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[1. Call to Order of the Edmond City Council Meeting.]
LIKE TO WELCOME EVERYONE TO OUR SPECIAL WORKSHOP THIS DAY ON APRIL 8TH, ECLIPSE DAY.UH, WE HAVE SEVERAL ITEMS WE'RE GONNA COVER TODAY, A PRESENTATION
[2. Presentation and Discussion of Fiscal Year 2024-25 Building and Fire Code Services Budget. ]
DISCUSSION OF THE FISCAL YEAR 2024 BUILDING AND FIRE CODE SERVICES, DISCUSSION OF FISCAL YEAR 20 24, 24 25 PLANNING BUDGET, AND THE FISCAL YEAR 24 25 ENGINEERING BUDGET.SO WE'RE GONNA START OFF WITH BUILDING FIRING CODE SERVICES.
KIRSTEN LUDINGTON, DIRECTOR OF BUILDING FIRE CODE SERVICES.
UH, AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE SLIDE, WE'RE HOPING THIS BUDGET SEASON TO CHANGE OUR NAME FROM BUILDING FIRE CODE SERVICES TO DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING AND SAFETY.
SINCE I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE SITTING UP HERE TODAY WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE THAT NAME CHANGED, ESPECIALLY MR. RIGBY
OUR MISSION IS TO PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT TO THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED WITH BUILDING OR ALTERING THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT OF THE COMMUNITY, AND TO PROTECT THE HEALTH SAFETY OF PUBLIC WELFARE BY ENFORCING THE CURRENTLY ADOPTED BUILDING STATE AND LOCAL CODES CONSISTENT WITH THE POLICIES AND ORDINANCES ADOPTED BY THE CITY OF EDMOND.
OUR DEPARTMENT STRUCTURE, UH, WE CURRENTLY HAVE A PLAN, I VIEW SUPERVISOR OVER A THAT DOES COMMERCIAL PLAN REVIEW, AND THEY ARE OVER THE RESIDENTIAL PLAN REVIEW AND THE FIRE CODE PLAN REVIEW.
THEN WE HAVE AN INSPECTION SUPERVISOR THAT HAS SIX CURRENT BUILDING, MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL, PLUMBING INSPECTORS, ONE CURRENT FIRE INSPECTOR, AND THEN ONE AND A HALF PROPOSED POSITIONS IN THE UPCOMING BUDGET.
AND THEN WE HAVE A PERMIT SUPERVISOR THAT IS OVER THREE PERMIT TECHNICIANS.
OUR PERSONNEL BUDGET FROM FY 24, UH, WAS $1,785,051.
OUR PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FY 25 2,000,003 2,000,035, I CAN'T TALK $2,035,345, WHICH IS A DIFFERENCE OF $250,294 AND INCLUDES $176,000 IN PROPOSED, UH, STAFF INCREASES, WHICH IS THE ONE AND A HALF POSITIONS THAT WE HAVE PROPOSED, HALF OF WHICH IS THE CDBG REHAB SPECIALIST SLASH BUILDING INSPECTOR THAT WE WOULD SHARE WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND THEN AN ADDITIONAL ELECTRICAL INSPECTOR FOR THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT.
OUR EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES BUDGET FY 24 WAS 66,067 FY 25 IS 46,995, WHICH IS LESS 19,172.
AND THEN OUR PROFESSIONAL SERVICE BUDGET, 134,429 FY 25 IS ALSO LOWER FOR THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES IS 125,030 DIFFERENCE OF $9,399 OF OUR ORIGINAL BUDGET.
EVEN BEFORE THIS WAS DONE, WE WERE ABLE TO GIVE BACK $62,000 IN BANK FEES SINCE WE WERE ABLE TO PASS THAT COST OFF TO THE CUSTOMER.
AND THE 3% CHARGE THAT WE WERE PAYING $80,000 A YEAR FOR IS NOW BEING OFFSET ON OUR PERMIT PORTAL BY THE CUSTOMER.
WHEN THEY USE A CREDIT CARD, THEY DO HAVE THE OPTION TO USE A CHECK, BUT IF THEY CHOOSE TO USE A CREDIT CARD, THEY'RE PAYING THAT 3% FEE, BUT WE ARE NO LONGER PAYING THAT.
UH, THIS IS JUST A FIRST QUARTER COMPARISON OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
AS YOU CAN SEE, WE ARE TRENDING BACK UP WITH BUILDING PERMITS.
WE KIND OF FLATTENED OUT PRETTY LOW LAST YEAR.
UM, BUT IT DOES LOOK LIKE IT'S ON THE UP UPHILL SLIDE.
A LOT OF OUR PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS IN THE COMING YEARS WE'RE DOING UP OR IN THE COMING YEAR, WE'RE GONNA DO UPDATES TO THE PORTAL TO CLEAR UP OLD BUILDING PERMITS.
THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS BROUGHT UP A LOT AT THE DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY FORUM THAT WE DID WITH FRANCES TUTTLE.
UH, ACCORDING TO THE BUILDERS AND DEVELOPERS, IT GETS CONFUSING WHEN THEY HAVE SO MANY PROJECTS ON THEIR PORTAL AND THEY CAN'T REALLY SORT WHAT'S LEFT OR WHAT'S CURRENT VERSUS WHAT'S OLD.
UM, SO WE ARE CLEANING UP THOSE PROJECTS.
WE'RE INCREASING THE TABLET USE BY OUR INSPECTORS IN THE FIELD, UM, TO WHERE BUILDERS HAVE TO CURRENTLY LEAVE JOBS.
LIKE A LOT OF THE DRAWINGS ON THE JOB SITE AND THE MORE ADVANCED OUR INSPECTORS GET WITH THE USE OF THEIR TABLETS, THEY'LL ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO PULL UP THOSE DRAWINGS THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED AND WALK THROUGH THE JOB SITES WITH THEM, THEREFORE CREATING LESS REJECTIONS AND THE BUILDERS HAVING TO BE OUT THERE LESS FREQUENTLY.
UM, UPDATES TO INSPECTOR SCHEDULING OPTIONS FOR HIGH PRIORITY.
ANYTIME THERE'S AN OWNER OCCUPIED HOUSE, WE TRY TO GET THEM BETTER TIMEFRAMES, UM, WHETHER IT BE AM OR PM OR BEING ABLE TO NARROW THAT DOWN TO TWO TO FOUR HOURS.
UH, JUST DEPENDS ON WHAT WE HAVE AS FAR AS STAFF AVAILABILITY FOR THAT DAY, BUT WE ALWAYS TRY TO PRIORITIZE
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THOSE PROJECTS, IMPLEMENTING QUARTERLY UPDATES TO CONTRACTORS TO KEEP THEM INFORMED OF CODE AND PROCESS CHANGES.WE'RE GONNA KICK THIS OFF IN MAY WITH A CONTRACTOR APPRECIATION BREAKFAST, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA TRY AND DO QUARTERLY UPDATES, WHETHER IT BE AN EMAIL OR JUST LIKE SOME TYPE OF OPEN HOUSE OR MEETING OR SOMETHING WITH OUR CONTRACTORS TO KEEP THEM UP TO DATE ON ANY CODE CHANGES, TO HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH THEM ABOUT ISSUES THAT THEY'RE RUNNING INTO IN THE FIELD, UH, GIVING THEM MORE THAN JUST A, HEY, WHEN YOU GET MAD ABOUT SOMETHING, PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL ME.
BUT TRYING TO KEEP THOSE LINES OF COMMUNICATION OPEN.
UM, CONTINUED TRAINING FOR INSPECTION STAFF TO IMPROVE CONSISTENCY.
A LOT OF SOME OF THE OTHER ISSUES THAT WERE BROUGHT UP AT THE DEVELOPER ADVISORY FORUM WHERE THAT WE GET INCONSISTENCY ON INSPECTIONS WHEN YOU SEND ONE INSPECTOR OUT TO DO THE FIRST INSPECTION AND YOU SEND ANOTHER INSPECTION OUT TO DO THE SECOND INSPECTION AND THEY FIND DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO WE'RE WORKING ON A LOT OF STAFF TRAINING ON THAT.
UH, BETTER TURNAROUND TIMES FOR INSPECTIONS, UM, IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE HOPING IF THE ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL ARE IMPROVED SO THAT WE DO HAVE MORE STAFF AVAILABLE AND WE CAN PROVIDE KEEPING IT RIGHT TO THAT NEXT DAY INSPECTION.
SOME OF THEM OVER THE PAST YEAR, ESPECIALLY ON THE ELECTRICAL SIDE, HAVE BEEN BUMPED OUT TO 48 TO 72 HOURS BECAUSE WE'RE SHORT STAFFED, IMPROVING LIFE SAFETY THROUGH SOLAR, BETTER SOLAR INSPECTIONS.
WE ARE PURCHASING A DRONE SO THAT WE CAN DO MORE IN-DEPTH SOLAR INSPECTIONS AND ACTUALLY HAVE SOMETHING THAT HELPS US SEE WHAT THE CONNECTIONS LOOK LIKE ON THE ROOF WITHOUT HAVING TO SEND AN INSPECTOR UP.
AND THEN COLLABORATING WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO CLOSE THE GAP BET CLOSE THE GAP BETWEEN CONSTRUCTION AND RESPONSE.
ANY QUESTIONS? IT'S A COMMENT.
SO FIRST, UM, I SAW YOU AT LEAST TWICE LAST WEEK AT TWO DIFFERENT OPEN HOUSES.
YOU MENTIONED THIS ONE FOR, UM, THOSE GETTING INSPECTION.
I THINK THAT'S A REALLY POSITIVE THING THAT THE CITY'S DOING IS HOSTING KIND OF THESE OPEN HOUSES, WHETHER IT'S FOR THE CONSTITUENCY THAT YOU MENTIONED OR THE SOLAR ONE THAT JUST HAPPENED, OR THE OTHER ONE.
I THINK HAVING TO TIME AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR, I KNOW FOR THIS ONE, WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT MORE INTENSIVE, YOU MENTIONED QUARTERLY, WHICH IS GREAT, IS WONDERFUL BECAUSE WE'LL GET QUESTIONS THAT WE DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO AND GIVING US THAT OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, HEY, ONCE A YEAR, ONCE A QUARTER YOU CAN GO HERE, IS SUPER HELPFUL.
AND I, I LOVE THAT CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WANTING TO SUPPORT AND GET THAT FEEDBACK.
SO APPRECIATE THAT IN PARTICULAR.
OH, THAT WAS JUST A COMMENT, NOT A QUESTION.
THE LAST ON THE PROCESS IMPROVEMENT, COLLABORATING WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO CLOSE THE GAP BETWEEN CONSTRUCTION AND RESPONSE.
SO WHAT DOES THAT REALLY MEAN FOR, SO WHAT WE CURRENTLY DO RIGHT NOW IS WITH THE FIRE CODE PLAN REVIEW AND THE FIRE CODE INSPECTOR THAT WORK OUT OF OUR DEPARTMENT, WE DO ALL NEW CONSTRUCTION PLAN REVIEWS, ALL NEW SUBDIVISION PLAN REVIEWS.
SO WE LOOK AT EVERYTHING BEFORE IT BECOMES BUILT.
SO EVERYTHING THAT'S ABOUT TO GO THROUGH THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESSOR IS CURRENTLY UNDERGOING THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS.
SO THEN ONCE THAT'S COMPLETED, WE TURN IT OVER TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THEY KIND OF TAKE IT FROM THERE, AND THEN THEY PICK UP EXISTING INSPECTIONS.
UH, WE ARE TRYING TO, WE JUST CURRENTLY, UM, GOT A SYSTEM CALLED EYE ROLL THAT ACTUALLY WILL HELP THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WITH MAINTAIN, LIKE KEEPING UP WITH ANNUAL INSPECTIONS.
