Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 02/19/2004

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K. Other · Training Programs for O & M Personnel Improving the technical capabilities of O & M personnel is an objective that the department has and will continue to implement. Currend)q the department participates in =aining programs ranging from pesticide application to playground safety inspections. In the future, the department will be focusing on enhancing the training for a variety of technical disciplines. As individuals become more specialized, work crews will be broken down into areas of specialization ani:t expertise. This approach is particularly appropriate for dep:~rtment functions like natural resource restoration and management, where highly skilled andi:specialized personnel are needed to fulfill program objectives. Note that strengthening internal training programs will also be important as existing personnel retire, taking with them experience that can be difficult to replace in the current labor market. · Integrated O& M Management To date, the O & M function has relied on working knowledge of the system by staff and field crews and a few manual systems to track day-to-day maintenance activities. Lacking a more sophisticated system, this approach has sufficed to get th~ job done in a reasonably efficient manner. In recent years, however, O & M staff have found that keeping track of all functions and activities and their associated costs has become more of a challenge due to the increased size and complexity of the operation. For example, the department has become more involved in natural resources stewardship since 1995. This function alone requires extensive tracking of activities, costs, scheduling, and performance. Interlinking this data with the city's developing geographic information system (GIS) is important to effectively run the program. Across all of the department's functions, increasing demands on finite resources underscores the t!eed to gain operational efficiencies wherever possible, starring with an integrated information management system. Ncxv software is currently on the market that has been developed for the management of new and existing structures. Existing information about current trails is in entered into the management system. Variables, such as anticipated maintenance, staffing hours, and cost are entered as well. This is very useful as a tool ft)r budgeting future maintenance costs, identifying when maintenance should occur, how much labor is required, and how much it will cost. Increased costs due to infla~tion can be factored in to improve accuracy. 47