HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 7b. 2024 Public Works Maintenance Division Staffing Study Item 7b
Department: 6
Cost Center: 5000
For Agenda of: 1/14/2025
Placement: Business
Estimated Time: 30 Minutes
FROM: Matt Horn, Public Works Director
Prepared By: Greg Cruce, Deputy Director of Public Works – Maintenance Operations
SUBJECT: PRESENT THE 2024 PUBLIC WORKS MAINTENANCE DIVISION
STAFFING STUDY
RECOMMENDATION
Receive and file the 2024 Public Works Maintenance Division staffing study final report
(Attachment B).
POLICY CONTEXT
During the 2023-25 budget setting process, the City Council set four Major City Goals,
which included: 1. Climate Action, Open Space & Sustainable Transportation, 2. Diversity,
Equity and Inclusion (DEI), 3. Economic Resiliency, Cultural Vitality and Fiscal
Sustainability, and 4. Housing and Homelessness. The scope of services completed by
the Public Works Maintenance Division is extensive and plays an integral part of all Major
City Goals.
DISCUSSION
Background
The Public Works Department is one of ten departments within the City and has 116 full -
time and supplemental staff members. The department has three separate divisions:
Engineering, Maintenance Operations, and Mobility Services. The Public Works
Maintenance Division (Maintenance Division) is the largest division within the department
and consists of 53 staff members. The Maintenance Division is responsible for
maintenance and repair of City facilities, fleet assets, parks and landscaped areas, and
all City-owned infrastructure within the public right-of-way, which includes streets,
streetlights, traffic signals, sidewalks, signs, furnishings, and trees. In addition to regular
preventative and reactive maintenance, the division supports a wide array of sp ecial
events and City emergencies throughout the year on a planned and unplanned basis.
The division is also responsible for managing clean ups of encampments and abandoned
trash in the public-right-of-way, City parks and City facilities. This work is completed by
seven separate operating programs within the division: Facilities Maintenance, Fleet
Maintenance, Parks Maintenance, Streets and Sidewalk Maintenance, Signals and
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Item 7b
Streetlight Maintenance, Swim Center Maintenance, and Urban Forest Services.
Over the past five years, the City has experienced considerable growth in residential and
commercial development, resulting in additional infrastructure maintenance needs. For
example, new parks are often required as part of a larger residential development , which
necessitate added maintenance services to maintain the new parks. Additionally, the
passage of Measure G-20 in the 2020 November general election increased the local
sales tax revenue in the City by an additional 1% (from 0.5% to 1.5%), enabling the City
to deliver a larger capital plan annually, expanding the City’s maintenance needs. Lastly,
implementation of new technology such as AskSLO, sustainability goals, and addressing
homelessness and community expectations are resulting in a higher level of maintenance
needs.
As the roles, responsibilities, and expectations of the Maintenance Division have
increased in the past five years, department leadership has explored structural changes
within the division and evaluated methods of service delivery to meet the changing and
dynamic environment. The purpose of this Council discussion is to provide a current
overview of the City’s different maintenance programs, a recently completed assessment
of the Maintenance Division by consulting firm Baker Tilly, and their recommendations on
immediate resource augmentation priorities. Staff further invite City Council comments,
questions, and general input on the Public Works Maintenance Division.
Attachment A provides the current context for the Maintenance Division in detail and an
overview of the Baker Tilly report. This supplemental report includes an overview of the
major maintenance functions, historic staffing levels, current challenges and
opportunities, as well as immediate and long-term needs.
Attachment B is the resource report provided by Baker Tilly. Their assessment was
supported by review of relevant City documents and work order data, interviews of City
staff and key stakeholders, and review of peer city data review and maintenance best
management practices.
Baker Tilly considered the current context and analy zed all the data to form 24
recommendations. The recommendations fall into five major categories:
Organizational Structure and Staffing
Performance Measurement/Management
Technology and Tools
Service Level Agreements
Strategic Communication
Several of their recommendations are minor in cost (staff time primarily), such as
evaluating the need for future resources as new assets like parks come online in the
future, developing performance measurements, and improving communications and
expectations with regard to the online tool Ask SLO.
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Item 7b
Other recommendations are more resource heavy. Those come in the form of
recommendations for additional staffing. The table below outlines Bake r Tilly’s
recommendations for immediate staffing additions. (Some of the recommendations have
already been implemented).
Baker Tilly Recommended Immediate FTE Needs
Priority Program Request Annual Cost
1 Fleet Lead Mechanic*1 $100,447
2 PW Admin Maintenance Superintendent (2 FTE)** N/A
3 Parks Parks Crew Coordinator** N/A
4 Facilities Facilities Technician* $92,325
5 Fleet Fleet Specialist (Half Time to Full Time)* $41,223
6 PW Admin Business Analyst $119,828
Total $353,823
* Request titles that are appended by an asterisk (*) indicate the request is considered
internal services and support work efforts from different departments and programs within
the City. These positions result in partial reimbursement to the General Fund for work
that is specific to the Parking, Sewer and Water Enterprise funds.
** The addition of two superintendents was recommended to enhance operations, long -
range planning, and overall management support. These positions were added at the
2024-25 Supplemental Budget, with one Superintendent managing the Parks
Maintenance and Urban Forestry Programs and the other overseeing Streets
Maintenance, Signals and Streetlight Programs. The new management layer will also aid
with succession planning and opportunities for staff advancement. One Parks Crew
Coordinator position was also created in the 2024-25 Supplemental Budget, utilizing
existing financial resources to not increase the department’s overall budget.
Previous Council or Advisory Body Action
The City had a third party conduct an organizational assessment of the Public Works
Department as a whole in 2011, which included an analysis of the Maintenance Division
as part of the work.
Public Engagement
Engagement work for this resources report was focused on City Management,
Department Directors and Deputy Directors, and Maintenance Supervisors. External
engagement was completed with the Downtown SLO CEO as a frequent stakeholder in
maintenance activities and downtown partner.
CONCURRENCE
1 The Lead Mechanic job description does not currently exist; the anticipated expense was used from
similar positions in the City’s salary schedule.
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Item 7b
The staffing study final report has been shared with the Human Resources and Finance
Departments.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The California Environmental Quality Act does not apply to the recommended action in
this report, because the action does not constit ute a “Project” under CEQA Guidelines
Sec. 15378.
FISCAL IMPACT
Budgeted: No Budget Year: 2025-2033
Funding Identified: No
Fiscal Analysis:
Funding
Sources
Total Budget
Available
Current
Funding
Request
Remaining
Balance
Annual
Ongoing
Cost
General Fund $ $ $ $
State
Federal
Fees
Other:
Total $TBD $TBD $ $TBD
The implementation of new positions will have a fiscal impact to the City. The exact impact
is unknown at this time as it will vary depending on the number of positions added and
hired and the cadence at which they are hired. Included as Attachment C to th is report
are three different options for phased implementation of th e Baker Tilly report’s
recommendations as well as ongoing costs. It should be noted that future costs shown
in future years will need to be escalated with the appropriate inflationary in dex.
ALTERNATIVES
Council could decide to not receive and file the staffing study. This action is not
recommended by staff as the staffing study provides an updated, comprehensive
department analysis and identifies areas for procedural and staffing impro vements.
ATTACHMENTS
A - Maintenance Division Overview
B - Baker Tilly Resources Report
C - Phased Resource Implementation Options
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ATTACHMENT A
MAINTENANCE DIVISION ORGANIZATIONAL REVIEW UPDATE
(Supplement to the 2024 Baker Tilly Resource Report)
BACKGROUND
In June 2023, Baker Tilly a consulting firm that focuses on municipal needs related to
executive support, organizational enhancements, performance and process
improvements, and strategic planning began work on a Maintenance Division
Organizational Review for the City of San Luis Obispo’s Public Works Department. That
update was completed, and a report was submitted to the City on May 14, 2024 and is
included as an attachment to the staff report.
The roles, responsibilities, and expectations of the Maintenance Division within the Public
Works Department have increased in the past five years, causing department leadership
to explore structural changes within the division and evaluate methods of service delivery
to meet the changing and dynamic environment.
This report is based upon information gathered from a re source review completed by the
consulting firm Baker Tilly and provides additional background and, as appropriate,
recommendations for the Department’s future resource planning based on Baker Tilly’s
analysis.
Part 1: Maintenance Division and Resource Assessment Introduction
Division Overview and Project Approach
The Public Works Department is one of ten departments within the City and has 116 full -
time and supplemental staff members. The department has three separate divisions:
Engineering, Maintenance Operations, and Mobility Services. The Public Works
Maintenance Division (PWMD) is the largest division within the department and consists
of 53 staff members. The PWMD is responsible for maintenance and repair of City
facilities, fleet assets, parks and landscaped areas, and all City-owned infrastructure
within the public right-of-way, which includes streets, streetlights, traffic signals,
sidewalks, signs, furnishings, and trees. In addition to regular preventative and reactive
maintenance, the division supports a wide array of special events and City emergencies
throughout the year on a planned and unplanned basis. The division is also responsible
for managing homeless encampment clean ups and abandoned trash in the public-right-
of-way, City parks and City facilities. This work is completed by seven separate operating
programs within the PWMD: Facilities Maintenance, Fleet Maintenance, Parks
Maintenance, Streets and Sidewalk Maintenance, Signals and Streetlight Maintenance,
Swim Center Maintenance, and Urban Forest Services.
Over the past five years, the City has experienced considerable growth in residential and
commercial development, resulting in additional infrastructure maintenance needs. For
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Document
Review
Key
Stakeholder
Interviews
Peer
Agencies
Comparison
Best
Management
Practices
example, new parks are often required as part of a larger residential development, which
necessitate added maintenance services to maintain the new parks. Additionally, the
passage of Measure G-20 in the 2020 November general election increased the local
sales tax revenue in the City by an additional 1% (from 0.5% to 1.5%), which is allowing
the City to deliver a larger capital plan annually, expanding the City’s maintenance needs.
Lastly, implementation of new technology, sustainability goals, and addressing
homelessness and community expectations are resulting in a higher level of maintenance
needs.
To address this, the department contracted with Baker Tilly, a local government
consulting firm, to perform an organizational assessment of the PWMD. The assessment
was focused on the Maintenance Division’s organizational structure, work practices, and
staffing levels to ensure the division is contributing to a clean, safe, and beautiful SLO.
In preparation to provide the final report and recommendations to the City, Baker Tilly’s
primary areas of focus were:
Summary of Findings
Baker Tilly reviewed the local survey data and comparative analysis with other cities to
develop 24 different recommendations, which fit into three themes:
A comprehensive explanation of the recommendations can be found in the consultant’s
report (Attachment B to the staff report) and will be discussed below at a high level. Within
the 2024-25 Supplemental Budget, the department was able to implement some
recommendations that did not increase the department’s overall budget. These recent
organizational changes will be discussed in this section with specific staffing positions
being covered in Part 2 of this attachment.
Organizational Structure and Staffing
One of the critical challenges facing the PWMD is the span of control in certain programs
is rather broad. While there is no universal ideal number of direct reports, the ratio in the
Parks and Streets Maintenance Programs is large with the supervisor managing 15 direct
reports. This has led to many staff working independently and on different complex tasks
without sufficient supervision. The ratio within the programs results in overburdened
supervisors, which impact the programs’ ability to allocate adequate attention to strategic
planning, process improvements, and performance management.
Organizational
Structure and
Staffing
Performance
Measures
Technology and
Tools
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The PWMD has a relatively flat structure, with five maintenance supervisors reporti ng to
the Deputy Director – Maintenance Operations. Additionally, not all of the programs have
the support of Maintenance Coordinators (a position in between front-line staff and
supervisors), which hinders effective management oversight of the operations . The
addition of two superintendents was recommended to enhance operations, long -range
planning, and overall management support. These positions were added at the 2024 -25
Supplemental Budget, with one Superintendent managing the Parks Maintenance and
Urban Forestry Programs and the other overseeing Streets Maintenance, Signals and
Streetlight Programs. The new management layer will also aid with succession planning
and opportunities for staff advancement.
