AND THEN IT, IT'S NOT AS IN DEPTH, IT ISN'T.
UM, SO BEING A BUILDING FIRE CODE INSPECTOR, IS THAT A ART OR A SCIENCE
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DAY IT IS.UM,
ANY OTHER, UM, MAY, MAY, MAY MAKE ONE MORE COMMENT.
I THINK WE'RE ALMOST A FULL YEAR ON THE BUILDER PORTAL AND GOING ONLINE.
HAS IT BEEN A FULL YEAR AND I KNOW, OR MAY 1ST.
AND I KNOW THERE'S BEEN WORKING THROUGH TRAINING AND, AND, BUT I, IT'S, IT'S INCREDIBLE THAT WE'VE GONE TO THAT, THAT STEP IN THE, IN THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT BECAUSE SO MANY THINGS CAN BE DONE ONLINE.
UM, I DO THINK THERE WILL, THERE'S THAT TRANSITION AND I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT TAKES, BUT IF PEOPLE THAT MAYBE AREN'T QUITE READY TO GO THERE COMPLETELY OR, UM, OR WILL ALWAYS SOMEBODY NEW THAT WILL NEED SOME TRAINING.
AND SO I, I WOULD HOPE AT, IN THE TEMPORARY LOCATION THAT WE'RE MO MOVING TO, MAYBE NOT THE, MAYBE NOT THE RIGHT PLACE OR THE RIGHT INVESTMENT FOR THAT, BUT MAYBE IN THE, IN THE PERMANENT LOCATION WHEN THAT HAPPENS, MAYBE HAVING A COMPUTER INSIDE IN THE, WE HAVE A SCHEDULED FOR, SO WE ACTUALLY PLAN ON GETTING A KK YEAH.
IT'S IN THE DESIGN OF THE NEW CITY HALL BUILDING.
I MEAN, IT'S BEEN DISCUSSED GREAT.
AND IT'S BEEN PRICED, BUDGETED, EVERYTHING.
IT'S, AND IT'LL BE SHARED BETWEEN BUILDING ENGINEERING AND PLANNING.
SO THE TEMPORARY LOCATION IS, YOU'RE RIGHT, RIGHT.
ABSOLUTELY NOT THE BEST PLACE FOR IT.
ANYTIME ANYBODY NEEDS TRAINING, WE'RE HAPPY TO OFFER THAT TRAINING.
WE'LL PULL 'EM IN, SIT DOWN WITH THEM, GO THROUGH THE PROCESS WITH THEM SURE.
AND HELP 'EM OUT WITH WHATEVER THEY CAN.
DO YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER PROCESS, INTERNAL PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS YOU'RE, YOU'RE DOING, WORKING ON TO ENHANCE YOUR SERVICES? UM, SO I COVERED SOME OF THEM WITH THE, LIKE SPECIALIZED INSPECTIONS AND KIND OF GETTING BACK TO THAT TO WHERE WE DO HAVE INSPECTORS WORKING IN THEIR AREA OF EXPERTISE.
AND THEN ALSO, LIKE I SAID, WE'RE WORKING ON THAT COLLABORATION WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, AS PART OF THE PLAN REVIEW STREAMLINING PROCESS.
UH, WE'RE HAVING A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND, UM, HAVING LIKE DEVELOPMENT MEETINGS TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO BETTER MOVE THINGS FORWARD IN A FASTER, AT LEAST A LITTLE BIT MORE EXPEDITED THAN WHAT IT DOES.
WE HAVE, UH, FOR BUILDING PERMITS, WE HAVE CREATED, IT'S LIKE A FIVE PAGE LIST FOR COMMERCIAL PERMITS.
AND IT'S BASICALLY, YOU CAN GIVE IT TO AN ARCHITECT ENGINEER AND IT LISTS EVERYTHING THAT THEY NEED TO PROVIDE TO US IN ORDER FOR US TO DO OUR JOB.
SO IF THEY GET THAT TURNED INTO US, WE CAN GUARANTEE, GUARANTEE THEM THEIR TIMEFRAME FOR OUR DEPARTMENT TO GET THAT TURNED AROUND IN BECAUSE WE HAVE EVERYTHING WE NEED.
THEY KIND OF HAVE A CHECKLIST THAT THEY CAN USE AND WE JUST GO DOWN AND IT GIVES US WHAT WE NEED TO DO OUR JOB.
AND WE DON'T HAVE TO KICK IT BACK TO 'EM AND KICK IT BACK TO 'EM AND GO, OH, YOU FORGOT TO PUT THESE DIMENSIONS ON HERE.
OH, YOU DIDN'T SHOW US WHERE YOUR FIRE RATED WALLS WERE.
OH, YOU DIDN'T SHOW US WHAT THE EGRESS PATH WAS IN AND OUTTA YOUR BUILDING.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT AS MANY OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO MAKE IT EASIER AND SIMPLER TO GET THROUGH THE PROCESS, AT LEAST AS IT RELATES TO BUILDING PERMITS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU.
HOW ARE YOU? NOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE
[3. Presentation and discussion of the Public Works Department FY 2024 budget, including but not limited to operational and financial modifications. ]
PUBLIC WORKS, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO OPERATIONAL AND FINANCIAL MODIFICATIONS.UM, I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT SEVERAL THINGS AS IT RELATES TO PUBLIC WORKS.
THERE'S REALLY KIND OF FIVE TOPICS THAT I'M GONNA TOUCH ON AND I BELIEVE FOR SAKE OF TIME, MAYBE ALLOW SOME QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS AT THE END OF EACH ONE OF THOSE SEGMENTS THAT MIGHT WORK BEST.
SO FIRST OF ALL, UM, I WANNA TALK ABOUT THE STRUCTURE OF PUBLIC WORKS OR HOW WHAT COMPRISES PUBLIC WORKS AS YOU GO AROUND THE COUNTRY AND LOOK AT DIFFERENT PUBLIC WORKS, EVEN IN THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA, THERE'S TYPICALLY A DIFFERENT MAKEUP ANYWHERE YOU GO.
AND SO OUR EDMOND PUBLIC WORKS IS NOT GONNA BE THE SAME AS MIDWEST CITY OR OKLAHOMA CITY OR, OR NORMAN.
THERE ARE DIFFERENT COMPONENTS THAT MAKE THOSE UP.
IN ED AT EDMOND PUBLIC WORKS, WE HAVE FIVE PRIMARY DIVISIONS THAT MAKE UP OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
OUR FACILITY MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT.
UH, OF COURSE THEY MAINTAIN ALL OF OUR FACILITIES, UH, PROVIDE CUSTODIAL SERVICES FOR MANY OF OUR, OF OUR BUILDINGS AS WELL.
UH, THERE'S CURRENTLY 10 FULL-TIME
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EMPLOYEES IN THE FACILITY MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT, AND FORTUNATELY WE HAVE NO VACANCIES IN THERE AT THIS TIME.UM, AND I'LL BACK UP IN, IN PUBLIC WORKS AS A WHOLE, WE HAVE 144 POSITIONS, FULL-TIME POSITIONS THAT, THAT ARE SPREAD OUT OVER THESE FIVE DIVISIONS.
CURRENTLY IN PUBLIC WORKS AS A WHOLE, WE HAVE 12 VACANCIES, WHICH IS, WHICH IS HIGH FOR US.
WE DON'T TYPICALLY HAVE THAT MANY VACANCIES, AND IT'S BEEN LIKE THAT FOR AT LEAST THE LAST YEAR, TWO YEARS.
WE JUST HAVE A CONSTANT, UM, 10 TO 12 VACANCIES THROUGHOUT PUBLIC WORKS.
BUT FACILITY MAINTENANCE RIGHT NOW WE'RE, WE'RE FULLY STAFFED.
AND THEN WE HAVE OUR FIELD SERVICES DIVISION.
DIVISION, UH, FIELD SERVICES HAS A TOTAL OF 87 FULL-TIME POSITIONS.
UH, WITHIN THAT UMBRELLA OF FIELD SERVICES, THERE ARE FIVE SUBDIVISIONS THAT MAKE UP THAT DEPARTMENT.
AND IN FIELD SERVICES, WE CURRENTLY HAVE EIGHT VACANCIES, AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE AREA WHERE THAT AND THE SOLID WASTE, UH, DRIVERS ARE WHERE WE HAVE THE MOST DIFFICULTY FILLING POSITIONS.
SO RIGHT NOW, EIGHT IS MAKES US UNCOMFORTABLE TO HAVE THAT MANY VACANCIES.
BUT YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE DOING SOME THINGS TRYING TO ATTRACT SOME PEOPLE AND TRYING TO GET THOSE POSITIONS FILLED.
BUT WITHIN FIELD SERVICES, WE HAVE OUR STREET MAINTENANCE GROUP, WE HAVE OUR WATERLINE MAINTENANCE GROUP, WE HAVE OUR WASTEWATER LINE MAINTENANCE GROUP, WE HAVE OUR METER SERVICES GROUP, AND THEN WE HAVE THE TRAFFIC.
UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DO NOT KNOW THIS, BACK IN 2006 WHEN FIELD SERVICES WAS CREATED, WE BEGAN A CROSS TRAINING PROGRAM WITH THREE OF THOSE DIVISIONS.
THE STREET MAINTENANCE, THE WATERLINE MAINTENANCE, AND THE WASTEWATER LINE MAINTENANCE.
WE CREATED A CURRICULUM FOR THOSE FOLKS THAT, THAT COVERED ALL OF THE TASKS THAT THEY PERFORM.
AND WE CALLED IT SKILL-BASED PAY PROGRAM.
WE ACTUALLY PAID THEM FOR THEIR SKILLS THAT, THAT THEY WOULD OBTAIN AND BE ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE PROFICIENCY IN.
AND SO BY DOING SO, WE WERE ABLE TO STAFF THOSE DIVISIONS FOR JUST NORMAL OPERATIONS.
IT'S THE NORMAL DAY-TO-DAY THINGS THAT THEY DO.
BUT IF WE HAD AN EMERGENCY AND ONE OF THOSE, WERE ABLE TO TAKE PEOPLE FROM THE OTHER DIVISIONS TO GO IN AND ADDRESS THAT EMERGENCY, GET CAUGHT BACK UP, AND THEN EVERYBODY GO BACK TO THEIR NORMAL ROUTINE.
AND I'LL, I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT IS CUZ WE HAVE SOME REALLY SOME REAL LIVE EXAMPLES OF HOW THAT'S HELPED US RECENTLY.
AND THEN, UM, AND THEN OF COURSE WE HAVE, UH, TRAFFIC, WHICH, UM, MAINTAINS ALL OF OUR TRAFFIC SIGNALS, STREET LIGHTS AND ALL THOSE THINGS.
AND WE HAVE THE FLEET MAINTENANCE AND VEHICLE MAINTENANCE DIVISION.
UH, THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR MANAGING AND MAINTAINING OUR ENTIRE FLEET, UH, OVER 650 VEHICLES NOW, UH, THAT THEY MAINTAIN.
AND THAT'S EVERYTHING FROM, UH, UH, LAWNMOWER TO, UH, PARK TRUCK.
AND THEY DO IT ALL, DO A GREAT JOB.
UH, IN THAT DIVISION, WE HAVE, UM, 12 FULL-TIME, UH, EMPLOYEES AND CURRENTLY, AGAIN, NO VACANCIES AND WE'RE THANKFUL FOR THAT.
