Racine proposes 'white-glove' approach to increase private sump-pump installs as part of inflow and infiltration plan
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Summary
DPW officials said the city will add a customer-service position to help residents complete sump-pump rebates and installations after low take-up from self-service approach; the city hopes a more hands-on 'cradle-to-grave' process will accelerate inflow-and-infiltration reduction goals required by the wastewater commission.
Racine — Department of Public Works officials told the Committee of the Whole that their existing, owner-initiated sump-pump voucher program has produced far fewer installs than expected and the department will pilot a new, hands-on position to shepherd residents through the process.
DPW Director (presenting) said the city has received more than 700 program applications but has issued only about 78 vouchers and seen 59 completed installations under the prior approach. "We have taken over 700 applications. And we've only issued, I think, 78 vouchers, and only 59 of these have been installed," the director said, summarizing a consultant survey that highlighted residents’ lack of time and follow-through as the principal bottleneck.
City staff said the new proposed role — described as a white-glove or hand-holding coordinator within the Department of Customer Service — would contact applicants, coordinate bids with contractors, arrange scheduling and shepherd the homeowner through permitting and installation, with the objective of boosting installations and cutting peak flow to the wastewater treatment plant. The city estimates that installing thousands of sump pumps is the most cost-effective way to meet the wastewater commission’s inflow & infiltration reduction goal (the commission’s target was discussed earlier in the process and staff briefed the council on required volumes).
Council members asked how the city had tried contractors-first procurement and why that approach had not worked. DPW staff said an earlier, contractor-bid approach produced poor results — contractors could not access private homes reliably and the single bid process yielded little installed work — and residents were more successful when permitted to choose local contractors. The new coordinator role is intended to resolve scheduling and follow-through issues that previously stalled installs.
The DPW said it will measure the coordinator by target installs and will coordinate with the Department of Customer Service, engineering and wastewater consulting firm AECOM. The council asked staff to provide implementation metrics, estimated installation timelines and an accounting of expected program costs versus other II-reduction alternatives (manhole sealing, lateral lining).