Capital projects implemented by the City gene rally require an increased level of
maintenance, but additional resources are not always available to support this need.
Baker Tilly recommends that an analysis of maintenance resources and requirements be
reviewed and discussed prior to implementing new work programs and the investment
into new City assets (such as parks and facilities). While this work does occur currently,
the level of detail and depth of analysis varies from project to project.
The assessment includes multiple recommendations specific to Parks Maintenance
staffing aside from creating new positions. These recommendations are targeted to
increase efficiencies, which include:
Create a maintenance plan for the parks system and update the plan as new parks
come on-line. The program has individual maintenance plans for select parks, but
many are outdated, and the current staffing capacity does not allow for th e
continual update to these documents.
Assign a Parks Maintenance Specialist to respond to impacts related to
homelessness and vandalism within the parks. Adding an FTE position to address
these impacts such as vandalism, trash, graffiti, and encampments in the City’s
parks would allow this need to be addressed without re-tasking a Parks
Maintenance Specialist from their assigned duties. While this workload would vary,
it is thought this person could also address recycling trash collections in the parks
system as a recycling program in all parks continues to be a community priority.
Evaluate dividing the parks into sections and utilize a team-based approach to
parks maintenance. This maintenance approach is common in mid to larger sized
municipalities for maintaining parks. The City’s current model has an assigned
staff member to specific parks to complete all maintenance. This has proven
effective by allowing the staff member to become more familiar with the facilities
they maintain and the community members who frequent the facilities. Staff
recommends continuing with the site-specific Parks Specialist approach as the
benefits of having staff familiar with all aspects of the facility, including the
community who use them is greater than the benefits of a team -based approach.
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Evaluate the consolidation of golf maintenance with parks maintenance.
Currently, maintenance of the Laguna Lake Golf Course is managed by the Parks
and Recreation Department. Staff have had discussions about the consolidation,
and these conversations will continue as appropriate.
Baker Tilly also recommends that maintenance programs increase t he use of contract
services for reoccurring routine tasks, such as mowing of turf and cleaning of downtown
sidewalks for cleanliness. Due to the amount of time spent on these tasks by current
staff, increasing contract services in these areas would be a good value for the City and
allow staff to focus on higher level tasks within their current scope and job descriptions.
Performance Measures
Performance Measurement is an important tool for evaluating service effectiveness and
efficiency. This is done through continuous data collection and reporting on selected
services and programs. When the PWMD first implemented its asset management
software, CityWorks, each program supervisor was responsible for the implementation,
which resulted in an inconsistent approach. Prior to the assessment of Baker Tilly, staff
identified this issue and has been working to create consistency among the different
maintenance programs. More work is needed in this area and staff is evaluating how best
to use existing resources to complete the day-to-day work and focus on and complete
higher-level tasks, strategic planning, which would include a comprehensive performance
measure reporting system.
Technology and Tools
In 2022, the City launched an online (website and smartphone app formats) resident
engagement platform, known as “Ask SLO”. This program is very popular with the
community with nearly 2,000 requests in the first year of service. The popularity continued
to grow in the second year with over 2,200 requests submitted to the Public Works
Department alone, with approximately 80% of those requests assigned to PWMD
programs. This high volume of work orders has strained PWMDs capa city and required
staff to prioritize requests based on type. This can cause angst by the reporting party
and a perception the City has forgotten about the request. The division continues to refine
the use of Ask SLO with standard responses qualifying requests that include:
Notification that a work order has been assigned to the appropriate program .
Notification that the work order has been completed, and the issue is resolved.
The work requested is part of a routine work program with links to schedules a nd
details on the work program.
The request is not within the City’s jurisdiction and the appropriate agency has
been notified.
The repairs are the responsibility of the private property owner, and the City has
noticed the responsible party.
The PWMD provides service to both internal and external customers. Internal customers
are typically other departments, programs or staff that work within the City organization
and external customers are the community the City organization services. Service Level
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Agreements (SLAs) are formal agreements between a service provider (PWMD) and an
internal customer group, in this case, other departments and programs within the City.
SLAs are an effective way to define the expected level of service by outlining the specific
services provided to the customer. The PWMD has implemented multiple SLAs with
various City departments. This has proven an effective way for maintenance programs
to focus on core services first ahead of other requests that may be unique or outside the
program’s typical work parameters as resources permit. The division could benefit from
implementing additional SLAs and intends to do so as capacity grows.
Part 2: Overview of the Public Works Maintenance Division Programs
Part 2 of this supplemental report includes an overview of each of the Maintenance
Division Programs. Each section includes recommendations made by Baker Tilly, with a
focus on the immediate resource needs. Baker Tilly alludes to the need to perform an
evaluation of long-term needs, in several of their recommendations, when contemplating
new capital projects and new assets.
Facilities Maintenance & Swim Center Maintenance
The Facilities Maintenance Program consist of two programs, Facilities and the Swim
Center.
Programs Description
The Facilities Maintenance Program provides interior and exterior maintenance services
for most City building types, except for the Treatment Plants, Pump Stations, Parking
Garages, Transit Yard, Parks Restrooms, Laguna Lake Golf Course, and City Adobes.
The program oversees unplanned repairs to existing building features such as roofs,
ceilings, walls, floors, doors, windows, plumbing, electrical systems, Hayworth systems
furniture, security and fire alarm systems and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning
systems (HVAC). The program also oversees planned and budgeted minor capital
improvement projects related to building maintenance that are not costly or complex
enough to require engineering oversight, as well as contract services for HVA C, janitorial
services, fire suppression, limited first aid kit service, elevator inspection, alarm
monitoring and testing, sprinkler system testing and certification, and pest control.
The Swim Center Maintenance Program maintains the swimming/diving poo l and the
therapy pool including all water treatment and mechanical equipment in compliance with
Health Department Standards. Additionally, this program oversees the two bathhouses
and swim deck area. These facilities are located at the pool complex located at
Sinsheimer Park and referred to as the SLO Swim Center.
Core Services & Objectives
Maintain the aquatic facilities in a clean, safe, and efficient manner
Provides skilled maintenance and specialized technical services
Oversee contract maintenance services
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Operates the aquatic facilities in compliance with Health Department Regulatory
requirements
Maintain City buildings in a clean, safe, and efficient manner
Provides skilled maintenance and specialized technical services
Oversee contract maintenance services
Provides technical support and consultation services for building improvements
Recommendations
Each of the two Facilities Maintenance Programs has
a specific operating budget; however, roles and
responsibilities are similar and the five technicians
often cross program lines to assist with completing
the work as both programs are managed by the same
supervisor. The Programs are currently responsible
for maintaining approximately 238,000 square feet of
City facilities and two pools. The current mechanical,
security, and electrical systems within the facilities
are becoming increasingly more complex, requiring
an increased workload for the program.
Baker Tilly is recommending one additional full-time
Facilities Aid to assist the program completing the
lower-level technical work, which will allow the senior
technicians to focus on more complex work and
provide an opportunity for proper training of complex
mechanical systems as the new technician gains
experience. The division transitioned to Skills Based
Pay in 2015, with a single job description and nine
steps, depending on skill level. The recommended Facilities Aid would be comparable to
a Facilities Maintenance Technician, step 1, which staff has included in the
recommendations.
Facilities Maintenance Program has maintained the same staffing levels since 1998.
Since that time the program has added the following facilities: Public Safety Dispatch
Center, Fire Department Museum and Warehouse, 919 Palm Offices, Corp Yard
Warehouse, Therapy Pool, Railroad Museum, and the new Police facility at 1106 Walnut.
Facilities Maintenance Historic Program Staffing Levels
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5
Historic Work Order Count
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 1021 1365 1308 1174 1026 1202 1228 1188 1372 1649 1656
Resources
Existing Recommended
1 – Supervisor 1 - FTE Facilities Maintenance Aid
5 – Facilities Technicians
0.5 – Supplemental Pool Aid
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Fleet Maintenance
Programs Description
The Fleet Services Program is responsible for the procurement, disposal, maintenance
and repairs of all City vehicles and construction equipment except those used in the
Transit Program and Fire Department.
Core Services & Objectives
Provides a safe and reliable City fleet balancing maintenance and capital costs
Provides comprehensive support for Police fleet asset maintenance and repair
Responsible for safeguarding and disposal of automotive waste material stored at
the Corporation Yard
Provides specialized maintenance and fabrication services
Completes vehicle procurement and disposal
Completes reporting for State and Federal regulatory programs
Completes fuel purchasing
Maintains fuel dispensing station, EV chargers, and vehicle wash facility at the
Corp Yard
Recommendations
The current inventory consists of approximately 300
assets, which are maintained by three mechanics,
one supervisor, and one half-time fleet specialist.
The total number of assets maintained by the
program has risen over the years with the addition of
more vehicles and equipment to meet increased
service demands by other programs and
departments. Industry standard for municipalities is
one mechanic per 55-60 assets, in addition to support
staff such as management, service writers, and
administrative assistants.
Fleet Maintenance provides core backbone services
to other programs and departments throughout City
operations that require vehicles and heavy equipment
to complete work. Fleet staff is routinely called upon
throughout the day to assist with breakdowns, dead
batteries, trailer/equipment issues, warning lights,
and other issues that must be prioritized in order to
keep customer operations efficient and productive.
Baker Tilly is recommending that a lead mechanic and a mechanic helper position be
added to fleet. Staff supports the recommendation of the Lead Mechanic and is proposing
increasing the current half-time Fleet Specialist to full-time and adding a half-time Intern
position in lieu of the Mechanic Helper, which will result in similar cost, and increase
support for the program. Increasing the Fleet Specialist to full-time will assist in recruiting
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and retaining a qualified employee as well as ensure mechanics work is scheduled
appropriately and staff has the parts needed to complete their work.
Fleet Maintenance Historic Program Staffing Levels
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
3.5 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 5 5 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5
Historic Work Order Count1
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 794 1385 1368 1262 1290 1075 1514
Resources
Existing Recommended
1 – Supervisor 1 – Lead Mechanic
3 – Fleet Mechanics 1 – Mechanic Helper
0.5 – Fleet Specialist
Parks Maintenance
Program Overview
The Park Maintenance Program maintains City parks and landscaped areas and
oversees contract services for janitorial maintenance of restrooms and park buildings and
landscape maintenance of smaller parks and medians.
Core Services & Objectives
Provides the community with safe park facilities
Partner with the Parks and Recreation Department to provide venues for
recreational programs and services
Provides maintenance of park and other landscaped areas
Provides special event support
Recommendations
1 AssetWorks, the current fleet software was implemented in 2017, statistical data prior to this was not
available.
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Parks Maintenance current inventory of facilities is
26 parks and nearly 100 landscaped locations
throughout the City, all of which are maintained by
10 Specialists. The Specialists, who maintain
anywhere from one to four facilities depending on
size, are supported by a Crew Coordinator,
Beautification Gardener, Technician, Supervisor,
and Superintendent. Additional facilities in the
Righetti and Avila Ranch Developments are
currently in design. Upon completion, it will
ultimately increase the number of parks to 35 in the
next several years. It should be noted that the Avila
Ranch Parks, North Broad Street Park, and Righetti
Ranch Parks were not considered for the staffing
recommendations by Baker Tilly. The Avila Ranch
Development has six additional facilities planned
within the development, including a sport complex,
and additional resources will be needed to maintain
these parks. As designs are finalized with all
amenities included, staff will have a better
understanding of the overall resource need. The
Community Services District funds for Avila Ranch will be recommended for use to fund
the maintenance costs of these facilities.