AND THEN I THINK, UH, SEE OUR PUBLIC WORKS ADMIN, UH, OF COURSE THEY TAKE CARE OF ALL THE ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT FOR ALL OF THESE DEPARTMENTS.
TAKE CARE OF ALL OF OUR WORK ORDER SERVICE REQUESTS, FIELD PHONE CALLS, UM, UH, DO A GREAT JOB IN THAT DIVISION.
WE HAVE 10 FULL-TIME POSITIONS.
UH, WE CURRENTLY HAVE ONE VACANCY, BUT WE HOPE TO HAVE IT FILLED WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK.
SO, UH, WE'RE DOING GOOD THERE.
AND THEN OUR SOLID WASTE DIVISION, LAST BUT NOT LEAST, UM, IS, UM, 23 FULL-TIME POSITIONS WITH CURRENTLY THREE VACANCIES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO FILL THERE.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S OUR STRUCTURE WORK CHART.
OUR PROPOSED BUDGETS FOR PUBLIC WORKS FY 24, UM, FOR FACILITY MAINTENANCE, THE PROPOSED BUDGET IS JUST OVER 3.5 MILLION FOR FIELD SERVICES.
JUST OVER 16 MILLION FOR FLEET MANAGEMENT.
AND THIS IS THE PURCHASE OF VEHICLES AND REPLACEMENT VEHICLES IS 6.4 MILLION.
PUBLIC WORKS ADMIN IS 1.2 MILLION.
AND THEN SOLID WASTE, 11.6 MILLION.
AND THEN OUR VEHICLE MAINTENANCE, UH, THE MAINTENANCE SIDE OF THAT IS 4.5 MILLION TOTAL OF 43.2 MILLION BUDGET FOR PUBLIC WORKS.
THIS REPRESENTS ABOUT A 0.11, A 0.0 0.4% INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR.
SO NOT MUCH OF AN INCREASE, UM, IN OUR PUBLIC WORKS BUDGET.
SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH, UM, THAT I WANTED
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TO KIND OF MAKE YOU AWARE OF, OF COURSE, THE CONTINUED TIGHT LABOR MARKET, UH, WERE CONTINUE TO DEAL WITH THAT.UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, LIKE I SAID, WE HAD 12 VACANCIES.
UM, WE'VE DONE SOME THINGS WITH HR TO TRY AND ATTRACT, UH, ATTRACT CANDIDATES.
WE HAVE A, A SIGN ON BONUS THAT WE'RE OFFERING NOW OF $2,000, UH, IF THEY'LL, IF THEY'LL COME TO WORKFORCE US.
UM, BUT IT'S STILL, WE'RE COMPETING WITH, WITH MCDONALD'S AND THE WALMARTS WHO ARE PAYING PRETTY GOOD NOW.
AND SO, UM, WE'RE HAVING TO DEAL WITH THAT.
SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES CONTINUE TO BE A, A CHALLENGE FOR US.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE RECENTLY HAD, UH, SOME ISSUES WITH OUR WATER SERVICE EQUIPMENT SUPPLYING THE WATER SERVICES FOR THE, FOR THE NEW HOMES AND COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS.
UM, THAT'S EASED UP A LITTLE BIT.
WE STILL ARE HAVING SOME CHALLENGES WITH IT, BUT WE ARE ABLE TO, TO GET SOME OF THAT STUFF IN.
NOW WE'RE HAVING TO STOCK MORE ITEMS THAN WE USED TO IN OUR WAREHOUSE BECAUSE WHENEVER WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUY IT, AND IT'S A HEAVY MOVER, WE'RE BUYING AS MANY OF 'EM AS WE CAN FIND SO THAT WE DON'T GET OURSELVES INTO THIS SITUATION AGAIN.
SO SUPPLY CHAIN VEHICLES, UH, PURCHASE EQUIPMENT PURCHASES.
IF FORD CALLS US AND SAYS, HEY, WE'RE GETTING READY TO MAKE SOME THREE QUARTER TON PICKUPS.
WE ORDER AS MANY AS WE CAN, AND THEN WE DISTRIBUTE THOSE OUT AMONGST THE DEPARTMENTS, ONCE WE ABLE TO SECURE THOSE, THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN VERY OFTEN.
UM, AND THEN TRANSITION, I PUT THAT UP THERE.
I DIDN'T EXPLAIN THAT VERY WELL, BUT TRANSITION IS ONE OF OUR CHALLENGES RIGHT NOW AND ON THE HORIZON.
UM, ONE OF THE TRANSITIONS THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH RIGHT NOW IS THAT WITH THE UPCOMING NEW CONSTRUCTION OF THE CITY HALL COMPLEX, WE'RE HAVING TO MOVE PEOPLE OUT OF THE EXISTING BUILDINGS TO OTHER BUILDINGS.
AND SO OUR FACILITY MAINTENANCE FOLKS ARE HELPING WITH THAT, TRYING TO FIND SPACE FOR EVERYBODY.
UH, SO THAT HAS BECOME A CHALLENGE FOR US TO TRANSITION.
UH, OF COURSE WE'LL LOOK BACK FIVE YEARS FROM NOW AND THINK, MAN, THIS, THIS BUILDING IS THE GREATEST THING EVER.
BUT THERE'S A TRANSITION, UH, GOING FROM WHAT WE HAVE NOW TO WHAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE IN THE FUTURE.
UM, WE'RE GOING THROUGH A TRANSITION, UM, WITH WHERE I WAS HEADED THERE.
UM, WE'RE, THAT'S ANOTHER AREA THAT FIVE YEARS FROM NOW, HOPEFULLY NOT THAT LONG, WE'LL LOOK BACK AND THINK, WHY DIDN'T WE DO THIS SOONER? BECAUSE IT'S GONNA ADD SO MUCH TO OUR OPERATIONS, OUR ABILITY TO, TO DETECT LEAKS AND, AND, UH, TO DEAL WITH PROBLEMS IN OUR, IN OUR TRAN IN OUR, UH, WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM.
SO, UM, BUT THE TRANSITION IS A CHALLENGE.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF THE IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS RIGHT NOW, UH, AND IT REQUIRES A LOT OF EFFORT ON EVERYBODY'S PART.
BUT ONCE IT'S DONE, IT'S GONNA, IT'S GONNA BE GREAT.
AND ONE OF THE TRANSITIONS THAT WE SEE ON THE HORIZON, OF COURSE, IS ELECTRIC VEHICLES, UH, MOVING FROM THE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE, POWERING OUR EQUIPMENT, OUR VEHICLES TO ELECTRIC VEHICLES.
UM, WE HAVE TO BE REAL CAREFUL THAT WE DON'T GET PUSHED INTO THINGS TOO SOON.
WE DO NOT WANT TO BE ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF SOME OF THESE TRANSITIONS.
AND I'LL GIVE YOU A REAL LIFE EXAMPLE.
UM, THE CITY, A CITY SOUTH OF US, I WON'T TELL YOU WHO IT IS.
UM, IT'S IN THE PROCESS OF PURCHASING AN ELECTRIC STREET SWEEPER.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW IF I, I'M NOT SURE IF THEY HAD SOME INCENTIVES TO DO SO, BUT, BUT THEY'VE DECIDED TO MAKE THAT DECISION.
THE PROBLEM WITH AN ELECTRIC STREET SWEEPER IS THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF COMPONENTS ON THAT MACHINE THAT ARE GONNA HAVE TO BE RUN BY ELECTRICITY.
SO WHEN YOU TAKE THAT THING OUT FOR AN EIGHT HOUR TOUR, THERE'S NO WAY THAT IT'S GONNA LAST FOR EIGHT HOURS BECAUSE OF EVERYTHING THAT'S ELECTRICITY ON IT.
UM, AND SO THEY'RE GONNA, THEY'RE GOING TO NOT HAVE IT GO BACK TO A CENTRAL DUMPING LOCATION.
THEY'RE ACTUALLY GONNA TAKE ROLL OFF CONTAINERS OUT AND STAGE THEM THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
SO THIS THING CAN GO AND DUMP INTO THOSE CONTAINERS.
AND OF COURSE THOSE WILL BE INTERNAL COMBUSTIBLE ENGINE DRIVEN DUMP TRUCKS THAT WILL TAKE THOSE OUT THERE AND SET 'EM.
SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THINGS LIKE THAT THAT WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL OF.
THERE ARE, THERE ARE SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR US WITH THE ELECTRIC EQUIPMENT AND ELECTRIC VEHICLES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
AND WE'LL, WE'LL TRANSITION THOSE IN AS THEY MAKE SENSE FOR US.
ANOTHER CHALLENGE, UNFUNDED MANDATES.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ALWAYS SOMETHING WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH.
[00:30:01]
HAVE SOME PIPE IN THE GROUND THAT'S 75 PLUS YEARS OLD, AND 75 PLUS YEAR OLD PIPE WILL LEAK AND FAIL AND WE HAVE TO REPLACE IT.WE ARE REPLACING IT, BUT WE HAVE TO REPAIR IT UNTIL IT GETS REPLACED.
AND THEN THE CHALLENGE OF GROWTH, OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH, WITH THE GROWTH THAT'S GOING ON IN EDMOND RIGHT NOW, TRYING TO KEEP UP BOTH IN, IN QUAL QUANTITY AND DENSITY.
YOU KNOW, THE, THE DENSE GROWTH PRESENTS SOME CHALLENGES FOR US, UH, ESPECIALLY IN OUR SOLID WASTE DIVISION.
BUT, UH, YOU ARE, WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THOSE TRENDS FOR PUBLIC WORKS AROUND THE COUNTRY.
I, I KIND OF DID A, A STUDY JUST TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON IN, IN OUR PEER, UH, ORGANIZATIONS AND AN INCREASED FOCUS ON SUSTAINABILITY.
OF COURSE, THAT'S BEEN A TREND FOR QUITE A WHILE NOW.
BUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING, UH, BY WAY OF SUSTAINABILITY IN PUBLIC WORKS, UM, A FEW THINGS, UM, IS OUR L E D CHANGE OUT OF OUR STREET LIGHTS.
UH, WE BEGAN THAT PROGRAM ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO WHERE WE'RE, WERE RETROFITTING OUR STREET LIGHTS WITH L E D HEADS, WHICH OF COURSE CUTS DOWN ON ELECTRICITY, SORRY, GLENN
UM, AND, AND, AND THEY, THEY LAST LONGER.
WE HAD, THEY REQUIRE LESS MAINTENANCE.
SO WE'RE DOING THAT WITH NOT ONLY OUR STREET LIGHTS, BUT OUR FACILITY PARKING LOT LIGHTS ARE ALSO GETTING RETROFITTED WITH L E D LIGHTING.
UH, WE'RE DOING THINGS WITHIN OUR BUILDINGS TO HELP MANAGE ENERGY.
WE HAVE ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS IN ALL OF THE BUILDINGS, UH, FOR THE HEAT AND AIR, UH, EQUIPMENT.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOING OTHER THINGS AS WE CAN TO, UH, REDUCE OUR ENERGY USAGE IN THE BUILDING.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE FOCUSED ON THAT.
UM, AND INCREASE FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY.
UH, WE'VE LEARNED A LONG TIME AGO THAT TECHNOLOGY IS OUR FRIEND AND, AND WE EMBRACE THAT FULLY.
