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[1. Call to Order of the Edmond City Council Meeting.]
ARE WE DOING THIS? BEAUTIFUL, WINDY MONDAY.FANTASTIC MAYOR, ISN'T IT GREAT? THANK YOU FOR ASKING.
GLAD, GLAD TO TODAY WE'RE HONORED TO BE HERE FOR THIS SPECIAL WORKSHOP.
HEY, I, I'M TRYING TO PREP 'EM UP.
WHAT ARE WE WORKSHOPPING ON TODAY? WATER.
SO WE TODAY, OH, WE HAVE THE BATTLE OF THE SERVICES.
[2. Presentation and Discussion of Fiscal Year 2024-25 Edmond Electric Budget.]
HAVE MOND ELECTRIC, PUBLIC WORKS, AND WATER RESOURCES.SO I WOULD THINK PUBLIC WORKS AND WATER RESOURCES WOULD BE BUSY THIS AFTERNOON.
JUST SAYING, YOU KNOW, THAT'S MY WARD.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UM, GLEN FISHER, DIRECTOR OF EDMOND ELECTRIC.
I WANT TO KNOW YOU'RE SAVING THE BEST FOR FIRST, SO THAT'S WHY I'M HERE YOU GO.
SO, OUR DEPARTMENT MISSION IS TO PROVIDE SAFE, RELIABLE, RELIABLE AND AFFORDABLE ELECTRIC SERVICE TO OUR CUSTOMERS.
AND WE TRY TO DO THAT EVERY DAY.
WE HAVE A 99.98 RELIABILITY FACTOR, AND WE ARE LOWER THAN MOST OF OUR LOCAL COMPETITORS.
UM, FOR FY 25 BUDGET, WE EXPECT A TOTAL REVENUE OF $109.5 MILLION.
UH, WE'RE VERY, VERY HEAVY ON RESIDENTIAL SALES.
AS YOU CAN SEE, WE RELY UPON RESIDENTIAL AS A BEDROOM COMMUNITY.
UM, THAT'S OUR BIGGEST, UM, CONTRIBUTOR.
46% OF OUR REVENUE COMES FROM THEM.
AND THEN YOU SEE THE OTHER, UH, REVENUE SOURCES.
FUEL COST ADJUSTMENT IS A PASS THROUGH FROM WHOLESALE POWER COSTS.
SO THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH WHAT WE BUY FROM OMPA OR WHOLESALE POWER PROVIDER.
FOR, UH, EXPENSES, WE HAVE $109 MILLION WORTH OF EXPENSES.
OF COURSE, OUR BIG MOST, UH, LARGEST EXPENSE ARE WHOLESALE POWER COSTS.
UM, UH, THE NEXT HIGHEST IS TRANSFERS AT 13.6%, AND THEN CAPITAL OUTLAY AT 8.5%.
UM, I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT SOME OF THE DETAILS BEHIND SOME OF THESE.
UM, WE HAVE 56 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES AND ONE PART-TIME IN ELECTRIC.
WE HAVE THREE EMPLOYEES IN FULL-TIME.
THERE'S NOT ONLY ELECTRIC, BUT WATER, UM, AND, UM, TRAFFIC AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
WELL, I DO WANT TO NOTE, UM, I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT IN PERSONAL SERVICES.
THE TWO, UM, BROWN HIGHLIGHTED SQUARES, AND THEN THE THREE GREEN ARE CURRENT VACANT POSITIONS THAT WE HAVE.
BUT WE HAD DID HAVE SOME CHANGES IN OUR PERSONAL SERVICES THAT I'LL DISCUSS IN JUST A MOMENT.
UH, MATTER OF FACT, THE MOMENT IS RIGHT NOW, UH, PERSONAL SERVICES, AS I MENTIONED, WE HAVE 60 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES ACROSS THE ELECTRIC AND CENTRAL WAREHOUSE.
THE TWO CHANGES WE HAVE IN PERSONAL SERVICES THIS YEAR IS A RECLASS OF A CAD, GIS SPECIALIST TO CAD GIS SUPERVISOR.
AND THEN WE HAVE AN ADDITION OF A DISTRIBUTION DESIGN TECH THAT DISTRIBUTION DESIGN TECH WILL SUPPORT OUR ENGINEERS, UH, TO TRY TO PULL SOME OF THE TYPICAL DAY-TO-DAY DESIGN WORK OFF OF THEM SO THEY CAN ACTUALLY DO ENGINEERING WORK.
UH, OUR WHOLESALE POWER BUDGET, GOOD NEWS THIS YEAR IS THAT IS, IT IS AT $68 MILLION AS COMPARED TO 72 MILLION LAST YEAR.
UH, THAT'S ATTRIBUTED TO EXPECTED LOWER NATURAL GAS PRICES, WHICH AFFECTS THE WHOLESALE POWER COSTS FROM THE SOUTHWEST POWER POOL.
SO WE SHOULD SEE LOWER, UM, WHOLESALE POWER COSTS THIS YEAR, WHICH WILL TRANSLATE TO, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, AND LOWER FUEL COST ADJUSTMENT BECAUSE THAT IS A DIRECT REFLECTION OF WHOLESALE POWER COST.
OUR CAPITAL OUTLAY AT $9.3 MILLION.
UH, 3 MILLION OF THAT IS TO COVER NEW EXTENSIONS FOR SERVICES.
THAT'S GONNA BE RESIDENTIAL SUBDIVISIONS, NEW COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENTS, ET CETERA, THAT COME INTO TOWN.
THE MAJOR PORTION OF THAT IS FOR RELOCATIONS FOR ROAD IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
WE HAVE SOME UNUSUAL, WELL, ONE UNUSUAL ONE THIS YEAR, UM, THAT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING WORK ON IS, UH, THE BOULEVARD SECOND AND BOULEVARD MAIN INTERSECTIONS.
UM, THAT'S GONNA BE EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE FOR US BECAUSE IF YOU DRIVE OUT THERE, YOU'LL NOTICE OUR MAIN LINE FEEDER IS IN THE MEDIAN, WHICH IS UNUSUAL.
AND TO MOVE THAT OVER, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO MOVE THAT OFF TO THE RIGHT OF WAY, WHICH THERE'S A PRETTY RESTRICTED RIGHT OF WAY AROUND AROUND THAT AREA.
SO WE KNOW IT'S GONNA BE AN EXPENSIVE PROJECT.
UM, BUT IT'S GONNA BE ONE OF OUR BIGGEST COSTS THIS COMING YEAR FOR CAPITAL OUTLAY.
WE ALSO HAVE THE COALVILLE COAL TRAIN INTERSECTION THAT'S GONNA BE GONNA BE WIDENED THAT WE'RE GONNA RELOCATE OUR FACILITIES AS WELL.
AND IN SUBSTATION PROJECTS, WE'VE GOT SOME RELAY WORK TO DO AND SOME OTHER THINGS THAT ARE IN INCLUDED
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IN THERE ON OUR SUBSTATIONS.JUST GENERAL IMPROVEMENTS ON THOSE SITES.
UM, THERE ARE SOME PROJECTS THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH FINANCE ON.
WE HAD A MEETING LAST WEEK WITH OUR BOND COUNCIL TO TALK ABOUT HOW TO FUND THESE PROJECTS.
THESE ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE CURRENT YEAR BUDGET, BUT WE WILL BE COMING BACK TO FINANCE COMMITTEE IN MAY WITH A, A PROPOSITION FOR FUNDING THESE PROJECTS.
UM, IT, THE WAY IT LOOKS RIGHT NOW, WE'VE GOT $31 MILLION PRO $31 MILLION WORTH OF PROJECTS OVER THE FIVE YEAR WINDOW.
WE ARE LOOKING AT POTENTIALLY ISSUING 17 MILLION IN, WE'LL LOOKING AT THE MAY FINANCE COMMITTEE, JUNE CITY COUNCIL MEETING FOR $17 MILLION.
AND THEN WE'LL LOOK AT THE REMAINDER, PROBABLY IN LATE, UH, 26 OR EARLY 27 TO COVER THESE PROJECTS.
AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THESE PROJECTS.
FIRST OF ALL, WE'RE LOOKING AT A NEW COFFEE CREEK SUBSTATION.
THIS IS DOWN OFF COVE ROAD, UH, COFFEE CREEK DOWN ALONG, UH, BROADWAY.
WE BOUGHT THAT 44 ACRE TRACT IN CONJUNCTION WITH WATER RESOURCES ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO, I BELIEVE.
UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT USES FOR DIFFERENT CITY DEPARTMENTS.
UH, ONE OF THE, SINCE IT SITS ON THE OG E TRANSMISSION LINE, WE'VE IDENTIFIED THAT AS A LOCATION FOR A NEW SUBSTATION, UM, THAT WILL HELP SERVE THAT IMMEDIATE AREA, PICK UP SOME LOAD OFF OF MITCH SUBSTATION, AND THEN PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL SOURCES FOR THE GROWTH THAT WE'RE SEEING DOWNTOWN.
WE'RE EXPECTING THAT ONE OF COURSE TO BE ABOUT $7 MILLION.
AND WE'LL, WE'RE STARTING ON DESIGN RIGHT NOW FOR THAT.
GARVER SUBSTATION IS AT POST ROAD AND, UH, SECOND STREET, UM, JUST NORTH OF THE, UM, WATER TREATMENT PLANT.
UM, THIS IS ONE WE'RE ALSO CURRENTLY IN DESIGN ON.
WE'RE GONNA EXPAND THIS SUBSTATION.
IT'S EXPECTED TO COST ABOUT $3 MILLION, START LOOKING AT CONSTRUCTION IN 2026.
THAT'S GONNA BE DIRECTLY INFLUENCED BY LEAD TIMES ON MATERIALS.
CURRENTLY SUBSTATION TRANSFORMERS.
THE LARGER TRANSFORMERS FOR SUBSTATIONS IS ABOUT AN 80 WEEK DELIVERY TIME.
SO WE ARE LOOKING AT MAKING SOME ORDERS SOON JUST TO GET THOSE IN PLACE.
BIG DRIVER FOR THIS IS SOME OF THE INCREASED LOADS.
THIS SERVES AS A BACKUP FOR THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT AND THE MAIN FEED FOR THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE HAVE ADEQUATE FACILITIES AS THOSE, THOSE LOADS INCREASE.
AND THEN WE ALSO, IT'LL HELP PICK UP SOME OF THE LOAD, UH, AS EAST EDMOND GROWS.
HAY FOR SUBSTATION, UH, IS ANOTHER EXPANSION PROJECT.
WE ESTIMATE THAT ONE AT $3 MILLION AS WELL.
IT'S, UH, DESIGNED IN FISCAL, FISCAL YEAR 27 AND CONSTRUCTION IN 28.
UM, BASICALLY THAT IS TO HELP PICK UP SOME OF THE INCREASED LOAD WE'RE SEEING AROUND THAT AREA.
FER FEEDS OUT TO I 35, SO WITH THE EXPANSIONS AT INTEGRIS AND MERCY, WE ARE SEEING ADDITIONAL LOAD OUT THERE THAT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO PICK UP AND, AND ALSO PROVIDE MORE RELIABILITY FOR THE GENERAL AREA.
UM, ONE OF THE BIGGEST COST DRIVERS, WE'VE, YOU KNOW, WITH THE NEW DEVELOPMENT COMING DOWNTOWN, ALL THE INFIELD, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT UNDERGROUNDING, ALL THE FACILITIES THERE.
TO START THIS OFF, WE'RE LOOKING AT TWO MAINLINE FEEDERS GOING FROM KELLY ALL THE WAY OVER TO BOULEVARD.
UM, IT'S GONNA BE A TRANSITION OF TAKING SOME OF THE START OF A TRANSITION TO TAKE ALL OF THE BACK LOT ALLEYWAY, UH, OVERHEAD FACILITIES UNDERGROUND.
IT'LL START MOVING THINGS UP FRONT, UM, BECAUSE WITH THE, WITH THE WAY THAT INFILLS WORKING, THOSE ALLEYS ARE USED FOR ACCESS TO A LOT, ESPECIALLY A LOT OF THE, LIKE THE DUPLEXES AND THE NEW HOUSES AND THINGS.
