Public‑works commissioner defends NB Connect rollout, highlights staffing gaps and streetlight pilot

Commissioner of Public Infrastructure Jamie Pont told the council the department has moved to an NB Connect platform to handle resident service requests, expects to retire SeeClickFix “in the very near future,” and is tracking monthly sign‑ups. Pont described the new platform as more automated and better at routing work orders to the correct crews.

Pont and councilors also discussed long‑running vacancies across DPI and Highway — notably CDL truck drivers and specialized trades such as electricians and a supervising civil engineer — that the department says hinder routine maintenance and response capacity. The commissioner cited CDL vacancies and other trade gaps as among the largest operational constraints.

Why it matters: DPI handles parks, cemeteries, potholes, signals, streetlighting and right‑of‑way oversight. Commissioners and councilors focused on whether project management is distributed efficiently between DPI and Parks & Recreation for capital work in parks, how pocket parks and Groundworks activity are coordinated, and whether contracting out green‑space maintenance (currently budgeted at $153,985) is saving operational staff time.

Key points - NB Connect and SeeClickFix: Pont said NB Connect’s automation reduces manual routing required under SeeClickFix and that the city is decommissioning SeeClickFix after extracting necessary data. He said NB Connect’s annual contract was listed as an hourly measure in the budget with an annual amount of $16,000 and that SeeClickFix had an annual fee of about $4,000 that will end. Pont said NB Connect signups have periodic surges after outreach and that staff will continue public information work to increase uptake. - Staffing shortages: Pont identified CDL drivers and electricians (including for traffic signals) as difficult positions to fill and said some positions requiring degrees or specialized training (e.g., supervising civil engineer) draw few applicants. He reported multiple long‑term vacancies across DPI’s portfolios and that the department sometimes outsources signal/electrical work to contractors. - Green‑space contracting: Pont said the city began a pilot to subcontract certain landscaping and pruning work to preserve core staff capacity during heavy seasons and that those contracts are bid annually. The current green‑space/landscaping line in the DPI budget was $153,985; he said the pilots began smaller and expanded after initial success. - Streetlight pilot: Pont described a proposal to pilot smart streetlights that can report outages and allow remote dimming or brightening. He said the city currently pays overtime for staff to drive a grid at night to locate outages and that a smart‑light system could reduce that need. Funding for a full upgrade in the past was handled through borrowing but future funding sources are under study.

What council asked: Councilors requested a written breakdown of which parks projects are managed by DPI versus Parks & Recreation, a user‑comparison between SeeClickFix and NB Connect, the NB Connect sign‑up statistics, and more detail on vacancies and trades recruitment. Pont said he would supply those materials.

Ending Pont said DPI will continue to advertise NB Connect, pursue targeted outreach to increase adoption and return department staffing and contract details to council in follow‑up. No formal policy change or procurement award was voted at the hearing.