2017-06-12-minutes-public-works-study-session

Home Browse Search

Dept. of Public Works Page 2 and the City don't hit consistently as a business practice and that has to do with the way our bills come in mid -month and the processing timelines for our finance department. We both recognize that is something the City and County would like to eliminate. The next piece has to do with capping our labor and fringe benefits at 15%, we do that for each other but in Public Works we run about 30% and it's a significant hit to drop it that much. The current agreement proposal maintains that 15%, however, Mark is hoping for a conversation with the Board of County Commissioners to affirm that this is their desire going forward. The other piece we altered recently that the City has not formally embraced is the materials also to be added into the agreement for 15% cost recovery. What the Department is doing is we are moving the chip seal program from a buy rock as needed into an inventory program. The reason for this is because we don't always have the quantities readily available from the supplier. Staff believes this is a good year to migrate the program into a more formalized inventory based program. Therefore, we will always have rock stored and available. What will happen as we build those inventories we will pull out of that the stockpile as we contract with the City at a last year's pricing and we may have to buy more materials at a higher cost. The City is reluctant to consider the 15% cost recovery on the material. Commissioner Jewell stated that the second issue can be addressed by simply saying the current market rate or the price paid, whichever is higher. Discussion was held. Commissioner Jewell added that as far as the labor and fringe benefits piece there is absolutely no way we should be charging 15% if we are in the 30% range. The work we do for the City for maintenance of their roads should be at cost recovery. Further discussion was held. Board Direction: Discuss with City of Ellensburg and make discussed changes and present for consideration at an Agenda Session. If the City of Ellensburg does not agree to the changes take action to terminate existing agreement. OTHER BUSINESS. Flooding Update: Mark stated that Naneum Creek continues to surge around both ends of the Bar 14 Bridge. Staff has not been able to get into the water due to high flows. The one thing that staff did do last week was take advantage from the County Road Administration Board's (CRAB) offer to use their drone in the upper watershed. Staff drove into the upper watershed to define the course for the drone flight. Several videos were taken and the upper watershed does not show the kind of stress staff expected to see. The bedload at Bar 14 suggests that there was a larger erosion event from the fire several years ago and the slopes are well vegetated and that stream is not moving the rock. Mark continued that staff will be monitoring the road crossings at Thomas Road as well. Mark stated that the aggregate production seems to be mined from Thomas Road to Bar 14 Road. As part of the hydraulic project approval from WDFW staff is committed to bring them a plan July 1, 2017 and that plan may center around community outreach with requests to gain access to some of the private land to access for flood damage. Discussion was held. 411 N. Ruby, Ste. #1 TEL (509) 962-7523 Ellensburg, WA 98926 FAX (509) 962-7663