Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Works topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sunnyvale public works seeks three hires and longer maintenance program to reduce costly repairs
Summary
Public works staff asked council to add a crew leader and two maintenance technicians to shift from reactive to preventive maintenance for water, sewer, stormwater and street systems; staff said preventive work will lower long‑term repair costs and support hydrant testing, smoke testing and GIS mapping.
Public works staff described a backlog of system‑maintenance tasks and asked council to fund three positions to implement a preventive maintenance program that staff say will reduce long‑term costs and improve reliability.
"One of this is, a full system fire hydrant flow testing ... Valve location for water mains and fire hydrants, exercising them to make sure they're open," said Chris, who presented the department’s list of needs and said much of the work has been neglected during staff transitions. Chris asked for an additional crew leader and two maintenance workers so teams can run preventative programs and still respond to emergencies. He added that some equipment and program funding is already identified in vehicle replacement and special projects funds, but staffing is the critical shortfall.
Council members pressed on program history and asked whether previous budgets had covered similar work. Staff said equipment was acquired in prior years but staffing turnover left programs unimplemented; council directed staff to return with costed position requests and scheduling tied to the proposed utility rate changes.
