2017 Budget; HarkessCITY OF HOPKINS
MEMORANDUM
Date: August 8, 2016
To: Mayor & City Council
From: Christine Harkess, Finance Director
Subject: 2017 Budget
Staff has been working to put together a 2017 budget based on the needs of the community and
the services they have come to expect. The 2017 budget is prepared using the Financial
Management Plan approved in February 2104; it includes a contingency that is larger than 2016
to provide for potential bargaining agreement contracts, all of which expire at the end of 2016.
In this budget we have several new initiatives and budget changes. They are as follows:
Police – request for two new officers
Public Works – request for one new employee and filling of vacant position
Activity Center – request for PT employee at 20 hrs/wk
Race & Equity program
Scanning Initiative
Enterprise Software maintenance – effects all city departments and included in IT
Class and Comp Worth study
Leased vehicles for police & fire removed from ERP and put in operations
Small equipment requests removed from ERP and put in operational budget
We will address each of these items at the work session along with other factors impacting the
2017 budget. The police chief and public works director will be in attendance to answer any
questions regarding their request.
We have begun to update the Financial Management Plan (FMP), however we have had to
estimate some of the components which will be updated once we get final taxing district
information from the council.
Following the work session modifications recommended by the council will be factored into the
budget and a final preliminary budget presented at the next work session. We are targeting
September 20th for the preliminary budget meeting with the public.
Attached are the following:
1. 2017 Budgeted Revenues
2. 2017 Budgeted Expenditures
3. 2017 preliminary Budget power point slides
4. Memo from Police Chief
5. Memo from Public Works Director
6. Summary of Financial Management Plan – talking points
FINANCE DEPARTMENT
8/5/2016
1
2017 Preliminary Budget and Levy
Council Work Session 8-8-2016
City Presentation
• 2017 Preliminary General Fund Budget
– Prepared according to Financial Management
Plan
– 2015 Budget – First Use of Plan
– Plan for 2017 is in the process of being
updated
8/5/2016
2
City Presentation
• 2017 Revenue Impacts
– LGA totals $413,944, a $9,972 increase
– City Clerk Charges for Service - $20,000 for off
year election reimbursements
– Building Inspections – permit revenue
– Public Works – MSA Aid, permit revenues
– Planning – comp plan revenues from closed
Section 8 fund - $95,000
City Presentation
• 2017 Expenditure Impacts
– Union contracts – all open
– Police – 2 new officers
– Public Works – 1 new employee and filling of
vacant maintenance worker position
– Activity Center – PT employee at 20 hrs/wk
– Race & Equity program - $4,500
– Class & Comp Worth Study - $50,000
8/5/2016
3
City Presentation
• 2017 Expenditure Impacts –continued
– Enterprise Software - $33,000
– Spam Filter - $4,800 (increased costs)
– Assessing contract increase - $8,000
– Scanning Initiative - $32,000
– Recodification of City Code - $10,300
– Police & Fire – leased vehicle costs put in GF
City Presentation
• 2017 Expenditure Impacts –continued
– Fire Equipment - $10,800
– Public Works Equipment - $10,500
– Activity Center Equipment - $10,400
– Activity Center – upgrade lights to LED -
$9,500
– Planning – Comp Plan – $94,695
– Contingency – to be used for settlement of
union contracts and unanticipated expenses
8/5/2016
4
City Presentation
• 2017 General Fund Expenditures
%
General Fund 2016 2017 Change
General Government $1,372,281 $1,464,201 6.70%
Community Services $1,089,843 $1,124,134 3.15%
Public Safety $5,842,844 $6,146,209 5.19%
Public Works $2,580,621 $2,764,616 7.13%
Recreation $632,894 $685,459 8.31%
Comm Dev & Planning $275,747 $365,004 32.37%
Other $81,500 $310,200 280.61%
Total $11,875,730 $12,859,823 8.29%
City Presentation
• 2017 General Fund Expenditures
8/5/2016
5
City Presentation
• 2017 General Fund Revenues
%
2016 2017 Change
Property Taxes $9,796,951 $10,486,177 7.04%
Intergovt'l Revenue 891,954 1,028,426 15.30%
License, Permits & Fines 578,275 612,225 5.87%
Charges for Service 186,400 192,850 3.46%
Miscellaneous 422,150 540,145 27.95%
Total $11,875,730 $12,859,823 8.29%
City Presentation
• 2017 General Fund Revenues
8/5/2016
6
City Presentation
• 2017
Tax
Levy
2017
Net Levy
Purpose 2016 Proposed
General Operations
General Fund $9,711,951 $10,401,177
Capital Levy $125,000 $310,000
Arts Center Levy $140,000 $250,000
Pavilion Levy $65,000 $0
Subtotal 10,041,951 10,961,177
