HomeMy WebLinkAbout1979-02-06; City Council; 5747; Engineering Department ReorganizationCITY OF CARLSBAD
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AGENDA BILL N0: yT %V 7 Dept. lid.
DATE: February 6, 1979 .r Cty. Atty
Cty. Mgr.
DEPARTMENT: Public Works
SUBJECT:
ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT REORGANIZATION
Statement of the Matter
With the resignation of the City Engineer, we now have six vacancies out of 17
positions in the Engineering Department. Most of these vacancies are in key
supervisor positions. The only remaining employee classified higher Chan a Civil
Engineering Assistant is the Transportation Engineer. This situation, while
critical, does afford the opportunity to analyze and modify the organization to
meet the demands of a growing city in this dynamic and.complicated era.
Growth, that we have had in recent years, and will face in the future, created a
set of circumstances that caused our current problem; a problem that is not
unique to Carlsbad but which is being experienced throughout the stare. We face
the need of implementing a Capital Improvement Program to meet the needs of our
residents. At the same time, the growing demand of the private sector with its
more attractive system of rewards, has created a shortage of qualified municipal
engineers.
The attached memoranda discuss the problems we face and recommend changes to
resolve the situation. The recommendations include classification changes
(deletion of three engineering positions, creation of three construction
classifications and upgrading of Principal Civil. Engineer's position) and the
addition of two personnel. The additional personnel ate proposed for, the Traffic
Engineering Section (half Senior Aide) and the proposed Capital Programs Section
(one Capital Programs Engineer and half Senior Aide). Also recommended are pay
range adjustments for the, positions of City Engineer, the ungraded Principal Civil
Engineer and the newly created classifications.
Exhibits
1. Public Works Administrator's memo of 12/20/78
2. Public Works Administrator's memo of 1/24/79
Recommendation
If City Council approves the Public Works Administrator's recommendations, to
instruct staff to prepare the necessary resolutions establishing the new
classifications and adjusting salary schedules.
A
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Agenda Bill No. 5747 Page 2 February 6, 1979
Council Action:
2-6-79 Council approved the Public Works' Administrator's recommendations,
and instructed staff to prepare the necessary resolutions ;
establishing the new classifications and adjusting salary
schedules.
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MEMORANDUM
TO: City Manager
FROM: Public Works Administrator
DATE: December 20, 1978
SUBJECT: ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT REORGANIZATION
The Engineering Department of Public Works is again facing
a severe personnel shortage problem. What makes the present
problem unique is that the vacancies are focused in key profes-
sional level positions. This is particularly apparent in those
sections that are required to meet our approved Capital Improve-
ment Program schedule. Whi-le the present situation is not de-
sirable, it does present us with the opportunity of exploring
organizational modifications which can be made to improve our
ability in those sections which, in the past, have shown weak-
ness.
DIsc'uss'ion
The Engineering Department has an approved staffing level
bf 17. (See Chart #1 for existing Public Works organization.)
Over the past I years, the actuu) number of "on -board" staff
has varied from 10 to 13. By shifting personnel around we have
been able to meet the day-to-day demands of the department but
have fallen short in the completion of studies, improvement of
administrative procedures and ordinance updating. During 1978,
the demands on our staff because of litigation involving the
City have left us barely able to meet our day-to-day needs.
This has been particularly apparent in the design and contract
management sections. We have met the demands of unscheduled
programs such as the Public Works Employment Act, Rounds 1 and
2, and the recent emergency contracts to repair last winter's
storm damage. We have handled some minor design projects and
have kept, active inherited capital projects going. We have not
made significant progress towards eliminating the backlog of
approved Capital Improvement Projects. At present, the Engi-
neering Department has 6 vacant positions. Four of these vacan-
cies are in the graduate engineer category. Of the 8 graduate
engineer positions authorized, we are missing a Principal Civii
Engineer, two Civil Engineering Associates and a Civil Engineer-
ing Assistant.
While steps are being taken to meet the needs of most of
the department until personnel procedures can fill the vacant
positions, contract management is presenting a problem. The
section head has resigned and the Engineering Aides have not
reached the level of training required to be productive in con-
tract management. They better serve the City's needs by aug-
menting the design section. To maintain any sort of progress
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in the contracts area, I have found it necessary to divert some
of the efforts of my Administrative Assistant and Secretary.
In addition to the staff shortages described above, we are
also plagued by a counter -productive work experience situation.
