City of Oak Creek

Common Council Report

Meeting Date:  01/17/06

Item No.:        

Recommendation: 

Discussion item:  to provide direction for various elements of the programming study for the Street Department facility.

            and

Motion:  to authorize proceeding with the Street Department facility programming study with the following criteria:

            a.          concur with staff recommendation to include all street lighting activities in the Street Department facility design.

            b.         concur with staff recommendation to plan for continued fire vehicle maintenance at the Street Department garage, but not to include funding for additional square footage for maintenance of the fire ladder truck.

            c.         concur with staff recommendation to plan for an area for two mechanics and additional work bays, but not for permanent relocation of remote site mechanics.

            d.         concur with staff recommendation to provide review of garage space for City Hall vehicles in the event the civic center complex relocates in the Street Department vicinity.

            e.         concur with one of the following suggested options for Parks, Recreation & Forestry facility needs:

                        1.         Keep the current Parks & Forestry facilities in their current use; share new cold storage building #4, scheduled to be constructed this year, with Street Department.

                        2.         Add space to the Street facility to partially integrate Parks & Forestry functions and facilities, such as lunch room, lockers/showers, offices, some vehicle storage, etc., into the Street Department garage; maintain current Parks & Forestry operations and storage in Building #3, and share new cold storage Building #4 with Street Department. 

                        3.         Add space to the Street facility to completely integrate Parks & Forestry functions and operations into the Street Department garage; keep  Building #3 for Parks & Forestry miscellaneous operations and storage;  share new cold storage Building #4 with Street Department.

Background: 

a.         Street lighting activity:

            The initial programming study included locker/lunchroom space for the electrician and a parking space for the hoist vehicle.  Presently, the electrician uses the shop in the civic center garage and stores streetlights and poles at the Utility.  The Utility storage space will no longer be available when the Utility building is expanded; the civic center garage is already overcrowded, and the garage building would possibly be moved or eliminated if a new complex is built.

b.         The City has made a decision to perform the maintenance of fire vehicles at the Street Department garage.  The initial programming did not consider this activity or the addition of one and one-half mechanics.  At the present time, all fire vehicles except the ladder truck can be serviced within the existing facility.  In order to work within the engine compartment on the ladder truck, the outriggers must be engaged, the ladder rotated off its rest, and the cab tilted forward.  In the mechanics area, in order to accommodate this effort, significant square footage may be needed, and the ceiling and structure may need to be adjusted, both of which could add significant cost to the project.  It is recommended that no significant money be added to the facility cost to handle the engine maintenance on the ladder truck.  This would result in performing the work outside when weather allows, clearing a substantial portion of the vehicle parking area if an emergency occurs, and/or contracting for maintenance on the ladder truck with an outside vendor.

c.         City mechanics

            As part of the 2006 budget deliberations, the Council discussed, but did not carry to final action, the concept of relocating all mechanics into one area.  The initial programming envisioned only providing space for two mechanics, but  included extra work bays so the mechanics can remain productive while waiting for information or parts.  These bays could be used during high demand periods to temporarily bring in the remote mechanics to help with the work.  Or additional work stations could be added to permanently move all mechanics to the facility.  The departments which have remote mechanics are generally opposed to the latter option.

d.         Civic center garage.

            The vehicle storage within the civic center garage is tied closely with the work functions at City Hall.  It is recommended that, if the civic center (or portion thereof) were to be relocated in the vicinity of the Street Department facility, cost optimization should be looked at  

e.         Parks, Recreation & Forestry

            Currently, Parks, Recreation & Forestry operations are completely separate from the Street Department garage.  There is mutual assistance with various tasks, but the operations are not alike.  The Director of Parks, Recreation and Forestry will provide a verbal summary of the work operations and situation at the meeting.

Fiscal Impact: 

During the 2006 budget process, the Council approved proceeding with an update to the Street Department garage programming study, to be funded through the Street Department remodeling project.  Project 00019, Street Department Garage Remodeling, currently has $470,000, and the 2006 CIP includes an additional $450,000.   The cost of the programming update has not been determined.

Prepared by and fiscal review by:

Beverly A. Buretta, CMC

City Clerk