Baker Tilly’s report recommends adding a Maintenance Superintendent and a second
Crew Coordinator to the program. The existing Crew Coordinator splits their time
between supporting field staff and performing technical work such as electrical, plumbing,
and locksmithing. Adding a Parks Technician position in lieu of a second Crew
Coordinator was the preferred approach for staff and will allow the current Coordinator to
solely focus on crew support, while the Parks Technician will spend their time on technical
repairs within the parks. The program was successful in adding two recommended
positions during the 2024-25 Supplemental Budget process, one Maintenance
Superintendent and a Parks Maintenance Technician which is already showing positive
results.
Parks Maintenance Historic Program Staffing Levels
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
9 9 9 9 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 13 15 16
Historic Work Order Count
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 1260 7481 8547 9373 8497 6154 3526 3109 2245 4827 5245 5531
Resources
Existing Recommended
1 – Superintendent (shared with Urban Forest) Completed
1 – Supervisor
1 – Crew Coordinator
1 – Beautification Gardener
1 – Parks Technician
10 – Parks Specialist
6 – Supplemental Staff
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Urban Forestry
Program Description
The Urban Forestry Program maintains the urban forest located in the public right-of-way
and park areas by pruning, removing, replacing, and planting trees.
Core Services & Objectives
Provide and maintains a sustainable urban forest to increase neighborhood
wellness, increase carbon sequestration to mitigate impacts of climate change,
and provides aesthetic and other quality of life improvements to the community
Maintains the City’s inventory of publicly owned and maintained trees within streets
and parks
Recommendations
The Urban Forestry Program within the Public Works
Department contracts out a majority of preventative
zone pruning and uses the contractor for large -scale
planting projects. The in-house crew currently consist
of two urban foresters who respond to tree related
emergencies, complete work orders and Ask SLO
requests, and prune trees at City parks and facilities.
Baker Tilly did not make any recommendations since
the program was extensively assessed in 2022
through an organizational assessment, staffing plan,
and community forest plan.
Urban Forest Historic Program Staffing Levels
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 2
Historic Work Order Count
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 712 731 476 532 333 608 663 213 166 133 157
Recommended Resource Augmentation
Existing Recommended
1 – Superintendent (shared with Parks) None
2 – Urban Foresters
Streets Maintenance
Program Description
The Street Maintenance Program maintains the paved portion of the City’s streets and
manages the sidewalk maintenance program. Staff within this program repair and
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reconstruct streets, as well as sidewalks damaged by City owned street trees. They
maintain street furnishings, signs, and pavement markings, provides regular downtown
trash pickup, oversees sidewalk scrubbing, and provides weekly traffic control for the
Farmers’ Market.
Core Services & Objectives
Provides the community safe public transportation Infrastructure
Maintains existing roadway infrastructure including pavement, striping and signs
Provides traffic control services and vehicle barrier protection for Farmer’s Market
Provides sidewalk pressure washing services, cleaning, and downtown specific
maintenance
Recommendations
Streets Maintenance plays an integral role in the
City’s Pavement Management Plan, working ahead
of the bi-annual slurry seal project. The core
functions of the program’s work include inspection of
143 miles of pavement and 240 miles of sidewalk in
nine zones throughout the City, which is completed
by eight Streets Operators and supported by two
Crew Coordinators, one Supervisor, and
Superintendent. Sidewalks with defects are
temporarily repaired in conformance with the City’s
adopted Sidewalk Inspection Program by grinding,
ramping, or patching (GPR); and replacement when
extensive damage exists that is a result of a City
street tree. When sidewalks are damaged b eyond
the crew’s ability to effectively mitigate with temporary
GPR repairs, the adjacent property owner is sent a Notice to Correct, informing them of
their responsibility to repair the sidewalk.
Crews also prepare the pavement for a slurry seal treatment by replacing deteriorating
sections of asphalt followed by crack sealing. The final tasks include replacement of
damaged signs and curb painting. The pavement zone work completed by Streets
Maintenance has historically been focused in residential zones , also known as “Local
Streets”, where the crews can maximize efficiencies by reduced standards of traffic
control required. As identified in the 2022 Study Session on the City’s Pavement
Management Plan, the work performed by Streets Maintenance has directly elevated
pavement condition index (PCI) on local streets at a good value to the City.
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Three maintenance worker positions were added to the program in 2022 to deliver an
elevated level of cleaning and maintenance in the downtown. This staff works exclusively
in the downtown cleaning sidewalks and pavement markings, completing sidewalk
maintenance, street furnishing, painting, and other similar maintenance. The program is
also responsible for traffic control for Farmers’ Market, which includes deployment and
retrieval of 46 devices two mornings each week and is completed by the mentioned
downtown staff. These devices create a hard closure and higher level of protection to the
pedestrians visiting the market. Sidewalk cleaning and barrier deployment must occur in
the early morning hours.
Street sweeping is an important urban maintenance function complet ed by Streets
Maintenance. The program has one full-time sweeper operator who has been operating
at maximum capacity for some time. To meet the requirements of regulatory agencies
and community expectations, the cleaning of new protected bicycle and pede strian
improvements are completed by a street sweeping contractor. The additional funding
was approved in 2021-23 Financial Plan and remains adequate in meeting demands,
which includes weekly bike lane cleaning in the downtown and monthly cleaning for all
other bicycle facilities, pedestrian improvements, and new residential streets. As new
developments are accepted by the City that require the street sweeping, additional
contract funding will be necessary.
During the 2024-25 Supplemental Budget process, a Public Works Maintenance
Supervisor position was reclassified to a Maintenance Superintendent to manage the
Streets and Signal & Streetlight Programs, and an existing Maintenance Coordinator
position was reclassified to a Crew Coordinator, as recommended by Baker Tilly. Like
with the Parks Maintenance section, Baker Tilly recommends considering increased
contracts services for select tasks as a best management practice to mitigate increased
work loads.
Streets Maintenance Historic Program FTE Staffing Levels
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
9 9 9 9 10 10 9.7 9.65 9.65 9.65 9.65 11 11 11 11 11 11 12 14 14 15
Historic Work Order Count2
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 811 1354 1485 1475 980 1242 1084 996 1513 1519 1501
Recommended Resource Augmentation
Existing Recommended
1 – Superintendent (shared with Signals) Completed
1 – Supervisor
2 – Crew Coordinators
1 – Sweeper Operator
8 – Streets Operators
3 – Downtown Maintenance Workers
4 – Farmers Market Supplemental Staff
Signals and Streetlight Maintenance
Programs Description
2 The pavement zone work performed by the Streets Maintenance Operators (pavement, concrete, signs,
traffic markings) is counted as only one work order for the entire zone.
Page 486 of 619
The Signal and Streetlight Maintenance Program operates and maintains traffic signals
and streetlights on City streets, and the installation, operation, and monitoring of the City’s
traffic management and detection systems.
Core Services & Objectives
Provides safe and efficient traffic flow for all modes of travel through signalized
intersections.
Provides appropriate lighting for streets and neighborhoods.
Maintains traffic signal operations and maintenance and streetlight operations and
maintenance.
Recommendations
The Signals and Streetlight Maintenance Program
recently rejoined the Streets Maintenance Program
and are managed by the same Maintenance
Superintendent, which is working well due to the
similar work. The program is adequately staffed for
the current workload and Baker Tilly did not
recommend any immediate additions to the program.
Signals Maintenance Historic Program Staffing Levels
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
Recommended Resource Augmentation
Existing Recommended
1 – Superintendent (shared with Streets) None
2 – Signal and Streetlight Technicians
Part 3: Next Steps and Department Resource Prioritization
Next Steps
The PWMD has already begun the process of restructuring in alignment with select Baker
Tilly recommendations, which included the positions mentioned previously in this report.
Page 487 of 619
Staff is prepared to request additional resources with the 2025-27 Financial Plan based
upon Council and Community feedback during the budget process.
As new division leadership staff come up to speed in their new roles, the focus will shift
to implementation of the non-staffing recommendations. In general, staff supports the
recommendations developed by Baker Tilly as presented. The work to improve the
PWMD will align with the recommendations identified by Baker Tilly but may deviate as
staff continues with this work effort. There could be future resources identified during this
process and those would be presented to Council at the appropriate budgetary hearings
(and would be within the funding available).
Department Resource Prioritization
The City has limited resources and competing needs of those resources. The table below
shows the departmental recommended priority based upon Baker Tilly’s resource report’s
recommended immediate FTE needs for maintenance.
Baker Tilly Recommended Immediate FTE Needs
Priority Program(s) Request Annual Cost
1 Fleet Lead Mechanic*3 $100,447
2 Parks/Streets Maintenance Superintendent (2 FTE)** N/A
3 Parks Parks Crew Coordinator** N/A
4 Facilities Facilities Technician* $92,325
5 Fleet Fleet Specialist (Half Time to Full Time)* $41,223
6 PW Admin Business Analyst $119,828
Total $353,823
* Request titles that are appended by an asterisk (*) indicate the request is considered internal
services and support work efforts from different departments and programs within the City. These
positions result in partial reimbursement to the General Fund for work that is specific to the
Parking, Sewer and Water Enterprise funds.
** City Council approved these recommendations during the 2023-2025 Financial Plan budget
supplement process. These added positions are cost neutral, as staff was able to shift some
positions and resources around to accommodate them, without an impact on service levels.
3 The Lead Mechanic job description does not currently exist; the anticipated expense was used
from similar positions in the City’s salary schedule.
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May 14, 2024
City of San Luis Obispo
Maintenance Division Organization Review
Page 489 of 619
Page 490 of 619
May 14, 2024
Matt Horn
Public Works Director
City of San Luis Obispo
990 Palm Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Dear Mr. Horn:
Baker Tilly is pleased to transmit this report summarizing our assessment of the City of San
Luis Obispos Public Works Maintenance Division. Th e focus of this assessment was to evaluate
the organization structure, work practices, and staffing of the Division as well as to provide
recommendations for improvement.
The report presents our observations as well as a set of proposed recommendations to enhance
the Division’s performance and alignment with the City’s vision of a "clean, safe and beautiful"
San Luis Obispo.
We wish to thank City staff for their assistance in providing us with a variety of information
and having candid discussions with our team members to inform this assessment.
Sincerely,
Carol Jacobs
Managing Director
+1 (949) 809 5588 | carol.jacobs@bakertilly.com
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Maintenance Division Organization Review
Table of Contents Baker Tilly
i
Table of Contents
Executive Summary .................................................................................................................................. 1
Major Areas of Focus and Recommendations .............................................................................. 1
Organization of the Document ....................................................................................................... 2
The Maintenance Environment and the Role of the Division ......................................................... 3
Project Approach ....................................................................................................................................... 5
Staff Outreach Themes .................................................................................................................... 5
Work Order Review ......................................................................................................................... 6
Peer Research .................................................................................................................................... 8
Organization Structure and Staffing ................................................................................................... 12
Performance Measures ........................................................................................................................... 24
Technology and Tools ............................................................................................................................ 26
Ask SLO ........................................................................................................................................... 26
Service Level Agreements ............................................................................................................. 28
Strategic Communication .............................................................................................................. 29
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................ 31
Attachment A List of Recommendations ......................................................................................... 32
Attachment B Sample Performance Measures ............................................................................... 34
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Table of Contents Baker Tilly
ii
Tables
Table 1. San Luis Obispo Work Order Analysis July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023 .......................... 6
Table 2. Fleet Maintenance Work Orders Analysis Calendar Years 2022 and 2023 ................. 8
Table 3. Peer Cities Public Works Functions ................................................................................... 9
Table 4. Staffing and Operating Budget Data for Peer Public Works Departments, all
funding sources.................................................................................................................... 10
Table 5. Recommended Immediate FTE Additions ..................................................................... 23
Table 6. Top Maintenance Division Requests via the Ask SLO App ....................................... 26
Table 7. Performance Measurement Process ................................................................................. 34
Table 8. Sample Performance Measures ......................................................................................... 35
Figures
Figure 1. Essential Functions and Services ...................................................................................... 13
Figure 2. Existing Maintenance Organization Structure (Recent Additional Staff
Emphasized in Green) ........................................................................................................ 14
Figure 3. Proposed Maintenance Division Organization Structure ........................................... 23
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Maintenance Division Organization Review
Executive Summary Baker Tilly
1
Executive Summary
Baker Tilly was engaged by the San Luis Obispo (SLO) Public Works
Department to conduct an assessment of the Maintenance Divisions
organization structure, work practices and staffing to ensure the division
is contributing to a clean, safe and beautiful SLO.
