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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNarrative Town ServicesNarrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 1 MMMAAAYYY 222444,,, 222000111000 IIINNNTTTRRROOODDDUUUCCCTTTIIIOOONNN The purpose of this document is to provide in narrative form how the Town of Westlake’s service configuration was begun, how it evolved, what services are provided, and how and why our services exist as they do today (as of the date of this report). This narrative can be used in conjunction with the 10 year financial tables that show expenditure growth for this same period as the Town‟s population (both day time and permanent) has grown. Much of the Town’s service delivery configuration is based on managing outsourced service delivery contracts and inter-local agreements. Direct service delivery is used by the Town to deliver two of its largest services in terms of cost; Fire/EMS and Westlake Academy. While outsourcing Fire/EMS is explored in a document separate from this one, outsourcing the Academy’s operation to an education service provider has not been explored. This report is organized by department as follows: Page Nos. Town Manager’s Office……………………………. Planning & Development…………………………... Municipal Court……………………………………. Human Resources & Administrative Services……. Fire & EMS………………………………………… Police Services……………………………………… Town Secretary…………………………………….. Facilities Maintenance/Parks & Recreation……… Finance…………………………………………….. Public Works………………………………………. Westlake Academy………………………………... TTOOWWNN MMAANNAAGGEERR’’SS OOFFFFIICCEE The Town Manager is the Town‟s chief administrative officer. The Town Manager is supported by the Assistant to the Town Manager. The Assistant to the Town Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 2 Manager position is designed to provide administrative support and assistance in all areas of the organization to the Executive Manager. The information contained herein is designed to provide an overview of the responsibilities and a brief history of the development of the positions in this office. HISTORY In May 1999 the Westlake citizens approved in a local referendum the adoption of the council-manager form of government for the Town of Westlake. Subsequently, this form of government was adopted by ordinance by the Board of Aldermen. In October 1999 the Town‟s first Town Manager, Mr. Trent Petty, was hired by then Board of Aldermen (now Town Council). The Town pursued a State charter for an open enrollment charter school with said charter being granted in February 2002. The State approved charter designated the Town Manager as the school‟s chief executive officer/superintendent. Mr. Petty served in both the Town Manager role and CEO role for Westlake Academy until April 2006 when he resigned from his role with Westlake Academy, but continuing serving as Town Manager until November 2007. In April 2008 Mr. Tom Brymer was hired as the Town‟s second Town Manager, serving in both the Town Manager and CEO/Superintendent role for the Town‟s charter school, Westlake Academy. The duties of Assistant to the Town Manager run the gamut from administrative support to departmental liaison to economic development to Academy organization type duties. The position was created when Ms. Mary Midgette was hired in 2000. The original intent was to hire someone to assist the Town Manager in the daily operations of the Town. She began to work with the manager on issues such as attaining the charter for Westlake Academy, working with the lobbyists in Austin, hiring personnel to fill the department management level positions, assisting in hiring the Town‟s first Department of Public Safety officers for the Town and working on items related to Texas Student Housing. She played a vital role in every area of development for the municipality. After Mary‟s departure, Mrs. Dawn Lenzie was hired due to her background in public education, which was very beneficial as the focus of the position moved toward the opening of the Academy. She assisted in implementing public relations activities, meetings and receptions for the new school employees and attaining visas for the teachers arriving from outside the United States. Dawn Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 3 worked with the Town Manager to organize the lottery system that was used to select the first children admitted to the school. She also secured the locations and organized the training sessions for the teachers who were new to the IB curriculum. The Assistant position is currently held by Ms. Ginger Awtry. She began her career for the Town when then Town Manager, Trent Petty, persuaded her to coming to work for him. At the time, she was working with Manhattan Construction – the contractors who built the Academy. Ginger had an intimate working knowledge of the construction process and developed vital contacts with vendors and other contractors specific to the project while impressing the Town leaders with her abilities. She was Manhattan‟s Office Manager and Job Accountant for the Academy project, and quickly became adept at managing business related issues and assisting in various organizational duties with job crews, contractors, public relations, etc. while also working with the financial aspect of the project. She had a unique perspective of watching the building of the school from the ground up as her office was located at the jobsite rather than the corporate facility. Ginger also had a successful 12 year career with the Audit Division of the State Comptroller‟s Department where she worked after graduating with a BBA degree in accounting. While employed in this capacity, she served in every increasing position of responsibility. Ginger audited many Fortune 500 companies, was selected to serve as an Audit Reviewer in the State Processing Center , and reviewed audits for accuracy in reference to the established policies and procedures. She was also chosen to train new auditors in proper taxpayer relations, service, and auditing policies, was selected to speak at various professional organizations and represent Audit Division at career fairs, was selected to work on several committees by both peers, local and Austin managers, and was promoted to Supervisor Trainee and Audit Group Supervisor, supervising 10-12 employees and multi-million dollars audits. As indicated by the varying backgrounds and responsibilities, each of the Assistant to the Town Managers had varying job duties and areas of emphasis based on service demands at that time. Although Ginger did not have any previous municipal government experience, her long history at the sta te level is evidence of her dedication as a public servant. She is passionate about customer Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 4 service, especially as it relates to residents, visitors, employees and other individuals who come into contact with the Town. The current responsibilities handled by the Assistant have evolved as the Town‟s projects, developments and internal organization has required. The following is a partial list of job functions:  Maintains an open conduit of communication between department heads and Town Manager  Assist in daily operations of the organization  Arranges meetings for the Town Manager, drafts correspondence, and the Town Council Updates from the Town Manager  Proofs all newsletter copy for the Westlake Wire and CEO‟s letter for the WA Communiqué  Works with developers, vendors and other customers of the Town including local and State officials  Manages the Town Manager‟s calendar  Participates in departmental budget meetings  Serves as staff liaison to Town related advisory committees as directed by the Town Manager  Assists residents on Town related issues  Liaison between Town Manager and Academy on numerous projects  Works closely with the Town attorney  Attends Planning & Zoning meetings and assists in related projects as needed  Communicates regularly with Town Council and advisory board members on behalf of the Town Manager  Serves as Town Secretary on „as needed‟ basis  Assists Town Secretary on agenda packet preparation as needed  Co-ordinates with department managers on agenda memo and ordinance/resolution submittals  Provides background information and conducts research for Town Manager on various projects  Serves as coordinator for the Town‟s neighborhood outreach and meetings programs Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 5  Assists with organization and coordination of both internal and community events The Town Manager is the Chief Administrative Officer for the Town, providing executive leadership and representation on all matters concerning Town government. This position is responsible for planning, directing, managing, and reviewing all activities and operations of the Town; coordinates programs, services, and activities among all Town departments and outside agencies; ensures the financial integrity of the municipal organization; represents the Town‟s interests; as well as provides complex and highly responsible policy advice and administrative support to the Mayor and Town Council/Board of Trustees. The Town Manager exercises direct supervision over management, professional and clerical staff. This position also serves as the Chief Executive Officer/Superintendent of Westlake Academy, providing executive leadership in addition to financial and managerial oversight on all matters concerning its operations, subject to the policies and directives of the Board of Trustees. The CEO/Superintendent provides advisement on policy recommendations, administrative support, and executive-level guidance to the Board President and Trustees. Current Town Manager Tom Brymer has over thirty five (35) years of city management experience in full service communities of all sizes including communities of 85,000-125,000 population. When he assumed his first position as a city manager at age twenty five he was the youngest city manager in the state. Tom holds a bachelors degree in political science from Northern Illinois University and a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of North Texas. He has pursued continuing professional education through public executive development programs offered by his state and national professional organizations as well as those offered cooperatively through the University of Virginia and the University of Texas. FUTURE ISSUES AND CHALLENGES Due to the demand for high quality services from all the Town‟s stakeholder/customer groups, the major challenges and issues facing the Town Manager‟s office are: Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 6  Delivery of high quality Town services (municipal and academic) as well as maintenance of infrastructure in the face of major resource limitations and financial sustainability issues  Limited staff resources which are asked to operate well beyond reasonable capacity in order to carry out a multiplicity of roles so that the Town can operate at a high quality level  Establishing a governance structure that clearly establishes management and governance roles that comports with the council-manager form of government adopted by Westlake voters, facilitates efficient high quality service delivery, is transparent, accountable, sets strategic priorities, and plans well to maintain Westlake‟s quality of life for all of the Town‟s stakeholders. PPPLLLAAANNNNNNIIINNNGGG AAANNNDDD DDDEEEVVVEEELLLOOOPPPMMMEEENNNTTT DDDEEEPPPAAARRRTTTMMMEEENNNTTT This report will provide a brief history of the Department, its services, a summary of short term objectives, and an overview of current projects. HISTORY BUILDING INSPECTIONS AND CODE ENFORCEMENT - From 1984 to 2005, the Town contracted for Administrative and Inspection services to operate the Building Inspection Department. Upon determining that contracting was not a cost effective method of handling plan review and inspection responsibilities, the Town hired a full-time Inspector in 2005. He performed inspection duties with the administrative functions shared by him and his supervisor, the Director of Public Works. The Inspector unexpectedly passed away in August of 2006 and the duties were contracted out to a third-party inspection company. In November of 2006, the Town hired a Building Official to take over the inspection and administrative duties. PLANNING AND ZONING - The Town contracted for planning and zoning services until Mr. Trent Petty was hired as the first professional town manager in October 1999. Trent took on the planning and zoning responsibilities in addition Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 7 to town management. Trent resigned as the manager in November of 2007, at which time the Building Official, Mr. Eddie Edwards, had his title changed to Director of Planning and Development by the interim Town Manager. Eddie also had extensive planning and zoning experience and these responsibilities were added to his duties. CODE ENFORCEMENT / FIRE CODE ADMINISTRATION – Enforcement of all of the ordinances contained in the Town of Westlake Code of Ordinances is either carried out directly by department staff or contracted out to other governmental agencies with department staff acting as the liaison. For example, Food Establishment Inspections are performed by the Tarrant County Health Department but if voluntary compliance cannot be obtained by warnings, department staff takes necessary legal action. The Fire Marshal/Fire Inspector duties had been assigned to an on -shift firefighter with appropriate certifications until he left in November 2007 and those responsibilities were picked up by the Fire Chief. The full time Fire Chief position was vacated in August 2009 and a portion of those responsibilities were assigned to the on-shift Interim Fire Chief and the other responsibilities were taken over by Eddie Edwards. Eddie also had extensive experience and training as a Fire Marshal/Fire Inspector. PERSONNEL This is a one (1) employee department. On an intermittent basis, plan review and inspection services for portions of specific projects are contracted out based on the anticipated work load. Additional assistance is provided by other staff members on an as-needed basis and one-third of a full-time clerical employee is charged to this department in the annual budget. BUILDING CODES AND RELATED ITEMS The Town of Westlake has adopted the 2006 International Codes and the 2008 National Electrical Code along with the amendments recommended by the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG). Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 8 The Department either performs or contracts for all plan review and inspections related to residential and commercial construction with the exception of those items specifically regulated by the fire code. The enforcement and review of code requirements and development issues are the responsibility of the Director of Planning and Development. The Director schedules the Development Review Committee (DRC) meetings and communicates staff comments to the applicants. The Town currently has an ISO Building Code Effectiveness rating of 3 for residential and 3 for commercial. The ratings are measured from 10 being the lowest to 1 being exemplary. Our rating is equal to or higher than our neighboring cities and equal to or higher than any other city our size in the state. MMMUUUNNNIIICCCIIIPPPAAALLL CCCOOOUUURRRTTT The Municipal Court represents the judicial branch of the Town of Westlake and is responsible for providing fair and impartial trials as well as a range of customer service duties to defendants who are charged with a Class C misdemeanor or town ordinance violations. The Court was established as a court of record in 2001 and has original jurisdiction over many of the offenses which occur within the Town limits. HISTORY The Municipal Court, in its current form, began in November, 2001. The Board of Aldermen adopted an ordinance to separate the conjoined Westlake and Trophy Club court office and establish the judicial branch of our municipality. Previously, the functions were handled by the Town of Trophy Club as they were also providing our police services through an inter-local agreement. The first employee of the Department, Amanda DeGan, was hired as the Court Administrator. She worked with Judge Brad Bradley to establish a docket schedule and obtain the items needed to open the office within six (6) weeks. Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 9 The original intent was to operate the Department with one full-time employee, a part-time Judge and a part-time administrative support employee. The Town had anticipated the average number of citation filings, based on information received from the Trophy Club court, at 400 individual cases per month. During this initial start-up phase, the police services were provided by the Trophy Club Police Department (TCPD). The TCPD patrolled both municipalities and the offenses that occurred within each town‟s jurisdiction were filed in the appropriate court office. For the first year of operation, the Administrator and the part-time administrative support employee, Todd Wood, handled the customer service duties, citation entry and court dockets. Mr. Wood was also responsible for the accounting duties of the Town and functioned as the office manager. It soon became apparent, that we were exceeding the estimated case load on a monthly basis. The average filings were closer to 600 cases per month and could not be efficiently processed at the then current staffing level. In order to reduce the budgetary impact and increase the closure rate of the delinquent citations, a full-time marshal‟s position was established to handle the dual duties of providing office assistance and serving arrest warrants. The Westlake Marshal‟s Office was established by ordinance in March of 2002 and is under the direct supervision of the Court Administrator. The position was cross-trained to handle the defendants at the service window, provide information via phone and operate the court software to update the defendant database. The marshal also handled all court bailiff duties and provided a visible security presence in the office. In June of 2002, the agreement with Trophy Club was dissolved and the police services contract was initiated with the Keller Police Department (KPD). The coverage level remained consistent with two motor officers and a varying number of patrol cars being assigned to Westlake. As the number of citation filings rose to an average of 800 – 850 cases per month and the outstanding arrest warrants remained static, an additional full-time position was added as a deputy court clerk. The position was designed to take over the front desk responsibilities and allow the marshal to focus on serving and clearing the arrest warrants. The number of outstanding arrest warrants and the backlog that existed in the warrant issuance function had become a pressing issue for the office. The plan of action to reduce these numbers and increase efficiency Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 10 was addressed with the new deputy clerk position and the dedication of the marshal to warrant duties on a full-time basis. PERSONNEL AND CURRENT SERVICES The staffing level in the Court office has been allocated in response to the number of individual cases filed by the officers and initiated by the Judge through the „failure to appear‟ offenses. We are currently staffed as follows:  Two (2) full-time Deputy Court Clerks  One (1) full-time Marshal  One (1) full-time Director of Municipal Court and Special Projects  One (1) part-time Municipal Court Judge The Court procedures were designed to handle the majority of the customer service duties by mail, the internet, telephone or via fax to reduce the number of walk-in defendants who require service from the front office. A large percentage of our defendants are commuters through the Westlake area and we have found they appreciate having the ability to handle their violations without making a personal appearance. The configuration serves the dual purpose of allowing us to maintain a smaller staff size in relation to other comparable municipalities. The average number of individual cases handled by one deputy clerk is 250 -275 per month – we average 325 per front office employee. In addition to the office procedures, the lobby hours are structured to allow the deputy clerks to process the deposits, return phone calls, generate court notices, verify insurance coverage and enter citations during the hours that the lobby is not open to the defendants. The lobby windows are open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The majority of our defendants appear during the lunch hour and the clerks generally remain in the office during this time period to assist those individuals who walk into the lobby for assistance. DEPUTY COURT CLERKS – The bulk of the front office activities are handled by the deputy clerks in the front office. Sharon Wilson and Martha Solis have been with the Department for several years and do an outstanding job processing the Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 11 paperwork/case load while dealing with stressful situations each day. As mentioned previously, the majority of the defendants handle their citations, through the mail or the internet, prior to their assigned plea docket. This creates a tremendous amount of case related paperwork that needs to be processed in order for the office to continue to function in an efficient manner. The clerks handle the following types of duties:  Customer service at the lobby window and via the telephone  Mail-in payments and reset requests; extensions and payment plan cases  Court docket processing  Database maintenance and input for the Court software program  Citation entry and case jacket generation  Filing of closed case files and all active pending cases  Daily deposits of all payments There are times when defendants who contact the office, either in-person or by phone, are not pleased to have received a citation and will be verbally abusive to the clerks. Both clerks handle these situations with diplomacy and tact, as many times the individuals would just like to “vent” their frustrations or have someone listen to their “side of the story”. Both employees receive continuing court clerk education throughout each fiscal year and try to attend local classes to reduce the impact of out of town travel on the office and their families. MARSHAL – The Westlake Marshal‟s office handles the duties associated with serving the arrest warrants issued by the Judge. In 2006, Troy Crow was hired to fill the position and has also done a tremendous job of reducing the number of outstanding warrants and delinquent citations. His previous experience as a police officer and as an accomplished sales manager enables Troy to work with people while enforcing the law. He has experienced consistent success in clearing the warrants and accomplishing our ultimate goal of closing the older case files. Troy has also implemented a new program during the past six months that works in conjunction with the Department of Public Safety to deny the renewal of a driver license for defendants who have delinquent citations. He worked with the software programmers to establish a remote connection so the information could be transmitted via the internet and now reports and updates the clearances on a Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 12 bi-weekly basis. Overall the program has been successful in clearing case files, but has been especially effective for those that are over three (3) years old. DIRECTOR OF MUNICIPAL COURT AND SPECIAL PROJECTS – This position processes the arrest warrants for the Judge and oversees all managerial tasks associated with the office. This includes the following:  Annual staff performance appraisals  Report preparation for the Town Manager, finance department, state agencies and the police department  Handles trial settings and jury notifications  Monitors the efficiency measures for the office to maximize case flow  Provides backup customer service duties for the deputy court clerks  Maintains the courtroom schedule  Processes all cash bond payments and refund requests  Works with multiple vendors for the office  Monitors the new laws, in conjunction with the Judge, to ensure compliance  Special projects as assigned by the Town Manager In addition to working for the Town, Amanda is the past President of the North Texas Court Clerks Association. She has worked with the Chapter for the past six (6) years as a board member and committee chair of the educational training programs for the local court clerks. Amanda has also worked in the legal profession for over 12 years and has a Bachelor‟s of Arts degree in Political Science. She completed her MPA degree at the University of North Texas and graduated in May of 2009. DOCKETS AND COURT SCHEDULES With the case load handled by the office, we generally have a Court docket or defendant settings four (4) times per month. The office is open to assist the defendants between each setting and the Judge has issued certain guidelines for processing the cases for the defendants at the window. The clerks handle deferred disposition (probation) and driver safety requests, payments in full for fine amounts, indigency motions, dismissal or „fix-it‟ type citations and reset requests Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 13 for court dates. We do not handle extensions or defendants with an excessive number of citations at the window. The Judge requires defendants in this situation to appear at the plea docket and speak with him about their case(s). PLEA DOCKETS – The office generally schedules two (2) plea dockets per month to allow defendants charged with an offense to enter a plea of not guilty, guilty or no contest. If a defendant enters a plea of not guilty – the case is set for a pre-trial hearing, with the prosecutor, to review their options at trial, file any motions or request subpoenas of witnesses. Approximately 50 – 75 individuals appear for these hearings, which are held on Wednesday evening at 5:00 p.m. TRIAL DOCKETS – The Court conducts bench and jury trials on an as needed basis. These dockets are generally held one Friday per month and last for the entire day. The defendant has the right to either a trial that is heard by the Judge or the jury. Unfortunately, we do not have a large number of jurors, so we attempt to maximize their call for service by scheduling several cases at one setting. The jury is selected from a pool of current residents, which is updated on a semi-annual basis. PRE-TRIAL AND ATTORNEY DOCKETS – Once a month, the prosecutor for the State is in the office to conduct pre-trial hearings and speak to the attorneys who are representing defendants with Westlake citations. The prosecutor is from the Town attorney‟s office and the current individual holding this position is Holly Fox. These dockets are also an all day event where approximately 100 cases can be dismissed, negotiated or set for trial. PHONE CALLS AND FAX REQUESTS – The deputy court clerks handle routine questions about citations via phone and through the fax machine. The phone system operates with a call tree that will answer the basic questions about the