Special Levies:
Debt Levies 1,907,878 2,103,316
TOTAL LEVY $11,949,829 $13,064,493
City Presentation
• Tax Impact on Average Home ($223k)
– 2015 (used in 2016) FMP scheduled at a $94 increase
for 2017
– In process of updating
– TIF 2-9 will be decertified in 2016
– Continued growth in tax base due to development
• 2016 Results
– FMP scheduled at a $65 increase
– Actual was $63
– Growth in tax base of 4.7% from 2015
8/5/2016
7
City Presentation
• What this budget/levy gives us:
– Funding for 2 FT new police officers
– Funding for 2 FT public works employees
– Funding for PT Activity Center employee
– Funding for new initiatives
• Race & Equity program
• Class and comp worth study
• Scanning initiative
• Recodification of City Code
• Comp Plan
City Presentation
• What this budget/levy gives us -continued:
– Funding for general city operations
– Funding for road projects
– Funding to reduce the Arts Center deficit
– Funding for debt service
2016 2017 %
Department Budge t Budget Incr/(Decr )
Property Taxes 9,796,951 10,486,177 7.04%
Intergovernmental Revenue
PERA Aid 20,510 20,510 0.00%
Local Government Aid 413,944 423,916 2.41%
Intergovernmental Revenue - other 457,500 584,000 27.65%
Total Intergovernmental Revenue 891,954 1,028,426 15.30%
Licenses, Permits & Fees
Court Fines & penalties 176,500 176,500 0.00%
Building Permits & Inspections 275,660 290,660 5.44%
Inspections fines & citations 8,000 8,000 0.00%
Citry Clerk - Business License s 6,000 7,050 17.50%
PD - Liquor , Animal Licenses & Pena 95,600 95,600 0.00%
Fire Licenses & Permits 3,600 3,800 5.56%
PW - Licenses & Permits 9,415 27,115 188.00%
P&Z - License & Permits 3,500 3,500 0.00%
Total Licenses, Permits & Fines 578,275 612,225 5.87%
Charges for Service
Finance Department 9,750 9,750 0.00%
Assessin g 2,000 3,000 50.00%
Inspections 74,900 74,850 -0.07%
Police 33,000 33,000 0.00%
Fire 3,000 3,000 0.00%
Public Works 2,250 2,750 22.22%
Activity Cente r 61,500 66,500 8.13%
Total Charges for Service 186,400 192,850 3.46%
Miscellaneous Revenue
Franchise Fees 290,000 290,000 0.00%
Miscellaneous 20,250 20,250 0.00%
Finance Department 4,800 5,100 6.25%
Elections 0 20,000 --
Police 2,000 2,000 0.00%
Fire 3,500 3,500 0.00%
Public Works 4,600 4,600 0.00%
Acitivty Cente r 10,000 10,000 0.00%
Planning 0 94,695 --
Community Development 87,000 90,000 3.45%
Total Miscellaneous Revenue 422,150 540,145 27.95%
Total Revenues 11,875,730$ 12,859,823$ 8.29%
CITY OF HOPKINS
PROPOSED GENERAL FUND REVENUE BUDGE T
2016 2017 Budget %
Department Budge t Budge t Incr/(Decr)
City Council 79,708 82,898 4.00%
Administrative Services
Administration 185,872 192,898 3.78%
Personnel 59,108 95,869 62.19%
Wellness 2,000 2,500 25.00%
Information Services 284,989 324,494 13.86%
Total Administrative Services 531,969 615,761 15.75%
Finance
Debt Management 0 0 0.00%
General Accounting 185,819 183,093 -1.47%
Payroll 82,174 80,515 -2.02%
TIF Administration 0 0 0.00%
Utility Billing 9,000 9,000 0.00%
Total Finance 276,993 272,608 -1.58%
Legal 150,000 150,000 0.00%
Municipal Building 333,611 342,934 2.79%
Receptionist 42,088 42,060 -0.07%
Assessing 206,617 220,322 6.63%
City Clerk
City Clerk 63,774 108,260 69.76%
Elections 83,494 57,794 -30.78%
Total City Clerk 147,268 166,054 12.76%
Inspections
Building Code Inspections 283,310 284,825 0.53%
Fire Inspections 40,870 40,892 0.05%
Heating & Plumbing Inspections 96,966 96,958 -0.01%
Housing Inspections 180,853 181,112 0.14%
Misc. Community Inspections 87,001 87,041 0.05%
Vacant Property Manag ement 4,870 4,870 0.00%
Total Inspections 693,870 695,698 0.26%
Police
Police Administration 447,204 486,032 8.68%
Patrol 3,144,357 3,318,946 5.55%
SWAT 79,271 79,773 0.63%
Reserves 20,474 20,499 0.12%
Investi g ations 465,405 487,003 4.64%
Metro Drug Task Force 129,387 134,957 4.30%
Outreach 113,722 113,747 0.02%
Reception-Records 278,971 279,098 0.05%
CITY OF HOPKINS
PROPOSED GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURE BUDGET
2016 2017 Budget %
Department Budge t Budge t Incr/(Decr)
Systems Mana g ement 58,943 64,091 8.73%
Total Police 4,737,734 4,984,146 5.20%
Total Fire 1,105,110 1,162,063 5.15%
Public Works
PW Building 44,309 53,147 19.95%
Equipment Services 108,117 120,092 11.08%
Administration 57,145 57,190 0.08%
Eng ineering 141,447 143,573 1.50%
Street & Alleys 944,226 1,114,067 17.99%
Snow & Ice Removal 221,996 220,638 -0.61%
Parks 789,147 772,286 -2.14%
Forestry 274,234 283,623 3.42%
Total Public Works 2,580,621 2,764,616 7.13%
Recreation
Playg round 22,110 22,755 2.92%
Ice Rink 31,080 31,618 1.73%
Park Service 26,840 27,162 1.20%
Joint Recreation 165,300 169,500 2.54%