This report provides 24 recommendations which are contained in
Attachment A.
Major Areas of Focus and Recommendations
During our assessment, we interviewed staff, reviewed documents,
reviewed best practices and conducted peer research. These activities
informed the following major areas of focus and recommendations that
we believe department leaders should focus on in the near term.
1. Optimized Organizationl Structure and Staffing Distribution.
Recognizing the challenges posed by the current organization
structure and staffing distribution, a major recommendation
involves a reorganization to improve management and span of
control. This includes dividing the Maintenance Division into two
sections, led by superintendents, to improve the span of control,
enhance management support, and establish a more refined
operational framework. Simultaneously, strategic reallocation and
creation of positions aim to balance managerial, supervisory, and
line staff responsibilities. This will also improve succession
planning.
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Executive Summary Baker Tilly
2
2. Leveraging Technology and Performance Measurement for Efficient
Operations and Communication. Emphasizing the importance of
technological integration, we recommend the implementation of
advanced communication tools and performance measurement
systems. This initiative aims to enhance communication with city
management, elected officials and the public, streamline work
processes, and provide a data-driven approach to decision
making. By harnessing technology, the Maintenance Division can
effectively communicate needs, track performance, and ensure a
more agile and responsive operational environment.
Organization of the Document
This report is organized into the following major sections:
x The Maintenance Environment and the Role of the Division,
x Project Approach,
x Organization Structure and Staffing,
x Performance Measures, and
x Technology and Tools.
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The Maintenance Environment and the Role of the Division Baker Tilly
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The Maintenance Environment and the Role of the Division
It is important to appreciate the environment the Maintenance Division
operates within. We learned about this from our extensive interview
process, document review and comparison of SLO with other
communities.
This environment is fundamentally shaped by the fact that San Luis
Obispo is, within the context of California, a very old city. SLO was
founded in 1772 and incorporated in 1856, the 16th city created in the new
state of California. Therefore, much of the infrastructure that SLO is built
on or around consists of antiquated construction or improvements. This
generally complicates maintenance and makes institutional knowledge
very important. Historically, it has always served as the hub for a much
larger surrounding area. This is still true today and the downtown is a
special maintenance challenge.
San Luis Obispo is very much a destination or residence of choice
location. In other words, it is the sort of place that people tend to fall in
love with and decide to relocate to. It engenders great affection from
residents and its many visitors. People care deeply about its public places
and sense of place. It has many special events every year and has a
deep sense of community. People place a high importance on how it is
cared for, and thus maintenance is important and is a high community
value. This puts extra pressure and focus on maintenance activities.
San Luis Obispo is also a county seat and, as such, is a locus of County
human service programs. According to the 2022 San Luis Obispo County
Homeless Count and Comprehensive Report, the City of SLO had a
homeless population of 385 persons, the most of any city in the County.
These populations can put extra pressure and maintenance demands on
public infrastructure for which the Maintenance Division is responsible.
Finally, SLO is not located in a highly urbanized area;it is a somewhat
isolated city. When it comes to maintenance this means that it does not
have a high density of specialty businesses serving maintenance
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purposes. This also complicates maintenance and means that the Division
needs to be self-reliant.
All this adds up to a complicated maintenance environment, not only in
terms of the infrastructure that must be managed, but also in terms of the
expectations of the residents, businesses and visitors being served. It is
even complicated in terms of being able to recruit and retain competent
workers since the workforce in the area is limited.
As SLO is increasingly desirable as a place to live, housing is getting more
expensive, and construction is growing denser. The downtown is more
active, and its residential population is growing. All of this makes
maintenance scheduling and work activities even more challenging.
While SLO was once thought of as a rather laid back place, we found
that the Maintenance Division was anything but! It has many demands
and a heavy public focus on what it does. The Divisions role is absolutely
fundamental to many core City functions, and it must function efficiently
for the City to function well.
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Maintenance Division Organization Review
Project Approach Baker Tilly
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Project Approach
Baker Tilly obtained information to develop the recommendations in this
report through a variety of activities as described below.
Baker Tilly began by reviewing documents and data from the
Maintenance Division, including historical staffing data, contracts, and
service level agreements, among others. The team also gathered
information by interviewing key stakeholders. Finally, the team surveyed
peer agencies to benchmark the Maintenance Divisions operations
against other similar organizations.
Staff Outreach Themes
The Baker Tilly team interviewed 11 employees, including the City
Manager, Department Directors, the CEO of the downtown business
district (Downtown SLO), and Public Works Supervisors and Managers.
Their comments generally surrounded three topics: communication, the
Ask SLO application (app), and staffing and span of control.
Most interviewees indicated that communication generally works well in
the Maintenance Division. Communication within the Division with
Documents
Organization
Charts
Contracts
Reports and
Assessments
Service Level
Agreements
Standard
Operating
Procedures
Work Orders
Interviews
City Manager
Director of Public
Works
Deputy Director
of Public Works
Maintenance
Supervisor staff
Downtown SLO
CEO
Other
department
directors
Peer Research
Davis
Goleta
Monterey
Napa
Santa Barbara
Santa Cruz
Ventura
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Project Approach Baker Tilly
6
peers is effective. Similarly, there are well-developed relationships among
senior leadership staff across departments as well as an increasing use of
technology to facilitate communication. Generally, the maintenance staff
and leadership are viewed positively by customer departments and
clients such as police, fire, parks and recreation, and Downtown SLO.
They find Maintenance employees to be hard-working, taking a great
deal of pride in their work.
Interviewees indicated that the Ask SLO app is a great tool for
understanding community concerns and engaging residents. However,
the Ask SLO app is time consuming for staff, as identified in the
Technology and Tools section of this report. Staff expressed feeling
overwhelmed by the volume of requests, highlighting the lack of an
effective prioritization process for addressing community needs. They felt
this is in part because the Maintenance Division is understaffed.
Most interviewees believe that day-to-day work is generally getting done,
but there are few opportunities to go beyond and pursue strategic
objectives due to a lack of staffing. Staff are concerned that investment in
new projects and facilities, like results of the Ask SLO app or homeless
response, will put continuing strain on the maintenance function that will
not be sustainable. In addition, staff believe that the Deputy Director has
a wide span of control, and this contributes to the lack of staff resources.
Work Order Review
Baker Tilly reviewed some limited work order data to understand the
volume of demand and understand the backlog in completing work. We
found that on average there was a significant delay in completing work
orders in facilities, parks and streets, with a large degree of variability.
Some types of work, such as DigSmart requests, infield servicing and
park renovations were completed very promptly, typically on the day
requested. However, the number of days to complete a work order in the
three divisions averaged 64. While this may be acceptable in some cases,
it is unacceptable for many types of maintenance requests and suggests
that the units do not have enough resources to deliver timely services.
Table 1. San Luis Obispo Work Order Analysis July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023
Top Four Work Order Types Number
Average
Days to
Complete1
Facilities
1. General Maintenance 208 17
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Project Approach Baker Tilly
7
Top Four Work Order Types Number
Average
Days to
Complete1
2. Lighting
3. Access Control
4. HVAC
Average Days to Complete all Work Orders N/A
Total Annual Work Orders
Number of Work Order Categories
Parks
1. Repairs
2. Infields
3. Shop 8
4. Renovations
Average Days to Complete all Work Orders
Total Annual Work Orders
Number of Work Order Categories
Streets
1. DigSmart
2. Vacuum / Clean
3. Inspect
4. Install
Average Days to Complete all Work Orders
Total Annual Work Orders
Number of Work Order Categories
1Average days to complete reported in negative numbers not included in analysis
2Parks daily maintenance work orders for each park are not included in top work order listing
The Fleet Services Program has a different work order system that has
somewhat more functionality than the system in place for the rest of the
Public Works Maintenance Division. The table below shows data from
that system for calendar years 2022 and 2023. The vast majority of fleet
maintenance work orders are completed in one day or less (77% in 2022
and 59% in 2023). Total work orders increased significantly in 2023
relative to 2022 from 557 to 692. In addition to the number of work orders
being completed in one day or less, decreasing fairly significantly in 2023
relative to 2022, the number of work orders requiring 10 days or more
increased significantly from 34 in 2022 to 141 in 2023. Finally, the average
cost of work orders more than doubled in 2023 relative to 2022. These
9,715
1,632
4,641
176 51
158 36
157 75
55
N/A
108
45 N/A
155
57
39
N/A
68
20
<1
N/A
N/A
68
8,196
827
624
422
N/A
52 N/A
N/A
70
<1
34
134
18
1
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Project Approach Baker Tilly
8
trends may suggest that vehicle maintenance was under some resourcing-
related stress in 2023 relative to 2022, which the Fleet Division will need
to explore in greater detail.
Table 2. Fleet Maintenance Work Orders Analysis Calendar Years 2022 and 2023
Work Order Metrics Results
2022
Total Work Orders
Number Completed in 1 day or less
Percentage Completed in 1 day or less
Average Time (days) to complete Work Orders
Number of Work Orders > 10 days to Complete
Average Time (days) to complete Work Orders > 10 days
Average Work Order Cost
2023
Total Work Orders
Number Completed in 1 day or less
Percentage Completed in 1 day or less
Average Time (days) to complete Work Orders
Number of Work Orders > 10 days to Complete
Average Time (days) to complete Work Orders > 10 days
Average Work Order Cost
Peer Research
Baker Tilly distributed a peer survey to seven of San Luis Obispos peer
cities: Davis, Goleta, Monterey, Napa, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, and
Ventura. These peers were selected through discussions with San Luis
Obispo staff because they have universities, are tourist destinations, or
are aspirational communities. The survey covered topics ranging from
budget and staffing, contractual services, homeless response, community
maintenance request apps, maintenance management systems, city assets,
and performance measures. However, only the City of Monterey
responded to the survey, so Baker Tilly staff collected publicly available
data from budget documents and annual reports, thus constraining the
depth of our comparative analysis.
Table 3 displays the functions of each peer city. San Luis Obispos Public
Works Department, specifically the Maintenance Division, provides
citywide maintenance functions that are sometimes provided by multiple
429
77%
3
34
36
$312.72
407
59%
10
141
44
$675.80
1,290
1,075
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Project Approach Baker Tilly
9
departments in other cities. For example, SLOs Mai ntenance Division
provides parks and urban forestry services. Goleta provides parks and
open space services, and Davis provides urban forestry services.
However, the other peer jurisdictions provide those services through
other departments. Similarly, Santa Barbara and Davis provide water
utility services through their public works departments, so their full-time
equivalents (FTEs) and expenditures will be higher per capita.
