... IssueFL.1–Monitoring and managerialcontrolsarenotadequatetocontrolcosts and prioritiesofthefleetmanagementprogram.BackgroundWerequestedanorganizationalchartoftheSWDFleetMaintenanceshop and alistingofalltheunionsrepresentedbytheworkers.Afterareviewoftheorganizationalshopcontactlist,wereviewedthemanagementvs.unionratios,whichindicatedapotentiallackofmanagementrepresentation and independence.Wemetwithshopmanagementtodiscussthispotentialissue.Afterdiscussionswithmanagement,werecreatedtheorganizationalstructureoftheSWDFleetMaintenanceprogramtogainabetterunderstandingoftheoperating and reportingstructure,unionrepresentation and spanofcontrol.SWDFleetMaintenancepersonnelarerepresentedbyfiveunions and nineseparateunioncontracts.Contractdesignationsamongpersonnelaredeterminedbytrade.Transferstationoperators,scaleoperators and truckdriversarerepresentedbythelargestoftheseunioncontracts,TeamsterL174.ThemajorityofpersonnelworkingattheCedarHillsRegionalLandfill,whetherintheFleetMaintenancefacilityoroperatingmachineryonthelandfill,isunionrepresentedemployees.Additionally,allindividualtradessuchaswelders,electricians and carpentersarerepresentedseparately. ... Water Treatment Division(WTD)background and historyTheWTDisoperatedbytheKingCountyDNRPthroughtheWaterQualityenterprisefund.Asanenterprisefund,water treatment isfunded and operatedseparatelyfromotheroperationsofthecounty and theuseofitsrevenues,bondproceeds and grants‐in‐aidisrestrictedbypurpose.InaccordancewithRCW35.58,theWaterQualityfundisusedtoprovidesewage treatment and waterpollutionabatementservicestotheurbanizedareasofthecounty.TheWTDservesabout1.4millionpeoplewithina420‐square‐mileserviceareathatextendsthroughoutabroadareaofKingCounty and intoportionsofPierce and SnohomishCounties.TheWTDhaslong‐termsewage treatment agreementswith17cities and 17sewerdistrictsthatoperatesewagecollectionsystemswithintheWTDservicearea.Thesecity and regionalcollectorspaymonthlysewagedisposalchargestotheWTDpercontract,whicharedeterminedbasedonoperatingcosts and debtserviceoftheWTD.Inadditiontothesewercharges,theWTDcollectsacapacitychargeonallhomeowners and buildingownersinthecounty'sserviceareawhohaveconnectedtothesewersystemonorafterFebruary1,1990,perRCW35.58.570 and KingCountyCodeNo.28.84.050.Thesearecollectedona15‐year,monthlypaymentschedulewiththeoptiontoexerciseanearlypayoff.TheWTD’smajorfacilitiesincludethetworegional treatment plants,theWestPoint and South Treatment Plants,aswellastwosmaller treatment plantsonVashonIsland and inCarnation.TheBrightwater Treatment Plantlocatedinthenorthernpartoftheregionisscheduledtobecompletedin2010withoperationsstartingin2011.Adailyaverageof200milliongallonsofwater treatment fromhomes,industries and streetsreachthecounty’stworegional treatment plantsthrough47pumpstations,19regulatorstations and morethan335milesofsewerpipes.Operationsbeyondwater treatment arealsoperformedbytheWTD.Theseactionsincludebiosolids waste processing,reclaimedwaterprojects,odorcontrol,aswellastestingalternative treatment technologies.Thebasicwater treatment processisdepictedintheprocessdiagraminAppendixF.AlthoughthisdiagramisspecifictotheWestPointPlant,itsbasicoperationsaresimilartothoseattheSouthPlant.Asshowninthisdiagram,waterthatcomesintotheplantsundergoesaseriesofprocesses,including:• ... FigureBE‐1 and 2MonthlyResidentialWater treatment Charges(NotincludingCapacityCharges)TheSolid Waste Divisionalsocontainssitespecificconsiderationsthathampertheuseofcommonbenchmarkingmetricssuchascostpertontodisposeof waste. Examplesinclude:TheSWDscopeofoperationsincludescollectionsattransferstations,disposal and maintenanceatthelandfill, and monitoring and maintenanceofclosedlandfills.TheSWDdoesnotengageincurbsidecollectionof waste. Thisworkishandledbyprivatecontractors.Henceacomparativeanalysisoftippingfeesisdifficultbecauseothervendors’costswouldalsoreflectcurbsidecollection.TheSWDengagesinworkassociatedwithrecyclingeducation and waste reductionwhicharenotoftenpracticedbyprivatefirms.TheSWDengagesinworkassociatedwithGreenBuildingSupport and educationwhicharenotoftenpracticedbyprivatefirms.ToassessSWDoperationsErnst and YoungexaminedtheCedarHillsLandfill’sAirspaceUtilizationFactororAUF.TheAUFisameasureofthehistoricquantityof waste incorporatedintoagivenvolumeofairspace.TypicallytheAUFisexpressedinlbspercubicyard(lbs/cyd).Inthesolid waste industry,AUFisconsideredagoodperformancemeasurebecausethelandfill’skeyassetisitspermittedairspace and thegreaterthequantityof waste thatcanbedisposedofinasetquantityofairspacethemoreefficienttheoperation.BasedonreviewsofSWDdata,thehistoricAUFrealized for theCedarHillssiteis1,300lbs.percubicyard.Inthemorerecentlyconstructed and operationalareasofthelandfillnewdatasuggestthisfigureisslightlyhigher(over1,400lbs/cyd).Ernst&Young’sexperienceinconductingfinancialauditsofprivate waste managementfirmshasindicatedthattheindustryaverageAUFisgreaterthan1,400lbspercubicyardatmaturesites.ThecurrenttippingchargeattheCedarHillsLandfillis$95/ton.AswiththerateschargedbytheWTD,theSWDalsohasestablishedagoalofmaintainingcostsinlinewithinflation.FiguresBE2 and BE‐3presentedbelow20illustratedthedivision’sperformanceasof2007,priortotherecentrateincrease.Thecurrentdisposalrateis$95/ton.TheCityofSeattle,whichisnotpartoftheKingCountySWDserviceareahassetfeesof$130pertonthroughMarch9,2009 and $145pertoneffectiveJanuary1,2010.TheCityofTacomahasafeestructurebasedonthesizeofcontainersusedbyarearesidents.Residentswhoself‐haultothelandfillmaybechargedbytheton.Thecost for atonofself‐hauled waste for Tacomaresidentsis$114.KingCountyratesarethereforecomparabletootherserviceprovidersintheregion....