SO WHEN A SPRINKLER SYSTEM OR AN ALARM SYSTEM OR A HOOD AND DUCT SYSTEM GETS PERMITTED THROUGH OUR OFFICE, ONCE THOSE ARE COMPLETED AND INSPECTED AND TURNED OVER, IT'LL GO INTO THAT EYE ROLL SYSTEM SO THAT EVERY YEAR THAT BUSINESS OWNER WILL GET AN EMAIL THAT BASICALLY SAYS, HEY, YOUR SPRINKLER SYSTEM OR YOUR ALARM SYSTEM IS DUE FOR ITS ANNUAL INSPECTION.
AND THEN ONCE THAT ANNUAL INSPECTION GETS TURNED IN, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT REVIEWS IT.
THEY DO ONE YEAR, THREE YEAR, AND FIVE YEAR INSPECTIONS ON EXISTING BUILDINGS.
SO THEY CAN GO OUT ON THAT BUILDING IF IT FALLS INTO THEIR FIVE YEAR AND THEY CAN GO, OH, HEY, I'M DOING AN INSPECTION ON THIS BUILDING AND I SEE ALL FIVE YEARS OF ANNUAL INSPECTIONS ON THIS SPRINKLER SYSTEM OR THIS ALARM SYSTEM AND THIS HVAC SYSTEM.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON A DIFFERENT, LIKE A WAY TO PULL ALL OF OUR PERMIT INFORMATION INTO, UM, LIKE A GIS POINT THAT'LL HELP INCREASE THE INFORMATION THAT THEY HAVE AVAILABLE ON THEIR TARGET HAZARD PROGRAM SO THAT WHEN THEY'RE OUT THERE DOING A RESPONSE, THEY CAN PULL UP THE ACTUAL PERMIT INFORMATION AS IT WAS DONE IN THE SITE LAYOUT OF THE BUILDING, SHOWING ALL THE DISCONNECTS, UM, FIREWALLS, ANYTHING SPECIAL THEY NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE BUILDING, IF THERE'S HAZARDOUS MATERIALS IN THERE, ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE RECEIVE ON PERMITS.
UM, I HAD A NEIGHBOR THAT I'M JUST KIND OF CURIOUS MORE THAN ANYTHING, AND A NEIGHBOR HAD TO REPLACE A HOT WATER HEATER.
AND, UH, THE LICENSED PLUMBER DIDN'T NOTIFY YOUR OFFICE, AND SO THEY CALLED AND THEN SOMEBODY CAME OUT TO INSPECT.
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BEEF THAT UP TO WHERE THEY HAVE TO NOTIFY YOU THAT THEY'VE, THAT THE PLUMBER HAS TO NOTIFY YOUR OFFICE THAT THEY'VE INSTALLED A HOT, UH, HOT WATER HEAT? THEY ARE REQUIRED BY STATE LAW TO PULL A PERMIT.A LICENSED MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL, OR PLUMBING PROFESSIONAL IN THEIR TRADE HAS TO DO HOT WATER TANK CHANGE OUTS.
A LICENSED MECHANICAL CONTRACTOR HAS TO DO HVAC CHANGE OUTS.
IF YOU ARE DOING ELECTRICAL WORK, ADDING ONTO THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IN YOUR HOUSE.
THEY HAVE TO DO, HAS TO BE A LICENSED ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR.
WE'VE TRIED TO CREATE AN AWARENESS FOR HOMEOWNERS PROBABLY ABOUT 2009.
WE DID A, WE LAUNCHED A SERIES OF VIDEOS THAT THEY PLAYED ON CHANNEL 20, AND THEN THEY'RE ALSO AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE THAT BASICALLY SAYS, HEY, HOMEOWNERS, YOU SHOULD BE AWARE THAT YOU'RE REQUIRED TO HAVE A LICENSED PLUMBER.
YOU'RE REQUIRED, THEY'RE REQUIRED TO PULL A PERMIT, THERE WILL BE INSPECTIONS.
KIND OF THE SAME THING WITH THE HVAC AND THE ELECTRICAL.
UM, SO WE TRY TO LET PEOPLE KNOW, UM, UNFORTUNATELY, IF THEY'RE NOT AWARE OF IT, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW.
AND SO WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES.
WE'VE GOT IN THE MAIN NEWSLETTER, WE HAVE, UH, THE UTILITY, I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT IT'S CALLED, THE ED, I THINK IT IS.
UH, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A WRITEUP IN THE ED THAT KIND OF HELPS INFORM HOMEOWNERS, HEY, JUST SO YOU KNOW, YOU DO NEED A LICENSED CONTRACTOR FOR THIS.
AND THEY ARE REQUIRED TO PULL PERMITS.
AND SO IF THEY GO TO A HOME AND INSTALL, REPLACE A HOT WATER HEATER AND THEY DON'T NOTIFY YOUR OFFICE AND THE CITIZEN CALLS AND ASKS FOR INSPECTOR, WHICH YOU SEND OUT ARE, ARE THERE POSSIBLE SANCTIONS ON THE PLUMBING COMPANY? WE CAN WRITE THE PLUMBING CONTRACTOR A TICKET FOR NOT PULLING A PERMIT.
WE CAN CHARGE 'EM THREE TIMES FOR NOT PULLING A PERMIT.
UM, IT, WE'D HAVE TO GET THE INFORMATION FROM THE HOMEOWNER TO GET THE PLUMBER TO PULL THE PERMIT BEFORE WE CAN ACTUALLY GO OUT AND DO THE INSPECTION SO THAT IT CAN BE TRACKED.
AND SO WE'LL TYPICALLY CALL THE COMPANY AND GO, HEY, WE WERE TOLD YOU INSTALLED A PERMIT OR YOU INSTALLED A HOT WATER TANK WITHOUT A PERMIT, YOU'RE REQUIRED TO DO IT.
AND MOST OF THE TIME WE'LL GIVE 'EM LIKE A HEADS UP OF, HEY, IN THE FUTURE WE CAN THREE TIME CHARGE YOU OR WE CAN ISSUE TICKETS AND THEN WE'LL JUST LET 'EM SLIDE WITH THE, IT'S $30 FOR A PERMIT TO CHANGE OUT A HOT WATER TANK.
UM, SO MOST OF THE TIME WE'LL JUST LET 'EM SLIDE WITH THAT INITIAL $30 PERMIT AND THEY'LL DO A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF PULLING 'EM IN THE FUTURE.
UM, WE ACTUALLY HAVE FEWER ISSUES WITH THEM PULLING THE PERMITS THAN WE DO WITH THEM DOING THE FOLLOW UP INSPECTIONS BECAUSE A LOT, WE HAVE HUNDREDS OF PERMITS, IF NOT THOUSANDS OUT THERE THAT THEY PULLED THE PERMIT AND THEN NEVER BOTHERED TO SCHEDULE THE INSPECTION.
AND THEN WHEN THEY GO TO SELL THEIR HOUSE, THE REALTOR'S LIKE, HEY, I NOTICED THAT YOUR HOT WATER TANK IS MISSING A GREEN STICKER.
HAS IT EVER BEEN INSPECTED BY THE CITY OF EDMOND? IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO, TO MAYBE MAKE THAT STING A LITTLE MORE FOR THOSE THAT DON'T BOTHER TO, I MEAN, WE CAN START WRITING TICKETS FOR IT.
UH, IT'S, I MEAN, IF IT'S PRICEY ENOUGH, THAT'LL GET THEIR ATTENTION.
IT'S NOT REALLY, UM, EVEN THE TICKET IS, MADELINE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I WROTE ONE AND I THINK THE LAST ONE I WROTE WAS LIKE $180 AND THERE'S NO, THEY DIDN'T EVEN SHOW UP FOR COURT AND THEY JUST PAID IT.
THEY DIDN'T NO WONDER IF THEY'D PAY 500 WITHOUT SHOWING UP.
YEAH, MAYBE, MAYBE WE OUGHT TO MAKE IT STING A LITTLE BIT.
SO IF THEY HAVE AN OUTSTANDING FEE OR FINE AND THEY GO TO PULL ANOTHER PERMIT, ARE THEY GONNA BE ABLE TO GET ONE? WE DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE ANYTHING IN ORDINANCE THAT ALLOWS US TO STOP THEM FROM PULLING MORE PERMITS.
WELL, THAT, BUT WE COULD LOOK AT WRITING THAT INTO OUR ORDINANCE.
KIRSTEN, CAN YOU GO BACK TO, OH, HERE'S THE SLIDE.
UM, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE CONTINUED TRAINING FOR INSPECTION STAFF AND THEN THE BETTER TURNAROUND TIMES FOR INSPECTIONS? CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT'LL LOOK, IF THE BUDGET GOES THROUGH AND THESE POSITIONS ARE APPROVED, WHAT IS THAT IMPROVEMENT? IS IT LIKE 5%, 10%, YOU KNOW? WELL, SO ONE OF THE, ESPECIALLY ON THE CONTINUED TRAINING FOR INSPECTION STAFF TO IMPROVE CONSISTENCY, THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA WITH THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRIES BOARD, WHO THEY HOLD OUR INSPECTOR LICENSES.
SO THEY HANDLE OUR CERTIFICATIONS FOR BEING A LICENSED INSPECTOR.
AND THEN THEY TAKE OUR CEUS EVERY YEAR.
THEY HAVE VERY, AS MUCH AS I HATE TO SAY IT, THEY HAVE VERY LAX REQUIREMENTS ON WHAT IT TAKES TO BECOME, WELL, NOT TO BECOME AN INSPECTOR TO, BUT TO MAINTAIN YOUR CERTIFICATION AS AN INSPECTOR.
AND A LOT OF THAT IS THEY OFFER THESE ONLINE TRAINING CLASSES THAT YOU'RE REQUIRED TO GET SIX CEUS PER TRADE PER YEAR.
I COULD TAKE EACH ONE OF THOSE TRAINING CLASSES, DO LIKE 12 OTHER THINGS AT THE SAME TIME AND JUST ARROW OVER.
AND IT GIVES ME THE COMPLETION CERTIFICATE AT THE END THAT SAYS I'M CERTIFIED TO BE AN INSPECTOR IN THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET BETTER TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM.
THE INTERNATIONAL CODE COUNCIL OFFERS A LOT OF, NOT ONLY ONLINE CLASSES, BUT IN-PERSON CLASSES THROUGHOUT THE
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STATE OF OKLAHOMA.IT'S JUST A MATTER OF HAVING THE STAFF AVAILABLE TO COVER INSPECTIONS WHILE WE SEND OTHER STAFF TO TRAINING, AND THEN THE MONEY AND THE BUDGET TO ACTUALLY GET THAT TRAINING PAID FOR AND BE ABLE TO PAY FOR ME TO SEND TWO OR THREE INSPECTORS TO TULSA FOR THEM TO TAKE A DAY LONG TRAINING CLASS.
UM, AS FAR AS THE DEBTOR TURN, BETTER TURNAROUND TIMES FOR INSPECTIONS, IT'S REALLY JUST WE CAN'T CONTROL THE NUMBER OF INSPECTIONS THAT COME IN.
SOME DAYS WE'LL HAVE 10 BUILDING INSPECTIONS AND 150 ELECTRICAL INSPECTIONS.
IT'S JUST THE WAY IT GET, THEY GET CALLED IN AND WE, LIKE, THEY DON'T REALLY COME IN.
WE GET 20 BUILDING, 20 ELECTRICAL, 20 MECHANICAL, 20 PLUMBING.
AND SO WE HAVE, EACH INSPECTOR DOES THEIR AREA OF PRIMARY, THEIR PRIMARY AREA OF EXPERTISE, AND THEN THEY KIND OF HAVE A BACKUP CATEGORY.
BUT ONCE YOU GO PAST THAT, YOU REALLY DON'T WANNA SEND A PLUMBING INSPECTOR.
THAT'S THEIR AREA OF EXPERTISE OUT TO DO AN ELECTRICAL INSPECTION BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT.
THEY'VE NEVER WORKED IN THAT FIELD, AND THEY, THEY JUST DON'T HAVE THE EXPERTISE NEEDED FOR IT.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? SORT OF.
UM, AND I DON'T SEE, I DON'T SEE HAVING TO GO BACK TO THE 48 TO 72 SINCE ONE OF THEM IS THE ADDITIONAL ELECTRICAL INSPECTOR, WHICH IS THE HARDEST ONE TO FILL.
