Gig Harbor consultants recommend asset-management, new lead roles and staffing options in Public Works study

A consulting team hired by Gig Harbor presented a detailed Public Works staffing and operations assessment on Jan. 29 that recommends the city formalize asset management, create lead and compliance roles, and consider a management analyst to improve planning and reporting.

The report, delivered by Jen Winter, vice president at Matrix Consulting Group, concludes the department generally provides a high level of service but is stretched in areas such as streets and stormwater. "Asset management means taking a proactive approach to maintenance as opposed to a reactive approach," Winter told the council, urging the city to document service levels, preventive maintenance schedules and an asset inventory to guide staffing decisions.

Why it matters: A formal asset-management program would let Gig Harbor track work and show elected officials and residents the level of service the city can realistically provide, Winter said. That clarity, the consultants argued, is a prerequisite to aligning staffing with expectations and to making defensible budget requests.

Key recommendations included consolidating operational units under an assistant public works director to improve consistency; creating field lead or crew‑lead positions to relieve supervisors; adding a compliance coordinator to manage regulatory permit work for utilities; developing a 10‑year fleet replacement plan; and assessing whether certain inspections or custodial tasks should be outsourced. The consultants identified the streets and stormwater team as the most understaffed relative to workload and assets.

Jeff Langdon, Gig Harbor’s public works director, told the council the study offers a "menu" of options rather than a prescriptive plan and that staff were not asking the council to take action at the meeting. "We're not looking for any action today," Langdon said, adding staff would return with prioritized short-, medium- and long-term recommendations linked to the budget cycle.

Council reaction and next steps: Council members asked how the city will prioritize recommendations and which items are "quick wins." Langdon and staff said they would identify low-cost, short-term improvements as well as longer-term budgeted changes and that accreditation through the American Public Works Association could help standardize procedures. Several councilors emphasized the importance of formally adopting levels of service so staffing models are tethered to documented expectations.

The study also recommended reclassifying some engineering positions (for example, a senior development reviewer and a capital-project manager) and suggested engineering internships to build a recruitment pipeline. Matrix proposed updating standard operating procedures on a schedule rather than all at once to make the work manageable.

The council did not vote on any staffing changes or budget items; staff will return with prioritized implementation options and any budget requests for upcoming budget cycles.