5.a) Grounds and Community Center Maintenance 1
Meeting Date: 3/8/2011
Agenda Item: ���
City Council Agenda Report
City of Scandia
14727 209'h St. North
Scandia, MN 55073 (651) 433-2274
Action Requested: Receive a report from staff about grounds and Community Center
maintenance, as requested at the February 8, 2011 work session.
Deadline/Timeline: N/A
Background: • At the February work session, staff was directed to review the
arrangements for contractual services for maintenance of the
Community Center to determine how those costs could be reduced
and tasks could be re-assigned to current full-time maintenance
employees. We have initiated discussion with the current
contractor (Ken Milbrandt)but will need more time to put together
specific recommendations for changes. We anticipate making a
report at the April 12 Council work session.
• Also in February, the Council decided not to fill a regular, year-
round part-time maintenance position in the budget, and asked
staff to bring forward budget amendments to reflect that change
prior to hiring temporary grounds maintenance help for the
summer season.
• Before proceeding with hiring a temporary worker, staff
recommends that the Council discuss a proposal received from
The St. Paul Turf Club (owner Scott Kendrick) to provide grass
mowing services for$300 per week during the upcoming season.
• After reviewing this proposal, staff continues to recommend hiring
a temporary worker, particularly if we are able to re-hire the
individual who held the position during the last two seasons. He is
a very reliable, capable worker who has done an excellent job for
the City in the past.
• If the city chose to hire the contractor for mowing, there is
additional work that would need to be covered in some manner.
The two full-time maintenance employees do not have the time to
pick up these additional tasks without jeopardizing the quality of
road maintenance work and their other duties.
• The cost of hiring a contractor for mowing would not be a
significant savings from hiring a temporary employee, even if the
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other employees were able to cover the remaining work. The cost
comparison (see attachment) shows a difference of less than
$1,000. Assumptions include a season from April 1 through
October 31, and that the employee would work an average of 24
hours per week through the season. The weather would affect the
cost for either option.
• Hiring an employee rather than contracting gives the city more
control over the work, and the flexibility to assign jobs that are not
covered by the contract as needed. There are times when one of
the full-time workers needs an extra set of hands, and the
temporarily employee (hired at significantly less cost) can fill that
role.
• The work of the contractor would need to be carefully monitored
and the contract would need to provide good performance criteria.
No proposed contract has been provided, and some additional
costs for legal services would be incurred to develop one that
would cover the city's needs. Whether or not the contractor can
provide adequate insurance coverage(including naming the city as
an additional insured) is a concern.
Recommendation: Staff recommends that the offer from The St. Paul Turf Club be
declined. Staff also requests authorization to offer the seasonal part-
time position to the employee who previously held the job, contingent
upon the Council's approval of the hiring and required budget
amendments at the March 15 regular meeting.
Attachments/ • Comparison of Contract Grounds Maintenance vs. PT/Seasonal
Materials provided: Employee
Contact(s):
Prepared by: Anne Hurlburt, Administrator
(grounds and community center maintenance)
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Comparison of Contract Grounds Maintenance
vs. PT/Seasonal Employee
St. Paul Turf PT/Seasonal
Cost Comparison Club Proposal Employee
Houriy Rate $12.00
Avg. Hours Per Week 24
Amount per week $300.00 $288.00
Fringes (FICA/Med/PERA) $42.91
Total Weekly $300.00 $330.91
Number of Weeks 32 32
Total for season $9,600.00 $10,589.18
Services included: • Weekly mowing at Community Center,Annex, Fire
Hall/Public Works, Lighted ball field,T-ball field,South
ball field, Hay Lake picnic shelter& Monument
• Trimming (around fences, curbs, etc)every-other week or
asneeded
• Spring&fall cleanups(remove leaves from around
buildings, shrub trimming)
• Fertilizer&weed control (offered at no charge by Turf
Club; details not provided)
Additional work not • Playground (weekly) &skate park(daily)
included in contract inspections and maintenance
proposal: • Drag ball fields(weekly)
• Trash pick-up from outside containers at
Community Center, parks& boat launches
• Weed planting areas
• Maintain all grounds maintenance
equipment
• Minor building repairs(painting,for
example)
• Assist full-time maintenance staff as
needed
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