SO THERE'S NOT REALLY LOCATIONS FOR FACILITIES IN THE BACK.
SO WE'RE GONNA START LOOKING AT MOVING IT UP FRONT.
THESE ARE JUST THE MAINLINE TRUNK FEEDERS.
THIS IS NOT THE ENTIRE TRANSITION OF TAKING THINGS OVER OVERHEAD TO UNDERGROUND.
THAT'S GONNA BE 15, 20 YEARS IN THE MAKING.
IT'S JUST TO GET A TWO FEEDS TO START BRANCHING OUT, TO PICK UP ALL THE OTHER SERVICES IN THAT AREA.
AS THINGS INFILL, ANY OF THE NEW, UM, DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT THAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW, WE'RE, WE'RE DESIGNING OFF OF THIS AS, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT WAYS HOW WE CAN EVENTUALLY TIE BACK INTO THIS.
SO WE'RE TAKING THAT IN INTO CONSIDERATION, LIKE EXISTING PROJECTS SO THAT, UM, IT ALL FITS INTO THIS OVERALL TRANSITION.
BUT I DO WANT TO EMPHASIZE THIS IS NOT A QUICK THING THAT EVERYTHING WILL NOT DISAPPEAR IN THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO.
IT WILL TAKE A LONG TIME TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
WE'RE EXPECTING THAT TO BE ABOUT $8.8 MILLION, AND WE'RE IN DESIGN PROCESS RIGHT NOW, AND WE EXPECT TO START THAT SOMETIME IN FISCAL YEAR 2025.
UM, THE OTHER PART TO THAT, AND IT KIND OF TIES INTO THE SECOND BOULEVARD INTERSECTION.
UM, THERE'S A, THERE'S A PORTION OF ONE OF OUR FEEDERS THAT BISECTS THE PROPERTY ALONG, UH, BOULEVARD BETWEEN 15TH AND SECOND STREET.
AND WE'VE ALREADY, WITH THE U-HAUL WORK THAT'S BEING DONE OUT THERE, WE'VE RAN INTO
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ISSUES WITH THAT CIRCUIT AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO RELOCATE IT.DEPENDING UPON THE FUTURE OF THAT SECTION OF ROAD, WE WANT TO BASICALLY TAKE ALL THAT UNDERGROUND AS WELL, MOVE IT TO THE FRONT OF THE LOTS.
UM, AND IT WILL PROBABLY TIE INTO THE SECOND BOULEVARD BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING AT COMING DOWN BOULEVARD AND THEN SHOOTING SOME CIRCUITS ACROSS LIKE 15TH AND NOT 15TH, BUT SOME OF THESE SIDE ROADS, FOURTH, FIFTH, THINGS LIKE THAT.
WE HADN'T DECIDED EXACTLY THE ROUTING YET, BUT WE WANNA START TAKING THAT UNDERGROUND BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT SECTION OF BROADWAY IS GONNA DEVELOP AND WE WANT TO MAKE IT A LOT EASIER FOR DEVELOPERS THROUGH THAT SECTION.
SO, WITH THAT, ANY QUESTIONS? YES, SIR.
YOU TALK ABOUT ALL THESE CAP SORRY, MAYOR, GO AHEAD.
I CAN ASK, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE HE STATES THIS TO FUND THIS, THIS DOESN'T IMPACT RATES.
I, THERE WILL BE NO RATE INCREASES.
ONE OF THE THINGS I WILL POINT OUT WHEN I TALK ABOUT SECOND BOULEVARD, UH, WIDENING PROJECT, THERE ARE TWO THINGS THAT ARE UNUSUAL IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.
THERE'S SOME TRANSFER DOLLARS THAT WILL GO AWAY NEXT YEAR.
AND THEN THERE'S THIS, THE, THERE'S, UM, THE ROADWAY PROJECTS I MENTIONED WERE 4.6, $4.8 MILLION.
TYPICALLY, WE SEE ABOUT ONE AND A HALF TO $2 MILLION A YEAR.
SO THIS IS ONE YEAR WHERE WE'VE GOT A REALLY ELEVATED PRICE EL ELEVATED COSTS FOR THE RELOCATIONS ACCORDING ASSOCIATED WITH ROADWAY.
SO THOSE WILL GO AWAY IN FUTURE BUDGET YEARS.
SO WHEN WE START LOOKING AT FINANCING THIS OVER LONG TERM, IT IS NOT GONNA CAUSE ANY RATE INCREASES.
WE'VE GOT ROOM TO WORK WITHIN OUR BUDGET.
ON THE, ON THE GARBER SUBSTATION SECOND AND POST WITH, DON'T WE HAVE OTHER, WE SHOULD HAVE OTHER DESIGNS GOING ON OUT THERE, CORRECT? YEAH.
SO HOW DOES ALL THAT, WHO'S THE HEAD COOK FOR ALL FOR ALL THOSE WE HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN WORKING WITH, AND I BELIEVE WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO IS THE, UH, THE STATUE OUT HERE AND THE WHOLE CORRECT.
THE, THE TRACK AND EVERYTHING ELSE OUT THERE.
WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN THAT WHOLE DESIGN PROCESS.
SO YEAH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE AWARE OF THIS.
THERE'S FUTURE EXPANSION THAT'S GONNA BE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE.
I DON'T HAVE A TIMELINE FOR THAT, BUT THAT IS BEING TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THAT TRACK RIGHT THERE.
THE COFFEE CREEK SUBSTATION, I ASSUME IT'LL HELP WITH THE LOAD, UM, WITH THE DEVELOPMENT GOING ON NORTH OF COFFEE CREEK, UH, WEST OF BROADWAY, YES.
THAT'S GONNA BE PART OF, IT'S GONNA BE, BE YEAH.
TAKE SOME OF THE LOAD OFF OF MITCH PARK AND WHITE SUBSTATIONS.
AND THEN ALSO SERVE THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
I KNOW YOU HAD TALKED ABOUT SOUTH.
I DIDN'T KNOW IF THAT WAS GONNA ALSO HELP OUT.
YEAH, IT'LL HELP THE WHOLE AREA.
YEAH, WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT HOW WE WANT TO ROUTE SOME OF THE FEEDERS COMING OUT OF THERE TO PICK UP SOME OF THE LOAD OFF THE EXISTING SUBSTATIONS.
AND ALSO GOING ON DOWN ON COVE IN BETWEEN BROADWAY AND, UH, KELLY.
THAT'S GONNA BE ANOTHER BIG ONE.
MR. FISHER, I HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO THANK YOU, BUT MR. RIGBY WAS KIND ENOUGH TO ARRANGE A MEETING WITH ME AND, UH, MS. MARTIN, UH, ON OUR NOTIFICATION TO CITIZENS ABOUT VEGETATION MANAGEMENT.
AND UNLIKE OTHER ELECTRIC PROVIDERS, UH, YOU TRY TO DO YOUR BEST TO NOTIFY THE CITIZENS AND DO THE BEST YOU CAN.
SO I WANT TO, I HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO THANK YOU IN PERSON, AND I WANNA DO THAT.
I WILL MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S ACTUALLY URBAN FORESTRY THAT DOES THAT.
THEY COORDINATE ALL THAT AND THEY DO A REALLY GOOD JOB NOTIFYING THE CITIZENS OF TREE TRIMMING ACTIVITIES, UNLIKE OTHERS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?
UH, I KNOW IT WAS PRESSURE ON YOU BEING THE FIRST SERVICE TO COME UP
[3. Presentation and Discussion of Fiscal Year 2024-25 Public Works Budget.]
UH, I THOUGHT KEITH WAS GONNA BE, YEP.AH, MAYOR, YOU'RE NOT OUT WORKING.
I'M DAN FORTH AND KELLY RIGHT NOW.
WELL, I THOUGHT ABOUT IT, BUT, UH, I FIGURED I BETTER BE HERE.
YEAH, WE'RE GONNA NEED SOME, WE'RE GONNA NEED SOME MONEY TO TAKE CARE OF THAT.
WELL, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, MY NAME'S KEITH STEWART, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT OUR PUBLIC WORKS BUDGETS THIS AFTERNOON.
UM, GOT MY ABLE STAFF IS BEHIND ME BACK HERE IN CASE I GET LOST OR STUMBLE.
THEY'RE GONNA COME UP HERE AND RESCUE ME.
UM, BUT I, I WOULD LIKE TO COMMEND THEM ON THE JOB THAT THEY DO.
UM, AS YOU'LL SEE, AS WE GO THROUGH OUR BUDGET, UM, WE'RE IN CHARGE OF, OF QUITE A BIT OF FUNDING, AND
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THESE FOLKS DO A GREAT JOB OF, OF STEWARDING THOSE FUNDS AND, AND MAKING SURE EVERYTHING IS DONE PROPERLY.AND I REALLY COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT 'EM.
SO REALLY APPRECIATE THEIR, THEIR HELP.
SO I GUESS I'M GONNA OPERATE THIS.
SO EDMOND PUBLIC WORKS HAS 144 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES, AND THAT'S DIVIDED UP AMONGST FIVE PRIMARY DIVISIONS, FACILITY MAINTENANCE, FIELD SERVICES, PUBLIC WORKS ADMINISTRATION, SOLID WASTE, AND THEN OUR VEHICLE MAINTENANCE, WHICH INCLUDES OUR FLEET MANAGEMENT FUND AS WELL.
AND THEN THE VARIOUS EMPLOYEES LEVELS AT EACH OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS.
AND I ALWAYS WANT TO POINT OUT THE FACT THAT WE ARE AN ACCREDITED AGENCY, EDMOND PUBLIC WORKS, RECOGNIZED BY THE AMERICAN PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION.
AND IT GOES BACK TO WHAT I SAID EARLIER ABOUT THE, THE PUBLIC'S TRUST IN OUR STAFF IN MANAGING THESE FUNDS, UH, THIS ACCREDITATION PROCESS.
THEY LOOK AT EVERYTHING THAT WE DO AND, AND THEY, THEY GRADE IT AGAINST BEST PRACTICES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
UH, WE'RE, WE'RE ONLY, WE'RE ONE OF ONLY TWO AGENCIES IN THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA THAT ARE ACCREDITED.
WE'RE ONE OF 200 PLUS IN THE, IN THE NATION.
AND THAT'S OUT OF LIKE 20,000 AGENCIES THAT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ACCREDITED.
IT, IT LENDS TO WHAT OUR FOLKS DO, WHAT OUR POLICIES, PROCEDURES, OUR PRACTICES, ALL THOSE THINGS LINE UP WITH THOSE STANDARDS.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE COMPLIANT IN ALL STANDARDS THAT WE'RE MEASURED AGAINST.
AND THEN OF COURSE, WE'RE RE FIRST RESPONDERS.
UM, WE GET THE, WE GET TO GO OUT WHEN, WHEN, UH, EVERYONE'S IN BED ASLEEP WHEN, WHEN THINGS GO SOUTH, LIKE WE HAD THE THIS AFTERNOON.
BUT, UH, OUR FOLKS TRAIN IN THAT, IN THAT GROUP WITH FIRE AND POLICE.
AND, AND WE, WE RESPOND TO EMERGENCIES.
TYPICALLY, THOSE DEALING WITH STORM, STORM RELATED THINGS.
I FEEL LIKE I'M MISSING WHAT HAPPENS? OH, I'M SORRY.
WE HAD A, WE HAD A 24 INCH WATER MAIN RUPTURE ON KELLY JUST NORTH OF DANFORTH THIS MORNING.
UH, WE EMPTIED THE TOWER AND THREE AND A HALF PART OF THE GROUND STORAGE, I THINK.
SO THREE AND A HALF MILLION GALLONS.
SO OUR CREWS ARE WORKING ON THAT RIGHT NOW.
THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE WE ARE.
SO IN PUBLIC WORKS, OUR, OUR CORE SERVICES OR OUR MISSION, IF YOU WANT TO USE THAT WORD AMONGST ALL THE DEPARTMENTS, THEY KIND OF COME INTO THREE CATEGORIES.