Skate Park 7,776 8,676 11.57%
Total Recreation 253,106 259,711 2.61%
Activity Center
Act Ctr - Community Use 315,138 353,798 12.27%
Act Ctr - Maintenance 64,650 71,950 11.29%
Total Activity Center 379,788 425,748 12.10%
Planning & Zoning 153,872 243,162 58.03%
Community Development 121,875 121,842 -0.03%
Tuition Reimbursement 15,200 15,200 0.00%
Contingency 51,300 280,000 445.81%
Total Expenditures 11,860,730 12,844,823 8.30%
Other Financing Uses
Transfers to other funds 15,000 15,000 0.00%
Total Other Financing Uses 15,000 15,000 0.00%
Grand Total Expenditures 11,875,730$ 12,859,823$ 8.29%
Total Revenues 11,875,730$ 12,859,823$
Revenues Over (Under) Expenditures -$ -$
Memorandum
To: Honorable Mayor and members of the City Council
CC: Mike Mornson, City Manager
From: Mike Reynolds, Chief of Police
Date: July 14, 2016
Re: 2017 Budget – Police Department Staffing
I will be at the work session on August 8th to discuss a staffing proposal for our 2017 budget. Our discussion
will involve adding two full-time police officers to our staff. The police department currently has 27 full-time
police officers and one grant-funded DWI enforcement officer serving the City of Hopkins. My request would
be to increase our operating strength to 29 full-time police officers in addition to the one granted DWI
enforcement officer. The DWI enforcement officer position will be funded through June 2019.
You may recall that we did have a brief discussion concerning the possibility adding to our staff at our last
annual goal setting session. As a police department organization, we currently have large amounts of time
where there are only two officers working in the entire city. Our officer’s workload has continued to increase
exponentially over the years as we have asked them to make the transition from call takers to problem solvers.
The amount of community policing and community outreach each of our officers are involved is astonishing.
Other concerns as for the need to increase our authorized strength involve safety and the ever increasing
population of our city. The mere fact of having a third officer 24/7 gives our department flexibility among our
own staff, rather than relying on mutual aid from our surrounding agencies who have been consistently
assisting us with our calls for service. Until recently, this was not a statistic in which we kept track of, but it is
now. Unfortunately, I cannot report accurately on how many times our agency has relied on help from another
agency.
Increased residential building has been consistent over the last few years and continues. The latest census data
has our city over 18,000 for population and is expected to approach and possibly exceed 20,000 in population
over the next few years. It is also expected that with more residents, our calls for service will increase. Another
matter is the possibility of light rail coming to our community and the plans of having three platform stops.
Having three platform stops in our community is a huge benefit for us and will draw more people into our great
city. One other thing we should be conscious of, however, is the added calls for service each of the platform
stops will generate. Yes, we will work with the Metro Transit Police concerning these calls, but it is always the
local agency who is the first responders and many times deals with the call for service themselves.
The bottom line is that our police officers and staff are already stretched thin providing the best possible service
to our community. Our city continues to grow and flourish. I am requesting that you keep in mind the
necessity to match our public safety needs with the positive additions to our community. I have attached a
comparative study we have completed looking at other communities near and similar to us. I am hopeful this
material will help each of you make an informed decision concerning the police department’s request for
additional staff. I look forward to meeting with you on August 8th for further discussion.
8/5/2016
1
Additional Staffing Comparative Study
Presented by Captain Brent Johnson
•Overall visual of statistics for individual cities
•All cities have approximately the same number of officers, except Maple Grove and
Plymouth
•All other information varies from city to city, which is displayed in the following slides.
•All Hopkins numbers are based on being full staffed at 27 officers, which was not the case
during the 2014 year. In 2015 we added a DWI officer which is grant funded for 4yrs.
•It should be noted, arrest statistics for Maple Grove and calls for service statistics for New
Hope were unavailable.
