Public Works requests staffing, stormwater pipeline and bridge design funding as DeLand grows

Public Works Director Ray Underwood presented the department’s operating, capital and stormwater enterprise budgets at the City of DeLand budget workshop, outlining maintenance workloads that have grown as the city annexes property and development continues.

The presentation summarized existing infrastructure and staffing: Public Works manages about 169 miles of roadway, roughly 130 miles of sidewalks, 86 miles of drainage pipe, 60 retention ponds, five pump stations and roughly 8,000 trees. The department currently has 83 full‑time employees across its divisions, including streets, signs and marking, urban forestry, fleet and facilities.

Why it matters: Growth and annexations increase the city’s maintenance responsibilities, which in turn require more crews, equipment and capital. Deferred stormwater maintenance or staff will increase long‑term repair costs and diminish service levels.

Key details - Core assets: 169 miles of roads, 130 miles of sidewalks, 86 miles of drainage pipe, ~60 retention ponds and 5 stormwater pump stations; downtown streetscape and pocket parks are also maintained by Public Works. - Staffing and positions: The department requested nine new positions across divisions (mix of maintenance workers, foremen and equipment operators). Those position requests were not approved in this year’s budget; several stormwater positions (six) were proposed and remained unfunded pending a rate study. - Stormwater enterprise: The stormwater enterprise included a $300,000 annual pipelining budget (trenchless lining of culverts and pipes), neighborhood improvement funds, and planning for the Old Daytona Road bridge replacement (box‑culvert option) to remove the formal ‘bridge’ designation. A sewer‑jet machine purchase was removed from the adopted budget portion because the enterprise will not increase rates until the October rate study is finalized. - Fund balance implications: City Manager Michael Ployce and staff noted the five‑year stormwater fund balance analysis used the current budget baseline and did not include the six proposed stormwater positions. Michael cautioned that adding those personnel across years would materially reduce the projected fund balance (staff projected the $2.5 million five‑year balance could be reduced toward roughly $1 million if additions were phased in without a rate adjustment). - Operational constraints: The department reported loss of inmate mowing crews that previously provided supplemental labor; staff said the state prison system’s resource constraints ended that arrangement. - Fleet and facilities: The department flagged the need for an expanded fleet facility to handle larger vehicles and improve fueling/DEF capability, and described parking‑lot and sidewalk projects for downtown.

Commission response and next steps Commissioners asked for more detail on the stormwater rate study timing and potential midyear adjustments once the study is completed; staff agreed to return with updated fund projections and options for phased personnel additions tied to rate changes or fund balance use. Vice Mayor Davis asked about court‑ordered community service options as a potential supplemental labor source; staff said they would research legal and insurance implications.

Ending Staff will present the stormwater rate study and revised fund projections once analysis is complete; Public Works will continue to prioritize pipelining and pump‑station maintenance while seeking space and fleet improvements.