UM, WE UTILIZE, UM, THE, THE GIS, UH, SYSTEM GLOBAL, NO GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM.
UM, WE UTILIZE GPS GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM, AND WE UTILIZE THE ITS SYSTEM, OUR INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.
THOSE ARE THINGS TECHNOLOGY WISE THAT ARE HELPING US DO OUR JOBS BETTER.
AND, AND WE'RE MAKING CHANGES EVERY DAY RELATED TO TECHNOLOGY.
ELECTRIC POWERED VEHICLES WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT.
UH, ONE OF THE ELECTRIC POWERED PIECES OF EQUIPMENT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS A MINI EXCAVATOR THAT, THAT WE SAW AT A DEMO A COUPLE YEARS AGO.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD BRING INTO, UH, OUR FLEET AND IT WOULD WORK, IT WOULD DO WHAT WE NEEDED IT TO.
THE ONLY PROBLEM IS IT, IT, IT, IT COSTS AS OPPOSED TO A DIESEL MINI EXCAVATOR, WHICH IS $60,000.
AN ELECTRIC POWER ONE IS $90,000.
SO IT'S QUITE A, QUITE A COST DIFFERENCE IN THAT EQUIPMENT.
BUT, UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT CROSS TRAINING OF PERSONNEL.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
IT HELPS US, UH, YOU KNOW, MORE AND MORE AGENCIES ARE LOOKING AT DOING WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING FOR THE LAST ALMOST 20 YEARS IN CROSS-TRAINING OUR PERSONNEL AND THEN ASSET MANAGEMENT.
UH, WE RECENTLY COMPLETED OUR REACCREDITATION PROCESS WITH THE AMERICAN PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY POINTED OUT IN OUR, IN THE PROCESS IS THAT WE NEEDED AN ASSET MANAGEMENT POLICY THAT COVERED OUR ENTIRE PUBLIC WORKS, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE, ALL OF OUR ASSETS THAT WE HAVE.
AND SO WE'RE, THAT WAS ONE OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS FOR LAST OR THIS CURRENT YEAR, UH, IS TO DEVELOP THAT POLICY.
AND SO WE'RE WORKING ON THAT TO BETTER HELP US MANAGE OUR ASSETS.
AND THEN OF COURSE, OUTSOURCING IS, IS A TREND, UM, THAT, THAT WE'RE SEEING NATIONWIDE.
UM, EVERYBODY LOOKING AT THEIR OPERATIONS AND SEEING WHAT CAN BE DONE BETTER THROUGH OUTSOURCING.
ANY QUESTIONS SO FAR? COMMENTS? WHAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF OUTSOURCING? THAT'S A TREND.
UM, GLAD YOU ASKED MY NEXT SLIDE.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE SERIOUSLY LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW.
THE CITY OFFERS A CITY INSTALL OR A CONTRACTOR INSTALLED WHEN YOU GO TO GET YOUR PERMIT.
UM, WE, WE'VE PUT A HALT OR A FREEZE ON THE CITY INSTALLS BECAUSE WE CAN'T GET TO 'EM.
WE'RE, WE'RE SNOWED WITH OTHER WORK.
SO THAT'S ONE THING THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, AT POSSIBLY GETTING OUT OF.
UH, IT'S, UM, IT REALLY IS, IS IT'S EXPENSIVE FOR US TO DO THAT.
[00:35:01]
OTHER PRIORITIES THAT, THAT WE NEED TO BE FOCUSED ON.UM, WE, WE OUTSOURCE, I'M THINK OF SOME OTHER THINGS WE DO.
WE DO QUITE A BIT OF OUTSOURCING OF MAINTENANCE.
IF WE HAVE, IF WE HAVE, UM, WARRANTY WORK, THINGS LIKE THAT, WE UTILIZE SHOPS TO DO THAT WORK.
IF WE HAVE WORK THAT, THAT WE'RE NOT EQUIPPED TO DO, WE'LL SEND IT OUT.
CAN YOU OUTSOURCE ANY OF THOSE DRIVING POSITIONS THAT YOU'RE EIGHT SHORT IN? NO.
IT, IT, IT'S, IT'S COMPLICATED.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE LOOKED OVER THE YEARS AT WAYS TO, TO OUTSOURCE LIKE OUR STREET MAINTENANCE AND THOSE TYPE THINGS.
AND BECAUSE OF THE SPECIALIZED, UM, OH, PERSONALIZED SERVICE THAT WE PROVIDE TRYING TO OUTSOURCE, THAT'S VERY PROBLEMATIC.
PROBABLY LIABILITY DRIVING YOUR EQUIPMENT TOO, I WOULD ASSUME? YES.
SO THESE ARE OUR CURRENT, THE, THE, THE COLUMN ON THE LEFT, THAT'S OUR CURRENT FEES.
AND THIS IS FOR OUR, WE DO THE WATER SERVICE INSTALL FEES, AND WE HAVE FOUR SIZE WATER METERS THAT THAT CAN, CAN BE USED IN THE RESIDENTIAL SIDE.
UH, WE TYPICALLY DON'T SEE ANYTHING LARGER THAN THE ONE INCH.
IT'S USUALLY THE FIVE EIGHTS AND THE ONE INCH METERS THAT, THAT WE SEE THE MOST OF.
BUT OUR CURRENT FEES, UM, MUCH LIKE BUILDING SERVICES, THESE HAVE NOT CHANGED IN 15 YEARS.
THESE ARE THE SAME FEES THAT WERE, WHEN I CAME TO WORK HERE 15 YEARS AGO, 16 YEARS AGO.
UM, THE SECOND COLUMN, MIDDLE COLUMN, THOSE ARE OUR AVERAGE COSTS FOR WATER SERVICE INSTALLS FOR THOSE VARIOUS SIZE METERS IN 2022.
AND THEN THE OUTSIDE COLUMN IS WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING FOR THOSE FEE INCREASES TO BE CONSIDERED.
I MEAN, THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT, IN ORDER TO RECOVER COST THAT WE WOULD, THAT WE WOULD RECOMMEND.
BUT YOU SAID RIGHT NOW WE'RE NOT DOING ANY CITY INSTALL.
IT'S ALL CONTRACTOR INSTALLED, WHICH IN FACT, WE CONVERTED, WE CONVERTED SEVERAL CONTRACTOR INSTALLS TO CITY INSTALLS.
CAUSE WE COULD, WE COULDN'T GET TO 'EM.
AND I'LL SH I'LL SHOW YOU A GRAPH HERE A MINUTE THAT'LL COME THAT HAD ALSO DO WITH MATERIALS AVAILABLE.
AND YOU CONTINUE, UH, PROVIDING THE SERVICE ISSUE IS, UH, KEITH WILL HAVE TO HIRE MORE STAFF, WHICH WE'D RATHER TALK ABOUT.
SO, UM, LETTING CONTRACTORS INSTALL THEIR OWN SERVICES.
SO THIS IS, THIS IS THE PAST FIVE YEARS OF CITY IN, CITY AND CONTRACTOR INSTALLS.
THE BLUE ARE THE CITY INSTALLS, THE, I GUESS THAT'S RUST COLOR ARE THE CONTRACTOR INSTALLS.
AND IN THE GRAY IS OVERALL HOW MANY INSTALLS WERE DONE FOR THAT PARTICULAR YEAR.
AND YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THE BLUE THE CITY INSTALLS OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS, UP UNTIL 2022, WERE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE CITY INSTALLS DONE THAN CONTRACTOR INSTALLS.
WE DID 'EM CHEAPER, OBVIOUSLY.
AND, AND BACK THEN, UM, WE DIDN'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE COMPETING WORKLOAD, WE WERE ABLE TO GET TO THEM QUICKER.
UH, WE COULD INSTALL THEM SOONER THAN WHAT A CONTRACTOR COULD AT A BETTER PRICE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, MOST EVERYBODY WOULD WANT THE CONTRACTOR INSTALLED.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S, THAT'S, THAT'S QUITE A FEW INSTALLS A YEAR THAT WE WERE DOING THIS IS, THIS IS THE ANNUAL COST OF US DOING AN INSTALL, DOING THE INSTALLS THAT'S LABOR, EQUIPMENT AND MATERIAL FOR EACH OF THOSE YEARS.
AND YOU CAN NOTICE TWO 20 2022, WE, WE DIDN'T DO VERY MANY, SO THE COST WENT WAY DOWN.
SO WHAT ARE, I CAN'T SEE THOSE NUMBERS UP THERE ON TOP.
UH, $180,000 WAS IN 2022 AND THEN 430,000 WAS OUR LARGEST YEAR.
WE HAD A, WE HAD A LOG INSTALLS UP HERE, CONTRACT OUR CITY INSTALLS.
KEITH, DO YOU MIND? WELL, OH, I'M SORRY.
DO YOU MIND GOING BACK TO THE, UH, ONE MORE RIGHT THERE.
SO ON THE, ON THE CONTRACTOR INSTALLED THE PROPOSED FEE, SO THE CURRENT FEE OF THE 213, IT'S BEEN BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE PAYING FOR IS THE METER ITSELF.
[00:40:01]
THAT'S THE METER KIT.AND THERE, I ASSUME I IS THAT THE 15 YEARS THAT IT HASN'T CHANGED OR CORRECT.
AND CERTAINLY THERE'S BEEN AN INCREASE IN METER THERE.
FOR THE, AND PROBABLY PRETTY CLOSE TO THAT MUCH WOULD BE MY GUESS.
THE, UM, THE 400 AND YEAH, THE 4 25 $5.
YEAH, THAT IS, THAT'S WHAT, SO WE'VE BEEN SUPPLEMENTING IT.
THAT'S WHAT TODAY A, A, A UNIT WILL COST YOU.
AND JUST CORRECT ME, I THINK THE, YOU HAVE TO, YOU HAVE TO USE THE CITY METER, RIGHT? CORRECT.
AND, AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS PROTECTING THE INTEGRITY OF OUR SYSTEM.
YOU KNOW, THE COPPER, UM, NUMBERS ARE RIGHT FOR IT.
UH, WE HAVE TO, WE USE A, WE HAVE A CLOSED SYSTEM IN IT.
UM, IT HAS TO HAVE A DOUBLE CHECK.
UM, AND IT WOULD HAVE THE SMART COMPONENTS ON IT FROM HERE.
PRETTY CLOSE TO MOVING FORWARD.
NOW, AND I'LL SHOW YOU, THERE'S A, ANOTHER SLIDE HERE THAT'LL, SO THESE ARE THE AVERAGE COST PER INSTALL OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
AND I JUST DID THE ONE INCH AND THE FIVE EIGHTS.
CUZ THOSE ARE OUR BIGGEST MOVER WHEN IT COMES TO RESIDENTIAL INSTALLS.
AND, UM, Y'ALL CAN SEE THAT OR NOT, I'M SORRY FOR THAT.
BUT YOU'LL NOTICE ON THE, THE FIVE EIGHTS METER, WHICH IS THE BLUE, THE AVERAGE COST OVER, YOU KNOW, FROM 2018 TO 2021 WAS, YOU KNOW, 850 ISH DOLLARS PER INSTALL.