OFFICERS
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000
70000
80000
27 28 27 29 31 31 34 66 71
1,333 748 599 510 897 1,059 548
988
3,383 1,736 1,859 1,088 1,846 1,656 1,671 2,790 2,887
20,941
14,570
26,140
17,000 19,399
34,362
21,612
45,723
53,149
20,436 19,496 17,909 21,500 20,810 22,588 20,787
65,415
73,500
Overall Statistics
OFFICERS
ARRESTS
Crimes
C.F.S.
POPULATION
8/5/2016
2
•Hopkins was 1 of 3 cities which had more calls for service (CFS) than residents.
•Hopkins had the 2nd highest ratio of C.F.S. per resident.
20,941
14,570
26,140
17,000 19,399
34,362
21,612
45,723
53,149
20,436 19,496 17,909
21,500 20,810 22,588 20,787
65,415
73,500
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
South St. Paul
(100%)
COLUMBIA
HEIGHTS (75%)
HOPKINS
(145%)
NEW
BRIGHTON
(79%)
GOLDEN
VALLEY (93%)
CRYSTAL
(152%)
NEW HOPE MAPLE GROVE
(70%)
PLYMOUTH
(72%)
City Percentage of C.F.S. Compared to Popluation
Calls for Service Compared to Population
C.F.S.
Populatioin
•Hopkins PD has the second highest C.F.S. per 1,000 citizens, just under of
Crystal’s call for service.
•In some cases our C.F.S. per 1,000 citizens doubled that of other city’s.
1,024.70
747.30
1,459.60
790.70
932.60
1,521.30
975.80
699.00 723.10
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
SOUTH ST. PAUL COLUMBIA
HEIGHTS
HOPKINS NEW BRIGHTON GOLDEN VALLEY CRYSTAL NEW HOPE MAPLE GROVE PLYMOUTH
C.F.S. Per 1,000 Citizens
8/5/2016
3
•Hopkins PD has the second highest C.F.S. per Officer but has the lowest
number of staffed officers besides South St. Paul which also has 27.
775.59
520.36
933.57
586.21
625.77
1108.45
635.65
692.77
748.58
0.00
200.00
400.00
600.00
800.00
1000.00
1200.00
SOUTH ST. PAUL COLUMBIA
HEIGHTS
HOPKINS NEW BRIGHTON GOLDEN VALLEY CRYSTAL NEW HOPE MAPLE GROVE PLYMOUTH
C.F.S. per Officer
•Hopkins has the second highest amount of crimes committed per 1,000
residents, however, has the lowest number of staffed officers along with
South St. Paul.
165.5
89
103.8
50.6
88.7
73.3
80.3
42.6 39.3
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
SOUTH ST. PAUL COLUMBIA
HEIGHTS
HOPKINS NEW BRIGHTON GOLDEN VALLEY CRYSTAL NEW HOPE MAPLE GROVE PLYMOUTH
Crimes per 1,000 Citizens
8/5/2016
4
•Hopkins has the second highest number of crimes per officer.
125.30
62.00
66.39
37.52
59.55
53.42
49.15
42.27 40.66
0.00
20.00
40.00
60.00
80.00
100.00
120.00
140.00
SOUTH ST. PAUL COLUMBIA
HEIGHTS
HOPKINS NEW BRIGHTON GOLDEN VALLEY CRYSTAL NEW HOPE MAPLE GROVE PLYMOUTH
Crimes per Officer
Hopkins is near the median when it comes to the amount of arrests made by each
officer per 1000 citizens.
Our officers are proactive but calls for service require a substantial amount of time,
which can result in more “reactive” policing instead of “proactive” policing.
*No information available regarding arrests from Maple Grove.
65.2
38.3
33.4
23.7
43.1
46.9
26.3
13.4
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
SOUTH ST. PAUL COLUMBIA
HEIGHTS
HOPKINS NEW BRIGHTON GOLDEN VALLEY CRYSTAL NEW HOPE MAPLE GROVE PLYMOUTH
Arrests per 1,000 Citizens
8/5/2016
5
•Hopkins had approximately 22 arrests per officer in 2015
49.37
26.71
21.39
17.59
28.94
34.16
16.12
0.00
13.92
0.00
10.00
20.00
30.00
40.00
50.00
60.00
SOUTH ST. PAUL COLUMBIA
HEIGHTS
HOPKINS NEW BRIGHTON GOLDEN VALLEY CRYSTAL NEW HOPE MAPLE GROVE PLYMOUTH
Arrests per Officer
Staffing Allocation‐Minimums
Patrol Division ‐4 Patrol shifts, each shift has one patrol sergeant and
three officers.
Investigations Division ‐1 Sergeant, 2 Detectives, 1 Detective assigned the
drug task force (DTF)
Community Services Division ‐Sergeant, School Resource Officer, Crime
Prevention Specialist, Multi‐cultural liaison, Cadet Program
Current minimum patrol staffing per policy:
‐2 Officers: 0200 ‐2200
‐3 Officers: 2200 ‐0200
**Most shifts operate at minimum staffing due to training, paid time off,
FMLA, etc.**
•The need to increase staffing to a three officer minimum would
require funding for two additional officers for the department in
2017.