Our people are extremely crowded and it is doubtful that we have
enough space to serve our presently budgeted personnel needs.
The SUA report presented to the City in January, 1978, outlines
a number of City needs with regards to space. In Engineering and
Public Works we presently occupy one=third of the space recom-
mended by that report. Action is,needed immediately in this area
If we are to be able to maintain any kind of an efficient level
of productivity.
As discussed, we have a need to improve our ability to handle
the City's Capital Improvement Program. Present authorized staff-
ing provides for separate design and contract management sections
(refer to City Engineer's organizational memo of May 11, 1977).
Because of chronic vacancies we have been unable to actually
separate the two sections. Our analysis of the functioning of
these sections shows that the design section benefits by its close
relationship with contract management but that it has suffered
from insufficient supervision and direction. Analysis of construc-
tion management shows that while the authorized staffing may have
been adequate to handle engineering projects, they had insufficient
training and experience in the broader range of projects ,Included
in the overall City CIP. This need for additional training and the
Constant vacancies in these two sections have obviously caused de-
lays in the implementation of our GIP. These delays most dramati-
cally translate into diminished purchasing power for the City's
dollars. The cost cr construction has escalated on the average of
1% per month.
Backk round
Over the last several years the capital -programs management
policy of the City has evolved from a point where each operational
department managed its own construction projects to a point where
the Public Works Department now provides contract management ser-
vices in both the architect/engineering (A/E) contract area and in
the construction and inspection of those projects. There is cur-
rently a memo on the City Manager's desk formalizing this procedure
which provides for operational department coordination and input
with the Public Works Department in achieving the design and con-
struction of capital programs. Because of these changes, we have
inherited a backlog of projects which were established without
consideration of the on -board construction management capao...,y
of the Engineering Department and with minimal input regarding
project cost estimates. Many projects have been delayed because
of staffing problems or budgetary problems with the resultant es-
calation of the cost of constructing the program. The obvious re-
sult is that we have not met our capital facilities needs with
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regards to either timeliness or completeness of originally in-
tended function.
The present organization requires•training of contract
management personnel to handle problems not normally encountered
by engineering personnel. A capital project that requires out-
side design services must go through the following steps:
1. Preparation of request for proposal for design services.
2. Selection procedure which includes proposal review, recom-
mendation and contract negotiation; Council action on recom-
mendation often required.
3. Contract award including Council action and contract prepara-
tion.
4. Supervision of design process in conjunction with project's
operating department.
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5. Specification formating to facilitate construction control.
6. Securing all non -Carlsbad permits necessary (Coas-t Commission,
Corps of Engineers, CalTrans, State Health, State Fish and
Game, etc.).
%. Obtain City Conditional Use Permit, et al.
8. Review, with Planners, for Master Plan conformance.
9: Complete actions through Council, commissions or committees
for preliminary and/or final design approval. This includes
Agenda Bill preparation.
10. Review and update construction estimates. This may neces-
sitate adjusting budget.
It. Review for inclusion of appropriate guidelines when grant
1 funds involved.
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# )2. Prepare 'construction bid documents.
13. Advertise, open bids, contract preparation and award; includes
preparation of Agenda Bills.
14. Provide construction coordination, inspection, progress pay-
ment;., grant fund 'payment requests, final inspection and ac-
ceptance, lien resolution and closure.
tTo function efficiently in the above areas, we must also
s prepare administrative programs to standardize required or useful
terminology, continually review Federal, State and County regula-
tions regarding use of grant funds and coordinate to maximize
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eligibility for specific grant programs as they occur. We also
must maintain effective communications with the operational de-
partments and provide staff assistance when involved in litiga-
tion.
Staffing
Adoption of the 1977-78 budget authorized 17 personnel in
the Engineering Department. The City Engineer's report of May 11,
1977 was used to support the budget request. That report outlined
an anticipated demand and recommended the resources needed to meet
that demand. Experience has shown that while most of the recom-
mendptions were sufficient others were not. The particular area
of shortcoming was in the staffing to meet the design and eonstruc-
tion management needs of an adopted Capital Improvements Program.
As previously stated,, the.need to train available personnel has
resulted in a delay in their achieving a state of productivity.