UH, WE'RE, WE'RE THERE TO SERVE OUR INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL CUSTOMERS.
WE SUSTAIN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGH PREVENTIVE, REACTIVE, AND PREDICTIVE MAY PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE.
AND THEN WE SUPPORT THOSE EFFORTS THROUGH ASSET MANAGEMENT, WORKFLOW MANAGEMENT, AND, AND FLEET MANAGEMENT.
ALL THOSE THINGS WORK TOGETHER IN CONCERT FOR US TO DELIVER THE SERVICES TO THE, TO THE CITIZENS OF EDMOND.
SO THE PUBLIC WORKS, UH, OVERALL BUDGET.
NOW, THE PACKET THAT YOU RECEIVED FRIDAY, THERE WAS AN ERROR.
UH, UH, I WAS RUNNING NUMBERS TOGETHER LATE THURSDAY NIGHT AND MISSED ONE.
SO IN YOUR COPY OF THIS, UH, UNDER THE FY 24, THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, I THINK YOU HAVE A $14 MILLION NUMBER THERE.
IT SHOULD BE 10.6 MILLION WAS THE FY 24 PROFESSIONAL SERVICES BUDGET.
I WONDERED WHY THAT WENT DOWN.
THIS MORNING, I THOUGHT, WELL, HOW DID THAT GO DOWN AND REAL? OH, WELL, I MADE A MISTAKE.
AND SO THE, THE DIFFERENCE IN THAT, OF COURSE, IS INSTEAD OF A DECREASE, IT WAS AN INCREASE OF 2.7 MILLION.
SO OUR TOTAL BUDGET, PROJECTED BUDGET FOR FY 25 FOR PUBLIC, ALL THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENTS IS 41.3 MILLION.
THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE ROUGHLY $4 MILLION WORTH OF, UM, FLEET MANAGEMENT FUNDS THAT WILL GO TO REPLACE EXISTING VEHICLES.
UH, THAT, THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE THAT NUMBER.
SO LOOKING AT OUR INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENTS FACILITY MAINTENANCE, UH, THEIR CORE SERVICE IS TO PROVIDE MAINTENANCE AND UPKEEP FOR CITY OWNED BUILDINGS.
OF COURSE, UH, THEIR FUNDING SOURCE IS ALLOCATIONS BASED ON ACTUAL COST OF SERVICE.
WE TRACK EVERYTHING THAT THEY DO THROUGH OUR WORK ORDER SYSTEM, AND THEN WE'RE ACTUALLY BILLING ACTUAL COST OF WHAT THEY DO TO THE USER DEPARTMENTS.
AND KIND OF ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS.
AND WE, WE REALLY WANTED TO RECOGNIZE THEIR EFFORTS LAST YEAR WHEN WE WERE MOVING DEPARTMENTS FROM ONE BUILDING TO ANOTHER.
THIS GROUP WAS HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THAT PROCESS.
NOT ONLY WERE THEY MOVING DESKS AND CREDENZAS AND COMPUTERS, UH, THEY WERE REMODELING OFFICES TO MAKE 'EM READY FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WERE MOVING INTO 'EM.
SO WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF THEIR EFFORT.
UH, IN THAT MOVE, UH, LAST YEAR, UH, ONE OF
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THE CHALLENGES OBVIOUSLY, IS THE ADDITIONAL FACILITIES THAT ARE BE COMING ONLINE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.UH, NOT A, NOT A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE.
UH, THIS YEAR OVER LAST YEAR, UM, WE WENT THROUGH SOME OF THE LINE ITEMS IN THEIR EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLY BUDGETS, AND WERE ABLE TO REDUCE SOME THINGS THERE, BUT, UH, NOT, NOT A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE THERE.
THEN FIELD SERVICES, THAT'S OUR LARGEST DEPARTMENT WITHIN PUBLIC WORKS.
THERE ARE 87 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES IN THAT GROUP.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THEY'RE DIVIDED UP INTO FIVE, UH, SUB DEPARTMENTS.
UM, AND FOUR OF THOSE CROSS TRAIN, UH, THEY ALL, UH, CROSS TRAIN IN THE DIFFERENT TASKS THAT EACH ONE OF THOSE PERFORM.
UH, SO OUR CROSS TRAINING PROGRAM, IT'S CALLED SKILL-BASED PAY.
WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT FOR ABOUT 15 YEARS NOW, 17 YEARS ACTUALLY.
AND, UM, HAS YIELDED SOME GREAT BENEFITS FOR OUR EMPLOYEES.
AND IT'S, AND IT'S ENABLED US TO KIND OF KEEP OUR STAFFING LEVELS RELATIVELY FLAT.
SO FIELD SERVICES ARE STREET AND STORMWATER MAINTENANCE GROUP, AND THEIR CORE SERVICE IS TO MAINTAIN THE STREETS AND STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE TO A SAFE AND RELIABLE CONDITION.
UH, THEY ARE FUNDED THROUGH THE GENERAL FUND.
UH, THEY'RE ONE OF TWO BUDGETS WITHIN FIELD SERVICES THAT ARE FUNDED FROM THE GENERAL FUND.
UH, KIND OF A HIGHLIGHT FOR THEM IS, UM, WE'VE GOT A MILLION DOLLARS BUDGETED PRIMARILY FOR CONCRETE STREET REPAIRS IN THE COMING YEAR.
UH, OUR CONCRETE STREET, UH, WE DID AN ASSESSMENT OF THOSE, I THINK IT WAS 2016 OR 17, UH, MADE A, A EXHAUSTIVE LIST OF ALL OF THOSE THAT NEEDED REPAIR, AND NOW WE'RE STARTING TO WORK ON THOSE.
IT WAS ABOUT $2.6 MILLION WORTH OF JUST GOING IN AND REPLACING A PANEL HERE AND A PANEL THERE ON THOSE CONCRETE STREETS.
AND OF COURSE, THE CHALLENGE IS ALWAYS IS KEEPING UP WITH AGING INFRASTRUCTURE, THE STREET BUDGET, UH, NOT MUCH CHANGE.
AGAIN, A LITTLE BIT OF REDUCTION IN THE EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES.
WE JUST WENT IN AND LOOKED AT SOME THINGS THAT, UM, WE COULD, WE COULD CUT SOME COSTS ON.
SO, UH, JUST A SLIGHT INCREASE OVERALL, BUT THAT WAS $6.7 MILLION PROJECTED BUDGET FOR FY 25.
OUR TRAFFIC MAINTENANCE GROUP, OF COURSE, THEIR CORE SERVICE IS TO CREATE AND MAINTAIN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR MULTIMODAL USE OF PUBLIC STREETS.
UH, THE FUNDING SOURCE AGAIN, IS GENERAL FUND.
UM, AND ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS FOR THEM IS WE'VE INCREASED THE FUNDING FOR PAVEMENT MARKINGS WITH THIS GROUP.
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT IT'S, IT'S ABOUT A $250,000 INCREASE IN THEIR BUDGET, WHICH WE'LL SEE IN A MINUTE.
BUT, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE ADOPTED THE NEW ODOT STANDARD OF THE SIX INCH WIDE STRIPING RATHER THAN THE FOUR INCH.
SO THAT'LL HELP WITH VISIBILITY, ESPECIALLY FOR NIGHTTIME DRIVING.
UM, WE'RE ALSO USING THE CONTRAST STRIPING, UH, THAT YOU'LL SEE ON CONCRETE STREETS WITH THE BLACK STRIPE, WITH THE WHITE STRIPE.
THAT HELPS THAT VISIBILITY, ENHANCE THAT VISIBILITY.
SO, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE PUTTING DOWN A LOT MORE PAVE MARKINGS IN THE COMING YEAR.
TRAFFIC MAINTENANCE BUDGET, THEIR BUDGET, THAT REALLY IS THE ONLY SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IS IN THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, WHICH IS OUR CONTRACT SERVICES FOR THAT, FOR THAT EFFORT ON THE STRIPING.
AND THEY HAVE A $2.5 MILLION BUDGET WATERLINE MAINTENANCE.
UM, UH, DON'T WANNA SEE MANY OF THESE, BUT, UH, WE HAD ANOTHER ONE TODAY, AS YOU'VE HEARD.
SO, THE CORE SERVICE OF OUR WATERLINE MAINTENANCE GROUP IS TO MAINTAIN THE WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM IN AN EFFICIENT MANNER.
UH, THE FUNDING SOURCE FOR THIS IS, IS THE WATER RESOURCES, THE WATER FUND.
UH, THE HIGHLIGHTS THIS, THIS YEAR IS, AND YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT THIS, IS, UH, YEAR TO DATE, THEY HAVE REPAIRED OVER 1200 LEAKS.
AND TO GIVE YOU SOME PERSPECTIVE, OUR AVERAGE TYPICALLY IS AROUND 300.
WHAT DID, DID I SAY THAT IT WAS DOWN, YOU WERE DOWN TO 70.
WE'RE DOWN ABOUT TILL ABOUT 70 NOW.
UHHUH
RIGHT NOW, OF COURSE, OUR CHALLENGES, LEAKS AND AGING INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE WATERLINE MAINTENANCE BUDGET, THE ONLY INCREASE THERE IS THE 1.4 MILLION.
UH, AND THAT IS PRIMARILY, UH, FOR LEAK REPAIR TO SUPPLEMENT THE WORK THAT OUR CREWS ARE DOING.
WE'VE BROUGHT ON SOME CONTRACTORS THIS LAST YEAR TO HELP US WITH THAT.
UH, I WAS TAKING A MORE OPTIMISTIC VIEW THAT THE LEAKS WERE GONNA START SUBSIDING AND GETTING BACK TO NORMAL, AND MR. RIGBY SAID HE WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE REALISTIC AND, AND, UH, WE PROBABLY MIGHT WANT TO PLAN FOR ANOTHER YEAR LIKE WE HAD LAST YEAR.
[00:25:01]
WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND BUDGET FOR THAT AND HOPEFULLY NOT HAVE TO USE IT.WELL, IT'S BETTER TO OVER PREPARE.
AND SO THEIR, THEIR TOTAL PROJECTED BUDGET WOULD BE 5.3 MILLION FOR FY 25.
THEN OUR WASTEWATER LINE MAINTENANCE, UH, CORE SERVICE THERE IS, UH, IS TO MAINTAIN THE SANITARY SEWER COLLECTION SYSTEM IN AN EFFICIENT MANNER.
UH, THEY ARE FUNDED THROUGH THE WASTEWATER FUND, AGAIN, THROUGH WATER RESOURCES.
UH, HIGHLIGHTS, UH, AND THIS HAS REALLY BEEN A, A FEATHER IN THIS GROUP'S CAP IS THE ONGOING CAPACITY MANAGEMENT OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE, WHICH WE CALL CMOM.
AND IT'S, IT'S A SYSTEM THAT WE USE TO TRACK OUR MAINTENANCE AND IN, IN THE, IN THE LINE MAINTENANCE SIDE OF THINGS.
AND BECAUSE OF THIS, OUR SANITARY SEWER OVERFLOWS IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, WE'VE BROKE RECORDS WITH LOW RECORDS WITH THAT.
UM, AND WE'RE, WE'RE DOWN THERE WHERE THE EPA AND THE DEQ LIKE TO SEE US WITH THOSE OVERFLOWS.
THEY DON'T LIKE TO SEE ANY, BUT THAT'S KIND OF IMPOSSIBLE.
BUT, UH, WE'VE GOT 'EM DOWN TO A MANAGEABLE NUMBER AND LEVEL.
AND SO, UH, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WORKING.
AND OF COURSE, ANOTHER CHALLENGE IS THE AGING INFRASTRUCTURE THERE.
THE WASTEWATER LINE, WASTEWATER LINE MAINTENANCE BUDGET FOR THIS YEAR IS 3.7 MILLION.
THERE IS AN $825,000 INCREASE THAT WILL BE PRIMARILY FOR POINT REPAIRS.
THAT'S WHEN OUR, OUR VIDEO CREWS GO OUT AND THEY VIDEO THE LINES.