•At the conclusion of our DWI grant funding (FY 2019) , one more
additional funded position would put the department at 30 sworn
officers.
•In comparison to the Crystal Police Department which has a similar
number of calls, we would still have less officers with these additions.
8/5/2016
6
Safety and Service
•We are the only agency in the southwest metro that operates with a minimum of two officers. At the
same time, Hopkins Police Officers handle some very serious and dynamic calls for service, which
frequently require the assistance of our surrounding agencies.
•As demonstrated on slide 6, Hopkins has the second highest amount of crimes committed per 1,000
residents, however, has the lowest number of staffed officers along with South St. Paul.
•As demonstrated on slide 7, we have the second highest number of crimes per officer. This is in
comparison to other cities which have more officers to respond to these calls.
•The need for increased staffing is not only a safety concern, but our need is driven by the additional
time and projects involved in our operations.
–We do not simply respond to calls for service –w e strive to engage our community and provide them with an
exceptional level of service.
–In addition to our normal duties such as responding to medical calls or conducting investigations, our police
officers participate in big brothers/big sisters, we host informational seminars for community members, we
conduct safety camps, we participate in numerous outreach events, and many other activities. These initiatives
take time away from our patrol functions.
•We have embraced 21st Century Policing recommendations by the Presidents task force, developed a
strategic plan, and continued our commitment in police/ community relations.
–We are innovative problem solvers, educators, community builders and crime preventers.
•Our roles in the community expands far beyond traditional policing methodologies. This level of
service requires the commitment of our elected officials to evaluate our successes by our past
performance in the community to use this as an indicator for the future.
Costs
The cost of a new officer at three different price points as budgeted for 2016:
Salary (2 vacant positions) $59,964
Benefits –s i n g l e insurance $80,805
Benefits – family insurance $87,489
Salary (Hanson) $64,522
Benefits –s i n g l e insurance $86,261
Benefits – family insurance $92,945
Salary (Hamilton) $66,543
Benefits –s i n g l e insurance $88,680
Benefits – family insurance $95,364
•Benefits include accumulation of sick leave used for ST/LT, paid leave accrual, PERA, Medicare, Medical.
•The paid leave accrual is what we estimate is earned but not used by the end of the year as that gets recognized
as a liability.
•The actual balance is calculated at the end of each year and the liability updated.
8/5/2016
7
QUESTIONS?
THANK YOU!!
Memorandum
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
Copy: Mike Mornson, City Manager
From: Steven J. Stadler, Public Works Director
Jay Strachota, Streets & Parks Superintendent
Date: July 12, 2016
Subject: Public Works Department Organizational Changes/Staffing
The Public Works Department is in need of organizational change and increased
staffing in order to reasonably fulfill its mission: “Serving the Community by being great
stewards and delivering outstanding services”.
BACKGROUND
Below is a summary of personnel-related actions taken in Public Works over the past 13
years:
2003 – Three Streets/Parks positions cut, a drop from 20 to 17 total positions
2004 – Added one building maintenance position due to 3 to 4-fold increase in
building maintenance task due to Police/Fire/PW facility projects
2005 – Combined Parks and Streets Divisions, eliminated one Superintendent.
Lead positions were upgraded to Foreman positions in PW Divisions
This consolidation produced *savings of over $60,000/year*
2009 – One street employee transfers to Utilities Division, resulting in a vacant
Street position that remains unfilled. Streets/Parks Division staffing now
at 15. *Down from 20 employees in 2003 – a 25% reduction*
2010 – Facilities Division is dissolved when Jay Strachota, Facilities Director, is
hired as the Streets, Traffic, Sanitation & Parks, Forestry Superintendent.
The Hopkins Pavilion & Overpass Skate Park is added to the
responsibility of this Superintendent.
2011 – Hopkins Pavilion Manager position upgraded to Pavilion Manager/Athletic
Public Works Department
Complex Coordinator to handle communications between Recreation
Services, Hopkins Area Little League, other users of Central Park and
Maetzold Field, and PW maintenance staff.
2011-2013 – Unsuccessful attempts to fill vacant Street Division position
2014 – Hire Chandra Janusz to fill new Utility Locator position (60% utility
Funded, 30% Streets & Parks)
CURRENT SITUATION
The current staffing level in Streets & Parks and the organizational model of one
Superintendent, one Foreman in Parks & Forestry and one Foreman in Streets, Traffic
and Sanitation is not adequate or sustainable for Public Works to be “great stewards
and deliver outstanding services”. In fact, Public Works is struggling to keep up with
the responsibilities of newly added infrastructure, increasing special events and
special requests, staying current with new technologies and mandates, and struggling
to support our staff in their daily assignments, training needs/requirements, and
seasonal and long term planning. In addition, as we look ahead there will be more
new infrastructure added and as this new infrastructure comes on-line there will be a
heightened expectation of level of service in most of these areas. Emerald Ash Borer
should also be mentioned as an intermediate term challenge, as well, that will put
pressure on our resources.