Table 3. Peer Cities Public Works Functions
Function Monterey
Santa
Barbara
Santa
Cruz Goleta Davis Napa Ventura
San Luis
Obispo
General Fund
Engineering 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99
Traffic
Engineering 99 9
Transportation 9 9 9 9 9
Parking 9 9 9 9
Environmental 9 9 9
Facilities
Maintenance 9 9 9 9 9 9 9
Janitorial
Services 9
Swim Center
Maintenance 9
Fleet
Management 9 9 9 9 9 9 9
Streets
Maintenance 9 9 9 9 9 9 9
Street Lighting 9
Parks
Maintenance 9 9
Urban Forestry 9
Enterprise Fund
Parking 9 9 9 9
Water 9
Wastewater 9 9 9
Stormwater
and Sewer 9
Solid Waste 9 9 9
Harbor 9
Many of these cities do not report data for their disaggregated
maintenance functions, making it difficult to compare across peers.
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Therefore, Baker Tilly collected staffing and budget data for public works
departments as opposed to maintenance divisions, as displayed in
Table 4.
Table 4. Staffing and Operating Budget Data for Peer Public Works Departments, all funding sources
City
2022
Population1
Total Public
Works FTEs2
FTEs per 1,000
Residents
Total Public Works
Expenditures2
Public Works
Expenditures Per
Capita
Monterey 29,571 156.25 $32,083,247.00
Santa Barbara 87,533 310.65 3.46 $227,536,017.00
Santa Cruz 61,800 265.40 4.29 $77,588,692.00 $1,255.48
Goleta 32,432 36.00 0.93 $18,311,700.00 $564.62
Davis 67,048 122.25 2.81 $112,895,259.00 $1,683.80
Napa 78,315 86.00 1.10 $60,266,210.00 $769.54
Ventura 109,527 90.75 0.83 $73,436,984.00 $670.49
San Luis Obispo 48,341 93.72 1.94 $28,870,537.00 $597.23
Average 64,321 152.47 2.59 $78,873,580.80 $1,226.25
1Sourced from 2022 American Community Survey
2Sourced from 2023-2024 budget documents
As shown in the table above, San Luis Obispo has fewer public works
FTEs per 1,000 residents and fewer public works expenditures per capita
than the peer average. In addition, Goleta, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz
collect and report on workload indicators. San Luis Obispo currently
tracks limited workload indicators, which makes it difficult to measure
whether work is assigned appropriately.
While there are limitations in interpretation due to the different functions
we found in these departments, the peer data suggests that San Luis
Obispos Public Works Department is not as well-res ourced as its peers.
The City is near the bottom in terms of staffing and budget per capita.
Clearly, San Luis Obispo seems to provide a level of services which, while
different from the comparison agencies, is reasonably comparable in
terms of complexity and diversity. Indeed, the many services delivered in
San Luis Obispo appear to be more comprehensive than in some of the
comparison agencies. For example, in SLO, parks maintenance is
delivered via the Public Works Department. This is unusual and labor-
intensive. Only one other City had parks maintenance reside in Public
Works. Because this is a relatively large function and not common in
other public works organizations it makes the fact that the staffing in
5.32
$2,599.43
$1,084.96
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Project Approach Baker Tilly
11
SLOs Public Works Department is be low average relative to the peers,
suggestive of under-resourcing.
As a result of the lack of consistency in the comparisons, Baker Tilly
relied primarily on observations and best practices for developing the
recommendations presented in this report. We are, however,
recommending some staffing augmentations and to some degree these
benchmarking findings do support those recommendations.
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Organization Structure and Staffing Baker Tilly
12
Organization Structure and Staffing
A major focus for Baker Tillys engagement was to c onduct a multi-
faceted review of the organization structure and staffing of the Public
Works Maintenance Division to determine whether functions are
appropriately aligned, whether changes might improve efficiency and
effectiveness, and whether staffing is sufficient. This included a thorough
review of the hierarchical arrangement, reporting relationships, span of
control, and the grouping of functions. We examined organization charts,
job descriptions and titles, and gleaned information through interviews
with employees and customers.
The Public Works Department is a vital component of the City of San Luis
Obispo. As one of ten departments, it is pivotal in shaping the Citys
infrastructure and ensuring a high quality of life for its residents. The
Department comprises several divisions, each with specific
responsibilities. One of the key divisions is maintenance, which stands as
one of three divisions within the Public Works Department. It plays a
critical role in fulfilling essential functions and services crucial to the
community, as depicted in Figure 1.
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Organization Structure and Staffing Baker Tilly
13
Figure 1. Essential Functions and Services
The Maintenance Division not only undertakes essential tasks in-house
but also demonstrates exceptional cost-effectiveness and quality
outcomes. For example, it has a proactive approach to the pavement
program, where they are using City crews to do the preparation work
necessary for the pavement rehabilitation, which is typically outsourced.
This results in a higher pavement condition index (PCI) value, enhancing
road quality at a lower cost for the City. It is worth noting that the Citys
average PCI is 76, according to the 2023-25 Financial Plan, surpassing the
2022 statewide average of 67.6 and significantly outpacing the county
average of 58 according to the California Statewide Local Streets and
Roads Needs Assessment April 2023 Final Report. This achievement
underscores the Division’s commitment to delivering superior
infrastructure maintenance services efficiently and economically, setting a
commendable standard within the industry.
Although there has been an increase in line staff in recent years (as
illustrated by the positions in green in Figure 2, below), the impact of this
growth is offset by new duties and reassigned work programs.
Particularly, there is an increased emphasis on downtown maintenance.
This includes the upkeep of bicycle facilities, which require higher
maintenance due to the increased number of traffic devices. Most of these
12,000+ street signs
143 lane miles of streets
2,531 street lights
73 traffic signals
246 miles of sidewalk
234,000 square feet of City buildings
298 Public Works maintained fleet assets
13,360 Public Works maintained trees
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facilities are too narrow for a sweeper and require regular manual
cleaning. Additionally, the Citys carb on-neutral goals will add workload
to maintain the complex mechanical systems in buildings and additional
trees to maintain, with ongoing installations of new streetlights, off-street
path lights, downtown decorative zigzag lighting, and new traffic
signals citywide places additional demands on the traffic signal and
streetlight program, thereby requiring further staffing.
Figure 2. Existing Maintenance Organization Structure (Recent Additional Staff Emphasized in
Green)
Deputy Director of
Maintenance
Operations
50.5 FTEs, 3 Vacant
Interim Streets
Maintenance
Supervisor
15 FTEs, 3 vacant
Parks Maintenance
Beautification Gardener (1)
Parks Crew Coordinator (1)
Parks Aid (2.5)
Parks Maintenance Specialist
(10)
Functions
Maintains city parks and
landscaped areas
Oversees contract services for
janitorial maintenance of parks
buildings and landscape
maintenance of smaller parks
and medians
Parks Maintenance
Supervisor
15.5 FTEs
Facilities Maintenance
Supervisor
6.5 FTEs
Maintenance Worker2 (3)
Streets Crew Coordinator (1)
Streets Maintenance
Coordinator (1)
Streets Maintenance Operator
(8)
Street Operator (1)
Functions
Maintains paved streets
Maintains sidewalks
Maintains street furnishings and
signs
Picks up trash downtown
Scrubs sidewalks
Operates traffic control for
events
Public sand supply
Right of way graffiti abatement
Street sweeping
Maintenance
Supervisor
7 FTEs
Functions
Commemorative Grove
maintenance
Operates and maintains street
lights
Operates and maintains traffic
lights
Reactive tree pruning
Right of way young tree
watering
Tree service request
Young tree care
Maintenance Contract
Coordinator1 (2)
Signal Technician (2)
Urban Forester1 (2)
Fleet Supervisor
4.5 FTEs
Facilities Maintenance
Technician (5)
Facilities Aide (0.5)
Fleet Specialist (0.5)
Mechanic (3)
Functions
Maintains interior and exterior
maintenance services for City
buildings
Executes unplanned repairs
Executes planned and budgeted
building maintenance
Oversees contracted HVAC
services
Oversees contracted janitorial
services
Oversees fire suppression
Provides limited first aid kit
service
Inspects elevators
Tests and monitors alarms
Tests and certifies sprinkler
system
Provides pest control
Functions
Asset procurement and disposal
Corp yard haz-mat program
Facility generator maintenance
and operations
Fuel island maintenance
Maintains and repairs vehicles
and construction equipment
Corporation Yard
Administrative Assistant II
1One additional position added
2Two additional positions added
Baker Tilly noted the following observations about the existing
organization structure.
Span of control is too broad in some areas. The organization faces a critical
challenge as the span of control in certain areas is excessively broad. In
recent years, there has been an increase in staff; however, a notable
imbalance exists due to the insufficient growth in managerial and
supervisory positions. This disparity is notably apparent in pivotal roles
such as the Deputy Director and in the management of Streets and Parks
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Maintenance. While there is no universal ideal number of direct reports,
the current organizational structure of the Maintenance Division reveals
work units where the supervisor has an overbroad span of control. The
new work programs added to Public Works also compound the span of
control issues.
This overbroad span of control is exacerbated by the lack of sufficient
management system support within the division. These structural gaps
impede the Division’s capacity to allocate sufficient attention to strategic
endeavors such as planning, process improvement and performance
measurement. Addressing these gaps is crucial to strengthen the
Division’s effectiveness and focus on strategic objectives.
The organization has a relatively flat structure. As noted above, the Deputy
Director directly oversees each of the five supervisors within the Division.
While some work groups have coordinators to assist with the day-to-day
responsibilities, others lack this support, spreading the Deputy Director
and front-line supervisors too thin, therefore hindering effective
management oversight.
Recognizing the need for a more refined organizational framework, we
recommend reorganizing the Maintenance Division into two sections. The
existing structure, with five workgroups and individual supervisors, has
proven effective for specific tasks and projects. However, as the Division
has grown and maintenance operations have become more complex, a
new framework is essential.
This reorganization will involve establishing two sections, each led by a
superintendent. This separation of responsibility and improved span of
control will provide greater oversight and specific guidance within each
section. One section will focus on streets and fleet management, while the
other will oversee parks and facilities, as detailed in the organization
chart later in this report. The proposed change aims to enhance day-to-
day operations, long-range planning, and overall management support,
fostering alignment within the Division. Additionally, this new
management layer will create opportunities for staff advancement and
better succession planning within the organization.
Most important, it will provide a more robust framework for the Division
to grow and continue to develop.
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Recommendation 1. Convert one Maintenance
Supervisor to a Superintendent and add one
Superintendent position to right-size the span of
control for the Deputy Director of Maintenance
Operations and increase management support for
the division.
Recommendation 2. Add a Parks Crew Coordinator
position to improve the span of control within the
Parks function.
Administrative work is spread out among the work unit supervisors.
Administrative responsibilities currently burden work unit supervisors
within the Division. In interviews, Division staff emphasized dedicating a
significant portion of their time to administrative tasks. The time spent on
administrative tasks diminishes the supervisors capacity for providing
planning, coaching and mentoring of staff and other operational
initiatives. Given the size of the Maintenance Division, it is imperative to
address this challenge by introducing a dedicated business/analytical
position, which is standard for organizations of similar scale.
This strategic addition will significantly enhance overall effectiveness.
Moreover, the limited availability of administrative support staff
amplifies the issue, with supervisors allocating considerable time to tasks
such as approving purchase orders, requisitions, invoices, timecards, and
other ERP duties. Introducing a dedicated position will also be essential
for supporting the Deputy Director in implementing the performance
management system, as outlined later in this report. Additionally, this
role will play a pivotal part in enhancing the tracking and support for the
Ask SLO app, ensuring streamlined operations within the Maintenance
Division.
Recommendation 3. Create a Business Analyst
position to assist with administrative duties and
support the development and tracking of
performance measures.
Current workload strains capacity. A consistent theme from the
Maintenance Division interviews is that the Division is understaffed. For
example, in both fleet and facilities, non-urgent repairs and preventive
maintenance are often delayed as more urgent matters take precedence.
