Community Services currently has one Systems Analyst Senior at a HAY Level of 16 and one Geographic Technology Specialist II – GIS position in the complement at a HAY Level of 14.  However, a recent review of the projects indicates that there is a greater need and prioritization for staff who can perform the complex work.  The projects the department is undertaking is better performed at an analyst level because it involves computer systems design and data modeling.  Improvements in the programing and predictive level modeling allows much better decision making about the allocation of City resources.

The function of a specialist in geographic information systems would normally help input data and run reporting and map functions primary through the user interface of the computer systems.  An analyst in this field takes this to a new level of coding, programming and modeling.  The department conducted a review of projects that the second employee in the GIS specialist function has worked on in the last few years to illustrate the department’s need for the higher-level expertise.  They include:      

Sewer and Utility Projects

• Sewer Cleaning Application and Sewer Risk Analysis – Designed sewer cleaning mobile application to allow maintenance staff to track the cleaning treatments of sewer utilities and to allow engineering staff to assess the effectiveness of the treatment processes.  Created risk model to score all City sewer lines with a consequence of failure and a likelihood of failure to aid in prioritization of servicing
• SCADA – Configuration of the data communications network for the City’s utilities sites allowing better management of sewer, storm and effluent utilities
• Effluent Truckfill Billing – interface with billing system to obtain raw data and analyze it to create billing and finance department efficiencies
• Sewer SL-RAT and Manhole Asset Assessment Data Collection – Creation of mobile application to collect data in the field.  Application allowed assessment of approximately 90% of the City’s sewer lines and manholes.  It is used on an ongoing basis by the utilities engineering group, the transportation engineering group and maintenance staff to help prioritize video pipe assessment and identification of problem sewer lines.
• Sewer Treatment Capacity – programmed model to calculate built, available and permitted parcel sewer requirements and aid in establishing tentative maps.  This gives the City Planner, City Engineer and Community Services Director data for decision making about sewer treatment capacity in relation to planning and growth.

Fire Department Response and Planning Projects

• Fire Service Area (Drive Time) Analysis and Fire Station Location Analysis – Created data driven analysis to provide recommendations for fire service area based upon actual incident data and 4-minute drive times.  Providing support to ensure future fire station sites are optimized based upon incident data compilation.

Other Planning, Maintenance and Census Projects

• Aerial Imagery Custom Mosaic Tool – facilitates the use of video map imagery for both City staff and citizens
• Sparks Single Family Lot Analysis – data modeling to categorize City parcels to allow the Community Services Director, City Planner, City Engineer and their staff to make decisions.
• SDE Upgrade and ARCGIS Server Upgrade – GIS system upgrades and interface that allows creation of a new data model for enterprise level GIS
• Sparks Current Pavement Condition – Created interactive responsive online map to display current pavement asset conditions for use by internal staff and by citizens
• Census – Updated process for providing residential address data to the Local Update of Census Addresses Program (LUCA).  Accurate accounting of residents in the census allows Sparks to get appropriate funds from the federal government, and it can be used for City planning, program design and engineering.
• Emergency Operations Center – provided real time programming expertise to aid the City’s emergency team in delivering resources where they were most needed after flooding.

In addition to these projects undertaken by the specialist, the two positions must regularly provide data and analysis on a variety of GIS related functions, which requires regular programming to interface with internal and external systems.  The specialization in programming and analysis allows improved efficiency and meaningful data analysis.

This cost is not currently in the budget.  The estimated financial impact is $11,000 in the remaining portion of fiscal year 2019 to the Sewer Fund.

Below is the current complement as compared with the proposed change to the complement:

1. The City Council may approve the personnel complement changes.
2. The City Council may not approve the personnel complement changes.
3. The City Council may choose not to approve the personnel complement changes but may provide other direction to the City Manager.

I move to approve the personnel complement change to remove the Geographic Technology Specialist II – GIS and replace the position with a Systems Analyst Senior – GIS position in the Community Services Department.