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Council hears request to amend DPW contract as contractor loses staff; in‑house costs appear higher
Summary
City staff recommended negotiating an amendment to the outsourced DPW contract after the provider reported staffing turnover and recruitment difficulties. Staff said bringing operations in‑house would require five to six new employees and substantial salary/benefit costs, making a contractor rate increase a reasonable option.
Staff recommended negotiating a modest rate increase with the city’s contracted Department of Public Works provider after the company reported recruitment challenges and recent departures.
Staff said Lake Services (the contracted DPW provider) has been down to three employees after recent staff losses, and that the contract requires them to deliver a set of services even when short‑staffed. Staff estimated that bringing DPW in-house would require hiring five to six employees and would add roughly $450,000–$550,000 in salaries and benefits, plus equipment and facility costs.
Staff also noted advantages to contracting: the provider can supply specialized crews and equipment for water‑main emergency work and sometimes realizes 15%–20% savings on small infrastructure projects versus ad‑hoc bidding. Council asked for a written amendment to the contract and staff said they would draft one for the council’s next meeting with an effective date of July 1 if members support an increase.
Councilors asked for regular monthly work reports from the contractor and for clearer public tracking of road‑right‑of‑way and city‑property maintenance tasks raised in ClickFix reports so residents can see how the city is responding to reported issues.