BUT 2022, WHEN WE SAW THE SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES AFFECT THE COST OF EVERYTHING, IT SHOT UP TO A THOUSAND DOLLARS.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE USED 2022 TO SET THAT POSSIBLE INCREASE IN FEE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT'LL GO BACK DOWN, BUT I, I DON'T THINK IT WILL, I DON'T EXPECT IT TO.
I, I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY GONNA BE OUR NEW NORM, UM, GOING FORWARD.
SO WE WOULD HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY LOOK, BUT THE ONE INCH, IT, IT, IT VARIES QUITE A BIT HERE IS I WANTED TO, UM, MR. MR. RIGBY WANT ME TO TALK ABOUT LEAKS
I'VE GOTTEN EMAILS FROM SOME OF YOU, UH, REGARDING LEAKS AND, UM, WE GOT A BUNCH OF LEAKS GOING ON.
UH, THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE NUMBER OF LEAKS REPAIRED OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS EACH YEAR.
AND WE TYPICALLY AVERAGE UNDER 300 LEAKS IN A YEAR.
YEAH, WE'RE HAVING A BIG YEAR
THAT'S NOT A GOOD NUMBER TO BE BIG.
MOST OF THEM ARE IN WARD FOUR,
I SAID I THINK MOST OF THEM ARE IN WARD FOUR.
WELL, YOU'VE GOT SOME
HONESTLY, THAT'S, THAT, THAT, THAT HAS A LOT TO DO WITH IT.
I KNOW YOU AND WHERE THAT ONE UTILITY CONTRACTOR WAS WORKING.
WE DON'T EVEN CALL OURS IN ANYMORE.
SO THIS IS A, THIS HAS BEEN A REAL CHALLENGE FOR US.
UM, AND DUCT TAPE, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY BEING 12 PEOPLE DOWN 12 VACANCIES, WE LOST SOME OF OUR MORE SEASONED OPERATORS, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S, IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN SOMETHING.
SO JUST SOME INFORMATION ON LEAKS RIGHT NOW WE'RE, WE'RE LESS THAN 90 LEAKS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, WHICH IS, IT'S A GOOD THING.
WELL, YOU'LL SEE THAT IT IS HERE IN A MINUTE.
AND THAT'S OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN HERE.
UH, IF WE WERE IN THE 20 TO 30 RANGE, THAT THAT WAS GOOD, WE WE'RE, WE'RE KEEPING UP.
CAUSE WE CAN REPAIR THAT MANY IN A WEEK UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A GOOD, THAT'S A GOOD NUMBER, UH, TO BE AT.
WHEN WE GET OVER 40, THEN OUR LEAK REPAIR CREWS START WORKING OVERTIME.
THEY GO TO MANDATORY OVERTIME SO THAT THAT NUMBER DOESN'T CLIMB ABOVE THAT.
IF WE GET OVER 50, UH, THEN WE USE SOME OF OUR OTHER WATERLINE MAINTENANCE CREWS WHO ARE ON PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE.
WE, WE, WE REASSIGN THEM TO REPAIR LEAKS.
[00:45:01]
THEN OUR CROSS TRAINING KICKS IN.WE'RE ABLE TO USE OUR WASTEWATER LINE MAINTENANCE FOLKS TO GO HELP US WITH THE LEAK REPAIRS.
IF WE GET OVER A HUNDRED, THEN OUR STREET MAINTENANCE CREWS GET IN ON THE ACTION, THEN RIGBY GETS INVOLVED.
I HEAR I
UM, AND SO, AND BUT OVER THE PAST SIX MONTHS, OUR NUMBER OF ACTIVE LEAKS HAS BEEN IN THE 150 RANGE, WHICH IS CRAZY FOR US.
WE'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN ALL HANDS ON DECK.
YOU KNOW, WE TRY TO UTILIZE SOME CONTRACTORS TO HELP WITH THIS, BUT THIS IS KIND OF A UNIQUE THING AND IT'S DIFFICULT TO HAVE A CONTRACTOR COME IN AND DO IT BECAUSE OF OUR REQUIREMENTS FOR INSURANCE AND LICENSING AND CERTIFICATIONS AND ALL THAT.
BUT, UM, ANYWAY, IT'S BEING AT 90.
SO WHAT ARE SOME CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THE LEAKS? OBVIOUSLY AGING PIPES AND FITTINGS.
WE'VE GOT PIPES AND FITTINGS THAT ARE OVER 75 YEARS OLD IN THIS TOWN.
SO, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE A LIFE EXPECTANCY AND SOME OF 'EM HAVE REACHED THAT, EXCEEDED THAT.
WE GOT SOME, SOME DIRT AROUND HERE THAT WILL EAT THROUGH ABOUT ANYTHING.
AND WHEN YOU HAVE METAL PIPE IN THE GROUND, IT IT'S, IT'S TERRIBLE FOR, FOR OUR PIPING, UM, MATERIAL AND WORKMANSHIP.
WE'VE, UH, BACK IN THE NINETIES WE, WE USED SOME POLY TYPE MATERIAL FOR SERVICE LINES AND, AND THAT WASN'T A REAL GOOD MATERIAL.
AND WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF FAILURES WITH THAT.
BEEN DEALING WITH FAILURES WITH THAT FOR QUITE A WHILE.
UM, WORKMANSHIP, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THEY'LL PULL A PIPE, PULL A COPPER SERVICE LINE THROUGH A PIECE OF CONDUIT AND THEY'LL RUB IT WHEN THEY PULL IT THROUGH AND IT WON'T LEAK RIGHT AWAY, BUT OVER TIME WHERE IT RUBBED IT, IT THINNED OUT THAT PIPE, IT'LL EVENTUALLY WORK, IT'LL HAVE A LEAK.
SO, AND SOME OF THOSE THINGS YOU JUST CAN'T CATCH.
I MEAN IT'S JUST, IT, IT HAPPENS.
UM, WET DRY CONDITIONS, UM, IT IS PLAYS HAVOC ON, ON OUR PIPES.
EXTREME TEMPERATURE VARIATIONS.
UM, I WAS READING AN ARTICLE WHERE THE, THE, IT'S A GROUP OF CIVIL ENGINEERS CAME OUT WITH A STUDY THAT IF THERE IS A 10 DEGREE VARIATION IN TEMPERATURE, THAT'S ENOUGH TO CREATE A SHIFT IN SOIL TO CREATE A LEAK THAT'S EVERY DAY HERE.
I WAS GONNA SAY, WE, WE VARY 40 DEGREES EVERY DAY.
UH, INTERESTING FACT OF THAT 623 LEAKS THAT WE HAD IN 2020 2 44 OF THOSE WERE HITS, UH, BY OTHER CONTRACTORS.
BUT, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT GOES WITH WE, WE HIT A FEW OF THEIRS TOO.
COUPLE OF GRAPHS REAL QUICK TO KIND OF SHOW YOU THIS IS, THIS IS AVERAGE, THIS IS THE RAINFALL FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS EACH YEAR.
AND YOU'LL NOTICE AS THE RAINFALL AMOUNTS LOWER IN 21 AND 22, OUR LEAKS WENT UP.
SO THERE'S A DIRECT CORRELATION BETWEEN THE RAINFALL AND, AND WHETHER OUR LEAKS.
SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS KIND OF INTERESTING.
UM, THIS IS THE NUMBER OF DAYS.
THE TEMPERATURE, THE HIGH TEMPERATURE WAS BELOW FREEZING.
AND YOU'LL NOTICE ON THOSE TWO YEARS WHERE WE HAD OUR HIGHEST LEAKS, WE HAD OUR HIGHEST NUMBER OF DAYS WHERE THE TEMPERATURE DID NOT GET ABOVE FREEZING.
ALSO MINGLED IN THERE IN THAT 2021 WAS THAT NEGATIVE 14 DEGREE? UH, I THINK I HAD THAT MANY IN MY HOUSES.
SO LOOKING AHEAD, UM, PUBLIC WORKS, WE, WE, AND THIS HAS BEEN ON THE, ON THE PLANNING IN THE PLANNING STAGES FOR A LITTLE OVER, WELL, ALMOST TWO YEARS NOW.
UH, THE PUBLIC WORKS SERVICE CENTER EXPANSION PHASE TWO, WHICH IS, UH, CREATING SOME ADDITIONAL VEHICLE STORAGE, UM, SOME OUTSIDE STORAGE, SOME VEHICLE WASH AND EQUIPMENT WASH EQUIPMENT.
THERE'S BEEN SOME DRAINAGE, UM, CHANGES THAT THEY HAD TO DO ON THE PLAN.
SO WE'RE, THEY'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH THAT, BUT WE HOPE TO GET THAT OUT TO BID SOON.
I'M NOT GONNA EVEN VENTURE A, A TIME JUST SOON.
UM, EXPANSION OF VEHICLE MAINTENANCE.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE TALKED ABOUT, WE HAVE OVER 650 VEHICLES IN OUR FLEET.
UM, WE WENT FROM 300 TO THAT 600 AND WE'VE NEVER ADDED A TECHNICIAN.
OUR TECHNICIANS HAVE JUST TAKEN UP TO SLACK AND
[00:50:01]
MAINTAINED THAT EQUIPMENT.AND AS WE ADD MORE AND MORE EQUIPMENT, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO EXPLAIN, EXPAND VEHICLE MAINTENANCE, WHICH WILL INCLUDE SOME SHOP SPACE.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S KIND OF, UH, ON THE HORIZON FOR US.
UM, FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF AMI, WHICH WILL RESULT IN SOME RESTRUCTURING OF FIELD SERVICES.
ONE OF THE DEPARTMENTS I TALKED ABOUT EARLIER.
UM, WE'VE NEEDED TO ADD POSITIONS TO THAT DEPARTMENT FOR SOME TIME, BUT BECAUSE WE KNEW THAT THE AMI IMPLEMENTATION WOULD FREE UP SOME POSITIONS THAT WE WOULD NEED TO REASSIGN, WE'VE KIND OF HELD OFF AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO REASSIGN SOME OF THOSE POSITIONS WITHIN FIELD SERVICES, TAKE CARE OF SOME OF THOSE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE.
UH, ADDITIONAL SOLID WASTE ROUTES.
OF COURSE, AS WE GROW, WE NEED MORE ROUTES.
WE, WE'VE GOT TWO RIGHT NOW THAT WE'RE PLANNING PROBABLY BE IMPLEMENTING WITHIN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
UH, AND THAT THAT'LL INCREASE OVER TIME AS WELL.
AND THEN THE POSSIBLE RELOCATION OF THE RECYCLE CENTER.
UM, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT, AT DOING THAT, UH, PROBABLY OVER THE NEXT FIVE TO 10 YEARS OR WELL PROBABLY THE NEXT FIVE YEARS ANYWAY.
WHAT WHAT WOULD BE THE REASON FOR RELOCATION OF THE RECYCLE CENTER? UM, WE WANT TO, WE WANT TO EXPAND THE SERVICES MM-HMM.
AND CURRENTLY WHERE IT'S AT, WE DO NOT OWN THAT PROPERTY.
SO WE CANNOT, WE CANNOT MONITOR WHAT GOES ON THERE.
WE HAVE A LOT OF THE LEGAL DUMPING THAT OCCURS THERE.
WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT EDMUND RESIDENTS THAT COME IN AND, AND UTILIZE THAT FACILITY.
AND IT COSTS US ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR TO HAUL THOSE, UM, DROP OFFS RIGHT OUT THERE.