AND IF THEY FIND A BREAK IN A PIPE THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT LEAKING, BUT IT'S GOING TO AT SOME POINT.
AND SO WE'LL GO IN AND DIG UP AND REPAIR THAT.
SO WE'VE GOT A LOT OF THOSE THAT WE NEED TO DEAL WITH.
UH, IT ALSO COVERS REHAB, REPAIR, AND REPLACEMENT OF MANHOLES.
AND THEN WE HAVE OUR METER SERVICES GROUP.
UM, CORE SERVICE IS TO PROVIDE CUSTOMER SERVICE SUPPORT TO THE, FOR THE UTILITIES AND TO MAINTAIN METERING INFRASTRUCTURE TO A CONDITION THAT ENSURERS READ DATA ACCURACY.
UM, AND THIS IS FUNDED THROUGH SEVERAL OF THE UTILITIES, BUT PRIMARILY THROUGH WATER RESOURCES IN EDMOND ELECTRIC.
UM, ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS IS WE BEGAN CROSS TRAINING THE METER SERVICES STAFF IN THE OTHER ELEMENTS OF FIELD SERVICES IN WATERLINE WASTEWATER LINE AND STREET MAINTENANCE.
UM, IN ANTICIPATION OF THE A MI, UH, SYSTEM COMING ONLINE, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S EACH, THERE ARE CYCLES THAT ARE, SORRY, THERE ARE CYCLES THAT ARE COMING ONLINE, UH, EVERY WEEK.
AND THEN, SO THAT'S LESS METERS THAT ARE BEING READ.
AND SO WE'RE BEGINNING TO TAKE THAT STAFF AND CROSS TRAIN THEM.
AND KIND OF SOME HISTORY WITH THIS.
UM, IN 2021, WE MOVED THIS GROUP OUT OF UTILITY CUSTOMER SERVICE INTO FIELD SERVICES, BUT IT WAS NOT OFFICIALLY MOVING THEM.
WE, THEY JUST WOULD REPORT TO FIELD SERVICES.
UH, THEIR BUDGET REMAINED THE SAME.
THEIR ALL OF THEIR, UH, RECORDING REPORTING DATA FROM THEIR WORK ORDERS AND ALL THAT STAYED THE SAME.
AND THAT WAS UPON, WE AGREED TO DO THAT UNTIL THE A MI WAS FULLY IMPLEMENTED.
WELL, ANTICIPATING JULY ONE WILL BE THERE.
UM, SO THIS, THIS MOVE WILL BE OFFICIAL AS OF THAT DATE.
THIS IS 15 POSITIONS, INCLUDING THE SUPERVISOR THAT, UM, PART OF THOSE POSITIONS WILL BE MOVED INTO OTHER FIELD SERVICES DEPARTMENTS, AND PART OF THEM WILL REMAIN IN THE METER SERVICES GROUP.
AND THEY WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE SOME OF THE SAME SERVICES THAT THEY ARE CURRENTLY PROVIDING.
OF COURSE, THE METER READING SIDE OF IT WILL DRASTICALLY BE REDUCED, BUT WE, WE DO HAVE SOME OPT-OUTS THAT WILL STILL HAVE TO BE READ MANUALLY, UH, AND WILL HAVE SOME, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY SOME, UM, JUST Q JUST SOME QUALITY CONTROL READING THAT WE'LL DO TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING'S WORKING AS IT SHOULD.
BUT THIS GROUP WILL BEGIN TO WORK ON THE METER SERVICES.
THEY'LL, THEY'LL REPLACE THE BATTERIES AND THE REGISTERS WHEN THEY NEED TO BE REPLACED.
THEY'LL REPLACE THE METERS WHEN THEY NEED TO BE REPLACED.
THEY WILL CLEAN OUT THE CANS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE GETTING GOOD TRANSMISSION OF DATA, UH, TO THE ELECTRIC METERS OR WHEREVER THEY'RE SENDING THEIR INFORMATION TO.
AND THEY WILL ALSO TAKE OVER SOME OF THE OTHER, UM, ROLES THAT THE WATER LINE MAINTENANCE GUYS TRADITIONALLY DO.
AND SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO SPREAD SOME OF THAT WORK OUT AMONGST THOSE FOLKS.
AND OF COURSE, THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE THERE IS TRANSITION, KNOWING WHO TO MOVE WHEN AND, AND HOW TO DO THAT.
SO WE'RE, WE'LL BE WORKING THROUGH THAT IN THE COMING YEAR.
METER SERVICES BUDGET, WE WERE ABLE TO GO IN AND TAKE A, A LOOK AT THIS SINCE NOW WE'RE IN CONTROL OF THE BUDGET, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO GO AHEAD AND MAKE SOME REDUCTIONS THERE.
[00:30:01]
UH, FOUND SOME THINGS THAT WE NO LONGER WOULD NEED, UH, FOR THAT GROUP.SO WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A REDUCTION IN THEIR BUDGET FUND BALANCE FOR FIELD SERVICES.
UM, CURRENTLY THAT FUND BALANCE IS AT 7.9 MILLION AND BELOW THAT ARE LISTED THE, THE FIELD SERVICES NEEDS OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
STREET AND TRAFFIC MAINTENANCE, UH, 5.7 MILLION.
AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE HAVE $2.6 MILLION WORTH OF CONCRETE STREET REPAIRS IDENTIFIED.
SO PART OF THAT WILL GO TOWARDS MAKING THOSE REPAIRS.
AND WE'VE ALREADY BEEN DOING THAT THIS, THIS CURRENT YEAR.
WE'VE, WE'VE, WE WILL HAVE SPENT A MILLION DOLLARS THIS YEAR DOING THOSE KIND OF REPAIRS.
THE WORK THAT'S GOING ON AT KELLY JUST SOUTH OF 33RD ARE THESE FUNDS.
UH, THAT'S ONE OF THE LARGER PROJECTS THAT THEY'RE DOING.
UM, 3 MILLION OF THIS WILL GO TO SUPPLEMENT THE CITY COUNTY INTERLOCAL AGREEMENTS.
THE SECTION LINE ROAD REBUILDS THAT WE'RE DOING CURRENTLY.
ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS ARE FUNDED FROM THE STREET AND ALLEY FUND.
THAT FUND ONLY GENERATES ABOUT 800,000 OR SO A YEAR.
AND A PROJECT RIGHT NOW, A MILE PROJECT IS COSTING US ABOUT 700,000.
SO, UH, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH FUNDS THERE FOR US TO KEEP UP AT THAT PACE.
WE'VE BEEN USING THE FUND BALANCE IN THE STREET, NATALIE FUND TO SUPPLEMENT THAT.
BUT THAT IS GONNA RUN OUT QUICKLY AS WE, AS WE CONTINUE TO DO THESE PROJECTS.
FACILITY EXPANSION, THAT IS FOR THE CROSS TIMBERS EXPANSION, PHASE TWO THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IN THE PAST.
UH, THAT'S VEHICLE WASH EQUIPMENT, WASH STATIONS, THAT'S NEW EQUIPMENT SHEDS.
UH, THAT'S SOME LAY DOWN AREAS FOR THE OUTDOOR STORAGE FOR EDMOND ELECTRIC.
UM, AND THEN SOME OTHER MINOR THINGS AT OUR FACILITY.
WATER SYSTEM REPAIRS, AGAIN, THAT'S PRIMARILY FOR LEAKS.
UH, AND THEN THE WATER SYSTEM REPAIRS WE TALKED ABOUT AS WELL.
AND THEN STREET MAINTENANCE, SHORTFALLS AND EMERGENCIES, JUST KEEPING SOME MONEY IN THERE FOR JUST NON, UM, DEBRIS RELATED, UM, EVENTS.
NOW, WHY ARE WE SPENDING THIS NOW AS OPPOSED TO IT HAVING BEEN IN, IN THE, IN, IN THE FUND BALANCE.
WHEN I FIRST CAME HERE, ALL OF THE DEBRIS MANAGEMENT, STORM DEBRIS MANAGEMENT EVENTS WERE MANAGED THROUGH THE STREET DEPARTMENT.
AND SO THE FUNDING WOULD COME OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND FOR THAT.
WE REALIZE THAT THIS IS A CURBSIDE, UM, SERVICE THAT WE PROVIDE WHEN WE GO AND PICK UP DEBRIS THAT'S, THAT'S BEEN IN AS A RESULT OF A STORM.
THOSE FUNDS SHOULD BE COMING OUTTA THE SOLID WASTE FUND.
THAT'S A, THAT'S A FUNCTION THAT SOLID WASTE SHOULD BE PROVIDING.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE FUNDS AT THE TIME.
THEY DID NOT HAVE THE MANPOWER TO GO OUT AND DO THE COLLECTION IF, IF, IF IT WAS A SMALL ENOUGH EVENT.
SO THE STREET DEPARTMENT WOULD ALWAYS GO OUT AND DO THAT.
SO WE HAVE MOVED THAT RESPONSIBILITY INTO THE SOLID WASTE, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A FEW MINUTES.
BUT THAT'S, THAT'S WHY WE'RE ABLE TO TAKE THESE FUNDS NOW AND USE THOSE FOR THE PURPOSE THEY WERE INTENDED INSTEAD OF HOLD THEM.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? OKAY.
UH, OF COURSE THEY PROVIDE AD ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT TO THE DEPARTMENTS THAT COMPRISE EDMOND PUBLIC WORKS.
UH, THEIR FUNDING SOURCE IS ALLOCATIONS TO THOSE DEPARTMENTS.
UM, ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS, JUST SOMETHING JUST FOR YOU TO KNOW THAT THEY FIELD OVER 28,000 PHONE CALLS A YEAR, UH, AND THEY COMPLETE OVER 70,000 WORK ORDERS IN A YEAR.
UM, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES INCREASED WORKLOAD DUE DUE TO STAFFING LEVEL INCREASES IN THE OTHER PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENTS.
AND THAT'S PRIMARILY THE METER SERVICES GROUP THAT'S ADDING 15 POSITIONS IN AND ALL THE WORK THAT THEY DO, ALL OF THEIR, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES, ALL OF THE SUPPORT THAT THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO PROVIDE FOR THAT GROUP THAT THEY ARE CURRENTLY DOING.
SO THE INCREASE THAT YOU SEE IN THE PUBLIC WORKS ADMIN BUDGET, THE 174,000 IN THE PERSONNEL THAT IS TO FUND TWO FULL-TIME AND ONE PART-TIME POSITION THAT WE HAVE REQUESTED, UH, TO HELP, UH, MANAGE THAT WORKLOAD THAT WE'RE SEEING.
UH, AND SO THAT INCREASED THEIR TOTAL BUDGET OVER LAST YEAR FROM 1.2 TO 1.3 MILLION SOLID WASTE.
SO CORE SERVICE FOR SOLID WASTE IS TO PROVIDE RELIABLE RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL SOLID WASTE SERVICES AT A REASONABLE COST.
AND OF COURSE, THE FUNDING SOURCE, UH, SOLID WASTE IS AN ENTERPRISE FUND.
[00:35:01]
HIGHLIGHTS, UH, APPROXIMATELY 41,000 RESIDENTIAL ACCOUNTS.OVER 54,000 CARTS ARE SERVICED WEEKLY.
AND THAT'S IN NINE TO 10 ROUTES.
UH, DEPENDING ON WHICH DAY IT IS.
OVER 5,000 COMMERCIAL ACCOUNTS, APPROXIMATELY 1400 CONTAINERS OUT THAT WE CURRENTLY SERVICE IN MARCH.
OUR ENTIRE, OUR SOLID WASTE FLEET DROVE 19,600 MILES.
CHALLENGES FOR SOLID WASTE IS INCREASED EXPENSES.
YOU KNOW, TRUCKS ARE CRAZY, UH, USED TO A TRUCK YOU COULD GET FOR 270, 200 80,000, UH, THEY'RE ALMOST 400,000 FOR THAT SAME TRUCK.
UM, AND EQUIPMENT'S THE SAME, UM, EQUIPMENT LEAD TIMES CAN BE MULTIPLE YEARS.
