Council to Review Preliminary Findings from Public Works Building Facility Conditions Assessment

As part of the process to evaluate the condition of municipal buildings and develop a plan for their future, the City Council will review preliminary findings from the Public Works Building Facility Conditions Assessment at the February 6, 2024 regular meeting. Staff and consultants will present the preliminary findings from the assessment and answer councilmember questions.

The Public Works building, located behind City Hall, was constructed primarily as a workshop and mechanic facility in 1981. Since then, it's been repurposed several times to meet the changing needs of City operations. The building is 15,350 square feet and currently houses the following operational and administrative teams made up of Full Time Equivalent Employees (FTEs) and Limited Term Employees (LTEs):

  • Right-of-Way and Stormwater Team (10 FTEs)
  • Water Utility (8.5 FTEs, 3 LTEs)
  • Sewer Utility (6.5 FTEs)
  • Parks Maintenance (10 FTEs)
  • Support Services Team (3 FTEs, 1 LTE)
  • Public Works Engineering and Administration Teams (19 FTEs)

Following the closure of City Hall in April 2023, the City’s Utility Billing Team was also re-located at the Public Works Building (3 FTEs). In total, there are 64 employees (FTE and LTE equivalents) and 15 to 20 seasonal employees who currently operate out of this facility.

The Facility Conditions Assessment process identified the following preliminary findings about the building's condition:

  • Roofing is at the end of its projected useful life and leaks are prevalent throughout the building.
  • The current 150kVA electrical service is insufficient to support the current needs of the facility.
  • The electrical distribution system is aged, with some critical components at the end-of-life.
  • The original HVAC system is mostly obsolete throughout the building, delivering poor performance, high energy consumption, and marginal air quality.
  • Plumbing is inadequate to meet the staffing levels for the building, requiring the use of portable toilets to meet sanitation requirements.

Based on the findings from the FCA and known operational deficiencies, the City Manager is recommending the Public Works Building be prioritized for replacement. Staff and consultants are currently working on preliminary replacement strategies for the City Hall Building and the recommendation is to combine the planning process to address replacement of both buildings.

While the initial assessment is preliminary, staff and consultants are finalizing the assessment and cost estimates - they expect to have this work complete by June 2024. Staff will identify critical system repairs needed to extend the life of the building temporarily (for five to ten years) while replacement strategies are developed. Staff will present those strategies to the City Council as part of the upcoming 2025-2026 Biennial Budget Development process.

A follow-up discussion on City facilities is planned for the March 1, 2024, City Council Planning Session. This presentation and discussion will primarily focus on the replacement strategies for City Hall and the Public Works Building.

You can review the City Council Agenda Bill 6402 for additional details on this presentation. The preliminary report is also available online.

Share Council to Review Preliminary Findings from Public Works Building Facility Conditions Assessment on Facebook Share Council to Review Preliminary Findings from Public Works Building Facility Conditions Assessment on Twitter Share Council to Review Preliminary Findings from Public Works Building Facility Conditions Assessment on Linkedin Email Council to Review Preliminary Findings from Public Works Building Facility Conditions Assessment link