This reduces the efficiency and effectiveness of operations across the City.
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This was mentioned consistently despite the addition of several line
positions in the last few years. In part because, as new staff have been
added, new programs and responsibilities have been added at the same
time providing no new capacity to handle existing workload. Continuous
expansion of programs, facilities, and parks, such as the incorporation of
protected bike lanes, installation of Farmers Market anti-vehicle barriers,
and the impending development of additional parks have been notable.
This growth, however, transpires without a corresponding augmentation
in staff or resources. This unbalanced progression not only strains
existing resources but also poses challenges to maintaining the newly
added amenities and ensuring optimal service delivery. The continuing
addition of facilities and programs and increasing community
expectations strain current staff, limiting their ability to address non-
urgent requests and longer-term projects.
The understaffing is also illustrated in the peer comparison data which
show that SLO has fewer FTEs per 1,000 residents and significantly lower
expenditures per capita than peer agencies. To exacerbate the strained
capacity, four new parks are planned to be completed within the next six
to twelve months and one large community park is planned in
approximately two to three years. Additional staff will be needed to staff
these parks. Because some of these parks are in a Community Facilities
District, funding will be provided, which will offset the staffing costs.
Recommendation 4. Analyze the impact on staffing
levels and resources before implementing any
new programs.
Recommendation 5. Incorporate maintenance
requirements (staffing, resources) in all capital
project discussions as part of the Budget Review
Committee process.
Using experienced staff to perform lower-level work tasks is an inefficient
use of personnel resources. industry best practice is to assign lower-level
work to a technician or aide, creating a developmental pathway for them
to progress into higher-level positions as they gain experience. This
approach not only optimizes resource utilization but also widens the pool
of applicants by requiring a lower skill set for entry-level positions.
However, within SLO we observed numerous instances of highly skilled
workers performing lower-level work. For example, in Fleet, trained
mechanics are routinely used to transport vehicles from outside vendors
and to handle lower-level duties such as oil changes. In Facilities
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Maintenance, journey-level staff are used to perform lower-level work
such as changing lightbulbs/ballasts, minor carpentry and plumbing
repairs and troubleshooting minor work order requests.
To remedy this situation a Mechanic Helper position and a Facilities Aide
position should be added to perform these lower-level tasks. This not
only enhances employee development opportunities but also justifies the
creation of a Lead Mechanic position, providing day-to-day guidance on
the shop floor for improved operational efficiency.
Recommendation 6. Add a Facilities Aide in
Building Maintenance.
Recommendation 7. Add a Mechanic Helper
position in Fleet.
Recommendation 8. Add a Lead Mechanic position
in Fleet.
Additional parks have been added without additional staff. By the end of
2024, the Citys total park inventory will have gro wn to 28. These 28
facilities are comprised of 596 acres with 114 acres of improved surfaces.
This growth accounts for the addition of the North Broad Street Park,
Parks A, B, and C in Avila Ranch, but not any future parks in Availa
Ranch or the community park within the Righetti Ranch development.
The recent additions have not been accompanied by new Parks
Maintenance staff to maintain the acreage. The addition of new parks
coupled with City Councils focus on remediating encampments in public
spaces, leaves Parks Maintenance staff spread very thin.
Recommended Parks Maintenance staffing varies significantly based on
climate, park size and utilization. National Data from the 2021 National
Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) Parks Metrics report suggests
that on average one maintenance FTE cares for approximately nine acres
of active-use parkland. Actual California staffing ratios reported in the
publication Municipal Benchmarks : Assessing Local Performance and
Establishing Community Standards for Anaheim and B urbank vary
significantly from 4.39 per acre in Burbank to 10.52 per acre in Anaheim.
If we take the average of the two California data points reported above,
we get a staffing ratio of approximately one FTE for every 7.45 acres of
improved parklands.
Based on San Luis Obispos current maintenance staf fing of 15.5 FTE it
falls very close to this 7.45 per acre level of staffing for the 114 acres of
maintained parkland. However, it also should be noted that SLO has
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several smaller parks that typically require a higher commitment of FTE
time, so we would suggest a staffing ratio of closer to 6.5 to 7.0 per acre of
maintained parkland be used for staffing maintenance projections.
According to the Parks and Recreation Plan and General Plan Element
Update from July 2021, on average, parks costs range from $7,500
annually to $12,000. Adjusting this cost for inflation to the current date
yields a range of $8,925 to $14,280. The current parks maintenance costs
from the 20222023 Financial Plan was reported at $3,478,282, which
works out to $16,885 per acre. Overall, it appears that the staffing may be
somewhat on the low side, but costs are high. Among other factors, this
may reflect high costs in California relative to the rest of the United
States.
We recommend that given the existing high per acre cost, that it would be
better to add contract services for tasks such as mowing, irrigation
repairs, if possible, rather than adding lower-skill classifications such as
parks maintenance workers until additional parks are added to the
system. This strategy provides a scalable solution that can accommodate
the current size of the parks system without overburdening it with
unnecessary overhead costs.
However, as more parks and landscaped areas are added to the system,
approximately one FTE for every approximately 7.00 acres of parks
should be added. While the general guideline of one FTE for every
10 acres remains relevant for larger parks, smaller sites may necessitate a
more nuanced approach, with staffing levels adjusted based on factors
such as anticipated usage patterns, terrain complexity, and specific
maintenance requirements. This recommendation of 7.00 acres of park is
an approximation and should be adjusted based on the type of park and
anticipated use.
Recommendation 9. Add staff to the Parks Division
as parks are added to the system.
To assist in analyzing the tasks in the Parks Division that would be best
served by contract staff, maintenance plans should be created for each
park. The purpose of maintenance plans is to identify and develop
standards and frequency for all City park property and facilities. These
standards would be provided to current Parks Maintenance staff and
contractors to inform them of the expectation and serve as guidelines in
the completion of all park-related maintenance work. The plans should
reflect the expectations of City management and maintain flexibility for
modifications.
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Recommendation 10. Create a maintenance plan for
the parks system and update the plan as new
parks are brought online.
Homelessness response is a new and necessary function. As mentioned
above, one coordinator position being proposed as an addition to Parks
staffing is to improve the span of control in Parks operations. This
strategic addition aligns with our findings from interviews, where it
became evident that homelessness issues were consuming a substantial
amount of Parks Maintenance staff time. To address this pressing
concern, we recommend one Parks Maintenance Specialist be reassigned
to deal with homelessness issues and vandalism. This targeted
reassignment will not only contribute to more effective span of control in
Parks operations but also directly address the resource-intensive
challenges posed by homelessness, aligning operational priorities with
the community’s evolving needs.
Recommendation 11. Assign one Parks Maintenance
Specialist to specifically respond to homelessness
issues and vandalism in the parks.
Acknowledging the broader impact on staff workload and operational
efficiency, it is imperative to recognize that environmental factors play a
pivotal role in shaping the working conditions of Parks staff. As part of
our comprehensive approach to enhancing staffing and organizational
structure, we recommend the implementation of a lockable dumpster
ordinance to address the challenge of debris accumulation in public
spaces and mitigate the impact of homeless encampments. This proactive
measure aims to reduce the availability of debris that can be utilized in
makeshift encampments, fostering a cleaner and safer community
environment.
The lockable dumpster ordinance should require property owners,
businesses, and public entities to secure their dumpsters with lockable
mechanisms. This will serve as a deterrent to unauthorized access and
scavenging, limiting the resources available for homeless encampments.
Additionally, the ordinance can include guidelines for regular
maintenance checks by the business owner to ensure the functionality of
lockable mechanisms and facilitate swift action in case of malfunctions.
Recommendation 12. Create a lockable dumpster
ordinance.
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Use of contract versus in-house staff appears to be balanced. Having a reliable
base of in-house staff is crucial for ensuring continuity and maintaining
high-quality services, and the incorporation of contract coordinators
exemplifies a best practice in workload management. To further optimize
this balance, we recommend a comprehensive assessment of ongoing
tasks to identify areas suitable for contract work. This evaluation should
include an examination of specialized tasks, work that can be performed
with limited instruction, and tasks where external contract services may
offer increased efficiency when available on the Central Coast. By
conducting this analysis, the Division can refine its approach to staffing,
ensuring that the utilization of both in-house and external contract
resources is aligned with the specific demands of various projects and
operations. This proactive strategy will contribute to enhanced
operational flexibility, efficiency, and overall service quality. This work
can be a priority for the recommended analyst staffing.
Recommendation 13. Analyze the tasks within the
Maintenance Division that would be best served
with the use of contract staff.
Consideration should be given to how staffing is assigned to the
maintenance of parks. Rather than assigning individuals to specific parks,
exploring a team-based approach offers several advantages. In such a
model, collaborative efforts among team members foster operational
efficiency, allowing for the sharing of skills and resources. A parks
employee with specialized skills such as irrigation may be able to assist
with other parks. A trial section should be implemented as a preliminary
step before adopting this approach citywide. This phased introduction
allows for the identification of the most optimal implementation strategy,
ensuring that the City leverages the benefits of enhanced collaboration,
resource optimization, and improved maintenance outcomes offered by
the team-based approach. Most medium and larger cities use this type of
maintenance approach to parks maintenance.
Recommendation 14. Evaluate dividing the parks into
sections and utilizing a team-based approach to
parks maintenance.
There may be benefits from the integration of golf maintenance within the
Parks Division. Beyond the shared similarities between golf and parks
maintenance work, consolidating these functions under one department
could uncover numerous benefits. One notable advantage is the potential
for combined resources, allowing for the efficient allocation of equipment,
tools, and expertise between golf and parks maintenance operations.
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Additionally, a unified structure could enhance operational flexibility,
enabling the strategic deployment of workers during peak times across
both operations. This recommendation, while requiring further analysis,
not only optimizes resource utilization but also streamlines operations
and bolsters overall maintenance effectiveness within the integrated
framework.
Recommendation 15. Evaluate the consolidation of
golf maintenance with parks maintenance.
The proposed staffing and structural changes detailed above are shown
below in Figure 3. The realignment and proposed positions address the
span of control and workload capacity concerns, while additional
resources ensure the efficiency of the Division. Additional positions
recommended immediately are shown in Table 5, but it should be noted
that this table does not include those additional positions that will be
required as new parks are integrated.
