HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 5c. Review of the Capital Improvement Program Progress Assessment completed by Management Partners Item 5c
Department: Public Works
Cost Center: 5101
For Agenda of: 2/1/2022
Placement: Consent
Estimated Time: N/A
FROM: Shelly Stanwyck, Assistant City Manager
Prepared By: Emily Jackson, CIP Process Improvement Manager
SUBJECT: RECEIVE AND FILE THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
PROCESS ASSESSMENT COMPLETED BY MANAGEMENT PARTNERS
RECOMMENDATION
Receive and file the 2021 Capital Improvement Program Process Assessment completed
by Management Partners.
REPORT-IN-BRIEF
The City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) has grown significantly in the current year,
due to an increase in available funding to maintain, enhance and expand City
infrastructure. Most notable among the growth in various CIP funding sources is the
passage of Measure G-20, which alone will generate approximately $25 million annually.
For the General Fund, capital expenditures in FY 2021 -22 have increased by $18.5 million
or 70% compared to FY 2020-21 when including American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funding.
Absent the one-time ARPA funding, General Fund capital expenditures in the current year
have increased by $14 million or 65% compared to the prior year.
The growth of the CIP has exceeded the City’s existing organizational capacity to
effectively deliver capital projects. To address this, the adopted 2021-23 Financial Plan
includes budget augmentations of $500,000 in FY 2021-22 and $1 million in FY 2022-23
and beyond to “right-size” the organization to address the increased project workload. In
2021, the City contracted with Management Partners, a local government consulting firm,
to perform an assessment of the delivery of the City’s CIP and provide both structural and
process improvements to effectively and efficiently deliver the City’s CIP.
The Management Partners assessment resulted in 53 recommendations covering all
aspects of the City’s CIP to improve project delivery. Improving the City’s CIP process is
a high priority and as a result, a CIP Process Improvement Manager reporting directly to
the Assistant City Manager was recently hired to lead the implementation of the
recommendations.
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Item 5c
As a part of the mid-year budget update, staff will request the addition of 4.00 regular FTE
new positions to be funded with a portion of the $500,000 allocated in the current year
budget. These staffing additions are in line with Management Partners’ recommendations
and will help to build capacity to address the unprecedented CIP growth and support
implementation of other recommendations over the coming year.
DISCUSSION
Background
The City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) enables the City to plan, schedule, and
finance capital projects over multiple years. Through the CIP, the City provides the
infrastructure that is necessary to support the community including economic vitality,
neighborhood wellness, housing, transportation, water and sewer, sustainability, active
and passive recreation, public safety, cleanliness, and other basic amenities. As a part
of the City’s Financial Plan, staff recommends a five-year CIP for Council consideration,
and seeks appropriation of funding for the initial two years of the plan.
As noted in the 2021-23 Financial Plan, the City’s CIP and associated budget has grown
significantly due to the successful passage of Measure G-20, Senate Bill (SB) 1
transportation funding, SB 1090 Diablo Canyon Power Plant closure mitigation funding,
and increased Enterprise Fund funded projects for Parking, Tra nsit, Water and Sewer.
Measure G-20 alone will generate approximately $25 million annually, much of which will
be used to maintain, enhance, and expand City infrastructure. The chart below shows
CIP funding levels over the previous five years, compared to what is programed into the
current CIP for the coming five years for only the General Fund:
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Item 5c
The capital improvement budget growth exceeds existing organizational capacity. To
address this, the City contracted with Management Partners, a local government consulting
firm, to perform an assessment of the City’s CIP. The assessment was broadly focused on
the entire CIP—including a review of staffing levels, policies, and processes. The intended
outcome of the assessment is to “right-size” the organization to address infrastructure
maintenance, replacement, and significant legacy projects (the Palm/Nipomo Parking
Structure, Prado Road Interchange, and Public Safety Facility replacement) which will serve
City residents and support growth into the future.
Management Partners Assessment
The Management Partners Assessment (Attachment A) was completed in 2021 and
includes 53 recommendations that are intended to develop the organizational capacity,
policies, and processes to effectively deliver capital projects. The Assessment concluded
the City has capable, engaged and qualified staff managing the program but that the
unprecedented growth in its size and scale requires focus in four areas. The four primary
areas of focus are:
Development of the Assessment recommendations was based upon interviews with staff
involved in the CIP process (including both Public Works staff as well as others throughout
the City), a stakeholder survey, review of work processes, evaluation of project delivery
methods and schedules, assessment of performance metrics and cost accounting systems,
and examination of policies, procedures and CIP-related project reports. In addition to the
Assessment, Management Partners prepared an Implementation Action Plan (Attachment
B) to identify the relative priority of the recommendations and guide staff in next steps.
Major Observations and Recommendations
With a focus on efficiency, accountability and transparency, the Management Partners
Assessment highlights the following ‘Major Observations and Recommendations’:
Selected data suggest many CIP projects are not being delivered on time or within budget.
Current CIP planning (scoping) and budgeting practices result in unrealistic schedules
and understated cost projections.
Exclusion of staff costs in capital project budgets compromises accountability and
performance and understates the true cost of delivering a project.
Additional quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) review of project plans will help
decrease the need for in-field changes.
Clarifying roles and mapping processes for transportation projects will improve delivery.
Delivering projects on
schedule
Project scoping,
budgeting, and
execution
Reporting,
performance
measurement, and
management
information systems
Staffing and
organizational
structure
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Item 5c
Current bimonthly CIP reports provide good information on the status of capital
improvement projects and could be expanded and presented on a semi -annual basis
to the City Council and public.
The CIP engineering team is relatively new, lacking in-depth experience and
institutional knowledge.
To address these observations, Management Partners developed recommendations
which cover all aspects of the CIP, from increasing organizational capacity to enhancing
reporting on projects. The recommendations are broadly summarized as follows:
Staffing and Organization
A. Add new staff positions to address increasing CIP workload, including use of consultants
as needed.
B. Create new job specifications for CIP program and project management.
C. Clarify expectations and interactions between CIP staff and staff in other divisions or
departments.
D. Reassign some duties currently performed by Engineers to other staff.
E. Evaluate Engineering compensation.
Policy
A. Update the Municipal Code and Charter to allow for alternative capital project delivery
methods, if necessary.
B. Update financial and purchasing policies to streamline administrative work related to capital
projects.
Work Processes and Responsibilities
A. Use performance measures to increase organizational focus on on-time and on-budget
project delivery and accountability.
B. Implement procedures to require more time up-front for the scoping of projects in order to
develop more accurate budget estimates and timelines, and conduct preliminary feasibility
studies for large and potentially complex projects.
C. Implement peer review processes to ensure coordination and broad input on projects from
involved or impacted staff. In addition, require design consulting contracts to undergo a
peer review process.
D. Clearly identify and document roles and responsibilities of staff outside of the Public Works
Department, particularly for projects that have environmental or permit requirements, and
develop checklists to ensure consistency.
E. Standardize criteria used to determine whether projects will be designed in-house or under
contract. As a part of this, determine the fully burdened costs of all in-house staff involved
in the design of capital projects to help determine whether City staff should do project
design or if it should be contracted out.
F. Retain consultants for specialized work including right-of-way and urban design.
G. Standardize design processes, requirements and communication standards and
communicate those to staff.
H. Establish a 30-day timeframe to close out projects upon their completion.
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Item 5c
Finance and Budget
A. Regularly allocate funding to complete a comprehensive update of the City’s CIP.
B. Establish budgets to cover staff or consultant time spent identifying necessary capital
projects as well as on-call cost estimating to develop complete budget estimates for
complex projects.
C. Implement CIP cost accounting to capture staff time spent on capital projects in order to
identify and communicate the total cost of capital project delivery.
D. Revise existing tracking systems to improve performance reporting related to project costs.
Staff Training and Onboarding
A. Identify the training needs of staff and provide opportunities for staff to develop proficiency
in key areas of capital project delivery, including project management.
B. Develop and standardize in-house training materials and processes to effectively onboard
new CIP staff.
C. Develop a training program for inspection staff, including knowledge sharing opportunities.
D. Explore opportunities to partner with Cal Poly to create an internship and mentoring
program for students and project and construction management for City staff.
Communication and Reporting
A. Document initial project scope and report on changes to project scope, budget, and
timelines.
B. Revise CIP reports to include information related to changes to project timelines and
budget and include impacts of these changes in stakeholder communications.
C. Expand the existing bimonthly ‘CIP Project Report’ provided to City Administration and
make it publicly available on the City’s website.
D. Expand the ‘Status of Current CIP Projects Report’ presented with the financial planning
process.
Proposed Approach to Implementation of Management Partners Assessment
The Management Partners assessment and recommendations have generally been well
received by staff and reflect current best practices in the industry. With the hiring of the
CIP Process Improvement Manager, reporting to the Assistant Cit y Manager, staff are
committed to the focused and prioritized implementation cross departmentally of the
recommendations identified to provide for the delivery of the City’s capital projects
consistent with the Council and community’s goals and objectives identified with the
passage of Measure G-20.
When the City’s current two-year Financial Plan was being developed in 2021 , it was
known that significant changes to how the Capital Program was managed would be
needed. With adoption of the 2021-23 Financial Plan, the City Council allocated $500,000
to support process improvement efforts in FY 2021 -22 and $1 million in FY 2022-23 and
beyond. The first-year allocation is being used in part, to fund the CIP Process
Improvement Manager to manage implementation of the process improvements over the
coming year. Additionally, a portion of the initial year allocation is being used to fund
consultant services which have been retained to manage several capital projects while
the implementation is underway to increase project production and meet goals and
objectives.
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Item 5c
Staffing Increase at Mid-Year Budget to be Proposed
As identified in the Assessment, the significant growth of capital projects and inability for
existing staff to keep pace results in the immediate priority to ‘right-size’ the organization
to improve the City’s capacity to effectively manage all of the projects that are planned
for the next several years. Based on their assessment, Management Partners has
recommended the addition of 4.00 FTE positions and the reclassification of 1.00 FTE
existing position, as shown in the proposed organization chart (Attachment C).
Details of the recommended organizational changes include:
Add 1.00 FTE Capital Improvement Program Manager to head the CIP
Engineering Division (new classification)
Add 1.00 FTE Supervising Engineer (existing classification)
Add 1.00 FTE Engineering Inspector III (existing classification)
Add 1.00 FTE Project Manager (new classification)
Note that the reclassification of some existing vacant Engineer positions to Project
Manager is also recommended (but does not change position count).
Given the time that it takes to develop and fill new positions, staff will be requesting use
of a portion of the $500,000 allocated in the current year to fund these new staff positions
as part of the mid-year budget update on February 15th. The mid-year request will be for
additional headcount only (4.00 FTE new positions), which will provide staff in Public
Works and Human Resources the ability to develop new job classifications and the
flexibility to determine the appropriate mix of Engineers and Project Managers to address
CIP needs.
Next Steps
Once the recommendations related to additional staffing are in progress, the focus will
shift to the evaluation of the policies, procedures, and processes which guide CIP project
development and delivery. Many of the Management Partners recommendations reflect
work efforts to improve communication and coordination on capital projects within the City
organization through new practices. The City Council is anticipated to have future
involvement in the process improvements as it relates to increasing the thresholds for
projects requiring City Council approval for contract award and formal bidding process
requirements, amending the Municipal Code to align with limits set forth in Public Contract
Code, and approval of on-call contracts for project work (depending on the contract
amounts).
In general, staff supports the recommendations developed by Management Partners as
presented. Implementation of the recommendations will be localized to best address the
continuing evolution of the City’s CIP. The work to improve CIP processes will generally
align with the priority order identified by Management Partners, but may deviate as st aff
continues to dig into the work effort that it takes to implement the recommendations.
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Item 5c
Given the broad impact that the CIP has to the organization, most departments will
contribute in some way to the process improvements, and all will benefit from them . There
could be future staff resources identified as needed during this process as the impacts
are identified and those would be presented to Council at the appropriate budgetary
hearings (and would be within the funding available). As always, staff is c ommitted to
communicating about the work being done in order to receive the necessary stakeholder
input to improve capital project delivery overall.
Policy Context
There are no policy implications directly associated with this item. As noted earlier in this
report, staff will seek future action from the City Council on recommendations which
require City Council approval, per City policy.
Public Engagement
In developing the CIP Process Assessment Report, Management Partners conducted a
survey of both internal and external stakeholders. External stakeholders consisted of
non-City employees, including City commissioners and committee members, the SLO
Chamber, SLO Coast Association of Realtors, and Downtown SLO, among others.
Notably, increased communications internally and externally are a part of the priority
recommendations. Public engagement focused on informing the public about capital
projects will increase with this work effort and with added staffing resources.
CONCURRENCE
There is broad support throughout the organization to improve CIP processes and
capacity. All City departments are impacted by the efficient delivery of capital projects.
San Luis Obispo voters supported Measure G-20 in November 2020 to increase the local
sales tax rate to keep public areas clean and safe, maintain streets, open space and
natural areas, among other uses. In doing so, the community has signaled its support for
the City’s ability to deliver on projects that will benefit residents, local businesses and
visitors.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The recommended action is not a “Project” under California Environmental Qualit y Act
(CEQA) Guidelines Section 15378. Individual capital projects have varying environmental
impacts that are reviewed in compliance with CEQA, but the recommended CIP process
improvements in this report do not result in direct impacts or reasonably foreseeable
indirect impacts to the environment.
FISCAL IMPACT
Budgeted: Yes Budget Year: 2021-22
Funding Identified: Yes
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Item 5c
Fiscal Analysis:
Funding Sources
Total
Budget
Available
Current
Funding
Request
Remaining
Balance
Annual
Ongoing
Cost*
General Fund
State
Federal
Fees
Other: Capital Outlay Fund $ 500,000 N/A $ 157,072 $ 1,000,000
Total $ 500,000 N/A $ 157,072 $ 1,000,000
* Ongoing budgeted amount
With adoption of the 2021-23 Financial Plan, $500,000 was allocated to support
implementation of the CIP process improvements in FY 2021-22, and $1 million was
allocated in FY 2022-23 (CIP Project #1000500). There is currently $157,072 remaining
in the project budget for FY 2021-22 which is sufficient to cover staff’s recommendations,
as it is anticipated that the new positions will not be filled until Spring of 2022 . To date,
current year expenditures and commitments related to CIP process improvement efforts
have totaled $342,928, as follows:
Expenditure Amount
2021-22 Budget $ 500,000
Management Partners CIP Assessment $ (85,000)
RRM Project Management for Mission Plaza concept plan
and Public Safety Center replacement
$ (136,720)
CIP Process Improvement Manager (Contract) $ (117,600)
Office Supplies for CIP Process Improvement Manager $ (3,608)
Remaining Balance $ 157,072
ALTERNATIVES
Not proceed with or delay implementation of CIP process improvements. The City
Council may choose to not proceed with the CIP process improvements or delay
implementation of the improvements identified by Management Partners (included in
Attachments A and B). Staff does not recommend this alternative as the growth of the
CIP has outgrown the City’s existing capacity to deliver projects within scope, on time,
and on budget. Scaling up the City’s ability to deliver projects will help to increase
community confidence by constructing tangible assets to support the San Luis Ob ispo
community.
ATTACHMENTS
A - Management Partners Capital Improvement Program Process Assessment
B - Implementation Action Plan
C - Proposed CIP Organization Chart
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August 2021
City of San Luis Obispo
Capital Improvement Program Process Assessment
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1730 MADISON ROAD •CINCINNATI, OH 45206 • 513 861 5400 • FAX 513 861 3480 MANAGEMENTPARTNERS.COM
2107 NORTH FIRST STREET, SUITE 470 • SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA 95131 • 408 437 5400 • FAX 408 453 6191
3152 RED HILL AVENUE, SUITE 210 • COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA 92626 • 949 222 1082 • FAX 408 453 6191
August 30, 2021
Ms. Shelly Stanwyck
Assistant City Manager
City of San Luis Obispo
990 Palm Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Dear Ms. Stanwyck:
Management Partners is pleased to transmit this report on our assessment of the City of San
Luis Obispo’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) process as well as the staffing and
organization structure of the CIP Engineering Division. The focus of this engagement was to
improve the delivery of capital projects for the City. Our primary areas of focus were:
x Delivering projects on schedule;
x CIP scoping, budgeting and execution;
x Reporting, performance measurement, and management information systems; and
x Staffing and organization structure.
In addition to delivering capital projects on-time and on-budget, there are many other
important elements and aspects of a successful CIP and the manner in which projects are
executed and delivered. Based on our observations, we believe that improving the methods by
which the City plans and budgets for capital projects and ensuring that all project costs are
included in each project, would not only be fiscally prudent and increase accountability, but
would also position the CIP Engineering team for greater success in project delivery. In
addition, the tracking and reporting on all capital projects, as well as the use of performance
metrics in capital project reporting, would also bring about more accountability to the City’s
process. However, process improvements alone will not be enough to deliver more capital
projects, as the City will also need to enhance staffing resources as well as look at alternative
ways to utilize contract services. We believe that the 53 recommendations contained in this
report will improve the overall delivery of projects and will result in a more efficient and
effective capital improvement program.
We have appreciated the opportunity to serve the City and we would like to thank all the staff
for their constructive suggestions. We stand ready to assist the City with implementation steps
as needed.
Sincerely,
Jerry Newfarmer
President and CEO
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Capital Improvement Program Process Assessment
Table of Contents Management Partners
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary .................................................................................................................................. 1
Major Observations and Recommendations ................................................................................ 2
Organization of the Report ............................................................................................................. 4
Background ................................................................................................................................................ 5
Project Approach ....................................................................................................................................... 6
Interviews .......................................................................................................................................... 6
Stakeholder Survey Questionnaire ................................................................................................ 8
Documents ...................................................................................................................................... 12
Capital Improvement Process Assessment ................................................................................. 13
Capital Improvement Project Scoping, Budgeting and Execution ................................................ 14
Project Scoping and Budgeting .................................................................................................... 14
Project Design and Execution ....................................................................................................... 17
Alternative Delivery Options ....................................................................................................... 20
Delivering Projects on Schedule .......................................................................................................... 23
Performance Measurement, Reporting, Management and Information Systems ...................... 26
Performance Measurement ........................................................................................................... 26
Reporting ......................................................................................................................................... 28
Management and Information Systems ...................................................................................... 30
Staffing, Organizational Structure and Management Expertise .................................................... 32
Staff Vacancies .......................................................................................................................... 34
Centralize CIP Engineering Functions .................................................................................... 35
Development Engineering ........................................................................................................ 35
Staffing and Organization Structure............................................................................................ 36
Proposed Organization Structure ............................................................................................. 37
CIP Engineering Staffing ......................................................................................................... 39
Construction Inspection ........................................................................................................... 40
Training and Development ........................................................................................................... 41
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................ 43
Attachment A – List of Recommendations ......................................................................................... 44
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Table of Contents Management Partners
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Attachment B – San Luis Obispo Sample Projects ........................................................................... 48
Attachment C – Capital Improvement Program Performance Management Framework ......... 50
Appendix 1 – Mid March 2021 CIP Report ......................................................................................... 57
Appendix 2 – Example from Cupertino of Quarterly CIP Update ................................................. 58
Appendix 3 – Job Specifications for CIP Manager ........................................................................... 59
Appendix 4 – Job Specifications for Public Works Project Manager ............................................ 60
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Table of Contents Management Partners
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Tables
Table 1. List of City Staff Interviewed ............................................................................................. 6
Table 2. External Stakeholder Survey Responses .......................................................................... 9
Table 3. Internal Stakeholder Survey Responses ......................................................................... 11
Table 4. San Luis Obispo Sample Projects: Cost Increases/Decreases ..................................... 24
Figures
Figure 1. Survey Respondent Affiliations with San Luis Obispo ................................................ 8
Figure 2. Internal Stakeholder Survey Respondents, by Department ....................................... 10
Figure 3. Internal Stakeholder Respondents, by Years with the City ........................................ 11
Figure 4. Existing Public Works Department Organization Chart ............................................. 32
Figure 5. Existing Functional CIP Organization Chart ................................................................. 34
Figure 6. Proposed CIP Organization Chart ................................................................................... 37
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Capital Improvement Program Process Assessment
Executive Summary Management Partners
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Executive Summary
Management Partners was retained by the City of San Luis Obispo to
analyze and make recommendations regarding the City’s Capital
Improvement Program (CIP) process as well as the staffing and
organization structure of the CIP Engineering Division. The engagement
involved interviewing City staff, conducting a stakeholder survey,
reviewing work processes, evaluating project delivery methods and
schedules, assessing performance metrics and cost accounting systems,
and examining policies, procedures and CIP-related project reports. The
goal of this assessment was to identify recommendations that position the
City’s CIP function to operate in an efficient and effective manner, relying
on best practices to deliver projects that contribute to the fabric of the
community, while administering a program that engenders trust and
accountability with residents.
There are many important elements to a successful CIP. Aside from the
question of whether a capital project is well-designed and well-built,
there are a number of other fundamental questions that should be
evaluated, such as how well projects meet budgets and schedules, and
how performance metrics on projects are being tracked. These are just
some of the variables that Management Partners assessed during this
engagement.
Performance metrics and data that show what projects actually cost to
deliver are essential components to managing any capital project.
Management Partners believes that close attention to the execution of the
capital improvement program – having tighter, more rigorous
management oversight – will produce measurable improvements in
performance. The axiom, “What gets measured is what gets done,” is apt
here -- put a spotlight on performance, and chances are high that project
delivery will improve.
Given the amount of resources devoted to capital programs in the City of
San Luis Obispo, we believe that even modest improvements in project
delivery will produce substantial savings. Savings can be generated by
avoiding the negative impact of construction cost increases on project
costs associated with delay, in addition to other factors. For example,
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Executive Summary Management Partners
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taking into consideration the anticipated $128 million in planned CIP
projects over the next two years, a 2% improvement in performance by
way of faster delivery of projects could save the City over $2.5 million, in
projected construction inflation costs, a substantial amount that would
become available for other projects. Moreover reducing delay is relatively
straightforward by taking steps to measure relevant metrics, fostering
accountability using such tools and investing in people and tools to
increase productivity.
When implemented, the recommendations contained in this report will
help the CIP Engineering Division be even more effective in the execution
of capital projects and be better positioned to address the ambitious
capital improvement program the City has planned for the future.
It should be noted that the observations and recommendations found in
this report are based on those projects that are primarily major capital-
related and do not include those routine maintenance, fleet or
information technology-related projects.
Attachment A contains a summary of our recommendations.
Major Observations and Recommendations
Through our data gathering and analysis, we made numerous detailed
observations described further in this report. Major observations that
inform our recommendations are as follows:
x Selected data suggest many CIP projects are not being delivered
on time or within budget.
x Current CIP planning (scoping) and budgeting practices result in
unrealistic schedules and understated cost projections.
x Exclusion of staff costs in capital project budgets compromises
accountability and performance and understates the true cost of
delivering a project.
x Additional quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) review of
project plans will help decrease the need for in-field changes.
x Clarifying roles and mapping processes for transportation projects
will improve delivery.
x Current bimonthly CIP reports provide good information on the
status of capital improvement projects and could be expanded
and presented on a semi-annual basis to the City Council and
public.
x The CIP engineering team is relatively new, lacking in-depth
experience and institutional knowledge.