YOU KNOW, THE TRUCKS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, IF WE'VE GOT THE FUNDS TO BUY 'EM, THE TRUCKS BEING AVAILABLE IS ANOTHER CHALLENGE THAT WE'RE SEEING IN THAT, IN THAT AREA.
AND THEN REPLACEMENT PART AVAILABILITY IS ALSO PART OF THAT.
WE, WE, MANY YEARS AGO, WE SPLIT THE SOLID WASTE BUDGET UP INTO SEVERAL DIFFERENT CATEGORIES SO THAT WE COULD BETTER TRACK EXPENSES AND KNOW HOW WE WERE DOING IN EACH OF THOSE CATEGORIES.
SO IN THE COMMERCIAL BUDGET, UH, THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT OF CHANGE.
UH, OVER LAST YEAR AND OVER THIS YEAR, ABOUT 65,000 TOTAL, UH, FROM LAST YEAR OVER TO THIS YEAR.
UH, $2.8 MILLION BUDGET RESIDENTIAL THE SAME, UH, ABOUT 116,000 TOTAL, UH, FROM 6.7 MILLION THE PREVIOUS YEAR TO 6.9 MILLION THIS YEAR OR THE COMING YEAR.
THE ROLL OFF IS, IS JUST KIND OF A PASS THROUGH AT IT.
WE, WE PROVIDE ROLL OFF SERVICE TO CITY DEPARTMENTS SO THAT, UH, AND I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT OUR RESIDENTIAL AND OUR COMMERCIAL SOLID WASTE ARE THE ONES THAT GENERATE THE REVENUE.
UH, THESE, THESE OTHER THREE THAT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT, UH, THEY EAT THE REVENUE, UH, THEIR, THEIR EXPENSE.
UH, WE, WE COVER THEIR EXPENSES THROUGH THE RESIDENTIAL AND THE COMMERCIAL, THE RECYCLING.
OF COURSE, WE, WE, UH, RENEWED THAT CONTRACT, UH, LAST YEAR.
UM, AND THAT WAS A SLIGHT INCREASE IN THE COST FOR THE RECYCLING.
SO THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE THERE IN THE, IN THE INCREASE FOR THAT, THAT IS A PASS THROUGH.
UM, WE DO, WE DO MAKE A LITTLE BIT ON THE FIRST TWO OR THREE YEARS AND THEN, THEN WE LOSE ON THE LAST YEAR OR TWO YEARS OF THE CON OF THE CONTRACT.
SO IT ENDS UP BREAKING ABOUT EVEN AFTER THE FIVE YEARS.
AND THEN SOLID WASTE ADMINISTRATION, UH, JUST SOME SLIGHT CHANGES THERE.
AND AS A RESULT OF SALARY CHANGES, SOLID WASTE, TOTAL BUDGET, WE HAVE A $400,000 INCREASE FROM THIS YEAR OVER LAST YEAR.
WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT $12.1 MILLION, UH, BUDGET FOR FY 25 FOR ALL OF THE SOLID WASTE SERVICES.
SO THE SOLID WASTE FUND BALANCE, THE CURRENT FUND BALANCE IS 11,000, 11 POINT, OR 11.7 MILLION.
UM, UNFUNDED STORM RESERVE, AS WE TALKED ABOUT OUR, WE'VE MOVED THIS FUNCTION INTO SOLID WASTE.
THEY NOW ARE GOING TO ACCOUNT FOR THE FUNDING.
SHOULD WE HAVE AN ICE STORM LIKE WE HAD IN 2020, UH, THOSE FUNDS WILL COME OUT OF THIS AND HOPEFULLY WE'D GET REIMBURSED BY FEMA AND THEY'D GET 'EM BACK.
BUT IF THEY DIDN'T, OR IF WE HAVE A DELAY IN GETTING THOSE FUNDS LIKE WE DID THIS LAST TIME, IT TOOK US THREE YEARS TO GET, GET REIMBURSED FROM THOSE FUNDS.
UH, SO SOLID WASTE WILL TAKE ON THE BRUNT OF THAT EXPENSE.
UM, WHEN WE LOOK BACK THE LAST 20 YEARS WITH STORMS THAT RATED A FEMA EVENT, WE PROBABLY AVERAGE ABOUT $5 MILLION IN EXPENSE FOR ONE OF THOSE EVENTS.
UM, WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN, A DEBRIS MANAGEMENT PLAN, AND IN THAT PLAN IT TELLS US, IT DICTATES AT WHAT LEVEL OF RESPONSE.
WE WILL RESPOND DEPENDING ON WHAT, HOW IT IMPACT THE EVENT IMPACTS THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE PRETTY MUCH ARE GONNA GO PICK IT UP IF, IF IT REACHES THAT, WHAT WE CALL A LEVEL THREE RESPONSE, WE'RE GONNA PICK IT UP AT NO CHARGE AT THE CURB.
AND SO THAT, THAT HAS TO BE FUNDED.
AND THIS IS, THIS IS WHERE WE'LL BE FUNDING THAT GOING FORWARD.
UM, FACILITY EXPANSION, THIS IS PRIMARILY, WE, WE TALKED A MINUTE AGO ABOUT THE CROSS TIMBERS EXPANSION.
THE BIGGEST PART OF THAT IS SOLID WASTE SHARE IN FUNDING THAT EXPANSION.
WE'RE ALSO GOT SOME FUNDS IN THERE.
UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT A SECOND RECYCLE CENTER.
UM, WE'VE, UH, I THINK GLEN MENTIONED THE PROPERTY THAT WE PURCHASED OVER AT BOULEVARD AND COFFEE CREEK THERE SOUTH OF COFFEE CREEK.
WE HAVE, UH, FIVE ACRES OF THAT PROPERTY HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED FOR THIS
[00:40:01]
FACILITY.UM, SO WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING SOME FACT FINDING ON WHAT WE WANT TO, TO DO AT THIS FACILITY.
UH, WE ARE LEANING TOWARD THIS FACILITY BEING MANNED, UH, YOU KNOW, DURING OP OPERATIONAL HOURS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE TEND TO GET DUMPED ON A LOT, A LOT OF ILLEGAL DUMPING AT THESE RECYCLE PLACES IF WE DON'T HAVE SOMEONE THERE.
UH, WE HAVE PEOPLE FROM OUTSIDE OF THE CITY THAT COME IN AND DUMP.
AND SO GIVE US BETTER CONTROL.
AND THEN THERE'S SOME, SOME OTHER SERVICES THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO OFFER AT THIS ONE THAT WE DON'T HAVE AT THE CURRENT SITE.
SO THAT'S, SOME OF THOSE FUNDS WILL BE EARMARKED FOR THAT.
UH, ROUTE TRUCK ADDITIONS, 1.7 MILLION.
AGAIN, THE TRUCKS ARE CRAZY EXPENSIVE WHEN YOU CAN FIND THEM.
UH, AND WE HAVE SOME SUPPORT TRUCKS, SOME PICKUPS AND THINGS LIKE THAT THAT WE'RE GONNA BE ADDING TO THE FLEET.
UH, SO TRUCK ADDITIONS ARE NOT BUDGETED.
I MEAN ARE PART, PART OF THAT IS BUDGETED, BUT THIS IS THE OVERAGE.
WE ARE GONNA BE ADDING A COUPLE OF ROUTES TO OUR SOLID WASTE RESIDENTIAL BECAUSE OF THE GROWTH, ESPECIALLY OUT EAST.
AND SO IN ANTICIPATION OF THOSE ROUTES COMING ONLINE, WE'LL HAVE TO PURCHASE NEW TRUCKS.
WE HAVE A FLEET MANAGEMENT THAT IS, IS FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF EXISTING VEHICLES, BUT THE DEPARTMENT HAS TO FUND THE INITIAL PURCHASE AND THEN THEY PAY IN THE LEASE AND THEN WE REPLACE IT AT THE APPOINTED TIME.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE A 1.9 MILLION, WHICH IS 90 DAYS OF OPERATING EXPENSES FOR THE SOLID WASTE ON A $12 MILLION EXPENSE BUDGET.
UM, AND THEN CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS, UH, RELATED TO OUR TRANSFER, OUR SOLID WASTE TRANSFER AGREEMENT OF 7.3 MILLION.
SO A TOTAL NEEDS OF 17.2 MILLION.
UM, WE'RE NOT GONNA GET THERE.
UM, WE'RE NOT GONNA GET THERE ANYTIME SOON.
IN FACT, WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME DEFICIT IN THE OUTER YEARS OF THIS FIVE YEAR.
WE'RE GONNA BE HEADING INTO SOME DEFICIT BECAUSE OF EXPENSES BEING WHAT THEY ARE.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE OUR, OUR SOLID WASTE FUND BALANCE IS CURRENTLY.
ANY QUESTIONS ON ANY MORE QUESTIONS ON THAT? DO WE KNOW WHEN THE FACILITY EXPANSION IS PLANNED TO TAKE PLACE? WELL, WE HAVE THE DESIGN AND THE PERMITS AND EVERYTHING READY FOR THE VEHICLE WASH PART OF IT, UM, THAT IS SCHEDULED TO GO OUT TO BID OR LET ME CHANGE THAT.
IT WAS SCHEDULED TO GO OUT TO BED AT ANY TIME, BUT WE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF AN ACCIDENT AT OUR TRUCK WASH FACILITY A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO WHEN IT WAS DAMAGED.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE CAR WASH WAS GOING TO BE ATTACHED TO THE END OF THE BUILDING.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DESIGN A REPAIR FOR THAT AND THEN DO THE CONSTRUCTION OF ALL THAT AT THE SAME TIME.
SO IT'S GONNA DELAY IT FOR A LITTLE BIT.
BUT, UH, WE HOPE TO GET OUT TO BID FOR EVERYTHING IN EARLY SUMMER AND THEN THE CONSTRUCTION, IT SHOULDN'T TAKE PROBABLY 90 DAYS, MAYBE.
AND SO THE HOPE THOUGH IS THAT THE 4.8 MILLION THAT'S BUDGETED FOR UNFUNDED STORM RESERVE WOULD BE REIMBURSED? CORRECT.
SO SOMETHING THAT IF WE GET ALL OF IT.
OUR, ON OUR LAST FEMA EVENT THAT WE HAD, UH, TOOK THREE YEARS FOR US TO GET THE MONEY BACK, HOW MUCH WAS THAT? IT WAS AN $11 MILLION COST.
AND I THINK WE GOT 10 POINT SOMETHING BACK ON IT.
VERY EXPENSIVE STORM IN OUR VEHICLE MAINTENANCE.
UM, A NEWEST ADDITION TO OUR FLEET THAT IS NOT A OLD SCHOOL PHOTO.
THAT'S, THAT'S ACTUALLY A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.
THEY GET TO WORK ON ABOUT EVERYTHING.
UM, OF COURSE, THEIR CORE SERVICE IS TO MAINTAIN THE CITY'S FLEET OF OVER 700 UNITS AND TO MANAGE PROCUREMENT OF NEW AND REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT AND VEHICLES.
UH, IT'S A, FOR THE VEHICLE MAINTENANCE SIDE OF IT IS A DIRECT BILL.
UH, THEIR CURRENT RATE IS $105 AN HOUR, UH, WHICH IS MUCH LESS THAN ANY, ANY, ANY SHOP YOU'LL FIND ANYWHERE AROUND.
UM, UH, IS THIS THE CHIEF'S NEW CAR? THAT'S THE CHIEF'S NEW CAR, YES.
WE FORGOT TO PUT CHIEF UNDERNEATH THERE, BUT YEAH, WE DIDN'T ORDER AIR CONDITIONING EITHER.
AND IT DOESN'T HAVE AIR CONDITIONING.
WE JUST GOT WINDOWS,
BUT, UH, WHEN A DEPARTMENT BUYS A A VEHICLE FOR THE FIRST TIME, IT'S A NEW VEHICLE, UH, THEN THEY FUND THAT PURCHASE.
UH, THEN WE TAKE WHATEVER THAT PURCHASE AMOUNT IS, WE DIVIDE THAT OUT OVER HOW MANY YEARS THAT THEY'RE GONNA HAVE THAT VEHICLE IN SERVICE.