AND SO, UM, AND WE, WE KIND OF DID AN INFORMAL SURVEY OF, OF SOME OF THE PEOPLE COMING IN THERE AND 70% OF THE PEOPLE COMING IN THERE WERE NOT ADMIN RESIDE.
SO HOW WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO MONITOR IT ON ANOTHER? WE WOULD PROPERTY.
YEAH, WE WOULD, WE WOULD HAVE, AND WE CAN'T THAT ONE WELL WE, WE WOULD HAVE TO BUILD SOME TYPE OF A STRUCTURE.
WE'D HAVE TO PUT SOMEBODY IN IT.
AND AGAIN, WE DON'T OWN THAT PROPERTY.
SO, UM, IT MAKES IT, IT'S PROBLEMATIC.
AND WE, WE'VE ACQUIRED SOME PROPERTY HERE CLOSER TO THE CENTER OF THE WEST SIDE OF EDMOND THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
JUST OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, I, I THINK IT'S WOULD BE UNFORTUNATE OVER TIME IF WE JUST HAD ONE LOCATION FOR OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND PEOPLE.
THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, AND SO I'M NOT AGAINST YEAH.
MAKING IT BETTER AND, AND, AND, AND SOLVING SOME OF THOSE ISSUES.
BUT I, I DON'T KNOW IF I WOULD BE FOR JUST ONE OVER TIME EITHER.
I, YEAH, I THINK WE'RE, I THINK WE'RE GROWING PEOPLE KIND OF GET USED TO THEIR LOCATIONS, THE ONES THAT DO USE IT IN THAT AREA.
THE QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, IT'S A LOT.
I'M SORRY I USED UP SO MUCH TIME.
[4. Presentation and discussion of the Engineering Department FY 2024 budget, including but not limited to operational and financial modifications. ]
ENGINEERING.SO, SO I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT ENGINEERING AND WHO ARE YOU RAN? ARE YOU LAST, I THINK JUST TO GIVE US ENOUGH TIME, WE'D LIKE TO FINISH UP IN ABOUT 30 MINUTES AT THE, AT THE LATEST THREE
RANDY SAID HE NEEDS 27 MINUTES, SO, UH,
WE GOT ALL THE SEXY DEPARTMENTS UP HERE TODAY.
STEVE LAWRENCE, THE INTERIM DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING.
I'M GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT TODAY.
STEVE SAID THIS DOESN'T PART OF HIS TIME.
[00:55:04]
SHE WAS A SIRI THINK IT'S GONNA BE A LONG MEETING.
SO THE CORE FUNCTION OF THE CITY ENGINEER IS, UH, BASICALLY TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY ON ALL CITY INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.
WE DO A LOT MORE THAN THAT, BUT THAT'S WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO.
AND THAT'S THE TOP PRIORITY IS, IS THE TRUST IN THE PUBLIC.
UH, SO THIS IS THE BREAKDOWN OF THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT.
WE'VE GOT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT SERVICES GROUP.
THAT'S PRETTY MUCH YOUR PROJECT MANAGERS, SEVEN OF US IN THAT RIGHT NOW.
THREE OF THOSE ARE PRETTY MUCH DEDICATED TOWARD KIND OF BUILDING SERVICES PROJECTS.
UM, THE OTHER FOUR ARE DOING WATER WASTEWATER AND, UH, VARIOUS THINGS.
UH, THE DRAINAGE UTILITY DEPARTMENT IS SEVEN PEOPLE IN IT RIGHT NOW, OR SEVEN POSITIONS.
UM, IT'S KIND OF BROKEN IN HALF.
WE'VE GOT, UH, WATER QUALITY AND WATER QUANTITY, UM, WITH THE FLOODPLAIN ADMINISTRATION, UM, IS A BIG PART OF WHAT THE WATER QU QUALITY, UH, QUANTITY PORTION IS.
SO THEY'RE THE ONES THAT GO THROUGH, UM, AND, AND ENFORCE ALL THE FEMA REGULATIONS SO THAT WE CAN HAVE, UH, COST EFFICIENT, UH, FLOOD INSURANCE FOR THOSE THAT, UH, DO TOUCH THE FLOOD PLAIN.
THE STORMWATER QUALITY WAS, THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL REASON FOR THE DRAINAGE UTILITY TO BE FORMED, WAS TO, UH, MEET ALL THE EPA REQUIREMENTS FOR STORMWATER QUALITY IN OUR, OUR STORMWATER SYSTEM, UH, TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SERVICES.
UH, SO THAT'S THE TYPICAL, WE'VE GOT THREE PEOPLE OR THREE POSITIONS THAT ARE IN THE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT CENTER.
AND SO THEY'RE THE ONES THAT RUN, RUN ALL THE, ITS EQUIPMENT, CODE, UH, LAND DEVELOPMENT, PLANT REVIEW SERVICES.
SO CURRENTLY WE'VE GOT FOUR POSITIONS.
THAT'S JUST TYPICAL PLAN REVIEW.
UM, AND, UH, WE'VE GOT ONE OTHER POSITION WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR THAT ENGINEERING CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION SERVICES.
SO THAT'S ALL OF THE CIVIL FLAT WORK THAT, UH, THAT WE INSPECT AS A CITY.
ALL THE WATER, SEWER, STORM, SEWER, UH, DETENTION PONDS, ALL, ALL OF THE VARIOUS ASPECTS OF CONSTRUCTION.
AND HOW MANY DO YOU NEED TO HIRE? UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT ONE MORE.
UM, SO, UH, THIS IS, UH, EVERY FIVE TO SEVEN YEARS IS, IS TYPICALLY WHAT WE DO ON, UH, FOR TESTING OUR PAVEMENT.
UH, OUR PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, UH, WE WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT, IT'S ABOUT 1200 LANE MILES OF ROADS, WHICH IS EQUIVALENT TO ABOUT 500 MILES OF ACTUAL ROAD THAT WE MAINTAIN AS A CITY.
UH, THAT'S EXCLUDES I 35 AND THE SECOND AND BROADWAY, UH, WE DO THIS, WE HAVE A, A SPECIALIZED SERVICE THAT GOES THROUGH WITH A VAN WITH, YOU KNOW, 50 LASERS ON IT, UH, MEASURES, YOU KNOW, ALL THE CRACKS, UH, THUMPS THE PAVEMENT, UH, DETERMINES THE PAVEMENT CONDITION INDEX.
AND SO WE'RE ABLE TO, UH, GO THROUGH, UH, THE CITY AND, AND OBJECTIVELY FIGURE OUT WHICH ROADS ARE THE WORST.
SO WE DO THAT IN, IN, UH, CONJUNCTION WITH OUR CITY WORKS WORK ORDER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, WHERE WE CAN SEE WHERE ALL THE POTHOLE REPLACEMENTS HAVE BEEN TO DETERMINE THE WORST ROADS AND, AND GET THOSE IN, IN THE RIGHT ORDER IN OUR SYSTEM.
SO TYPICALLY WE DO THAT EVERY FIVE TO SEVEN YEARS.
IT'S BEEN SINCE 2012 WAS THE LAST TIME WE DID THIS.
AND SO WE'VE, WE'VE STRETCHED THAT AS FAR AS WE CAN WITH, WITH TAKING THE OLD DATA AND, AND KIND OF SEEING, UH, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE NEED TO BE WITH IT.
SO THAT'S, THAT SHOULDN'T BE HAPPENING THIS NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
UM, SO ONE OF THE PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR, UM, IS PLAN REVIEW SERVICES.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE AVERAGING ABOUT A SIX WEEK, UH, REVIEW TIME WHENEVER THEY TURN IN CIVIL, CIVIL, UH, PLANS FOR, UH, WATER, SEWER, STORM SEWER, UH, FOR DEVELOPMENT WORK.
WE ARE AT ABOUT SIX WEEKS OF GETTING THOSE TURNED AROUND.
WE'VE HAD SOME STAFFING ISSUES WHICH WE'RE WORKING ON.
UM, AND SO, UH, OUR GOAL RIGHT NOW IS STILL TO GET BACK TO THREE WEEKS.
SO WE'VE CURRENTLY GOT A, UH, A ENGINEERING CONSULTING FIRM THAT WE'RE USING, UH, TO TRY TO CATCH UP WITH.
UM, IN ADDITION, WE'RE LOOKING AT ADDING ONE POSITION, UM, THIS FISCAL YEAR, UH, PLAN REVIEW SPECIALIST POSITION TO HELP US TRY TO GET WHERE WE NEED TO BE.
UH, AS WELL AS WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH.
UH, I'M GONNA LOOK AT, UH, IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME, IT'S BEEN SINCE 2004, SINCE WE'VE DONE A, A THOROUGH REVIEW OF OUR STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS IN CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS.
UM, WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH THOSE, UH, SEE, SEE WHAT WE CAN KIND OF, UH,
[01:00:01]
DO THE SAME AS OKLAHOMA CITY WHERE IT MAKES SENSE OR IMPROVE UPON THOSE THAT, THAT ARE NOT, UM, KINDA LOOKING AT JUST SIMPLIFYING EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN AND MAKING IT AS STREAMLINED AS POSSIBLE.THE SAME WITH, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT ADDING AN ENGINEERING DESIGN CRITERIA MANUAL.
UM, SO THE DIFFICULT THING ABOUT ENGINEERS THAT HAVE TO DESIGN IN DIFFERENT CITIES AS EVERY CITY'S DIFFERENT, RIGHT? SO, UH, WE WANT TO PUT TOGETHER A DOCUMENT THAT SAYS, YOU KNOW, HERE'S OUR DRAINAGE COEFFICIENTS.
IF YOU USE THESE, YOU KNOW, YOU WILL HAVE A GOOD CHANCE OF GETTING APPROVED.
SO WE WANT TO KIND OF GET INTO THE DETAILS ABOUT ACTUAL DESIGN AND, AND TRY TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR JUST ENGINEERS ACROSS THE WHOLE INDUSTRY TO BE ABLE TO DO WORK IN EDMOND AND, AND KNOW WHAT THE REQUIREMENTS ARE, JUST HAVE 'EM RIGHT UP FRONT.
UM, ALSO LOOKING AT OTHER WAYS TO SIMPLIFY.
WE'RE GOING BACK THROUGH AND MAKING SURE EVERYTHING THAT WE ARE REVIEWING AND MAKING SURE THAT DEVELOPERS, ENGINEERS HAVE, UH, ACCOMMODATED FOR THAT.
WE'RE GONNA JUST KIND OF GO THROUGH AND, UM, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW WE'RE GOING THROUGH PLANNING AND IS GOING THROUGH THE, THE DIFFERENT, UH, CODE REVISIONS, SO, OR, OR SIMPLIFICATIONS.
AND SO THAT'LL BE, UH, PART OF THAT IS TO JUST KIND OF SIMPLIFY EVERYTHING, STREAMLINE EVERYTHING, UH, MAKE IT AS AS EASY AS POSSIBLE FOR DEVELOPERS, ENGINEERS TO SUBMIT SOMETHING TO US AND FOR US TO REVIEW IT.
SO THAT'S, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S ONE OF OUR BIG GOALS FOR THE YEAR.
UM, SAME WITH ENGINEERING INSPECTION SERVICES.
