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Jefferson County
Board of Commissioners
Agenda Request
To: Board of Commissioners
Mark McCauley, County Administrator
From: Monte Reinders, Public Works Director/County Engineer
Agenda Date: December 18, 2023
Subject: Temporary Revisions to Transfer Station Operating Hours
Statement of Issue: Beginning January 1, 2024, Public Works Solid Waste Division cannot
safely operate the solid waste transfer station six days a week with the currently
available trained staff.
Analysis/Strategic Goals/Pro's Et Con's: To maintain posted transfer station hours in
November and December, Public Works borrowed Operators and Laborers from the Roads
Division and from the City of Port.Townsend and occasionally closed the Quilcene facility in
order to maintain posted transfer station operational hours. Solid Waste will experience
further staff loss in January.
Available labor for solid waste and household hazardous waste material management has
decreased since 2020 whereas solid waste tonnages have increased as shown in the below
table with data through November of 2023:
2019-2023 YTD Labor Hours vs Tonnages
16,000.00 25,000.00
15,500.00 �
23,000.00
15,000.00
14,500,00 7
21,000.00
14,000.00 19,000.00
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
YTD
-Hours -Tonnage
Solid Waste Division workload has increased at the same time that it has experienced this
reduction in available staff. Key personnel remain absent on extended medical leave. Staff
shortages in key supporting departments including IT and EREtR has placed an additional
burden on the Solid Waste Division to help fill gaps in equipment maintenance needs and
software/hardware issues. Recruitment and retention have been challenging owing to private
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sector and other County agency competition combined with Jefferson County's high cost of
housing and low housing unit availability.
After months of advertising with no responsive applications received, Solid Waste has recently
been able to recruit two potential equipment operators. We remain hopeful that this could
help alleviate some of the issues that have plagued the operation; however, staff turnover
remains a risk for this essential function that serves every household in business in Jefferson
County and the City of Port Townsend.
Fiscal Impact/Cost Benefit Analysis: Solid Waste Division staff have worked six hundred and
forty-six (646) hours of overtime in 2023 through November with an attendant increase in
non-budgeted costs as shown in the below table:
2019-2023 YTD Overtime Hours/Cost
800.00 $25,000.00
600,00 $20,000.00
�M $15,000.00
400.00 ra..ew„d
$10,000.00
200.00 w w $5,000.00
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
YTD
Hours Base Cost
Even with this overtime, available staff hours have decreased as shown in the previous table.
The rise in overtime hours increases the risk of injury to Solid Waste Division staff, creating a
greater exposure to the County for LEtl claims. The high level of overtime hours has led to
staff fatigue and burnout which will lead to additional staff losses if not corrected.
Recommendation: The hiring process for two new Operators should be completed by the
first week of January 2024 with adequate training completed by early February, 2024. In
order to reduce overtime hours and provide time for needed new hire training, Public Works
recommends the reduction in transfer station operational hours from six days/week to five
days/week with temporary closure on Saturdays from January 6, 2024 through February 3,
2024 and with regular hours resuming February 5, 2024.
Department Contact: Al Cairns X213
Review By:
7
3 �
Mark McCain , County Administrato Dat