IT'S TYPICALLY 10 TO 12 YEARS, AND WE ADD AN INFLATION
[00:45:01]
CALCULATOR ONTO THAT, AND THEN THEY PAY A, A ANNUAL LEASE FOR EACH ONE OF THOSE PIECES OF EQUIPMENT.AND SO WHEN THAT PIECE OF EQUIPMENT COMES DUE FOR REPLACEMENT, THE FUNDS ARE THERE.
NOW, INFLATION HAS REALLY, UH, HURT US THIS PAST COUPLE OF YEARS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE COST OF BUYING EQUIPMENT, WE, WE NOBODY PURSUE THE KIND OF INFLATION THAT WE'VE SEEN.
SO, UH, THE DEPARTMENTS HAVE HAD TO EITHER EXTEND THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLES OR THEY'VE HAD TO FUND ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO GO IN AND, AND, AND REPLACE SOME OF THOSE HIGHLIGHTS.
WE ARE A-A-A-S-A BLUE, A SC BLUE SEAL FACILITY.
UH, WE HAVE THREE MASTER E VTS, THAT'S EMERGENCY VEHICLE TECHNICIANS.
UH, THAT'S FOR THE FIRE TRUCKS PRIMARILY.
UM, IN ORDER TO HAVE A BLUE SEAL FACILITY, 75% OF OUR TECHNICIANS HAVE TO BE EE, UM, A SC CERTIFIED.
AND SO THEY ARE, UM, CHALLENGE OF COURSE, UH, CITY FLEET HAS OUTGROWN FACILITIES AND THAT'S ANOTHER PART OF THE FACILITY EXPANSION THAT WE'LL BE LOOKING AT AS PROBABLY A PHASE THREE.
UH, ONCE PHASE TWO IS COMPLETE, WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT SOME WAY OF EXPANDING THE VEHICLE MAINTENANCE BECAUSE IT WE'RE OUR FLEET OF COURSE, OF 700 UNITS AND THAT'S GOING TO GROW FROM THERE.
AND WE HAVE SEVEN TECHNICIANS AND WORKSPACE OF, YOU KNOW, FOR THEM WE NEED TO, WE NEED MORE, UH, FLOOR SPACE FOR THOSE GUYS, FOR OUR A SC UH, TECHNICIAN, FOR OUR TECHNICIANS IN, IN GENERAL.
UH, WHEN WE HIRE, IF THEY ALREADY HAVE 'EM, THAT'S GREAT, BUT IF THEY DON'T, WE SEND THEM TO SCHOOL TO GET YES.
UH, YES, CERTIFIED AND THEIR, THEIR PAY IS BASED ON THOSE CERTIFICATIONS, SO WE'RE ABLE TO PAY THEM, UH, THE MORE CERTIFICATIONS THEY'RE ABLE TO OBTAIN THEM, MORE PAY THEY MAKE.
SO AS WE LOOK INTO THE FUTURE, UNFORTUNATELY, OR FORTUNATELY, SOME WILL SAY THAT OUR CARS ARE TRYING TO GET SMARTER OUT THERE WITH ALL THESE, UH, BASICALLY IT'S A COMPUTER WITH FOUR WHEELS ON IT OR MAYBE MORE AND ALL THAT.
IS THAT ALSO GONNA BE ANOTHER CHALLENGE FOR YOU ALL AS I'M ASSUMING THAT THESE VEHICLES MIGHT START GETTING SMARTER TOO? YES, AND, AND WE'VE SEEN OUR SUBLET COSTS GO WAY UP AND THAT'S THE COST THAT WE PAY TYPICALLY FOR WARRANTY WORK.
BUT WE PAY OUT OTHER, UH, REPAIRS THAT WE HAVE TO, TO SEND THEM OUT TO THE DEALERSHIPS TO REPAIR BECAUSE SOME OF 'EM REQUIRE SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT THAT WOULD COST US A FORTUNE TO PURCHASE AND IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO PURCHASE THAT FOR ONE OR TWO VEHICLES.
SO, WE'LL, WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THAT SUBLET INCREASE AND, AND A LOT OF IT'S TIED TO THAT, THE TECHNOLOGY.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT EVEN TALKING, TALKING ABOUT THE ELECTRIC VEHICLES.
WHEN ALL OF THAT STARTS TO REALLY COME ON STRONG, THEN, THEN THAT'S GONNA BE ANOTHER CHALLENGE THAT WE'RE GOING TO DEAL WITH.
THE VEHICLE MAINTENANCE BUDGET IS SAW A SLIGHT INCREASE, AND THAT'S PRIMARILY, UH, EQUIPMENT SUPPLIES AND AGAIN, INFLATION, THE PARTS ARE, ARE CRAZY EXPENSIVE, UH, FOR OUR, FOR OUR EQUIPMENT NOW AND VEHICLES, IT ALWAYS HAS BEEN, BUT IT'S EVEN MORE NOW.
STREET AND ALLEY FUND, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT WHILE AGO.
THIS IS GENERATED THROUGH THAT GO OIL AND GAS TAX.
UM, AND SO OUR CURRENT FUND BALANCE IN THAT ACCOUNT IS 1.7 MILLION.
WE'VE BEEN DIPPING INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT EACH YEAR TO FUND THE CITY COUNTY PROJECTS.
THIS, THE COUNTY CAN ONLY DO THREE MILES, THREE, TWO LANE MILES OF ROAD A YEAR.
UH, THEIR BUDGETS, THEY, THEY CAN'T FRONT THE MONEY BECAUSE THEY HAVE OTHER, THE OTHER, OTHER PROJECTS THAT THAT MONEY HAS TO BE ALLOCATED TOWARD.
AND THEN THEIR, THEIR, UM, STAFF HAS OTHER PROJECTS THAT THEY HAVE TO WORK ON, SO THEY CAN ONLY DO ABOUT THREE MILES A YEAR FOR US.
AND SO, BUT FUNDING THOSE, UM, WE, WE START GETTING INTO THAT, DIPPING INTO THAT FUND BALANCE.
SO THE NEXT, SO THE AVAILABLE PROJECT FUNDING, UM, WITH THE FUND BALANCE AND WHAT WE PROJECT TO COME IN OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, WHICH IS ROUGHLY ABOUT 800,000 A YEAR, A LITTLE OVER 800,000 A YEAR, WE'LL HAVE A TOTAL OF $6 MILLION AVAILABLE TO FUND PROJECTS FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
UH, THE TOTAL ESTIMATED COST OF THOSE PROJECTS IS 7.3 MILLION.
UH, AND I'LL, I'LL SHOW YOU THE PROJECT LIST OR MAP HERE IN A SECOND.
SO WE'RE, YOU CAN SEE WE'RE AT A DEFICIT OF $1.2 MILLION FOR THIS NEXT FIVE YEARS.
SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE GONNA USE THE 3 MILLION IN THE FIELD SERVICES FUND BALANCE TO HELP SUPPLEMENT THAT AND, AND TO HELP US GET MORE OF THOSE ROADS BUILT OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
WE'RE DOING THIS PRIMARILY EAST OF I 35.
[00:50:01]
OF OUR INVENTORY OF THESE TYPE ROADS IS.WE HAVE SOME, UH, WEST OF I 35, BUT MAJORITY OF IT IS EAST OF I 35.
UM, LET YOU LOOK, THIS IS OUR PROJECT MAP, AND AGAIN, I APOLOGIZE FOR, THIS IS SOMETIMES HARD TO READ, BUT THE DASHED LINES ARE THOSE THAT WE HAVE SCHEDULED FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
NOW THE WAY WE DECIDE WHAT ROAD GETS REBUILT, THERE'S SEVERAL THINGS THAT WE LOOK AT.
THE FIRST THING WE LOOK AT IS THE RATING FROM THE LAST ASSESSMENT, WHICH WAS IN 2012.
SO WE TAKE THAT, WE LOOK AT THAT, AND THEN WE LOOK AT THE ADTS, THE AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC FOR THAT PARTICULAR ROADWAY.
AND THEN WE LOOK AT, OKAY, WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE AREA WHERE THAT ROAD IS AT.
UM, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF HOME DEVELOPMENT GOING ON IN THE AREA.
UM, WE HAVE THE SEWER PLANT OR THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT EXPANSION GOING ON.
WE'VE HAD DANFORTH BETWEEN MIDWEST AND DOUGLAS AND THEN MIDWEST BETWEEN DANFORTH AND COVE ON THE BOOKS FOR A LONG TIME.
BUT WE'VE HAD TO PUSH THAT OFF BECAUSE OF THE PLAN EXPANSION.
WE DIDN'T WANT TO GET IN THEIR WAY AND WE DIDN'T WANT THEM TEARING UP OUR NEW ROAD, SO WE HAD TO PUSH THOSE BACK.
AND SO WE MOVED THOSE AROUND AS WE SEE FIT.
BUT, UM, WE TRY TO STICK WITH, WITH THIS PLAN, WE'VE GOT ABOUT $15 MILLION WORTH OF THOSE TYPE OF ROAD PROJECTS.
AND IT, ONCE WE, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD GET EVERYTHING ADDRESSED EAST OF I 35.
THAT IS A SECTION LINE TWO LANE ROAD.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING THERE, BUT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S A SLOW, IT'S A SLOW CLIMB UNTIL IT'S TIME TO START OVER AGAIN.
WELL, AND THEN, AND THEN WE'LL START OVER AGAIN.
WELL, THAT'S JUST ON THE EAST SIDE.
ON THE WEST SIDE, WE ARE ALREADY STARTING TO SEE FOUNDATION BASE LAYERS FALLING OUT.
SO, AND SOMETHING OUR, UH, COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT WE WERE DISCUSSING, UM, IN A MEETING A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, THEY HAVE PURCHASED A MILLING MACHINE NOW, NOW THEY HAVE THE CAPABILITY OF MILLING A ROADWAY.
SO IF, IF IT'S A ROAD THAT, THAT THE BASE IS IN GOOD SHAPE, LIKE SOME OF THESE THAT YOU MENTIONED MAYOR, THAT WE JUST NEED TO RESURFACE, THEN, THEN THEY, THEY'RE GONNA HELP US WITH SOME OF THOSE AND THAT'LL BE THE THINGS THAT WE GO BACK.
COUNCILPERSON PETERSON, ONCE WE'VE GOTTEN EVERYTHING REBUILT, THEN WE CAN MILL AND OVERLAY THOSE AND NOT HAVE TO COMPLETELY REBUILD THEM.
AND THE COST WOULD BE MUCH, MUCH LESS TO DO THAT IF YOU CATCH 'EM BEFORE IT GETS TO THE BUS, IF WE CATCH 'EM BEFORE THEY GET TO THAT STAGE.
SORRY,
YOUR, I APPRECIATE THE, UM, SERVICE THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING.
UM, WE HAVE A LOT IN ARREARS THAT NEED TO NEED TO BE FIXED AND THAT WE HAVE A LOT IN THE FUTURE THAT WE HAVE TO DO.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL? NO.
I LIKE TO WATCH THAT NUMBER, JUST KIND OF KEEP IT THERE.
[4. Presentation and Discussion of Fiscal Year 2024-25 Water Resources Budget.]
FOR, YOU DIDN'T THINK YOU CAN LIVE WITHOUT POWER.YOU DIDN'T THINK YOU CAN LIVE WITHOUT ROADS, BUT YOU DEFINITELY CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT THIS GUY.
OH, I, I THINK YOU COULD
CHRIS KNIFING, DIRECTOR OF WATER RESOURCES.
I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT ALL THE FUN STUFF WE'RE DOING.
MAINLY KEEPING WATER IN THE WATER SYSTEM EVEN WHEN PIPES BLOW UP.
AND, UM, HOPEFULLY NOBODY REALLY KNEW WHAT HAPPENED, BUT PROBABLY NOTICED A LITTLE DIPPING PRESSURE.
UM, JUST TO GIVE YOU A QUICK BUDGET OVERVIEW AND, AND WHAT, WHAT WE DO AND WHAT WE FUND OUT OF, UH, THE, I GUESS THE OPERATING BUDGET OUT OF WATER RESOURCES.