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Executive Summary Management Partners
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We believe the City needs to perform an in-depth review of its current
capital improvement projects with respect to scope and delivery
schedules. By instituting performance metrics and taking into
consideration all project costs, the City will have more realistic estimates
of the cost of project delivery as well as more accurate projections on how
long it takes to deliver projects. When a project is approved within the
CIP, the budget and schedule should be seen as a commitment to the City
Council and the community. In that regard, an “On-time, On-budget"
culture should be cultivated within the CIP engineering team and within
all supporting functions throughout the organization.
We have provided 53 recommendations that are detailed throughout this
report and summarized in Attachment A. Our major recommendations
that should receive priority focus include the following:
x Establish performance measures and expectations for the design
and delivery of capital projects.
x Develop a comprehensive methodology for preparing budget
estimates to include:
Direct and indirect staffing and consultant costs;
Design and construction contingency; and
Detailed construction estimates.
x Implement a comprehensive cost accounting system that
documents all project costs, including staff costs.
x Ensure a peer review process prior to construction to address
QA/QC issues.
x Create service-level agreements with internal customers to clearly
define roles and responsibilities for project definition, scoping,
design, and execution.
x Modify the existing bimonthly CIP Report to require:
Regular updates by all staff;
Additional status narratives for each project with schedule
and budget risks;
Estimated and projected costs; and
Updated delivery dates.
x Increase staffing, contract services and management.
Implementing the recommendations in this report will require a
significant commitment of staffs’ time and other resources. Management
Partners fully understands the challenges associated with executing these
recommendations. However, investing staffs’ time in implementing the
recommendations will have lasting operational impacts for the City and
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Executive Summary Management Partners
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will significantly improve the delivery of capital projects in the years to
come. In addition, implementing the recommendations will not only
bring about more accountability to the existing CIP process, but will also
make good on the City’s commitment to the community to maintain and
enhance public infrastructure which will engender trust and good will
amongst its residents.
Organization of the Report
This report is organized into the following major sections.
• Executive Summary
• Background
• Project Approach
• Capital Improvement Project Scoping, Budgeting and Execution
• Delivering Projects on Schedule
• Performance Measurement, Report Management and Information
Systems
• Staffing, Organization Structure and Management Expertise
• Conclusion
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Background Management Partners
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Background
San Luis Obispo is well known for its commitment to community
engagement. After years of outreach efforts, community forums, public
education and informational meetings, the City Council placed Measure
G-20 on the November 2020 ballot. On November 3, 2020, the voters
approved the new local sales tax measure, resulting in the City having an
overall 1.5% local sales tax rate. The new tax measure results in more than
$21 million projected revenues annually for the City.
Previous local sales tax proceeds were split, with approximately 70%
budgeted for capital infrastructure projects and the remaining 30%
budgeted for operating program costs. Since operating program costs
usually help support the implementation of some CIP projects, the City
appropriately retained some amount for operating support activities.
According to the City’s FY 2021-23 Financial Plan, the City has budgeted
75% of the local sales tax proceeds toward capital-related projects and the
remaining 25% toward operating costs. However, in future years, there is
an expectation that the split will be closer to 85% capital expenditures and
15% operating expenditures. This additional financing, coupled with SB1
and SB1090 revenues, as well as increased parking, water and sewer
project funding, will expand an already sizeable capital improvement
program, resulting in a substantial increase in workload for City staff,
especially in the area of project delivery.
While the number of projects may not be substantially increasing, the
size, scope and complexity of anticipated capital projects will require
more time and effort to deliver projects on time and within budget. To
address this increase in workload, improvements to the existing CIP
process as well as additional staffing resources will be needed to ensure
that the City is well-positioned to deliver its CIP.
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Capital Improvement Program Process Assessment
Project Approach Management Partners
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Project Approach
Management Partners held a kickoff meeting on April 13, 2021 with the
Assistant City Manager and key leaders from the Department of Public
Works who work on the City’s capital improvement program. The
purpose of the meeting was to gain a high-level overview and insight as
to how the program is structured as well as obtain a thorough
understanding on the program’s current operating environment.
Following this initial meeting, we interviewed key Public Works
personnel as well as other City employees who are directly involved in
the CIP process to gain a more in depth understanding about the City’s
CIP process and how capital projects are delivered, from the initial
planning stages up through completion of construction.
Interviews
To inform our analysis, Management Partners interviewed the following
23 City employees who were available at the time of this engagement, as
indicated in Table 1. These employees were recommended by city
management.
Table 1. List of City Staff Interviewed
City Leadership Management Operating Staff
Assistant City Manager
City Attorney
City Manager
Director of Parks and Recreation
Director of Public Works
Accounting Manager/Controller
Acting City Engineer
Acting Supervising Engineer
Construction Engineering Manager
Deputy Director of Community
Development
Interim Deputy Director of
Engineering and Planning
Transportation Manager
Recreation Manager
Engineer II (2)
Engineer III (3)
Principal Budget Analyst
Senior Civil Engineer
Supervising Civil Engineer
Wastewater Collection Supervisor
Water Distribution Supervisor
The purpose of these interviews was to identify areas where CIP project
delivery is effective, where there are obstacles, and where opportunities
exist to improve delivery.
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The major themes from these interviews are summarized as follows:
1. The CIP Engineering team is comprised of a young, dynamic,
intelligent group. They are flexible in their approach, and they
take responsibility and ownership of their projects.
2. The CIP Engineering team knows the Public Contract Code well
and believes they are good at delivering projects.
3. A number of the engineers would prefer to do design work as
opposed to managing outside design consultants.
4. The CIP Engineering team believes they are unable to meet project
demands with current staffing levels.
5. The CIP Inspection team is short-staffed, as they are handling both
private housing development and CIP inspections.
6. There are difficulties in easily and quickly accessing project
funding information.
7. There is a lack of quality assurance/quality control on plans.
8. Project milestones are traditionally scheduled with the first year
for design work and the second year for construction.
9. Better communication between internal customers, i.e., planning
and engineering, would improve project delivery.
10. Project scoping issues have resulted in modifications to projects
which, in turn, causes delays.
11. Administrative tasks are assigned to engineers that could be done
by other staff.
12. Information technology staff provide strong support to the
engineering team and implement the technology required to
deliver their projects.
13. The assistance of a landscape and urban design consultant is
needed to improve the aesthetics of projects.
While this report focuses mostly on ways to improve the City’s CIP
process, Management Partners heard positive comments in our
interviews and follow-up discussions with City leaders, operating
departments, as well as internal team members regarding the following:
x CIP Engineering staff members are a committed group of
employees who are engaged and who want to do good work;
• Good communication amongst CIP Engineering staff members
encourages a lot of knowledge sharing;
• CIP Design and Construction Guideline documents are very
informational and are up-to-date;
• Public Works management is very approachable and supportive
of staff;
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• CIP Engineering staff currently have good working relationships
and communicates well with Utilities and Transportation staff;
and
• Parks personnel and the CIP Engineering staff work well together
in the delivery of parks-related projects with the CIP Engineering
staff responsible for the design work and Parks staff in charge of
community engagement.
Stakeholder Survey Questionnaire
Management Partners developed a survey for City staff, key
stakeholders, community leaders, residents, business owners, appointed
officials, as well as a number of City employees from other operating
departments who have familiarity with and exposure to various capital
improvement projects. Those (non-City employee) stakeholders included
City Commissioners and Committee Members, the SLO Chamber, SLO
Coast Association of Realtors, and Downtown SLO to name a few. The
survey was conducted in an effort to understand how the delivery of
capital projects is viewed and received by those outside the department
and the City organization, as well as hear about any suggested areas for
improvement. A total of 29 responses were received, with 13 responses
from external stakeholders (non-City employees) and 16 responses from
City staff.
Figure 1 shows survey respondent affiliations with the City.
Figure 1. Survey Respondent Affiliations with San Luis Obispo
5
1
16
5
2
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
Elected or
appointed City
official
Business owner City employee Resident Other (please
specify)
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External Stakeholder Responses
Table 2 contains responses to each of the questions provided by external
survey respondents, e.g., non-city employees. The question with the
highest number of “disagree” responses indicated that some respondents
do not feel that construction-related impacts are adequately
communicated to the public. At least 50% of survey respondents selected
“Strongly Agree” or “Agree” for each question. Statements to which 50%
or more of respondents selected “strongly disagree” or “disagree” are
highlighted in orange.
Table 2. External Stakeholder Survey Responses
Answer Choices
Strongly
Agree Agree Disagree
Strongly
Disagree Don't
Know
Strongly Agree / Agree Strongly Disagree / Disagree
Public Works CIP staff do a good job
communicating project timelines.
1 (11%) 6 (67%) 2 (22%) 0 (0%)
4 (31%)
7 (78%) 2 (22%)
The public is provided a point of contact at
the City to call or email should they have
questions or concerns about a project.
1 (10%) 7 (70%) 2 (20%) 0 (0%)
3 (23%)
8 (80%) 2 (20%)
Projects are generally completed according to
the original schedule.
1 (14%) 5 (71%) 1 (14%) 0 (0%)
6 (46%)
6 (86%) 1 (14%)
If there are construction-related impacts, the
impacts are adequately communicated to the
public in advance.
1 (13%) 3 (38%) 4 (50%) 0 (0%)
5 (38%)
4 (50%) 4 (50%)
If there are material changes made during the
project, the public is notified of these changes
in advance.
1 (14%) 5 (71%) 1 (14%) 0 (0%)
6 (46%)
6 (86%) 1 (14%)
With increased projects expected with
Measure G-20, the CIP team is adequately
organized and staffed to get them done
according to schedule.
0 (0%) 3 (75%) 1 (25%) 0 (0%)
9 (69%)
3 (75%) 1 (25%)
The following additional comments were provided by survey
respondents:
x Better coordination and streamlining between departments would
be a fantastic improvement!
x From a resident perspective, it seems that projects take a long time
to complete.
x It seems wise at this point to invest in a public information officer.
x Host town hall meetings and lots of opportunity for public input,
as has been done with budgeting and community vision.
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x The priority of each CIP project should be made public, as well as
the criteria and method for prioritizing projects.
x It does not seem that the CIPs address Diversity, Equity and
Inclusion or Housing in terms of spending, even though these are
top City goals. ... I think a better job needs to be done to
communicate how the CIPs and expanded infrastructure help
make an impact on these major city goals.
Overall, the survey results from those external respondents indicate that
the public believes that capital projects are done on time, communication
is good, and that the department is adequately staffed. However, there
were mixed results on whether or not construction-related impacts are
adequately communicated to the public in advance.
Internal Stakeholder Responses
The survey was distributed to City staff from every department who
regularly interface and deal with capital improvement projects. Figure 2
indicates the departments in which the respondents work.
Figure 2. Internal Stakeholder Survey Respondents, by Department
Figure 3 indicates how long respondents have worked for the City of San
Luis Obispo.
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
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Figure 3. Internal Stakeholder Respondents, by Years with the City
Table 3 contains responses to each of the questions provided by internal
survey respondents. As with Table 2, statements to which at least 50% of
survey respondents selected “Strongly Agree” or “Agree” for each
question are highlighted in yellow and statements to which 50% or more
of respondents selected “Strongly Disagree” or “Disagree” are
highlighted in orange.
Table 3. Internal Stakeholder Survey Responses
Answer Choices
Strongly
Agree Agree Disagree
Strongly
Disagree Don't
Know
Strongly Agree / Agree Strongly Disagree / Disagree
Public Works CIP staff do a good job
communicating project timelines.
1 (7%) 14 (93%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%)
1 (6%)
15 (100%) 0 (0%)
The public is provided a point of contact at
the City to call or email should they have
questions or concerns about a project.
1 (13%) 5 (63%) 2 (25%) 0 (0%)
8 (50%)
6 (75%) 2 (25%)
Projects are generally completed according to
the original schedule.
1 (8%) 8 (62%) 2 (15%) 2 (15%)
2 (13%)
9 (69%) 4 (31%)
If there are construction-related impacts, the
impacts are adequately communicated to the
public in advance.
3 (27%) 3 (27%) 5 (45%) 0 (0%)
5 (31%)
6 (55%) 5 (45%)
If there are material changes made during the
project, the public is notified of these changes
in advance.
1 (17%) 2 (33%) 3 (50%) 0 (0%)
10 (63%)
3 (50%) 3 (50%)
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
0-2 years 3-5 years 6-10 years 11-15 years 16-20 years
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Answer Choices
Strongly
Agree Agree Disagree
Strongly
Disagree Don't
Know
Strongly Agree / Agree Strongly Disagree / Disagree
With increased projects expected with
Measure G-20, the CIP team is adequately
organized and staffed to get them done
according to schedule.
2 (15%) 2 (15%) 5 (38%) 4 (31%)
3 (19%)
4 (31%) 9 (69%)
Communication between departments on CIP
projects is good.
1 (7%) 8 (53%) 6 (40%) 0 (0%)
1 (6%)
9 (60%) 6 (40%)
The following additional comments were provided by survey
respondents:
x We have good people, but I do not believe we have adequately
experienced or trained people to handle the heavy lift they have in
front of them.
x I would love to have a better understanding of the process of
closing out CIPs that are tied to our department.
x Invest in the underground infrastructure that has been neglected
for years due to the “out of sight, out of mind” mentality.
x Provide a clear line of communication for contact to each
department.
x Internal communication amongst departments.
x Provide updates on project design schedule with an emphasis on
delays and the reasons why.
x Increased communication with City Attorney's Office early would
be helpful. Specifically, advance notice and context for issues that
arise would be appreciated.
x Communication, budgeting, estimating, and project management
skills need improvement.
Based on the provided responses, internal respondents believe City staff
do a good job in communicating project timelines, and projects are
generally completed according to original schedules. However, there are
concerns about staffing levels, as well as how staff communicate to the
public regarding material changes in capital projects.
Documents
Management Partners reviewed a range of documents to help inform our
analysis. These included:
1. CIP-related policies, procedures, reports, manuals, and agreements
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2. Public Works, Utilities and Community Development organization
charts
3. Detailed listings of current and previous CIP Projects
4. CIP Process Gantt and Flow Charts
5. CIP Design & Construction Guide
6. Project and Program Assignments
7. Class Specification Bulletins and Job Descriptions
8. Previous and current Financial Plans and Major City Goals
9. City Charter Article IX and Municipal Code Title 3
10. Engineering design proposals and contracts
Reviewing these data figures enabled us to put the City’s CIP operation
and system into perspective. While analyzing these data figures, our
project team relied on experience working with other jurisdictions
throughout the United States, as well as our knowledge of best practices
in local government capital project management to identify the most
important areas that require improvement in the City’s CIP process.
Capital Improvement Process Assessment
After interviewing City staff, reviewing survey data and analyzing many
CIP-related reports, information and data, Management Partners focused
our assessment on opportunities to refine and improve the City’s existing
CIP process in four major areas:
• Capital improvement project scoping, budgeting and execution
• Delivering projects on schedule
• Reporting, performance measurement, and management
information systems
• Staffing, organization structure and managerial expertise
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Capital Improvement Project Scoping, Budgeting and Execution
Currently, the City has a five-year CIP with the first two years of projects
being budgeted in the City’s two-year Financial Plan. Limited
engineering work is done to develop scopes and budgets for these
projects, and the schedules for these projects typically call for design in
the first year of the budget, and construction in the second year.
In order to be more successful at delivering high-quality projects on time
and within budget, a greater investment in the very early phases of
capital projects is warranted. A more refined project scoping process will
produce projects that are constructable, will consider challenges such as
land acquisition or utility conflicts early in the project scoping, and will
result in more accurate budgets and realistic project schedules.
With the City’s desire to produce visible and measurable results from the
passage of the G-20 Tax Measure, the project delivery culture within the
CIP Engineering team and throughout the entire City organization needs
to develop a greater urgency to deliver projects and provide the support,
tools and staffing to ensure projects keep moving.
Project Scoping and Budgeting
Management Partners observed that there are no criteria established
within the City for determining when a project is designed in-house and
when it may be cost effective or more efficient to outsource it to a design
firm. Additionally, CIP Engineering does collect data that would allow
them to compare the cost of preparing designs in-house versus using an
outside design firm. Such a comparison would include not only fully
burdened staff costs (salaries and benefits), but also:
x Availability of internal or consultant resources;
x Needed skillsets and expertise;
x Project complexity;
x Scheduling; and
x Neighborhood/business district or policy sensitivities or issues.
Project design decisions should not necessarily be based on cost alone;
while outside design costs may sometimes be more expensive, scheduling
and expertise may warrant contracting for such services.
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Determine the fully-burdened costs
of all in-house staff involved in the design of capital
projects and use those data figures to determine the total
costs of in-house project design versus that of contract
design firms.
Develop criteria to guide decision
making regarding whether projects will be designed in-
house or under contract.
Projects budgeted without detailed scopes and with minimal information
about complexity and potential unknown conditions often result in
increased costs and delays. Budgets are often quickly developed by a staff
engineer with very little time and limited information. In our experience,
it is a best practice to have construction cost estimates completed by an
on-call cost estimating firm for initial budgeting of larger, more complex
projects. The City should ensure that it takes into consideration and
identifies all potential costs associated with a project such as inadequate
soil conditions, property acquisition, extensive community outreach or
utility conflicts well before finalizing the scope, budget and schedule.
Capital engineering staff should take the time to ensure budget estimates
are inclusive of all design costs, utility costs, project management,
inspection services, permitting, land acquisition, and environmental
clearance costs, contingencies, as well as internal costs for legal support,
information technology, etc.
Implement a policy and procedure
to require more time for scoping individual projects
before a budget estimate and schedule are provided.
Budget estimates should be all inclusive and based on a
comprehensive assessment of what it will take to complete
the project.
Establish an annual budget to
support an on-call cost estimating firm to develop fully
inclusive budget estimates for more complex projects.
Conduct a preliminary feasibility
study for large and potentially complex projects before
finalizing cost estimates and schedules. Factors such as
soil conditions, property acquisition, extensive community
outreach or utility conflicts need to be well understood
before finalizing the scope, budget and schedule.
Project scopes are often not firm and, especially with utility projects, may
expand as the design progresses. Sometimes this is justified due to
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unforeseen conditions during design; however, it is not always well
documented in relation to its impact on the project’s budget and
schedule. A best practice employed by many municipalities is to establish
a Preliminary Engineering Fund to pay for staffs’ time or consultant fees
that are expended in connection with potential capital projects that have
not yet had a project budget established. Since some projects may not
move forward to implementation, the City is able to capture staff and
consulting expenses in this Preliminary Engineering Fund. For those
capital projects that do move forward, once the project budget is
approved, any associated engineering costs are reimbursed to the
Preliminary Engineering Fund and actual project costs are fully captured.
Initial project scopes should be well documented, and any amendments
made to the scope during the remainder of the project should also be
documented. In addition, the resulting impacts to a project’s budget and
schedule should be communicated in a CIP Report distributed to the City
Council (discussed later in this report).
Establish a Preliminary
Engineering Fund to pay for staffs’ time or consultant
fees in connection with potential capital projects prior to
establishing a project budget.
Document the initial project scope
and amendments made to the scope during the duration
of the project, as well as the resulting impacts to the
budget and the schedule.
We heard that project scopes and budgets appear to be limited to
functional designs to achieve the utilitarian use of the improvement, such
as building a non-descript restroom facility. The addition of urban design
and landscape architect expertise would improve the aesthetics of the
City’s projects. In that regard, the City should take into consideration the
urban design of highly visible capital projects during the initial scoping
and preliminary engineering phase so that the scopes include not only
functional project requirements but also community design and aesthetic
features of projects.
Contract with an on-call urban
design firm during the scoping and preliminary
engineering phase of highly visible capital projects.
Measure G-20 capital projects are included in the City’s two-year
Financial Plan and are part of the five-year CIP Program. These projects
are reviewed by a revenue enhancement oversight committee prior to
inclusion in these documents. It is a best practice for municipalities who
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sustain major capital improvement programs to have a five-year capital
improvement program like San Luis Obispo’s. While projects generally
need to be reviewed on an ongoing basis, CIP Engineering should also
establish a process of doing an in-depth review (scoping, budget and
schedule) of all capital projects at least six months before any new five-
year plan moves forward for policy consideration.
Allocate funds at least every five
years to complete a comprehensive update of the City’s
CIP.
Project Design and Execution
Some CIP engineers indicate a strong preference for design work while
others prefer to manage engineering consultants. While these skillsets are
different, both are needed to expedite the completion of projects. Project
assignments, along with a clear understanding as to how the design will
be handled, can be tailored to the preferences of existing staff members.
This could be done as new employees are hired (there is currently one
vacancy as well as one soon-to-be-vacant engineer position) by
converting vacant engineering positions into project manager positions.
Ideally, the ultimate ratio would be four engineers and four project
managers within the division with two engineers and two project
managers assigned to each supervising engineer. Some existing staff may
be more proficient in project management and will want to shift their
emphasis and/or focus in this regard. Such project managers would be
recruited based on different skillsets, such as project management,
construction management, public speaking and presentation skills. The
use of project managers and project management training is discussed
more in-depth later in this report.
Transition the CIP Engineering
staffing strategy toward a mix of project managers and
design engineers.
The number of projects identified in the FY 2021-23 Financial Plan are
essentially the same as in previous years, although the cost, scope and
complexity is expected to increase. Additional interest and public
scrutiny will increase pressure on City staff to complete capital projects in
less time and within budget. Consequently, the city organization as a
whole will need to have greater urgency in its completion of projects.
During this engagement we learned that the roles of some supporting
departments are not clearly defined. Service levels and responsiveness
are not defined or documented, often causing delays. Establishing
service-level agreements between operating departments would reduce
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internal delays and ideally would also result in building better teamwork
with project ownership. Ideally, the organization should get to a place
where anyone that is part of a project’s delivery, from an attorney
reviewing contracts to an analyst who reviews project funding, will
develop personal pride from their role in the successful delivery of that
capital project.
Establish Service Level Agreements
with other departments to establish and clarify internal
service arrangements. Examples include planning permit
facilitation from the Community Development
Department, review deadlines and time agreements with
the City Attorney’s Office, or position recruitment
timelines with Human Resources.
While the staff involved in the delivery of the CIP are working hard, it
was not clear to us from interviews that there is a true sense of urgency to
complete projects on time and on budget. By emphasizing a higher
priority on the timely delivery of capital projects by implementing
performance measurements, staff would be able to clearly demonstrate to
the City Council and the community that their new tax dollars are being
spent as efficiently as possible.
Elevate the organizational
emphasis of on-time and on-budget project delivery and
accountability through the use of practical performance
measures.
Public Works makes use of outside consultants to perform project design
services and maintains an updated list of eligible engineering firms. As
project levels fluctuate and increase in size and scope, in an effort to
reduce project completion time, continued and increased use of outside
consultants will be needed. However, this does not mean that all projects
need to be outsourced. The need to expedite project schedules and the
expanding role of contract engineering firms needs to be positively
communicated to staff. Using outside design firms will also provide
learning and professional development opportunities for internal staff
and represents a viable path to ensure success of the entire capital
program.
In order to have an effective project design, emphasis on Quality
Assurance/Quality Control also needs to be addressed early in the
process. Some staff noted that there is a lack of thorough Quality
Assurance/Quality Control on project plans and specifications, meaning
that inspection staff will often catch mistakes or have to deal with them in
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the field. Ensuring that a peer review process, to be established prior to
construction, should raise the quality and constructability of project plans
and specifications.
Ensure a peer review process that
includes staff from design, construction, and other
sections that have a vested interest in a given project is
established.
Require design consulting contracts
to include a peer review, conducted by another on-call
firm for large complex projects.
Management Partners heard that plans developed in-house lack
uniformity, even within the same plan set, depending on who is
preparing them. And while the City has drafting and computer-aided
design (CAD) standards, when multiple staff work on a single set of
plans the work product appears piecemealed.
