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City staff outline 2026 public works budget, request added full-time hire and seasonal help
Summary
Staff reviewed the Department 43,000 public works 2026 inputs, proposing one additional full-time employee for treatment/facility work and two seasonal groundskeepers; the packet uses new BSNA software and includes assumptions on wages, benefits and overtime that council will review before September.
Kane (Presenter) led a review of the city's proposed 2026 public works budget on the Department 43,000 worksheet, saying the packet reflects inputs into the new BSNA software and that historical comparisons will be provided later. "I am requesting another full-time employee, and that is to help with the treatment facility and licensing and the current workload," Kane said.
The packet anticipates a 3.5% wage increase for 2026 that has not been approved, and staff flagged benefit and payroll assumptions used in the estimates: employee health benefits were described as roughly 20% of wages, payroll taxes at about 7.65%, and PAR at about 7.5%. Staff noted finance rounded 2026 department numbers to the nearest hundred or thousand in the summary column and increased the assumed overtime from 50 to 75 hours per individual in the finance column.
On seasonal staffing, Kane said the proposal includes two groundskeepers at 30 hours per week to support the mowing season. Budgeted line items and footnotes are posted with the packet; staff said the packet shows 2026 inputs and that final comparative columns for council review will appear later in the process.
The shop and field-technology requests were discussed as part of the same public-works review. Staff proposed modest increases in tools, equipment and supplies and raised the possibility of purchasing iPads for field crews (with an associated data plan) while noting last year's laptop purchases remain in place. The shop team is also considering a hoist/car-lift to perform more mechanical repairs in-house and reduce outsourced costs.
An accounting issue with electric meters was flagged: a number of meters are mapped to the wrong addresses, which has caused some utilities to be billed to the wrong department. Jason (Staff member) said staff will match meters to addresses and correct prior billing entries, estimating the corrected shop electricity expense for the year will be about $1,800.
Next steps: staff asked committees to consolidate edits so council can receive a fuller package in September, with a final budget column targeted for December. The expenditure/revenue report will be emailed to participants to aid further review.