SO THESE, THE FEES FOR ENGINEERING INSPECTION SERVICES ARE BASED OFF OF, UH, CONSTRUCTION COST, RIGHT? SO WE, WE HAVEN'T LOOKED AT THESE, UM, I THINK WHEN, WHEN I GOT HERE IN 1999, I HAD A XEROX COPY OF THE XEROX COPY OF A XEROX COPY OF THE FEES.
AND SO WE THINK THEY WENT INTO PLACE SOMETIME.
UM, NOBODY EVER LOOKED AT 'EM BECAUSE OF THEIR, THEIR STRUCTURED BASED ON CONSTRUCTION COSTS.
SO, UH, WE WENT BACK AND LOOKED THROUGH THIS YEAR, UH, BECAUSE LOOKING AT BUDGETS, UH, ORIGINALLY THE CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION GROUP WAS SUPPOSED TO BE KIND OF A SELF-SUPPORTING GROUP.
AND, UM, RIGHT NOW THE FEES THAT WE CHARGE FOR THAT ONLY KIND OF COVER ABOUT 40% OF THE COST.
UM, AND SO WE KIND OF WENT BACK THROUGH AND LOOKED AT WHY, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT OTHER 60 PERCENT'S COVERED BASICALLY HALF OF THAT'S GENERAL FUND AND THE OTHER HALF IS, UH, WATER AND WASTEWATER FUNDS ARE, ARE PAYING FOR THESE SERVICES.
UM, SO WE KIND OF, WE WENT BACK THROUGH AND, AND LOOKED AT WHY.
UM, AND A LOT OF IT IS, IT'S JUST CONSTRUCTION HAS GOT MORE COMPLICATED SINCE 1992 OR WHENEVER THESE, THESE CAME ABOUT.
PLUS WE'VE HAD, UM, AS A CITY, WE'VE, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF, UH, OF ISSUES THAT HAVE COME UP WHERE, UM, THINGS WEREN'T CONSTRUCTED PROPERLY.
SO WE KNOW MORE OF WHAT TO LOOK, LOOK AT AND, AND WHAT'S, WHAT, UH, IS COST EFFECTIVE FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE REVIEW IN THE FIELD AND MAKE SURE THEY GET IT RIGHT TO MINIMIZE KIND OF LARGER COSTS LATER ON DOWN THE ROAD THAT WE'RE PAYING NOW FOR CONSTRUCTION THAT HAPPENED 20, 30 YEARS AGO.
UM, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, TO DO THIS, WE'RE RECLASSIFYING TWO POSITIONS THAT ARE SENIOR POSITIONS, TRYING TO KEEP THEM A LITTLE BIT LONGER, UH, AND TRANSFER SOME OF THEIR KNOWLEDGE BASE TO OUR, OUR YOUNGER, UH, INSPECTORS AND LOOKING AT ADDING ONE ENGINEERING, UH, INSPECTOR POSITION ONTO THAT.
ALSO, UH, KIND OF GOING, GONNA GO THROUGH THE A P W UH, CONSTRUCTION, UH, INSPECTOR PROGRAM.
WE'RE GONNA START LOOKING AT THAT FOR SOME ADDITIONAL TRAINING FOR OUR INSPECTORS, UM, AND FORMALIZE THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
UH, BEEN IN PLACE A LONG TIME.
I THINK I, I ALREADY WENT THROUGH ALL THESE.
WE ARE TRYING TO, UM, MAKE IT MORE IN LINE WITH THE ACTUAL COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION AS FAR AS THOSE FEES IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO TRY TO ACCOMPLISH.
THIS SHOWS, YEAH, OUR EXISTING FEES, PROPOSED FEES AND, UH, YOU KNOW, OKLAHOMA CITY'S FEES CURRENTLY.
SO THESE ARE, THE WAY THESE ARE CHARGED, IT'S FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR THE FIRST, YOU KNOW, 2000.
SO IF YOU'VE GOT A $1,500 CONSTRUCTION PROJECT, IT'S A, A HIGHER PERCENTAGE TO TRY TO CAPTURE KIND OF A ONE TIME UPFRONT COST THAT WE'RE HAVING TO PAY FOR EACH PROJECT.
AND THEN AS YOU GET, UH, TO THE MORE EXPENSIVE PROJECTS, THAT PERCENTAGE GOES WITH DOWN QUITE A BIT.
UH, LOOKED AT OTHER CITIES IN THE, IN THE AREA.
A LOT OF 'EM, I TALKED TO OUR CURRENTLY REVIEWING THIS TO INCREASE IT RIGHT NOW, UH, CUZ THEY'RE GOING THROUGH THE SAME ISSUES.
OKLAHOMA CITY HAS HAD THEIR RATES IN PLACE SINCE 2006.
THEY'VE, UH, THEY, THEY WERE TRYING TO FULLY RECOVER THEIR COSTS AT THAT POINT.
[01:05:01]
HAVEN'T REVIEWED THEM SINCE 2006, BUT, UH, THAT WAS, THAT WAS THEIR INTENT.UM, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT KIND OF A MODEST INCREASE.
UM, WE WANT TO PUT THAT IN PLACE, UM, AND, AND SEE HOW, HOW THAT AFFECTS OUR, OUR INCOME ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
UM, PART OF THAT IS ALSO THAT WE'VE GOT, SO ON OUR INSPECTIONS GROUP, UM, YOU KNOW, 10 YEARS AGO WE WERE AT A TWO HOUR WINDOW WHEN THEY WOULD CONTACT US AND FOR, BEFORE WE COULD GET AN INSPECTOR OUT TO I INSPECT THEIR FORMS OR WHATEVER IT WAS.
ABOUT SIX HOURS IS WHAT IT'S TAKING.
AND OUR, AND OUR, OUR GOAL IS TO GET THAT NOTE OF ABOUT FOUR HOUR WINDOW TO WHERE CONTRACTORS CAN CALL US AND WE CAN, WE CAN RESPOND WITHIN FOUR HOURS.
SO WE'VE, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM THE CONTRACTOR COMMUNITY ON THAT AND, UH, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
SO, I MEAN, THE OTHER, THE OTHER PORTION OF THAT IS, SO THE CITY PROJECTS, UM, WE'VE BASICALLY BEEN RESOURCE LEVELING WITH OUR CITY PROJECTS.
SO WHEN WE'VE GOT, UM, A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT WORK HAPPENING, UM, WHICH HAS BEEN THE CASE FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS, UM, IT USED TO BE THAT I WOULD GO TO OUR INSPECTION SUPERVISOR AND SAY, HOW ARE YOU LOOKING AS FAR AS RESOURCES BEFORE ANY, ANY INDIVIDUAL CONSTRUCTION PROJECT FOR WATER, SEWER, WHATEVER WE WERE WORKING ON.
AND, UH, HE WOULD SAY, YEAH, I CAN TAKE THAT.
UM, LATELY IT HASN'T BEEN THAT WAY.
SO WE'VE BEEN OUTSOURCING QUITE A BIT OF OUR, OUR WATER AND SEWER, UH, PIPELINE PROJECTS.
UM, SOMETIMES THAT'S, THAT'S, WE DO SEE WITH OUR INSPECTORS, WE DO GET A LOT HIGHER, UH, QUALITY SERVICE, UH, WITH OUR INSPECTORS.
WE STARTED OUT WITH A CONSULTING INSPECTOR ON THE DANFORTH WATERLINE PROJECT, AND IT TOOK ABOUT A MONTH, UH, OF THEM NOT MEETING OUR EXPECTATIONS BEFORE WE BROUGHT IN A CITY INSPECTOR TO, UH, BOTH WORK WITH THE SCHOOLS, UH, MANAGE TRAFFIC CONTROL AND, AND JUST, YOU KNOW, GET THE WORD OUT MORE.
IT'S ALMOST MORE CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT AS FAR AS COMMUNICATIONS AND MANAGING CONSTRUCTION TO KIND OF MEET OUR CITIZENS EXPECTATIONS.
SO WE WOULD LIKE TO UTILIZE OUR, UH, INTERNAL, UH, CONSTRUCTION INSPECTIONS MORE IF WE COULD.
AND I THINK THAT ADDITIONAL POSITION WOULD, WOULD HELP US WITH THAT.
AND THEN WE ALWAYS HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY IF THERE IS A DOWNTURN FOR US TO BE ABLE TO, OUR, OUR CITY WATER AND SEWER PROJECTS ARE GONNA CONTINUE ON AND WE CAN ALWAYS TRANSFER THEM OVER, UH, TO, TO HAVE OUR INSPECTIONS SERVICES GROUP WORK ON THOSE PROJECTS INSTEAD.
ANY QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS? GOOD? NO.
SO, SO ONLY JUST, YOU CAN SIT DOWN IF YOU WANT, STEVE.
AND EVEN AFTER BRANDY GETS DONE, THE EFFORT IS, UH, AND OUR DEVELOPMENT EXERCISES IS, WHAT WE'RE FINDING AS WE TALK IS, IT WAS GREAT IN 1992 WHEN WE DID THESE FEE INCREASES AND HERE'S OUR STAFFING LEVEL.
BUT A LOT OF TIMES THE STAFFING LEVEL HASN'T CHANGED WITH THE, WELL YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN HERE A LOT, MUCH LONGER THAN I HAVE, BUT THE GROWTH HAS JUST KIND OF OVERWHELMED OUR SYSTEMS. WE'RE STILL WORKING WITH THE SAME AMOUNT OF PEOPLE AND THE, AND I'LL CALL IT THE PIPE HAS GOTTEN BIGGER, BUT OUR RESOURCE IS NOT.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE FINDING IS, UM, WE CAN DO AUTOMATION NOW WILL HELP SOMEWHAT, BUT WHAT WE'RE FINDING IS WE LITERALLY JUST DO NOT HAVE THE BODIES TO PROCESS ALL THESE VARIOUS PROJECTS.
IT'S URBAN PROJECT OR A, A GREENFIELD PROJECT IN A TIMELY MANNER.
UM, AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIND A WAY, HOW DO WE INCREASE OUR CAPACITY? AND SO PART OF THE EFFORT IS, IS I KNOW WE'RE TALKING A LOT ABOUT FEES AND CHARGES, IS HOW DO WE INCREASE OUR CAPACITY TOWARD, UH, GET OUR DEVELOPERS AND BUILDERS BACK TO WHAT THEY DO BEST IS BUILDING IN DEVELOP VERSUS SPENDING TIME WAITING FOR US TO RESPOND.
SO I DON'T MIND SHARING MY OPINION ON THE FEE INCREASE.
I DON'T THINK, I THINK AS LONG AS IT'S REASONABLE AND IT'S COMPARABLE TO OUR AREA, I DON'T THINK YOU'LL GET A COMPLAINT FROM A DEVELOPER OR A BUILDER ON THE FEE.
IF THE SERVICE AND TIME AND SPEED IS, WE'VE GOTTA BE ABLE TO DAMAGE THE OTHER SIDE AGAIN, TIME IS, YEAH.
SO IF IT'S, I'M WILLING TO, I'M ALWAYS PERSONALLY WILLING TO PAY MORE IF I CAN GET ANYTHING, IF THERE'S A BETTER SERVICE FOR IT OR, OR SOMETHING IS MADE UP IN ANOTHER WAY.