location, hours, directions and other citation information. Those defendants that are unable to locate their answers through this method are given the option to exit the call tree and speak with a clerk. If any calls are missed, the defendant is asked to leave a message and the clerks return these calls around the lunch hour and again between 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. The fax machine is available 24-hours a day and many defendants and attorneys utilize this option to submit written requests for resets, extensions, insurance Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 14 information, court settings and even payments. While we do not accept payments over the phone, the defendant is given the option of faxing the payment information, which can be run via in-house credit card processing. MAIL PAYMENTS – Defendants are also given the option to pay their citations, request a deferral or a driver safety class, submit documents for citation dismissal and reset their case(s) via the US mail. The Court maintains a post office box at the City of Roanoke mail center where the bulk of the citation related correspondence is received. The mail is retrieved at least three (3) times per week by the Marshal. The mail is then stamped with the received date and processed by the deputy clerks for each citation. INTERNET PAYMENTS – The Court has an additional component to the software system that will allow individuals to pay their citation through the internet. The violations are updated immediately upon the completion of the transaction and the office is notified of the payments. We have received positive feedback from this type of system as it allows them to pay their citations without driving to the office. COURT SUPPORT SERVICES FOR THE ACADEMY The Marshal, in conjunction with the Court Administrator, processes the criminal history background check for the school volunteers. The task is performed using a Lexis/Nexis database geared for law enforcement personnel that the Court also uses to track defendants with outstanding arrest warrants. A report is reviewed to determine if the volunteer has a criminal history or if they have been convicted of any sexually related offenses. The school is then notified of the status – either “no criminal history found” or if a volunteer has negative information on their report an explanation is forwarded to the Town Manager/CEO for review. The majority of the volunteers submit their clearance documents at the beginning of the school year. As expected, the simultaneous arrival of the applications can result in a delay of the clearances as the process takes approximately 10 – 20 minutes to research each request. Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 15 THE COURT’S FUTURE CHALLENGES Over the past several years, the Court office has expe rienced significant changes ranging from increases in the case load to actual relocation (twice in three years) of the offices. We have also undergone staffing challenges, the most notable in the warrant division. The current goals and challenges are to maintain the new cases without any backlog in processing, support the current staff in dealing with external conflicts and to always look for ways to increase the clearance rate of the delinquent citations. The office has dealt with backlogs in the warr ant issuance function, case archival duties, insurance verification, citation entry and mail processing. The completion of these tasks are directly related to the number of defendants who appear in the lobby, the staffing level, and the number of new violations filed in the office. The current staff is able to maintain most of the day-to-day functions, however, if one person is out for more than a few days – the backlogs are exacerbated. In the last year, use of a part-time temporary employee has helped mitigate this backlog. The warrant issuance and clearance function has always been a high priority for the Department. Even though we are a small municipality, our office processes a relatively large case load, which results in the issuance of several thousand arrest warrants on an annual basis. The failure to clear the delinquent cases results in many individuals who are not required or do not comply with judicial orders. The ability to locate these individuals and assist them with their court appearances is a major component to the success of our office. We will continue to research appropriate programs to clear the cases and work in the field to encourage individuals to conclude their outstanding violations. Finally, the Director of Municipal Court also handles many special projects for the Town Manager covering numerous areas ranging from researching and drafting Academy Board policies to strategic planning and various Town ordinances/ policies. Of late this position has helped the Town Manager with the management of the Academy serving on the Academy‟s Leadership Team. Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 16 HHHUUUMMMAAANNN RRREEESSSOOOUUUCCCEEESSS &&& AAADDDMMMIIINNNSSSTTTRRRAAATTTIIIVVVEEE SSSEEERRRVVVIIICCCEEESSS The Human Resources & Administrative Services Department, as the name indicates, is responsible for providing employee-related services for Town employees as well as administrative support for Town services. HISTORY This Department‟s history and development corresponds with the growth of the Town, both in its population and the services it has come to provide. Following the Town voter‟s decision to adopt the council-manager form of government and hire its first Town Manager (Trent Petty), Mr. Todd Wood was hired in 2001. In his first years with the Town, Todd truly was the “jack of all trades” for the Town, handling some municipal court related duties, payroll, bookkeeping, permitting, IT, utility services, and other finance-related duties. As the Town staff grew, particularly due to the employee growth of the Academy, the need for Todd to focus on employee support and technology support resulted in his alignment into the role of Director of Human Resources & Administrative Services, the role he functions in today. CURRENT SERVICES AND PERSONNEL Employee-related services provided by the Human Resource aspect of this department include:  new employee marketing and recruitment  employee on-boarding (hiring) in accordance with all State, Federal, and local requirements and policies  employee off-boarding in accordance with all State, Federal, and local requirements and policies  employee benefits administration (three retirement plans, three employee health insurance plans, flex plans, 457 plans, employee life insurance, and numerous other benefit programs)  employee orientations regarding employment guidelines, policies, and benefit programs Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 17  one-on-one employee information/counseling sessions on benefit program questions, options, and choices  oversees the employee performance review system including performance review instruments  compensation analysis and salary surveys  administers the Town employee pay systems  assists in consultation role regarding employee performance reviews and coaching for employee performance improvement  contract administration for Academy faculty  oversees visa and other immigration law compliance for on-boarding Academy international faculty  drafting and maintaining two sets of employee personnel manuals  maintaining a current and confidential data base with supporting files of information on all employees  job analysis, including drafting and maintaining employee job descriptions General support services for the organization provided by the Administrative Services aspect of this department include:  risk management services related to all Town personnel, as well as professional liability, property, and fire and casualty insurance for all Town property and buildings  daily support of information technology hardware and software requirements, including desktop and laptop computers, servers, and printers  identifying and acquiring technology needs (hardware and software) for the organization  troubleshooting and maintaining major hardware components of the Town‟s technology system for all servers  maintenance of the telecommunications system for the Town offices and Academy  procurement of goods and services, liquidation of surplus public property  assistance to designated legal counsel in required areas These services are provided by the following personnel:  Director of Human Resources & Administrative Services (1) Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 18  Human Resources Assistant (one-third of this employee‟s time is allocated to this department, the other two-thirds are allocated equally to Facilities and Development Services in FY09-10)  IT Support position (10% allocated to support of municipal technology and 90% allocated to support of Academy technology)- this position was added in FY 09-10 The Director, Todd Wood has a bachelor‟s degree from California Coast University and a master‟s degree in business administration from Western Governor‟s University, with a Certified MBA designation from the International Certification Institute (ICI). In terms of continuing education, Todd also holds a Senior Professional in Human Resources Certification, the highest level offered by the HR Certification Institute (HRCI) in cooperation from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Todd also holds the designation of Certified HR Professional by the International Public Management Association for HR (IPMA- HR). These certification programs offer HR professionals desiring to learn and advance themselves through self or group study and examination programs. Human Resources Assistant Trish Landers has two years of HR-related experience, and over twenty years of progressive office and administrative experience. Primary IT Support is provided by Jason Powers, who holds a master‟s degree in music from TCU, and has twelve years of professional IT experience. FUTURE CHALLENGES AND GOALS The chief challenge for this Department has been to adequately support the growing demand for support services with one (1) employee. The addition of a one-third time Human Resource Assistant as well as an IT Support position has helped in this regard. It should be noted that the IT Support position was added primarily due to increased student enrollment at the Academy and to mitigate the higher costs of contracted labor utilized in previous years. The one-third HR support position was added to assist with nearly one decade of continued increase in demand for service, with no corresponding increase in department staff. The day-to-day demands for IT support continue to demand much of the Director‟s time, taking him away from many Human Resource responsibilities that are very significant in their importance. Alternatives to this daily technology support, including contract labor, will need to be investigated. Another major challenge for Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 19 this Department is the inadequate funding for capital replacement of major components of the Town‟s technology and telecommunications systems. FFFIIIRRREEE &&& EEEMMMSSS (((FFFOOORRRMMMEEERRRLLLYYY TTTHHHEEE DDDEEEPPPAAARRRTTTMMMEEENNNTTT OOOFFF PPPUUUBBBLLLIIICCC SSSAAAFFFEEETTTYYY))) The Fire & EMS Department was formerly titled the Department of Public Safety. This department is responsible for providing fire suppression, fire prevention/education, fire code enforcement, rescue, and advanced life support (ALS) emergency medical services to Westlake residents and businesses. HISTORY The rural nature and sparse population of the Town of Westlake has, in the past, required little public safety response so the Department‟s history is relatively new. The advent of for the need for public safety coverage began when the Solana Complex was constructed in 1988 and the main tenant was IBM. IBM requested public safety services from the City of Southlake and purchased the necessary equipment, which enabled the city to handle the additional service area. An aerial apparatus and ambulance were purchased for use in the area and a contract was implemented to provide building inspections and fire marshal activities. In the early 1970‟s, the Trophy Club MUD #1 district was created and the service responsibility for emergency response to Solana was eventually transferred to the Town of Trophy Club. The jurisdiction was handled by the joint departments of the Trophy Club/Westlake Department of Public Safety. During this time period, an inter-local agreement had been created to provide police, fire and court services for the entire Town of Westlake by the Town by the Town of Trophy Club. The Trophy Club officers would patrol Westlake, issue citations, handle accidents, etc. on both the highway and internal streets and their fire department covered the service calls for both towns. Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 20 In June of 2002, the agreement was dissolved and the departments were separated into the Town of Trophy Club Department of Public Safety and the Town of Westlake Fire Department. At the same time, the Town of Westlake initiated a contract with the City of Keller for law enforcement, jail, communications, and animal control services. The Town of Westlake relied on part-time firefighter/paramedics and EMTs to provide services to the Town. They used equipment that was on loan from the City of Southlake and Keller. The management of this intricate program was coordinated by Chief Greg Tucker, who was the original Trophy Club Fire Chief and later the Director of Public Safety. The fire personnel were housed and responded out of the Town Hall offices located in the Solana Complex. This was a short-term arrangement. In late September 2002, Chief Tucker passed away as the result of a lengthy battle with stomach cancer. This tragic event created the Department‟s first major change – the hiring of a replacement Director and the first full time personnel. Don Wilson, who had been working part-time under Director Tucker and was a retired Deputy Chief from the City of Euless, was hired as the new Director along with nine (9) firefighter/paramedics. The firefighter/paramedics were assigned to shifts – working the typical three (3) platoon firefighter shifts – with one (1) lieutenant per shift and two (2) firefighter/paramedics. Also in late 2002, the fire department personnel were moved to the temporary station on Dove Road. In the summer of 2003, the Department began responding to all service calls within the Town, including the Solana Complex, as well as inspection and fire marshal duties. The Department also began work on obtaining their own equipment. The Town purchased a MICU equipped ambulance from Frazier and a Crimson manufactured Fire Engine. The fire engine purchase was made possible through a grant from FEMA. The transition to a fully integrated DPS department began in 2004. This public safety concept rests on the notion of hiring, training, and using personnel that are both certified firefighters/paramedics and licensed police officers. Fire personnel enrolled in the Tarrant County College Police Academy and the certification Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 21 process continued for approximately two (2) years. The Town then had seven personnel additionally trained as police officers. In January 2005, the transition continued by the formal adoption of the current DPS ordinance (copy available). The long-term goal was to cross-train an adequate number of firefighter/paramedics as police officers, in order to assume law enfor cement duties, and replace the services provided by the Keller Police Department (KPD). It was anticipated that the contract would be modified to discontinue the use of KPD officers and begin the patrol and enforcement duties with our own staff, while continuing to contract for dispatch and animal control. The final move to an integrated DPS department for the Town is an ongoing goal and has not been fully reached at this time. The tri-certified Westlake personnel also began assisting the Municipal Cour t by providing field and office support to the Warrant Officer. These duties included serving arrest warrants, transferring prisoners, and providing courtroom security. These activities were performed on an „as needed basis‟ based on the staffing of the warrant officer position, through the later part of 2007. The public safety concept for Westlake was predicated on having a substantial sales tax revenue stream from a shopping mall that never materialized. Consequently, while the Town was incurring cost for cross-certification of its firefighter/paramedics as police officers, it was not truly using them in that capacity, yet at the same time the Town expending dollars for police services with the City of Keller. A change in the Department‟s leadership took place in spring 2009 with Lieutenant Richard Whitten assuming duties as Acting Fire Chief. Since that time the Department has moved away from the “public safety concept” (combined police and fire) toward a service delivery concept more closely aligned with its core service focus of providing fire suppression, fire prevention, and fire code enforcement/inspection services as well as advanced life support (ALS) paramedic level emergency medical services. PERSONNEL AND CURRENT SERVICES As mentioned, the Department provides Fire and EMS related services by utilizing a three (3) platoon system. Personnel are all certified firefighter/paramedics and the current staffing per shift is comprised of three (3) full-time personnel: Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 22  One (1) Lieutenant  Two (2) firefighter/paramedics  One (1) part-time firefighter/paramedic All Department personnel are state certified firefighters, many with advanced fire certifications and paramedics – and many are nationally registered or state licensed. We are fortunate to have such a broad base of knowledge for an agency of our size and the Town assists the fire personnel by maintaining all continuing education requirements and certifications within the Department. In an additional effort to work with other agencies, the Department participates in the North East Fire Department Association (NEFDA), which is a group of thirteen Northeast Tarrant County departments that provide personnel and equipment capable of responding to specialized and hazardous operations. The group consists of the cities of Bedford, Colleyville, Euless, Grapevine, Haltom City, Hurst, Keller, North Richland Hills, Richland Hills, Southlake and the towns of Roanoke, Watauga, and Westlake. These jurisdictions provide the following services:  HazMat response units – One (1) regional response unit and one (1) satellite response unit. The regional response unit is stationed in North Richland Hills and the satellite unit in Roanoke. All HazMat Departments, including Westlake, provides a minimum of two (2) state certified Hazardous Materials technicians per shift.  Explosive Response Unit (Bomb Squad) – One (1) regional response unit stationed in North Richland Hills.  Mass Casualty Response Unit – One (1) regional response unit stationed in Euless.  Technical Rescue Unit – One (1) regional response unit stationed in Haltom City. This unit is mainly for trench and confined space rescues.  Heavy Rescue Unit – One (1) regional response unit stationed in Grapevine. The unit is mainly for collapsed structures and other associated heavy rescue activities.  Air and Light Unit – One (1) regional response unit stationed in Bedford. This unit contains a breathing air compressor, additional Self Contained Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 23 Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) bottles, a heavy generator and fixed and portable scene lights.  Communications Unit – this unit is stationed in North Richland Hills and has the capability of linking all radio frequencies utilized in the area as well as Ham radio operators.  Mobile Incident Command Unit – One (1) regional unit stationed in Bedford. Along with these specialized units, the participating agencies provide standardized operating procedures for each discipline. The participating personnel routinely train together and in regional, state, and federal training opportunities. Many members are or have been members of Texas Task Force One, an emergency response task force. NEFDA maintains contracts with Tarrant County College – Northwest campus for fire related continuing education, which includes our annual live fire training as required by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Along with NEFDA, the Department is a member of the South Denton County Medical Control (SDMC) group. SDCMC consist of agencies from Argyle, Flower Mound, Krum, Roanoke, Trophy Club, and Westlake. SDCMC is under the direction of Dr. John Ansohn, an emergency room physician for Baylor Regional Medical Center at Grapevine. Dr. Ansohn is also the medical director for the cities of Grapevine, Colleyville, Watauga and Southlake. SDMC develops the protocols for our paramedics and contracts with Tarrant County College – Northeast campus for continuing education. Most of the patients that the Department transports are transported to Baylor Regional Medical Center at Grapevine. FIRE CODES AND RELATED ITEMS The Town of Westlake is proactive in its code requirements and their enforcement. The current codes for the Town consist of the 2006 International Codes. The electrical codes conform to the 2008 National Electrical Code. While the Town does amend the codes to address local fire sprinkler requirements, the bulk of the amendments to the codes are those recommended by the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG). Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 24 The 2006 International Fire Code, as amended by the Town, requires all structures in Westlake to be protected by fire sprinkler systems with few exceptions. Single family residential occupancies 6,000 square feet or more are required to have a system installed. Type U occupancies, 1500 square feet or more, are required to have systems installed unless there is living space in the occupancy, in which case the living space is protected regardless of the square footage. Enforcement and review of code requirements and development issues is a shared responsibility between the Fire Chief and the Director of Planning and Development. The Director is a member of the Development Review Committee (DRC) and provides comments for submittals to the Town and DRC. Inspections are handled in two ways – either the Fire Chief performs the inspections for new and existing construction projects or the personnel on duty perform the task via in-company inspections. All crews participate in these inspections and they are performed annually. The Town currently has an ISO rating of 4 / 9. The split rating is due to the undeveloped portions of the Circle T Ranch. The Ranch‟s undeveloped portion carries a rating of nine (9) – leaving the remainder of the Town at a four (4). FIRE/EMS SERVICE SUPPORT TO ACADEMY The Fire & EMS Department is very active in many of the functions occurring at Westlake Academy. These activities include:  Personnel provide standby coverage for medical and fire protection. (includes sporting events and tournaments).  Assists in the development of the Academy‟s disaster and emergency plans.  Assists the Academy staff in providing safety and public education classes and lectures.  Conducts CPR and first aid training for all staff members as required and/or requested (including the use of AEDs).  Works with the Academy nurse on a variety of issues dealing with student health and safety concerns.  Assists in providing public education and other community engagement at the Academy such as fire prevention education Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 25  Performs fire drills and other emergency evacuation drills.  Assist in parking and other related duties during special events and in the initial back-to-school time period.  Assists in the planning and implementing events occurring at the Academy. For example, the annual Bandana Bonanza and Tree Lighting Ceremony. FUTURE GOALS AND CHALLENGES As with any public safety entity, especially Fire and EMS, the main budgetary expenditure is related to personnel. The Department dedicates 46.8% of their annual budget to full-time and part-time personnel costs. Part-time positions are utilized to not only increase the staffing levels but, also as a cost cutting measure to reduce the overtime expenditures to the Town. This is a practice that is anticipated to continue within the Department. The revenues derived from delivery of the Department‟s services come from a variety of sources. EMS revenue is derived primarily from the EMS fees. Other sources of revenue for the Department are from inspection fees, fire lane parking violations, fire sprinkler system permits, North Central Texas Trauma Regional Area Council (NCTTRAC) grant funding, which is from the Texas Tobacco Settlement fund, and local donations. Throughout the history of the Department, there have been three (3) consistent challenges: funding, rumors regarding the elimination of the department and the increase in the number of service calls. As with many public safety departments, funding issues are an on-going challenge with each fiscal year. The previous purchase of the major apparatus and training assistance is or was covered in large part by grants. The Department has received grants for radio equipment, HazMat training, breathing air equipment, protective clothing, and fire and rescue equipment. The total grant funding has been approximately $900,000. The second challenge involves the disbanding of the Department and contracting out all the public safety services or being absorbed by another jurisdiction. KPD has continuously pursued the absorption of our Department into their service area and the Town of Trophy Club has also expressed a desire to provide services to Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 26 both towns as in the past. This affects the Department‟s ability to recruit employees. The increase in the number of service calls is another challenge for the Department. This issue has shown steady growth in all areas. The Department not only assumed all inspection and fire marshal duties from Trophy Club, but we have also broadened these activities. The First American Mortgage remodel was a major project for the Department. First American gutted four existing office units and connected them into one larger building. The project presented numerous challenges with the alarm system, fire protection sprinklers, air handling systems and evacuation plans. The inspection and fire marshal duties continued to increase with the re-modeling and building addition of the Marriott Hotel, the expansion of Fidelity Investments and the Academy expansions. The need for these services will not abate in the near future, as we are anticipating additional development in the years to come. The primary challenges facing the Department are based on maintaining the current service levels for Fire & EMS. In providing these services, the following items will warrant further review:  Personnel staffing to comply with all NFPA (National Fire Protection Agency) standards, Texas Fire Commission rules and regulations, and area obligations must be reviewed. It is desired to increase the current three (3) full-time personnel per shift to a minimum of five (5) full-time personnel – assigning three (3) to the fire engine and two (2) to the ambulance as is typically in this area. However, part-time personnel can be utilized to bridge this gap and provide „as needed backup‟ for scheduled vacancies.  