One of the biggest challenges for us is that the current Superintendent of Streets &
Parks is stretched too thin in regards to the extensive administrative, personnel and
operational requirements of the job. There simply isn’t enough time or resources to
fulfill the administrative & personnel requirements of the job and also ensure field
crews are being safe, efficient and adequately supported. We ask a lot of the PW
employees - they are hard-working, engaged and customer service oriented.
However, we need to provide more for them when it comes to planning and
interaction/support/decision-making in the field. They are feeling the strain of the
excessive supervisory span of control - morale is getting harder to maintain. We have
spent the past 10 years in the current organizational model. Jay Strachota has been
the Streets & Parks Superintendent since the fall of 2010. With our experience over
the past five+ years, it has become apparent to us that we need to have a flatter
organization with more authority and responsibility out in the field in order to improve
our efficiency/effectiveness in delivering our services. This will create much needed
time for Jay to plan, organize, stay current with projects & technology and meet the
demands of the administrative workload, including personnel management. The
Streets/Parks Division represents over one-half of the Public Works Department staff.
Another real challenge is the current Foreman positions do not provide for the level of
authority and responsibility that we need in support of the Superintendent.
Furthermore, the Foreman positions are “working” positions and with our current
staffing and breadth of work tasks there is really very little, if any, time for the foremen
to oversee field crews to ensure we’re being safe, effective and as efficient as we
should be.
STAFFING REQUEST
In order to address the issues described above, we are asking for the following:
One new Field Supervisor position and fill the vacant Streets Maintenance
Worker position.
The Field Supervisor will report to Jay Strachota, the Streets & Parks Superintendent.
See the attached organizational chart with the proposed new positions highlighted in
yellow.
Also, see the attached listing of the duties of the new Field Supervisor and the
Superintendent.
Upon reviewing the attached job duties, it is easy to understand why a Field
Supervisor position is needed in the Streets/Traffic/Sanitation/Parks/Forestry area. In
order for us to sustainably deliver the services we are expected to provide, we need a
supervisor that has the time to engage with the workers in the field and also assist in
some of the field work-related administrative requirements. It should be noted that the
Cities of Minnetonka and St. Louis Park both have three field supervisors; one is
assigned to work with each of the Street, Park and Water/Sewer Superintendents.
The new field supervisor position will provide a career path regarding succession
planning for the Streets/Park Superintendent, or greatly ease the transition if we hire a
new superintendent from outside the organization. Both the Streets/Parks
Superintendent and the Public Works Director will likely be retiring within the next 4-5
years.
The filling of the vacant Streets position is needed for several reasons. At present
staffing, it is often not possible to keep some operations going when someone is sick
and/or on vacation, for instance. We simply don’t have sufficient backup during
summer or winter seasonal maintenance work. Hiring Seasonal Workers has helped
with the seasonal labor needs and they will be better directed with a Field Supervisor.
But, as is the case with most positions in today’s workforce, the Maintenance Worker
position is becoming a more knowledge based position and Seasonal Workers can’t
fill this requirement. Maintenance Workers need to be trained in more complex
maintenance, trained to recognize unsafe & litigious situations and trained in
technology that supports our efforts. Public Works needs the vacant position filled so
that we have enough staff to both do the daily work and be sure that we have enough
employees so we can simultaneously increase Maintenance Workers knowledge base
to deepen knowledge skill levels across our employee base.
Other reasons to fill the vacant position include the fact that maintenance
responsibilities are increasing each year - new parks system maintenance, new
sidewalk/trails, streetscaping, etc. (Artery, Cottageville Park, Shady Oak Road + Blake
Road, Burnes Park, LRT station plazas?) The level of service expectation is also
increasing with Cottageville Park for example being a landscaping intense park with
more complex amenities.
COST OF THIS STAFFING REQUEST
New Field Supervisor position: Non-union Level 7+, step D = $72,466
Total personnel cost = $100,641
New Streets Maintenance Worker position: Union MW II position = $55,661 (current
wage after 5 years employment)
Total personnel cost = $80,173
The current Streets and Parks Foreman position descriptions would be adjusted to
reduce responsibilities due to the Field Supervisor role. The Streets Foreman & Parks
Foreman positions would become Lead Worker positions. Accordingly, the hourly
wages would be reduced from $33.43/hr. to $30/hr. That is personnel cost yearly
savings of $16,846.
The net annual cost of this request = $163,968.
DUTIES OF THE FIELD SUPERVISOR & SUPERINTENDENT
Field Supervisor
Supervision of work in the field – Knows where the crews are, checks work and
progress, trouble shoots and assists with logistics.
Day to day monitoring of the field for maintenance – Inspects streets, parks, right of
ways, facility grounds daily for maintenance needs – everything from new pot holes to
graffiti, to drainage ditch issues, from signage/signal issues to litter control
Inspects appearance of streets & right of ways ‐ Removes illegal signs in the right of
way, debris on roads, stray traffic control signs/cones, dead animals on streets, etc.
