City working on problems arising from pothole probe

If a staff report about changes to the city's winter roads pothole program is any indication, managers took a critical review of the department by the city's auditor general earlier this year to heart.

The audit report earned the winter roads department a "weak" rating from Auditor General Brian Bigger. Some points of contention were geographic limitations and staffing levels, contractor use, and paperwork problems. Bigger also pointed out expenditure overrun of $1.6 million, but acknowledged city staff's note about a series of abnormal freeze-and-thaw cycles caused a large pothole problem in the city.

Councillors, in city council meetings following the audit presentation, requested an update by staff on how they had progressed through Bigger's series of recommendations in the audit report.

At a city council meeting Sept. 15, infrastructure managers will present a report outlining 29 recommendations on 11 different issues pinpointed by Bigger's audit. Of the recommendations, 14 have already been completed, several are ongoing, and some require direction from city council or input from other departments, staff indicated.

The geographic and staffing level issues have been corrected by the department, according to the report. The audit found that while some depots would have idle staff, others would be overworked and would require the assistance of contractors. Each depot can now call in staff from less-active depots to handle busier periods of time.

Bigger also noted concerns about the lack of controls over city roadwork materials, like asphalt, because city weigh scales were not operational. Weigh scales have been calibrated for use, managers said.

In addition, Bigger had pointed out city staff only work during the day hours, where there is heavier traffic. He recommended the city provide 24/7 road crews, something that is being negotiated by city staff, according to the new report.

The audit highlighted poor control of contractor services, where contractors had additional workers on site and were billing the city for unpaid lunch breaks. Poor record keeping on the situation allowed one contractor to overbill the city by $2,295. According to the report to be presented at council, new controls will be in place to handle the situation.

Paperwork problems existed through the entire winter roads pothole program. Whether it was the filling out of tenders, reporting of dangerous potholes, recording material use, or filling out time cards, city staff and contractors all needed to shape up, according to the audit.

During a city audit committee June 3, Bigger said the winter works department had overspent its 2009 miscellaneous winter works budget by $1.6 million and warned contractors had been overpaid.