WE'VE GOTTA TO PROVE OURSELVES BY OUR PROCESS OF PROVES TO SHOW THAT YES, WE'RE GOING TO INCREASE FEES, BUT WE'RE GONNA GET BACK TO THE THREE WEEK TURNAROUND VERSUS THE CURRENT SIX WEEK TURNAROUND.
OR EVEN MAYBE GET AHEAD OF IT AND MAYBE THINK WILD AND SAY, CAN WE GET A TWO WEEK TURNAROUND? UH, CAUSE WE KNOW AS MORE WE DO THAT WE GET OUR USUAL BILLERS, WE MAY GET ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT TO SAY, HEY, IT'S NOT DIFFICULT TO DEVELOP AN ED ADMIN VERSUS, I THINK SOME OF THE CONCERN RIGHT NOW DEVELOPED COMMUNITY IS TIME IS MONEY.
WHERE DO I PUT MY RESOURCES? IS AN ED ADMIN
[01:10:01]
AN AREA THAT WE CAN DO A PROJECT IN A TIMELY MANNER OR AM I GONNA TYPE MY RESOURCES WAITING FOR A RESPONSE? MM-HMM.AND I'M ASSUMING IN ALL THIS PROCESS IMPROVEMENT IS EVERYBODY'S DOING THAT.
THERE'S GONNA BE A CERTAIN LEVEL OF, OF RETRAINING BECAUSE THE WAY I USED TO DO THINGS A FEW YEARS AGO HAS CHANGED.
THERE'S MORE, A MORE EFFICIENT WAY, POSSIBLY A DIFFERENT WAY OF LOOKING AT IT TODAY.
SO I'M ASSUMING THAT THAT'D BE A PART OF IT.
[5. Presentation and discussion of the Planning and Zoning Department FY 2024 budget, including but not limited to operational and financial modifications. ]
RANDY YS.I'M THE DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND ZONING.
I REALIZE I'M ALL THAT STANDS BETWEEN YOU AND DINNER, SO I'LL DO THIS AS QUICKLY AS I CAN.
WELL, WE KNOW, EVERY TIME YOU HIT THAT RIGHT BUTTON, YOU'RE, YOU'RE TAPPING YOURSELF.
SO LET'S SEE IF WE CAN MAKE THIS WORK.
UH, OUR MISSION STATEMENT'S PRETTY SIMPLE.
IT'S TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THE RESIDENTS HERE IN ADMIN.
THERE'S 10 OF US, BUT WE MAY HAVE THREE LINES OF BUSINESS, IS THE WAY I ALWAYS SAY IT.
UH, THERE'S THE LONG RANGE PLANNING, WHICH, UH, THEY ARE IN CHARGE OF EITHER OVERSEEING OR IMPLEMENTING, UH, BIG PLANNING PROJECTS LIKE THE EAST EDMOND 2050 PLAN.
UH, THE EDMUND SCHIFF PLAN, THEY LED THAT EFFORT.
UH, AND THEY ARE ALSO TASKED WITH, UH, THE MAINTENANCE AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
UH, AND THAT'S THE ONES YOU SEE THERE IN GREEN.
IN BLUE IS OUR HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT STAFF.
THAT'S THE, UH, DEPARTMENT THAT, UH, OVERSEES THE CDBG HOUSING PROGRAMS AND OUR CITYLINK CONTRACT.
UH, AND A NEW ROLE THAT WE'LL GET INTO IN A LITTLE BIT IS, UH, THEY'RE HELPING MANAGE ALL THE GRANTS FOR THE CITY.
UH, THEY ALSO OVERSEE LARGE STUDIES.
UH, THE HOUSING ASSESSMENT STUDY GOING ON IS, IS BEING LED BY THAT STAFF.
AND THEN THE PLANNERS IN ORANGE OR YELLOW, DEPENDING ON WHICH SCREEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT, UH, THAT'S THE CURRENT PLANNING AND THAT'S THE ONES THAT TAKE UP ALL YOUR MEETING.
UH, SO THEY REVIEW ALL THE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS COMING THROUGH ALL APPLICATIONS THAT COME THROUGH THE CITY.
UM, MAJOR PLANNING PROJECTS ONGOING.
UH, THERE'S A DEVELOPMENT CODE UPDATE I HOPE YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT.
AND WHEN I SAY THAT, I MEAN THAT'S AN UPDATE TO OUR SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS ARE ZONING CODE AND OUR STORMWATER REGULATIONS.
UH, THIS, THIS UPDATE INCLUDES POTENTIAL IMPROVEMENTS TO PROCESSES, UH, IMPLEMENTING BEST PRACTICES THAT OTHER CITIES HAVE ALREADY SEEN OR ALREADY IMPLEMENTED.
UH, WE'VE ASKED OUR CONSULTANTS TO LOOK AT TO SEE WHAT WE CAN MAKE, MAKE USE OF HERE.
UH, FREE NICHOLS IS, IS THE CONSULTANT ON BOARD WITH THAT.
UH, THEY'RE WRAPPING UP THE DIAGNOSTICS PART, WHICH MEANS THEY'RE LOOKING AT ALL THE PLANS WE HAVE AND LOOKING AT OUR CODE AND SEEING WHERE THE DISCONNECT IS.
UH, WE'VE SEEN THE FIRST DRAFT OF THAT.
WE'VE SENT 'EM 290 COMMENTS BACK AND NOW THEY'RE REVISING THAT IT WAS A 90 PAGE DOCUMENT.
SO IT WAS ONLY FAIR THAT WE SENT 290 COMMENTS BACK.
ANOTHER MAJOR PROJECT IS THAT HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
UH, IT'S THE ANALYSIS OF THE GAPS IN THE TYPES AND PRICE POINTS IN OUR HOUSING STOCK THAT WE HAVE.
UH, WE'RE WORKING WITH DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES TO DO THAT.
UH, THEY WILL BE HERE IN APRIL, UH, TO DO KIND OF THEIR SECOND ROUND OF MAJOR PUBLIC INPUT WITH THAT.
AND THAT INCLUDES A RENTER'S ROUND TABLE AND A STAKEHOLDER MEETING ON APRIL 14TH.
UH, THEY WILL ALSO BE SETTING UP TABLES TO GET INPUT AT THE FARMER'S MARKET HEARD ON HER PUBLIC EVENTS LIKE THAT WHERE THERE'S ALREADY A LOT OF PEOPLE.
UH, ESTIMATED COMPLETION WILL BE IN THE SUMMER OF 2023.
UH, AND THEN, UH, A, A NEW IMPROVEMENT AS, UH, THE GRAND ADMINISTRATION.
WHAT, WHEN WE SAY THAT IS WE'RE TRYING TO FORMALIZE THE PROCESS WHEN WE APPLY FOR, AND, UH, MONITOR AND REPORT ON ALL THE GRANTS SO THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, CROSSING OUR TS AND DOTTING OUR, I KEEPING OURSELVES, UH, IN GOOD STANDING WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN PARTICULAR.
WE DON'T WANNA RUN FOUL OF THAT, SO WE JUST WANNA EVERYBODY KIND OF DOING THE SAME THING AND MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT ALL, WE'RE NOT DIPPING FROM THE SAME BUCKET WHEN WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO.
UH, A FUTURE MAJOR PLANNING PROJECT IS, UH, THE SOUTH CORRIDOR STUDY.
THIS IS INCLUDED IN, UH, NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, UH, TO HIRE A CONSULTANT TO DO THAT.
AND WHAT IT IS, IS A, A LAND USE PLAN FOR THE BROADWAY CORRIDOR, ESSENTIALLY FROM SECOND STREET TO THE SOUTH CITY LIMITS.
UH, THE EAST EVAN 2050 PLAN CALLED FOR STRENGTHENING THAT CORRIDOR AS A COMMERCIAL BEAN IN OUR CITY.
UH, AND TO ALLOW A LOT MORE MIX OF USES THAT CAN ABSORB A LOT OF THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, MIGHT HAVE GONE OUT IN, ON THE EAST SIDE IN THAT AREA TO ALLOW US TO CONTINUE TO GROW LIKE WE NEED TO, UH, WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE THE REDEVELOPMENT AND ALONG WITH THAT HAVE BETTER STANDARDS.
SO WHEN IT DOES REDEVELOP THAT, THAT BECOMES A NICE GATEWAY INTO OUR CITY.
UH, THE ESTIMATED START WOULD BE IN THE FALL OF 2023.
UH, SOME, ANOTHER MAJOR PLANNING PROJECT IS THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ULI ADVISORY RECOMMENDATIONS.
NOW WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN THAT REPORT YET.
NOW WE HOPE TO HAVE IT BY MAY, BUT THERE WERE SEVERAL THINGS THAT YOU SAW IN THE PRESENTATION THAT RECOMMENDED,
[01:15:01]
UH, BETTER DESIGN STANDARDS AND SUB-DISTRICTS FOR OUR DOWNTOWN, AND THEN HOW TO CONNECT THOSE IN A BETTER WAY.SO MOBILITY IMPROVEMENTS, UH, WE PROBABLY HAVE ENOUGH DETAIL THAT WE CAN AT LEAST START PLANNING FOR THOSE NOW.
UH, THE SUMMARY REPORT, LIKE I SAID, IS EXPECTED SOMETIME IN MAY.
WE'LL SEE WHAT OTHER ITEMS ARE INCLUDED THERE AND WHICH ONES ARE KIND OF THE LOW HANGING FRUIT AND WHICH ONES WILL BE THE FIVE OR 10 YEAR TYPE OF PROJECT OUT.
BUT THAT'S NOT THE C B D BOUNDARIES, IS IT? IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
I MEAN, MOST OF THAT AREA IS INCLUDED IN THIS WELL, RIGHT.
IN THE URBAN DISTRICT BOUNDARIES, NOT NECESSARILY ALL ZONED CBD.
UH, AND WE'RE ALSO PROPOSING A FEW, FEW CHANGES, UH, TO FIVE OF THE APPLICATIONS THAT WE TAKE IN AND MONITOR.
UH, THE FIRST ONE BEING THE ZONING.
ARE YOU SEEN ASTERISK BY THAT ONE? BECAUSE, UH, OUR CURRENT FEE IS BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF ACREAGES THAT YOU'RE REZONING AND THE TYPE OF ZONING YOU'RE ASKING FOR, WHICH DOESN'T REALLY MAKE A WHOLE LOT OF SENSE BECAUSE OF THE REVIEW FOR THAT IS THE SAME NO MATTER WHAT.
UH, SO ON AVERAGE LAST YEAR OUR FEE WAS $257.
UM, WELL, LET ME BACK UP A LITTLE BIT.
WHEN WE LOOKED AT OUR FEES, WE LOOKED AT THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES AND WHAT THEY CHARGED, AND WE ALSO DID, UH, AS DEEP AS WE COULD KIND OF WHAT OUR COST WERE AS FOR STAFF REVIEW.
AND WE TRIED TO LAND AS CLOSE TO IN THE BUCKET OF WHERE EVERYBODY, UH, WERE ALL TO KEEP US COMPETITIVE WITH THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES AND TO RECAPTURE AS MUCH OF OUR COST AS WE COULD.
WE DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE TOO BIG A JUMP AND BE TOO BIG A SHOCK TO THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, THE ZONING FEE THERE, YOU SEE, UH, WE RECOMMENDED $600 AS AN EXAMPLE.
ONCE AGAIN, IT'S $1,500 IN OKLAHOMA CITY.