Standardize plan layouts, notes,
details, symbols, and nomenclature and train and
communicate standards to all design staff.
In our interviews with staff, we noted several practices that had the effect
of slowing the completion of capital projects. For example, approved
projects have frequently been returned to various oversight commissions
and to the City Council, sometimes multiple times, to approve changes
that could have been avoided with better up-front planning. Completing
the environmental assessment and permitting process influences project
schedules and costs. Best management practices include making an early
determination as to the environmental documents required and
incorporating them into the schedule.
We believe that better initial project scoping and due diligence of project
requirements for projects by the citywide CIP team are needed. Each
project needs to be reviewed for environmental and permit requirements.
The process of environmental documentation, permitting and the
subsequent handoff to CIP Engineering needs to be clarified.
Establish a checklist of potential
environmental and permit requirements and examine
each project scope against the list early in the planning
process.
Prepare written agreements or
Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) between project
participants, especially for projects that require
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environmental or permit requirements. Such agreements
should include tasks, the responsible party, timeframe and
notification to other parties.
We were informed that there are times when multiple commissions
reviewed a project, resulting in multiple scope changes. It is well known
that the later a change occurs in the construction process, the more costly
the change is. These practices also result in project delays. The City
should limit scope changes to early stages of design and reduce the
number of detailed project reviews to a single commission during the
initial stages of a project.
Limit the review of projects to early
stages of design and reduce project reviews to a single
commission.
In many cases, funding for a project has been diverted after work was
begun. Sometimes such delays are unavoidable; however, any time
project funding is delayed, transferred, adjusted or held, it affects the
schedule and leads to delays in project completion. The effect on the
project schedule (and cost) needs to be defined and communicated so that
impacts of delays are costed, documented and understood.
Communicate to client departments
and decision makers the effect on project schedules (and
future costs) whenever funding is delayed, adjusted or
held.
In several examples that we selected for review, right-of-way issues
played a significant part in project delays. Right-of-way acquisition is a
specialized field and the City needs to identify areas where right-of-way
assistance will be needed and subsequently use consultants who
specialize in this area so as to expedite the right-of-way process.
Involve on-call right-of-way
consultants immediately upon determination that
property acquisition will be needed.
Many things can cause delays; however, when there is an apparent risk of
that happening, elevation of the issue within the organization is needed
to mitigate that risk or to develop a recovery plan. This will be addressed
in our staffing recommendations below.
Alternative Delivery Options
With the addition of the new Measure G-20 funding along with other
financing resources, it is anticipated that the City’s CIP will be growing,
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not necessarily in the number of projects, but in the size and scope of
projects. For larger, more complex projects, it is incumbent on the City to
explore all project delivery options at its disposal to achieve the optimal
project delivery method. In addition, the City could also explore the
possibility of establishing local preferences as well as tiered incentives in
design review contracts to get faster turnaround times. All local agencies
in California have the ability to use design-build delivery under specific
criteria; however, general law cities typically have more restrictions than
charter cities. Since San Luis Obispo is a charter city, it has more
flexibility in this area.
According to our interviews and research, the City has never employed
anything other than the traditional design-bid-build methodology. A
design-build contract involves the award of a single contract for both the
design and construction of a structure or public improvement. The
primary advantage of awarding a project on a design-build basis is that
the project will likely be completed sooner and for less cost than if two
separate contracts are awarded for design work and construction work.
Design-build projects can offer benefits including greater flexibility in
awarding a contract, higher quality work, greater cost certainty, and
fewer claims. A downside to design build projects is the loss of some
control over many design details. Typically for projects valued less than
$5 million, design-build is the best project delivery strategy, but for some
larger projects other methodologies may offer an accelerated schedule or
less risk of cost overruns.
Currently the City mostly follows the California Public Contract Code. To
use the additional flexibility that comes with the use of design-build, the
City would need to amend its municipal code to allow for the design-
build method. The City Attorney’s Office should be consulted as to any
required changes to the City Charter.
As a charter city, the City may also consider other methods of project
delivery such as construction-manager-at-risk or public-private-
partnerships. Both of these methodologies are best suited for projects that
are large and for sites where collaboration with a private developer is
beneficial. Public-Private-Partnerships (PPPs or P3s) may offer beneficial
delivery and financing compared to general obligation bond or certificate
of participation financing.
Construction-Manager-at-risk delivery involves hiring a construction
management firm after the design has been completed to take
responsibility for the construction of the project. Generally, the
Construction Management (CM) firm agrees to deliver the completed
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project to the owner for no more than a guaranteed maximum price. The
CM will then award contracts to individual trade contractors to perform
specific portions of the construction work. The CM can select trade
contractors on whatever basis it prefers (lowest bidder, qualifications,
familiarity, etc.).
Public-Private-Partnerships involve a private entity financing and
constructing a fee-generating facility such as a toll road or a commercial
building and operating it for a set number of years in exchange for a
percentage of the revenues generated. At the end of the agreement, the
possession and operation of the facility is transferred back to the public
agency. This approach allows an agency to construct a project it might not
otherwise have the funding for, allows the contractor to profit from the
revenues generated, and creates valuable infrastructure for use by the
public.
Consider alternative design
delivery methods such as design-build and other
delivery methods legally allowed by the State.
Work with the City Attorney’s
Office to amend the municipal code and the city charter,
if necessary, to allow for alternative capital project
delivery methods.
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Delivering Projects on Schedule
A municipality’s ability to deliver capital projects on time and within
available resources is a fundamental goal of any CIP. Planning and
scoping projects are critical to delivering projects within the estimated
budget and timeframe; doing so can save municipalities a significant
amount of money.
Construction cost escalation is almost always present in the construction
economy, although the amounts vary based on the state of the overall
economy and specific factors in the construction industry. In the last
several years it has averaged between two and four percent per year,
although for a brief window during the Great Recession construction
costs fell slightly.
Another source of cost escalation is property cost increases associated
with right-of-way acquisition. Similar increases may occur for other costs
in the CIP process, from labor to supplies.
In some projects a significant driver of cost increases can be increased
local match requirements applicable to grant-funded projects. State and
federal grant matches are often made on a “not to exceed” or capped
basis. In other words, a grantor will agree to fund some percentage of
costs but cap its share of costs based on a point in time. To the extent a
project is delayed beyond the point in time estimate, a local government
may incur additional costs in the local match, which can be significant as
state and federal sources may constitute a majority of anticipated project
funding.
The key to delivering projects on time is constant monitoring and
intervention to head off delays when possible. Adequately tracking
projects, though, is not always done well by many public works
departments. When projects are not delivered on time, construction costs
escalate which then invariably impact financial resources available for
other projects. Delivering capital projects on time and within budget is an
essential component of any effective capital program.
To illustrate the importance of addressing project delivery timeframes,
Management Partners examined several City capital projects in detail. We
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selected ten CIP projects from the October 2018 CIP Report to analyze the
funding and project schedules for each of these projects. Attachment B
shows the data collected for each project. The sample includes six projects
that addressed major city goals; the remaining four were selected from
the listing of projects that addressed other important City objectives. In
addition, we selected projects that were managed by different divisions,
including those from Transportation and Utilities. Table 4 below shows
the change in project costs for these capital projects over time. For these
projects alone, costs increased a total of $8.2 million.
Table 4. San Luis Obispo Sample Projects: Cost Increases/Decreases
Spec no. Project Name
Financial/CIP
Plan (initial)
Original Projected
Construction Cost
Revised Estimated
Construction
Cost
Cost Increase/
(Decrease)
91658 Sinsheimer Irrigation and
Drainage1 2015-17 $140,000 $500,0002 $360,000
91503 California Taft Roundabout 2017-19 $1,260,000 $2,360,000 $1,100,000
91607 Marsh and Broad Traffic Signal
Upgrade 2017-19 $175,000 $231,000 $56,000
90480 Bridge – Marsh at Santa Rosa
Replacement 2011-13 $6,700,000 $8,342,900 $1,642,900
91375 Bike-Railroad Safety Trail Taft to
Pepper 2011-13 $1,900,000 $4,653,700 $2,753,700
91511 Streets – Madonna and Los Osos
Valley Rd. 2017-19 $3,230,700 $2,900,000 ($330,700)
91376 Streets – Safe Routes to School
Implementation Foothill Crossing 2017-19 $345,000 $595,894 $250,894
91439 Building - Mission Plaza Restroom 2015-17 $510,000 $1,195,000 $685,000
91584A IT – Fire Station 2 Tower 2019-21 $250,000 $200,000 ($50,000)
91214A Sanitary Sewer – Margarita Sewer
Lift Station 2011-13 $600,000 $2,318,535 $1,718,535
TOTAL $15,110,700 $23,297,029 $8,186,329
AVERAGE $818,633
Sources: 2011-13, 2013-15, 2015-17, 2017-19, 2019-21 Financial Plans, October 2018, 2019, 2020 CIP Reports, March 2021 CIP
Report
1Council paused/delayed project
2Estimated bid costs
Project delays and cost increases occur for many reasons. Some project
delays are the result of working with other entities (such as Union Pacific,
or the Regional Water Quality Control Board); thus, project delays can be
both unavoidable and avoidable. Others may result from scope changes,
unexpected design requirements, addressing community expectations,
and even a pandemic, resulting in the need to seek additional financial
resources. However, some project delays are within the city’s control and
with additional staff and the use of metrics to track the work and provide
greater accountability, improved project delivery will occur.
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If San Luis Obispo could reduce its average project delivery delay by 16
months, down to an average of 12 months, it could have saved (on those
projects evaluated) approximately $1.6 million just in construction cost
inflation alone. Such a delay can also have a corresponding impact on
grant funding, resulting in higher local match requirements for both state
and federal requirements.
Delays in project completion also negatively impact community
perceptions and expectations. These include delays in the delivery of
safety improvements, construction impacts negatively affecting business
and economic development opportunities, as well as delayed community
benefits such as improving the aesthetics of an area to attract additional
tourism or foot traffic. Accordingly, improving the delivery of capital
projects not only makes financial sense, but benefits the organization and
community in general.
It is important that local government managers and policy makers
recognize the very real costs of CIP delay. This recognition can generate
the justification to invest in the people and systems which support this
work, and over time yield millions of dollars in cost savings, not to
mention the timelier delivery of projects which are often integral to
overall public safety.
The largest cities in California have long understood this reality, and they
have collectively invested in the California Multi-Agency CIP Benchmarking
Study since 2002, which examines performance metrics, including project
delivery. This effort has led to the development of many of the best
practices recommended in this report.
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Performance Measurement, Reporting, Management and
Information Systems
The setting of performance metrics, the accurate reporting on the status of
capital projects, and the proper use of management and information
systems in the delivery of capital projects are essential to any efficient CIP
delivery function. This section will explore and examine these three
elements and provide suggested improvements in these areas.
Performance Measurement
The City has a CIP tracking and reporting system, but it needs to be
expanded. For example, there is no system in place to track anticipated
project costs (at the beginning of the project) to actual project costs (at
completion of the project). For accountability and transparency, the City
needs to have a system in place that tracks specific measures for each
project and tracks the execution of the overall capital improvement
program.
There is no clear, simple management tool for measuring or tracking the
execution of a capital improvement program. Although high visibility
projects often get a lot of attention (e.g., the city’s downtown parking
structure), the majority of day-to-day projects do not. Often the result is
that a large number of projects are carried over from one fiscal year to the
next because they did not get done.
Many jurisdictions, including San Luis Obispo, use project management
software to manage their capital projects. However, this software is used
for individual projects rather than for the capital improvement program
in the aggregate.
Since there is no management system for tracking the quality of the
execution of the capital program as a whole, it is not possible to answer
the question of whether the CIP was executed more or less efficiently and
timely compared to prior year(s). How well the projects are executed
against the planned budget and planned schedule are the primary
variables that management can and should be managing.
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Closer attention to the execution of the capital improvement program,
including tighter, more rigorous management, will likely produce
measurable improvements in performance. Since most jurisdictions,
including San Luis Obispo, do not have a management system for
measuring performance for the CIP as a whole, (excepting individual
projects), there is minimal attention to the execution of the CIP as a
whole.
Implementation of a comprehensive capital improvement program
management system can be the basis for evaluating the management of
two key elements of the CIP – time and project budgets. Attachment C
provides a performance management measurement framework as an
example of the kinds of information that should be gathered to evaluate
performance against expectations. The major elements include:
Cost
x Estimated Design Cost versus Actual Design Cost
x Engineer’s Estimated Contract amount versus Contract Award
x Total Project Cost
x Budget estimate versus actual project cost
x Revised estimate versus actual project cost
x Construction Cost - Revised Estimate versus Actual Cost
Schedule
x Planned Design Time versus Actual Design Time
x Planned Bid Opening Date versus Actual Bid Opening Date
x Planned Notice to Proceed Date versus Actual Notice to Proceed
Date
x Revised Estimated Construction Completion versus Actual
Construction
Completion
x Planned Project Completion Date versus Actual Completion Date
Aggregated CIP management information is outlined in Attachment C.
Use of these metrics will assist city management in gauging the specific
indicators for each project as well as the effectiveness of the management
of the CIP overall. In addition, the City should be able to utilize its
existing systems (Oracle and Microsoft Project) to obtain this information.
Revise the current tracking system
to include cost and scheduling metrics to inform
management and executive staff about capital
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improvement performance and delivery, including
developing a procedure to track and report anticipated
and actual project costs.
The CIP engineers track their time spent on projects in CIPAce (City’s
project tracking platform), but engineers’ hours are charged to the general
fund and not specifically to projects (there are a few exceptions, such as
charges to grants or to enterprise funds, when those hours are charged to
these specific accounts). Thus, the City currently has no way of
determining the complete cost of delivering a project, nor is management
able to assess staffs’ performance with respect to the hours expended to
deliver a project and staff project work overall.
Most design firms and municipal engineering functions believe that
design, construction inspection and project management staff should be
charging from 60 to 80% of their time to project work of one kind or
another (there is an ebb and flow, depending on a range of variables).
Most municipalities with comprehensive capital improvement programs
track hours and require staff to charge their time to an actual project, not
the general fund. Without these data figures, it is not possible to estimate
hours required to deliver a project or understand the true cost of a project
or compare and make data-driven decisions on whether to use in-house
or contract consultants for various components of a project.
Implement a capital improvement
project specific cost accounting system to track staff costs
for all staff eligible to charge against a project. Include
fully burdened staff costs and appropriate overhead costs
(legal support, community development review and
permit processing, internal real estate services, public
information costs, etc.), from engineering estimates to
design and project execution.
Reporting
City staff currently prepares a bimonthly CIP Project Report (developed
in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet) to provide status information to
executive management. An example of the current CIP Project Report is
shown in Appendix 1. This spreadsheet is provided to the City Manager
who identifies those projects to be presented in a quarterly update report
(PowerPoint presentation) for his review each quarter.
The current bimonthly CIP Project Report is the responsibility of the
supervising engineer who receives updates from each project engineer.
However, the CIP Project Report apparently is not always updated by
those engineers outside the core CIP Engineering team. Some of the
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current projects have no baseline or actual dates even though the project
is in progress, and duration variances reported are often inaccurate.
The bimonthly CIP Project Report includes a baseline start and finish date
with actual start and finish dates; however, when projects are delayed,
sometimes the baseline dates are adjusted, which skews the tracking data
comparison. Baseline dates should not be revised unless the project start
date is reset by the City Council.
Ensure that the CIP Project Report
baseline start and finish dates remain consistent and that
all fields are reported accurately and on an up-to-date
basis.
Project delays also need to be identified and communicated. And while
there are legitimate reasons that cause projects to veer off schedule, such
as utility company delays, these should be regularly reported and added
to the report in the schedule notes column for better tracking and
accountability.
Management Partners recommends that the bimonthly CIP Project Report
be expanded to include data differentiating between project budget and
project cost and provide this report to the City Council on a semiannual
basis. This semiannual report should also highlight those projects that are
either delayed or at risk of going over budget. An example of a CIP
Report that highlights such projects can be found in Appendix 2. Because
projects do not change that quickly, generating the report semiannually
should provide all parties with current information regarding a project’s
status, and reduce the chances that a project is inadvertently dropped off
the project schedule due to a delay. In addition, this report should be
uploaded to an easy to find area of the City’s website (main homepage)
and on its social media platforms.
Provide an expanded version of the
bimonthly CIP Project Report to the City Council on a
semiannual basis and post it on the City’s website.
Include in the CIP Project Report
(Schedule Notes column) an explanation of any
anticipated delays or required budget adjustments. In
addition, add the responsible project manager’s name to
the report for better accountability.
CIP staff also presents (every other year) a written Status of Current CIP
Projects Report to the City Council as part of the financial planning
process, providing an update on all capital projects completed over the
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last 18-month period. We believe this report also needs to be expanded to
include the original project budget for each of the completed projects, the
time involved in delivering those completed projects, and projects that
are either delayed or are at risk of exceeding budget. By presenting this
type of report, greater transparency and accountability regarding project
delivery would be established.
Provide an expanded version of the
Status of Current CIP Projects Report presented with the
financial planning process. The expanded version should
include original project budgets for each of the completed
projects, the time involved in delivering those completed
projects, as well as projects that are either delayed or are at
risk of exceeding budget.
Management and Information Systems
Signature thresholds for CIP projects, according to the Financial
Management Manual, have not been adjusted in many years and bidding
levels are currently at lower levels than State Code requirements.
Updating these would reduce the need to return for Council approvals,
which contributes to project delays. The following recommendations are
intended to modernize the City’s approval levels consistent with best
practice fiscal policies and procedures.
Amend Exhibit 202-A of the
Financial Management Manual for public projects and
the Purchasing Process document published October 1,
2018 to authorize the CIP Manager to approve contracts
between $7,500 to $44,999 after approval by the Fiscal
Officer. This threshold currently requires approval by the
Director of Public Works.
Authorize the proposed CIP
Manager to approve Contract Change Orders (Section
225 of the Purchasing Process Manual and the
Purchasing Process document) for greater time
efficiency.
Adjust the threshold of projects
that require City Council contract award approval from
$175,000 to $200,000 or more, as allowed by charter city
status.
Adjust the threshold for requiring a
formal public bidding process from $49,999 to $60,000, in
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accordance with the California Public Contract Code
Section 22032.
Amend the Municipal Code to
continually match the limits set forth in Public Contract
Code, Section 22032, or set a higher threshold as allowed
by the City’s charter city status.
Staff stated that the Oracle system is difficult to use to monitor project
funding status. Engineering staff report expending a lot of time finding
available project balances. Additional training and the use of support
staff to assist in project funding duties should be increased to free up
engineers’ time spent on determining project balances.
Provide additional training on the
use of the Oracle system and develop expertise in use of
the Oracle system within the department among support
staff.
Project close out reports are reportedly not up to date, resulting in the
delay of project-related data and a reallocation of fund balances. When
unavailable, the data from completed projects cannot be used for future
engineering estimates and project planning. The department is currently
working on improving this process.
Institute a 30-day time from
completion of project in which to prepare close out
reports for capital projects that have been completed.
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Staffing, Organizational Structure and Management Expertise
The Public Works Department is one of eleven city departments and is
organized into the following program areas: Administration, Engineering
(including Transportation and Inspection), Maintenance, Parking and
Transit.
In FY 2020-21, the Department had 83.64 full-time employees (FTEs).
With supplemental, contractual and added staff positions, the
department’s total staffing was 107.54. Figure 4 includes FY 2021-22 FTE
staffing for the department. Department staffing for FY2021-22 is
essentially the same at 108.3 FTE.
Figure 4. Existing Public Works Department Organization Chart
Public Works Director
(84 FTEs, 3 vacant, 1 frozen)
Acting City Engineer/
Deputy Director
(26 FTEs, 2 vacant)
Parking Manager
(11 FTEs, 1 vacant, 1 frozen)
Maintenance Operations
Manager
(41 FTEs)
Transit Manager
(3 FTEs)
Construction Engineering
Manager
(7 FTEs, 1 vacant)
Acting Supervising Civil
Engineer
(9 FTEs, 1 vacant)
Transportation Manager
(8 FTEs)
CIP Administrative
Assistant
(1 FTE)
Corp Yard Administrator
(1 FTE)
Administrative Assistant
(1 FTE)
Public Works Analyst
(1 FTE)
Fleet Supervisor
(5 FTEs)
Urban Forest Supervisor
(3 FTEs)
Streets Supervisor
(12 FTEs)
Parks Supervisor
(12 FTEs)
Facilities Supervisor
(7 FTEs)
Parking Supervisor
(7 FTEs, 1 vacant)
Parking Administrator
(3 FTEs, 1 Frozen)
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The CIP Engineering group, staffed by 9 FTEs, has primary responsibility
for delivering the CIP. The construction inspection staff (7 FTEs) are
responsible for ensuring construction of public improvements and capital
projects consistent with approved plans.
Engineering staff in Transportation (in Public Works) and in Utilities (a
separate department) also design and manage CIP projects, which are
more specialized in nature. In addition, development engineering staff
oversee a great deal of public improvements, but these improvements are
typically designed and constructed by private developers.
Management Partners conducted a high-level assessment of the staffing
and organization structure associated with the CIP process. Because of
the scope of our engagement, we did not conduct a detailed workload
analysis of the support staff of the CIP Engineering team (i.e., the
engineering technician, administrative assistant or public works analyst).
The city engineer oversees all of the engineering functions (CIP
engineering, construction and transportation) of the department. This
position is currently filled by the supervising engineer who is acting in
the position until the position is permanently filled. The supervising
engineer oversees the CIP Engineering staff and the design and project
management functions. This position is currently filled by one of the
engineers who is acting in the position until that position is permanently
filled.
There are seven engineers and one engineering technician position in the
CIP Engineering section. One of the engineer positions is currently
vacant. A second position is expected to be vacant shortly. Most of the
staff in this program have only a few years of public sector experience.
Until recently, the department also had a vacant administrative analyst
position that had responsibilities related to the CIP. This position has
been filled within the last 60 days. This position reports to the business
manager in the City Manager’s office.
Figure 5 below shows the functional organization chart of the CIP group.
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Figure 5. Existing Functional CIP Organization Chart
Public Works Director
Acting City Engineer/
Deputy Director
Construction Engineering
Manager
(7 FTEs, 1 vacant)
Acting Supervising Civil
Engineer
(9 FTEs, 1 vacant)
Engineer III (1, vacant)
Engineering Inspector III (4)
Engineering Inspector IV (1)
Engineering Consultant (1 -
supplemental)
Engineering Inspector III (1 -
contract)
Engineer II (2)
Engineer III (4)
Engineer I-III (1, vacant)
Engineering Technician II (1)
Administrative Assistant III
(1 FTE)
Deputy Director –
Engineering and Planning
(3 FTEs)
Interim Utilities Engineer (1)
Utilities Project Manager (1)
Utilities Director
Assistant City Manager
Functions
Construction contract
management
CIP construction inspection
Private development
construction inspection
Functions
Capital project management
Plan preparations and
specifications
Project scoping
Right of way acquisition
Functions
Capital projects prioritization and
budgeting
CIP planning and specification
review
Utility infrastructure master
planning
Functions
Administrative support
Contract processing
Records maintenance
Transportation Manager
(8 FTEs)
Active Transportation Manager
(1)
Signal Technicians (2)
Traffic Planner-Engineers (4)
Functions
Active transportation planning
and design
Construction traffic control
review
Signal and streetlight
maintenance and repair
Traffic operations engineering
Transportation capital project
management
Transportation development
review
Engineering Development
Review
Supervising Civil Engineer
(5 FTEs)
Engineering Technician (1)
Permit Technician (1)
Senior Civil Engineer (2)
Community Development
Director
Functions
Development review
Encroachment permit issuance
Subdivision improvement plans
Subdivision map recordation
Business Manager1
(2 FTEs)
Public Works Analyst
(1 FTE)
Functions
Administrative support
Budgeting
Financial reporting
Note: Titles in italics are temporary, supplemental, or contract
1Not part of CIP team
Staff Vacancies
Because of the current number of CIP-related capital projects, vacancies in
the engineering operation have contributed to project delays. Staff report
that the city has historically had difficulty in filling engineering positions
and currently there are several positions that are vacant. This may be due
in part to the compensation offered. Local governments across the state
are experiencing significant challenges in recruiting and retaining civil
engineers; thus, competition is fairly fierce, and choices are often made on
compensation.