AND THEN THE OTHER HALF POSITION IS FOR A BUILDING INSPECTOR, WHICH IS THE SECOND HARDEST ONE TO FILL, WHICH WILL GIVE US KIND OF A, ENOUGH OF AN OVERLAP IN THAT AREA THAT IF WE DO GET 75 BUILDING INSPECTIONS IN ONE DAY, WE HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE TO COVER THAT WITHOUT HAVING TO BUMP THEM TO THE NEXT DAY OR EVEN THE NEXT DAY.
IS IT, IS IT ALSO A CHALLENGE FOR YOUR STAFF TO COVER THE ENTIRE CITY VERSUS IF WE WERE ABLE TO BREAK IT DOWN BY, I'LL CALL IT EAST VERSUS WEST TYPE OF SITUATION? WE ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING AT, AS WE TALKED ABOUT IN OUR BUDGET MEETING, WE ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING AT THE POTENTIAL OF SPLITTING THE CITY INTO TWO SECTORS TO SEE IF THAT WOULD BENEFIT US.
UM, BUT JUST AT FIRST GLANCE AND LOOKING AT IT, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE STAFF TO DO IT AT THIS TIME BECAUSE WE WOULD PROBABLY NEED ANOTHER, AT LEAST ONE MECHANICAL, ONE ELECTRICAL, ONE PLUMBING, AND ONE BUILDING TO COVER THAT.
SO WE CURRENTLY HAVE A CONCRETE INSPECTOR AND THEY DO TIMED INSPECTIONS, SO A CONCRETE PORE SO THAT THEY CAN SCHEDULE CONCRETE.
UM, BECAUSE IT'S, ESPECIALLY WITH CONSTRUCTION, IT'S REALLY HARD TO JUST SAY, HEY, WE'LL BE THERE SOMETIME TOMORROW.
SO WE GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO SCHEDULE IN ONE HOUR WINDOWS, SO BETWEEN 8:00 AM TO 9:00 AM 9:00 AM TO 10:00 AM SO ON SO FORTH THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
SO THAT CONCRETE INSPECTOR PROBABLY PUTS A HUNDRED MILES ON THE CAR A DAY, OR ON THE TRUCK A DAY GOING FROM A 9:00 AM INSPECTION ON THIS SIDE OF TOWN AND A 9:00 AM INSPECTION ON THAT SIDE OF TOWN AND A 9:00 AM INSPECTION ON THAT SIDE OF TOWN ALL WITHIN THAT HOUR WINDOW.
AND THEN BACK TO THE SIDE OF TOWN THAT THEY STARTED ON TO DO THE 10:00 AM INSPECTIONS.
BUT IT'S A BENEFIT TO OUR CONCRETE COMPANIES AND OUR BUILDERS SO THAT THEY CAN GET THEIR FOUNDATIONS POURED AT A DECENT TIME AND NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WAITING TILL THE NEXT DAY OR WAITING FOR RAIN, UM, OR WAITING FOR IT NOT TO RAIN.
UH, THAT'S PROBABLY A BETTER WAY TO PUT IT.
UM, SO IF WE WERE TO SPLIT, THAT WOULD BE THE HIGHEST PRIORITY OF GETTING THAT DONE FIRST TO WHERE THAT PERSON WAS ON TWO SEPARATE SIDES OF TOWN AND THEN HAVING THE OTHER TRADES FOLLOW IN, LIKE A PHASED APPROACH.
DOES THAT MAKE, DID I ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? NO, I'M JUST GONNA, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE HEAR FROM OUR DE Q'S TIME IS CRITICAL AND OUR DISCUSSION IS KIRSTEN'S WHATEVER TRADE, AND IN THE MORNING SHE COULD BE OUT AT COVE AND WESTMINSTER AND THE NEXT HOUR SHE'S GOTTA BE AT 33RD AND BROADWAY, AND THEN THE NEXT TIME IS BACK OUT AT COVELL AND POST, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH DRIVING TIME VERSUS ACTUALLY DOING INSPECTION TIME.
I, I JUST HIGHLIGHT THAT FOR MM-HMM.
SO WE MAY, WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT THIS, WE MAY COME BACK EITHER MIDYEAR NEXT YEAR OR NEXT YEAR TO SAY, TO REALLY GET THE NUMBERS DOWN WHERE WE, WE WOULD LIKE TO BE, AS WELL AS OUR DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE TO BE.
IT MAY MEAN, I'LL CALL IT, I DON'T WANNA SAY DOUBLING UP STAFF, BUT CREATING TWO DIFFERENT DISTRICTS TO HAVE
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KNOW, IT'S, THE KEY IS TO HAVE DARYL INSPECTING VERSUS DRIVING.I'M HAPPY ABOUT ALSO THE CONSISTENCY OF HAVING THE SAME INSPECTOR ON THE SAME JOB SITE.
I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND, UM, I'M GLAD THAT'S HAPPENING.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? VERY GOOD.
[3. Presentation and Discussion of Fiscal Year 2024-25 Planning Budget. ]
OH, PLANNING BUDGET.KEN BRYAN, INTERIM DIRECTOR OF PLANNING.
UH, THE MISSION OF THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT IS TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE THROUGH THE PRACTICE OF PROFESSIONAL PLANNING, UH, ORG CHART OF THE DEPARTMENT AS IT'S CURRENTLY LAID OUT.
UM, I'VE GOT IT BROKEN DOWN IN THIS WAY WITH THAT, THAT DASH LINE SHOWING KIND OF HOW THE FUNDS ARE, ARE, UH, ARE SEPARATED, SO OVER KIND OF ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ORG CHART, THOSE ARE D THERE'S DIFFERENT FUNDING CATEGORIES FOR THAT, AND THEY'RE SEPARATE PRESENTATIONS AND BUDGET, UH, DISCUSSIONS RELATED TO THOSE THINGS.
SO WE'RE THE, UH, THE NUMBERS THAT YOU'RE GETTING READY TO SEE AND THE DISCUSSION POINTS ARE ALL ABOUT THE, UH, KIND OF OUR CURRENT PLANNING FUNCTION, LONG RANGE PLANNING AND OUR, OUR SUSTAINABILITY AND A DA COORDINATION.
SO IN TERMS OF THE, UH, COMPARISON FROM, UH, LAST YEAR TO PROPOSED, UH, WE HAVE A DIFFERENCE IN PERSONNEL, $33,000, THAT'S JUST, UH, KIND OF THE NATURAL RISE IN, UH, COST OF PERSONNEL.
WE'RE NOT PROPOSING OR REQUESTING ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL AT THIS POINT.
UM, EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES, UM, BUDGET SHOWS 5,000 LESS.
THAT'S MOSTLY, UH, RELATED TO, UM, THE BANK CHARGES THAT KIRSTEN WAS JUST REFERENCING.
SOME OF THE, WE HAD, UH, OBVIOUSLY, UH, A LOT LESS THAN BUILDING, BUT WE HAD SOME OF THOSE IN OUR BUDGET AS WELL.
SO WE'RE ABLE TO, UM, WE, WE DON'T HAVE TO BUDGET FOR THAT THIS YEAR.
UM, THEN IN TERMS OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, UH, THAT 2 90, 200 90,000 THAT YOU SEE IN FY 25, THAT'S USUALLY MORE TYPICAL OF WHAT YOU WOULD EXPECT, UH, FOR THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
UH, FY 24 WAS A LITTLE BIT, UM, OF AN ABERRATION BECAUSE WE WERE, WE HAD, UH, FUNDING FOR OUR, UH, DEVELOPMENT CODE UPDATE AND, UH, A MAJOR STUDY ALONG, UH, BROADWAY IN US 77.
SO, UH, NOT AS MUCH OF A REQUEST FOR THAT THIS YEAR.
UH, IN TERMS OF FEES, THE, UH, THE UPDATED DEVELOPMENT CODE IS LIKELY TO HAVE A DIFFERENT FEE STRUCTURE THAN WE HAVE NOW.
SO WE'RE NOT PROPOSING, UM, WE WILL NOT BE ANALYZING OR PROPOSING ANY CHANGES TO THE, UH, FEE STRUCTURE, UM, UNTIL THAT, UNTIL THE DISCUSSION FOR THAT CODE, UM, COMES TO THE PUBLIC HEARING PROCESS.
UM, BUT JUST AS A REFRESHER, UH, WE CHARGE APPLICATION FEES FOR MOST OF THE, UH, PLANNING LED, UM, APPLICATIONS.
AND, UM, WE UPDATED THOSE, UH, LAST SPRING AS WE WERE GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
THE DEVELOPMENT INDUSTRY DID REQUEST THAT WE LOOK AT OUR FEES MORE FREQUENTLY, HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF YEARS, UH, SINCE WE'VE TAKEN THOSE FEES THROUGH, UM, THE PUBLIC PROCESS AND, AND DONE AN ANALYSIS ON THOSE.
SO, UH, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO AS WE, AS WE GO FORWARD, MAYBE EVERY OTHER YEAR OR SO.
UH, IN TERMS OF PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS, SO WE HAD A COUPLE OF, UH, KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE DEVELOPERS FORUM.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO WORK ON IMPROVING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN STAFF REVIEWERS AND APPLICANTS, UM, THAT IS ESPECIALLY APPLICABLE TO THE MORE INVOLVED APPLICATIONS SUCH AS SITE PLANS AND PRELIMINARY PLATS.
UM, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO TAKE A MORE NUANCED APPROACH TO OUR REVIEW CYCLE SCHEDULE AND LOOK AT THE, UH, THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE STAFF AND THE APPLICANT ON SOME OF THOSE.
AND SO TRYING TO PAY MORE ATTENTION TO THOSE, THOSE LEAD TIMES AND, AND, UH, HELP APPLICANTS, UH, MOVE THEIR PROJECT ALONG AS NEEDED.
AND THEN, UH, MORE SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT FOR UNFAMILIAR DEVELOPMENT TYPES.
SO THAT WAS A REQUEST, UM, THAT'S LARGELY RELATED TO THE REDEVELOPMENT AND INFILL ACTIVITY THAT WE'RE SEEING IN AND AROUND DOWNTOWN IN TERMS OF THE ONLINE PERMITTING, LAND USE AND LICENSING, UM, APPLICATION.
WE'RE GOING TO WORK AND CONTINUE TO EXPAND OUR CAPABILITY AND MAXIMIZE THE FUNCTIONALITY OF THAT SYSTEM.
HAPPY TO TRY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
COUNSEL, ANY QUESTIONS? SO, ONE QUESTION IS, AS SCOTT MENTIONED, CITYWIDE WE HAVE 10% TARGET FOR, UM, FUNDS
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THAT WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO, UM, ADDRESS ANY TYPE OF EMERGENCY OR COSTS OR ECONOMIC DOWNTURN.DO WE HAVE A BREAKOUT IN THAT DEPARTMENT AS FAR AS WHAT, IF ANY, WE'LL CALL IT UNENCUMBERED FUNDS ARE YOU MEAN LIKE RESERVE? YEP.
UM, KATHY
THERE'S NO, OUTSIDE OF JARED COME UP.
KEN WAS BLOCKING JARED WITH, UH, WITH GENERAL FUND DEPARTMENTS LIKE PLANNING, WE DON'T HAVE A DESIGNATED RESERVE SPECIFICALLY FOR THEIR DEPARTMENT.
IT IS AN OVERALL GENERAL FUND RESERVE THAT IS HELD FOR 10% OF THE ENTIRETY OF, UH, GENERAL FUND REVENUES.
SO EACH INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENT WITHIN THE GENERAL FUND DOES NOT HAVE ITS OWN SEPARATE, UH, RESERVE LIKE WATER WOULD HAVE OR SOLID WASTE OR ANY OF THE OTHER FUNDS.
SO LIKE, AND I'M NOT PICKING ON THEM, I'M JUST THROWING IT OUT AS AN EXAMPLE.
PARKS MIGHT HAVE A, LIKE THEIR OWN KIND OF RESERVE FOR SOME THINGS, BUT OTHER DEPARTMENTS WOULDN'T.