Recordkeeping – Keeps or maintains records required by the watershed district on
street sweeping. Also keeps records of street repair work, snow events, playground
inspection and other records that are kept to provide information in the case of an
insurance claim against the City
Coordinating inter‐division operations – Streets personnel working with the Utilities
Division for example on a water main break
Planning and directing day‐to‐day work – Responsible for planning the day/week work
based on the season. Provides daily work direction and onsite supervision of
maintenance crews
Order common supplies – Black dirt, ballfield ag‐lime, ballfield chalk & paint, grass seed,
fertilizer, pallets of sidewalk ice melt pellets, etc.
Handles day‐to‐day Customer Service Requests – CSR’s go directly from the
administration desk to the Field Supervisor who clarifies the issue, contacts resident as
needed and distributes the CSR to the appropriate person/crew
Coordinates and oversees the work of contractors under contractual service
agreements with the City – Currently we have Sentence to Serve performing turf
maintenance in parks and right of ways, KG Landscaping doing turf and landscaping
services on Excelsior Blvd, Kilmar Electric servicing our traffic and lighting electrical
needs and Ray Rumpka & Sons handling log/brush/yard waste grinding services.
Facilitates cross training within Streets & Parks and with other divisions.
“Puts fires out, prevents some fires”
Superintendent:
The new staffing model allows the Streets and Parks Superintendent to:
More strategic management – Seasonal work plans, increased use of technology in
records and communications, improve preventative maintenance procedures, etc.
City Ordinance updates and enforcement that will make the city more efficient –
Example: A project to establish compliance with the ordinance which requires residents
to have a house number on their garage. This increases resident safety by allowing
police and fire to be able to identify a house by its house number when in the alley and
increases efficiency of PW refuse and tall grass/ weed enforcement efforts by making
property ID available in the alley
Performance evaluations
Ability to set the tone and exercise leadership – This is better done without being
constantly in the day to day , hour to hour put out fires mode
Work on the details of inter‐departmental requests – Programs & events like The
Artery Experiment, Artstreet installation & de‐installation, National Night Out, etc.
Work on special event support details – Raspberry Festival, Summerfest, Mainstreet
Days, Cody’s Dash, etc. (attached is a list of supported activities) It is common for event
organizers to “think outside the box” and to ask PW to try and make things happen that
the organizers don’t have the resources to accomplish. While it is very satisfying to grant
these special requests they are “special” and require a great deal of oversight and
planning as they as outside of what we are generally equipped and prepared to do.
Emerald Ash Borer – Once the ash borer is established in Hopkins both the physical
work load of removing the trees and administrative workload of working with residents
on removal will increase the workload substantially
Networking and staying abreast of changing technologies and industry trends
Monitors and facilitates off site training
Plan and facilitate maintenance on new assets – Cottageville Park, Shady Oak Road,
The Artery, Blake Road, SWLRT‐related new public spaces, and other park upgrades
Shaping the organization with a broader knowledge base than the past
superintendent – subordinate model. With increase in regulations, recordkeeping,
communications, and large employee to supervisor ratio the top down hierarchy is
overwhelming and ends up yielding less training, instruction, knowledge sharing and
growth for employees as the superintendent struggles with the day to day. The new
model will create an opportunity for existing employees to strive for, increase
communications and provide more on‐site training and knowledge exchange.
Prevents fires first, helps put out fires
Events Supported:
Arts Festival
Empty Bowls
Raspberry Festival Events
National Night Out
Mainstreet Days
Artstreet Installation & Deinstallation
Car Shows
Farmers Market
Summerfest
Block Parties
Hopkins Elks Annual Ribfest
Fire Station Open House
Stages Theatre Company Season Kick‐off Event
Cinco de Mayo Event
Neighborhood Association picnic/events
Old Fashioned Holiday in Hopkins
Girls on the Town
Worlds Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade
St. Joseph’s Church Fall Festival
Memorial Day Observance Downtown Park
Home Remodeling Fair
Rock & Royal ‐ Hopkins Education Foundation Annual Event
St. Jude Annual Block Party
The Artery Experiment
Hopkins Royals Triathlon
Cody’s Dash
Alice Smith Fun Run
LTD Brewing Event
Pub 819 Block Part
Cottageville Park Opening
Some of these vents are one‐time events or don’t happen anymore (in italics) . That
demonstrates that events rotate in and out and change year to year.
PW
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Financial Management Plan
Traditionally cities have taken a short term view for financing city operations. The one year budget is still
the norm for most cities. In the 1980s the City of Hopkins did begin to use more long term planning for
large expenditures such as construction projects and large pieces of equipment. The City, however,
continued to use one year budgets for its day to day operations.
