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MEMORANDUM TO : MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL FROM : MICHAEL E. MALONE, CITY MANAGER SUBJECT : W & S RECOMMENDATIONS OF COUNCILMAN PLATA, RECOMMENDATION NUMBER FOUR DATE : MAY 14, 2003 RECOMMENDATION NUMBER FOUR: Cut operators manning the water production plant from 2 people per shift to 1 person per shift. The mission of the water treatment division of the Utilities Department is to produce potable drinking ~vater while protecting the health of the people we serve by treating the drinking water properly while meeting exacting state and federal standards as encompassed in the SafeDrinking Water Act and other regulations, to ensure the protection of the health and safety of our employees, and to perform this task as economically as possible. The size and complexity and operating conditions for the water treatment plant in Paris, Texas, at Lake Crook are considerably different than from the facilities in cities that have been furnished by Councilman Plata for comparison purposes. You will recall that the representatives of OMI, in making their presentation, advised that each city's operation was different. There are very good reasons why our Utilities Department is staffed as it is and this has developed over many years to meet increasing regulatory responsibilities and to operate a greatly expanded operation with more equipment and more tasks to be performed. While the duties have greatly expanded in the past ten years, no additional personnel have been added during this period. The number one reason for having a minimum of two people manning the water production plant each shift is for the health and safety of the public who consumes the water produced and, equally important, to maintain the health and safety of our employees. A secondary reason would be to provide an extra measure of protection for the assets of the water treatment plant to prevent damage to the facility. On one occasion, when I served on the City Council, the only operator at the plant fell asleep one night and failed to turn off pumps which compounded the error of leaving the bonnet off of one of the high service pumps being repaired, thus flooding the water plant and putting the plant out of production for several days. The electric motors had to be pulled from the pumps and shipped to Fort Worth, Texas, to be dried out at a cost of approximately half a million dollars. Fortunately, at the time, the old Camp Maxey svater treatment plant could produce some water for the citizens, but industry was curtailed and the situation was expensive for all concerned. There was a lot of lost production in Paris and a great danger to the public safety because of this simple error. On another occasion, the only operator on duty slipped and fell approximately ten feet off the end of the filter deck and lay unattended for some unknown time before he recovered and resumed his duties. These two actual occurrences I believe effectively demonstrate the need for two personnel to be on duty at both plants during each shift. In addition to the above, I am attaching additional information which details the requirements that are placed on these personnel on a 24/7/365 basis. Mr. Campbell is present to discuss in detail why major staff reductions are not advisable. MEM/mm Attachment: Exhibit 1 5-14-03-Mayor and Council-Plata Recommendation Four