Job Description

JOB SUMMARY

As a strategic member of the City’s Leadership team, this position oversees the Municipal Services Department which provides the City’s water, wastewater, fleet, street, storm, building maintenance, and engineering services, and oversees the City’s municipal airport. This position ensures that Moses Lake is preparing for its next phase of development by leading the identified divisions in partnership with the city leadership team, City Manager, City Council and community consistent with local, state and federal law.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Establishes goals, objectives and policy for the department to ensure compliance with the directives of the City Manager, Mayor and City Council and all applicable local, state or federal laws, rules and regulations.
• Oversees preparation of the department budget and ensures financial integrity of the enterprise funds; presents the annual operating budget for approval by the City Manager and City Council; authorizes expenditures in accordance with established limitations; plans and estimates cost on public works capital improvements projects.
• Directs, evaluates and promotes the program accomplishments of the various divisions; provides assistance to division heads in preparing programs and objectives.
• Confers with division heads to problem solve; provides technical advice on engineering, public works, project planning, building maintenance, and fleet maintenance issues; acts as a subject matter expert on matters concerning major departmental activities with the City Manager and City Council.
• Develops and reviews staffing, equipment, and capital requirements for each division; approves or modifies departmental budget requests prior to submission to the City Manager.
• Trains and guides division heads on managing and evaluating staff and resolving personnel issues; hires, trains, assigns, directs, and disciplines personnel.
• Oversees the development and updating of the Transportation Improvement Program, Comprehensive Water, Stormwater and Sewer Plans, the Capital Improvement Program, and other plans involving the infrastructure of Moses Lake, consistent with the city’s overall Comprehensive Plan and Washington State Growth Management Act.
• Oversees the preparation of engineering plans and specifications, bidding, competency of contractors and vendors, and the selection criteria for public contracts; oversees project management for the construction of municipal services projects; oversees and inspects assigned projects to ensure contractor compliance with time, budget and contract parameters for the projects; and oversees the maintenance of Moses Lakes infrastructure and related records.
• Administers the Transportation Benefit District.
• Directs the department’s response to major emergency events and oversees implementation to ensure effective and efficient departmental action; requests aid from other cities and sources as necessary.
• Represents the department at City Council, Council Committee and other meetings to present the department’s plans and accomplishments and to discuss the development and implementation of programs, policies, etc.
• Serves as a liaison to civic and special interest groups, local service organizations and other municipal agencies to coordinate activities and to arrange the use of City services and/or resources; responds to citizen concerns and issues and determines appropriate resolutions to maintain positive community/customer relations for the department and the City.
• The Director is a leader and as such communicates and supports City goals and safety practices, motivates team members, provides effective guidance, and creates and inspires a team culture across all City team environments with an open communication culture; participates, engages, and communicates actively with Leadership Team and is responsive and supportive of fellow team members, working collaboratively with one another toward goals of all department(s) and the City; leads by setting a good example with open, positive and productive behavior; takes part in strategic planning and works closely with City elected leadership in setting and carrying out vision, mission, goals and objectives for the department; models behavior that supports City values.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED BY THE POSITION

• Planning requirements within the confines of the Washington State Growth Management Act.
• Federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations applicable to the municipal services.
• Public works construction, maintenance, safety protocols and repair methods and procedures.
• Public financing.
• Overall utility management, planning, rate setting and billing procedures.
• Personnel management and collective bargaining procedures.
• Public contracting requirements and limitations.
• Knowledge of city ordinances and department policies and procedures, ability to draft policy and code.
• Knowledge of job-related software programs.
• Ability to communicate and present technical information to a variety of audiences to effect understanding of city municipal services.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate with and further initiatives of the City leadership team.
• Municipal airport operations and long-term planning.

SUPERVISORY CONTROLS

The City Manager assigns work in terms of department goals and objectives.

GUIDELINES

Guidelines include the Washington Administrative Code, the Revised Code of Washington, Moses Lake municipal code, relevant state and federal regulations, and City and department policies and procedures. These guidelines require judgment, selection, and interpretation in application. This position develops department guidelines.

COMPLEXITY/SCOPE OF WORK

• The work consists of varied management, supervisory, and technical duties. The variety, scope, and number of projects contributes to the complexity of the work.
• The purpose of this position is to manage the City’s municipal services operations. Successful performance helps ensure the effective and efficient operation of the department and affects the quality of life for city residents and visitors.

CONTACTS

• Contacts are typically with co-workers, other City personnel, representatives of other public agencies, representatives of state and federal agencies, elected and appointed officials, and members of the general public.
• Contacts are typically to exchange information, motivate persons, negotiate matters, resolve problems, and provide services.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS/WORK ENVIRONMENT

• The work is typically performed while sitting at a desk or table or intermittently sitting, standing, or stooping.
• The work is typically performed in an office.

SUPERVISORY AND MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITY

This position has direct supervision over the City Engineer, Development Engineering Manager, Public Works Division Director/Superintendent, and Contract Coordinator and indirect supervision over 62 employees.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• BS in Civil Engineering or related field and five (5) years of experience in a public works environment with three (3) years in a supervisory capacity, or any satisfactory combination of the above experience which clearly demonstrates the ability to perform the above duties.
• Demonstrated ability to lead in a time of growth and competing community priorities.
• Knowledge of operating within the confines of the Washington State Growth Management Act.
• Registration as a Professional Engineer in the State of Washington, preferred.
• Possession of or ability to readily obtain a valid driver’s license issued by the State of Washington for the type of vehicle or equipment operated.
• All applicants must be able to successfully pass a background check process which includes reference checks and criminal history checks, or other.