Long term planning is becoming the industry standard. Rating agencies, such as Standard and Poor’s, like
multi-year plans when assessing the financial health of a city. A better credit rating can result in lower
borrowing costs. Long term planning can also help the City spot trends that could adversely affect the
budget.
During the preparation of the Financial Management Plan, the City looked at overall tax capacity, the
general fund balance, what the tax levy pays for, historic and projected tax rates, projected tax impacts
on an average home, existing debt and new debt. Two specific issues that needed to be addressed
concerned the Center for the Arts and the Ice Arena/Pavilion.
Historically, the Center for the Arts received a subsidy from the Economic Development Fund. The
reason behind this was that the Center has an impact on the economic health of the City and the
downtown area in particular. However, devoting these funds to the Center meant that there were fewer
resources to devote to other development projects in the City. According to the adopted Financial
Management Plan, this subsidy will be replaced by supplemental funding through the General Fund in a
manner similar to the Activity Center.
The Ice Arena/Pavilion actually pays for its day to day operations through fees which are charged to the
users. The Pavilion, however, will soon be 25 years old. An aging infrastructure and changes to federal
and state rules regarding ice arenas will require significant capital expenditures. General fund dollars
will have to be used to supplement the user fees in order to keep this facility operating into the future.
The Financial Management Plan also maintains a balance in the Capital Equipment Fund of $750,000 and
$300,000 in the Capital Improvements Fund. The Plan also calls for slowly increasing the general fund
balance. While the initial plan shows that the overall financial health of the City is good, annual levy
increases for the next 8 years (2015-2022) will be needed. The planned levy increases should be less
than $100 per year for an average valued home.
The Financial Management Plan will get updated every year and will be a tool to assist the Council and
staff in making decisions at budget time. Having a vision and planning for the future is important in
shaping the direction of the city. The Plan will ensure that money is available to finance needed road
construction, capital equipment and maintenance of City owned facilities. It also provides adequate
reserves/fund balances and it reduces the need for future borrowing.
8/8/2016
1
Hopkins Public Works:
2017 Budget Request
Public Works Mission:
“Serving the community by being great
stewards and delivering outstanding
services”
8/8/2016
2
Public Works Vision:
Hopkins Public Works –
Safe.
Efficient.
Professional.
2017 Staffing request
One new Streets/Parks Division field supervisor
position
Fill one vacant Streets/Parks Division maintenance
worker position
8/8/2016
3
Context to consider…
PW history of trimming costs, meeting expectations
Streets/parks positions lost via attrition – 25%
reduction
Supervisory reorg –s i g n i f i c a n t savings since 2005
Extending vehicle/equipment useful life
Seasonal employees, STS program, outsourcing
when appropriate
Desire to say “yes”, be responsive – deliver
outstanding services
The additional staff are needed for us to…
Improve field support, oversight & planning
Improve personnel management, training & support
Critical to keeping great employees despite lower
comparative wages
Better meet increased infrastructure needs
*An added benefit is in succession planning*
8/8/2016
4
PW DIRECTOR
STEVE STADLER
CITY ENGINEER
NATE STANLEY UTILITIES
SUPERINTENDENT
ISMAIL EDDIHI
BLDG –EQUIP
SUPERINTENDENT
CHUCK AUTIO
STREETS/PARKS
SUPERINTENDENT
JAY STRACHOTA
SOLID WASTE
COORDINATOR
PAM HOVE
ADMIN OPS/SAFETY
COORDINATOR
PEGGY GONGOLL
SENIOR ENG.
TECH
OPEN POSITION
SENIOR ENG.
TECH
RICH HILL
UTILITIES FOREMAN
SEAN MOILANEN
UTILITY WORKER
ANDY BEEBE
UTILITY WORKER
JESSE LAUMANN
UTILITY WORKER
CHUCK ALLAN
BLDG MAINT.
FOREMAN
TOM CONRAD
BLDG. MAINT. TECH.
MARK HUCKA
PAV MGR/REC
COORDINATOR
DON OLSON
MAINTENANCE
KEITH MOREHOUSE
SECRETARY
BETH KIVETT
PART-TIME STAFF OVERPASS
SKATEPARK
UTILITY LOCATOR
CHANDRA JANUSZ
MECHANIC
SCOTT EUERLE
MECHANIC
RICK PERON
STREETS/PARKS
FIELD SUPERVISOR
PARKS/FORESTRY
LEAD WORKER
BOB OLSON
STREETS/TRAFFIC
LEAD WORKER
STALLMAN
MW
ROLAND PEAK
MW
JODI BRUMMER
MW
STEPHAN BELL
MW-FORESTRY
BOB CONRAD
MW
DARON TOPEL
MW
ANDY KILE
MWIV-TRAFFIC
BOB TAYLOR
MWIV-REFUSE
TERRY HAIGH
MW
KELLY CRONK
MW
CODY RADDE
MW
BRYAN STEWART
MW
NICK ZUMBUSCH
MW
VACANT POSITION
Hopkins Public Works
“Working in the Public Interest!”
Questions?