ANYTHING THAT'S HELD WITHIN THE GENERAL FUND, UM, IS IT'S ALL GONNA GET LUMPED INTO ONE BIG SUM THAT'S SUPPOSED TO AFFECT AND KIND OF COVER ANY KIND OF EMERGENCIES THAT OCCURS WITHIN THEIR REALM.
UM, THAT'S, SO IT'S COVERED BY THE 10% THAT SCOTT'S TARGETING? YES, SIR.
IN THIS CASE, THERE ISN'T LIKE AN AMOUNT THAT'S THERE, THAT'S, YEAH.
IN CASE WE HAVE SOME PLANNING NEED, BUT YEAH, GENERAL FUND DEPARTMENTS ARE KIND OF LUMPED MORE INTO ONE BIG BUCKET AS IT IS.
UM, AND THAT'S GENERALLY DONE BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
THEY'RE LESS, UM, LESS ENTERPRISE.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT LESS CAPITAL AS MUCH OF A RETURN FOR THEIR INVESTMENT BECAUSE WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS SEEN AS A PUBLIC GOOD.
SO LIKE THE, I THINK IT WAS AROUND 700,000 THAT WENT DOWN THIS YEAR.
I THINK THE NOTE WAS THAT WAS BECAUSE WE'RE JUST, WE HAVE, WE'RE KIND OF IMPLEMENTING STUDIES THAT WERE DONE IN THE LAST TWO YEARS.
WE DON'T HAVE AS MANY SORT OF CONSULTING OR STUDY CONTRACTS OUT THERE.
SO THAT'S THE DEDUCTION OF THAT, THAT'S THE DEDUCTION OF THAT PARTICULAR LINE GOING DOWN.
AS KEN MENTIONED IN HIS PRESENTATION, THEY, WHENEVER YOU'LL SEE SEVERAL, UH, REDUCTIONS IN BUDGETS, UH, THIS YEAR, BASICALLY ANYTHING THAT WAS A ONE-TIME EXPENSE LAST YEAR THAT THEY'RE NOT DOING THIS YEAR, IT'S NOT GONNA CARRY OVER.
YOU'LL SEE A REDUCTION IN THAT LINE OR IN THAT CATEGORY OF EXPENSES.
UM, JUST BECAUSE IT'S NOT A, A REOCCURRING EXPENSE.
AND GOING BACK TO THE FIRST SLIDE ON THE ORG CHART, I JUST HAD ONE QUESTION THERE.
I GUESS IT WAS FIRST SLIDE, THAT ONE.
SO COMMUNITY SERVICES COORDINATOR, UM, THAT'S AN ALREADY EXISTING POSITION, CORRECT? UH, NO, AND THAT'S COMING, UM, THERE'S AN UPCOMING PRESENTATION ON THAT WHOLE SIDE OF THAT.
I KNOW I HAD HEARD SOME THINGS THAT WE WANT TO DO FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND I SAW THAT LISTED AND I THOUGHT, YEP, THEY WERE CORRELATED.
BUT LOOK FORWARD TO THAT PRESENTATION THEN.
BECAUSE I KNOW I GET QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS.
KEN, CAN YOU JUST, I DON'T KNOW, I KNOW YOU DON'T HAVE A PERFECT CRYSTAL BALL ON THIS SENSE OF ACTIVITY GOING ON.
I KNOW WE'VE, WE'VE HAD SOME PRETTY SMALL PLANNING COMMISSION MEETINGS AND WHAT'S, UH, YES.
WHAT'S YOUR SENSE OF THE PIPELINE RIGHT NOW? RIGHT.
SO, UM, SIMILAR TO THE ACTIVITY THAT YOU, THAT YOU'VE SEEN, UM, ON BUILDING, UM, SLIDE, WE'VE SEEN A, A DOWNWARD TICK IN, UH, APPLICATIONS FOR, UM, THAT THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT DEALS WITH AS WELL.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, WE, WE TAKE IN 270 EDITH 300 APPLICATIONS A YEAR.
UM, A LOT OF THOSE ARE SIGNS
SO WE'VE SEEN A COUPLE OF THINGS, JUST A, UM, FEWER APPLICATIONS COMING IN, AND THEN WE SEE, UM, APPLICANTS PURPOSELY TAKING LONGER TO DO RESUBMITTAL AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
AND I, I, I THINK IT'S JUST, IT'S A LOT OF THINGS JUST GOING ON IN THE MARKET, AND SO THEY'RE JUST PROCEEDING VERY CAUTIOUSLY.
SO YOU'RE, WE ARE, WE ARE SEEING THAT AS WELL.
[4. Presentation and Discussion of Fiscal Year 2024-25 Engineering Budget. ]
ENGINEERING.STEVE LAWRENCE, DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING.
[00:30:01]
LEMME RUN THROUGH THIS, UH, OUR MISSION TO FACILITATE THE ORDERLY GROWTH OF THE COMMUNITY BY PROVIDING QUALITY PLANNING, DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE.OUR BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE YEAR, UM, WE'RE MAINLY, UH, PRETTY MUCH JUST, UH, PERSONNEL.
SO 4.18 THIS YEAR, 4.82 NEXT YEAR.
UM, THIS INCLUDES OUR DRAINAGE UTILITY AS WELL.
SO PROFESSIONAL SERVICES IS A LITTLE BIT HIGHER, UH, BECAUSE IT INCLUDES THAT AS WELL, BECAUSE IT INCLUDES WHAT DRAINAGE UTILITY IS THAT, IS THAT, UH, MEAN THE FOLKS THAT WE HIRED TO HELP WITH THE LEAKS, OR IS THAT DIFFERENT? SO THE, OUR, OUR DRAINAGE UTILITY STAFF ARE ONES THAT SAFE ENGINEER, UM, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT, UH, ALL THE STORMWATER ISSUES THROUGHOUT TOWN.
THEY LOOK AT THE STORMWATER QUALITY, UH, MAINLY DO PROJECTS THAT THEY IMPLEMENT, PROJECTS FOR FLOODING OF STRUCTURES, THAT KIND OF THING.
SO IT'S THIS, YEAH, I, I'VE MET THE NEW STAFF FOLKS, SO THAT'S THEM.
SO THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES DOES INCLUDE HIRING OF SOME, UH, CONSULTANTS TO HELP REVIEW SOME OF THE MORE COMPLEX, UH, MR. LAWRENCE, YOU'RE A SOFT SPOKEN MAN AND I CAN'T HEAR A TRAIN COMING, SO IF YOU CAN
SO IT DOES INCLUDE QUITE A BIT OF, UH, OF THAT IN THE SERVICES, UH, STAFFING LEVELS.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE 38, UH, POSITIONS.
WE'RE ASKING FOR SIX PROPOSED POSITIONS.
UM, WE NEED AN ADDITIONAL PROJECT ENGINEER FOR THE CIVIL SIDE OF THINGS, UH, PROJECT COORDINATOR, WHICH IS, IS MAINLY TO KIND OF ENHANCE PROJECT LEVEL COMMUNICATIONS.
UM, IT'S BASICALLY GETTING THE BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK.
IT, THEY'RE EASIER TO FIND THAN, THAN ENGINEERS ARE.
AND, UH, WE'VE GOT KIND OF A GAP TO FILL WITH THAT, UH, PROJECT MANAGER IN SPECIAL PROJECTS, WHICH IS THE GROUP THAT, UH, PRETTY MUCH DOES EVERYTHING OTHER THAN CIVIL.
SO THINK OF PROJECTS THAT ARE, ARE BUILDING PROJECTS LIKE THE, THE CITY CENTER, UH, PROJECT OR, UH, YOU KNOW, THE FIRE STATION PROJECT OR, UH, YOU KNOW, KICKING BIRD, ANY, ANY OF THOSE KIND OF BUILDING PROJECTS.
UM, ENGINEERING INTERN FOR WATER RESOURCES, UM, ENGINEERING, INTERN FOR TRAFFIC, AND ADMINISTRATIVE TECHNICIAN FOR LAND DEVELOPMENT.
I'LL KIND OF GO THROUGH EACH OF THESE AREAS.
UM, ALL OF THESE POSITIONS ARE, ARE BEING FUNDED THROUGH UTILITY FUNDS OR A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT TAX, BASICALLY TO, UH, 'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE SUPPORTING.
THE CAPITAL PROJECTS GROUP, UH, CONSISTS OF A COUPLE OF GROUPS.
IT'S GOT THE CIVIL PROJECTS GROUPS, PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING, UH, PAVING OR, UH, WATER RESOURCES RELATED.
UH, AND THE SPECIAL PRO PROJECTS GROUP, WHICH IS EVERYTHING THAT HAS TO DO MAINLY WITH, UH, BUILDINGS, UH, UH, OR PARKS PROJECTS OR, OR FIRE DEPARTMENT PROJECTS, THAT TYPE OF THING.
UH, INSPECTIONS, WE HAVE NINE, UH, INSPECTORS THAT, UH, PRIMARILY DO LAND DEVELOPMENT INSPECTION OF THE PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, AS WELL AS, UH, SOME, SOME WORK ON CITY PROJECTS.
OUR TRANSPORTATION GROUP INCLUDES OUR ITS GROUP, WHICH ARE THE PEOPLE THAT SIT IN THE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT CENTER AND HELP, UH, MAINTAIN TRAFFIC FLOWS.
UH, IT'S TRANSPORTATION PLANNING.
SO, YOU KNOW, ANY KIND OF, UH, UPCOMING PROJECTS LIKE KELLY AND DANFORTH WIDENING, UH, KIND OF GETTING WAY AHEAD ON PLANNING TO, WE'RE LOOKING AT SAFETY ISSUES, UH, FOR PROJECTS.
AND THEN WE HAVE A WORK ZONE RIGHT OF WAY MANAGEMENT AND THEY MANAGE, UH, YOU KNOW, WORK ZONES.
UM, BUT ALSO, UH, ANY OF THE OTHER UTILITIES THAT ARE IN OUR CORRIDORS.
SO AT AND T IS, IS BUILDING A LOT OF FIBER OPTIC THROUGHOUT OUR CITY.
SO ANYTIME A, A CITIZEN HAS A COMPLAINT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HEY, WHO'S, WHO'S TORE UP MY FRONT YARD, UH, WE, WE, UH, COORDINATE WITH IT.
LATELY IT'S BEEN AT AND TA LOT WITH THEIR FIBER PROJECTS.
SO WE COORDINATE WITH THEM TO TRY TO GET IT CLEANED UP.
SO THIS IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
UM, WE'RE, WE'RE BASICALLY, UH, OUR STORMWATER QUALITY AND OUR FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT GROUP HAS KIND OF BEEN OUR STORMWATER GROUP IN THE PAST.
THEY DO A WHOLE LOT WITH LAND DEVELOPMENT.
AND SO ONE OF THE COMMENTS THAT WE RECEIVED IN THE DEVELOPMENT FORUMS IS THAT WE'RE NOT SUPPORTING OUR ENGINEERING PLAN REVIEW GROUP WITH ENOUGH SUPPORT.
SO WHAT THIS DOES IS WE HAVE A, A SENIOR, UH, ENGINEER WHO'S OVER STORMWATER RIGHT NOW.
UH, HE WILL BE OVER OUR, WHAT WE'RE CALLING OUR LAND DEVELOPMENT GROUP, WHICH WILL INCLUDE THE PLAN REVIEW GROUP AS WELL.
UH, WHAT THAT WILL DO IS IT WILL ALLOW, UH, ANOTHER ENGINEER TO WEIGH IN ON THOSE TYPE OF PROJECTS, UM, TO TRY TO HELP EXPEDITE, UH, AND, AND GET TO THE, THE BOTTOM OF KIND OF WHAT SOME ISSUES ARE.
UM, AS WELL, IT, A LOT OF THOSE ISSUES TEND TO BE STORMWATER ISSUES.
