DEPARTMENT BUDGET SUMMARY

MISSION STATEMENT: To bring strategic focus to the critical policy areas of transportation, the environment, and capital investment as well as providing continuing operations and maintenance in these areas.

FY 2006 PRIORITIES: The FY 2006 priorities of the Department of Environmental Services (DES) are:

• Transportation - To encourage and support the shift away from an automobile based network by improving other modes of transportation and making Arlington pedestrian friendly. During FY 2006 emphasis will be placed on completing implementation of both a Walk Arlington Demonstration Project and an Arterial Transportation Management project. Strategically the Department will be working on the update of the Master Transportation Plan that started in FY 2005.

• Asset Management - To improve the effectiveness of capital management tools by continuing to project capital needs while enhancing project tracking and project management, and the management of County facilities. In FY 2005, DES completed a review of all county maintained buildings and identified reinvestment needs. In FY 2006, the department will focus on implementing these recommendations and building a more comprehensive building maintenance program.

• Environment - To continue to strengthen the County's environmental management and sustainability programs through enhancements to the wastewater treatment plant, strengthening watershed management by completing the stormwater financing feasibility study and implementing the Stormwater Master Plan, expanding environmental purchasing and green building efforts. Specific efforts in FY 2006 will involve construction at the Water Pollution Control Plant, the solid waste franchising study, and developing strategies to meet changing environmental standards mandated at both the state and federal levels.

• Facility Space – To develop a plan to accommodate the County's space needs for both staff and storage. There has not been a comprehensive look at this critical area for ten years.

• Communications – To coordinate communication efforts in the department so that programs are understood in the overall context of environmental sustainability as well as improve the dissemination of information about routine programs to residents.

• Capital Project Management - To continue focusing on the implementation of the County's Capital program. We will continue to use both contract and in-house services to develop, design, and construct capital projects.

PRINCIPAL PROGRAMS: The Divisions of the Department of Environmental Services are:

• Utilities and Environmental Policy

• Transportation

• Engineering and Capital Projects

• General Services

Each division has operations budgeted in the General Fund. Both Engineering and Capital Projects, and Utilities and Environmental Policy have operations in the Utilities Fund, Transportation has operations budgeted in the Ballston Garage Fund and General Services has operations in the Automotive Equipment Fund and the Printing Fund.

SIGNIFICANT BUDGET CHANGES: The FY 2006 proposed budget for the Department of Environmental Services is $51,385,957, a three percent increase over the FY 2005 adopted budget.

• Personnel increases are a net of $492,059. The increases are due to normal salary and benefits adjustments, transfer of staff from the Utilities, Printing and Automotive Equipment Funds to the General Fund, and transfer of responsibility for building security from the Human Resources Department to the Department of Environmental Services. Increases are partially offset by the transfer of 1.1 FTEs to the Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development and contracting out of the remaining refuse routes at the end of FY 2004 resulting in the savings of 7.0 FTEs. Of the 7.0 FTEs, four FTEs were reallocated within DES as follows: a planner, to continue work on the Solid Waste Management Plan; a trade worker, to collect litter along Columbia Pike; a transit capital projects manager; and a transportation demand management planner, to support use of alternative transportation modes. One position was loaned to the Purchasing Unit in the Department of Management and Finance to handle the increase in contracting for the Water Pollution Control Plant and other capital projects, and two positions were eliminated.

• In non-personnel expense, a 3.2% contractual increase ($78,880) for ART bus operations is included in FY 2006. Master lease payments are also projected to increase by $165,324, of which $107,000 is a reallocation of funds from another division for ART buses procured using this financial option. Due to redevelopment along Columbia Pike, STAR reservation offices were moved and an increase of $22,783 in rent is programmed. In addition, the STAR reservation management contract increases $21,540. The Commuter Services Program, which is funded almost entirely from grants and fees, increases $386,200.

• The ART operating contract increases $78,880 and master lease financing for purchase and replacement of ART buses increases $165,324. A portion of master lease financing ($106,205) is funded through internal budget reallocations.

• The Solid Waste non-personnel budget includes increases for contract services ($553,501) for the contracting out of the remaining refuse routes plus increases in existing refuse and recycling contracts and in consulting fees ($85,000) for Solid Waste Master Plan initiatives. These increases are partially offset by decreases in fuel, County vehicle rental fees and for disposal costs at the Waste-to-Energy plant due to a projected decrease in the tip fee ($31,180).

• The proposed Household Solid Waste Rate increases by $3.12 or 1.3 percent over the FY 2005 rate, for a new annual rate of $248.76.

• Increases in intra-county charges are primarily due to new charges for County administrative and management staff to the Ballston Parking Garage ($67,396) and increases in charges to the Utilities Fund.

• Increased revenue from the change in Household Solid Waste Rate ($100,308), ART farebox receipts ($179,350), parking meters ($185,830), engineering review fees ($84,150), and right-of-way fees ($97,000) is partially offset by a decrease in ongoing revenue from the concrete maintenance program and related assessments ($445,000) and a reduction in business contributions for ART Routes 51 and 52 ($30,000). Additionally, miscellaneous revenue increased primarily from increases in leases ($55,177).

• Overall grant revenue increases $698,811. This is primarily due to increases in projected federal and state grants for the Commuter Services Program ($386,200) and State Transit Aid for paratransit services ($264,413).

• The FY 2006 proposed staffing level is 378.5 FTEs, a net decrease of 0.6 FTEs from the FY 2005 adopted budget. The following summarizes the FTE changes:

-1.0 FTE Transfer to DMF
-2.0 FTEs Eliminated
-1.1 FTE Transfer to DCPHD
+1.0 FTE Transferred from Human Resources Department
+1.0 FTE Transferred from Automotive Fund
+1.0 FTE Transferred from Utility Fund
+0.5 FTE Transferred from Printing Fund     
-0.6 FTE Net change

PERFORMANCE MEASURES:

FUTURE BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS:

• If the County assumes responsibility for the operation and maintenance of state roads, it may require restructuring and redistribution of costs.

• Additional staff and funding may be required to support increased requests for traffic analyses, and traffic and parking control signs.

• County Board action on recommendations of the Stormwater Funding Feasibility Study may significantly affect future stormwater management program structure and funding.

• Growing state and federal regulatory emphasis on nonpoint source pollution and urban stormwater issues may result in the need for additional funding.

• Environmental planning staff's ability to respond to other County priorities has been stretched due to the increased level of effort to implement the revised Chesapeake Bay Ordinance.

• Virginia Department of Environmental Quality is considering regulating waste piles (leaves, mulch, dirt, and construction waste), which may increase costs for permits and handling.

• Additional funding may be needed to support the comprehensive review of the Master Transportation Plan.

• County Board action on the recommendations of the Solid Waste Management Plan may significantly affect program structure and funding.

• The addition of expanded, renovated and new facilities will require additional staff and funding for utilities, facilities maintenance and custodial services.

• Additional Geographic Information System Mapping Center staff may be needed to support increased countywide demand for services.

• Additional staff and resources will be required to manage off-street parking including the operations and management of County owned parking garages.

• Staff resources will be needed to manage pedestrian, bicycle, transit and major street capital projects.