A citywide classification study is scheduled for FY2021-22 and is
tentatively scheduled to be completed in early 2022; however,
comprehensive studies often take longer than originally planned due to
labor and employee relations issues. Delaying the classification study for
engineers until 2022 will likely further impede recruitment success in
filling the current vacancies. There are a number of steps the city can take
now to reduce the impact of vacancies. Developing on-call agreements
with firms that offer engineering or inspection services to augment city
staff or expanding the use of supplemental, leased or other temporary
employees (such as retired annuitants) to fill in the gaps are two possible
strategies. Contract and temporary employees may be used as project
levels fluctuate. Supplemental, leased or other temporary employees
(such as retired annuitants) may also be used as deemed necessary.
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Advance the compensation study of
the engineering series to ensure that salary and benefits
offered are competitive. This series should be done prior
to the work on the citywide compensation study which
could take considerable time to complete and implement.
Centralize CIP Engineering Functions
Through our interviews, we noted that CIP engineering and project
management tasks are currently performed in three separate operations –
in the CIP Engineering Division, Transportation Division, and in the
Engineering and Planning Division of the Utilities Department. The
decentralization of these engineering tasks can result in coordination
issues, overlapping of functions, the lack of accountability, and
inconsistency in how procedures are implemented.
To build a first-rate CIP organization, we recommend placing
responsibility for engineering in a single division and in a single
department with the CIP Engineering team taking the lead role on the
design and management of projects, with Transportation and Utilities
staff providing project scoping and preliminary engineering.
Due to the specialized nature of transportation, water and sewer projects,
additional technical expertise will be needed on the CIP Engineering team
to design and manage these projects. The City should evaluate the
engineering functions in the Transportation and Utilities operation and
transfer those personnel who possess the required technical expertise to
the CIP Engineering team or have them serve in a matrix reporting
relationship to the City Engineer with respect to designing and executing
capital projects.
Centralize responsibility for the
design and project delivery of all capital projects within
the Public Works CIP Engineering team.
Evaluate which staff from
Transportation and Utilities should be transferred to the
CIP Engineering team or serve in a matrix reporting
relationship to the City Engineer in order to provide the
needed specialized technical expertise.
Development Engineering
Development Engineering is located in the Community Development
Department with no formal reporting relationship to Public Works or the
City Engineer. This group is responsible for the review of proposed
public infrastructure (streets, sewers, storm drains, utilities, etc.) within
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private development for compliance with public right-of-way
requirements. The group is also responsible for construction standards
for infrastructure and assets that will ultimately become the maintenance
responsibility of the Public Works, Utilities, and Parks divisions. This unit
also oversees other engineering functions, such as the City’s floodplain
management, stormwater, and National Pollution Discharge Elimination
System (NPDES) work.
The City Engineer is ultimately responsible for ensuring that public
infrastructure and associated standard specifications for its construction
comply with city policies and the municipal code. While we understand
the benefits of having the development engineering group physically
reside in the Community Development Department for coordination and
streamlining development review, we believe it is important that this
functional group have a formal reporting relationship to the city engineer.
We understand there is a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in
place (from 2014) defining the current roles and responsibilities of the
Public Works and Community Development Departments with respect to
development engineering. We recommend that this be reviewed to
reassign the formal reporting of this group to the city engineer, while
retaining the functional role and services within the Community
Development Department. Doing so will also provide professional
development opportunities for engineering staff, enable staff to more
easily cross functional boundaries, and ensure that policies and
procedures with respect to public infrastructure are consistent.
Reassign the reporting relationship
of the development services engineering group to the
City Engineer.
Review and revise the 2014 MOU
addressing roles and responsibilities of the Public Works
and Community Development Departments to ensure
development engineering services continues to
effectively and efficiently serve development applicants.
Staffing and Organization Structure
The number of projects assigned to CIP Engineering identified in the FY
2021-23 budget are essentially the same as in previous years, although the
cost, scope and complexity is expected to increase. Additional interest
and public scrutiny will result in increased pressure to complete these
projects in less time and within budget. Thus, in order to be in a position
to address a more ambitious CIP, in addition to procedural and process
improvements, additional staffing is also warranted.
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Proposed Organization Structure
Management Partners observed that the City has been delivering less
than half of their slated CIP projects on schedule. With a larger CIP
program anticipated in the years to come, based on additional revenues,
the need to expedite the delivery of capital projects, especially with
heightened public expectations, will require the City to augment its
existing CIP staff. Figure 6 shows the proposed organization chart and
recommended staffing which reflects the addition of four new positions
and the reclassification of one existing vacant position as well as one
soon-to-be vacated position. Recommended new positions are shown in
red. The estimated annual cost for these new positions is anticipated to be
approximately $590,000 or less. A description of the recommended
position changes is outlined below.
Figure 6. Proposed CIP Organization Chart
Public Works Director
City Engineer/Deputy
Director
Construction Engineering
Manager
(8 FTEs)
Capital Improvement
Program Manager
(12 FTEs)
Engineer III (1)
Engineering Inspector III (5, 1
new)
Engineering Inspector IV (1)
Engineering Consultant (1,
supplemental)
Engineering Inspector III (1,
contract)
Administrative Assistant III
(1 FTE)
Deputy Director –
Engineering and Planning
(3 FTEs)
Utilities Engineer (1)2
Utilities Project Manager (1)
Utilities Director
Assistant City Manager
Functions
Construction contract
management
CIP construction inspection
Private development
construction inspection
Functions
Capital projects prioritization and
budgeting
CIP planning and specification
review
Utility infrastructure master
planning
Functions
Administrative support
Contract processing
Records maintenance
Transportation Manager
(8 FTEs)
Active Transportation Manager
(1)
Signal Technicians (2)
Traffic Planner-Engineers (4)2
Functions
Active transportation planning
and design
Construction traffic control
review
Signal and streetlight
maintenance and repair
Traffic operations engineering
Transportation capital project
management
Transportation development
review
Supervising Engineer
(5 FTEs)
Engineer I-III (3)3
Project Manager (1)
Supervising Engineer
(6 FTEs)
Engineer I-III (3)3
Engineering Technician I-II (1)
Project Manager (1)
Functions
Capital project management
Plan preparations and
specifications
Project scoping
Functions
CIP report preparation
Landscape design services
Overall CIP program delivery
Right of way acquisition
Urban design services
Functions
Capital project management
Plan preparations and
specifications
Project scoping
Engineering Development
Review
Supervising Civil Engineer
(5 FTEs)
Engineering Technician (1)
Permit Technician (1)
Senior Civil Engineer (2)
Functions
Development review
Encroachment permit issuance
Subdivision improvement plans
Subdivision map recordation
Business Manager1
(2 FTEs)
Public Works Analyst
(1 FTE)
Functions
Administrative support
Budgeting
Financial reporting
Note: Titles in italics are temporary, supplemental, or contract.
1Not part of CIP team
2One or more to be moved to Capital Improvement Division
3As vacancies occur, transition existing engineers to project manager positions until there are four engineers and four project
managers. This will result in two engineers and two project managers assigned to each Supervising Engineer.
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In order to bring a more heightened awareness and priority to the
delivery of capital improvement projects, Management Partners is
recommending the addition of a management position, CIP Manager.
This position would be solely responsible for the City’s capital
improvement program and to guide the CIP delivery process, to resolve
issues that arise that impede project delivery, and to communicate project
status with management, policy makers and the public. Since the passage
of Measure G-20 was such a significant priority for both the City Council
and the community, having a dedicated individual responsible for the
entire CIP (including long-term capital projects and Measure G-20 funded
programs) would bring a higher level of accountability to the City’s
delivery of capital projects. In addition, this new position would relieve
the City Engineer of some supervisory responsibilities and provide the
City Engineer with more capacity to focus on citywide engineering
functions, including planning for the future and building an integrated
team. This position should be charged to projects since the delivery of
projects will be their sole focus. A sample position description is shown in
Appendix 3.
The CIP Manager would be responsible for supervising development and
implementation of the CIP, including communicating project status to
policy makers and the public. This position should be given the authority
to quickly escalate any interdepartmental or cross-departmental project
disagreements or delays for department or City Manager’s Office
resolution. This person should have strong technical (engineering
background), managerial, and communication skills.
Develop a job specification for and
hire a CIP Manager to head the CIP Engineering
Division.
The supervising engineer currently supervises eight engineering-related
positions which is not only a large span of control but results in
significant responsibility for a large number of projects. Due in part to the
incumbent’s acting capacity in the position, the incumbent also directly
manages a number of projects. Based on the recommended staffing
additions (two in this division), a heightened emphasis on timely project
delivery, and additional project documentation, one position will be
insufficient to handle the resulting workload.
The addition of another supervising engineer is needed and would result
in a more manageable span of control. Under this staffing plan, each
supervisor would have four or five direct reports, thereby splitting the
(proposed) project managers, engineers and technician between the two
positions. This would result in two engineers and ultimately two project
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managers assigned to each supervising engineer. The department might
consider configuring the staffing so that one supervisor specializes in
managing external design consultants while the other supervises the
internal design work. The additional Supervising Engineer as well as the
existing Supervising Engineer would report to the CIP Manager.
Add one additional supervising
engineer.
CIP Engineering Staffing
As previously discussed, Management Partners is recommending the
introduction of a project manager classification to assist in the delivery of
capital projects. Project managers have broad oversight responsibilities
for project delivery, including scheduling, preparation and evaluation of
bid and request for information (RFI) documents, managing contractors,
ensuring work is designed according to requirements, tracking issues and
coordinating solutions, and presenting project information to the public.
Having this broader classification would shift many of the project-related
responsibilities away from engineers, allow them to focus on projects
design, and would provide professional development opportunities for
existing staff who are interested in more varied responsibilities. In
addition, all project managers would be charged to the capital projects
they manage.
Currently, the department has one vacant engineer position and another
engineer is reportedly planning to leave the city. We recommend
converting the vacant position to a project manager and as other
engineering positions become vacant, reclassify those positions to project
managers until the division has a mix of engineers and project managers,
four of each.
At the time this report is being written, the County of San Luis Obispo is
recruiting for a project manager position. A copy of their recruitment
flyer is shown in Appendix 4 and can serve as an example for developing
a job specification for the project manager position.
Add one project manager and
reclassify the existing engineer vacancies to project
manager positions. As additional engineering positions
become vacant, convert them to project manager positions
until there are four engineers and four project managers in
the division.
Engineers are currently performing a number of administrative tasks that
could be assigned to specified support staff, e.g., Administrative
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Assistant III and Administrative Analyst, thus providing more time to
engineering tasks and activities. Tasks that could be provided by such
staff include additional assistance with research and drafting staff
reports, tracking right-of-way requirements, assisting with bid
advertisements and openings, contract processing, project close-outs, and
research on project funding.
The recent hiring of an administrative analyst may provide sufficient
capacity to assist with these tasks, along with the increased project
monitoring and reporting recommended in this report. The existing
administrative assistant and engineering technician may also be able to
assist with some of these tasks. In addition, the City intends to embark on
a very ambitious public communication strategy as it pertains to keeping
the public informed about the status of capital projects. An interactive
map on the City’s website as well as more social media posts are
anticipated to provide the public with real-time information on the status
of capital projects – all of which can be performed by non-engineering
and technical support staff.
Monitor the workload of technical
and professional support staff to eliminate appropriate
administrative (non-engineering related) tasks assigned
to engineers. Consider adding additional support staff in
the future should there not be the capacity to assume these
additional duties by existing administrative staff.
Construction Inspection
Inspection staff handle private development and CIP inspections and are
not currently able to meet demands with existing staffing levels. Most
inspection staff members also have less than two years of experience and
lack expertise with complex projects. Most of their experience has been
under Covid-19 pandemic protocols, so training has been lacking. In
addition, more opportunities for mentoring/knowledge sharing amongst
these employees would be beneficial.
Until current inspectors are appropriately trained, independent and
efficient in their duties, the city should contract with consultant
inspectors or retired annuitants to augment staff. As the CIP expands, the
addition of one inspector will likely be needed in order to deliver timely
projects.
Construction management training would also be of benefit to staff in the
inspection section. The department should establish an internship and
mentoring program, in addition to a recruitment relationship with
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California Polytechnic University’s Construction Management Program,
in order to develop a training ground for entry-level inspectors.
Develop a training program for
inspection staff and knowledge sharing opportunities as
well as seek other available options for any outside
training.
Augment inspection staff with
consulting inspectors as needed, especially on those
larger more complex capital projects.
Add one additional inspector as the
complexity of projects increases and workload demands
necessitate.
Develop a relationship with
California Polytechnic University to create an internship
and mentoring program.
Training and Development
Ongoing software training for CIP Engineering staff on computer-aided
design and drafting (CADD), Bluebeam, and Oracle software would
benefit staffs’ productivity by helping them keep up with changes and
improvements and increase efficiencies in the use of these applications.
Additional exposure to urban design elements employed in other
cities/counties would also broaden design staffs’ expertise. Training in
contract management would also be beneficial in working effectively
with design consultants.
Survey existing CIP Engineering
staff and city management to determine training needs,
including proficiency in adopted technologies, contract
management, project management, construction
management, and on internal processes and procedures.
Explore opportunities to enroll new
and existing staff in project management academies or
bootcamps focused on public works projects.
Evaluate partnerships with
California Polytechnic University to provide project and
construction management training.
Seek out opportunities to job
shadow in other cities, to include a broad design focus to
expand urban design knowledge.
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A number of the newer employees have spent the majority of their time
in San Luis Obispo under Covid-19 protocols which has resulted in the
lack of on-boarding, shadowing, and process training. It is worth noting
that the City has a substantive CIP Design and Construction Guidelines
document which is exceptional and helpful to new engineers and project
managers. However, the City needs a better on-boarding and orientation
process for new engineering and inspection staff so all internal and
external resources are identified, and all processes made clear. This will
reduce the time required for new employees to become proficient in
existing practices and will help expedite the delivery of projects.
Develop an orientation program,
training binder, online tools and possibly videos to assist
in ensuring new staff are trained in understanding
processes, procedures and internal and external
resources.
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Conclusion Management Partners
43
Conclusion
Since the passage of Measure G-20, there is now a heightened awareness
and expectation in San Luis Obispo to see more capital projects
completed and delivered on time, as taxpayers want to see how their tax
dollars are being spent. The residents put their trust and financial support
behind the City by passing Measure G-20, so the challenge is now on City
staff to produce and deliver more capital projects efficiently and with an
improved aesthetic design. To successfully meet this challenge, the City
will need to be more efficient and effective in their delivery of capital
projects, and accountable for the results.
As recommended in this report, we believe it is essential that the City
improve the manner in which they plan and budget for capital projects
and ensure that all project costs are included in each project. In addition,
we believe City staff need to make a more concerted effort to track and
report on capital project status, including the introduction of performance
metrics which will ultimately lead to better accountability in both project
delivery time and costs. However, process improvements alone will not
be enough to deliver more capital projects, as the City will need to
enhance their staffing at both the line and management levels as well as
utilize more contractual services in order to be more effective in
delivering timely projects. Improving the City’s project delivery culture
by developing more project accountability in both project tracking and
project costs will result in a more efficient and effective overall capital
improvement program.
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Attachment A – List of Recommendations
Determine the fully-burdened costs of all in-house staff involved in the
design of capital projects and use those data figures to determine the total costs of in-house
project design versus that of contract design firms.
Develop criteria to guide decision making regarding whether projects
will be designed in-house or under contract.
Implement a policy and procedure to require more time for scoping
individual projects before a budget estimate and schedule are provided.
Establish an annual budget to support an on-call cost estimating firm to
develop fully inclusive budget estimates for more complex projects.
Conduct a preliminary feasibility study for large and potentially complex
projects before finalizing cost estimates and schedules.
Establish a Preliminary Engineering Fund to pay for staffs’ time or
consultant fees in connection with potential capital projects prior to establishing a project
budget.
Document the initial project scope and amendments made to the scope
during the duration of the project, as well as the resulting impacts to the budget and the
schedule.
Contract with an on-call urban design firm during the scoping and
preliminary engineering phase of highly visible capital projects.
Allocate funds at least every five years to complete a comprehensive
update of the City’s CIP.
Transition the CIP Engineering staffing strategy toward a mix of project
managers and design engineers.
Establish Service Level Agreements with other departments to establish
and clarify internal service arrangements.
Elevate the organizational emphasis of on-time and on-budget project
delivery and accountability through the use of practical performance measures.
Ensure a peer review process that includes staff from design,
construction, and other sections that have a vested interest in a given project is established.
Require design consulting contracts to include a peer review, conducted
by another on-call firm for large complex projects.
Standardize plan layouts, notes, details, symbols, and nomenclature and
train and communicate standards to all design staff.
Establish a checklist of potential environmental and permit
requirements and examine each project scope against the list early in the planning process.
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Prepare written agreements or Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs)
between project participants, especially for projects that require environmental or permit
requirements.
Limit the review of projects to early stages of design and reduce project
reviews to a single commission.
Communicate to client departments and decision makers the effect on
project schedules (and future costs) whenever funding is delayed, adjusted or held.
Involve on-call right-of-way consultants immediately upon
determination that property acquisition will be needed.
Consider alternative design delivery methods such as design-build and
other delivery methods legally allowed by the State.
Work with the City Attorney’s Office to amend the municipal code and
the city charter, if necessary, to allow for alternative capital project delivery methods.
Revise the current tracking system to include cost and scheduling
metrics to inform management and executive staff about capital improvement performance and
delivery, including developing a procedure to track and report anticipated and actual project
costs.
Implement a capital improvement project specific cost accounting
system to track staff costs for all staff eligible to charge against a project.
Ensure that the CIP Project Report baseline start and finish dates remain
consistent and that all fields are reported accurately and on an up-to-date basis.
Provide an expanded version of the bimonthly CIP Project Report to the
City Council on a semiannual basis and post it on the City’s website.
Include in the CIP Project Report (Schedule Notes column) an
explanation of any anticipated delays or required budget adjustments.
Provide an expanded version of the Status of Current CIP Projects
Report presented with the financial planning process.
Amend Exhibit 202-A of the Financial Management Manual for public
projects and the Purchasing Process document published October 1, 2018 to authorize the CIP
Manager to approve contracts between $7,500 to $44,999 after approval by the Fiscal Officer.
Authorize the proposed CIP Manager to approve Contract Change
Orders (Section 225 of the Purchasing Process Manual and the Purchasing Process document)
for greater time efficiency.
Adjust the threshold of projects that require City Council contract
award approval from $175,000 to $200,000 or more, as allowed by charter city status.
Adjust the threshold for requiring a formal public bidding process from
$49,999 to $60,000, in accordance with the California Public Contract Code Section 22032.
Amend the Municipal Code to continually match the limits set forth in
Public Contract Code, Section 22032, or set a higher threshold as allowed by the City’s charter
city status.
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Provide additional training on the use of the Oracle system and develop
expertise in use of the Oracle system within the department among support staff.
Institute a 30-day time from completion of project in which to prepare
close out reports for capital projects that have been completed.
Advance the compensation study of the engineering series to ensure
that salary and benefits offered are competitive.
Centralize responsibility for the design and project delivery of all
capital projects within the Public Works CIP Engineering team.
Evaluate which staff from Transportation and Utilities should be
transferred to the CIP Engineering team or serve in a matrix reporting relationship to the City
Engineer in order to provide the needed specialized technical expertise.
Reassign the reporting relationship of the development services
engineering group to the City Engineer.
Review and revise the 2014 MOU addressing roles and responsibilities
of the Public Works and Community Development Departments to ensure development
engineering services continues to effectively and efficiently serve development applicants.
Develop a job specification for and hire a CIP Manager to head the CIP
Engineering Division.
Add one additional supervising engineer.
Add one project manager and reclassify the existing engineer vacancies
to project manager positions.
Monitor the workload of technical and professional support staff to
eliminate appropriate administrative (non-engineering related) tasks assigned to engineers.
Develop a training program for inspection staff and knowledge sharing
opportunities as well as seek other available options for any outside training.
Augment inspection staff with consulting inspectors as needed,
especially on those larger more complex capital projects.
Add one additional inspector as the complexity of projects increases
and workload demands necessitate.
Develop a relationship with California Polytechnic University to create
an internship and mentoring program.
Survey existing CIP Engineering staff and city management to
determine training needs, including proficiency in adopted technologies, contract management,
project management, construction management, and on internal processes and procedures.
Explore opportunities to enroll new and existing staff in project
management academies or bootcamps focused on public works projects.
Evaluate partnerships with California Polytechnic University to provide
project and construction management training.
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Seek out opportunities to job shadow in other cities, to include a broad
design focus to expand urban design knowledge.
Develop an orientation program, training binder, online tools and
possibly videos to assist in ensuring new staff are trained in understanding processes,
procedures and internal and external resources.