Further implementation of the capital replacement program for major Departmental expenditures and future equipment requirements. The initial funds have been allocated in the most recent budget; however the replacement measures have not been completed.  Location of permanent facilities for the Department. Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 27 PPOOLLIICCEE SSEERRVVIICCEESS While our Westlake Fire & EMS Department provides fire and EMS services to our community, law enforcement activities are contracted with the City of Keller. This contractual arrangement began in 2002. Keller Police Department is a nationally accredited police agency which means they have met and maintained compliance with over 300 national police service quality standards. The contract calls for Keller Police Department (KPD) to provide one officer per shift - per district (outlined in the contract) as well as the auxiliary services necessary for the function and support of field units; Fire, EMS, or Police. Pursuant to the contract, Westlake is divided into two (2) districts. These districts are created by taking Pearson Lane and running this line to create a north – south line of demarcation, thus creating an east - west district. Each district is relatively the same size and contains equal portions of the City of Keller as well as the Tow n of Westlake. Two motor cycle officers are designed to work the highways (SH 114, 170 and 377) and local street traffic on a split shift basis. The officers are assigned to a schedule of Monday through Friday on 10-hour shifts. Usually, at least one motorcycle officer is assigned to traffic enforcement in Westlake during the typical workday hours. These officers also issue the bulk of the traffic citations. All citation revenue from traffic citations issued in Westlake goes to the Town of Westlake (note: this is only the municipal portion, a significant portion of dollars collected by our Municipal Court goes to the State for their mandated fees (taxes) that we collect for them). The contract does provide for auxiliary and support services. These services include:  Administrative fees and staff and personnel costs related to human resource activities and payroll, etc.  Communications  Jail Facilities  Animal Control Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 28 The communications and jail facilities provided by this contract are modern and of high quality. The City of Keller‟s central dispatch center provides fully enhanced 911-communications services to Keller, Southlake and Westlake. The communications center was expanded to provide them with the capability to dispatch for multiple agencies. The communications (radio and computer aided dispatch) system is a very valuable asset to the Town. As an auxiliary member of the system – Northeast Tarrant Communication Consortium (NETCO) – the Town participates in a three site, duplex, 800 MHz trunked radio system. NETCO consist of the cities of Bedford, Colleyville, Euless, Grapevine, Keller and Southlake. NETCO has redundant tower sites in many of the member cities and the Town is provided limited access to the system. The limitation is in the number of radio units – for a total of ten (10) units – with the use of one (1) talk group. The Town has maximized the number of radio units currently allowed under the agreement which are utilized by the Westlake Fire & EMS personnel and the Town Marshal. TTTOOOWWWNNN SSSEEECCCRRREEETTTAAARRRYYY The Town Secretary‟s Office is the central record keeping function for the Town and is responsible for all records (ordinances, minutes, etc) for the Town Council/Board of Trustees, its various advisory boards, and the Texas Student Housing Corporation, an instrumentality of the Town. HISTORY The Town hired its first Town Secretary in 1995, Ginger Crosswy, who was followed in 2005 by Jean Dwinnell. In 2007 Ms. Kim Sutter was hired as Town Secretary followed by the Town‟s current Town Secretary Kelly Edwards who was hired in August 2009. Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 29 PERSONNEL AND SERVICES The Town Secretary‟s Office has been, and continues to be, a one (1) employee operation. The Town Secretary is responsible for the following services:  recording and maintaining minutes from all Town Council and Board of Trustee meetings  assembling and distributing Town Council and Board of Trustee agendas and agenda packets, including placing these materials on-line on the Town‟s and Academy‟s web sites  recording and maintaining minutes from the Planning & Zoning Commission  assembling and distributing the Planning & Zoning Commission‟s agendas and agenda packets  posting of all notices as required by the Open Meetings Act for the Town Council/Board of Trustees, Planning & Zoning Commission, Zoning Board of Adjustments, Texas Student Housing Corporation (TSHA), Historical Preservation Board, Public Arts Society, and Westlake Academy Foundation  preparing and distributing agendas and agenda packets for the TSHA Board meetings  staff support for the administration of the TSHA student scholarship program (note: approximately one-third of the Town Secretary‟s salary is paid by THSA for these services)  recording and maintaining minutes from TSHA Board meetings  maintaining staff‟s agenda calendars for Town Council and Board of Trustees‟ meetings  budget preparation and administration for the Town Secretary‟s Office  oversight and administration of all regular and special municipal elections  official records manager for all Town documents including minutes, resolutions, contracts, proclamations, and ordinance  oversight of Academy records liaison  ensures proper codification of all adopted/amended Town ordinances  assembles and lays out the Town quarterly newsletter, The Westlake Wire  coordinate monthly meetings serving as Town liaison to Town‟s public relations firm Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 30  prepares and sends out bi-monthly email blast update on Town activities to Town residents  processes with the assistance of the Town Attorney all Open Records Requests received by the Town Ms. Edwards joined the Town‟s Leadership Team with extensive municipal experience as City Secretary for the City of Roanoke, Texas. She has the highest level of continuing certification offered by the Texas Municipal Clerks Association and holds her Certificate of Municipal Clerk (CMC) with the International Institute of Municipal Clerks. In addition to an annual training requirement necessary to maintain this certification level, Ms. Edwards must also have continuing education in various legislative changes to State laws such as the election code, Open Meetings Act, records retention, and the Open Records Act. FUTURE GOALS AND CHALLENGES The challenge for the Town Secretary‟s Office is the work load size handled by one (1) employee. Over time, if the demand for this Department‟s services continues to rise, additional staff support will be needed. Another major need is for a comprehensive record management program including placement of all official records into digital form for preservation and access. FFFAAACCCIIILLLIIITTTIIIEEESSS MMMAAAIIINNNTTTEEENNNAAANNNCCCEEE///PPPAAARRRKKKSSS AAANNNDDD RRREEECCCRRREEEAAATTTIIIOOONNN The Facilities Maintenance program performs preventive maintenance on all campus buildings and landscaping to protect the Town‟s investment in our infrastructure and to avoid significant costs related to system failures due to a lack of maintenance. The Park and Recreation Department maintains open spaces and facilities for recreational use by our citizens and the general public. The Civic Campus and the park, located in the Glenwyck Farms subdivision, comprise the facilities and park space that is available for use by residents and the public. The park Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 31 at Glenwyck Farms and the Academy campus host the Arbor Day celebration, Bandana Bonanza, the Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony and Decoration Day. HISTORY The Facilities & Recreation Department began in May of 2004 when a full time Director, Mr. Troy J. Meyer, was hired. The responsibilities of the position include invoice approval, contract negotiations for capital projects, lease agreements, budget oversight and preparation, planning reviews for open spaces and bids for all necessary supplies and capital projects. In addition to the daily activities, special event planning and assistance to the residents on projects such as Arbor Days, Decoration Day, and the employee Christmas Party are also handled by the Department. The Director has heavy interaction with the following groups and individuals:  Leadership of the Academy  School parent groups  House of Commons (parent, student, teacher association)  Westlake Academy Athletic Club  Westlake Academy Foundation  Westlake Historical Preservation Society PROJECTS – PARKS, FACILITIES AND MAINTENANCE PARKS - During the construction of the Glenwyck Farms subdivision, the developer allocated 13.5 acres of park open space, off of Dove Road, to the Town. The park has walking trails, which are accessible from within the neighborhood and through the concrete sidewalks that run alongside Dove Road. The park has frequently been the site of the annual Arbor Day celebration that draws people from the Westlake community, children and parents from the Academy and nearby residents to enjoy the games, fishing and booths that are set up and manned by the volunteers of the event . The Westlake staff, Academy student volunteers and fire department officers often participate in the setup and breakdown of the event, as well as volunteers at the booths. Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 32 The Parchman house, located on JT Ottinger Road, was donated to the Town in 2006. The facility consists of six acres of open space, a 2,000 square foot home and a small barn. We are currently using the property for miscellaneous storage and parking events at the cemetery. OPEN SPACE - These areas include the Parchman‟s six acres, the 13.5 acres within the Glenwyck Farms subdivision and the street medians within the Town. The medians are maintained by landscape and tree trimming contractors. The cost associated with the maintenance of the 13.5 acre open space is shared with the Glenwyck Farms HOA. All work completed within the park is shared equally between the Town and the HOA. The Terra Bella subdivision‟s first home was completed in summer of 2010. The subdivision includes 28 residential lots and 22 acres of open space with trails connecting the Solana business complex to Glenwyck Farms. FIRE STATION FACILITY - Our first non-permanent facility was the temporary modular building for the fire station that was leased in 2002. The building was an interim solution to address the housing needs of the DPS officers who had previously been operating and living out of the kitchen and meeting room of the Municipal Court offices. The temporary facility includes a three-bay metal building, to house the fire truck and ambulance, and had a 12 x 57 trailer. In December of 2006, the previous trailer was replaced with a 14 x 60 facility and a wood deck area was added for additional space. CIVIC CAMPUS - The Town‟s initial permanent and largest building project began with the Civic Campus space that is home to the Westlake Academy. The Town purchased 23.5 acres from Hillwood development to build the 53,000 square foot civic campus. Until May of 2007, the campus housed both the Town offices and Westlake Academy. This initial campus construction consisted of two (2), one story buildings for classrooms and office space, as well as a two (2) story gym with classrooms, a dining hall and performance hall. The soccer/softball field was completed in the fall of 2004 and a second field was added in the summer of 2007. The 8,400 sq. ft. Sam & Margaret Lee Arts and Sciences Center was completed on August 2010 which includes two science labs, art room with a kiln, offices, conference room and open space to display student art. , The original design of the center, included a black box theater and large art which was not completed due to funding. The project can Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 33 in under budget by $267,000 which will be use to extend the parking area just to the west of the Center. Total budget of the project was 5.1M. CEMETERY - The ownership of the Roanoke I.O.O.F Cemetery was transferred to the Town in January of 2008. This is an active cemetery that averages eight (8) burials per year. The Department is in the process of creating a master plan for the cemetery before the plan can be developed. A ground scan was completed in 2008. One hundred and seventy four(174) unmarked graves were located throughout the cemetery. The Town also hired a surveyor to locate all six sections within the cemetery. In April 2010, cemetery rules and regulations were presented to the Town Council, which also included a suggested name change to The Town of Westlake Cemetery. The Town Council would prefer that I.O.O.F. be included in the name. Staff will request permission from the I.O.O.F. organization to use th e name. The Town staff is now able to start selling grave spaces at the cemetery. LEASED OFFICE SPACE - The Town‟s Municipal Court, Texas Student Housing and Town Secretary offices relocated from the Civic Campus, in June of 2006, to the Solana Business Complex. The move was necessary to accommodate additional grade level expansion at the Academy. The new location consisted of 4,000 square feet of offices and courtroom space. In the spring of 2007, the remaining Town operations and staff relocated to adjacent office suites in Solana. The total leased office and Court space is 9,400 square feet and all of the maintenance is handled through the Solana complex. The current lease agreement will expire in May of 2011. MAINTENANCE - The Facility & Recreation Department also exists to carry out the day-to-day operations and maintenance of the temporary fire station, Westlake Academy, leased Town office space and engineering. The breakdown of specific maintenance operations are as follows:  Fire Station o Bay doors, septic systems, gravel drive and temporary trailer o Lease on the trailer will expire in December, 2011.  