This alone has cost the City approximately 1% of the approved capi-
tal program for each month of delay. It becomes obvious that
changing the job classification of the construction management sec-
tion from the -traditional engineering ones to one,, •vhich are di-
rected to the specific needs of a construction management program
would result in•signifi•cant savings to the City; if for no other
reason than• the elimination of the necessary training period.
Work Load
Before exploring staffing alternatives, some discussion should
be given to the potential work load to be faced. 1'n addition to
the effort required by the CIP, the design/construction management
people are also responsible for underground utility districts;
joint sewer system projects; engineering elements of grant projects;
inter -agency coordination; maintenance of maps and records; pro-
cessing of annexations, easements, vacation, quitclaims, etc.;
preparation of special reports to Council, commissions and commits
tees; short-term field surveying and administrative assistance to
the City Engineer.
Beyond the regular City work, as described above, we face the
challenge of the Capital Improvement Program. There are 36 capital
projects approved in this year's budget or carried over from previ-
ous years. Funds approved for architectural or engineering (A/E)
services and for construction services exceed $41 million. At the
present time I propose that 9 of these projects would be designed
by City forces. The remaining 27 would require some sort of con-
tract for design services. All 36 projects would require a con-
tract for construction. All available time of the design section
and all of the time of the contract management section for the next
year would be required to complete the presently funded program.
This time; projection is based on the unlikely probability that no
unusual staff demands will occur and,that we will be fully staffed
at all times.
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To get some idea of what we're facing, l looked at the next
four years of,our last CIP. The program lists $28.9 million worth
of projects. When the developer -funded projects are removed, the
balance is $21.6 million. These figures are based on 1977 cost
estimates. The General Fund finances 44% of the proposed projects.
If we were to assume that the impact of Proposition 13 deleted all
available General Fund money and even had some impact on other
funds, the projected four-year CIP could easily be cut by 50%.
This leaves $10.6 million over four years or an average of $2.7
million a year. The reorganized section I will recommend should
be able to handle this program. An accelerated program or the im-
pact of certain grant programs may necessitate reappra-isal at a
later date.
Future'Staff Alternatives
Several alternates are available to meet anticipated needs
of our CIP. We could contract with construction management firms
to provide necessary se' ices. We could leave the situation as it
is using engineering staft meet our construction management
needs. We could create a revi_.d permanent construction management
staff and hire capital -programs inspectors to meet our varying needs.
With regards to construction of capital programs, the advan-
tages of having a permanent construction management staff,_even
should we have slack periods in the future, would be that,"during
those slack periods, they could work in conjunction with our design
personnel to -prepare plans, specifications, estimates and contract
'packages to put "on the shelf" ir• anticipation of Federal grant
programs such as the Public Works Employment Act.
While a "project on the shelf" program looks attractive, it
is unlikely that it will occur. Because of employee turnover, I
doubt if we will have any "slack time". This is due, for the most
part; to our compensation package. We are losing trained employees
to private industry and to other cities with more attractive sala-
ries. This situation is also due, in some part, to the working
conditions our employees face.
Recommendation
It is my recommendation that the fbllowing changes be made in
the organization and job classifications of the Engineering De-
partment. (See Charts 2 and 3 for existing and proposed organiza-
tion of Engineering Department.) These changes are to meet depart-
mental needs with regards to obtaining and vetaining qualified per-
sonnel and to meet unique program demands vie are facing at the
present time and in the immediate future.
The current development section will remain as it Is with the
exception that the position of Principal Civil Engineer will be
upgraded to the position of Public Facilities Engineer. The trans-
portation engineering division will remain as it is with the
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exception that the half-time Senior Engineering Aide be made a
full-time Senior Aide position. The design and contract adminis-
tration divisions will be joined under the direction of a newly
created position of Capital Programs Engineer. The half-time
Senior Engineering Aide in +:he design section of this division
will be be made a full-time Senior Engineering Aide posit"ion. The
positions of Civil Engineering Associate and two Senior Engineer-
ing Aide positions in contract administration will be abolished
and replaced with the positions of Contract Manager with the subor=
dinate positions of Process Coordinator and Construction Coordi-
nator. The Contract Manager should be a position es-tablished in
the general salary range of $25,000 a year. The Process and Con-
struction Coordinator would be positions established in the general
salary range of $20,000.a year. The Capital Programs Engineer and
Public Facilities Engineer would be established in the general sal-
ary range of $29,000 per year. Construction inspection needs would
be met by hiring inspectors on an "as -needed" basis. Their sala-
ries would be paid from funds allocated for each capital project.