UH, WE HAVE 50 FTE FULL-TIME EQUIVALENTS.
UH, CURRENTLY WE'RE, WE'RE DOWN TO ONE LAST PERSON, UH, THAT WE NEED TO HIRE, STILL LOOKING FOR THAT PERSON.
SO AT ONE TIME WE WERE FIVE, UH, OPEN.
IT'S, IT'S A CHALLENGE TO GET NEW PEOPLE.
UH, WE'VE GOT ONE POSITION REQUESTED FOR THIS YEAR.
IT'S AN INSTRUMENTATION TECHNICIAN.
AS WE START BRINGING ON, UH, SOME OF OUR NEW FACILITIES, UH, FUTURE MAINTENANCE INSTRUMENTATION TECHNICIANS, THAT'S GONNA BE THE, THE BULK OF OUR NEEDS COMING UP AS WE START BRINGING MORE AND MORE ONLINE.
UM, THE OLD FACILITIES WERE A LOT SMALLER.
NEW FACILITIES HAVE A LOT MORE EQUIPMENT, SO IT'LL TAKE A LOT MORE TO MAINTAIN 'EM.
AND WITH THE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT IS BEING INVESTED, WE DON'T WANT TO LET THAT INVESTMENT
[00:55:01]
GO.SO, UH, WATER FUND, UH, UNDER THAT IS THE WATER PLANT BUDGET.
SO OPERATIONS, MAINTENANCE, LABORATORY WATER WELLS.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE I'LL HIGHLIGHT FOR KEITH, AND HE DID IT TOO, THE, THE WATERLINE MAINTENANCE TRANSFER, UH, THEN WASTEWATER FUND IS THE, THE WHARF WATER RESOURCE RECOVERY, SEWER PLANT, WASTEWATER PLANT, WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL IT TODAY.
UH, THE OPERATION MAINTENANCE FOR THAT.
AND THEN LABORATORY AND THEN, UH, FIELD SERVICES, UH, WASTEWATER LINE MAINTENANCE.
JUST A QUICK HIGHLIGHT ON THE ORG CHART FOR, UH, I REALIZE IT'S KIND OF HARD TO READ IN HERE, BUT, UM, IT'S GROWN A LOT.
UM, BEEN IN THIS POSITION NOW 12 YEARS AND WE WERE AT 32, UH, WHEN I STARTED.
AND WE'VE GROWN AND, UH, ARE ABLE TO HANDLE THESE PROJECTS.
SOME, YOU KNOW, SOME CHALLENGES ALONG THE WAY WITH THE GROWTH THAT WE'VE HAD, BUT DOING GOOD.
AND THEN THE NEW INSTRUMENTATION TECHNICIAN, UM, WHERE THAT WOULD FIT IN THE ORG CHART.
UH, WHERE'S THE REVENUE COME FROM? UH, WATER RATES, WASTEWATER RATES, CAPACITY FEES.
AND THEN OF THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, AS INTEREST RATES HAVE COME UP, WE'RE ACTUALLY EARNING INTEREST, UH, IN A DECENT AMOUNT OF INTEREST, UM, ENOUGH TO COUNT HIS REVENUES AT THIS POINT.
AND THAT'S HELPING, UM, DECREASE THE INCREASES, UM, THAT, THAT'S A FUNNY WAY TO SAY IT, BUT LESSING THE NEED FOR IT.
THE HIGHER OUR FUND BALANCE AND THE MORE INTEREST WE CAN EARN, THE MORE WE CAN OFFSET THOSE COSTS.
AND SO WE LEVERAGE ALL THE CASH THAT WE CAN.
UH, WATER RESOURCES, PROJECTS, FUNDING, UH, LARGE PROJECTS.
WE'VE TYPICALLY DONE REVENUE BONDS LIKE THE COFFEE CREEK WASTEWATER, UH, PROJECT, UH, STATE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
WE UTILIZE THAT ON THE INTAKE AND SECOND PHASE OF THE WATER PLANT AND STATE REVOLVING FUND LOANS, HAVE SEVERAL OF THOSE.
UM, DON'T, WE'LL HAVE A GOOD MIX ON, UH, STATE RE REVOLVING FUND.
WE'RE GONNA BE CAREFUL HOW WE USE IT MOVING FORWARD JUST BECAUSE A LOT OF NEW FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE ON IT.
SO, UM, AND THEN CASH FUNDING FOR, UH, REOCCURRING CAPITAL ITEMS LIKE WATER, SEWER, LINE REPLACEMENTS AND, UH, LARGE EQUIPMENT.
SECOND PHASE OF THE WATER PLANT UNDERWAY.
IT'S ACTUALLY THE, THE TWO BIG CLEAR WELLS IN THE MIDDLE.
THOSE ACTUALLY HAVE A ROOF ON 'EM NOW THAT WAS POURED LAST WEEK, SO THAT'S NEAT.
UH, ALRIGHT, SO WATER FUND REVENUE FFY 24, THE YEAR WE'RE IN NOW, FORECAST OF 44.2 MILLION CAPACITY FEES, ABOUT 814,000 VERSUS 777 LAST YEAR.
SO NOT A LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY.
UM, EVEN WITH THE VARIATION IN COST, IT'S NOT A BIG SWING IN REVENUES.
AND SO ANYTHING THAT WE COUNT TOWARDS ONGOING REVENUE FOR DEBT SERVICE, UH, WE WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S FAIRLY STABLE, UH, JUST BECAUSE IF WE GET IN A BIG PATTERN OF UPS AND DOWNS, IT'S A LOT MORE DIFFICULT TO HANDLE.
SO, UH, WATER FUND EXPENSES, 45.5 MILLION, UH, IN TOTAL EXPENSES.
THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE THE LARGE CAPITAL PROJECTS, THAT'S JUST OPERATIONS MAINTENANCE DOES INCLUDE DEBT SERVICE.
UM, BUT THE WAY OUR PROJECTS, IF WE LOOK IN THE BUDGET, THEY SHOW UP IN THE BUDGET, UH, DURING THE YEAR, BUT THEY DO NOT AFTERWARDS.
AND YOU, JARED AND KATHY AND I HAVE FUN WITH THIS CONVERSATION, BUT, UH, IT'S CONFUSING TO LOOK AT.
WE DON'T NEED IT EXTRA CONFUSING, SO WE'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT THE PORTION THAT IS ACTUAL COST THIS YEAR, SO OH, OKAY.
YOU, YOU WERE GIVING ME THE LOOK.
HE'S LIKE, WHAT IS HE EVEN TALKING ABOUT ANYMORE?
UM, SO PERSONNEL COSTS JUST FOR THE, UH, WATER PLANT AND WATER WELLS ON THE WATER FUND, 3.3 MILLION.
UM, LIKE I'VE SAID IN THE PAST, WE SPLIT THE MAINTENANCE LABORATORY AND ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS BETWEEN THE, UH, WASTEWATER AND WATER BUDGET.
SO THEY'RE ALLOCATED, YOU KNOW, BASED ON AMOUNT OF TIME, BUT GENERALLY 50 50 ISH,
[01:00:02]
UH, SUPPLIES AND SERVICES, 7.1 MILLION.UM, I HIGHLIGHTED A COUPLE LARGE EXPENSES THIS YEAR.
CHEMICAL COST, UH, WE HAD BUDGETED ONE LITTLE OVER A MILLION AND LAST YEAR WAS 640,000.
SO QUITE A BIT OF INCREASE AND WE'LL SEE WHERE IT SHAKES OUT DEPENDING ON, UH, ACTUAL WATER TREATED AND HOW MANY MORE CONTINGENCY EVENTS WE GET DECLARED ON US, SOMETIMES THAT TRIPLES THE COST.
UM, OKLAHOMA CITY WATER, SLIGHT INCREASE, UH, FROM LAST YEAR.
UH, LOGAN COUNTY ROYALTIES, UH, FOR OUR SETTLEMENT.
UH, 377,000 ESTIMATE VERSUS TWO 11 LAST YEAR.
AND THAT'S JUST BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF WATER CELLS AND WATER REVENUE IN THAT, UM, SERVICE AREA THAT WE, UM, DID.
AND THEN RIGHT OF AWAY EASE FEES, THE 1.5 MILLION BACK TO GENERAL FUND, OTHER EXPENSES UM, 5 MILLION DEBT EXPENSE FOR 23 AND 16 MILLION FOR 24.
UM, 2 MILLION AND WATERLINE MAINTENANCE, 4.3 OR 5.7, I BELIEVE.
IS THAT WHAT THIS DEAL WAS? YEAH.
UH, CURRENT, ONGOING, LARGE PROJECTS.
UH, THIS DOESN'T INCLUDE OUR REHABILITATION PROJECTS, BUT, UH, 33RD WATER TOWER, 9.8 MILLION.
THEY'RE ABOUT READY TO FILL IT UP.
WE, THAT WAS OUR FIRST PROJECT TO DO AN EARLY COMPLETION INCENTIVE ON SEEMS TO BE WORKING.
THE, THE, UH, LIQUIDATED DAMAGES DON'T WORK, BUT WE FOUND THAT INCENTIVES DO WORK.
SO IF THEY CAN GET A PROJECT DONE ON TIME THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT FINISHING ABOUT SIX MONTHS AHEAD, SO THAT'LL BE GREAT.
THEY'RE, UM, THAT'S 66 MILLION SCHEDULED FOR FEBRUARY OF 26.
UH, THEY'RE ACTUALLY TUNNELING OUT ON THE LOWEST INTAKE, UH, AS WE SPEAK.
AND THEN, UH, THEY'LL BE ABOVE GRADE AND START BUILDING THE PUMP STATION.
UH, WATER PLANT OH ONE B, YOUR SECOND PHASE, THE ONE THAT WAS IN THE PICTURE EARLIER.
UM, AND SCHEDULE THE FINISH IN FEBRUARY OF 27TH.
UM, 41 MILLION, UH, FOR FY 25, THAT'S OUR REVENUES, UM, SLIGHTLY LESS, AND THAT'S JUST BASED ON WATER SALES.
WE HAVE UPS AND DOWNS WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S LITTLE LESS RAIN, LITTLE MORE RAIN, YOU KNOW, IT VARIES OUR REVENUE AND THAT'S JUST HOW THAT'S GONNA BE.
UH, RATE INCREASE SCHEDULE FOR NOVEMBER 24 AT 3%.
AND, UH, PRIMARY DRIVER FOR SMALLER, SMALLER INCREMENTAL INCREASES.
I DID FIND A WAY TO SAY THAT, RIGHT.
UM,
AND THEN, UM, LARGEST DRIVER FOR THE RATE INCREASES IS CAPITAL AND DEBT EXPENSE.
AND THEN THE WATER FUND EXPENSES 41.7 MILLION.
AND THIS, UH, BREAKDOWN, UM, OF THE EXPENSES IN THERE, INCLUDING THE NEW POSITION, UH, SERVICES AND SUPPLIES, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE JUST WENT OVER.
UM, NO DRASTIC CHANGES IN THERE.
UPCOMING PROJECTS CURRENTLY IN DESIGN.
UH, MORE WATER WELLS IF WE CAN GET 'EM PERMITTED.
UH, COLLEGE WATER TOWER, UH, 33RD STREET WATERLINE, THAT'S FROM I 35 TO CLOSE TO THE BROADWAY.
AND THEN THE THIRD PHASE OF THE WATER PLANT CONSTRUCTION, OR LAST PHASE, UH, AS WE'LL CALL IT.
UH, NORTHEAST TOWER, THAT'S AROUND SORGHUM MILL AND DOUGLAS.
AND THEN ONGOING REHABILITATION.
WE'RE READY TO BID HOPEFULLY IN JUNE, JUNE OR JULY, UH, WITH THE MAIN OH THREE AND TENO TWO, THAT'S THE TRANSMISSION LINES AND WATER STORAGE TANKS, UH, FOR THE WATER PLANT, FROM WATER PLANT TO I 35.
AND THEN FIVE YEAR OUTLOOK, UH, LEAD SERVICE LINE INVENTORY AND REPLACEMENTS.
