Published: November 08, 2009 07:55 pm      

Back to budget basics

City looks at parks, infrastructure

DANVILLE — About 17 years ago, city officials discussed closing parks because of declining population and to save money.

At the time, however, only some mini parks were eliminated, Public Works Director Doug Ahrens said.

Today, as aldermen look to make city budget cuts, only about $700,000 to $800,000 goes to parks and their maintenance out of the total $1.67 million parks budget.

Maintenance of other city-owned properties, such as city hall and fire stations, also are in the budget, in addition to materials to maintain buildings and equipment.

Turtle Run Golf Course has offered to purchase Liberty Park from the city for $1, according to city officials.

Ahrens said developing the parks with city partners, such as AMBUCS, is “one of the best values of city government.”

He doesn’t think the public will allow the city to close the community-wide and regionally known Winter Park or other neighborhood parks in the city due to their quality-of-life impact.

Parks help support neighborhoods and keep up property values, Ahrens added.

“We’ve seen the results of neighborhood schools closing,” he said.

The city has about a dozen parks.

Ahrens said it costs the city on average about $3,200 per acre to maintain the parks.

Engineering

As the city looks at a possible $700,000 tax levy increase and budget cuts and/or new revenues to save at least $1.7 million and build general fund and infrastructure fund reserves for the future, one public works division remains overly busy and has recently added a new employee.

The city’s engineering department, overseen by city engineer David Schnelle, is still not fully staffed with the addition of Danville native Tim Cowan, Engineer I.

Cowan fills a spot left open by Justin Houston, who recently resigned.

There remains an unfilled Engineer III position still in the department.

The department also includes assistant city engineer Mike Witt, who largely oversees construction and survey work on site; Engineer II Sam Cole, who does construction and design work; and Marlys Sutton, engineering technician, who also handles construction and design of basic projects.

Public Works Director Doug Ahrens said the department prides itself on managing projects on-site with one staff member instead of multiple engineers like state projects have.

Mayor Scott Eisenhauer has previously said the engineering positions are the only positions city-wide that cannot be replaced or assumed by other city personnel.

If the city doesn’t do the work, consultants can be hired for $120-180 per hour.

Ahrens said Schnelle’s hourly rate is about a third of what an engineering consultant in the private sector is paid.

“While sometimes consultants are necessary and appropriate, maintaining a highly-skilled, highly-motivated engineering di-vision results in direct cost savings to the city… These savings are funneled directly into more infrastructure improvements,” Eisenhauer previously has said.

Projects the staff has been working on this year: Jackson Street improvement; Franklin/Walnut sewer Phase II; South Griffin Street sewer work; Voorhees over Stoney Creek deck replacement; downtown pedestrian improvements; and 2010 overlay program.

Other duties: economic development projects (prepare estimates, coordinate design and construction, etc.); private developer plan review; sewer capacity analysis; concrete, utility and excavation permits and inspections; bridge inspections; traffic counts and traffic control reviews.

The latter includes intersection studies, like at Fairchild and Griffin streets, to see if traffic control devices are still needed due to decreased traffic. Stop signs are much easier and less expensive for the city to maintain.

Schnelle, the only one currently with an engineering license, said the division is short handed at the moment. It currently can’t complete survey or design work.

So that means projects can be delayed or a consultant could be hired.

Consultants are generally needed for additional expertise the city staff doesn’t have, lack of manpower and/or time and speed of delivery of plans and documents, Schnelle said.

Street sweeping

With winter soon approaching, Ahrens also said public works employees are working a double shift on street sweeping right now, running the equipment from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

A double shift was negotiated in the last union contract. The hours are not overtime hours.

“We want to get the streets as clean as possible going into the winter,” Ahrens said.

It’s illegal to blow and rake leaves into the streets, which clog up the drainage systems, he added.