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Figure 3. Proposed Maintenance Division Organization Structure
Deputy Director
of Maintenance
Operations
56.5 FTEs
Streets
Maintenance
Supervisor
18 FTEs
Beautification
Gardener (1)
Maintenance Contract
Coordinator (1)
Parks Aid (2.5)
Urban Forester (2)
Functions
Oversees contract
services for janitorial
maintenance of
parks buildings and
landscape
maintenance of
smaller parks and
medians
Reactive tree pruning
Right of way young
tree watering
Tree service request
Young tree care
Parks
Maintenance
Supervisor
19.5 FTEs
Facilities
Maintenance
Supervisor
7.5 FTEs
Signal Technician
(2)
Sweeper Operator
(1)
Functions
Maintains street
furnishings and
signs
Operates and
maintains street
lights
Operates and
maintains traffic
lights
Street sweeping
Fleet Supervisor
6.5 FTEs
Facilities
Maintenance
Technician (5)
Facilities Aide (1.5)
Fleet Specialist (0.5)
Lead Mechanic (1)
Mechanic (3)
Mechanic Helper (1)
Functions
Maintains interior and
exterior maintenance
services for City
buildings
Executes unplanned
repairs
Executes planned and
budgeted building
maintenance
Oversees contracted
HVAC services
Oversees contracted
janitorial services
Oversees fire
suppression
Provides limited first aid
kit service
Inspects elevators
Tests and monitors
alarms
Tests and certifies
sprinkler system
Provides pest control
Functions
Asset procurement
and disposal
Corp yard haz-mat
program
Facility generator
maintenance and
operations
Fuel island
maintenance
Maintains and repairs
vehicles and
construction
equipment
Administration
Corporation Yard
Administrative
Assistant II (1)
Business Analyst (1)
Maintenance
Superintendent
25.5 FTEs
Maintenance
Superintendent
28 FTEs
Legend
Red Text New
employee
Blue Text Moved
employee
Streets Crew
Coordinator
9 FTEs
Street Maintenance
Operator (8)
Streets
Maintenance
Coordinator
5 FTEs
Maintenance
Contract
Coordinator (1)
Maintenance
Worker (3)
Functions
Maintains paved
streets
Maintains
sidewalks
Functions
Picks up trash
downtown
Scrubs sidewalks
Operates traffic
control for events
Public sand supply
Right of way graffiti
abatement
Parks Crew
Coordinator
6 FTEs
Parks Crew
Coordinator
6 FTEs
Parks Maintenance
Specialist (5)
Parks Maintenance
Specialist (5)
Functions
Commemorative
Grove maintenance
Maintains city parks
and landscaped
areas
Functions
Commemorative
Grove maintenance
Maintains city parks
and landscaped
areas
Table 5. Recommended Immediate FTE Additions
Title FTE Count
Business Analyst 1.0
Facilities Aide 1.0
Lead Mechanic 1.0
Maintenance Superintendent1 1.0
Mechanic Helper 1.0
Parks Crew Coordinator 1.0
TOTAL 6.0
1One additional Maintenace superintendent position is recommended to be upgraded from a
Maintenance supervisor.
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Performance Measures Baker Tilly
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Performance Measures
Performance measurement is a vital tool for evaluating service
effectiveness, involving continuous data collection and reporting on
selected services or programs. Numeric indicators provide a clear picture
of accomplishments, costs, value for residents tax dollars (or fees), and
service quality. These measures also may be used to quantify employee
productivity. Currently, the use of performance measurement is not
present within the Division.
To enhance service and efficiency, there is a need for the Maintenance
Division to optimize the use of Cityworks. While Streets, Parks and
Facilities utilize Cityworks for work orders, Fleet uses Asset Works.
Automating metric reporting through Cityworks can significantly
streamline the process. However, there does not seem to be a centralized
system of collecting the data from Cityworks.
For the budget process, performance indicators such as miles of streets
maintained, trees trimmed, square footage of buildings maintained, and
the recent inclusion of the number of work orders are utilized. To
maximize the benefits, the Maintenance Division should ensure
consistent and thorough use of Cityworks through all work units. This
approach will facilitate the identification of service gaps and areas
requiring improvement. Of course, the Division must first identify and
establish relevant metrics focused on the core service areas.
Baker Tilly prepared an outline (Attachment B) of typical performance
metrics that are necessary for managing a maintenance division. The City
should use this outline to customize a performance measurement
program for San Luis Obispo. More specifically, the City should identify
the types of reports and data it will need to manage the Division, and
then ensure these data points and reports are implemented within the
Computerized Maintenance Management System.
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Performance Measures Baker Tilly
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Recommendation 16. Establish relevant performance
measurements for department operations, collect
data, and create a system for analyzing and
reporting.
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Technology and Tools Baker Tilly
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Technology and Tools
In the realm of municipal public works maintenance, the effective
utilization of technology and tools plays a pivotal role in enhancing
operational efficiency and service delivery. San Luis Obispo demonstrates
a commendable commitment to technological advancements and
customer outreach, as exemplified by the Ask SLO app; however, it is
crucial to underscore the importance of thoughtful consideration before
deploying new processes and applications.
Our assessment revealed that the integration of innovative solutions,
particularly Ask SLO, has significantly impacted workflow, resulting in a
substantial increase in service requests. While the app has brought about
numerous benefits, it has also presented challenges in managing
workload and setting resident expectations effectively.
Ask SLO
Ask SLO, deployed in late 2022, serves as the City s resident engagement
platform. The platform is available online as an app. The tool is very
popular but has had a large impact on the Maintenance Divisions
workload. From November 2022 to the end of October 2023, there were
1,986 public works requests for service logged. Over 80% of the public
works requests for service pertained to the Maintenance Division. And, of
the top ten public works categories, all but one request type (general
parking questions) fall under the maintenance Divisions responsibilities.
This concentration of inquiries within their domain underscores the
heavy demand for maintenance-related inquiries and the strain on the
Division’s capacity. Table 6 outlines the top public works categories,
excluding the single request type outside of the Maintenance Divisions
scope.
Table 6. Top Maintenance Division Requests via the Ask SLO App
Request Type Number of Requests Percent of Total Requests
Streets Maintenance Program
Street Maintenance 201 10%
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Technology and Tools Baker Tilly
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Request Type Number of Requests Percent of Total Requests
Sidewalk/parkway damage 167 8%
Potholes 112 6%
Defaced or damaged city signs 108 5%
Maintenance Program
Traffic signal issues 175 9%
Trees and Urban Forestry 107 5%
Parks Maintenance Program
Parks Maintenance 87 4%
Encampment in Parks 84 4%
These requests for service are typical for a public works agency that
maintains public rights-of-way and parks. While the Ask SLO app brings
valuable benefits to the residents and the City, allowing residents to
promptly report issues they observe and informing public works of
concerns, managing resident expectations poses a significant challenge.
To address this, it is essential to incorporate a strategic communication
approach in the Ask SLO marketing effort. Residents should be informed
that certain work items follow a routine cycle, and the requested item
may be part of that scheduled work. Administrators responding to
requests should have a standardized response for items that are part of
routine cycles.
Recognizing the varying urgency of requests is crucial. Timely matters
such as potholes, malfunctioning traffic signals, or missing signage
require immediate attention. On the other hand, tasks like curb painting
may be scheduled as part of routine maintenance cycles, potentially
spanning up to five years. Strengthening communication strategies and
setting clear expectations will contribute to more effective utilization of
the Ask SLO app, enhancing the overall resident experience and
facilitating a smoother workflow for Public Works.
Enhancing the tracking of Ask SLO service requests through Cityworks is
crucial for enhancing workload and staffing management. It is our
understanding that this enhancement has been requested from the
GoGov company. This integration aligns with the proactive approach of
maximizing Cityworks potential. It also streamlines communication,
empowering division leaders to monitor workloads and address staffing
needs more effectively. The result is a more responsive and efficient
Maintenance Division, poised to meet and exceed community
expectations.
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Technology and Tools Baker Tilly
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Recommendation 17. Develop standardized
responses to work that is done as part of a routine
cycle.
Recommendation 18. Engage GoGov with developing
and implementing software to seamlessly
integrate Ask SLO with CityWorks.
Recommendation 19. Strengthen the Ask SLO app
marketing by clearly articulating expected
responsiveness tailored to the nature of each
request.
Service Level Agreements
Service level agreements (SLAs) are formal agreements between a service
provider (in this case, the Maintenance Division or an individual
program) and a customer that define the expected level of service. These
agreements outline the specific services to be provided, the quality
standards to be met, and the metrics used to measure performance. SLAs
are commonly used in various industries to ensure that services are
delivered in a consistent, reliable, and satisfactory manner. They can also
be built to be as prescriptive or as flexible as needed, allowing for
customization based on the unique requirements and preferences of the
parties involved.
They play a crucial role in many functional areas, serving as essential
tools to manage internal or external customer expectations and promote
accountability. These agreements encompass a range of parameters
including initial response time, priority level, type of issue, escalation
processes and guidelines for handling urgent or emergency situations.
While many public sector organizations do not have operational SLAs,
SLOs Maintenance Division has de monstrated commendable foresight
by already implementing SLAs that cover services to police, fire,
community development, stormwater and the Downtown SLO business
association. The existing SLAs contribute significantly to the clarity of
communication within the Division, preventing potential
misunderstandings and fostering a more transparent operational
environment. This proactive approach positions the Maintenance
Division favorably, showcasing a commitment to delivering services with
defined expectations and standards.
While the existence of these SLAs puts the Maintenance Division in a
good position, review and potential revisions could further increase their
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29
effectiveness. To further maximize the benefits of these SLAs, it is
recommended that a comprehensive review be conducted. This review
should involve all employees affected by the conditions outlined in the
SLAs, ensuring their perspectives are considered. By engaging the
workforce in this evaluation, potential updates and refinements can be
identified to strengthen the existing SLAs. In addition, it is suggested to
evaluate current operations thoroughly to identify any areas that might
not be adequately covered by existing SLAs. This proactive assessment
will help in addressing potential gaps and ensuring that all aspects of
Maintenance Division operations are appropriately accounted for within
the SLAs.
Recommendation 20. Review existing SLAs by all
employees affected by the conditions of the SLA
to evaluate potential updates.
Recommendation 21. Evaluate current operations to
determine if there are areas that are not covered
by existing SLAs.
The Maintenance Division’s commitment to operational transparency
through SLAs serves as a model for effective service delivery. By actively
reviewing and refining these agreements, the division can further
enhance its efficiency, foster a culture of continuous improvement, and
consistently meet or exceed community expectations.
Strategic Communication
The strategic use of technology extends beyond operational efficiency; it
serves as a powerful tool for communicating the Maintenance Division’s
narrative and justifying budget requests. Leveraging technology enables
the Division to transparently showcase its achievements, challenges, and
plans to both internal stakeholders and the community. By utilizing data-
driven insights and visualizations, the Maintenance Division can
effectively communicate the impact of its initiatives, fostering a deeper
understanding of the value it brings to the community.
Technology plays a pivotal role in substantiating budget requests. The
ability to present comprehensive data on maintenance activities, their
outcomes, and the overall contributions to community well-being
enhances the division’s credibility during budget discussions. Integrating
advanced analytics (using Cityworks and performance measures) and
reporting features into the technology toolkit ensures that budget
justifications are not only persuasive but also aligned with the Division’s
strategic goals.
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The integration of technology serves as a powerful tool, transparently
conveying the Maintenance Divisions narrative and compellingly
justifying budget allocations. This approach strengthens internal
communication, builds community trust, and reinforces the Divisions
commitment to excellence in Public Works Maintenance.
Recommendation 22. Implement a strategy to utilize
technology in transparently showcasing the
Maintenance Division’s achievements,
challenges, and plans to internal stakeholders and
the community.
Recommendation 23. Leverage advanced analytics
and reporting features to effectively communicate
the impact of maintenance activities and their
contributions to community well-being.
Recommendation 24. Integrate technology to
substantiate budget requests with comprehensive
data, aligning them persuasively with the
Division’s strategic goals and enhancing
credibility during budget discussions.
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Conclusion Baker Tilly
31
Conclusion
This organizational assessment underscores the need for targeted
improvements to strengthen the Public Works Maintenance Division. By
addressing structural and staffing challenges, enhancing operational
efficiency, and strategically allocating resources, the proposed
recommendations aim to create a more agile, responsive, and effective
division. As the city continues to evolve, these recommendations provide
a pathway for the Maintenance Division to enhance its already
commendable practices, meet growing demands, foster a supportive
work environment, and continue to deliver exceptional services to the
community. Implementation of these strategies is envisioned to not only
resolve current challenges but also position the Division for sustained
success and adaptability in the future.
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Attachment A List of Recommendations Baker Tilly
32
Attachment A List of Recommendations
Recommendation 1. Convert one Maintenance Supervisor to a Superintendent and add one
Superintendent position to right-size the span of control for the Deputy
Director of Maintenance Operations and increase management support
for the division.
Recommendation 2. Add a Parks Crew Coordinator position to improve the span of control
within the Parks function.