Civic Campus Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 34 o Doors, cameras, water fountains, soccer field and open space upkeep, clean return air vents o Repair furniture and floors o Contracts are held for landscaping, web control for HVAC and lighting, janitorial services, security cameras, 24-hour monitoring of alarm systems, lighting, water treatment, elevator service, HVAC units, irrigation systems, fire alarms and sprinkler equipment o Maintain and issue card keys to all Academy and Town staff o Oversee all capital projects at the Academy THE ACADEMY As previously mentioned, the Department supports many tasks related to the Academy. The basic activities completed for the school include minor repairs for door adjustments, drinking fountains, desks and lockers, mill work, flooring and lighting. Additional assistance is provided for AV equipment usage, ordering paper supplies, IMP co-editor, various ball and debris removal from drains and roofs, plumbing issues, student projects, mowing of the two soccer fields, parents groups, HOC, WAAC and assisting with Academy events. The Town, in conjunction with a local Boy Scout Troop, recently constructed a tree farm on the campus. The Department facilitated the location, volunteers and planting of the trees and the project helped a local resident attain his Eagle Scout badge. FUTURE GOALS The largest project for the Town in 2009 handled by the Department was the construction of the Sam & Margaret Lee Arts & Sciences Center. The residents approved a bond package to partially fund the building with the remainder of the funds being raised through donations to the school. The facility has undergone numerous plan revisions and the staff is wor king with contractors and the Board to execute the construction of the facility in an efficient and cost effective manner. The building was estimated at $5.1 million and was operational in the fall of 2009. Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 35 Another project involves the construction of a water well on the campus. The well is needed to support the additional landscaping around the new Arts & Sciences building, the new athletic field and the west parking lot. The cost is anticipated to be $40,000 and the anticipated completion time is October of 2010. The department applied for a Safe Route To School grant for TXDOT in the fall of 2009. The award announcement will be in summer of 2010. The department also applied for an Energy Block for lighting and HVAC improvements to the Academy. The grant notification will be in the summer of 2010. LONG TERM GOALS 1. Increase funding for HVAC to replace aging units 2. Purchase land for new fire station and/or Town Hall complex 3. Plans for maintenance facility 4. Update master trail plan FFFIIINNNAAANNNCCCEEE DDDEEEPPPAAARRRTTTMMMEEENNNTTT The Finance Department is responsible for maintaining all accounting and financial transactions, financial records, audits, and budgets administration in full compliance with State and Federal law/regulations, local ordinances and policies, and the customers, businesses, bond holders, and citizens of Westlake. As such, this department holds an important stewardship role to ensure that the Town‟s financial records are timely, transparent, accessible, and understandable for the Town Council, Town/Academy management, and Westlake stakeholders. HISTORY Former Town Secretary Ginger Crosswy provided basic bookkeeping as the Town‟s sole employee beginning in 1995. She was our first Town employee with then Mayor, Scott Bradley, being the only signer on the checking account. With the Town‟s first Town Manager Trent Petty on board, Mr. Todd Wood was employed in October 2001 and quickly implemented a more sophisticated system with Quickbooks. He performed all accounting and personnel related activities. Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 36 As the Town‟s employment grew, the Town Manager realized the need to utilize Todd in human resources and hire a Finance Director. In April 2003 Ms. Debbie Piper was hired as the Town‟s first Finance Director to oversee this function of the Town as well as oversee the audit process and all finance related activities. At one time, Todd was under the supervision of the Finance Director, and was later named a department head – Director of Human Resources and Administrative Services. During the same fiscal year in which the Finance Director was hired, a Finance Assistant, Jaymi Ford, was also hired to handle all accounting related functions. The Town‟s municipal accounting is performed in-house with Stw, Inc. software. Because we do not have adequate staff to also provide all the Academy‟s accounting functions, we contract with the State‟s Region XI Education Service Center to provide accounting assistance for the general ledger and payroll. In the early years of the Town‟s water system, the Town contracted with Aqua Source to read meters and generate utility billing. In July, 2004, the Town purchased and implemented Stw Utility software and is now maintaining all account information. Our staff reads the meters and the information is uploaded and sent to DataProse for the printing of the bills. We have found it is still more cost effective to outsource this portion of the utility billing process. Our staff receives and posts all water payments. As the Academy and Town grew, it was determined that an additional staff person would need to be added to the Finance Department. Sherry Whigham began her employment with the Town in November of 2007. Because the Town was run on a minimal staffing level, various policies and procedures were not in place upon the arrival of the Finance Director. As time permitted, the following documents have been written and implemented over the past five years: a. Written internal control policies and procedures b. Investment Policy – reviewed and approved annually c. Fiscal and Budgetary Policies Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 37 DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL Debbie Piper, current Finance Director, was employed in April of 2003 upon the recommendation of Felix Lozano, a partner with Whitley, Penn, LLP, who was in charge of the Town‟s audit at that time. Debbie‟s association with Felix began when her previous employer and his firm entered into an agreement to train Whitley Penn staff in school district auditing. At that time, she was performing 35-40 school and county audits annually and traveling all over Texas. She had been auditing for 8 years and wanted to try something different than the audit aspect of public accounting. The opportunity with Westlake appeared to be an ideal situation because she would also be responsible for the Academy‟s financial records, budget and audit. Her governmental experience would benefit both the Town and the Academy. Debbie holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Texas Wesleyan and is a Certified Public Accountant. As previously mentioned, Jaymi Ford was hired October 2003 in a newly created position as Finance Assistant. The position would be responsible for front desk duties, accounts receivable, accounts payable, banking and assisting in the budget and audit processes, as well as various administrative functions. She worked for 15 years at Tandy Business Computer/Radio Shack division in the accounting department and for 10 years with Cobblestone Golf as regional manager training staff accountants at different locations across the US. However, the lure of working for Westlake and the new charter school they had founded drew her in. Her son, Nick, attends Westlake Academy and is in the 11th grade. Sherry Whigham, the newest member to the Finance Department, was hired in November 2007. Her position was created and budgeted for during FY 2007-2008 when we determined Jaymi was working an additional 400 hours annually, equating to approximately $10,000 in overtime. Prior to commencing her employment with the Town of Westlake, Sherry worked for a national not -for- profit organization assisting in maintaining a central repository of formal actions taken against physicians and providing different services to licensing and disciplinary boards, the U.S. Armed Forces, the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services, and other national and international regulatory bodies involved in the employment and/or credentialing of physicians from 1999-2007. Business traits that were displayed in dealing with the general public and private sectors enable Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 38 Sherry to represent the Town of Westlake with the utmost professionalism. Her daughter, Brooke, also attends Westlake Academy and is in the 7th grade. CURRENT SERVICES The Finance department is responsible for collecting, recording, summarizing, and reporting the results of all financial transaction of the Town, Academy, and Westlake Academy Foundation in a timely manner. These day-to-day functions, along with preparing the budget document and working with the auditors on the annual audits keep the staff extremely busy. The Finance office personnel, Jaymi and Sherry, perform the following duties:  Switchboard duties  Accounts payable/receivable  Utility account set up and disconnection  Utility billing processing and accounts receivable  Banking and deposits  Month-end and year-end processes This is, of course, in addition to working with the Finance Director on the budget documents, preparing quarterly budget reports, and preparing for the audit known as the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR). The Department is also responsible for three checking and seven TexPool accounts for the Town; one checking and one TexPool account for the Academy; and, one checking and one money-market account for the Westlake Academy Foundation. Invoices are received from the various Department Heads and verified for completeness and accuracy. Accounts Payable is processed weekly. Check signers, other than the Town Manager, are Debbie Piper, Finance Director and the Mayor Pro-Tem. A facsimile signature of the Town Manager is used for all checks and any check in excess of $10,000 must have a second signature. Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 39 THE ACADEMY As previously stated, the Finance Department is responsible for all finance related aspects of the Academy. The Academy‟s general ledger, payroll, and accounts payable and receivable are maintained by the Region XI Education Service Center. The Academy staff reviews, codes and approves invoices and sends them to the Department for final review by the Finance Director and verification of proper documentation and coding. The invoices and check requests are then sent to the Service Center to be keyed into the general ledger and to process checks. The checks usually have a 1-2 day turnaround and are sent back to the Department for mailing and distribution. This department is responsible for all deposits and checks required by the school. We have 1 general fund, 7 special revenue funds, and 29 trust and agency accounts on the books with an estimated 361 annual deposits and 660 check requests annually. The Finance Director, Administrative Coordinator and certain staff have access to the service center software via internet and provide the CEO/Superintendent with various reports when requested. A quarterly report prepared and presented to the Board of Trustees. The Finance Director works closely with the CEO/Superintendent and Administrative Coordinator in preparing the budget for approval by the Board of Trustees. While fluctuating somewhat over time, the Academy‟s fund balance has grown from $12,000 in 2003-2004 to $504,653 as of the end of FY 08-09. A portion of the fund balance was transferred to help pay for the new Arts & Sciences Center‟s furniture, fixtures, and equipment. Due to the increase of a grade-level annually, the Academy‟s operating budget for Academic Services has increased from $1,368,113 in FY 03-04 to $4,057,713 in FY 09-10. This is with an increase from 195 students in FY 03-04 to approximately 490 in the current year. Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 40 WESTLAKE ACADEMY FOUNDATION The Westlake Academy Foundation was formed to raise funds and take other actions in order to enhance the educational opportunities offered by the Academy. The Department is also responsible for all financial related activities for the Foundation, including the annual audit. Signers on this checking account are Debbie Piper, Finance Director: Shelly Meyer, Executive Director, Leah Rennhack, President, and Deborah Ziegler, Treasurer. Any check in excess of $1,000 must be signed by two authorized signers. A monthly report is prepared by the Finance Director and forwarded to the Foundation‟s treasurer for monthly presentation to the Foundation Board. Currently, the Foundation directs one fundraising campaign annually to supplement the operations of the Academy named the “Blacksmith Annual Fund”. Each family is asked to donate $1,800 per student enrolled to supplement the funds received by the state. The Foundation is a 501(c) 3; therefore, the donation constitutes a tax deduction for each family. Blacksmith Annual Fund participation is not required, but strongly encouraged. Funds received range from $10 to more than $1,800 per student as a “best gift” varies for each family. Additionally, several families apply for matching gifts from their employers, providing another source of campaign contributions. Blacksmith funds are transferred to the Academy to support day-to-day operating expense payments. The Foundation anticipates exceeding the $420,000 budgetary goal for FY 2009- 2010. The funds received from the annual “Gallery Night” event are used to maintain and operate the Foundation. Current year net earnings for this event equaled $104,852. The Foundation will seek requests from the Academy to grant excess funds raised at Gallery Night. A new event in FY 2009-2010 was the Westlake Baja golf outing which netted $261,000. The Baja is dedicated to raising designated funds for attracting, retaining and developing high-quality teachers who exemplify, embody and inspire the IB philosophy, principles and standards. The Foundation led a capital campaign for the Arts & Sciences Center, raising $1.5 million in gifts from Academy families and area corporations. In addition to these Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 41 pledges, Texas Student Housing has donated a total of $500,000 to this building fund and Mrs. Margaret Lee donated $500,000. THE BUDGET The budget document, in terms of its presentation, has been a work in progress. Each year we have increased its detail and format to better inform the public of our financial policies, operations, and plans. Recently we received our third “Distinguished Budget Presentation Award” from GFOA for the 2009-2010 municipal budget. We received our first such award for the Academy‟s Academic Services Budget for FY 2009-10 as well. We began implementing departmental goals and objectives in the 2005-2006 Municipal Budget and have worked towards substantiating our activity and performance measures. The General Fund budget has hovered around $3.5 million to $4.1 million from FY 03/04 to present. This has been done, of course, without implementation of a property tax. Our beginning FY 07-08 fund balance of $3,096,299 looked deceivingly large due to the dissolution of 4A Economic Development Fund during FY 2005-2006 and a transfer of $2,194,313 being made to General Fund‟s fund balance. However, based upon current revenue forecasts and expenditure levels tied to our current level of service, our financial forecast shows that within two (2) fiscal years the Town‟s General Fund will be in a deficit situation. THE AUDIT The Academy is included in the audit as a blended component unit of the Town and Texas Student Housing projects are included as discretely presented component units. We have verified that the non-compliance and non-payment of debt on several of the projects will not affect the Town‟s bond ratings. The Town of Westlake does not have any liability for the payment of debt of these projects as the bonds are non-recourse to both the Town and Texas Student Housing Authority. Because of Debbie‟s background and expertise in auditing, the audit process has become much more streamlined and efficient in the past 5 years. Upon her arrival to the Town, 65 audit adjustments were proposed for the FY 02-03 audit. Only Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 42 two (2) auditor proposed adjusting entries were made for the FY 09 -10 audit. Jaymi, Sherry, and Debbie have all worked diligently in trying to keep these adjustment minimal. BONDED DEBT OF THE TOWN All Town debt issued to date is related to the initial construction and expansion of the Westlake Academy campus facilities as follows: a. Certificates of Obligation– Series 2002 - $12,400,000; Current balance - $7,329,913 payable through FY 2024. The Town saved approximately $30K annually by refunding a portion of the 2002 Certificates of Obligation. b. Certificates of Obligation – Series 2003 - $6,410,000; Current balance - $9,355,890 payable through FY 2032. c. General Obligation Refunding Bonds – Series 2007 - $7,465,000; Current balance- $12,302,920 payable through FY 2032. d. General Obligation Bonds –Series 2008 - $2,500,000; Current balance $3,277,656 payable through 2028. All debt for the Academy buildings is being paid by the Town as follows:  4B Economic Development Fund – these amounts have been committed to the repayment of the debt incurred for the Town‟s Civic/Academy Campus projects.  Property Tax Reduction Sales Tax Fund – Any excess debt payments remaining will be paid from this fund.  Visitors Association Fund – Payment for the Series 2008 - $2,500,000 bonds is expected to be made from this fund. While all the Town‟s bonded indebtedness is currently being retired by sales tax revenue as set out above, it is important to note that the bond covenant and indenture requirements for all these bonds are ultimately “back stopped” by a property tax pledge on all real and personal property in the Town limits should sales tax revenues not be adequate to retire the bonds. Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 43 PPPUUUBBBLLLIIICCC WWWOOORRRKKKSSS This Public Works Department is responsible for maintaining, planning, and overseeing the maintenance and construction of the Town‟s infrastructure related to its street, drainage, duct bank, solid waste, and water/sewer systems. HISTORY The Westlake Public Works Department, like many of the other departments, is relatively new. Prior to its establishment, the City of Keller provided a majority of Westlake residents with water service. However, the construction of Fidelity, Daimler Chrysler and Vaquero necessitated the Town‟s provision of utility services. The Town entered into a developer‟s agreement with Hillwood for the construction of a pump station and transmission mains to service their developments. During this period, the Town also initiated an aggressive and proactive right-of-way (ROW) management program centered on a Town owned telecommunication duct bank system. This created the need for utility infrastructure management, so the Town solicited bids for services. AquaSource (AquaTexas) was awarded the contract and began providing water/wastewater operations maintenance in April 2001, which continued until June 2004. The Town hired a Public Works Director in August 2003 to develop the Department and to move the AquaSource duties to an in-house position. The intent was to continue outsourcing labor intensive and specialized services and bring meter reading/billing under the direct supervision of the Town. PERSONNEL The Public Works Department oversees several functions: water/wastewater and telecommunication duct bank operations and maintenance, meter reading/utility billing, streets, drainage, solid waste, and engineering. The Westlake Public Works Director is responsible for the overall management of water, sewer, duct bank, drainage, streets, solid waste, and engineering operations. The Director represents the Town on various boards and Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 44 committees relating to water and sewer; monitors water quality and handles reporting requirements set forth by the state; reviews and inspects all infrastructure; manages water and wastewater SCADA operations and facilitates water meter reading and billing. Jarrod Greenwood holds the position of the Westlake Public Works Director and has been in the public works profession for approximately 16 years. He has served in the following municipalities: Oklahoma - Antlers; Texas - Blue Mound, Keller and Haltom City. Jarrod graduated from the University of North Texas with a Bachelor of Business Administration and a minor of Public Administration. He holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Troy University. Jarrod also has a “Class A Water Operator” license and a “Class III Wastewater Collection” license. Public Works and Facility Maintenance share a full-time maintenance employee, Josheph Lopez. This position was created in FY08/09 to relieve both Department Heads of a portion of the “field work” and allow them to concentrate on administrative duties within their department and also to improve customer service to the Town and Academy. CURRENT SERVICES WATER - Westlake has approximately 70,000 LF of water lines and purchases treated water from the City of Fort Worth as a wholesale customer. We also have a seat on the Water Advisory Committee with full voting privileges. Fort Worth charges are based on volume and demand. The Town has historically seen high demand charges as a result of the unique nature of Westlake. We have one (1) – 1MG elevated storage, one (1) - .685 MG ground storage tank, and one (1) pump station. The water tower (elevated storage) is a joint use tower that is co-owned between Westlake and Keller and is maintained in accordance with an inter-local agreement ( ILA). Town staff handles the reading of the water meters and processes the billing payments. Printing and mailing of water bills are outsourced to a third- party; however, the Town retains access to view, print, and email PDF images of Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 45 our customer‟s bills. Water meters consist of a combination of manual read meters and radio read meters. The last rate analysis was conducted in 2008 and is currently undergoing an update. We currently have three main water customers: Daimler Chrysler, Fidelity, and Vaquero Golf Club, although Vaquero is installing a reverse osmosis system to utilize ground (well) water for irrigation, so their use of the Westlake water system should decrease greatly. The Department has installed in the last two years a magnetic flow water meter and electronically operated butterfly valve at the pump station. The implementation of these items eliminated the Town‟s exposure of reliance of flow signals from Fort Worth. Historically, the Fort Worth device responsible for transmitting the signals failed; thereby, causing the ground storage tank to overflow. These failures resulted in wasted water cost, increased peak charges that had to be disputed, and increased demands for after hour call-outs. Beginning in 2006, the Town hired Biggs & Matthews to develop a feasibility study on the potential of a second water source. The Upper Trinity Water District lies within Denton County and a different watershed. The intent was to secure water for the Town, which would address our needs for the next fifty years. The Town desired, and needed, a regional effort between Westlake, Roanoke, and the Town of Trophy Club to achieve this source. Currently, there is a lack of support for the project from the neighboring communities and the concept has been placed on hold. The City of Southlake plans to construct a 30” waterline through Westlake along the future development of FM 1938. The proposed alignment is within an easement owned by the Town and would require the Town‟s permission. In return for Southlake‟s use of the Westlake easement. Westlake would like a connection to the water line and the rights to 2 MGD. Westlake would pay for the construction of a new meter and applicable facilities and appurtenances. SEWER - The Town has approximately 39,000 LF of sanitary sewer lines and contracts with Trinity River Authority (TRA) to treat wastewater. We also have a seat on the Denton Creek Advisory Committee with full voting privileges. The billing is based on the projected annual flow, which is determined by each member city with a midyear adjustment. Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 46 Westlake also has a unique arrangement with the City of Southlake for the conveyance of wastewater through a jointly owned sewer line (N-1 Sewer Line). Southlake reads a flow meter and charges us for the amount of flows they are billed from TRA. The partnership originated with the development of our Glenwyck Farms subdivision. Southlake provided water and sewer service to the neighborhood, since Westlake did not have water or sewer infrastructure available when the area was developed. The Town is now providing water and sewer service to Glenwyck Farms. The joint sewer line is known as “N-1” and was constructed in 1996. The line serves both Westlake and Southlake. Westlake and Southlake entered into an inter-local agreement (ILA) for the funding of construction, entitlement of flow capacity, and maintenance responsibilities. Westlake paid a portion of the construction costs and now has access to 48.5% of the line‟s capacity. The maintenance is currently provided by Southlake and charged to Westlake pursuant to the ILA. Westlake and Southlake are currently working with TRA to transfer the ownership and maintenance of the N-1. Prior to the transfer of ownership, the lines had to be tested and inspected for any structural deficiencies. RJN, Group was hired to conduct an engineering analysis and prepare a comprehensive report. The report by RJN indicated some significant inflow and infiltration from Westlake. We hired a contractor and made numerous repairs and RJN is now conducting additional wet weather flow monitoring for the Town. Once TRA is satisfied with the condition of the N-1 line, Westlake and Southlake will each construct a meter station to monitor our flows. The meters will be constructed per TRA standards and dedicated to them. TELECOMMUNICATIONS DUCTBANK - Westlake officials envisioned a Town that controlled its own growth and desired to do so in a manner unlike conventional practices. We chose to adopt an ordinance relating to the construction and management of a duct bank - a series of pipes used to convey telecommunication lines. The concept was intended to minimize the need for telecom providers to dig in Westlake, which results in a disruption of other services, property damage, and inconvenience to residents and property owners (see Texas Town &Country article Feb. 2003). The opportunity to control right-of- way and manage it responsibly is imperative for the protection and safety of all citizens and utility providers. Westlake is in a unique position, since relatively little development has occurred. The premise was/is that a developer is required Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 47 to construct a duct bank just as they would be required to for water or sewer lines. However, the Town has already installed approximately 11,000 LF and funded them through 4A Economic Development funds and the General Fund. To date approximately 49,000 LF of the duct bank has been constructed and is occupied by AT&T and/or Verizon. The duct bank exists along all of the future FM 1938, Solana Blvd., Sam School Road, Dove Road (between FM 1938 and Pearson), Ottinger Road and all of the Vaquero and Terra Bella subdivisions. The Town has not experienced a single damaged telecom line within the duct bank. This is in large part due to the fact that the Town knows exactly where telecom providers are (when located in the duct bank) and this information is communicated to any contractor. Staff locates the duct bank and monitors any excavation in or around the immediate area. This process ensures that any damage is immediately repaired and documented. The Town is also a member of DigTess and facilitates every „line locate‟ request for work within the Town. STREETS – Approximately 10.8 miles of public streets, of which 2.8 miles have been reconstructed within the last 6 years, exists within the Town limits. Vaquero, Glenwyck, Paigebrooke, and Terra Bella subdivisions all have private streets. Reconstruction of major roads is typically performed by Tarrant County through an ILA, where Westlake only pays for the materials. Public roads within our newer subdivisions must be constructed through competitive bidding by a private contractor. Pothole/shoulder repair work is provided by a local contractor on an “as needed” basis. We have two “school zone” traffic signal flashers on Ottinger Road. The school flashers were integrated into the Town‟s SCADA system to allow staff the ability to monitor and operate them remotely. The signage is repaired and replaced by staff. We adopted an ordinance requiring all the street signs to be powder coated “green.” SOLID WASTE – The trash and recycling services in Westlake are handled by Allied Waste, formerly Trinity Waste. The Town receives a 12% franchise fee. The current contract expires in 2011 and contains a provision for rate adjustments based on Consumer Price Indexes. In late 2006, we experienced a reduction in customer service levels due to a strike by Allied employees. In August 2008, the Town automated residential solid waste collection, assumed the billing Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 48 responsibilities for residential customers as indicated in the contract, and switched residents to 96 gallon waste carts and 65 gallon recycling carts. ENGINEERING - The Town utilizes an outside firm, Graham Associates, to provide engineering services. The Department manages, coordinates, and develops the budget for tasks related to engineering. DEVELOPMENT REVIEW- The Public Works Department is centrally involved in review of all residential and commercial development projects to ensure that all the Town‟s development and infrastructure standards are met. CAPITAL PROJECT ADMINISTRATION- This Department plays a key role in the planning and construction of all capital projects for new or reconstruction of existing streets, drainage, telecommunications duct bank, and water/sewer infrastructure. THE ACADEMY The Department‟s interaction is somewhat limited. However, we do provide backup assistance for the Facility and Recreation Director on an „as needed‟ basis. One very important connection of the Public Works Department and the Academy is the Department‟s use of joint computer server housed at the Academy which is used in part for the Town‟s SCADA system which allows remote monitoring and control of the Town‟s water pumps and elevated storage system. A natural gas powered generator was installed in April 2009 to provi de emergency backup power for the server room at the Academy. INTER/INTRA AGENCY INTERACTION The Department provides barricades and other traffic control devices during emergency situations. The Town has a few street crossings that are prone to flooding during heavy rainstorms, which has necessitated road closures. In addition, we provide road sanding/salting and other traffic related re-routing due to snow or icy weather. This year we experienced a heavy snowfall that resulted in road closures and dangerous conditions due to the hills in and around the Town. Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 49 As previously mentioned, the Westlake and Keller Public Works Departments share a water tower. This concept was the first “tower within a tower” configuration known to exist in the world. Keller provides all maintenance and inspections of the tower and bills Westlake according to the ILA. THE BUDGET AND CAPITAL PROJECTS The Public Works Department oversees a General Fund budget that finances street, drainage, and traffic maintenance operations. The Department also oversees the Utility Fund which includes the water, sewer, and duct bank operations. A water rate study conducted in 2008 indicated that the Town‟s current water rates were not based on cost of service and were not meeting that systems‟ revenue requirements. Thus, a rate increase was approved by the Council and implemented in January 2009. We are currently reviewing the current water and sewer rates. The Town‟s wholesale water provider, the City of Fort Worth, will have their wholesale water contract up for renewal in December 2010. Staff is currently working with other customer cities on a new water contract with the City of Fort Worth. Additionally, in 2009-10 the Town put its first true five (5) year capital improvement plan (CIP) in place for all funds. Unfortunately, due to the Town‟s financial situation, most all the CIP‟s projects were pushed back at least 1 year, in many cases 3-5 years. In the past year the Department has managed capital projects of various types that are in various stages of completion. The Stagecoach Hills Subdivision received a major drainage improvement project that was recently completed. A water distribution line project is now in the design phase for this project. The Director has been heavily involved in the planning of the TxDOT funded FM 1938 (Precinct Line Rd) project that is about to begin construction. The Director has also been involved in overseeing the formulation of a streetscape plan for the FM 1938 corridor in Westlake. We will also see the construction of a new SH 114 & SH 170 interchange in FY 10/11. While our involvement will be much more limited than FM 1938, we will work with TxDOT to include streetscape enhancements in the project. Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 50 FUTURE GOALS AND CHALLENGES One of the challenges currently facing the Department is the combination of manual and electronic read meters. While the manual/automated mix is an impediment to efficient meter reading and billing operations we are currently working to replace existing manual meters with automated. Staff has investigated the implementation of an alternative automated meter reading system, known as a “Fixed Based Network”. This type of systems represents the most efficient means of collecting meter readings and water usage data in real time for our customers. A challenge arose in that the systems were not conducive to Westlake‟s rural character, terrain, and electrical pole ordinance. Staff explored options ranging from outright purchase of equipment to a lease agreement on cost per meter read basis. For any option, the costs associated for this type of system makes it financially unfeasible for Westlake‟s few number of water customers. The Department relies on contractors to provide emergency water and wastewater repairs, sewer stoppages, and road repair/construction. A more efficient and cost effective alternative may be an ILA with the City of Keller for the provision of public works services. The agreement would include water, sewer, streets, and drainage work. The proposed Deloitte training facility will be a valuable asset to the Town and will also present unique water service challenges. The new facility will increase the max MGD consumption by roughly 40%. This means the current ground storage tank would be inadequate and that the Town should consider an additional storage tank. Public Works and Engineering are working to determine the overall impact of the proposed facility and the costs and benefits of the added storage. Overall, the largest challenge facing the Department is funding that can be utilized on a regular basis for maintaining and improving the Town‟s infrastructure through both its operating budget and the five year CIP. This in effect creates a large unfunded liability for the Town in terms of sust aining its infrastructure. One funding source that could help address drainage, and in some cases trail, needs is a drainage utility. This is in the Town‟s strategic plan. Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 51 WWEESSTTLLAAKKEE AACCAADDEEMMYY Without question, Westlake Academy, the Town‟s largest operating department, utilizes the largest portion of the Town‟s financial resources, both in a direct and indirect fashion. Westlake Academy, a full spectrum K-12 International Baccalaureate municipally owned open enrollment charter schools has a current enrollment of approximately 490 students and 60 staff and faculty. The Town‟s debt service costs are presently devoted entirely to the Academy (see Finance Department section of this report for details). A significant amount of the Town‟s municipal staff has a large amount of their time supporting the Academy‟s daily operation in terms of:  finance and budgeting  accounting and auditing  payroll  official records keeping  Board meeting preparation support  risk management  human resources services (broad spectrum)  information technology/telecommunications systems support  general planning and management  strategic planning  communications  staff development  physical plant maintenance (buildings and grounds)  public safety services (fire, EMS, and police) This support was intended from the Town‟s municipal organization for the Academy from its inception as set out in the Town‟s charter application. As the Academy has grown in enrollment and staffing, so has its demands on the these municipal resources. This service demand growth reflects the needs of a school that as it has grown in grades offered and enrollment, has by necessity, needed more time, attention, and complex systems to ensure its proper management. Narrative History & Description of Town of Westlake Services 52 FUTURE CHALLENGES AND ISSUES While there are a number of issues facing Westlake Academy, the two major issues that are most pressing are finances and facilities. The Academy‟s expenditures, while expensed between two budgets (one Municipal, the other Academy operating), total approximately $6.1 million in FY 09-10. Approximately $2.1 million or 34% of this total is expensed to the Town‟s Municipal budget for campus maintenance, the campus‟ annual debt service payments, and indirect cost related to administrative support of the Academy. The remaining $4 million or 66% of this total $6.1 million budget is expensed to the Academy‟s operating budget, called the Academic Services Budget. This budget is funded by State public education funds, federal/state grants and donations from the Westlake Academy Foundation‟s annual Blacksmith Campaign. The Town‟s finances are challenged and constrained by lack of sales tax growth and the absence of other sustainable revenue sources, including a municipal property (ad valorem) tax. While revenue challenged and constrained, the Town has experienced increased operating costs as a result of operating the Academy and increased debt service costs (from issuance of $2.5 million in bonded indebtedness for construction of the Lee Arts & Science Center). Currently the Town‟s Municipal Budget bears an annual cost of $249,000 related to the operation and maintenance of Westlake Academy. Without growth in the Town‟s revenue base that is sustainable or a reduction in costs, it is not possible to incur further growth in expenditures for:  Academy campus routine physical plant maintenance caused by increased use and aging of that physical plant  issuance of new bonded indebtedness for new facilities  major maintenance projects on existing facilities (roof, heating/cooling, etc)  major technology upgrades and replacements  major furniture and fixture replacement  continued increase in demands for additional indirect support for new faculty and students