Public Works staff and consultants presented two concept options to replace or upgrade the city’s public works facility and described operational issues the department faces now, including equipment storage, recent hiring, storm-response needs and sewer-line camera work that briefly affected some residents.

Consultant Rick Hamlin presented site plans for a roughly 3-acre property off Jackson Street that currently includes a salt shed, a 5,388-square-foot main shop, a 2,861-square-foot salt/storage shed, a 2,770-square-foot storage building and a 2,005-square-foot “water building.” Hamlin described two concept paths: a 9,900-square-foot infill connecting existing buildings (version 1) and a single new building of about 20,000–21,000 square feet replacing most structures on site (version 2). Hamlin said the infill/renovation concept would cost about $5,000,000, while a full rebuild would be in the “about $8,000,000” range. He said either approach would likely require roughly a year of construction from groundbreaking to occupancy.

Ricky Jones, the public works superintendent, reviewed current operations and recent work: the department has hired two full-time employees and is again fully staffed; Lincoln Hall renovations are wrapping up; crews assisted the wastewater treatment plant with a new camera using the department’s Super Sucker 7,000 vehicle; and the department continues traffic-light and camera troubleshooting around the city. Jones described using a new camera skid on the Super Sucker 7,000 for sewer-line inspection; higher pressure and a heavier camera head yielded clearer video but sometimes caused a brief “burping” of toilets in homes on certain streets when trapped water was pushed back into fixtures. Jones said the department will avoid using the skids on 8-inch lines and will adjust procedures to reduce impacts to residents. He also described citywide sewer cleaning cycles (the whole system every 4–5 years, with known problem lines cleaned annually) and said staff can provide video to concerned residents and the council.

The consultant walked through internal layout scenarios showing how current rolling stock and equipment would be stored under each option and explained operational trade-offs. Version 1 would renovate and reuse existing structures where feasible (including gutting and fully refitting the smaller metal “water building” into offices, locker rooms and staff spaces) and build a 9,900-square-foot infill so most operations could continue on-site during construction. Hamlin said version 1 would allow key vehicles — including plow trucks and the Super Sucker — to remain under cover for winter operations during construction.

Version 2 would demolish and replace most buildings on the site (leaving or modifying the salt shed), consolidate functions into a new roughly 20,000–21,000-square-foot metal building and reconfigure granular-material bins and covered storage. Hamlin and staff warned that under version 2 the department would have no on-site indoor space during construction and would need to find temporary space to shelter equipment and provide staff facilities for about a year. Hamlin highlighted a real-world lesson from another municipality: a full teardown and rebuild that was expected to take eight months stretched to more than two years, leaving crews dispersed and without consolidated facilities.

Councilors asked about roof and structural conditions of existing buildings, ceiling heights (headroom needed for dump bodies and sweepers), granular-material storage (an added bin and covered storage were included in both options), and the department’s capacity to store and service equipment. Jones confirmed the old storage building in the southeast corner "is the worst one" structurally and would likely need substantial work or replacement. He also said the department now stores some partner agency equipment (for example, sanders and some attachments for other municipal partners) and can continue to accommodate those needs depending on the chosen option.

Councilors debated trade-offs between cost, continuity of operations and long-term value. Some members favored the infill/renovation approach because it preserves on-site operations during construction; others preferred a full rebuild to provide a single new facility that would meet needs for decades. At a nonbinding point near the end of discussion, a majority of councilors indicated a preference for the full rebuild option, though the meeting recorded no formal vote to adopt either option as a directive.

Staff returned several times to clarifying details requested by councilors: the consultant provided building square-footage and equipment inventories used to check that current rolling stock would fit inside either new configuration; staff confirmed the plan includes one additional salt bay and covered storage for granular materials in both versions; and preliminary cost estimates are conceptual and will be refined if the council directs a next step. Hamlin recommended design-build procurement as a possible delivery method and said the roughly one-year schedule is a planning assumption pending more detailed design, site testing and procurement.

On operational outreach, councilors and staff discussed the department’s sewer-line inspections and the occasional “burping” effect on plumbing when the camera skid is used. Jones said the department will avoid the skid on 8-inch pipes, will continue to refine camera and nozzle usage, and can provide video evidence to affected residents. Councilors requested staff explore improved resident notification for routine flushing operations (the department already provides a citywide notice for scheduled seasonal flushing windows in spring and fall) and to present clearer documentation of the facility needs and life-safety/operational justifications before any bond or funding decision is presented to voters.

No binding decision or funding authorization was taken at the meeting. Staff will return with refined cost estimates, procurement options, and a clearer explanation of operational and safety needs if the council chooses to pursue one of the concepts toward a bond or capital plan.