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Council hears drainage infrastructure overview and staff request for a drainage lead FTE; funding offset proposed
Summary
Public works staff presented a citywide drainage asset inventory plan and requested a new drainage lead position (estimated cost about $68,000). Staff recommended funding the position by reducing the annual street maintenance budget by $68,000; council signaled support and asked for an implementation plan and further staffing analysis.
Fair Oaks Ranch public works staff on Aug. 21 presented an overview of the city’s drainage infrastructure, a GIS-based asset inventory under development, and a request to add a dedicated drainage lead position to carry out inspection, condition assessment and in‑house maintenance work.
Director of Public Works Grant Watanabe described the proposed role and the program: staff and GIS are building a drainage inventory composed of more than 1,000 segments for ditches, culverts and easements; each segment will be coded for type, size, grade and condition. Watanabe said the city has approximately 60 miles of public roads and an estimated 100 miles of bar ditches, channels and easements, plus six low-water crossings. He described prior drainage projects completed by staff and contractors and said planned work will be prioritized from the inventory and condition assessments.
Watanabe asked the council to approve a drainage lead FTE with an estimated all-in cost of about $68,000 (salary, benefits, supplies, training). He recommended the position be funded by reducing the annual street maintenance allocation by $68,000 so the proposed budget would remain at the adopted maximum tax rate. Watanabe and staff said the new lead would help move work from contract maintenance to in‑house teams, develop annual work plans, oversee smaller in‑house repairs, and coordinate contract work when needed.
Council members asked about certifications, fillability of the position, and the time required to inventory all assets. Watanabe said the position would require certifications (job description and certification pay schedule to be finalized) and that the first year’s primary work would be creating the inventory and performing condition assessments. He estimated it would likely take a year to get a first complete pass through city assets and that future years could identify whether the drainage team should expand beyond the initial staffing.
There was general council support for the concept. Several council members asked staff to return with a clear implementation timeline showing how the inventory work, maintenance cycle and additional staffing needs would evolve year over year. Staff said they would proceed with the requested budget inclusion and provide follow-up materials on staffing and program milestones.
Why it matters: the city has invested in discrete drainage projects but lacks a dedicated, systematic maintenance program. A drainage lead and a data-backed maintenance plan are intended to reduce longer-term capital repair costs by preserving drainage assets through ongoing maintenance.
What’s next: staff will include the drainage lead request in the proposed budget, fund it by reducing the annual street maintenance line by $68,000 as proposed, and return with a multi-year implementation plan and condition-assessment results.