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Capital Improvement Program Process Assessment Attachment B – San Luis Obispo Sample Projects Management Partners 48 Attachment B – San Luis Obispo Sample Projects Spec Number Project Name Financial/CIP Plan (initial) Original Projected Construction Cost Funding Source Revised Estimated Construction Cost Financial Plan – Project Completion Date Status as of March 2021 Months Behind Schedule Notes Primary Reason(s) for Delay 91658 Sinsheimer Irrigation and Drainage 2015-17 $140,000 Local Revenue Measure $500,0001 June 2020 82% complete 9 months + $450,000 budgeted in 2020-21 Council paused/delayed project Insufficient funding appropriated due to increases identified in design. Deferred in supplemental budget. Soil issues that increased cost. Out for bid and due to construct in 2021-22. Baseline should have been reset with Council’s funding deferral. 91503 California Taft Roundabout 2017-19 $1,260,000 General Capital Outlay Impact Fees Grants $2,360,000 June 2019 25% complete. Project on hold 21 months + x $2,360,000 debt financed in 2019-20 Construction funds not available until summer 2022. Delay in ROW acquisition. Debt financing didn’t occur. Defunded in June 2020. 91607 Marsh and Broad Traffic Signal Upgrade 2017-19 $175,000 Urban State Highway Account Grant $231,000 June 2019 25% complete 21 months + $231,000 budgeted in 2019-21 Added costs required after design. Rolled this project into larger project, resulting in delay. Delayed in supplemental budget. Construction now scheduled for 2023. 90480 Bridge – Marsh at Santa Rosa Replacement 2011-13 $6,700,000 Measure Y, Sewer Fund Highway Bridge, R&R Grant $8,342,900 June 2015 95% complete 69 months + Completed. Took a long time to design. Permitting took long time for RWQCB. Missed season (weather) in 2019. Property acquisition issues and easement delay Project management was lacking 91375 Bike-Railroad Safety Trail Taft to Pepper 2011-13 $1,900,000 General, Traffic Impact, Existing Grant/CDGB, Future Grants $4,653,700 June 2014 70% complete 81 months + Large grant funding and admin. with Caltrans. Design modified by Council. ROW challenges with Union Pacific, State, private delays w/foreign owner. Reassigned to Transportation group 91511 Streets – Madonna and Los Osos Valley Rd. 2017-19 $3,230,700 Local Revenue Measure $2,900,000 December 2017 Completed Feb 2018 < 2 months Combined with other streets No delays 91376 Streets – Safe Routes to School Implementation Foothill Crossing 2017-19 $345,000 Senate Bill 1 $595,894 June 2018 Completed Jan. 2020 19 months 2015-17 Phase 1: $45,000 for design Started as a planning study. Disconnect between planning phase and capital project phase tracking. 91439 Building -Mission Plaza Restroom 2015-17 $510,000 Local Revenue Measure $1,195,000 June 2018 On hold pending Downtown Concept Study 31 months + Project revised several times. Construction expected in 2022-23 Assigned to new staff member. No guidance from Planning in initial phase. Now going through several commissions and Council. Entitlements and public input is expected to delay construction until 2023. Project includes café. Page 76 of 233
Capital Improvement Program Process Assessment Attachment B – San Luis Obispo Sample Projects Management Partners 49 Spec Number Project Name Financial/CIP Plan (initial) Original Projected Construction Cost Funding Source Revised Estimated Construction Cost Financial Plan – Project Completion Date Status as of March 2021 Months Behind Schedule Notes Primary Reason(s) for Delay 91584A IT – Fire Station 2 Tower 2019-21 $250,000 Local Revenue Measure $200,000 December 2019 23% complete in Oct 2020. Scope change. Project on hold. N/A- Project on hold. Determining if project is needed. Cal Poly may provide access to their tower. 91214A Sanitary Sewer – Margarita Sewer Lift Station 2011-13 $600,000 Sewer fund $2,318,535 June 2016 Completed Feb. 2019 32 months Utilities managed project. Delays in property acquisition Bids higher then Eng. estimate Sources: 2011-13, 2013-15, 2015-17, 2017-19, 2019-21 Financial Plans, October 2018, 2019, 2020 CIP Reports, March 2021 CIP Report 1 Estimated bid costs Page 77 of 233
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Attachment C – Capital Improvement Program Performance Management Framework Management Partners
50
Attachment C – Capital Improvement Program Performance
Management Framework
There is no clear, simple management tool for measuring or tracking the execution of a capital
improvement program. Although high visibility projects often get a lot of attention (e.g., the
city’s downtown parking structure), the majority of day-to-day projects do not. Often the result
is that a large number of projects are carried over from one fiscal year to the next because they
did not get done.
Since there is no management system for tracking the quality of the execution of the capital
program as a whole, it is not possible to answer the question of whether the CIP was executed
more or less efficiently and timely compared to prior year(s). How well the projects are
executed against the planned budget and planned schedule are the primary variables that
management can and should be managing.
Many jurisdictions use project management software to manage their capital projects. Almost
always, however, they are used for individual projects rather than for the capital improvement
program in the aggregate. Management Partners believes that close attention to the execution of
the capital improvement program – including tighter, more rigorous management oversight –
will produce measurable improvements in performance. The axiom, “What gets measured is
what gets done,” is apt here -- put a spotlight on performance, and chances are high that project
delivery will improve.
Given the amount of resources devoted to capital programs in public agencies, even modest
improvement will produce substantial savings. For example, a 2% annual improvement in
performance in executing an annual CIP of $5-millon would save $100,000 in a single year, a
substantial amount that would become available for reprogramming.
Usually, the execution of the capital program is left by city and county managers to their public
works directors, sometimes overseen by a generalist manager. Since jurisdictions do not have a
management system for measuring performance for the CIP as a whole, (excepting individual
projects), there is minimal attention to the execution of the CIP.
Implementation of a sound management system to address this concern could represent a major
step forward in local government management.
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CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT
GOAL: Maintain a system that will be the basis for evaluating the quality of management for
the two key elements of the Capital Improvement Program:
1. Managing against time of scheduled completion
2. Managing against project budgets
METHODOLOGY & DEFINITIONS:
New projects are approved in the adopted Capital Budget. For each project, the following are
estimated at the time of formal project approval:
x Total Project Cost, including
o estimated design cost
o estimated construction cost
x Schedule
x Project Start Date
x Planned Bid Opening Date & Notice to Proceed Date
x Planned Completion Date (date facility to be placed in service)
After adoption, the management process should entertain revisions to the original estimates for
Total Project Cost and Planned Completion Date to create a current work plan.
During the bidding phase, the following information becomes available:
x Actual Design Cost
x Engineer’s Estimate and Contract Award Amount
x Revised Estimated Construction Cost
x Revised Estimated Project Cost and Schedule
x Actual Start Date
x Actual Bid Opening Date
x Notice to Proceed Date
x Revised Estimated Project Completion Date
When the facility is placed in service (the point of substantial project completion), we learn the
following:
x Actual Construction Cost
x Actual Project Completion Date
Management should receive regular reports that reflect current performance in each of these
areas, as well as an actual Total Project Cost once all pending items are completed and
reconciled.
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SUMMARY OF MEASURES:
For each project, the following measures gauge performance against cost and schedule
objectives:
Cost:
x Estimated Design Cost versus Actual Design Cost
x Engineer’s Estimated Contract amount versus Contract Award
x Total Project Cost
o Budget estimate versus actual project cost
o Revised estimate versus actual project cost
x Construction Cost - Revised Estimate versus Actual Cost
Schedule:
x Planned Design Time versus Actual Design Time
x Planned Bid Opening Date versus Actual Bid Opening Date
x Planned Notice to Proceed Date versus Actual Notice to Proceed Date
x Revised Estimated Construction Completion versus Actual Construction Completion
x Planned Project Completion Date versus Actual Completion Date
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AGGREGATE DATA FOR CIP MANAGEMENT DURING THE YEAR
Primary Recommended Measures:
COST OF COMPLETED PROJECTS
Project Budget versus Actual Cost
Total Project Budget: ______________ Total Project Cost: __________
Net $ Under (Over): _-_____________ % Variation: ______________
Number of Projects Under/On Budget: _______________
Number of Projects Over Budget: ________________
Percentage of Projects Under/On Budget: ________________
SCHEDULE OF COMPLETED PROJECTS
Planned Completion Date* versus Actual Completion Date
Number of Projects Ahead of Schedule: ______________
Average # of Days Ahead: _____________
Number of Projects On Time: _______________
Number of Projects Behind Schedule: _______________
Average # of Days Behind: ______________
Percentage of Projects Ahead or On Time: _______________
*For those projects which passed schedule milestones during the fiscal year.
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AGGREGATE CIP MANAGEMENT DATA (continued)
Additional Recommended Measures
PROJECT COST PERFORMANCE
Revised Estimated Cost Comparison
Total Revised Project Estimate: ________________
Total Actual Project Cost: _______________
Net $ Under (Over):_______________ % Variation ______________
Number of Projects Under/On Budget: _______________
Number of Projects Over Budget: ________________
Percentage of Projects Under/On Budget: ________________
Construction Cost
Total Revised Budget Construction Cost: __________________
Total Actual Construction Cost: ________________
Net $ Under (Over): _______________ % Variation: _________________
# of Projects Under Budget: ____________ Over Budget: ___________
Percentage of Projects Under Budget: _______________
Design Cost
Budgeted Design Cost: __________________
Actual Design Cost: ________________
Net Variation: ______________ % Under (Over) Budget: _______________
# of Projects Under Budget: ____________ Over Budget: ____________
Percentage of Projects Under Budget: _______________
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AGGREGATE CIP MANAGEMENT DATA (continued)
Additional Recommended Measures
PROJECT SCHEDULE PERFORMANCE
Construction Schedule
Number of Projects Ahead of Schedule: ________________
Average # of Days Ahead: _______________
Number of Projects On Schedule: ________________
Number of Projects Behind Schedule: ________________
Average # of Days Behind: ________________
Percentage of Projects Ahead of or On Schedule: _________________
Bid Opening Date Performance
Number of Projects Ahead of or On Schedule: ________________
Average # of Days Ahead: _______________
Number of Projects On Schedule: ________________
Number of Projects Behind Schedule: ________________
Average # of Days Behind: ________________
Percentage of Projects Ahead of or On Schedule: _________________
Design Time Schedule Performance
Number of Projects Ahead of Schedule: ________________
Average # of Days Ahead: _______________
Number of Projects On Schedule: ________________
Number of Projects Behind Schedule: ________________
Average # of Days Behind: ________________
Percentage of Projects Ahead of or On Schedule: _________________
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AGGREGATE CIP MANAGEMENT DATA (continued)
Other Potential Measures
PROJECT COST PERFORMANCE
Engineer’s Estimates versus Awarded Contracts
Total Engineer’s Estimated Project Cost: __________________
Total Actual Contract Awards: ________________
Net $ Under (Over):_______________ % Variation:_________________
# of Projects Under Budget: ____________ Over Budget:___________
Percentage of Projects Under Budget: _______________
PROJECT SCHEDULE PERFORMANCE
Notice to Proceed Performance
Number of Projects Ahead of Schedule: ________________
Average # of Days Ahead: _______________
Number of Projects On Schedule: ________________
Number of Projects Behind Schedule: ________________
Average # of Days Behind: ________________
Percentage of Projects Ahead of or On Schedule: _________________
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Appendix 1 – Mid March 2021 CIP Report Management Partners
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Appendix 1 – Mid March 2021 CIP Report
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No. Client Specification No. ProjectProject ManagerTotal Project BudgetLocal Revenue Measure FundingCurrent Completed PercentageBaseline Start Baseline Finish Start FinishDuration Variance DaysSchedule Notes1 Parks Maint 1000021 Bike - Meadow Park Pathway Maintenance Hai Nguyen $120,000.00 Yes 75 2/8/2018 8/20/2019 2/8/2018 10/28/2021 800 Duration variance due to funding issues. Preparing 90% plans2 Streets Maint 1000167 2021 Downtown Pavement Improvements Project Brian Rodriguez $2,895,000.00 Yes 40 7/1/2020 12/2/2021 7/1/2020 12/2/2021 0 Working on 100% PS&E 3/15/213 Streets Maint 1000184 679 & 699 Monterey Street Improvement Hai Nguyen $100,000.00 Yes 0 7/1/2020 10/1/2021 7/1/2020 10/1/2021 0 routing 90% plans4 CIP Project Eng 91203 Bridge - Prado Road Bridge Widening 2018 (Spec #91203) Wyatt Banker-Hix $15,000,000.00 No 10 7/1/2016 12/2/2024Wallace Group working on creek hydraulic analysis and completing environmental tech reports5 Transportation Plan and Eng Bike - Bob Jones Trail Prefumo Creek Connection to Oceanaire Adam Fukushima $216,000.00 Yes 06 Transportation Plan and Eng 91375 Bike - Railroad Safety Trail Taft to Pepper - 2018 Bryan Wheeler $4,653,700.00 Yes 70 1/1/2015 9/30/2021 6/1/2020 8/16/2020 ROW Clearance certified. 100% PS&E being reviewed for Caltrans Encroachment permit. Project on schedule.7 Transportation Plan and Eng 91394 Bike - Bob Jones Trail Octagon Barn Connection Bryan Wheeler $206,000.00 Yes 1008 Transportation Plan and Eng 91610 Sts - Higuera Street Widening: Fontana to Chumash Hai Nguyen $365,500.00 Yes 52 7/3/2017 11/7/2019 8/28/2018 3/21/2022 865 Currently undergoing 75% plans design. Duration variance due to the need for right of way acquisition.9 Transportation Plan and Eng 91611 Sts - Orcutt Tank Farm Roundabout Design Jennifer Rice $213,050.00 No 45 7/3/2017 3/25/2021 8/2/20213/25/2022 45Final PS&E to be complete by March2021. PG&E relocation engineering complete, waiting to be scheduled for construction. Jurisdictional permits being applied for and on schedule to be complete by May 2021. Tentative construction 2021. Variance due to coordination with applicant to coordinate project components.10 Transportation Plan and Eng 91695 Bike - Railroad Safety Trail Pepper to Train Station Jennifer Rice $30,000.00 Yes 14 7/3/2017 11/11/2019 2/13/2018 11/11/2019 109 35% design complete for two alternatives. Project on hold pending update of Active Transportation Plan. Public Engagement effort will be scheduled once general alignment is final.11 Transportation Plan and Eng 91503 Sts - California Taft Roundabout Jennifer Rice $1,260,000.00 Yes 25 11/1/2016 7/1/2021 11/1/2016 12/1/2022 345 PROJECT ON HOLD DUE TO REPRIORITY OF FUNDING DUE TO COVID-1912 Transportation Plan and Eng 91609 Ped - Broad Street Corridor PHB Jennifer Rice $270,000.00 Yes 87 7/1/2017 11/25/2019 6/7/2021 9/24/2021 494 Contractor awarded. Pre-Job complete. Equipment ordered. Projected construction start date June 2021. Variance due to delay in funding being budgeted.13 Transportation Plan and Eng 91378 Bridge - Santa Fe at Tank Farm 2018 Luke Schwartz $45,000.00 No14 Transportation Plan and Eng 91294 Sts - Higuera at 50 Higuera Widening Matt Crisp $947,500.00 No15 Transportation Plan and Eng 91607 Marsh & Broad Traffic Signal Upgrade Matt Crisp $175,000.00 Yes 25 10/1/2018 6/21/201916 Transportation Plan and Eng 91613 Sts - Prado Road Interchange Wyatt Banker-Hix $57,000,000.00 No 25 9/1/2017 1/12/2024 9/1/2017 7/23/2024 365 In PAED Phase. Updating project team on status. Work to begin on Elks Lane/Corp Yard portion of work17 Stormwater and Flood Control 90480 Bridge - Marsh Street Bridge Replacement Project Wyatt Banker-Hix $8,342,900.00 Yes 95 11/29/2010 11/22/2019 11/29/2010 7/23/2021 Construction activities complete. Complete right of way agreement and reimbursement from Caltrans. Permit closeoutDURATION VARIANCE MEAN 33218 Parks Maint 91439 Bldg - Mission Plaza Restroom - 2019 Richard Burde $105,000.00 Yes 15 7/3/2017 7/8/2019 7/3/2017 10/18/2019 -44 Initial Study will need to be completed prior to presenting to PC.19 Stormwater and Flood Control 90649 SW - Mid-Higuera Bypass 2017Brian Nelson $7,000,000.00 No 30 7/1/2010 1/10/2020 7/1/2010 11/4/2022Consultant delivered 90% Plans. Currently no construction budget; working on Grant Funding Finish date reflects design finish only.20 Stormwater and Flood Control 91513 SW - Buchon and Santa Rosa Storm Drainage Improvements Project Brian Rodriguez $250,000.00 Yes34 7/3/2017 6/29/2021 7/3/2017 6/2/2021 101 90% PS&E are being produced. Construction will be done when funding is available. (7-23-20)21 Natural Resource Protection 91392 OS - Laguna Lake Dredging and Sediment Management Project Implementation Richard Burde $490,000.00 Yes 97 7/1/2015 4/29/2022 54 Construction is expected to start July 202122 Water Resource Recovery 91219 WWT - Facility Upgrade 2017 Miguel Barcenas $140,209,000.00 No 50 9/16/2020 12/16/2023 Construction of the membrane facility is underway. Certain improvements of the WRRF are constrained by rainy seasons.23 Wastewater Collection 91133 SS - Calle Joaquin Siphon and Lift Station Replacement Jennifer Metz $3,300,397.22 No 60 1/6/2020 6/30/2022 1/4/2021 6/30/2022 Scheduled to bid when permits and property acquisition are complete.DURATION VARIANCE MEAN 3124 Network Services 91584 IT - South Hills Radio Site Upgrades Shelsie Kloepper $1,001,873.00 Yes 98 2/14/2018 10/14/2019 2/14/2018 12/17/2020 308 Construction Complete. Working on project closeout procedures. Will do separate contract for FAA required changes to tower design.25 Parks Maint 1000188 Mitchell Park Pickleball Courts Hai Nguyen $200,000.00 Yes 0 1/25/2021 2/25/2023 1/25/2021 2/25/2023 753 50% PSE26 Parks Maint 91658 Park - Sinsheimer Irrigation & Drainage Hai Nguyen $140,000.00 Yes 82 10/2/2017 12/23/2019 10/2/2017 11/30/2021 108 Duration Variance due to the fiscal impact of COVID-19. Preparing 100% plans27 Parks Maint 91633 Park - Sinsheimer Court Entrance Hardscape Richard Burde $60,000.00 Yes 70 7/3/2017 9/24/2019 7/3/2017 7/30/2019 -45 Project has been place on hold until funding is made available28 Swim Center Maint 91653 Bldg - MFR: Swim Center Co-generation Plant Shelsie Kloepper $85,000.00 Yes 24 4/3/2018 1/26/2021 4/3/2018 8/5/2022 398 Sustainability team working on solar design. Pending approval of solar design and installation. Once solar is in place and operational the Cogeneration unit will be removed.29 Urban Forest Services 1000003 Park - JOC Tree Maintenance 2018 Brian Rodriguez No 54 7/2/2018 1/12/2022 7/2/2018 4/25/2022 73 Project is on schedule and under construction. Task Orders identified will be performed for the next 3 years (until 4/25/2022)30 PW Facilities 91643 Bldg - Corporation Yard Tenant Improvement Brian Rodriguez $50,000.00 No 73 4/23/2018 3/18/2020 4/23/2018 6/18/2021 327 100% PS&E being reviewed by PW (Bluebeam Due Date 8/14/20)31 PW Facilities 91632 Bldg - MFR: Corp Yard Fuel Island Siding Brian Rodriguez $14,750.00 Yes 47 5/16/2018 10/29/2019 5/16/2018 7/1/2022697 Consultant has not provided 100% Construction Documents (7/23/20). Funding not available until FY2022-23.32 PW Facilities 91647 Bldg - Fire Station #1 HVAC Michael McGuire $21,800.00 Yes 55 7/2/2018 1/24/2020 7/2/2018 2/14/2020 0 With equipment delivery delays, construction to tentatively start November 9, 2020.33 CIP Project Eng 91532 Bldg - City Hall Landing Repair Brian Rodriguez $25,000.00 No 5090% PS&E complete. PROJECT ON HOLD 7/23/2034 CIP Project Eng 91665 SW - Old Garden Creek Retaining Wall Brian Rodriguez $175,000.00 Yes 0 10/15/2018 10/16/2020 5/15/2018 5/16/2020-104 Site visit has taken place, and scoping memo is being prepared. PM Transition.35 CIP Project Eng 91156 SW - Broad and Leff Culvert Repair Richard Burde $10,000.00 Yes 80 8/29/2011 4/19/2019 8/29/2011 6/21/2019 -45 100% PS&Es have been finalized and funding is pending36 Transportation Plan and Eng 91293 Walks - Railroad Crossing Upgrade - California & Foothill Bryan Wheeler $740,000.00 No 10 1/1/2018 12/1/2021 Awaiting environmental documents and agreement from Caltrans. Once received, project will continue design phase.37 Parking Admin 91545 Parking Access Revenue Control System Tim Bochum $763,000.00 No 95 9/1/2018 12/1/2018 9/1/2018 3/31/2020 Project has been plagued by a series of issues with contractor installation of equipment and service needs.38 Stormwater and Flood Control 91667 SW - WoodbridgeRichard Burde $25,000.00 No 0 7/3/2017 4/16/2019 7/3/2017 4/16/2019 0 Project to mitigate low flow spring runoff and resulting slippery algae on neighborhood street. Site visit has taken place and design considerations are being discussed39 Stormwater and Flood Control SW - Sacramento Culvert near Ricardo Richard Burde $0.00 No 5 11/1/2017 8/1/2019 11/1/2017 8/1/2019 0 Project will be designed this year and scheduled for construction in 2021 and is dependent on the completion of the silt removal at the same site.40 Water Distribution 91368 WT - Reservoir No. 2 Replacement 2017 Brian Rodriguez $5,750,000.00 No 37 7/1/2015 3/18/2021 7/28/2015 4/3/2025 1055 Environmental Constraints Analysis (ECA) for Highway 1 Site is being evaluated by SWCA consultant.41 Water Distribution 1000067 WD - Craig, Christina, Jaycee Waterline Replacement Hai Nguyen $2,160,000.00 No 71 7/1/2019 1/28/2021 7/1/2019 11/25/2021 301 Project to be re-advertised.42 Water Distribution 1000066 WD - Bee Bee, Cuesta, Loomis Waterline Replacement Hai Nguyen $1,750,000.00 No 75 7/1/2019 1/28/2021 7/1/2019 8/31/2021 215 Bid opening 3/12/202143 Water Distribution 91425 WD - Terrace Hill PRV Shelsie Kloepper $607,892.00 No 94 7/3/2017 8/30/2019 7/3/2017 6/7/2021 461 Delays from scope changes in project. Project in construction.44 Wastewater Admin and Eng 1000091 WWC - Verde Luneta Ramona Sewer Replacement Project Hai Nguyen $1,392,000.00 No 50 7/1/2019 11/1/2021 7/1/2019 1/6/2022 66 Preparing 90% plans. Additional Sewer replacement added on Ramona and Broad45 Wastewater Admin and Eng 1000090 WWC - Tassajara, Cerro Romauldo, Jeffrey, Westmont Sewer Hai Nguyen $1,320,000.00 No 71 7/1/2019 1/28/2021 7/1/2019 10/4/2021 249 Project to be re-advertised.46 Wastewater Collection 91639 SS - Chorro/Murray Sewer Replacement Hai Nguyen $444,000.00 No 63 1/1/2018 5/6/2019 1/1/2018 8/23/2022 1205Currently undergoing 90% plans review. Duration Variance due to PM handover and easement issues. Easement acquisition required for sewer main at 551 Murray47 Recreation Admin 91683 Park - North Broad Street Neighborhood Park Shelsie Kloepper $740,000.00 No 53 7/2/2018 12/15/2020 7/2/2018 12/31/2021 273 Delay due to rezoning process. Council approved rezoning. Need to finish reviewing 90% design.48 Recreation Admin 91562 Bldg - Parks and Recreation Interior Office Rehabilitation Shelsie Kloepper $455,000.00 No 61 3/5/2018 2/28/2020 3/5/2018 1/12/2022 488 Project scheduled pushed back because construction funding was on hold during pandemic. Working on preparing final plans. Move forward with construction Fall 202149 Police Admin 91365 Bldg - Police Station Replacement Richard Burde $80,000.00 Yes 40 3/1/2019 10/29/2020 12/6/2021 10/29/2020 0 Progress on sematic design is on hold until council provides guidance on moving forward50 IT Support Services 1000112 IT - Fire Radio Receive Site at Fire Station #4 Shelsie Kloepper $106,875.00 Yes 0 7/1/2020 8/19/2022 7/1/2020 5/22/2023 0 IT reviewing coverage needs due to recently constructed South Hills Radio Site Upgrades. Design on hold.51 Public Works Admin 1000043 Job Order Contract for Streets and Sidewalk Maintenance 2019 Lyle Nemeth $701,010.00 No 25 7/1/2019 6/30/2022 7/1/2019 6/30/2022 On Schedule52 Parks Maint 1000108 Park - Meadow Park Par Course Shelsie Kloepper $20,000.00 Yes 00 Project Budget Deferred byFY20/21 Supplemental Budget. Dates TBD upon funding appropriation.53 Parks Maint 1000107 Park - Vista Lago Mini Park Playground Shelsie Kloepper $40,000.00 Yes 00 Project Budget Deferred by FY20/21 Supplemental Budget. Dates TBD upon funding appropriation.Major City Goal2017/19 Multimodal TransportationOther Important ObjectiveRegular Priority2017/19 Downtown Vitality2015/17 Neighborhood Wellness2015/17 Laguna Lake Restoration2013/15 Infrastructure Maintenance2011/13 Infrastructure Maintenance Page 86 of 233