MOSES LAKE, WASHINGTON

Moses Lake, Washington, is situated on the shores of the lake that inspired its name and it is centrally located between Seattle and Spokane on Highway 1-90 between fields of agriculture, freshwater lakes, and popular recreational destinations. The area enjoys on average 300 sunny days a year and recreational opportunities abound with world-class fishing, hunting, biking, hiking, camping, golf, boating, ballooning and hydro races. Moses Lake is situated in central Washington State in an outdoor recreation mecca. Moses Lake is the lake that shares the City's name and many visitors come to enjoy water sports activities on Moses Lake. The lake has 120 miles of shoreline, covering 6,500 acres, and is one of the largest natural freshwater lakes in the state.

The Surf 'n Slide Water Park is also a top attraction for Moses Lake and is considered the state's premier outdoor aquatic center. The water park is open from Memorial Day through Labor Day, and the main features are the 200-foot water slides, the lazy river, the surfing simulator, the beach and bay swimming area, and sand volleyball courts.

Moses Lake is host to several festivals and other community events throughout the year, such as tournament league baseball, Moses Lake Rodeo Roundup, and the Moses Lake Spring Festival. Held over Memorial Day weekend, this festival kicks off the summer tourist season. Entertainment includes live music performances, a Kiddie Parade, a Grand Moonlight Parade, carnival-style rides and games, a car show, and a basketball tournament. Moses Lake is also home to the Grant County Fairgrounds which hosts an annual fair, as well as other events throughout the year.

Moses Lake’s settled history is based on its development as a result of the former Larson Airforce Base which is now the Grant County International Airport. Moses Lake's backbone economic base is in agriculture as a central region in the Columbia Basin Development Project. Historically, Moses Lake was known for the Sinkiuse tribe, one of the twelve tribes of the Colville nation.

Manufacturing and technology have become pivotal to the local economy. Moses Lake's growth in diverse manufacturers continues around aerospace, green technology, battery, and solar manufacturing.

The Port of Moses Lake operates the Grant County International Airport, one of the largest airports in the western United States. The airport is now a world class facility that has been used by the Boeing Company, the U.S. Military, and many air carriers from around the world.

The Moses Lake School District has ten elementary schools, three middle schools, one high school, the Vanguard Academy (a “maker’s” high school) and the Columbia Basin Technical Skills Center, which together offer a high quality of teaching and many extra-curricular activities to its students. Moses Lake is also home to Big Bend Community College which provides higher education opportunities for the region and enrolls over 4,000 students a year.

Moses Lake has a growing arts and culture scene fueled by Columbia Basin Allied Arts and the Moses Lake Museum and Art Center. The City was designated as the first Creative District in Washington in 2022.

THE CITY

The City of Moses Lake was incorporated in 1938. Its current population is estimated at 25,146 and it is the largest city in Grant County. Moses Lake has a council-manager form of government. Seven council members are elected by the voters and serve at-large. The Mayor is elected by the council members to serve two years. The City Manager is appointed by the City Council. The City Manager is responsible for general administrative oversight of the city government consistent with City Council policy and directives. The City Manager also oversees the budget adopted by the City Council and all personnel matters.

Moses Lake is a full-service city, including: Administration, Finance, Community Development, Municipal Services (includes Public Works and Engineering), Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services, Police, Fire, Human Resources, and Utilities (includes water, sewer, storm water, garbage and ambulance). Moses Lake's budget for 2023 is $111.5 million with a General Fund of $35.1 million. The City employs 260 regular FTE's and approximately 166 seasonal workers.

THE DEPARTMENT AND POSITION

The Municipal Services Department governs two divisions: Public Works and Engineering. Public Works is comprised of six divisions including Building Maintenance, Equipment Rental, Stormwater, Street, Wastewater, and Water. The Engineering division includes City Engineering, Capital Projects, and GIS services. The Municipal Services Department operates with 66 FTE’s on a 2023 budget (operating and capital) of $39.9 million.

Under the direction of the City Manager, the Municipal Services Director serves as a strategic member of the City’s Leadership team.

This position ensures that Moses Lake is prepared for its next phase of development by leading the identified divisions in partnership with the City's Leadership team, City Manager, City Council, and community consistent with local, state, and federal law.

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

1) First and foremost, the City is looking for a team leader who can develop and mentor the team to carry out the work ahead and support the City’s vision and goals.

2) Water, Sewer, and Stormwater comprehensive plan updates are under way. Innovative programs will need to be developed to supply/service Moses Lake for the long term. This will include innovative water re-use and treatment programs to supply potable water to citizens and businesses and support green tech businesses landing in Moses Lake.

3) The City has a sales tax-based transportation benefit district that will need to be reauthorized through a public vote in 2027 to carry out an updated transportation plan to serve the City and urban growth area.

4) Water rights work and the presence of an EPA superfund site make Moses Lake the perfect location for a creative problem solver with a supportive City Manager and City Council.

Company Description

The City of Moses Lake is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Our objective is to provide equal opportunity in all terms, conditions, and privileges of employment for qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, or status as a covered veteran.

Benefits

The City of Moses Lake offers a comprehensive benefits package. Employees (and their families) are eligible to enroll in medical, dental, and vision coverage. In addition to basic life insurance coverage, AD&D, dependent life, additional life insurance, long-term disability, EAP and LifeFlight are also offered. Retirement is through the Department of Retirement Systems - Public Employees Retirement System. Optional deferred compensation is offered with a City match of up to 2% of the employee's base salary. Employees of the City receive eleven (11) paid holidays plus one (1) floating holiday annually. Vacation accrual begins at 12 days annually and increases with years of service. Sick leave is accrued at the rate of eight (8) hours per month.