Committee favors data‑first approach on proposed facilities director, recommends pilot on water system

Committee members debated whether to authorize a facilities director or asset manager in the charter and emphasized beginning with a pilot that produces usable infrastructure data rather than commissioning another high‑level plan.

S4 pressed the data‑first case: "The last thing we need, in my opinion, is to hire a consultant to develop a big document that says this is what asset management programs do. It's a waste of money. What we need is to demonstrate what this program could actually do." The proposal is to geocode infrastructure (starting with the water system), hire an engineer to collect data under the asset management commission and water superintendent (Bill Decoto), import that data into a maintenance management system, and then use the results to justify hiring and funding a facilities manager.

Timing and sequencing: S4 said the police complex could be finished in 2027 and recommended having the position authorized in the charter while delaying hiring until after the pilot: "I would say that we would probably need somebody in place going into fiscal year 2028, which starts 07/01/2027 through 06/30/2028." The group discussed that full implementation would likely require multiple years of incremental investment to build out data for additional asset classes (sewer, roads, buildings).

Why it matters: Committee members said having baseline data would improve capital planning and support life‑cycle budgeting, reducing the risk of deferred maintenance escalating into much larger reconstruction costs.

Next steps: The committee will present the phased approach and pilot results to the council for funding decisions; members emphasized the charter can authorize a position without mandating immediate hiring.