No. Client Specification No. ProjectProject ManagerTotal Project BudgetLocal Revenue Measure FundingCurrent Completed PercentageBaseline Start Baseline Finish Start FinishDuration Variance DaysSchedule Notes54 Parks Maint 1000110 Park - Cheng Park Revitalization Shelsie Kloepper $50,000.00 Yes 15 7/1/2020 2/28/2022 7/1/2020 8/9/2022 116 Delay trying to define final scope. Working on hiring design consultant.55 Swim Center Maint 1000111 Bldg - Swim Center Therapy Pool Boiler Shelsie Kloepper $15,000.00 Yes 39 7/1/2020 10/12/2021 7/1/2020 10/22/2021 8 90% PS&E Submitted. Project under review by building division, engineering, and building maintenance staff56 PW Facilities 1000055 Bldg - Council Hearing Room TI Brian Rodriguez $60,000.00 No 66 4/1/2019 6/22/2020 4/1/2019 5/14/2021 234 Memo to File: No Construction Budget Available, Final Construction Documents have been completed. 7/23/2057 PW Facilities 1000172 Bldg - Fire Station #1 Administration/Fleet Maintenance Roofs Michael McGuire $101,500.00 Yes 10 7/1/2020 12/31/2021 Design update meeting November 10th.58 PW Facilities 1000173 Bldg - Fire Station 3 Roof Replacement Michael McGuire $50,000.00 Yes 10 7/1/2020 12/31/2021 Starting Design.59 Streets Maint 1000019 Sts - JOC Striping, Curb Painting, and Signage Maintenance 2018 Brian Rodriguez No 51 12/10/2018 8/2/2022 12/10/2018 8/2/2022 0 JOC is in a 3 year term with Toste Construction until 8/2/2022.60 Streets Maint 1000101 Walks - Downtown Renewal Broad Street West Side Higuera to Marsh Brian Rodriguez $850,000.00 Yes 25 7/1/2019 9/9/2020 7/1/2019 2/9/2021 109 Working on 90% PS&E 7/23/2061 CIP Project Eng 1000025 Fire Station 1 - Solar Installation Aaron Glauch $100.00 No 0Project on hold due to Bus Yard upgrades. Solar installations are all tied together by contractor. Expect 2021 construction.62 CIP Project Eng 1000095 Swim Center - Solar Installation Aaron Glauch $100.00 No 0Project on hold due to Bus Yard upgrades. Solar installations are all tied together by contractor. Expect 2021 construction.63 CIP Project Eng 1000026 Transit Yard Solar and Parking Study Brian Rodriguez $74,467.00 No 97 7/1/2019 8/31/2020 7/1/2019 8/31/2020 Consultant is working on Draft Report64 CIP Project Eng 1000153 Bldg - City Hall Lighting 2019 Michael McGuire $175,000.00 No 0 4/5/2019 12/31/2020 Project deferred.65 CIP Project Eng SW - Silt Removal 2021 Richard Burde No 10Preliminary design has begun. 5 sites are being scheduled66 CIP Project Eng 1000037 South Street Landscape Richard Burde Yes 2067 CIP Project Eng 1000183 SLO Creek Repair at Johnson Ave Wyatt Banker-Hix Yes 0 11/25/2020 10/31/2022 11/25/2020 10/31/2022 Seeking On-call services68 CIP Project Eng 1000192 Buena Vista OC Repairs Wyatt Banker-Hix $100,000.00 Yes 0 3/1/2021 4/22/2022 3/1/2021 4/22/2022 Project initiation69 CIP Project Eng 1000053 Bus Wash Replacement Wyatt Banker-Hix $75,000.00 Yes 0 7/1/2021 12/14/2022 7/1/2021 12/14/2022 Project not initiated. Project delayed due to lack of grant funding70 CIP Project Eng 1000116 Park Major Maintenance 2021 - Railroad Bike Path Fencing Wyatt Banker-Hix $150,000.00 Yes 0 7/1/2021 12/16/2022 7/1/2021 12/16/2022 Project not initiated. Construction Monies available 202271 CIP Project Eng 1000141 Nipomo Street Reconstruction Wyatt Banker-Hix $750,000.00 Yes 60 8/20/2019 6/30/2021 8/20/2019 12/30/2021 90% plans routing72 Transportation Plan and Eng 91612 Sts - Buchon Street Traffic Calming Bryan Wheeler $143,200.00 No 50 6/1/2019 6/4/2020 6/5/2020 8/27/2020 Currently undergoing 100% design comment revision with consultant. Duration variance due to projected project cost increase. Midyear budget supplement has been requested for project.73 Transportation Plan and Eng 1000171 Higuera Street Paving Hai Nguyen No 60 7/1/2020 4/26/2021 7/1/2020 5/26/2021 30 100% PSE74 Transportation Plan and Eng 91619A Bike - Anholm Neighborhood Greenway Phase 2 Jennifer Rice No 20 7/1/2019 7/1/2021 7/1/2019 7/1/2021 0 PROJECT ON HOLD DUE TO REPRIORITY OF FUNDING DUE TO COVID-1975 Transportation Plan and Eng 1000069 Pedestrian Crossing Improvements Justin Wong $40,000.00 Yes 20 9/4/2019 8/30/2020 9/4/2019 GHD selected as project consultant. Designs for Broad/Islay and South/King crossings in preliminary stages.76 Parking Admin 1000102 Pkg - Bus Yard Parking Lot Maintenance (Grant Funds through Transit) Brian Rodriguez $500,000.00 Yes 0 7/1/2019 1/21/2022 7/1/2019 1/21/2022 0 PROJECT IS ON HOLD. Will resume after Solar and EV Chargers have been installed 3/15/2077 Parking Admin 1000105 Pkg - Fire Station 2 Parking Lot Maintenance Brian Rodriguez $45,000.00 Yes 0 7/1/2019 1/21/2022 7/1/2019 1/21/2022 0 Scope Project78 Parking Admin 1000103 Pkg - French Park Parking Lot MaintenanceBrian Rodriguez $80,000.00 Yes 0 7/1/2020 1/21/2022 7/1/2020 1/21/20220 Working on 50% PS&E 7/23/2079 Parking Admin 90435A Bldg - Palm Nipomo Garage Richard Burde $1,581,989.15 No 35Parking demand and parking fund forecasts are being developed by Brigitte and Gaven which will help inform construction scheduling revisions.80 Parking Structures 1000050 871 Marsh Street - Parking Structure Maintenance Aaron Glauch $800,000.00 No 0Scoping phase to commence. Schedule dates to be determined.81 Parking Structures 1000051 Parking Structure Maintenance 842 & 919 Palm Aaron Glauch $200,000.00 No 0Scoping phase to commence. Schedule dates to be determined.82 Parking Structures 1000049 Parking Structure Maintenance (All Structures) Aaron Glauch $1,000,000.00 No 0 10/1/2020 12/31/2021 10/1/2020 12/31/2021 Beginning design phase. Anticipating construction in 3-4Q 202183 Parking Structures 1000060 Energy Efficient Lighting Retrofits Aaron Glauch $100.00 No 17 1/27/2020 12/22/2020 1/27/2020 3/26/2021 -23 Installation delayed due to EcoGreen & PG&E availability.84 Stormwater and Flood Control 1000147 Storm Drain System - Trash Capture Devices Aaron Glauch $25,000.00 No 0Project deferred due to updated city budget.85 Water Treatment 1000126 WTP Backup Generator Cori Burnett $2,200,000.00 No 10 3/12/2020 12/31/2021 3/12/2020 12/31/2021 10 Project is currently in 90% design phase86 Water Treatment 91566 WTP Energy Efficiency Project Cori Burnett$14,750,000.00 No 40 11/21/2019 7/21/2021 12/20/2019 7/21/2021 This project is a design-build so the schedule will reflect final details on the design during the construction phase.87 Water Distribution 1000034A Reservoir 1 Cover Replacement Aaron Glauch $780,000.00 No 0 7/14/2020 6/30/2021 7/14/2020 6/30/2021 Bid opening scheduled for March 11, 202188 Water Distribution Highland Waterline Replacement Jennifer MetzNo 089 Wastewater Collection 1000079 Sewer Lift Station Replacement - Foothill Jennifer Metz $1,890,000.00 No 0 7/1/2019 12/31/2021 1/6/202012/31/202090 Wastewater Collection 91369 Sewer Lift Station Replacement - Airport Jennifer Metz $2,130,000.00 No 0 7/1/2019 6/30/2023 The design of the gravity sewer system will be coordinated with the realignment of Santa Fe Road.91 Wastewater Collection 1000083 Sewer Lift Station - New Buckley Station Miguel Barcenas $1,780,000.00 No 50 3/9/2020 7/1/2021 Kick off meeting was held by Avila Ranch, but expect to have a pre-construction meeting in June.92 Recreation Admin 1000190 Park - Emerson Park Fitness Equipment Wyatt Banker-Hix $150,000.00 Yes 00 Project initiation93 Parks and Rec Facilities 1000146 Poinsettia Creek Walk - Park Maintenance Aaron Glauch $100.00 Yes 0Drafting 90%. Project budgeted for 21-22 FY.94 Fire Admin 1000045 Air Compressor Replacement - Fire Station 1 Wyatt Banker-Hix $90,000.00 Yes 70 7/1/2019 8/31/2021 8/28/2019 9/10/2021 Air Compressor ordered. Review of plans in building departmentDURATION VARIANCE MEAN 172LegendArt Art ProjectsSS Sanitary SewerBike Bicycle ProjectsSts StreetsBldg Building or StructureStscapeStreet Furniture / SignsBridge BridgeSW Stormwater including Creeks & DrainageFleet FleetTank TanksIT Information TechnologyTree TreesMisc MiscellaneousUD Underground DistrictsOS OpenspaceWalks SidewalksPark Parks & LandscapingWD WaterPkg ParkingWR Water ReuseServ On-Call or Maintenance Contract ServiceWT Water TreatmentSignal Signals, Flashers, Ped XingsWWT Wastewater TreatmentPage 87 of 233
Capital Improvement Program Process Assessment
Appendix 2 – Example from Cupertino of Quarterly CIP Update Management Partners
58
Appendix 2 – Example from Cupertino of Quarterly CIP Update
February 5, 2015
Honorable Mayor and members of the City Council:
Subject: January Status Report on F 14/15 Approved CIP
I am pleased to provide you the following comprehensive quarterly document that includes
descriptions and the status of all current projects. Below is a summary of any notable changes in
schedule, scope, or budget that have occurred since the previous update in October 2014. As
always, I would be very happy to meet with you to go over this document or to discuss any
specific projects.
• McClellan Road Sidewalk Improvements – Phase 1
This was scheduled for completion in winter 2014 and is now rescheduled to early 2015.
• Monta Vista Storm Drain System
This was scheduled for a neighborhood meeting in January and is now moved back to
February.
• Portal Park – Collins School Cricket Batting Cage Replacement
Continued use of the existing school site for the cricket practice facility is under consideration
by the school district. Project work is on hold until decision on the location is finalized.
• Quinlan Community Center Fiber Installation
This project was schedule for completion in late 2014, but was completed in January 2015, in
time to allow live broadcast of the 2015 State of the City event.
• Wilson Park Renovation Master Plan
This project was schedule to initiate in winter 2014/15 but is now proposed to be deferred until
after completion of a city-wide park master plan.
• Monta Vista Recreation Center – Pre-School Play Area Improvements
Subject to resource availability, this project was intended to initiate in spring 2015, however due
to fluctuating participation at pre-schools, this project will be reconsidered in the proposed FY
2015/16 budget.
The most current Construction Update Report, routinely presented to the City Council, will
continue to be available as a link from the City’s home webpage.
Respectfully submitted,
Timm Borden
Director of Public Works
Page 88 of 233
Capital Improvement Program Process Assessment
Appendix 3 – Job Specifications for CIP Manager Management Partners
59
Appendix 3 – Job Specifications for CIP Manager
Page 89 of 233
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CIP Manager Class Code:
2211
CITY OF MILPITAS
Revision Date: Sep 12, 2019
SALARY RANGE
$130,079.30 - $182,125.32 Annually
DEFINITION:
The Capital Improvement Projects Manager is responsible for the City's Capital Improvement
Projects and will oversee, manage, and implement the City's projects.
EXAMPLES OF DUTIES:
The Capital Improvement Projects Manager shall work with the City Manager, the City
Engineer, Assistant City Engineer, and other staff, to develop and implement the City's
Capital Improvement Program (CIP).
Assist in the development and application of the Design & Construction section
policies, following general guidelines or professional and administrative standards in
accomplishing assignments.
Perform project management of design and construction of major and minor capital
improvement projects.
Prioritize and direct the work of the City CIP and be responsible for quality, schedule
and cost control; work closely with the City Engineer and the Assistant City Engineer to
coordinate CIP work.
Interpret and apply relevant codes, ordinances, rules, and regulations.
Meet and confer with developers, contractors, engineers and the general public relative
to City policies, regulations, and procedures; coordinate discrepancies and problem
situations with outside parties.
Prepare and/or review improvement agreements.
Administer and/or oversee the administration of contracts; review and approve all
payments and billing for contracted services.
Review work with and present to the City Council, various Commissions, and City
management showing alternative courses and making recommendations for policy
decision.
Prepare and Issue Requests For Proposals (RFPs) to engage qualified consultants in
contracts, and administering contracts, preliminary design, design, cost-estimating,
scheduling, bidding and constructing, and reporting on all City CIP projects and
programs.
Oversee land and easement acquisition activities, and assist in identifying and defining
City infrastructure needs for private development projects.
Coordinate activities with other departments and divisions as appropriate.
Serve as staff representative to a variety of City and outside commissions, boards and
committees as assigned.
Review, approve and sign engineering drawings.
Conduct special engineering studies relative to assigned area of responsibility; prepare
appropriate reports and analyses.
Perform field investigations, construction site field reviews, and inspections.
Progress reports shall be prepared and presented in both written and verbal format to
the Council, City Manager and others and include updates on scheduling, budgeting,
and issue resolution alternatives.
Hire, train, supervise, and evaluate employees.
Perform other related duties as assigned
TYPICAL QUALIFICATIONS:
Knowledge of:
Principles and practices of engineering as applied to new development and municipal
public works, including working knowledge of the California Public Contract Code.
Practical knowledge and experience using computer programs such as spreadsheets,
graphics presentation, CPM scheduling, and word processing.
Applicable laws and regulatory codes related to development and construction.
Methods and techniques used in the design and construction of a variety of public
works projects.
Principles of organization, administration, budget, and personnel management.
Ability to:
Interpret and apply applicable codes, ordinances, rules, and regulations related to
design, construction and contracting of public works infrastructure projects.
Interpret, review, and analyze project studies, plans, and specifications.
Perform professional and technical support services relative to assigned area of
responsibility.
Communicate effectively orally, and possess excellent writing skills.
Establish and maintain harmonious and effective work relationships with developers,
contractors, engineers, City staff, and the general public.
Supervise, train, evaluate and provide quality leadership to assigned staff.
EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION
Any combination of experience and education that would likely provide the required
knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would
be:
Minimum Educational Qualifications
A Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university in Civil Engineering.
Experience:
A minimum of five (5) years of significant and progressive Civil Engineering experience.
Experience should include acting as the lead in the successful completion of several
major capital improvement projects, including buildings, bridges, roadways, parks,
utilities, and related municipal improvements.
Experience must include preparation and analysis of schedules and budgets for major
capital improvement projects.
License Requirements
The following licenses must be held at the time of appointment and maintain throughout
employment:
Registration as a Professional Civil Engineer in the State of California; and
A valid California Drivers License Experience Qualifications
Other Requirements:
Work is performed primarily in an office environment and exposure to outdoor elements when
conducting field reviews at existing city facilities, proposed project sites and construction
sites; extensive use of the telephone, radios, and computers with repetitive keyboarding;
ability to walk on uneven ground; drive to various locations daily; ability to work safely in a
hard-hat construction zone; some exposure to construction and Municipal public works
related chemicals and products.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION:
Supervision Received and Exercised
Receives direction from the Assistant City Engineer and the City Engineer. Exercises direct
and indirect supervision over professional, technical and clerical staff including Civil
Engineers, land surveyors, project managers, consultants and other staff members.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Incumbents in this position are required to file a Conflict of Interest Statement upon assuming
office, annually, and upon leaving office, in accordance with Resolution No. 8833.
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Milpitas will provide
reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both
prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the Human
Resources Department.
The City of Milpitas is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Page 90 of 233
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Capital
Improvement
Programs
Manager
Bargaining Unit: Unrepresented
Employees
Class Code:
234H
CITY OF CUPERTINO
Revision Date: Aug 1, 2020
SALARY RANGE
$70.87 - $86.14 Hourly
$12,283.79 - $14,931.04 Monthly
$147,405.44 - $179,172.45 Annually
FLSA:
Exempt
DESCRIPTION:
Definition
Under general direction of the Director of Public Works, this senior management position
supervises development and implementation of the City's Capital Improvement Program.
Oversees engineering/construction project management work for capital projects and facility
upgrades. Directs and supervises assigned staff and consultants. Ensures that project
schedules, cost and overall quality performance objectives are met across a diverse range of
capital improvement projects. Coordinates, manages, and monitors the progress of assigned
projects and programs at all stages of development to ensure timely/efficient/cost effective
projects, and performs related work as required. Timely communicates and coordinates with
operators of facilities impacted by capital projects. Develops public outreach plan for projects
as needed to solicit public input and provide education. The CIP Manager may serve as the
acting department head in the absence of the Public Works Director and the Assistant
Director.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES:
Management reserves the right to add, modify, change, or rescind the work assignments of
different positions and to make reasonable accommodations so that qualified employees can
perform the essential functions of the job.
Work with the Director of Public Works and other staff to develop and implement the City's
CIP.
Manage Public Works projects including the planning, permitting, environmental, design, and
construction of buildings, parks, streets, utilities and other facilities owned and operated by
the City.
Interpret and apply relevant codes, ordinances, rules, and regulations.
Assist in the development and application of City project delivery policies, following general
guidelines or professional and administrative standards in accomplishing assignments.
Prioritize and direct the work of the City CIP and be responsible for quality, schedule and cost
control. Work closely with the Director of Public Works to coordinate CIP work.
Supervises engineering review of CIP requests and proposals during the annual budget
process. Assign projects to staff or consultants. Set priorities, adjust workload and make
budget recommendations accordingly.
Perform the contract administration activities which include, but are not limited to, plan and
specification preparation and reviews, contract preparation and execution, contract change
order approval, payment approval, dispute resolution, acceptance and bond release approval.
Perform construction management activities which include, but are not limited to, planning,
preparing and communicating schedules and progress of project activities and expenditures,
assisting others in establishing project schedules and milestones. Developing critical path or
project flow diagrams, setting and evaluating progress on project tasks.
Hire and supervise consultants retained to provide particular expertise in project studies,
environmental, programming, development, design or management. Participate in, or manage
the selection, hiring, and development of contracts with consulting firms. Negotiate contracts
with outside consultants. Act as owner's representative for the City in directing consultants
and having them be responsible for work product quality and timeliness.
Evaluate operations and activities of assigned responsibilities. Recommend improvements
and modifications. Prepare reports of operations and activities.
Plan, prepare and communicate schedules and progress of project activities and
expenditures, and assist others in establishing project schedules and milestones. Develop
critical path or project flow diagrams to plan, set and evaluate progress on project tasks.
Coordinate closely with Finance and Director of Public Works budget preparation and
administration. Prepare cost estimates for budget recommendations. Submit justifications for
staff, supplies, materials and equipment. Monitor and control expenditures.
Oversee the preparation of technical reports and designs for approval/acceptance.
Monitor engineering aspects of facility start-ups. Ensure project start-up plans and required
documentation are completed and coordinated with Operations and Maintenance Department
personnel.
Prepare staff reports for City Council, Planning Commission, and other advisory bodies.
Make presentations to the City Council, boards and commissions, and advisory committees
and citizen groups.
Participate in the selection of staff. Provide or coordinate staff training. Frequently monitor
employees to evaluate performance and correct performance deficiencies. Timely implement
progressive disciplinary actions as required.
Plan, prioritize, assign, supervise and review the work of staff.
Build and maintain positive working relationships with co-workers, other employees and the
public using principles of good customer service.
Perform related duties as required.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Knowledge of:
Project management principles and techniques. Procedure for planning and establishing
plans, specifications, construction and inspection for Public Works projects.
Design and construction principles, methods, materials and equipment used on Public Works
construction. Principles and practices of public administration. Budget preparation and
administration.
Applicable laws and ordinances, computers, various software packages, or ability to learn,
standard office equipment. Principles and practices of supervision and personnel
management.
Contract language administration and content.
Potential for legal implications of various actions, safety and legal documentation required for
implications.
Accounting and budget principles.
Environmental laws and regulations typical for public work capital projects.
Permitting of capital projects.
Eligibility of grants and other external funding sources for capital projects.
Effective management of assigned personnel and methods to maximize productivity.
Effective methods of public outreach.
Ability to:
Coordinate, manage, and track multiple project activities on several projects concurrently.
Plan, assign, lead and review the work of subordinate staff. Prepare plans, specifications and
technical reports. Anticipate and evaluate project risks, identify mitigating factors, and resolve
problems among staff, contractors, other agencies, industry representatives and the public.
Analyze and interpret social, economic, population and land use data and trends.
Direct and review the work of consultants and staff. Manage multiple minor or major
construction projects.
Detect flaws in design, construction methods and materials to insure compliance with
contract plans and specifications, permits, codes, regulations and laws.
Develop recommendations and implications of different alternatives to resolving problems.
Interpret laws, legislative ordinances, administrative policies and procedures.
Prepare concise and comprehensive reports, internal memoranda, letters, agreements and
responses to contractor claims, and maintain detailed records related to capital projects.
Effectively supervise and train staff in areas related to capital projects. Administer change
orders and contract laws.
Prepare and present clear and concise administrative and technical reports.
Coordinate and facilitate community workshops. Perform technical research and give reliable
advice on engineering projects. Prepare clear and concise reports on technical material.
Organize, implement, and direct operations and activities of the assigned staff, consultants
and contractors.
Supervise, train, and evaluate assigned staff on a continuous basis, sit at a desk for long
periods of time.
Intermittently, bend, squat, climb, kneel and twist while performing occasional field work.
Intermittently twist to reach equipment surrounding desk. Perform simple grasping and fine
manipulation.
Use telephone, and write or use a keyboard to communicate through written means, and lift
or carry weight of 10 pounds or less.
Interpret and explain pertinent city and department policies and procedures. Assist in the
development and monitoring of an assigned program budget.
Develop and recommend policies and procedures related to assigned operations. Establish
and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
Work across City departments to increase coordination and collaboration.
Education and Experience
Equivalent to a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major course
work in civil engineering, architecture, landscape architecture, construction management or a
related field. Seven years of increasingly responsible experience in project management work
involving public works projects and facilities, including three years in a supervisory capacity.