WE'RE STILL GOING THROUGH THAT STUDY AND, UH, LOOKING AT THAT, AND OF COURSE, WATER LINE REHAB WILL BE ONGOING.
[01:05:01]
OKAY.UM, IT'S ACTUALLY LOOKING A LITTLE MORE DONE THAN THAT NOW.
OUR FORECASTED REVENUES 27.5 MILLION FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR.
AND THEN CAPACITY FEES ESTIMATED A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN LAST YEAR, NOT A LOT.
AND THEN, UM, EXPENSES 29.4 MILLION AND PERSONNEL COSTS, UH, QUITE A BIT LOWER ON THE WASTEWATER SIDE, BUT THERE'S, UM, IT'S JUST, UH, A DIFFERENT TYPE OF OPERATION.
SO, UH, SOME OF OUR HIGHLIGHTED EXPENSES ARE, UH, INCREASED POWER COSTS, AND THAT'S NOT BECAUSE OF GLEN, IT'S BECAUSE WE KEEP BRINGING MORE STUFF ONLINE.
UM, OUR UV IS SCHEDULED TO GO ONLINE PROBABLY EACH JULY.
IF IF ALL GOES WELL, WE'RE IN THE TESTING PHASE WITH THAT, GETTING IT COMMISSIONED, UH, SLEDGE HAULING THAT WAS FINISHING UP OUR OLD PROCESS, STARTING WITH OUR NEW, AND THEN RIGHT AWAY USE FEES.
UM, DEBT EXPENSES PRETTY LARGE, BUT MOSTLY FIXED AT THIS POINT.
AND THEN, UH, ADMIN ALLOCATIONS AND WASTEWATER AND LINE MAINTENANCE.
THE BIG PROJECT WITH THIS FUND IS THE ONGOING 171 MILLION THAT STARTED ABOUT SIX YEARS AGO, AND IT'S GETTING CLOSE.
THEY'RE POURING A LOT OF SIDEWALKS AND CART PATHS AND HOPEFULLY GET SOME SIDE DOWN AND MAKE EVERYBODY HAPPY.
PROPOSED BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR, 27 MILLION IN REVENUE.
UH, RATE INCREASES AT 2%, UM, AND THEN FOR YEARS, 24 THROUGH 26, UM, ADOPTED 2% AND PRIMARILY THE SAME DRIVERS, UH, FOR THE INCREASES.
AND THEN, UM, WASTEWATER FUND EXPENSES SLIGHTLY EXCEEDING THE REVENUES, AND THAT'S JUST SPENDING DOWN SOME OF THE RESERVE BALANCE.
SO, UH, NE NEXT YEAR PERSONNEL COSTS SLIGHTLY INCREASED, AND THAT'S AGAIN, BASED ON THE INSTRUMENTATION, TECH AND THEN, UH, SERVICES AND SUPPLIES.
IT'S, IT'S ALL FAIRLY CONSISTENT.
SLUDGE, HAULING'S, THE BIG NUMBER THAT WENT DOWN FOR THIS BUDGET.
UM, AND WE'RE STILL KINDA GETTING IN THE GROOVE WITH OUR NEW PROCESSES.
AND SO OVER THE NEXT YEAR WE'LL HAVE SOME GOOD DATA AND CAN MAKE BETTER DECISIONS MOVING FORWARD ON HOW WE SPEND THESE FUNDS, UH, THAT EXPENSE AROUND THE SAME, UH, CURRENTLY IN DESIGN.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF PROJECTS IN THE BACKLOG HERE.
UM, DIFFERENT PHASES OF INTERCEPTORS, AND THESE ARE ALL LARGE DIAMETER LINES.
AND THEN SOME, UM, REHABILITATION UPGRADES AT THE PLANT.
UM, 10 YEARS AGO WHEN WE STARTED DESIGN ON THE PLANT THAT'S UNDER CONSTRUCTION, WE DIDN'T THINK THAT WE'D ACTUALLY BE DOING REHABILITATION OF SOME OF THE STRUCTURES IN THE MIDDLE OF CONSTRUCTION ON THIS PHASE, BUT THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT, UH, LOOKING AT POTENTIAL OFFICE EXPANSION, UM, JUST DEPENDING ON HOW WE SHUFFLE AROUND AND, UH, MOVE LIKE ENGINEERING AND SOME OTHER FUNCTIONS IN THE SAME BUILDING WITH US.
THERE'S A LOT OF, A LOT OF GOOD THINGS THAT HAPPEN WHEN WE'RE ALL TOGETHER AND WE'RE STARTING TO GET SPREAD BACK OUT.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, IT'S SURPRISING.
UM, THEN DOING SOME LIFT STATION REHABILITATIONS ODOR CONTROL, THAT'S ONE OF OUR BIG COMPLAINTS ON WASTEWATER.
WE DIDN'T PUT THE WASTEWATER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN THE HOUSE MOVE AROUND, IT, IT WASN'T A PROBLEM UNTIL PEOPLE CAN, UH, NOTICE IT.
AND THEN ONCE THEY DO, WE JUST FIND A WAY TO TAKE CARE OF IT.
SO STRATEGIC PLANNING, UH, LEAD SERVICE LINE AND REALLY, YOU KNOW, THIS GOES INTO OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS, NEW, NEW REGULATIONS AND COMPLYING WITH THOSE.
AND THEN THINGS THAT WERE AREN'T EVEN ON OUR HORIZON THAT'LL POP UP IN FIVE YEARS AND WE'LL JUST HAVE TO COMPLY WITH IT.
UH, OUR, ONE OF OUR KEY PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT SOME OTHERS TO PUT OUT THERE FOR EVERYBODY, BUT, UH, TREATMENT EFFECTIVENESS GOAL.
THIS IS HOW OFTEN IS YOUR WATER SAFE TO DRINK? WELL, A HUNDRED PERCENT IS OUR GOAL, AND THAT'S, THERE'S NO OTHER GOAL TO HAVE FOR US.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN HAVE LESS THAN THAT.
AND THERE, UNFORTUNATELY, THERE'S A LOT OF SYSTEMS THAT DO, AND, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANNA BE ONE OF THOSE.
SO, AND THEN MAINTAINING OUR EXISTING AND NEW INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, TARGETING 75% PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE AND GENERALLY WE'RE WELL AHEAD OF THAT EVEN NOW.
[01:10:01]
OPPORTUNITIES, UM, INCREASED TULSA WATER CELLS.UM, AND THEN ON THE OTHER END OF THINGS, AND ON NEXT SLIDE IS SAME THING WITH WASTEWATER BECAUSE THEY ARE GOOD REVENUE GENERATORS.
I PUT SOLAR, UM, DEFINITELY WANNA LOOK INTO THAT.
AND THEN ELIMINATION OF THE OKLAHOMA CITY WATER CONNECTION, STILL LOOKING AT FY 29 FOR THAT.
UM, WE WILL KNOW ONCE WE GET OUT TO BID ON THE LAST PHASE OF THE WATER PLANT AND WHAT THAT TIMING'S GONNA LOOK LIKE.
AND THEN THREATS, OBVIOUSLY NEW REGULATIONS.
UM, AND THEN INFLATION, CONSTRUCTION COST, OBVIOUSLY WE'VE, WE'VE ALL DEALT WITH THAT ONE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE WANNA STAY IN COMPLIANCE ALL THE TIME.
ONSITE GENERATION STILL SOMETHING WE WANNA LOOK AT.
THEN, UM, UH, WHOLESALE WASTEWATER AGREEMENTS, UM, LIKE WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING LATELY.
AND THEN, UM, THREATS, OBVIOUSLY NEW REGULATIONS, YOU KNOW, THEY JUST SPRING UP ON US, SO, OKAY.
JUST TRYING TO MAKE THAT AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE.
ANY QUESTIONS? I DON'T, I DO, UH, OH.
JUST LIKE THE WITH, UH, PUBLIC WORKS AND THE, UH, CARS GETTING SMARTER AND ALL THAT.
THIS TECHNOLOGY THAT WE'RE STARTING TO INCORPORATE OUT HERE, I'M JUST LOOKING AND WITH ALL OF THE UNKNOWNS FROM THE FEDERAL, WITH THE NEW REQUIREMENTS COMING OUT FOR CHEMICALS THAT HAVEN'T EVEN BEEN DEVELOPED YET, BUT WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA HAVE TO COME SOME WAY TO PROTECT US FROM THAT.
HOW DO, DOES THAT, CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW THAT'S GONNA AFFECT PERSONNEL? BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THIS IS JUST YOUR AVERAGE WATER TECHNICIAN OUT THERE NOW.
AND THAT, THAT'S THE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OFFICE EXPANSION, WE'VE HAD TO RETHINK OUR WHOLE BUSINESS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST WHAT WE DO ON THE TECHNICAL END, BUT IT'S HOW WE TALK TO CUSTOMERS AND REACH OUT AND, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S A MARKETING FUNCTION OR AN ENGINEERING FUNCTION, IT'S, IT'S HAVING TO, WE'RE ON THAT BREAK OVER EDGE WHERE WE WERE A SMALL UTILITY AND NOW WE'RE A LARGE UTILITY.
AND SO CHANGING OUR FOCUS TO, TO LOOK BROADER BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, HITTING THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND MARK, IT PUTS US IN A WHOLE NEW REGULATORY REQUIREMENT AND MM-HMM,
AND THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S OUR CHALLENGE AS WE MOVE FORWARD, IS KEEPING UP WITH ALL THESE THINGS AND THEN, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY NOT OVERLOADING OUR STAFF, WHICH WE'VE DONE QUITE A BIT.
WE THOUGHT WE'D BE DONE A LOT EARLIER AND WE JUST HAVE A FEW YEARS WHERE IT'S REALLY CHAOTIC.
AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, I'M SEVEN YEARS INTO SOME OF THESE PROJECTS AND IT, IT'S A LOT OF FUN, BUT IT IS A LOT OF WORK FOR OUR STAFF.
SO YEAH, IT RELYING ON CONSULTANTS TO A POINT, BUT, UM, CONSULTANTS, OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE TRYING TO MAKE MONEY AND, YOU KNOW, GOOD FOR THEM, BUT WE WANNA ALSO PROTECT OUR DOLLARS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE EFFICIENT WITH THE USE OF THEM SO THAT, THAT WILL BE A CHALLENGE.
CHRIS, CAN YOU JUST GIVE US AN UPDATE? I KNOW YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SLUDGE HAULING, 'CAUSE YOU NOW YOU'RE CHANGING FROM THE LAGOON SYSTEM OUT THERE.
WHAT'S BEEN THE RESPONSE, IF ANYTHING FROM THE SURROUNDING AREAS, HAVE, HAVE THEY APPRECIATED THAT, THAT CHANGE OVER? I DON'T KNOW THAT ANYBODY'S SAID THEY APPRECIATE IT.
SO
IT'S SO, IF, IF THEY, IF WE NO LONGER EXIST THAN WE'RE DOING OUR JOB MM-HMM.
SO WE CAN BE IN THE MIDDLE OF A WHOLE BUNCH OF NEIGHBORHOODS AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY'RE YEAH.
AND THAT'S TRULY THE INTENT WITH IT.
AND IT WAS PURPOSEFUL DESIGN, ESPECIALLY WITH STEVE BEHIND ME IS, YOU KNOW, PUT A LOT OF THOUGHT INTO BEING NEIGHBOR FRIENDLY.
APPRECIATE, JUST LIKE WITH EVERYBODY ELSE.
ALRIGHT, SO THAT WAS THE THREE.
UH, PUT YOUR BALLOTS IN THE BOX AS YOU WALK OUT ON WHO WON THE BATTLE OF THE SERVICES.
UH, APPRECIATE YOU ALL WHAT YOU DO EACH AND EVERY DAY.
[01:15:01]
YOU'RE ONE OF THE PILLARS THAT HELP EVAN BE WHAT EVAN IS.ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL STAFF? ANY OTHER COMMENTS? WELL, I WILL CALL THIS SPECIAL WORKSHOP ADJOURN.