[00:35:01]
IT'S, IT'S KIND OF HAVING ONE PERSON FOR, UH, THE DEVELOPERS ENGINEERS TO COME TO, AS WELL AS HAVING ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THAT ONE GROUP TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE WORKING TOGETHER, UM, TO MAKE PROJECTS HAPPEN AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN.UM, I'M JUST GONNA GO THROUGH AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROJECTS OR THE GROUPS THAT WE HAVE WITHIN ENGINEERING.
UM, THE CAPITAL PROJECTS CIVIL GROUP.
UM, RIGHT NOW THERE'S ACTUALLY FOUR FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES, THREE ENGINEERS, ONE, UH, POSITION THAT'S VACANT THAT ACTUALLY WE'RE GONNA HAVE FILLED NEXT MONDAY, UH, ON OUR WATER RESOURCES CAPITAL PROJECTS.
SO WE ASSIST WATER RESOURCES WITH KINDA EVERYTHING THEY DO ON THE CAPITAL SIDE.
AND THEN, UH, WE, WE HIRED ANOTHER ENGINEER THAT WORKED WITH ME, UH, KIND OF WHEN I MOVED INTO THIS ROLE.
UM, I WOULD SAY WE'VE GOT ABOUT ONE AND A QUARTER ENGINEERS DOING THAT RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS A LOT OF WORK FOR ONE PERSON.
ASHIMA IS, IS SHE'S GREAT AND SHE'S, SHE'S, SHE'S, I WISH I HAD A DOZEN OF HER.
UH, BUT IT'S A LOT OF WORK FOR ANY ONE PERSON.
IT'S A LOT OF FUNDS THAT WE'RE SPENDING, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE SPEND THE MONEY IN THE MOST EFFICIENT MANNER POSSIBLE.
UM, SO THAT'S ONE OF THE POSITIONS WE'RE ASKING FOR, UH, THAT, THAT INTERN POSITION.
IT'S NOT AN INTERN IN THAT WE'RE HIRING 'EM FOR SUMMER.
IT'S, UH, IT'S KINDA LIKE THE MEDICAL FIELD ENGINEERS HAVE TO GO THROUGH FOUR YEARS OF INTERNSHIP BEFORE THEY CAN TAKE THEIR PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS EXAM.
SO WE'LL HIRE AN IN INTERN FOR THIS WITH, WITH THE HOPES THAT THEY WILL KIND OF TAKE OVER THE PIPELINE REHABILITATION PROJECTS, WHICH IS, IS A LOT OF WORK.
UH, IT WOULD, IT WOULD TAKE THAT MUCH OFF ASHLAND'S PLATE, LET HER CONCENTRATE ON THE BIGGER PROJECTS THAT WE'RE DOING.
UH, PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.
UM, WE'VE GOT ABOUT 1,150 LANE MILES OF PAVEMENT, I WOULD SAY HISTORICALLY.
UH, IN THE PAST WE'VE KIND OF UNDERFUNDED, UH, RE RESURFACING PROJECTS, UM, THAT KIND OF SNEAKS UP ON YOU, AND THAT IF YOU DON'T TAKE CARE OF PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE AND EVERYTHING ELSE, IT COSTS A LOT MORE TO, TO KEEP YOUR, YOUR ROADS MAINTAINED.
UH, THIS YEAR WE ARE, UH, DOING A STUDY WITH, UH, FUNDED IT LAST OR THIS EXISTING FISCAL YEAR.
UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING, WE DID AN RFP.
WE'RE WORKING WITH A, A, A GROUP THAT'S GONNA TEST ALL OF OUR ROADS THIS SUMMER.
UM, AND IT'S GONNA DOVETAIL GRADE INTO OUR GIS SYSTEM, SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO USE THAT DATA, UH, ROAD AND TRAIL IMPROVEMENTS.
THAT'S, WE'VE, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF FEDERAL FUNDS LATELY FOR TRAILS.
SO WE HAVE QUITE A FEW OF THOSE, UH, ROADWAY PROJECTS.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE KIND OF TAKEN OUT OF THE TRANSPORTATION PLANNING GROUP, AND WE'VE, WE'RE, WE ARE MANAGING THAT, UH, THE DAY-TO-DAY FUNCTIONS OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT WITHIN THIS CAPITAL PROJECT CIVIL GROUP.
THAT ALLOWS US TO KIND OF MAINTAIN CONSISTENCY, ALLOWS US TO FREE UP TIME IN THE TRANSPORTATION GROUP TO BE LOOKING AT TRAFFIC SAFETY, UH, TRAFFIC FLOW, UH, AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WE WANT THAT GROUP TO LOOK AT.
UH, THIS IS JUST KIND OF A TYPICAL EXAMPLE OF AN S-CURVE THAT YOU SEE WITH, UH, PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT.
KIND OF LOOKS AT PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT NEEDS, UH, ON THE LEFT SIDE YOU SEE AS A PAVEMENT CONDITION INDEX IS WHAT, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'LL SEE FROM OUR, THE PEOPLE THAT TEST.
THE, THE PAVEMENT FOR US GOES FROM ZERO TO A HUNDRED WITH A HUNDRED BEING, YOU KNOW, BRAND NEW, DESIGNED CORRECTLY, RIGHT.
ZERO BEING BASICALLY, IT'S GONE BACK TO NATURE, UM,
SO WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU ALWAYS WANNA CATCH THINGS, UH, BEFORE THEY KIND OF FALL OFF THE CLIFF COST-WISE.
UM, AND, AND GENERALLY THAT MEANS, UH, IN ABOUT EIGHT TO 10 YEARS ON AN ARTERIAL ROAD, IS WHEN WE WANT TO BE LOOKING AT RESURFACING, UH, 12 YEARS ON COLLECTOR STREETS, MAYBE 15 YEARS ON LOCAL STREETS.
UH, ALSO WANT TO DO EVERYTHING THAT WE, WE WORK, UH, HAND IN HAND WITH FIELD SERVICES, WHO'S DOING THE SHORT TERM, UH, MAINTENANCE ON, ON THESE, UH, ON THE ROADS, UM, AS WELL AS THEY DO CRACK CEILING IN SOME OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS.
SO THE BIGGER PROJECTS WE'RE, WE'RE KIND OF FILLING IN THE GAPS AND MAKING SURE THAT OUR OVERALL PAVEMENT PROGRAM IS, IS DOING WHAT IT NEEDS TO DO.
UM, A LOT OF COSTS IS EX, UH, HAVE ESCALATED LATELY WITH STRIPING, UH, MATERIALS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, SO WE'VE, WE'VE, WE'VE GOT A LOT TO DO TO CATCH UP ON THIS, BUT, UM, WE'RE ESTIMATING, UH, WE WILL KNOW MORE AFTER WE GET OUR STREETS TESTED AND WE KNOW THE AVERAGE CONDITION.
MOST CITIES TRY TO KEEP AN AVERAGE CONDITION OF A PAYMENT INDEX AT 75.
UM, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT OURS IS AT.
WE HAVEN'T TESTED OUR STREETS IN 13 YEARS, SO, UH, IT'S BEEN A WHILE.
WE USED TO TEST THEM EVERY FIVE YEARS.
UM, AND THAT'S WHAT MOST COMMUNITIES DO, OR THEY'LL DO 20% EVERY YEAR, UM, IS WHAT NORMAN DOES.
[00:40:01]
A LOT WITH KNOWING HOW TO BUDGET FOR OUR PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT TO KIND OF KEEP PAVEMENT AT A CERTAIN LEVEL, UM, THAT WE WANT TO TARGET TEST OR NO TEST.I BET RESIDENTS TELL YOU WHEN THEY'RE READY TO BE REDONE.
I, I KNOW YOU ALL GET A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM RESIDENTS ON PA I KNOW I'VE SENT TOO MANY, MANY
SO WE, WE DO GET A LOT OF FEEDBACK MM-HMM.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE PAST WE'RE SO HELPFUL.
SO WE, WE DO THIS WILL, THE TEST WILL GIVE US A, UH, AN OBJECTIVE WAY TO ACTUALLY COMPARE WHOSE PAVEMENT IS ACTUALLY WORSE.
UM, AND, AND THAT'S VERY HELPFUL IN, IN US JUSTIFYING DOING WHAT WE'RE DOING AND WHICH, WHICH ONES WE DO FIRST CAPITAL PROJECTS.
THIS IS, I DIDN'T WANNA CALL 'EM MY SPECIAL GROUP, BUT THIS IS, UH, THIS IS THE, THEY'RE KIND OF EVERYTHING, THEY'RE KIND OF REALLY BEHIND THE SCENES KIND OF PEOPLE.
SO, UM, THEY ARE THERE TO KIND OF ENSURE CONSISTENCY ACROSS THE BOARD FOR ALL OF THE PROJECTS IN EDMOND.
A LOT OF THESE ARE BUILDING PROJECTS OR PARKS PROJECTS OR, OR, UH, VARIOUS TYPES OF PROJECTS WHERE WE, WE KIND OF FILL IN WHATEVER KNOWLEDGE GAP OR, UH, THERE IS WITH EACH DEPARTMENT.
SO EACH DEPARTMENT, WE HELP A DIFFERENT AMOUNT BASED ON THEIR NEEDS.
UM, WE'VE GOT THREE FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES IN THIS GROUP.
UM, IT'S ONE OF THOSE GROUPS IN GENERAL, WE'RE TRYING TO KIND OF TAKE THE WORKLOAD OFF OF, UH, DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS THAT HAVE BECOME PROJECT MANAGERS THAT DIDN'T REALLY WANT TO BE PROJECT MANAGERS.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO BRING THAT PROJECT MANAGEMENT BACK INTO THE ENGINEERING GROUP, UM, BOTH SO THAT WE CAN KIND OF GET A CONSISTENCY ACROSS THE PROJECTS, BUT ALSO GIVE THE, THE KNOWLEDGE TO, AND, AND, UH, TO THOSE PEOPLE THAT DON'T REALLY WANNA BE PROJECT MANAGERS, UM, PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS IN OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS GROUP.
SO IT'S CONTINUING TO KIND OF TRANSITION TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE, UH, PROJECTS, UH, SOME OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES FROM OTHER, OTHER, OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT DON'T WANNA BE DOING THAT.
UM, ADOPTING KIRSTEN'S BEEN VERY HELPFUL IN KIND OF PUTTING THE, THE CITY PROJECTS THROUGH OUR INTERNAL PLAN REVIEW SYSTEM SO THAT EVERYBODY GETS TO WEIGH IN ON THAT.
SO THAT'S, OUR, AT ONE TIME WAS CALLED 30 60 90 SUBMITTALS, BUT BASICALLY IT'S, IT'S TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE CONSISTENTLY GETTING EARLY FEEDBACK FROM ALL THE DEPARTMENTS, UM, AND INCREASED PROJECT COMMUNICATIONS WITH PROPERTY OWNERS AND RESIDENTS.
WHEN WE'RE UNDERSTAFFED, THAT SEEMS TO BE THE THING THAT GETS CUT OUT FIRST.
AND, UH, IT'S, IT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT THING FOR US TO CONTINUE WITH TRANSPORTATION GROUP.
SO OUR INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM GROUP, UM, CURRENTLY HAS THREE FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES, AND IT'S REALLY JUST ABOUT USING TECHNOLOGY TO MAXIMIZE WHAT WE CAN DO AT ANY INTERSECTION.
UM, WE'RE IN PHASE THREE RIGHT NOW.
UM, WHEN, WHEN COMPLETED IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, WE'LL BE ABOUT 65% OF ALL OUR SIGNALS WILL BE CONNECTED.
UM, AND IN THOSE CORRIDORS, WE'RE ABLE TO REALLY MOVE A LOT OF TRAFFIC.
UM, I DIDN'T REALLY BELIEVE IT UNTIL KIND OF WENT THROUGH AND WE LOOKED AT THE NUMBERS AND, AND WE CAN MOVE A LOT MORE TRAFFIC THROUGH EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE WITH ITS, IT'S, IT'S BY FAR THE BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK THAT WE SPEND.
SO WE HAVE PHASE FOUR, UH, WHICH WE GOT FEDERAL FUNDING FOR, UH, STARTING THIS FALL.