Licenses and Certifications
The following licenses must be held at the time of appointment and maintained throughout
employment: Possession of a valid Certificate of Registration as a Professional Civil Engineer
or Licensed Architect or Licensed Landscape Architect in the State of California; Valid
California Motor Vehicle Operators License.
Page 91 of 233
BUILD A GREAT COMMUNITY TOGETHER
ABOUT THE CITY
The City of Redwood City is a San Francisco Bay Area
community located in the heart of Silicon Valley, the
technology-rich region extending from the San Francisco
shoreline to the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Redwood City is the third largest city within the County of San
Mateo, with over 86,000 residents. The city enjoys an average
of 255 sunny days a year, which it boasts via the city slogan:
"Climate Best by Government Test". We are a community that
believes in working together to maintain and improve our quality of life. In fact, the City
Council of Redwood City formally adopted a "Core Purpose" -Build a Great Community
Together. This represents our commitment to community building, which is a crucial part
of how we do business every day. Become a part of the team and join us in building a
great community!
ABOUT THE POSITION
The City of Redwood City’s Administrative Services Department invites you to apply for
the newly established position, Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Manager.
Under general direction of the Assistant City Manager / Administrative Services Director,
the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Manager provides fiscal oversight and analysis of
capital projects; serves as the lead for information and activity related to the citywide
Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and individual capital projects; oversees development
and production of the Five-Year CIP budget document; leads the CIP decision-making
process and collaborates with department heads and staff regarding capital project
prioritization; works with Finance staff on debt issuance for capital projects; and provides
highly complex and responsible support to the Assistant City Manager in areas of expertise,
and performs related work as required.
The Administrative Services Department is comprised of four divisions, Finance, Human
Resources, Revenue Services, and Information Technology. Working together, these
divisions manage much of the City’s organizational infrastructure – its financial processes
and system, its technology, and its people, ensuring that the City’s employees have the
tools and environment they need to provide the community the best possible service.
Typical duties include:
x In collaboration with department heads and related staff, leads the development
and production of the annual Five-Year CIP budget document.
x Performs annual review and assessment of the Five-year CIP document and
makes recommendations for improvements or changes.
x Facilitates the effective flow of communication among the City Manager’s Office,
Community Development Department, Finance Division, Public Works Services
Department, and individual operating departments during the annual CIP budget
preparation.
x Leads and coordinates CIP-related meetings.
THE CITY OF REDWOOD CITY
INVITES APPLICATIONS FOR:
CAPITAL
IMPROVEMENT
PROGRAM
(CIP)
MANAGER
#2586
SALARY:
$11,422 - $13,702 monthly
Closing 12/14/18 at 5:00pm
or upon receipt of the first 100
applications
(Opened 11/16/18)
Application Process
Apply online at
www.CalOpps.org
Member Agency: Redwood City
Candidates with a disability, which
may require special assistance in any
phase of the application or selection
process, should advise the Human
Resources Division upon submittal of
application.
Selection Process
Oral Board Interviews
tentatively scheduled for
February 1, 2019
All applications will be reviewed for
completion, relevant education,
experience, training and other job
related qualifications.Those who best
meet the stated qualifications and
requirements for the position will be
invited to participate in the selection
process. The specifics of the selection
process will be communicated to those
selected candidates.
Page 92 of 233
BUILD A GREAT COMMUNITY TOGETHER
x TracksUtility Users Tax (UUT) revenue and remains informed of UUT trends and how
much will be available for the CIP including UUT related revenue enhancements;
collaborates with the Revenue Services Manager on UUT fiscal developments, and
coordinates with departments regarding grant-funded projects.
x Monitors SB1 funding allocations and developments at the state level ensuring the
annual maintenance of effort (MOE) reporting is completed accurately and timely and
advising department heads if required levels of MOE activities are not met and
implications for funding received/to be received.
x Serves as a lead manager on the project team for debt issuance for capital projects.
x As related to the CIP, plans, directs, implements, and evaluates the preparation and
distribution of periodic financial statements, budgets, forecasts and trend analyses,
revenue and expenditure projections, cash management and cash flow analyses, and
other financial activities in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
(GAAP) and Federal, State, and Local laws and policies.
x Attends and participates in professional group meetings; stays abreast of new trends
and innovations related to the areas of assignment; researches emerging products
and enhancements and their applicability to City needs.
THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
The ideal candidate is expected to have substantial project management and budgetary
experience, having worked on complex projects that required critical analysis and the use of
independent judgement and initiative. This is a new position for the City, and as a result, the
person selected has an exciting opportunity to work collaboratively with colleagues across the
organization and develop new citywide processes and procedures. The position will be
expected to offer creative solutions to challenges, and will implement a new citywide CIP
selection process and Five-Year CIP document. The ideal candidate has excellent oral and
written communication skills and is approachable and flexible. The position also requires
someone who is very organized, detail-oriented, and has strong financial acumen. Ideally, this
person will have worked on departmental budgets or project budgets.
A good balance of technical and relational skills is necessary. The candidate will work closely
with Finance division staff, as well as staff in the City Manager’s Office, Community
Development Department, and the Public Works Services Department. This position, therefore,
requires a candidate with excellent interpersonal skills who is focused on building successful
and collaborative relationships with department heads and departmental staff.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge
and abilities are qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:
Experience
Five years of increasingly responsible professional-level experience in one or more aspects of
financial administration, preferably in local government, which includes at least two years of
experience working in project management in a municipal or similar setting.
Education
Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major coursework in business
administration, finance, accounting, political science, engineering, construction, or a related
field.
BENEFITS
The successful candidate will enjoy the
following benefits:
x Public Employees Retirement
System (PERS) 2%@60 for
classic members, 2%@62 for
PEPRA members.
x Opportunity to select from a
variety of health plans that are
administered by PERS;
Maximum City contribution is
$1,705/month
x 401(a) Deferred Compensation
plan with City-paid 2%
contribution
x Auto allowance of $200/month
x Dental & vision insurance
x Employee Assistance Program
x Vacation leave: l0-25 days per
year
x Sick leave of 12 days per year
x 14 paid holidays per year
x Fitness center access at City
facilities
x Commuter program available (6
minute walk from Caltrain)
CITY VALUES
Our Core Purpose:
Build a Great Community Together
The values that guide us are:
x EXCELLENCE: Passion to do
our best in each moment.
x INTEGRITY: Do the right
thing, not the easy thing.
x SERVICE: We care and it
makes a difference.
x CREATIVITY: Freedom to
imagine and courage to act.
Page 93 of 233
BUILD A GREAT COMMUNITY TOGETHER
Licenses & Certificates
x The incumbent may be required to travel between various locations during their scheduled work shift.
x Possession of a valid California Driver License with a satisfactory driving record is required.
Knowledge of:
x Applicable Federal, State, County and local laws, regulatory codes, ordinances, and organizational policies and procedures
relevant to the assigned areas of responsibility.
x Organization and management practices as applied to the development, analysis, and evaluation of programs and operational
needs of the assigned functions.
x Project and/or program management, analytical processes, and report preparation techniques for construction projects.
x Basic principles and practices of cost benefit analysis, public agency business writing and budget development, and administration
for construction projects.
x Capital project terminology, principles and practices.
x Budget management and construction economics.
x General principles of municipal planning, facility development and project administration.
x Relationships among federal, state and local planning programs.
x Public administration and management principles.
x Environmental regulations, laws and restrictions.
x Recent and on-going developments, current literature, and sources of information related to the operations of the assigned
functions.
x Recordkeeping and reporting principles and procedures.
x Modern office practices, methods, and computer equipment and applications related to the work.
x English usage, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and punctuation.
x Techniques for effectively representing the City in contacts with governmental agencies, community groups, and various business,
professional, educational, regulatory, and legislative organizations.
x Techniques for providing a high level of customer service by effectively dealing with the public, vendors, contractors, and City staff.
Ability to:
x Interpret, apply, explain, and ensure compliance with Federal, State, and Local policies, procedures, laws, and regulations
pertinent to the assigned areas of responsibility.
x Coordinate and oversee programmatic administrative, budgeting, and fiscal reporting activities.
x Perform responsible and difficult administrative work involving the use of independent judgment and personal initiative.
x Prepare clear and concise reports, correspondence, policies, procedures, and other written materials.
x Conduct complex research projects, evaluate alternatives, make sound recommendations, and prepare effective technical staff
reports.
x Effectively represent the department and the City in meetings with governmental agencies, community groups, and various
businesses, professional, and regulatory organizations, and in meetings with individuals.
x Establish and maintain a variety of filing, recordkeeping, and tracking systems.
x Organize and prioritize a variety of projects and multiple tasks in an effective and timely manner; organize own work, set priorities,
and meet critical time deadlines.
x Operate modern office equipment including computer equipment and specialized software applications programs.
x Use English effectively to communicate in person, over the telephone, and in writing.
x Perform accurate and complex mathematical calculations.
x Use tact, initiative, prudence, and independent judgment within general policy, procedural, and legal guidelines.
x Communicate clearly, concisely and persuasively both orally and in writing.
x Establish, maintain, and foster positive and effective working relationships with those contracted in the course of work.
Page 94 of 233
BUILD A GREAT COMMUNITY TOGETHER
Physical Demands:
Employees must possess the ability to lift, carry, push, and pull materials and objects up to 25 pounds.
A City application including a supplemental questionnaire is required.Prior to appointment, candidates will be required to pass a
background check (at no cost to the candidate) including the following:
x Criminal History Check
x DMV Check
x Credit Check
x Fingerprinting
___________________________________________________________________________________________
SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (CIP) MANAGER #2586
CITY OF REDWOOD CITY
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Please answer the following questions.
1. Please describe a project you managed that you are the most proud of. What was the project, your role, the process you
employed, and the outcome?
2. Please describe your experience managing, analyzing, or administering departmental budgets or project budgets.
3. Please describe your experience influencing others who do not directly report to you.
The City of Redwood City is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer!
The Immigration Act of 1986 requires proof of identity and eligibility for employment at date of hire.
Any provisions contained in this bulletin may be modified or revoked without notice.
Page 95 of 233
Capital Improvement Program Process Assessment
Appendix 4 – Job Specifications for Public Works Project Manager Management Partners
60
Appendix 4 – Job Specifications for Public Works Project Manager
Page 96 of 233
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Public Works
Project Manager
Bargaining Unit: Unrepresented
Employees
Class Code:
212H
CITY OF CUPERTINO
Revision Date: Aug 1, 2014
SALARY RANGE
$62.29 - $75.72 Hourly
$10,797.54 - $13,124.51 Monthly
$129,570.48 - $157,494.06 Annually
FLSA:
Exempt
DESCRIPTION:
Definition
This job class performs a varied range of management functions. Under minimal supervision,
the incumbent plans and implements the delivery of capital improvement and/or other
assigned projects. At any given timeframe, this job class may be responsible for one or more
projects, or assigned aspect(s) of a larger project, of varying scope, diversity, and complexity.
The incumbent manages, through collaboration, coordination, planning, and the provision of
direction, the formulation and implementation of all activities within assigned project(s). The
incumbent develops project objectives, schedules, and budgets; prepares and delivers
graphic, written and oral reports and presentations; prepares technical documentation to
ensure delivery of intended product; tracks and manages expenditures; establishes and
implements quality controls; maintains accurate project records; and ensures compliance with
design intentions, regulatory requirements, and technical contract documents. This includes,
in consultation with assigned project team members, the creation of objectives, priorities,
budgets, and schedules required to achieve maximum production and efficiency in the
project.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES:
Management reserves the right to add, modify, change or rescind the work assignments of
different positions and to make reasonable accommodations so that qualified employees can
perform the essential functions of the job.
Manage Public Works projects including the planning, design and construction of buildings,
parks, streets, utilities and other facilities owned and operated by the City.
Assist in the development and application of City project delivery policies, following general
guidelines or professional and administrative standards in accomplishing assignments.
Assist CIP Manager and other colleagues to evaluate operations and activities of assigned
responsibilities; recommend improvements and modifications; prepare reports of operations
and activities.
Prioritize and direct the work of project assignments and be responsible for quality, schedule
and cost control; work closely with the supervisor to coordinate project work.
Regularly report to supervisor and others in the City organization on the status of projects and
other assignments; suggest, discuss and implement strategies to improve project delivery
services.
Perform project management activities which achieve, but are not limited to, planning,
establishing, and executing: project performance and design objectives, schedules and
budgets; regulatory compliance; process and project documentation; reporting the status.
Evaluate the work effort required for project and identify the resources to provide that work
effort; prepare and execute plan to retain required staff and/or consultant skills.
Hire and supervise consultants retained to provide particular expertise for project studies,
programming, development, design or management; participate in, or manage the selection,
hiring, and development of contracts with consulting firms; negotiate contracts with outside
consultants; act as owner's representative for the City in directing consultants.
Plan and assist others in establishing project schedules and milestones; prepare, and
communicate schedules and report on progress of project activities; develop critical path or
project flow diagrams to plan, set and evaluate progress on project tasks; timely
communication of deviations from project schedule and propose alternatives to align project
activities with planned schedule.
Plan and assist others in establishing project budgets; track and report on project
expenditures; timely communication of deviations from project expenditure plan and propose
alternatives to align expenditures with budget.
Participate in budget preparation and administration; prepare cost estimates for budget
recommendations; submit justifications for staff, supplies, materials and equipment; monitor
and control expenditures.
Interpret and apply relevant codes, ordinances, rules, and regulations.
Oversee the preparation of project technical reports and design for approval/acceptance.
Perform the contract administration activities which include, but are not limited to, plan and
specification preparation and reviews, contract preparation and execution, contract change
order approval, payment approval, dispute resolution, acceptance and bond release approval.
Monitor engineering aspects of facility start-ups; ensure project start-up plans and required
documentation are completed and coordinated with Operations and Maintenance Department
personnel.
Prepare project staff reports for City Council, Planning Commission, and other advisory
bodies.
Make presentations to the City Council, boards and commissions, and advisory committees
and citizen groups.
Participate in the selection of staff; plan, prioritize, assign, supervise and review the work of
assigned staff; provide or coordinate training and staff development opportunities; work with
employees to correct performance deficiencies; implement disciplinary procedures.
Build and maintain positive working relationships with co-workers, other employees and the
public using principles of good customer service.
Perform related duties as required.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Knowledge of:
Principles and practices (General knowledge of) civil engineering and/or landscape
architecture and/or architecture; capital improvements.
Principles and practices of project management.
Principles and practices of management and supervision.
English punctuation, syntax, language mechanics and spelling.
Contract negotiation and administration; conflict resolution techniques.
Principles of budget development and monitoring including development of control measures
to remain within budget.
Personal computer systems and applications.
Principles and techniques for persuasive presentation of ideas and concepts in both oral and
written formats.
Ability to:
Prepare and administer departmental budgets; negotiate and administer a variety of
contracts.
Develop and maintain positive relationships with community leaders, organizations,
businesses, and staff; coordinate a variety of projects and activities inter-departmentally and
with outside agencies.
Plan, organize, direct and coordinate a variety of functional specialties with overlapping work
areas.
Analyze and solve problems of a complex nature; analyze complex technical and
administrative information and problems, evaluate alternative solutions, and recommend or
adopt effective courses of action.
Supervise and direct subordinate professional and support staff; interpret and enforce
administrative/operational polices, practices and procedures.
Maintain knowledge of and adherence to city and departmental and state safety standards.
Communicate effectively and persuasively in both oral and written format.
Speak in large and small group settings; conduct staff meetings.
Prepare and analyze comprehensive reports.
Exercise sound independent judgment within general policy guidelines.
Establish and maintain effective work relationships with those contacted in the performance of
required duties.
Education and Experience
Any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills
and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be:
Equivalent to a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in civil engineering,
landscape architecture, architecture, construction management, or other relevant degree;
and three years of increasingly responsible technical and professional work experience with
complex municipal design and construction projects, including two years of performing
increasingly responsible project management functions and including two years in a
supervisory capacity.
Licenses and Certifications
The following licenses must be held at the time of appointment and maintained throughout the
tenure of employment: Valid California Motor Vehicle Operator's (Driver's) License.
Page 97 of 233
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PROJECT
MANAGER II
Bargaining Unit: SLOCEA - Public Services
Class Code:
00000615
COUNTY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
Established Date: Jan 9, 2018
Revision Date: Dec 15, 1999
SALARY RANGE
$37.62 - $45.73 Hourly
$6,520.80 - $7,926.53 Monthly
$78,249.60 - $95,118.40 Annually
DEFINITION:
Classes in this series perform a variety of tasks within the Public Works Department, including
the planning, organization, communication and management of capital and maintenance
projects to meet customer expectations within agreed upon time and budget constraints;
performs other related work as required.
TYPICAL TASKS AND REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES:
(Not in order of importance)
Prepares project initiation documents and reports and manage capital improvement
and maintenance projects process from concept through project close-out;
Develops and schedules project development and steering committee meetings;
creates agendas; provides updates and reports on project status and responds to
inquiries and action items;
Prepares construction drawings and specifications or directs consultants and reviews
consultant prepared documents;
Performs technical computations and critical thinking decision making;
Creates project development and construction cost estimates for a wide variety of
projects and delivery methods;
Coordinates preparation of construction contract documents and administers public
bidding, including responding to RFI's, preparation of addenda, evaluation of bid
results, and recommendation for award;
Assists Construction Manager / Resident Engineer during construction of projects;
Analyzes problems, makes viable and sound technical recommendations, and ensures
design features are Coordinates with environmental planning staff to facilitate
preparation of environmental documentation and environmental permit processing;
Ensures compliance with storm water run-off requirements and energy guidelines;
Communicates with stakeholders by providing regular project status updates; engages
with consultants by conducting regular meetings, routine communication and clarifying
progress steps;
Obtains final review of construction documentation by ensuring work is compliant with
codes and ADA regulations; review drawings, cost estimates, specifications and finish
materials; conducts final review with customer, administration, maintenance and parks;
ensures that all permit applications have been submitted and develops plan check
corrections;
Tracks project issues, coordinates problem solving, conflict resolution, and performs
follow-up to ensure issues are resolved and properly communicated;
Manages vendors and contractors to ensure they are performing to their statement of
work before they are authorized for payment; manages change requests and vendor
invoices; conducts site visits; develops punch lists and verifies completion of as-built
drawings;
Performs contract negotiations and updates to agreements; closes out project by
processing notice of completion to consultants and processes any requests for final
payment;
May train or mentor others in project management, such as answering questions and/or
performing analysis/audits of projects or vendor proposals.
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:
Projects Manager I: This is the entry level position in the series. Under general supervision,
incumbents perform or assist in the performance of project manager duties for a wide variety
of capital and maintenance projects, performing architectural and/or engineering functions as
required, and/or hires and manages consultants to perform tasks. Incumbents perform in a
trainee capacity to the journeyworker level.
Projects Manager II: This is the journeyworker level within the series. Under direction,
incumbents act as project managers for a wide variety of capital and maintenance projects,
performing architectural and/or engineering functions as required, or hires and manages
consultants to perform tasks. Incumbents at this level are responsible for managing multiple
small-to-mid level projects. May take responsibility for managing more complex, larger scope
and sensitive projects that have a higher consequence of error. Prepares effective
memoranda and Board of Supervisor correspondence. May assist in making presentations to
the Board of Supervisors, committees, or commissions to facilitate project goals.
Projects Manager III: This is the advanced-level position in the series. Under general
direction, incumbents have the primary responsibility for scope, schedule and budget decision
making for any and all assigned projects, assuring the design and construction documents for
assigned projects are biddable and buildable, and meet project goals and applicable
standards. Incumbents at this level prepare and present items to the Board of Supervisors,
committees or commissions to facilitate project goals and objectives. In addition, incumbents
may act as a leadworker and provide technical or project management oversight to other
Project Managers or staff, as assigned.
EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS:
Knowledge of:
Principles, practices and techniques used in managing capital and maintenance
projects;
Building and/or infrastructure materials and construction methods;
Architectural and/or Civil Engineering planning and design practices;
Mechanical, electrical, plumbing, structural, and Civil Engineering;
Construction cost estimates;
Codes applicable to alterations and construction of public buildings;
Program development and management;
Project management software such as Microsoft Project, Microsoft Office applications
such as Word and Excel, the Internet and other related computer applications such as
Autocad;
Administrative procedures and methods;
Public bid process and contract negotiation;
Principles and practices of technical problem solving;
Public Works Department's strategic direction and goals.
Ability to:
Plan, organize, prioritize and manage capital improvement projects;
Review detailed plans and specifications;
Prepare contract documents for construction and remodeling;
Prepare cost estimates;
Analyze space requirements and utility impacts;
Provide project direction and train project staff;
Manage resources within budget and policy parameters;
Recognize and resolve problems, develop recommendations and solutions;
Effectively facilitate meetings, create and deliver presentations and build consensus
Work effectively in a dynamic, changing environment;
Negotiate and influence mutually beneficial project objectives;
Work effectively with others including those of diverse perspectives; possess strong
interpersonal skills such as listening, speaking, advisory, mediation, reconciliation and
consensus building;
Maintain positive working relationships;
Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing with resources managers,
customers, vendors, peers, subordinates, other government agencies and the public;
Foster a spirit of teamwork and advocacy when meeting with staff and members of
departments;
Travel to off-site meetings and project locations;
Maintain a safe and orderly work area.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
All levels: Graduation from an accredited college with a Bachelor of Science degree in
Architecture, Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Business Administration, City &
Regional Planning, Organizational Leadership or a related field. (Job-related experience may
be substituted for the education requirement on a year-for?year basis.)
In addition:
Projects Manager I: No experience required.
Projects Manager II: Two (2) years of project management experience in building or
infrastructure design and/or construction management, or work equivalent to Projects
Manager I.
Projects Manager III: Either A: Four (4) years of experience in building or infrastructure
design and/or construction management that included at least one year of project
management, OR B: Two (2) years of experience performing duties equivalent to a Projects
Manager II.
LICENSES AND CERTIFICATES:
A valid driver's license is required at the time of application. A valid CALIFORNIA driver's
license is required at the time of appointment and must be maintained throughout
employment.
Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institute
(PMI) is desired.
OTHER SPECIFICATIONS:
SPECIAL SUBCLASS RECRUITMENT:
Recruitments for this classification may be conducted according to the special division or
programs in which the vacancy exists and the requirements of the position, including any
specialized licensure.
This class specification generally describes the duties and responsibilities characteristic of the
positions(s) within this class. The duties of a particular position within a multi-position class
may vary from the duties of other positions within the class. Accordingly, the essential
functions of a particular position (whether it be a multi-position class or a single-position class)
will be identified and used by medical examiners and hiring authorities in the selection
process. If you have any questions regarding the duties or the working conditions of the
position, please contact the Human Resources Department at 805.781.5959.
