Recommended FY 2022-2024 Operating Budget and CIP

Public Services

Introduction to Department The new Public Services Department consists of five divisions that provide direct services to the community and management of all City-owned infrastructure. The five divisions were consolidated under the one Department Director in 2017 and are now formally being incorporated as a department. The Public Services Department also includes Geographic Information Systems (GIS) (note: the GIS budget description and amounts are included in the Internal Services Fund (ISF) section), a small administrative team that supports Department-wide operations including business operations, grant application/administration, communications and marketing, and infrastructure planning. Under the new single Department, it is anticipated that improved cross-division planning and operational efficiencies will continue to be implemented. As the team responsible for delivering a significant number of essential services to the Community, most Department staff have had to work in person through the COVID-19 Pandemic. Department operations that maintain the City’s infrastructure and operate its public recreation facilities have been heavily impacted, but thanks to the commitment of City staff in those areas, service to the community continues without interruption. Maintenance Services Division Over the last decade the Maintenance Services team has come together through the combination of the Park Maintenance, Street Maintenance, and Building Maintenance functions being integrated into one team. This team is responsible for all of the day-to-day maintenance operations of the City, with the exception of the City-owned water and wastewater utilities systems. This consolidated maintenance approach has taken shape through past budget reductions, which required reduced staffing levels. Although the approach continues to support the limited financial resources available through the City’s General fund, it also provides flexibility that allows team resources to be allocated freely to address the most vital tasks. The use of contractors and part-time temporary teammates remains a critical component of operations and continued inflationary costs and labor shortages continue to impact operations. Contractors are typically used to complete both repetitive maintenance tasks, e.g., lawn mowing, at a reduced cost and high-level tasks, e.g., street striping, that require special equipment and expertise. The Maintenance Services team continues to evaluate when to use contractors versus in-house staffing based on costs and available staffing resources. The goal of this blended approach is the cost- effective maintenance of the City’s public infrastructure. Environmental Services Division The City’s Environmental Agenda and supporting the City Council’s goal of actively participating in regional issues that impact the Morgan Hill community guide efforts in this area. Due to resource limitations the priorities for the Environmental Services Division over the past several years have been the City’s drought response, major energy efficiency improvements to City infrastructure, supporting regional environmental related initiatives, and ensuring City compliance

154 PUBLIC SERVICES