City Council Memorandum
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: OCTOBER 18, 2022 FROM: PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WARDS: ALL
SUBJECT: OPERATIONAL UPDATE ON THE PUBLIC WORKS SOLID WASTE DIVISION ISSUE:
Operational update regarding the Public Works Solid Waste Division for staffing, equipment, and use of emergency relief from Burrtec Waste Industries, Inc.
RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council receive and file an update regarding the Public Works Solid Waste Division for staffing, equipment, and use of emergency relief from Burrtec Waste Industries, Inc.
BACKGROUND:
Burrtec Waste Industries, Inc. (Burrtec) services specific residential areas of the City, including the La Sierra, Orangecrest, and University neighborhoods, totaling approximately 25,905 households. In April 2022, the Public Works Department initiated the emergency services provision of its contract with Burrtec to temporarily provide additional residential solid waste collection services to approximately 6,000 additional households due to extended vacancies in the Solid Waste Division. Burrtec’s temporary service has provided a better work-life balance for refuse staff, improved morale, and has stabilized refuse service across the City.
On June 28, 2022, the Public Works Solid Waste Division provided an update regarding hiring, vacancies, and the state of equipment in the Division. The report detailed industry-wide impacts including changes in the labor market and supply chain shortages that had created national disruptions in solid waste services. At the time, staff suggested the following measures to address the high rate of vacancies impacting the division and service to residents:
Review of existing salaries for Solid Waste positions;
Consideration of financial incentives for hiring and employee retention; Allocation of funds to purchase additional solid waste vehicles (despite anticipated lengthy delivery windows); and Implementation of routing, navigation, and task management software to reduce paperwork and assist employees in accomplishing their duties.
DISCUSSION:
Following the June 28, 2022 City Council presentation, the Solid Waste team has worked diligently to advance its identified objectives as follows:
Review of existing salaries for Solid Waste positions:
On July 19, 2022, the City Council approved a series of adjustments via a memorandum of understanding with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 721 – Refuse Unit, including revisions to the fringe benefit and salary plan. SEIU Refuse Unit employees were scheduled to receive both a cost-of-living adjustment and a market rate salary adjustment effective July 1, 2022, totaling a 12.6% increase to base salaries, followed by subsequent smaller increases to base salaries in July 2023 and 2024. Employees additionally received a one-time non-PERSable stipend of $10,000. Juneteenth was added as a holiday for Refuse Unit employees effective 2023, and additional adjustments to deferred compensation and life insurance were made.
Consideration of financial incentives for hiring and employee retention:
The Public Works Solid Waste Division incorporated a $3,000 sign-on bonus to new employees starting as Solid Waste Operators and Senior Operators. This sign-on bonus is paid over two installments of $1,500, with the second payment occurring after the employee completes probation. This sign-on bonus will continue to be applicable during the period that Burrtec is providing emergency assistance.
Allocation of funds to purchase additional solid waste vehicles:
As of this report, the City expects to receive three new refuse vehicles in October 2022. The vehicles are set to complete final plant inspection in Alabama on September 29, 2022, and then will be shipped to the vendor’s facility in Monrovia, California, for an additional inspection prior to their release to the City. The Solid Waste Division is exploring creative funding solutions with the goal of purchasing a minimum of eight refuse vehicles in the near-term future.
Implementation of routing, navigation, and task management software to reduce paperwork and assist employees in accomplishing their duties:
On September 1, 2022, the Solid Waste Division held a kickoff meeting with Rubicon, a company that is facilitating a pilot demonstration of in-vehicle software to accomplish the routing, navigation and task management objectives set forth by Solid Waste. During the six-month pilot phase, staff will assess the efficacy of this new software that is anticipated to greatly assist employees and reduce instances of missed services for residents.
Efficacy Of Strategies To Reduce Vacancy Rates And Enhance Service Following the recent changes to pay scales and hiring incentives, the Public Works Department received 69 applications for the Solid Waste Operator position and 13 applications for the Senior Solid Waste Operator position. This represents a 400% increase in the applicant pool for these positions. The Solid Waste Division personnel budget includes 11 Solid Waste Operator positions and 27 Senior Solid Waste Operator positions. During the last Solid Waste Update to City Council, there were 14 vacancies across these two classifications (nine vacant Sold Waste Operator positions and five Senior Solid Waste Operator positions). It is important to note that there has only been one resignation from the Solid Waste Division following the implementation of the aforementioned retention strategies, a significant improvement over previous departure rates. As a result, there are currently 10 vacancies with a total of seven candidates in the pre-employment process.
Solid Waste Operator: Five total vacancies with four candidates in pre-employment (one open position). Interviews are scheduled for the last remaining vacancy on October 1, 2022.
Senior Solid Waste Operator: Five vacancies with three candidates in the pre-employment process (two open positions). The recruitment for the positions has been re-opened and closes on October 2, 2022 with interviews to follow shortly thereafter.
The Rubicon software pilot is anticipated to be completed in early 2023 and an assessment/recommendation will be made regarding its long-term use. Further, the deployment of three new refuse trucks, anticipated in October 2022, will provide more stability and reliability to the division while staff pursue funding opportunities to purchase an additional eight new trucks.
Ongoing Use Of Burrtec Emergency Services
It has been only two months since the new salary scales and hiring bonus have been put into effect for the Solid Waste Division. Seven candidates are in the pre-employment process to fill ten vacancies, and recruitment is ongoing for the remaining three vacancies. While staff had initially projected fully drawing down on the assistance from the six Burrtec drivers by October 1, 2022, the combination of the onboarding process for new staff, delayed equipment arrivals, and staffing availability challenges have proven to be impediments to restoring service to pre-pandemic levels.
As new Senior Solid Waste Operators are brought onboard, the use of Burrtec assistance will be reduced following a two-week training period. The Solid Waste Division has already been able to reduce its use of Burrtec on some days. As onboarding may become more challenging during the holidays, staff anticipates that they may continue to rely on the emergency provision of its contract with Burrtec assistance with a complete draw-down by mid- to late-January 2023.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
This item contributes to Strategic Priority 5 – High Performing Government and Goal 5.1, “Attract, develop, engage and retain a diverse and highly skilled workforce across the entire City organization.” This item aligns with each of the five Cross-Cutting Threads as detailed below:
Community Trust: The City has kept its workforce and residents informed of ongoing challenges and service delays.
Equity: The Solid Waste Division seeks to equally distribute service across neighborhoods despite ongoing delays.
Fiscal Responsibility: The Solid Waste Division is seeking creative funding mechanisms for additional vehicle leases and/or purchases.
Innovation: The City has aggressively recruited for the Solid Waste Operator and Senior Operator positions.
Sustainability and Resiliency: The Solid Waste Division continues to pursue and advocate for the purchase of additional vehicles, along with the development of a healthy replacement program, to minimize the impacts of future supply chain failures.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this report.
Prepared by: Gilbert Hernandez, Public Works Director
Certified as to
availability of funds: Edward Enriquez, Interim Assistant City Manager/Chief Financial Officer/City Treasurer
Approved by: Kris Martinez, Assistant City Manager
Approved as to form: Phaedra A. Norton, City Attorney
Attachment: Presentation
Solid Waste Operational Update