Public Works & Utilities outlines 2025 priorities: asset management, water mains, reclaimed water and staff capacity

Westminster — The city’s Public Works & Utilities Department presented its 2025 work plan and budget priorities to the City Council on Feb. 10, outlining organizational changes, asset-management efforts and capital needs for water, sewer and roadway systems.

Director’s summary: Paul Knippel, Director of Public Works and Utilities, said the department is ‘‘all about infrastructure’’ and described a reorganization completed in early 2023 that centralized engineering, operations, fleet and facilities into a single department to improve coordination. "We are now organized really, a lot in alignment with a lot of other larger cities," Knippel said, explaining the rationale for integrating design, construction and maintenance functions.

Key priorities for 2025 - Asset management and data integrity: Staff said they will produce a first-generation, department-wide asset…