It is recommended that 2% of the project budget be set aside for
this purpose. We wouid probably always have one or two inspectors
with more added z.s required to inspect projects under construction.
(If .Council policy so determines, one permanent inspection posi-
tion could be added to my recommendation.)
A beneficial by-product of this organizational change is that
the proposed capital programs section could operate effectively
in relocated office space. This would provide some help in alle-
viating our present work space problem.
As a ;cast thought, I would recommend upgrading the City En-
gineer's salary range. This would provide us with the ability of
recruiting the type of highly qualified personnel we,need.to fill
the position. The only hesitancy 1 have is that this position is
only 5% lower than the Public Works Adminis.trator's range and no—
where i*n my program of problem solving have I intended that the
solution includes an adjustment of my salary range.
g,R
Ronald A. Beckman, P.E.
Public Works Administrator
RAB:VEB
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MEMORANDUM
TO: City Manager
FROM: Public Works Administrator
DATE: January 24, 1979
SUBJECT: ENGINEERING -DEPARTMENT REORGANIZATION
This memorandum is in response to dur discussion and questions which
arose regarding my December 20, 1978 memo on the same topic. Father than
restating the issues in that memorandum, 1 will emphasize some of the
points that need clarification.
•I. The proposed organizational change would merge the contract and
design sections of the Engineering Department. The new section proposed
would add one position to that new combined section, that of the Capital
Programs Engineer. it is my opinion that this combined section, while
maintaining specific responsibilities of contract management to that sub-
section and design to that subsection, would be flexible, more effective
and better coordinated under the guidance of the Capital Programs Engineer.
2. 1 would like to emphasize that while the Engineering Department
has never had its full complement of personnel (17), we have for a period En
of time had an Associate Civil Engineer and two Senior gineering hides
In the contract management section. This is not the proper personnel ar-
rangement for the management of the City's capital program.
3. While several problems are alluded'to, the primary intent of
this organization change is to respond to the responsibility of'contract
management and to handle the backlog of capital projects. This organiza-
tion should be able to respond to the program and keep it on track. In
the -past we have failed to relate available manpower to the reasonable
needs of approved capital programs. An oversimplified example of i`his
can be shown if we take the value of presently approved capital projects
(approximately $4.7 million) and assume that 5% of that is devoted to
contract administration. The resultant figure of $235,000 is equal to
85% of the total personnel costs of the entire Engineering Department
for fiscal year 1978-79.
4. If, in the 1979-80 fiscal year budget, all capital improvement
programs were deleted there is enough work in presently approved programs
to keep the contract management section, if reorganized, busy for more
than a year. Total deletion of capital programs is highly unlikely in
that only approximately 45% of the most recent five-year capital improve-
ment program was funded by General Funds. The remainder would be financed
by sewer funds, water funds, gas tax funds, assessment district or private
funds.
5. The need for a design section and the ability to coordinate de-
sign and contract management is made evident by`analyzing the impact of
such privately financed projects as the Plaza Camino Real expansion.
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City Manager -2- January 24, 1979
This project, which includes considerable need for staff analyses, coor-
dination of privately or jointly financed road work, signal work, water
lines and storm drains, as well as the possibility of expediting the ex-
tension of Monroe Avenue, requires considerable staff effort. This ef-
fort is in the form of plan checking, detail coordination and project
coordination. Future projects, such as downtown redevelopment, Lake
Calavera hills master planning, City-wide satellite reclamation program
and other similar programs, will continue to create a high level of staff
Input. This level is hard to project and program for although it is nec-
essary for proper coordination and development of -these privately funded
programs.
6. Our present moratorium has created a situation totally the op-
posite from that which would initially occur to an observer. Instead
of removing or delaying demands for staff involvement which would nor-
mally be associated with development projects, a larger demand has been
placed on staff to deal with specific proposals to circumvent the restric-
tions of the moratorium ordinance. Examples of these are an increase in
use of septic tanks, requests to develop satellite plants, pressures to
evolve alternative treatment processes,•requests for analyses of impact
oti the sewer, agreements with other sewer agencies, etc.
This covers those issues- which have arisen in our discussion of the
December 20th memorandum. If there are any more that come to mind,
please Aet me know at your earliest convenience.
0 -�_ L�2L�
Ronald A. Beckman, P.E.
Public Works Administrator
RAB:VEB
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