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Trends Affecting the Department. <br /> Environmental Stewardship <br /> Responsibilities of the Public Works Department in the area of environmental stewardship have <br /> been expanding for the last ten years and continue to expand. Public interest in quality of life as <br /> defined by open space, the urban forest, clean water, and clean air, as well as federal and state <br /> environmental regulations contribute to the department's focus on environmental stewardship. The <br /> department is devoted to developing cooperative relationships with other agencies to enhance its <br /> ability to meet its environmental stewardship objectives, enlisting volunteers to offset operational <br /> costs. <br /> Preservation and enhancement of the community's natural resources must be balanced with <br /> growth and economic viability. As our community changes, the Public Works Department will <br /> continue to respond to all its infrastructure needs, both built and natural. <br /> Employee Development/Workforce Planning <br /> During the past couple of years, the Public Works Department has had a constant stream of <br /> employees retire. This trend will likely continue because each year 4 to 5% of the Department <br /> employees are eligible to retire and there is much uncertainty regarding the Public Employee <br /> Retirement System. In addition, the labor and benefit costs per employee are rapidly increasing <br /> and the public demand for quality services is increasing as well. <br /> The combined effects of the increased service demand, the number of employees retiring, and the <br /> rising employee costs are forcing the department to reduce its labor force through attrition. <br /> Hopefully, this will allow the department to avoid future workforce reductions. <br /> The department's smaller workforce in the future will need to have increasingly flexible work <br /> practices, increased mobility and constant updating of skills. Therefore, the department must <br /> develop strategies to continually and improve the skills of the employees and adjust its services to <br /> meet the demands. <br /> Financial Management <br /> The infrastructureis in need of corrective and preventive maintenance, and in many cases, <br /> reconstruction. Because maintenance was deferred over the past several years the result has <br /> been in an unfunded liability for the community. The Public Works Department is facing funding <br /> deficits within the next three to five years within many of its funds. For example, the Road Fund is - <br /> likely to have a $1 to $2 million deficit by FY 06 if the operating costs stay constant. The City is <br /> developing methods to provide dedicated funding sources to maintain the public infrastructure. <br /> The public is demanding financial accountability or improved understanding on how the monies are <br /> utilized. The divisions are seeking cost accounting strategies and methods to track and analyze the <br /> cost of services to find effective ways to reduce operating costs. <br /> The Department is implementing strategies to improve its cost accounting methods to track costs <br /> and analyze funds used to provide services. The department is also seeking more effective <br /> methods to engage the public in the decision making processes to address the fiscal constraints in <br /> providing and delivering services effectively, while managing the issues related to the increased <br /> service demand, expectations and unfunded liabilities. <br />