UM, A LOT OF THE OTHER COMMUNITIES STILL HAVE THAT KIND OF OLD FORMULATE LIKE WE DO.
UH, THAT'S A VERY OLD KIND OF CUT AND PASTE WAY THAT PEOPLE USED TO DO IT.
UH, FOR A P U D CURRENTLY WE ONLY CHARGE $150, AND THAT REQUIRES QUITE A BIT OF REVIEW AND BACK AND FORTH.
SO WE'RE WAY UNDERSELLING THAT, UH, WE'RE RECOMMENDING $1,200 FOR THAT.
UM, UH, IT'S MORE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE LEVEL OF WHAT THAT APPLICATION SHOULD BE.
WE FEEL LIKE, UH, AS COMPARISON TO OKLAHOMA CITY CHARGES $2,700 FOR THAT, UH, A SPECIFIC USE PERMIT.
CURRENTLY, WE, UH, CHARGE 150.
IT IS MORE AKIN TO A REZONING AS, UH, AS IT'S REVIEWED.
UH, BUT TYPICALLY IT'S ALSO, UH, WITH A SITE PLAN AS WELL.
SO WE ARE ONLY SUGGESTING CHARGING $400 FOR THAT, UH, SITE PLAN, CURRENTLY $890 RECOMMENDING BUMPING THAT UP TO $1,200.
AND THEN, UH, SIGNS, UH, I THINK WE'VE CHARGED $25 SINCE WE'VE STARTED REVIEWING SIGNS.
WE'RE RECOMMENDING DOUBLING THAT, AND THAT BRINGS US RIGHT ALONG WITH EVERYBODY ELSE IN OUR AREA.
UH, JUST FOR AN EXAMPLE, HAD WE COLLECTED THAT DIFFERENCE, UH, IN CALENDAR YEAR 2022, WE WOULD'VE, UH, RESULTED IN ALMOST $45,000 ADDITIONAL INCOME FOR THE CITY.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THOSE FEES CHANGES? WHAT, AND MAYBE I MISSED IT.
WHAT, DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE OPERATING AT A DEFICIT NOW FINANCIALLY, OR WOULD, DO YOU HAVE IDEAS OF WHAT, WHERE THAT WOULD GO? WE, FOR THE MAJORITY OF 'EM, WE ARE STILL NOT COLLECTING A FULL RECOVERY COSTS.
BUT TO DO THAT WOULD'VE BEEN QUITE A SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM, WE FEEL LIKE.
UH, AND IF WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT, WE SHOULD PROBABLY DO A MUCH MORE DETAILED REVIEW OF THE STAFF TIME INVOLVED.
UH, WE DID THIS, I'M GONNA SAY BACK OF THE ENVELOPE A LITTLE BIT BETTER THAN THAT, BUT IT WASN'T AS DETAILED AS IT COULD HAVE BEEN IN THAT STUDY.
UH, TWO THINGS YOU PROBABLY NOTICED IS WE DON'T HAVE PLATS UP THERE.
THAT IS THE ONE FEE WE'VE ADJUSTED RECENTLY.
WE ADJUSTED THAT IN 2021 CAN INCREASE THAT.
AND IT REMINDED ME IT WAS FIVE YEARS AGO, UM, BOARD OF APPEALS AND ADJUSTMENTS.
UM, WITH THIS TYPE OF FEE INCREASE IN SOME OF 'EM, LIKE WITH P E D, IS THERE GONNA BE A GREATER EXPECTATION THAT THERE'S ACTUALLY MORE, UH, SUBSTANTIATING DOCUMENTATION IN THE, IN THE SUBMITTAL? I, I WOULD NOT A ONE-LINER.
I WOULD HOPE THAT THE, THAT COST PEOPLE WOULD TAKE IT A LOT MORE SERIOUS.
AND THE, ULTIMATELY THE HOPE IS
[01:20:01]
WITH THE CODE UPDATE THAT WE WILL SEE FEWER PUDS RIGHT NOW.THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WE SEE SO MANY IS OUR CODE ISN'T NECESSARILY ALIGNED WITH THE STYLE OF DEVELOPMENT WE'RE SEEING THAT THE MARKET IS, IS PUSHING FOR, UH, IN LOOKING AT TRENDS, UH, JUST QUICKLY LOOKING AT THIS YEAR, UH, WE HAVE NOT HAD A PRELIMINARY PLA FILE THIS YEAR, AND THAT'S HIGHLY UNUSUAL.
UH, I THINK THAT'S INDICATIVE OF THE HOUSING MARKET WHERE WE'RE AT.
UM, OTHER APPLICATIONS ARE STILL KIND OF ON PACE.
SITE PLANS MAY BE DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
AND OUR SITE PLANS ARE NON-RESIDENTIAL, UH, DEVELOPMENT.
UH, BUT OUR ZONINGS AND EVERYTHING IS THE SAME PACE AS WE'VE BEEN IN OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
SO PEOPLE ARE DEFINITELY STILL TRYING TO GET THEIR ENTITLEMENTS IN PLACE.
UH, BUT THE PLATTING HAS SLOWED WAY DOWN.
UH, WE'VE ALSO SEEN THAT IN BILLING PERMITS.
IT STARTED TO SLOW FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOME STARTED TO SLOW DOWN AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
I THINK THAT'S JUST THE MARKET WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW.
HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OH, YOU DIDN'T GO? IS THAT THE END QUESTION PAGE? OH, SORRY.
THERE WILL BE NO QUESTION
RANDY, I WANNA BRAG ON YOUR DEPARTMENT.
UM, BECAUSE, UM, I DON'T GET, I DON'T GET MANY IF, IF ANY, COMPLAINTS ABOUT GOING THROUGH THE PLANNING PROCESS.
AND I KNOW IT COMES IN WAVES AND NOT IN WAVES, BUT I, I THINK YOUR DEPARTMENT DOES AN, AN AMAZING JOB AND THANK YOU.
SO DO, DO YOU WANT TO HIT UPON THE CHANGE IN THE COMMUNITY CONNECTION AND, AND SURE.
UM, SO
UH, WE HAD A COUPLE MEETINGS LAST YEAR THAT, UM, PE DECORUM JUST WASN'T PRESENT AND MY STAFF WAS PROBABLY NOT IN THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE BETWEEN THE TWO.
SO WE DECIDED TO REMOVE OURSELVES FROM THAT BECAUSE ALL WE REALLY DID WAS JUST OPEN THE DOORS AND FACILITATE THE MEETING AND TAKE NOTES.
UH, WE DIDN'T RESPOND TO QUESTIONS TYPICALLY.
UH, WE WERE JUST THERE TO WATCH.
UH, SO WE'VE, WE'VE NOW PUT THAT ON THE DEVELOPER TO HOLD THEIR OWN NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS.
WE'RE WRITING UP A POLICY TO, TO GIVE THEM SOME DIRECTION ON HOW TO DO THAT.
WHAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE IS THAT HAPPEN BEFORE EARLY IN THE PROCESS, HOPEFULLY BEFORE THEY MAKE AN APPLICATION.
DEFINITELY BEFORE IT GETS TO ANY KIND OF MEETING AGENDA, UH, FOR A PUBLIC HEARING.
SO I THINK THE GOAL WITH THAT WOULD BE IS BEFORE IT WOULD COME TO PLANNING COMMISSION AND OR CITY COUNCIL, UNLESS THEY HAVE THOSE MEETINGS, IT DOESN'T GET AN AGENDA.
SO THAT'S THE THOUGHT PROCESS.
AND, UH, WE'VE ASKED THEM TO SUPPLY US WITH YEAH.
I'M, I MEAN, I'M A SHORT TIMER HERE, BUT THERE'S A LOT MORE INVOLVED.
SOMETIMES IT'S SCHEDULING THE MEETING.
DO PEOPLE WANT TO MEET? IS WHAT, WHAT NEEDS A MEETING, WHAT DOESN'T? AND WE'VE TRIED TO OUTLINE CERTAIN THINGS LIKE IF YOU HIT THREE OF THESE FIVE THINGS, YOU PROBABLY NEED TO HAVE A MEETING.
SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK, BUT THAT'S PRETTY HARSH TO NOT GET ON, NOT GET ON AGENDA WHEN WE DON'T REQUIRE IT.
SO, AND THAT'S PART OF THE DISCUSSION WE'RE GONNA HAVE WHEN WE BRING IT BACK TO COUNCIL IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE PUBLIC WHAT REQUIRES, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, I WOULD SAY IT'S PROBABLY NOT DOING GOOD FOR THE PUBLIC IS THE FIRST TIME THERE'S A PUBLIC HEARING OR MEETING IS THE FIRST TIME THE PUBLIC HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT AN ISSUE VERSUS, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPER'S REQUIREMENT IS YOU'RE PROPOSING SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN WHAT'S CURRENTLY OUT THERE.
YOU SHOULD GO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION.
IF ONE PERSON SHOWS UP, THAT'S IT IS ONE PERSON SHOWS UP, BUT IF 500 PEOPLE SHOW UP MM-HMM.
SO, BUT WE WILL BRING, BRING THAT TO YOU HERE SHORTLY FOR YOU TO LOOK AT.
HOW'S YOUR ARM? UH, IT, I'M NOT TO THE POINT WHERE I'M HAPPY I DID IT YET, BUT I'M GETTING THERE.
THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN TELLING.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS TAKE YES SIR.
SO PART OF WHAT YOU'RE HERE TODAY IS, IS PART OF THE OUTCOME OF THE RECOMMENDATION FROM WILL DAN IN, IN THAT REVIEW IS, IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE WE LOOKED AT THESE FEES AND CHARGES.
[01:25:01]
PART OF IT IS WE'RE GONNA GO TO DIRK AND PRESENT THESE AND HAVE A LOT MORE DISCUSSION ABOUT 'EM.UM, BUT PART OF WILL DENNIS SAYS YOU NEED TO LOOK AT YOUR COST RECOVERY OPPORTUNITIES.
A LOT OF, ESPECIALLY IN THESE AREAS, BECAUSE THE DEMAND IS THERE BASED ON WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IN THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY AS IT RAMPS UP, DO WE NEED TO RAMP UP OR RAMP DOWN FOR SOME MORE COST RECOVERY, ESPECIALLY SINCE OUR ONLY SOURCE OF REVENUE IN THE CITY OF SALES TAX.
UM, AND IT'S GREAT EARLY SAYS GROWTH IS GOOD, BUT GROWTH DOESN'T GROW YOU OUT OF FINANCIAL CHALLENGES.
AND SO IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE DEVELOPMENT, SHOULD WE BE GETTING CLOSER TO A FULL COST RECOVERY TO MAKE SURE COST IS THE DEVELOPMENT IS PAYING FOR ITS APPROPRIATE SHARE.
SO THAT'S KIND OF THE DISCUSSION THAT, THAT INTERNALLY WE'RE DISCUSSING AS WELL AS IN THIS UPCOMING BUDGET IS WHAT'S THE APPROPRIATE FEE AND CHARGES BASED ON TODAY'S NOT 1992 WHEN WE WERE 20,000 PEOPLE.
EVERYBODY NEEDS TO ADJUST THEIR FEES AT SOME POINT IN TIME.
OKAY, WELL THAT'S BEEN FOUR GREAT IN DEPTH PRESENTATIONS.