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Lake Elmo council accepts Raftelis public-works assessment, flags staff additions and software improvements
Summary
City Council voted to accept a final public-works operational assessment by consultant Raftelis and directed staff to pursue several staffing, training and asset-management changes outlined in the report.
The Lake Elmo City Council on Tuesday accepted a final public-works operational assessment prepared by consultant Raftelis and presented by Brian Kirsch, instructing staff to pursue staffing increases and improved asset-management practices recommended in the report.
The report, which Raftelis presented to the council in May and revised after receiving feedback, recommended adding two full-time equivalents (FTEs in 2025 and one additional FTE in 2026), creating an annual work plan, designating utility specialists for on-call rotations, hiring a 0.5 FTE administrative assistant for public works, and implementing the Beehive asset-management system as a full computerized maintenance management system (CMMS).
The assessment found Lake Elmo’s service needs differ from peers because of rapid growth and low density. “Growth is really the number 1 driver workload driver within the department,” said Brian Kirsch, consultant, describing the changes in customer accounts and pipe miles that have increased field workload. The report used 2023 time-card data from Lake Elmo and FY2023 annual financial report (ACFR) data from peer communities for benchmarking.
Why it matters: the report concluded that continuing to meet current service targets with current staffing is likely unsustainable as the city’s infrastructure ages and customer accounts increase. Raftelis recommended a modest, phased increase in operations staff and adopting work-order tracking to document where crews spend time and to build the case for future staffing or budget changes.
Key details from the assessment included: city population growth of roughly 22% from 2019–2023, a roughly 74% increase in sewer customers over the past several years, about a 55% increase in water pipe length, and roughly 23% more park acreage. Using the city’s 2023 time-card allocations, Lake Elmo ranked near the peer average for public-works FTEs but carried substantially more miles of infrastructure per FTE in several categories (for example, Lake Elmo reported 15.2 miles of street per streets FTE, the highest among the peers cited).
Recommendations presented to the council emphasized: adding staff in 2025 (one operator and one lead operator) and a third FTE in 2026; concentrating on utility specialists for on-call rotations so the most experienced operators perform rounds; hiring a 0.5 FTE administrative assistant with public-works/utility experience; refraining from having noncertified staff perform vehicle mechanical work and instead contracting or hiring a certified mechanic; and fully implementing Beehive as a CMMS (adding parts/work-order modules and issuing tablets to crews).
Council discussion focused on timing and implementation. Staff told the council the city budget already contains funding for 1 FTE in 2026 and that work on job descriptions and union approvals would be required for changes to on-call schedules and specialty roles. Staff also said implementing CMMS work-order entry in the field (with tablets) is planned for 2026. The council voted to accept the Raftelis assessment as presented.
The council’s acceptance does not itself appropriate new recurring funding beyond positions already included in the draft CIP/budget; subsequent personnel hires, schedule changes or equipment purchases will return to the council for budget and labor-authority actions as required.
