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Public works chief reports staffing, meter reads and infrastructure projects to Perris council
Summary
COO Michael Smith told council the public-works umbrella now includes about 62 employees; the city reads roughly 10,000 water meters monthly; code/abatement crews have cleared 167 lots and demolished 11 houses since Oct. 1; planned projects include about 2 miles of waterline and a 2,000-foot 10-inch sewer trunk in the northwest area.
Chief Operating Officer Michael Smith briefed the Perris City Council on Jan. 28 on public-works operations, water billing and code enforcement.
Smith said public works now includes roughly 62 employees across divisions that include water billing, meter readers, code enforcement and an abatement crew. He told the council the city reads about 10,000 water meters a month; that workload is handled by a small team and a single employee currently performs most billing work. On code enforcement and abatement, Smith said the department has cleared 167 lots and demolished 11 houses since Oct. 1 and has 33 structures currently on a demo list.
Smith reviewed planned capital projects intended to improve infrastructure and attract investment, including just over two miles of waterline replacements in southwest and southeast areas and about 2,000 feet of new 10-inch sewer trunk in the northwest to support redevelopment. He also noted seasonal and community items — softball tryouts, a Memorial Day pool opening and an early-March polar-plunge fundraiser for Special Olympics.
During Q&A, Smith clarified that only one code-enforcement officer is fully certified at present, with others in training; the certified officer must sign cases and handle official paperwork while trainees assist under supervision. Council members praised staff for recent responses to storm events and maintenance work.
Smith said staff will continue to pursue demo and abatement work under the current budget and may add CIP resources if needed to meet targets.