Recommendation 3. Create a Business Analyst position to assist with administrative duties
and support the development and tracking of performance measures.
Recommendation 4. Analyze the impact on staffing levels and resources before
implementing any new programs.
Recommendation 5. Incorporate maintenance requirements (staffing, resources) in all
capital project discussions as part of the Budget Review Committee
process.
Recommendation 6. Add a Facilities Aide in Building Maintenance.
Recommendation 7. Add a Mechanic Helper position in Fleet.
Recommendation 8. Add a Lead Mechanic position in Fleet.
Recommendation 9. Add staff to the Parks Division as parks are added to the system.
Recommendation 10. Create a maintenance plan for the parks system and update the plan as
new parks are brought online.
Recommendation 11. Assign one Parks Maintenance Specialist to specifically respond to
homelessness issues and vandalism in the parks.
Recommendation 12. Create a lockable dumpster ordinance.
Recommendation 13. Analyze the tasks within the Maintenance Division that would be best
served with the use of contract staff.
Recommendation 14. Evaluate dividing the parks into sections and utilizing a team-based
approach to parks maintenance.
Recommendation 15. Evaluate the consolidation of golf maintenance with parks
maintenance.
Recommendation 16. Establish relevant performance measurements for department
operations, collect data, and create a system for analyzing and
reporting.
Recommendation 17. Develop standardized responses to work that is done as part of a
routine cycle.
Recommendation 18. Engage GoGov with developing and implementing software to
seamlessly integrate Ask SLO with CityWorks.
Recommendation 19. Strengthen the Ask SLO app marketing by clearly articulating expected
responsiveness tailored to the nature of each request.
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Maintenance Division Organization Review
Attachment A List of Recommendations Baker Tilly
33
Recommendation 20. Review existing SLAs by all employees affected by the conditions of
the SLA to evaluate potential updates.
Recommendation 21. Evaluate current operations to determine if there are areas that are not
covered by existing SLAs.
Recommendation 22. Implement a strategy to utilize technology in transparently showcasing
the Maintenance Division’s achievements, challenges, and plans to
internal stakeholders and the community.
Recommendation 23. Leverage advanced analytics and reporting features to effectively
communicate the impact of maintenance activities and their
contributions to community well-being.
Recommendation 24. Integrate technology to substantiate budget requests with
comprehensive data, aligning them persuasively with the Division’s
strategic goals and enhancing credibility during budget discussions.
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Maintenance Division Organization Review
Attachment B Sample Performance Measures Baker T illy
34
Attachment B Sample Performance Measures
A performance measurement program for the Maintenance Division will help the Division
understand if work efforts and financial investment in programs and facilities are having the
desired effect. Results provide staff with concrete data that can be used to explain and justify
future goals and budget requests. San Luis Obispo would benefit from formalizing a program
and taking it from a data collection process to a data driven decision-making process. A
program should include the following components:
x Workload measures that focus on the amount of work produced and help to monitor
fluctuations in that workload. Workload measures do not assess how efficiently or
effectively work is performed.
x Efficiency measures that compare inputs and outputs, e.g., the amount of work
produced compared with the cost or staffing required to produce it.
x Effectiveness measures that assess how well an organization performs, such as
measuring the quality of services it delivers. These measures look at outcomes and
include feedback from internal and external customers.
A summary of the performance measurement process is provided in Table 7 below.
Table 7. Performance Measurement Process
Step Summary
1. Identify what to
measure
Identify strategically important aspects of department work efforts. You want to
measure those things that help you understand if you are achieving success.
These should align with annual goals.
2. Set target goals Decide on a numeric target such as the number of new participants in a program,
attendance level at an event, or time to completion of specific tasks. Set them
ambitiously but not so ambitiously that they are unattainable. These can be
based on industry metrics such as APWA or developed in-house depending on
the measurement.
3. Measure results Have a system in place to collect data regularly and accurately. This should be a
combination of report data from recreation management systems, work order
systems, city financial systems and resident and participant surveys.
4. Report results The department should have a visually clear dashboard-style report that tracks
progress using comparison data for similar periods in previous years. This gives
stakeholders a better picture of the department’s performance over time.
5. Review regularly You should review performance measures annually to both remove indicators
that may no longer be needed and add indicators for new programs to track
success.
Suggested Performance Measures are included in Table 8 below.
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Maintenance Division Organization Review
Attachment B Sample Performance Measures Baker T illy
35
Table 8. Sample Performance Measures
Function Effectiveness/Outcome Measures Efficiency Measures Workload Measures
Street
Maintenance
x Percent of work orders responded
to within 24 hours
x Average lane miles maintained
per year (or average Pavement
Condition Index)
x Percent of survey respondents
rating streets as good or excellent
x Potholes filled
x Pavement markings
x Sidewalk repairs
x Number of work orders per
FTE
x Number of lane miles
paved per FTE
x Cost per lane mile paved
x Number of potholes filled
within three days
x Number of lanes striped
per FTE
x Number of priority sidewalk
repairs completed per FTE
x Number of work orders
completed
x Number of lane miles
paved
x Number of street miles
swept
x Number of pothole
service order requests
completed
x Pounds of
thermoplastic applied
or lineal feet installed
x Number of priority
sidewalk repairs
completed
Function Effectiveness/Outcome Measures Efficiency Measures Workload Measures
Fleet x Percent of work orders responded
to within 24 hours
x Fleet availability ratio
x Percent of repairs needing rework
x Number of work orders per
FTE
x Number of equipment
pieces maintained per FTE
x Amount of downtime per
vehicle
x Number of work orders
completed
x Number of vehicle
repairs completed
Function Effectiveness/Outcome Measures Efficiency Measures Workload Measures
Parks x Percent of work orders responded
to within 24 hours
x Average amount of acres mowed
per year
x Percent of survey respondents
rating parks cleanliness as good or
excellent
x Graffiti abatement
x Number of work orders per
FTE
x Number of parks (or acres)
maintained per FTE
x Number of facilities
maintained per FTE
x Cost per acre mowed
x Number of graffiti-related
work orders completed
within two days
x Number of work orders
completed
x Number of trees
trimmed
x Acres of park mowed
x Number of graffiti-
related work orders
completed
Function Effectiveness/Outcome Measures Efficiency Measures Workload Measures
Facilities x Percent of work orders responded
to within 24 hours
x Square footage of buildings
maintained
x Percent of internal user
respondents rating facilities as
good or better
x Number of work orders per
FTE
x Square footage of buildings
maintained per FTE
x Number of facilities
maintained per FTE
x Number of work orders
completed
x Number of city
facilities maintained
Page 529 of 619
Page 530 of 619
Recommendation FY 25-26 FY 26-27 FY 27-28 FY 28-29 FY 29-30 FY 30-31 FY 31-32 FY 32-33FleetLead Mechanic* $100,447 $103,460 $106,564 $109,761 $113,054 $116,446 $119,939 $123,537Fleet Specialist (Half Time to Full Time)* $41,223 $42,460 $43,733 $45,045 $46,397 $47,789 $49,222 $50,699FacilitiesFacilities Technician* $92,325 $95,095 $97,948 $100,886 $103,913 $107,030 $110,241 $113,548PW AdminBusiness Analyst $150,958Total per FY$233,995 $241,015 $248,245 $255,693 $263,363 $271,264 $279,402 $438,742Total per FP* Request titles that are appended by an asterisk (*) indicate the request is considered internal services and support work efforts from different departments and programs within the City. These positions result in partial reimbursement to the General Fund for work that is specific to the Parking, Sewer and Water Enterprise funds. Implementation Option 1$475,010 $503,938 $534,628 $718,1452025-27 Financial Plan 2027-29 Financial Plan 2029-31 Financial Plan 2031-33 Financial PlanPage 531 of 619
Recommendation FY 25-26 FY 26-27 FY 27-28 FY 28-29 FY 29-30 FY 30-31 FY 31-32 FY 32-33FleetLead Mechanic* $100,447 $103,460 $106,564 $109,761 $113,054 $116,446 $119,939 $123,537Fleet Specialist (Half Time to Full Time)* $42,460 $43,733 $45,045 $46,397 $47,789 $49,222 $50,699FacilitiesFacilities Technician* $97,948 $100,886 $103,913 $107,030 $110,241 $113,548PW AdminBusiness Analyst $150,958Total per FY$100,447 $145,920 $248,245 $255,693 $263,363 $271,264 $279,402 $438,742Total per FP* Request titles that are appended by an asterisk (*) indicate the request is considered internal services and support work efforts from different departments and programs within the City. These positions result in partial reimbursement to the General Fund for work that is specific to the Parking, Sewer and Water Enterprise funds. Implementation Option 22025-27 Financial Plan 2027-29 Financial Plan 2029-31 Financial Plan 2031-33 Financial Plan$246,367 $503,938 $534,628 $718,145Page 532 of 619
Recommendation FY 25-26 FY 26-27 FY 27-28 FY 28-29 FY 29-30 FY 30-31 FY 31-32 FY 32-33FleetLead Mechanic* $100,447 $103,460 $106,564 $109,761 $113,054 $116,446 $119,939 $123,537Fleet Specialist (Half Time to Full Time)* $42,460 $43,733 $45,045 $46,397 $47,789 $49,222 $50,699FacilitiesFacilities Technician* $103,913 $107,030 $110,241 $113,548PW AdminBusiness Analyst $150,958Total per FY$100,447 $145,920 $150,298 $154,807 $263,363 $271,264 $279,402 $438,742Total per FPImplementation Option 3* Request titles that are appended by an asterisk (*) indicate the request is considered internal services and support work efforts from different departments and programs within the City. These positions result in partial reimbursement to the General Fund for work that is specific to the Parking, Sewer and Water Enterprise funds. $246,367 $305,104 $534,628 $718,1452025-27 Financial Plan 2027-29 Financial Plan 2029-31 Financial Plan 2031-33 Financial PlanPage 533 of 619
Page 534 of 619
Public Works Maintenance
Division Update
City Council Meeting
January 14, 2025
1
2Overview
1.Recommendation
2.Division Overview
3.Resource Study Overview
4.Resource Study Findings
Recommendations
6.Implementations
7.Long-term Strategies
8.Conclusion
3Recommendation
1.Receive and file the 2024 Public Works Maintenance
Division Resource Assessment
4Public Works Maintenance Division
52023-24 Baker Tilly Assessment
6Resource Assessment Process
Document Review
Stakeholder Interviews
Work Order Analysis
Peer Agency Review
Recomendations
7Resource Assessment Findings
Broad Span of
Control
Staffing Gaps
Technological
Challenges
Performance
Measures
Ask SLO Request
Other City Departments
PW - Other
PW - Maintenance
Recommendations Overview 8
Organizational Structure and Staffing
o Add Superintendents and Support Staff
o Combine Similar Programs
Performance Measurements/Management
o Develop and communicate KPI’s to internal and
external stakeholders
Tools and Technology
Optimize use of Cityworks and Ask SLO
Service Level Agreements
o Increase use of Service Level Agreements
Strategic Communication
o Improved Communication about Service Levels
9Immediate Staffing Needs
Baker Tilly Recommended Immediate FTE Needs
Priority Program Request Annual Cost
1 Fleet Lead Mechanic*$100,447
2 PW Admin Maintenance Superintendent (2 FTE)**N/A
3 Parks Parks Crew Coordinator**N/A
4 Facilities Facilities Technician*$92,325
5 Fleet Fleet Specialist (.5 to 1.0 FTE)*$41,223
6 PW Admin Business Analyst $131,418
Total $365,413
10Implementation
Long Term Strategies
Planning for Growth
Resource Allocation
Technology Optimization and
Communication
Operational Efficiencies
Conclusion
12
13Recommendation
1.Receive and file the 2024 Public Works Maintenance
Division staffing study.