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City of San Luis Obispo Capital Improvement Program Process Assessment DRAFT IMPLEMENTATION ACTION PLAN September 2021Attachment BPage 99 of 233
Making the Most of the Draft Implementation Action Plan Management Partners has developed this draft Implementation Action Plan to assist the City of San Luis Obispo with the phasing and scheduling of 53 recommendations. We understand and acknowledge that the work involved in implementing these recommendations will be in addition to the other work assigned to the Department of Public Works, as will be the assignment of the appropriate staff member responsible for overseeing its completion and the identification of specific planned completion dates. The draft Action Plan begins that process with guidance about a recommended priority assignment. Priority 1 recommendations are those that we believe are the most important to accomplish without delay or are easy to accomplish. Priority 2 recommendations have less importance in the near term, have an added element of complexity to complete, or require a significant amount of resources (perhaps internal and external) to assist with completion. Priority 3 are the least urgent to complete, either because they require action by a third party over which department staff has no direct control, or due to complexity, or their relative importance to department goals. We suggest that you use this document to prepare a final Action Plan. In doing so, the management team will need to identify specific target dates for implementation completion. Additionally, you may want to modify the described activities for implementing an individual recommendation based on internal knowledge of what will be required for completion, or to adjust the assignment of responsibility based on pending or future workload or other considerations. Prudent implementation of most recommendations requires “circling back” after the work of completing strategies has begun and fine‐tuning the results based on experience. The step to do that is not spelled out for each recommendation in this document on the assumption that it would be part of your normal management system. To turn this draft into the Action Plan you can use to manage implementation, replace the column entitled “Priority” with the dates for planned completion. A target date can be specific (e.g., March 1) or by month or quarter (e.g., 3Q 2022), as appropriate to the individual action. Management Partners remains available to consult with you in this process in whatever way we can be helpful. All of the work to implement the recommendations is in addition to the normal work of involved city staff. Management Partners can provide extra capacity to expedite completion of many of the recommendations. Please do not hesitate to contact Rick Haydon at 805‐878‐4282 if we can be of assistance. Rick can also be reached by email at rhaydon@managementpartners.com. Please note that the discipline of successful project planning is basic to successful execution of the work ahead. We hope that you find the draft Action Plan useful in that regard. Page 100 of 233
City of San Luis Obispo Capital Improvement Program Process Assessment Draft Implementation Action Plan Management Partners 1 Rec No. Recommendation Implementation Steps Priority1 Person Responsible Comments 1 Determine the fully burdened costs of all in‐house staff involved in the design of capital projects and use those data figures to determine the total costs of in‐house project design versus that of contract design firms. Calculate fully burdened hourly staff costs, including salaries and benefits, department and city overhead for all in‐house staff involved in the design of capital projects Review project hour data collected by CIP Engineering to calculate in‐house project design costs for similar past projects Compare in‐house project design costs with contracted project design costs Priority 1 Public Works Director 2 Develop criteria to guide decision making regarding whether projects will be designed in‐house or under contract. Draft criteria and guidelines for determining whether to use in‐house staff or a contracted design firm Consider such factors as availability of personnel resources, needed skillsets, project complexity, and scheduling Review guidelines with the engineering staff Distribute guidelines to CIP staff Priority 1 Acting City Engineer/Deputy Public Works Director 3 Implement a policy and procedure to require more time for scoping individual projects before a budget estimate and schedule are provided. Determine the amount of time that should be spent scoping different types of projects Draft a policy and procedure that specifies the time frame that should be used to conduct a comprehensive project scope Specify that budget estimates should be all inclusive and based on a detailed assessment of the project Distribute the policy and procedure to staff Priority 1 Acting City Engineer/Deputy Public Works Director 4 Establish an annual budget to support an on‐call cost estimating firm to develop fully inclusive budget estimates for more complex projects. Research costs of on‐call cost estimating firms Determine an annual budget amount that would cover the costs of using an external firm, based Priority 1 Acting City Engineer/Deputy Public Works Director 1 Priority 1: Important to accomplish without delay and/or easy to accomplish Priority 2: Second tier of importance to accomplish and/or may involve some complexity or time to complete Priority 3: Least urgent to complete and/or may take longer to set‐up or to execute Page 101 of 233
City of San Luis Obispo Capital Improvement Program Process Assessment Draft Implementation Action Plan Management Partners 2 Rec No. Recommendation Implementation Steps Priority1 Person Responsible Comments on historical volume of complex projects that are estimated Review research findings and budget costs with department directors Gain budget approval 7 Document the initial project scope and amendments made to the scope during the duration of the project, as well as the resulting impacts to the budget and the schedule. Create a procedure to ensure that the initial project scope, any amendments made to the scope, and resulting budget and schedule impacts during the project are documented Inform staff of the new procedure Priority 1 Acting City Engineer/Deputy Public Works Director 8 Contract with an on‐call urban design firm during the scoping and preliminary engineering phase of highly visible capital projects. Research potential urban design contractors Estimate contractor costs Specify the capital projects that require urban design consultation Communicate new practice of contracting with these firms for highly visible projects to staff Priority 1 Acting City Engineer/Deputy Public Works Director 10 Transition the CIP Engineering staffing strategy toward a mix of project managers and design engineers. Determine preferences for design work versus project management among CIP Engineering staff Tailor project assignments to employee preferences Convert vacant engineering positions to project management positions, as needed, to establish optimal ratio of project managers to engineers Priority 1 Public Works Director Requires collaboration with Human Resources 11 Establish Service Level Agreements with other departments to establish and clarify internal service roles and response times. Draft Service Level Agreements to clarify the roles and responsibilities of internal supporting departments, such as Community Development, the City Attorney’s Office, and Human Resources Review Service Level Agreements with department heads Finalize Service Level Agreements Communicate the purpose/objectives for using Service Level Agreements to department staff Priority 1 Public Works Director Requires support from the City Manager Page 102 of 233
City of San Luis Obispo Capital Improvement Program Process Assessment Draft Implementation Action Plan Management Partners 3 Rec No. Recommendation Implementation Steps Priority1 Person Responsible Comments 12 Elevate the organizational emphasis of on‐time and on‐budget project delivery and accountability through the use of practical performance measures. Determine which performance measures will be tracked (i.e., workload, efficiency, and effectiveness measures) Review the list of performance measures with department head Set up mechanisms/systems to track and report performance measures Communicate the purpose and objectives of tracking costs and timeliness of projects to staff Priority 1 Assistant City Manager 16 Establish a checklist of potential environmental and permit requirements and examine each project scope against the list early in the planning process. Develop a checklist that includes all possible environmental assessments and permitting requirements Add a step early in the project design process that includes reviewing the checklist and making determinations as to environmental and permitting documents that will be required Hold a meeting with CIP staff to clarify when in the process the new checklist will be referenced Priority 1 Acting City Engineer/Deputy Public Works Director Requires collaboration with Community Development Director 19 Communicate to client departments and decision makers the effect on project schedules (and future costs) whenever funding is delayed, adjusted or held. Establish a practice to draft a memorandum that explains the effects on project schedules and overall costs when changes to project funding are being considered. Provide the memorandum to client departments and decision makers before final decisions are made. Priority 1 Public Works Director 25 Ensure that the CIP Project Report baseline start and finish dates remain consistent and that all fields are reported accurately and on an up‐to‐date basis. Communicate to all staff with access to the CIP Project Report data that the start and finish dates must remain consistent (unchanged) unless the project start date is revised by Council Hold staff accountable for not including a start or finish date or for changing the start date Priority 1 Acting City Engineer/Deputy Public Works Director Page 103 of 233
City of San Luis Obispo Capital Improvement Program Process Assessment Draft Implementation Action Plan Management Partners 4 Rec No. Recommendation Implementation Steps Priority1 Person Responsible Comments 26 Provide an expanded version of the bimonthly CIP Project Report to the City Council on a semiannual basis and post it on the City’s website. Determine the fields needed on the CIP Project Report to provide greater clarity to the public and policymakers Add the identified fields to the CIP Project Report Communicate the changes to the report to staff and ensure they update all fields moving forward Ensure the report is provided to Council on a semi‐annual basis Post the report to the City’s website Priority 1 Acting City Engineer/Deputy Public Works Director 27 Include in the CIP Project Report (Schedule Notes column) an explanation of any anticipated delays or required budget adjustments. Communicate to staff the need to include an explanation of any anticipated delays or required budget adjustments in the CIP Project Report Include the responsible project manager’s name in the report for better accountability Priority 1 Public Works Director 35 Institute a 30‐day time from completion of project in which to prepare close out reports for capital projects that have been completed. Modify the close‐out process to ensure reports for capital projects are completed within a 30‐day time frame Update the procedures manual to reflect the modified process Inform staff of the modified process Priority 1 Acting City Engineer/Deputy Public Works Director 36 Advance the compensation study of the engineering series to ensure that salary and benefits offered are competitive. Request that the compensation study for the engineer series begin immediately and completed prior to the work on the citywide compensation study Priority 1 Assistant City Manager Requires collaboration with Human Resources 41 Develop a job specification for and hire a CIP Manager to head the CIP Engineering Division. Prepare the job description and classification for the position, in consultation with Human Resources Obtain City Council authorization, if required Advertise position Review and interview top applicants Offer position and finalize paperwork Priority 1 Public Works Director Requires collaboration with Human Resources Page 104 of 233
City of San Luis Obispo Capital Improvement Program Process Assessment Draft Implementation Action Plan Management Partners 5 Rec No. Recommendation Implementation Steps Priority1 Person Responsible Comments 42 Add one additional supervising engineer. Update the job description, in consultation with Human Resources Obtain City Council authorization, if required Advertise position Review and interview top applicants Offer position and finalize paperwork Priority 1 Public Works Director Requires collaboration with Human Resources 43 Add one project manager and reclassify the existing engineer vacancies to project manager positions. Prepare the job description and classification, in consultation with Human Resources Reclassify the vacant engineer positions to project manager positions Obtain City Council authorization, if required Advertise for three project manager positions Review and interview top applicants Offer positions and finalize paperwork Priority 1 Public Works Director Requires collaboration with Human Resources 46 Augment inspection staff with consulting inspectors as needed, especially on those larger more complex capital projects. Research and identify costs for consultant inspectors Create an on‐call agreement with identified consultants to provide inspection services as needed Priority 1 Public Works Director 5 Conduct a preliminary feasibility study for large and potentially complex projects before finalizing cost estimates and schedules. Specify the types of projects that require a preliminary feasibility study Develop a preliminary feasibility report template that includes factors for considerations such as soil conditions, property acquisitions, community outreach, utility conflicts, etc. Communicate the practice of conducting a preliminary feasibility study before finalizing a project’s scope, budget and schedule to staff Priority 2 Acting City Engineer/Deputy Public Works Director 6 Establish a Preliminary Engineering Fund to pay for staffs’ time or consultant fees in connection with potential capital projects prior to establishing a project budget. Collaborate with the Finance Department to establish a preliminary engineering fund Dedicate resources to the preliminary engineering fund to pay for staff’s time or Priority 2 Assistant City Manager Page 105 of 233
City of San Luis Obispo Capital Improvement Program Process Assessment Draft Implementation Action Plan Management Partners 6 Rec No. Recommendation Implementation Steps Priority1 Person Responsible Comments consultant fees in connection with potential capital projects Ensure expenditures from the engineering fund for projects that move forward are reimbursed 13 Ensure a peer review process that includes staff from design, construction, and other sections that have a vested interest in a given project. Identify which positions from engineering and inspection will be responsible for conducting peer reviews of project plans and specifications Ensure that peer review occurs in the project design process Communicate the purpose and objectives of the peer review process to staff Priority 2 Acting City Engineer/Deputy Public Works Director 14 Require design consulting contracts to include a peer review, conducted by another on‐call firm for large complex projects. Modify consulting contracts to require that contractors use on‐call firms for peer review of large or complex projects Priority 2 Acting City Engineer/Deputy Public Works Director 17 Prepare written agreements or Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) between project participants, especially for projects that require environmental or permit requirements. Develop a policy to prepare written agreements or MOUs for projects that require environmental or permit requirements Ensure such agreements include tasks, responsible party, timeframe and notification to other parties Inform staff and project participants of the new policy Priority 2 Public Works Director Requires collaboration with Community Development Director 18 Limit the review of projects to early stages of design and reduce project reviews to a single commission. Review the list of multiple commissions that have reviewed project plans in the past Determine the most appropriate commission to review capital projects, and limit project reviews to that single commission Add/clarify a step early in the project design process that includes commission review and limit reviews to the early stages of design Priority 2 Assistant City Manager 20 Retain on‐call right‐of‐way consultants and involve them Research and maintain a list of potential on‐call right‐of‐way consultants Priority 2 Acting City Engineer/Deputy Page 106 of 233
City of San Luis Obispo Capital Improvement Program Process Assessment Draft Implementation Action Plan Management Partners 7 Rec No. Recommendation Implementation Steps Priority1 Person Responsible Comments immediately upon determination that property acquisition will be needed. Adopt the practice of involving the consultants in the early stages of right‐of‐way acquisition projects to expedite the process Communicate new practice to staff Public Works Director 21 Consider alternative design delivery methods such as design‐build and other delivery methods legally allowed by the State. Explore the possibility of establishing local preferences and tiered incentives in design review contracts Research other design delivery models that would be optimal for the City, such as construction‐manager‐at‐risk and public‐private‐partnerships, for large projects where collaboration with a private developer is beneficial Present research findings to city leadership Priority 2 Public Works Director Requires collaboration with the City Attorney’s Office 23 Revise the current tracking system to include cost and scheduling metrics to inform management and executive staff about capital improvement performance and delivery, including developing a procedure to track and report anticipated and actual project costs. Document the specific changes to the tracking system needed to ensure actual and anticipated project costs and schedules are accurately tracked and reported (reference Attachment C of the CIP Program Assessment report) Meet with Finance and IT staff (if needed) to discuss the feasibility of expanding existing systems (Oracle and MS Project) Implement and test software changes Develop a policy and procedure that specifies the frequency/schedule for producing and reviewing the reports Train staff on how to use the new tracking and reporting mechanisms Priority 2 Acting City Engineer/Deputy Public Works Director Interface needed with Finance 24 Implement a capital improvement project specific cost accounting system to track staff costs for all staff eligible to charge against a project. Calculate fully burdened staff/overhead costs Modify the City’s CIPAce system to enable time to be charge to specific projects Train staff and communicate the expectation that time be charged to specific projects Priority 2 Public Works Director Page 107 of 233
City of San Luis Obispo Capital Improvement Program Process Assessment Draft Implementation Action Plan Management Partners 8 Rec No. Recommendation Implementation Steps Priority1 Person Responsible Comments Set a regular schedule to review data and estimate the time and cost to deliver projects 28 Provide an expanded version of the Status of Current CIP Projects Report presented with the financial planning process. Update the Status of Current CIP Projects Report to include original project budgets for: o Each of the completed projects, o The time involved in delivering those completed projects; and o Projects that are either delayed or are at risk of exceeding budget Provide this expanded report during the financial planning process Priority 2 Acting City Engineer/Deputy Public Works Director 29 Amend Exhibit 202‐A of the Financial Management Manual for public projects and the Purchasing Process document published October 1, 2018 to authorize the proposed CIP Manager to approve contracts between $7,500 to $44,999 after approval by the Fiscal Officer. Amend Exhibit 202‐A of the Financial Management Manual for public projects and Purchasing Process as indicated Inform staff of the change to the manual Priority 2 Assistant City Manager Requires collaboration with the Department of Finance 30 Authorize the proposed CIP Manager to approve Contract Change Orders (Section 225 of the Purchasing Process Manual and the Purchasing Process document) for greater time efficiency. Provide authorization to the CIP Manager to approve contract change orders and update Section 225 of the Purchasing Process Manual and Purchasing Process documents Inform staff of the change to the Process Manual and process documents Priority 2 Assistant City Manager Requires collaboration with the Department of Finance 31 Adjust the threshold of projects that require City Council contract award approval from $175,000 to $200,000 or more, as allowed by charter city status. Determine an appropriate City Council approval threshold for contracts as allowed by charter Update the threshold for City Council approval Inform staff of the updated threshold Priority 2 Assistant City Manager Requires collaboration with the Department of Finance and City Attorney’s Office 32 Adjust the threshold for requiring a formal public bidding process from $49,999 to $60,000, in accordance Adjust the threshold for requiring a formal public bidding process as indicated Priority 2 Assistant City Manager Requires collaboration with the Department of Finance and City Attorney’s Office Page 108 of 233
City of San Luis Obispo Capital Improvement Program Process Assessment Draft Implementation Action Plan Management Partners 9 Rec No. Recommendation Implementation Steps Priority1 Person Responsible Comments with the California Public Contract Code Section 22032. Update purchasing policy and procedure documents to reflect the change Seek City Council authority Inform staff of the updated threshold for requiring formal public bids 33 Amend the Municipal Code to continually match the limits set forth in Public Contract Code, Section 22032, or set a higher threshold as allowed by the City’s charter. Collaborate with the City Attorney’s Office to create an amendment to the municipal code to continually match the limits set forth in Public Contract Code, Section 22032, or set a higher threshold as allowed by the City’s charter city status Create a report for City Council describing the rationale for the change Obtain City Council approval for amending the municipal code Priority 2 Assistant City Manager Requires collaboration with the City Attorney’s Office 34 Provide additional training on the use of the Oracle system and develop expertise in use of the Oracle system within the department among support staff. Identify staff for whom Oracle training would be beneficial, including engineering and support staff Identify resources for the training Contract with Oracle to provide staff training Priority 2 Public Works Director Requires collaboration with the Department of Finance and Information Technology 37 Centralize responsibility for the design and project delivery of all capital projects within the Public Works CIP Engineering team. Collaborate with Human Resources to reorganize engineering staff into a single division, or use a matrix reporting relationship to the City Engineer with respect to designing and executing capital projects Update the organization chart to reflect the operational changes Update position descriptions, if necessary, to reflect the operational changes Inform staff of the organizational changes Priority 2 Assistant City Manager Requires support from the City Manager and collaboration with Human Resources 38 Evaluate which staff from Transportation and Utilities should be transferred to the CIP Engineering Identify staff in the Transportation and Utilities division most suited to be transferred to provide support to the CIP Engineering team Priority 2 Public Works Director Requires support from the City Manager and collaboration with Human Resources Page 109 of 233
City of San Luis Obispo Capital Improvement Program Process Assessment Draft Implementation Action Plan Management Partners 10 Rec No. Recommendation Implementation Steps Priority1 Person Responsible Comments team or serve in a matrix reporting relationship to the City Engineer in order to provide the needed specialized technical expertise. Determine if changing their organizational placement or creating a matrix reporting relationship would better suit the organization Modify the organization chart and inform staff of the operational changes 40 Review and revise the 2014 MOU addressing roles and responsibilities of the Public Works and Community Development Departments to ensure development engineering services continues to effectively and efficiently serve development applicants. Review the 2014 MOU and determine what revisions to roles and responsibilities are necessary to ensure development engineering services continues to effectively and efficiently serve development applicants Negotiate revisions to the MOU Revise the MOU to reflect the negotiated changes Priority 2 Assistant City Manager Requires support from the City Manager and Director of Community Development 44 Monitor the workload of technical and professional support staff to eliminate appropriate administrative (non‐engineering related) tasks assigned to engineers. Develop a process to track the administrative workload of technical and professional support staff Identify those tasks being performed by engineers that could be performed by professional support staff Reassign administrative tasks currently performed by engineers to support staff where workload allows Priority 2 Acting City Engineer/Deputy Public Works Director Consider adding additional support staff in the future should there not be the capacity to assume these additional duties by existing administrative staff. 47 Add one additional inspector as the complexity of projects increases and workload demands necessitate. Update the job description, in consultation with Human Resources Obtain City Council authorization, if required Advertise position Review and interview top applicants Offer position and finalize paperwork Priority 2 Public Works Director Requires collaboration with Human Resources 48 Develop a working relationship with California Polytechnic University to create an internship and mentoring program. Determine the benefits of an internship and mentoring program with Cal Poly Identify the relevant staff at Cal Poly with whom to discuss creating an internship and mentoring program Priority 2 Public Works Director Requires collaboration with Human Resources Page 110 of 233
City of San Luis Obispo Capital Improvement Program Process Assessment Draft Implementation Action Plan Management Partners 11 Rec No. Recommendation Implementation Steps Priority1 Person Responsible Comments Reach out the identified staff member and discuss the creation of an internship and mentoring program Collaborate with Cal Poly to develop an internship and mentoring program 49 Survey existing CIP Engineering staff and city management to determine training needs, including proficiency in adopted technologies, contract management, project management, construction management, and on internal processes and procedures. Create a survey tool Identify a medium to deploy the survey (e.g., SurveyMonkey, Google Forms) Deploy the survey Analyze the survey results Report the results Schedule training Priority 2 Public Works Director 50 Explore opportunities to enroll new and existing staff in project management academies or bootcamps focused on public works projects. Research options for project management academies or bootcamps focused on public works projects Identify costs for the various options Determine those options most suitable for SLO Identify financial resources and determine which staff to send to the identified academies or bootcamps Priority 2 Public Works Director 51 Evaluate partnerships with California Polytechnic University to provide project and construction management training. Discuss a potential partnership with Cal Poly to provide project and construction management training Priority 2 Public Works Director To be done in conjunction with Recommendation #48 53 Develop an orientation program, training binder, online tools and possibly videos to assist in ensuring new staff are trained in understanding processes, procedures and internal and external resources. Identify those processes, procedures, and internal and external resources that are necessary for new hires to understand during the onboarding process Develop an orientation program, training binder, online tools and possibly videos to assist new hires with understanding identified processes, procedures, and internal and external resources Update the orientation materials as needed Priority 2 Public Works Director Requires collaboration with Human Resources Page 111 of 233
City of San Luis Obispo Capital Improvement Program Process Assessment Draft Implementation Action Plan Management Partners 12 Rec No. Recommendation Implementation Steps Priority1 Person Responsible Comments 9 Allocate funds at least every five years to complete a comprehensive update of the City’s CIP. Establish a process for CIP Engineering to conduct an in‐depth review of all capital projects at least six months before a new five‐year plan is z Estimate time and costs associated with conducting the review Gain budget approval for allocating funds Priority 3 Public Works Director 15 Standardize plan layouts, notes, details, symbols, and nomenclature and train and communicate standards to all design staff. Determine standard protocols for plan layouts, notes, details, symbols, and nomenclature Document standards Hold a training session to distribute standards document and review uniformity expectations Priority 3 Acting City Engineer/Deputy Public Works Director 22 Work with the City Attorney’s Office to amend the municipal code and the city charter, if necessary, to allow for alternative capital project delivery methods. Research peer agencies’ municipal codes and/or city charters for use of alternative project delivery methods Schedule a meeting with the City Attorney’s Office to determine which amendments to the municipal code and city charter are needed Priority 3 Public Works Director Requires collaboration with the City Attorney’s Office 39 Reassign the reporting relationship of the development services engineering group to the City Engineer. Collaborate with HR to update the organization chart to reassign the reporting relationship of the development services engineering group to the City Engineer Communicate the change to affected staff Priority 3 Assistant City Manager Requires support from the City Manager, the Director of Community Development and collaboration with Human Resources 45 Develop a training program for inspection staff and knowledge sharing opportunities as well as seek other available options for any outside training. Identify best practice training procedures for inspection staff Create a training program using the identified best practices Encourage staff to share knowledge at regular meetings Identify additional training that would be beneficial for SLO inspection staff provided by third parties Priority 3 Public Works Director Requires collaboration with Human Resources Page 112 of 233
City of San Luis Obispo Capital Improvement Program Process Assessment Draft Implementation Action Plan Management Partners 13 Rec No. Recommendation Implementation Steps Priority1 Person Responsible Comments Contract with outside training consultants to provide additional training 52 Seek out opportunities to job shadow in other cities, to include a broad design focus to expand urban design knowledge. Connect with colleagues in various cities to determine if SLO staff can shadow their staff for a period of time Communicate the desired outcome of the job shadowing to both colleagues and SLO staff Identify a mutually agreeable schedule for job shadowing Priority 3 Public Works Director Page 113 of 233
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Attachment C
Figure 6. Proposed CIP Organization Chart
Recommended new
positions are shown
in red.
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