STAFF REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
DATE: Regular Meeting of February 25, 2025
TO: Mayor and Members of the City Council
VIA: Dante Hall, City Manager
SUBMITTED BY: Jeff Brown, Interim Public Works Director SUBJECT: Update on the City of Hercules Public Works Department RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Receive an update on the City of Hercules Public Works Department.
BACKGROUND:
The Public Works Department is committed to enhancing the lives of residents and strengthening businesses through public space management. The Department is responsible for the design, construction, maintenance, and operations of the built environment, including the transportation network, City-owned buildings, sewer collection system, storm drain system, and City-owned parks. The Department also manages facets of public open space, including fire breaks, trees at the urban interface, slope stability (i.e. landslides), and stream corridors.
The Department has 12 employees and is organized into two Divisions: Engineering and Maintenance and Operations (M&O). Due to the City Engineer's retirement in December 2024, the Engineering Division currently consists of a Contract City Engineer, Associate Engineer, Management Analyst, and Inspector/Specialist. The M&O Division is managed by the Superintendent, who oversees 7 Maintenance Workers and 1 (future) Landscaping and Lighting Coordinator. The Public Works Director/Engineer is the Department Head for both Divisions and reports to the City Manager.
M&O is responsible for maintaining and operating the City’s built infrastructure and open space. A typical day for a Maintenance Worker can consist of landscaping duties, park and facility repairs/maintenance, pothole repair, sewer lift station maintenance, and storm drain management. M&O employees also serve as first responders during emergencies to ensure roads remain open, are responsible for mitigating flooding impacts during storms, and address sanitary sewer overflows quickly to limit health and safety hazards.
The Engineering Division administers the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) for the planning, design, and construction of new infrastructure. The Division’s tasks include street reconstructions and sewer line replacements; evaluating and analyzing traffic and transportation issues, including traffic calming, traffic impact studies, and regional transportation planning; and regulating and reviewing private development to ensure orderly development and conformity to engineering standards. The Division also issues encroachment permits for work performed by private parties in the public right of way. It also administers the sewer lateral certificate program to reduce infiltration into the public sewer system and prevent backflows into private residences.
ANALYSIS:
During last year’s winter storms, Public Works was fully engaged in combating storm impacts, including unclogging storm drain inlets, removing fallen trees and limbs, and clearing debris. A rotational program for M&O employees has been established during non-working hours to ensure staff is available to respond to emergencies and urgent issues. Since the establishment of Hercules Connect in 2023—the City’s citizen request management application—M&O operations have received and responded to over 1229 service requests.
In the past year, the Engineering Division completed the Willow/Palm Sidewalk Project and made significant strides to complete the Lower Sycamore Sewer Trunk project. Work has also begun on the Capital Improvement Program for FY 25-26, which is shaping up to be more robust than previous years. Plan checks for the improvements associated with multiple private development projects are also underway. During 2024, the Engineering Division issued 94 encroachment permits and 96 sewer lateral certificates. Additionally, various administrative tasks are underway, including a sewer fund financial health assessment, a pavement management system update, and managing the design phase of the Hercules Hub Project.
The next several years will present a unique opportunity for organizational change. The Public Works Director/City Engineer has recently retired and several of the Department’s long-term employees may retire in the next 5 years.
Some of the changes needed for the Department to be successful in the future are already underway. This past year, the Department promoted a Maintenance Work II position to a Public Works Supervisor to provide more direct day-to-day supervision of the City’s Corp Yard and recruitments are taking place for the Department’s Director/City Engineer and a Landscape and Lighting Coordinator. The Department continues to focus on succession planning, maintaining adequate staffing levels, and operational efficiency for the future.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with receiving this report.
ATTACHMENTS:
Presentation