UM, IT'LL HAVE TO GO THROUGH ODOS PRO, UH, PROCEDURE, BUT IT IS, UH, 7.5 MILLION THAT WE GOT FROM, UH, THE, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ON THAT RESTRICTION OF PROJECT THROUGH ACOG.
UM, AND IT WILL, IT WILL GET US TO ABOUT 80% OF OUR SIGNALS INSTALLED, UH, OR CONNECTED.
UM, THE NEXT PHASE IS PHASE FIVE.
WE JUST FOUND OUT THAT FEDERAL FISCAL YEAR 27, UH, SO TWO AND A HALF YEARS FROM NOW, UH, WE SHOULD BE GETTING ABOUT 4.2 MILLION TO KIND OF WRAP UP AND CLOSE OUT THE FINAL PORTION OF, OF OUR ITS STUDY.
STEVE, STEVE, CAN I ASK YOU? YEAH, YEAH.
ARE WE TRULY UTILIZING THE FULL CAPACITY OF THE ITS AND NO, WE'RE NOT.
SO, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS FOR ONE OF THE POSITIONS WE'RE ASKING FOR IS WE'RE GETTING TO THE POINT IN OUR ITS SYSTEM WHERE WE'VE GOT A LOT, LOT OF FUNCTIONALITY, UM, BUT WE'RE NOT ABLE TO USE ALL THAT FUNCTIONALITY BECAUSE WE, OUR ENGINEERS ARE HAVING TO DO INCIDENT MANAGEMENT, OR YOU HAVE A CRASH AND YOU HAVE TO DIRECT TRAFFIC AROUND THAT.
OR IF YOU HAVE A CONSTRUCTION ZONE OR, OR ANY OF THOSE OTHER THINGS THAT, THAT TAKES THEIR TIME TO MANAGE TRAFFIC AROUND THOSE INCIDENTS.
SO, UH, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO GET MORE INTO KIND OF THE ADAPTIVE REAL TIME, UH, CHANGES TO OUR SIGNALS.
SO RIGHT NOW WE DO A LOT OF CHANGES, UH,
[00:45:01]
AND WE DO ADAPT THOSE OVER TIME, BUT IT'S NOT LIKE REAL TIME INSTANTANEOUS THING, WHICH IS, IS KIND OF THE NEXT LEVEL OF, OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO.UM, IN ORDER TO DO THAT, WE NEED, WE NEED PEOPLE, WE NEED PEOPLE TO MANAGE THE INCIDENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING.
AND THEN THAT WOULD FREE UP OUR ENGINEERS TO MOVE ON AND DO, UH, KIND OF THE HIGHER NEXT STEP STUFF ON, UH, OUR ITS PRO PROGRAM.
SO IS THAT A, THE FOLLOW UP, IS THAT, IS THAT A, HOW DO YOU DEVELOP SOMEONE LIKE, FOR THAT FIELD? I MEAN, THIS, THIS, THIS IS LIKE A, ALMOST A, SOMEBODY WHO WAS A GAMER ONE DAY AND DECIDED TO WANT TO GO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
SO IT'S, IT, UH, WE'VE, WE'VE, WE'VE LOOKED AT THIS.
THERE ARE SEVERAL CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS IN CALIFORNIA AND TEXAS.
UM, THOSE KIND OF FELL OUT OF FAVOR.
UM, WE HAVE BEEN GETTING A LOT OF APPLICANTS FROM CALIFORNIA LATELY, BUT, AND, UM, OUR SENIOR TRANSPORTATION ENGINEER JUST KIND OF CAME FROM SAN DIEGO.
SO, UH, IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO TAKE SOMEBODY THAT'S LIKE A COMPUTER SCIENCE MAJOR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, OR I THINK OPENING UP THE FLEXIBILITY TO KIND OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE ENGINEERS THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IS A MECHANICAL ENGINEER.
UM, HE UNDERSTANDS ALL THE GADGETS THAT ARE OUT IN THE FIELD THAT WE'RE USING, AND, UH, SO IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE A CIVIL ENGINEERING INTERN.
UM, SO WE'RE KIND OF LOOKING AT ALL POSSIBILITIES, WHETHER WE CAN GET AN INTERN, UH, THAT IS IN CIVIL THAT KNOWS, HAS STUDIED THAT IN SCHOOL, OR WHETHER WE GET LIKE COMPUTER SCIENCE MAJOR, THAT, THAT KNOWS SOFTWARE SYSTEMS. UM, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW.
WE'VE, WE'VE GOT AN APPLICANT THAT, UH, MIGHT FIT.
UM, AND, AND HE'S GOT A KIND OF DIVERSE BACKGROUND LIKE THAT.
SO IT'S, IT'S A TOUGH, IT'S A TOUGH ONE TO FIND, I THINK.
I FEEL LIKE THEY'RE ALMOST LIKE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL PEOPLE.
THEY'VE GOT A LOT GOING ON ALL AT THE SAME TIME.
IT'S QUITE AMAZING, THAT AREA.
IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A UNIQUE, PLUS THEY'RE WORKING IN KIND OF A SHARED SPACE.
SO IT'S A UNIQUE POSITION TO, UH, TO FILL.
WE'VE, WE'VE MADE ADJUSTMENTS ON KIND OF THE NEW BUILDING TO TRY TO TRY TO, YOU KNOW, GIVE THE PEOPLE THAT WERE WORKING THERE A LITTLE MORE PRIVACY AS THEY'RE WORKING, BUT IT'S STILL A SHARED SPACE.
AND SO, UM, IT'S, IT'S TOUGH TO FILL.
UM, BUT I THINK WE'RE PRETTY HOPEFUL THAT WE CAN GET SOMEBODY IN THIS POSITION.
UM, THE NEW ENGINEER THAT WE GOT STARTING ON MONDAY WILL PROBABLY, UH, BE DOING A LOT OF THIS.
UH, A LOT OF THIS HAS TO DO WITH, YOU KNOW, SAFETY IS WHAT A LOT OF THE ADMIN SHIFT IS LOOKING AT.
UM, AS WELL AS LOOKING AT ALL THE MULTIMODAL, UH, MODES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET INTO AND COORDINATING WITH ODOT AND OTHER AGENCIES TO, UM, KIND OF KEEP US WHERE WE NEED TO BE AS FAR AS PROJECTS MOVING FORWARD, UH, WORK ZONE RIGHT AWAY MANAGEMENT.
UM, THIS, THIS IS THAT GROUP THAT, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO DO MORE RIGHT NOW WITH ONLINE PERMITTING, UM, LIKE WORK ZONE PERMITTING.
UM, WE'RE, WE'RE GOING THROUGH THAT RIGHT NOW AS A PROCESS IMPROVEMENT, UH, SO THAT WHENEVER THEY FILL OUT A, A ONLINE FORM, THEY CAN GET A WORK ZONE SET UP AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO MAP IT LIKE IMMEDIATELY.
UM, IT WILL HELP BOTH OUR PEOPLE IN THE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT CENTER, BUT AT SOME POINT IT CAN ALSO HELP THE PUBLIC DEPENDING ON KIND OF HOW LONG THE CLOSURES ARE GONNA BE, UM, AND THAT KIND OF THING.
UH, INSPECTIONS GROUP, UH, THEY PRETTY MUCH, YOU KNOW, EYES AND EARS OUT IN THE FIELD.
UM, THEY ARE, UM, WE'RE THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY INSPECT ALL OF THE PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, ON THE DEVELOPMENT SIDE RIGHT NOW, WHEN DEVELOPMENT'S IN KIND OF IN FULL SWING, THAT'S ALL THEY DO IS, IS DEVELOPMENT, INSPECTION OF WATER, SEWER, PAVEMENT, STORM SEWER.
UM, IF WE EVER GET A DOWNTURN, THEN WE WILL SWITCH THEM OVER TO DOING CITY PROJECTS THAT WE OUTSOURCE A LOT OF THAT RIGHT NOW.
WE, WE DO HAVE A DRONE, YOU KNOW, SO THEY CAN GO UP AND, AND TAKE PICTURES OF, OF THE TOPS OF THE WATER TOWERS AND WEIRD PICTURES I ASKED THEM TO GET FOR US.
SO, UM, THEY'VE BEEN GETTING US A LOT OF REALLY GOOD PICTURES LATELY.
UH, ENGINEERING INSPECTION, THIS, I THINK THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OF ORDER IN YOUR SLIDES, BUT, UM, THIS IS KIND OF BASICALLY THIS TIME LAST YEAR WE HAD ASKED FOR ONE POSITION, AN INSPECTOR POSITION, UM, AND WE ALSO ADJUSTED OUR FEES, UM, FOR THIS, UH, CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION.
WHAT HADN'T, HADN'T BEEN ADJUSTED IN A REALLY LONG TIME, UM, LONGER THAN I'VE WORKED HERE.
SO, UM, THE, SO THIS YEAR, YEAR TO DAY, UM, IT LOOKS LIKE OUR PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS PORTION OF LAND DEVELOPMENT WORK
[00:50:01]
IS ABOUT DOWN ABOUT 5% THROUGH MARCH.UM, OUR FEES COLLECTED ARE UP ABOUT 6%, UM, DUE TO THAT INCREASE THAT WE PUT IN PLACE LAST YEAR, UH, OUR INSPECTION TIME GOAL HAS ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT FOUR HOURS.
UM, LAST YEAR, THIS TIME OF YEAR, IT WAS ABOUT SIX AND A HALF HOURS.
UH, WE'VE GOT THAT DOWN TO ABOUT FOUR AND A HALF HOURS.
UM, SO WE'RE NOT PROJECTING AN ADDITIONAL INSPECTOR TO BE NEEDED THIS, THIS NEXT YEAR.
UM, PROBABLY TWO YEARS OUT IS, IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT ON A ANOTHER INSPECTOR, UH, KIND OF DEPENDING ON WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THAT.
THAT'S ALSO, UH, WHEN WE PLANNED ON KIND OF GOING BACK AND LOOKING AT, UH, FEES AND MAKING SURE THEY'RE IN THE RIGHT PLACE.
THAT WAS THE BIGGEST THING WITH THIS FEE LAST YEAR.
IT WAS, THEY, THEY ASKED US TO LOOK AT 'EM MORE REGULARLY AND KEEP 'EM UPDATED AND NOT BIG JUMPS AFTER A 30 YEAR HIATUS OR WHATEVER.
SO THIS IS THE, MAINLY THE, THE, THIS IS THE P PLAN REVIEW PORTION OF THE LAND DEVELOPMENT.
UM, THIS IS THE ONE THAT WE HAVE HAD A LOT OF VACANCIES IN.
UH, WE FAILED ONE OF THE VACANCIES.
WE GOT BACK, UH, ANOTHER PLAN REVIEWER FROM MILITARY LEAVE, AND WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'VE JUST GOT ONE MORE VACANCIES TO FILL.
UM, BUT THAT'S BEEN THE, THE TOUGHEST THING WITH LAND DEVELOPMENT.
SO WITH THE, UH, DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPERS FORUM, UH, WE HEARD A LOT ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS, UM, KIND OF MORE NUANCED APPROACH TO THE REVIEW CYCLE, UH, AND MORE SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT FOR UNFAMILIAR PROJECT TYPES, LIKE THE DOWNTOWN PROJECTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, THE PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS, SO THIS IS KIND OF REVIEW OF THIS FISCAL YEAR.
UH, WE DID, UH, ADD ONE PLAN REVIEWER THIS LAST FISCAL YEAR.
UM, YOU KNOW, A YEAR AGO WE WERE AT SIX WEEKS KIND OF MAXIMUM.
WE'RE DOWN TO ABOUT THREE AND A HALF WEEKS ONCE WE GET THE NEW PLAN REVIEWERS TRAINED.
AND, AND MOVING FORWARD, I THINK WE'LL HAVE THAT DOWN TO AT LEAST TO THE THREE WEEK MARK THAT WE'RE TRYING TO HIT, AT LEAST INITIALLY.
UH, THE OTHER TWO THINGS THAT WE LOOKED AT LAST YEAR WERE MORE TRANSPARENCY AND KIND OF WHAT WE'RE EXPECTING.
SO STANDARD DRAWING, STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS AND ENGINEERING DESIGN CRITERIA.
THAT'S JUST A LONGER PROCESS, UM, THAT WE'VE, WE'VE HIRED, WE'RE HIRING SOMEBODY.
AND, UH, IT'S JUST GONNA TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO GET THAT, 'CAUSE IT'S A, IT'S A MONUMENTAL TASK AND WHICH IS WHY WE HADN'T TAKEN IT ON EARLIER.
UM, SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS YEAR ON PLAN REVIEW IS WE'RE LOOKING AT, WE'RE KIND OF RE REDUCING THE TOTAL TIME OF, OF A PROJECT IN OUR PLAN REVIEW.
SO REDUCING THE NUMBER OF CYCLES THAT IT GOES THROUGH.
UM, SO WE'VE, WE'VE WORKED ON KIND OF SHORTENING THE CYCLE TIME.
NOW WE WANNA KIND OF SHORTEN TOTAL REVIEW TIME, SO LOOKING AT WHAT WE CAN DO TO, UM, MORE COMMUNICATIONS AND, AND OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT AS WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE AND THAT WE CAN GET ALL THE COMMENTS ADDRESSED QUICKER.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THEY BROUGHT UP IN THE DEVELOPMENT FORM DEVELOPER FORM WAS, UH, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE HAVING TO ENFORCE NOW THAT WERE, BASICALLY, IT'S THE STATE, IT'S ON WATER AND WASTEWATER PROJECTS OR, OR THAT PORTION OF THEIR DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.
UM, WE HAVE TO WAIT NOW UNTIL THEY GET A STATE PERMIT BEFORE WE CAN GIVE 'EM A WORK ORDER BEFORE THEIR CONTRACTOR CAN START.
AND THE SAME THING AT THE VERY END, AFTER CONSTRUCTION IS DONE, UH, THE STATE REQUIRES AS BELT RECORD DRAWINGS OF WATER AND WASTEWATER THAT THEY HAVE TO REVIEW AND GO THROUGH THAT WHOLE PROCESS.
AND IT'S, THAT'S ANOTHER 45 DAY PROCESS AT THE END OF CONSTRUCTION AFTER THEY'RE DONE.
SO, UM, SO WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS WE HAVE THE ABILITY, CITIES HAVE THE ABILITY TO SELF-CERTIFY, MEANING WE, WE CAN APPLY THE STATE PERMIT ON OUR PLANS.
UM, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT, UH, IT'S, IT'S A LOT OF WORK.
SO WE'VE PUT IN FOR AN ADMINISTRATIVE TECH POSITION TO DO ALL THE RECORD KEEPING, UH, AS WELL AS, UH, YOU KNOW, ON A QUARTERLY BASIS WE HAVE TO SUBMIT TO THE STATE ALL THE PROJECTS THAT CAME THROUGH, ALL THE ONES WE APPROVED, AND THEY'LL DO AUDITS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, BUT THIS SHOULD, I MEAN, THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THIS IS TO SHORTEN THE DEVELOPMENT TIME.
SHORTEN THE TIME THAT ENGINEERING IS, IS, IS, UH, MAKING THE DEVELOPER GO THROUGH TO GET THEIR PROJECT WRAPPED UP TO WHERE THEY CAN SELL LOTS OR WHATEVER ELSE THEY WANT TO DO BY HOW MUCH ISH.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE TAIL END IS REALLY THE MOST CRITICAL BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S A PORTION THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING'S FOR THE MOST PART BUILT.
AND SO THAT'S FOUR TO SIX WEEKS THAT THEY'RE HAVING TO WAIT.
UM, SO WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO REDUCE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, TO A MUCH SHORTER PERIOD.
I'M HOPING A WEEK OR TWO AT THE END.
SO IT REALLY THAT DOWN TO ONLY A WEEK OR
[00:55:01]
TWO.SO THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S THE GOAL IS REALLY, IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S A GOOD GOAL.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN GET IN AND LOOK AT PRETTY QUICKLY.
WHENEVER IT GETS SUBMITTED TO THE STATE, IT GETS IN THE WHOLE LINE OF THINGS AND WE CAN PRIORITIZE THAT IT, SOMETHING ELSE THEY, THEY ASKED WAS FOR US TO PRIORITIZE CHANGE ORDERS DURING CONSTRUCTION, SO WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT THAT AS WELL.
UM, QUITE A FEW OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
UM, SO ALSO, YOU KNOW, JUST, THERE'S A LOT OF NEW DEVELOPERS IN EDMOND, SO HELP EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ON WHAT THE PROCESS IS AND WHAT TO EXPECT SO THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING OUT AND GETTING CONSTRUCTION LOANS REALLY BEFORE IT'S TIME TO DO THAT.
AND, UH, SO MORE COMMUNICATION, MORE FREQUENT, OFTEN COMMUNICATION IS, IS WE'RE GONNA DO WITH THAT.
UM, AND THEN WE TALK ABOUT THE REORGANIZATION TO HAVE KINDA THE STORMWATER GROUP BECOME A LAND DEVELOPMENT GROUP WITH THIS, WITH THE, UH, PLAN VIEWERS IN THERE SO THAT THEY CAN WORK TOGETHER.
AND, UH, AND THAT SHOULD, THAT SHOULD HELP WITH JUST WITH THE WHOLE ORGANIZATION PLAN REVIEW AND ENGINEERING, UH, FLIP PLANE MANAGEMENT GROUP.
SO THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT THEY DO IS MANAGE FLIP PLANES.
UM, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S AN UNGLAMOROUS JOB, BUT IT'S, IT'S SOMEBODY HAS TO DO IT.
IT, SO IT'S, IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR PROGRAM, WE'VE GOT ONE OF THE BEST OR HIGHEST, UH, RATED PROGRAMS IN THE STATE AS FAR AS, AS WHAT WE'RE SET AT, AS FAR AS THE FEMA R RATING THAT WE HAVE.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT IS, IT SAVES FLOOD INSURANCE FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, NEAR, NEAR THEIR PROPERTY TOUCHES THE FLIP PLAIN AND, UH, IT'S KIND OF AN IMPORTANT ROLE.
IS FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT AN ART OR A SCIENCE? IT IS DEFINITELY AN ART.
UM,
AND SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S REALLY OUR BEST GUESS AT, AT MODELING WHAT'S OUT THERE.
UM, AND SO, UM, WE TAKE OUR BEST GUESS.
WE TREAT EVERYBODY FAIRLY AND EQUALLY, AND, AND THAT'S WHAT ALL WE CAN DO.
UM, THEY'RE OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, ALL THE EROSION CONTROL, FENCING, EVERYTHING ELSE, TRYING TO KEEP SEDIMENT OUT OF THE WATERWAYS.
'CAUSE SEDIMENT TAKES THE CONTAMINANTS AND WASHES THEM INTO THE BODIES OF WATER.
THEY DO A LOT OF OUTREACH FOR, UH, COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS. THEY GO OUT INTO THE SCHOOLS, UH, THEY DO THE RAIN BARREL EVENTS.
THEY DO THE EVENTS WHERE YOU PUT THE, THE, UH, THAT SYMBOL LIKE THAT ON THE, ON THE DRAINS THAT SAY IT DRAINS TO THE CREEK.
AND JUST KIND OF EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ABOUT, UH, WHY WATER QUALITY IS IMPORTANT.
AND, UH, AND THEN THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, ON THE DEVELOPERS ABOUT, UH, KEEPING, UH, OUR WATERWAYS CLEAN AND DEBRIS FREE FROM EROSION FROM THEIR SITES IN GENERAL.
UM, DRAINAGE UTILITIES KIND OF REALLY WORKED ON A CASH BASIS.
THEY'VE NEVER, NEVER DONE REVENUE BONDS OR LOANS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, AS FAR AS I CAN TELL.
UM, THESE ARE FOR KIND OF SMALLER PROJECTS THAT ARE, UH, KIND OF NEIGHBORHOOD PROJECTS IN GENERAL, UM, TO KIND OF TAKE CARE OF.
UM, SO I'LL JUST SAY, UH, UH, DRAINAGE IS A, IS A, IS AN ART AS WELL AS A SCIENCE.
AND, UH, ENGINEERS GET THINGS WRONG SOMETIMES.
SO, UH, ONE OF THE BIG THINGS, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT THE DRAINAGE UTILITY HAS TO TAKE CARE OF IS AFTER EVERYTHING'S, YOU KNOW, ALL THE CONSTRUCTION'S DONE YEARS HAVE GONE BY.
WE HAVE STRUCTURES THAT ARE FLOODING.
UM, NOT ANYTHING AGAINST THE DESIGN ENGINEER.
THEY DID THEIR BEST, BUT WE END UP WITH STR WE ALWAYS END UP WITH, YOU KNOW, A STRUCTURE THAT'S FLOODING AND THE CITY GENERALLY GETS HELD, YOU KNOW, LIABLE FOR THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE, UH, THE CAPITAL OUTLAY FOR THIS, THE DRAINAGE UTILITY, THAT'S, THOSE ARE THE TYPE OF PROJECTS IT TAKES CARE OF.
UM, PRETTY MUCH MOSTLY, UH, CITY, CITY INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, THAT'S CAUSING FLOODING IN ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.
SO THAT BUDGET ITEM, IS THAT WHAT IS FUNDED THROUGH THE $3 DRAINAGE? THAT'S CORRECT.
DO WE KNOW HOW LONG IT'S BEEN AT THREE BUCKS? JUST WAIT SINCE
UH, SO THIS, THIS FUND IS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT DOING EVERYTHING THAT WE, WE REALLY SHOULD BE DOING, AND WE'RE STILL PROJECTED TO GO NEGATIVE IN FY 29 WITH THIS FUND.
HADN'T HAD AN INCREASED SINCE APRIL, 2007.
SO THIS YEAR WE TOOK A LOOK AT IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE MAJORITY OF THE FUNDS ARE USED FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS, AND CAPITAL PROJECTS HAVE
[01:00:01]
GONE UP A LOT.UH, YOU KNOW, UH, CONSTRUCTION GENERALLY GOES UP FASTER THAN THE, THE CPI.
UM, OVER THE LAST A HUNDRED YEARS SINCE AVERAGE, 4.6% A YEAR OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, I WOULD SAY PRETTY MUCH MOST CONSTRUCTION HAS DOUBLED IN PRICE.
UH, SO SINCE 2007, WE'RE, WE'RE KIND OF WAY OVER DOUBLE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE'VE GOT, UH, WITH THE PROPOSED INCREASES, SO, UM, WE'RE PROPOSING SOME INCREASES, UH, THAT WE'LL TAKE TO, UH, STORMWATER, UH, DRAINAGE ADVISORY BOARD AND DISCUSS FURTHER, UM, WHAT THE ONES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, WILL STILL BE, ALTHOUGH COMMERCIAL IS A KIND OF A SMALL PART OF, OF WHAT GOES TO THE DRAINAGE UTILITY.
UM, WE'RE STILL PRETTY, PRETTY FAR UNDER KIND OF THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES THAT WE CAN MEASURE AGAINST.
IT'S OBVIOUS THAT WE ARE, YES, REALLY IN NEED OF MONEY TO FIX A LOT OF THE STORM WATER ISSUES OUT THERE.
AND IT'S, AND IT'S BEEN THAT WAY FOR A WHILE, AND IT, WE'RE, WE'RE JUST, WE'VE LOST, YOU KNOW, PURCHASING POWER AND, UM, YOU KNOW, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THE POSSIBILITY OF UP TO A NINE, DO UP TO $9 A MONTH ON RESIDENTIAL, UH, OR ONE OF THE UNUSUAL ONES THAT HAS A MULTI-FAMILY FEE.
SO HALF IS THAT HALF OF THAT, UH, WITH A COMMERCIAL, UH, WHICH IS EQUIVALENT SERVICE UNITS.
SO THEY, THEY DO, MOST CITIES DO DRAINAGE.
THEIR FEE IS BASED ON HOW MANY SQUARE FEET OF IMPERVIOUS PARKING LOT ROOF SPACE.
AND SO EDMONDS IS PRETTY HIGH.
UM, TULSA AND BROKEN ARROW ARE AT 26 50 AND 2,600.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, OKLAHOMA CITY BASES, THERE'S ON WATER METER SIZE, WHICH IS, THERE'S NO REAL CORRELATION REALLY, THAT WE CAN SEE BETWEEN THAT AND HOW MUCH WATER RUNS OFF YOUR SITE.
UM, THAT'S JUST HOW THEY DO IT.
I KNOW THEY'RE LOOKING AT CHANGING THAT IN THE FUTURE, UM, AS WELL AS THEY'RE LOOKING AT UPDATING THEIR, THEIR FEE.
UM, SO THOSE ARE KIND OF THE COMPARISONS TO THE, THE, THE OTHER CITIES AROUND.
AND, UH, WE'LL DISCUSS THAT MORE WITH THE STORMWATER DRAINAGE ADVISOR BOARD AND, AND GO THROUGH AND, AND SEE WHAT'S APPROPRIATE FOR EDMOND.
UH, OUR, OUR STORMWATER GIS IS INFORMATION'S NOT AS GOOD AS OUR WATER AND WASTEWATER INFORMATION.
OUR WATER WASTEWATER INFORMATION IS REALLY GOOD.
OUR STORMWATER INFORMATION NOT SO GOOD.
UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO UPDATE IN OUR SYSTEM.
WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT OUR ASSETS ARE SO WE CAN MANAGE THEM.
UH, A CHISHOLM CREEK FLOOD STUDY, UH, THE DATA THAT IS IN THE, THE FEMA MAPS IS FROM THE 1970S CITY DID A STUDY IN THE 1990S.
UH, THERE WERE A LOT OF ISSUES WITH THAT STUDY.
UH, IT'S STILL USED, BUT IT'S, IT'S GOT A LOT OF ANOMALIES.
AND SO THIS IS ONE OF THOSE BASINS THAT NEEDS TO BE RESTUDIED, UM, SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NOTHING BUILT IN THE, IN THE FLOOD PLAIN.
SO WE DO HAVE A LOT OF OLDER NEIGHBORHOODS THAT DON'T HAVE STORM SEWERS OR DON'T HAVE THAT IN ANY, ANY INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO AS THOSE GET REDEVELOPED WITH HIGHER DENSITY, THAT'S A LIABILITY THAT, THAT THE CITY MAY HAVE.
IF WE, UH, AS THOSE AREAS MOVE FORWARD WITH A MUCH MORE IMPERVIOUS COVER, WHAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE MORE RUNOFF.
SO WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO PLAN WHAT TO DO WITH THAT.
NOT NECESSARILY IS THE DRAINAGE UTILITY GONNA FUND THOSE THINGS, BUT IT CAN FUND THE STUDIES THAT IT WILL TAKE TO LOOK AT THOSE THINGS AND SEE WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO ADDRESS THOSE PROBLEMS THAT WE KNOW ARE GONNA ARISE IN THESE REDEVELOPMENT AREAS.
THAT GETS BACK TO THE ASSET MANAGEMENT.
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF CORRUGATED METAL PIPE IN TOWN.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT SHAPE IT'S IN FOR THE MOST PART.
UM, WE'VE GOT CORROSIVE SOILS IN EDMOND.
IT'S THE SAME THING THAT WE DEAL WITH ON OUR WATER ON THE WATER SIDE.
UM, SO WE KNOW THAT WE NEED TO HAVE A REPLACEMENT PROGRAM IN PLACE.
UM, STORM SEWERS LAST A LITTLE BIT LONGER THAN WATER AND WASTEWATER GENERALLY.
UM, BUT WE NEED TO HAVE A PROGRAM IN PLACE AND WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT'S GONNA BE SO WE CAN JUST BUDGET FOR IT.
UM, AND PROACTIVELY REPAIR STUFF INSTEAD OF, UH, WHEN A RAIN EVENT WASHES OUT A CULVERT AND WE HAVE TO SHUT DOWN A ROAD AND PUBLIC WORKS HAS TO GO BACK IN AND, AND PUT IN SOME MORE PIPES KIND OF ON EMERGENCY BASIS.
WE'D LIKE TO DO THINGS IN MORE OF A PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE, UH, THAN A LITTLE PRO MORE PROACTIVE THAN REACTIVE, UH, FLOODING PROPERTIES.
THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE GOT THE, THE, THE MATRIX THAT WE HAVE TO EVALUATE DIFFERENT PROPERTIES THAT, THAT, THAT WHERE PEOPLE HAVE FLOODING ISSUES, UM, FLOODING STRUCTURES.
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF UNMET NEEDS AS FAR AS THAT GOES.
WE HAVE TO TURN DOWN A LOT OF PEOPLE ON IMPROVEMENTS THAT CAN BE MADE
[01:05:01]
TO HELP THEIR PROPERTY THAT'S FLOODING.UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES OLDER NEIGHBORHOOD, LOW TO MODERATE INCOME.
UM, AND IT'S JUST A, IT'S A TOUGH SITUATION WHERE WE CAN'T, UH, UTILIZE ANY, ANY FUNDS REALLY TO HELP THEM.
SO THAT'S A, THAT'S ANOTHER SHORTFALL ARCADIA LAKE.
SO WE, IN THE NEAR FUTURE, WE KNOW THAT A, THAT WE'RE GONNA, WE'VE GOT AN IMPAIRED BODY OF WATER FOR VARIOUS REASONS.
UM, BUT BASICALLY WE KNOW WE'RE GONNA GET WHAT'S CALLED A TOTAL MAXIMUM DAILY LOAD OR LIMITS, UM, ON THE LAKE, WHICH TALKS ABOUT THE NUTRIENTS COMING IN FROM, FROM PEOPLE PUTTING, YOU KNOW, FERTILIZER ON THEIR LAWNS AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
UM, AND SO THIS'LL BE A COM COMBINED EFFORT BETWEEN, UH, OKLAHOMA CITY AND ED EDMOND.
WE KNOW IT'S COMING SOON IN THE, UH, STATE REGULATIONS, AND WE WANNA BE PREPARED FOR THAT AS IT SHOULD, BECAUSE SOME OF THOSE ISSUES ARE COMING FROM OKLAHOMA CITY.
OUR WATER COMES FROM OKLAHOMA CITY.
SO IT WILL BE ACTUALLY VERY HELPFUL TO MOND SINCE IT'S OUR WATER SOURCE FOR DRINKING.
ANY QUESTIONS? SO THAT WAS VERY ENLIGHTENING.
I MEAN, IT'S A LOT OF UNFUNDED, IS IT? MM-HMM.
SO FOR OUR FUTURE, RIGHT? THERE'S A LOT OF NEED OUT THERE.
UM, JUST LOOK AT THE WATER HERE.
UH, WE HAD THE SAME THING FOR AIR QUALITY THAT STUDIES BEING DONE ALSO THAT, UM, THAT WE HAVE TO MONITOR THAT.
AND THERE'S THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS THERE.
THE FLOODING, UH, THAT WE HAVE, UH, THE ART BEING THE SCIENCE.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS YOU TALKED ABOUT WAS JUST THE PAVING, BUT WE HAVE ROADS NOW WHERE THE BASE IS GOING OUT, AND THAT'S NOT A PAVING THAT'S GOING ALL THE WAY DOWN.
AND, UM, AND SO I KNOW WE HAVE THE STUDY GOING ON MM-HMM.
BUT EACH DAY THAT WE GO TO THE RIGHT AND WITH OUR WEATHER THE WAY IT IS, THAT ONE DAY IT'S HOT, ONE DAY IT'S COLD.
AND THE MATERIALS THAT WE USE IS JUST INCREASES OUR, SO, UM, YEAH, LIKE YOU SAID, THE WATER, THE STORM WATER IS NOT A SEXY PART OF ENGINEERING.
HOWEVER, GOODNIGHT, IT'S AN IMPORTANT PART.
AND IT'S A VERY EXPENSIVE IT IS PART I'VE, WHEN I WAS A CONSULTANT, I WORKED AT VARIOUS CITIES THAT HADN'T BEEN PROACTIVE WITH THAT, AND WE WERE FIXING ALL THE DRAINAGE ISSUES ON THE BACK END.
AND IT, IT GETS VERY EXPENSIVE TO DO THAT.
BEING PROACTIVE IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
I KNOW EVERYBODY'S EAGER TO, TO BREAK FOR, FOR DINNER.
UH, I I, I KNOW WE TOOK A LONG TIME ON ENGINEERING, BUT IT WAS CRITICAL.
I MEAN, I THINK EARLY ON IN OUR BUDGET PRESENTATION, WE'RE, WE'RE SUGGESTING WE'RE GONNA, I DON'T WANNA SAY THROW, WE'RE GONNA PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL $5 MILLION FOR STREET OVERLAYS.
WE, WE GET A LOT OF CONSTRUCTIVE ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OUR CITIZENS ABOUT STREET OVERLAYS.
HOW'S THAT? I JUST MADE THAT UP FROM THE FLY.
UM, WE'RE GONNA DO SOME DIFFERENT THINGS.
WE'RE GONNA TRY SOME, SOME OF THOSE RESERVE DOLLARS YOU TALKED ABOUT TOM IS COUNCIL MEMBER, IS HOW CAN WE DO SOME OF THESE PROJECTS WITHOUT HAVING TO GO BACK TO THE CIP SUCH AS PELICAN BAY.
THESE ARE KIND OF ONE TIME EXPENSES.
BUT I THINK THE CRITICAL THING YOU SAW FROM STEVE IS IF WE ARE TO, I'LL CALL IT, NOT EVEN MAKE UP, BUT GET BACK TO A STABLE PROCESS FOR STREET OVERLAYS.
I THINK THE NUMBER YOU SHOWED WAS LIKE, WHAT, 10 TO $20 MILLION A YEAR WE SHOULD BE SPENDING? MM-HMM.
SO THAT'S A FUNDAMENTAL SHIFT FOR US TO, TO INVEST THAT.
AND THE OTHER THING I WANNA HIGHLIGHT IS, THANKS TO STEVE'S LEADERSHIP, WE'VE ALREADY SEEN SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN TURNAROUND TIMES AND RESPONSIVENESS BACK TO THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY.
THAT'S THROUGH SOME OF THE CHANGES HE'S DONE.
BUT ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT.
BUT THINKING FORWARD IS, LET'S SAY THE CITY'S SUCCESSFUL ON IZED, REAUTHORIZING, RENEW, REAUTH RENEW, THANK YOU.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, AND GETTING READY FOR DINNER IS THE ONE, 1% AND THEN THE HALF SENT.
LET'S SAY WE DECIDED TO MOVE FORTH WITH SOME FORM OF DEVELOPMENT, IMPACT FEES, AND LET'S JUST SAY WE'RE, WE'RE SUCCESSFUL OR COUNCIL CONSIDERED TO DO A GO AND THEY'RE SUCCESSFUL.
PART OF IT IS YOU DON'T WANT TO DO ALL THOSE THINGS.
AND COME TO FIND OUT PART OF THE RESTRAINT IS GO AHEAD, HAVE ENOUGH BODIES TO DO THAT.
SO WHAT I CHALLENGE STEVE, IS LOOK AHEAD.
IF WE'RE SUCCESSFUL ON ONE OR ANY OF THOSE, DO WE HAVE THE CAPACITY? BECAUSE IT'S ONE THING TO GET THE FUNDING.
AND THE SECOND THING IS IF YOU CAN'T GET THE PROJECTS OUT, MM-HMM.
SO I KNOW WE TOOK SOME EXTRA TIME ON IT, BUT IT'S A CRITICAL ONE.
IT'S THE ONE WE GET THE MOST COMMENTS FROM OUR CITIZENS IS DRAINAGE, ROADS, ALL THESE TYPE OF DIFFERENT PROJECTS.
SO APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS, STEVE.
THANK YOU MR. LAWRENCE, VERY MUCH.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? MM-HMM.
[01:10:04]
I, I'LL CALL THIS WORKSHOP CONCLUDED.