Council hears staff defense of $485,750 safety consulting agreement as city pursues in-house transition

Councilmembers questioned the scope and cost of an amendment to the city's safety consulting agreement with Sheffield Safety and Loss Control LLC, a contract city staff said was first awarded after a 2019 incident revealed the city lacked a formal safety program.

Allison Swisher, Director of Public Utilities, said Sheffield was selected through a qualifications-based process and has helped develop a safety manual, training and PPE protocols, conducted field audits, and supported development of required programs such as lockout/tagout and confined-space entry.

"We issued an RFQ to hire a safety professional... they were determined to be the most qualified and so we then from that point began the process of developing a safety manual and developing safety training programs," Swisher said.

Councilmembers pressed for evidence that the program reduced on-the-job injuries or workers' compensation costs; staff cautioned that multiple factors influence workers' comp claims and that a direct correlation is difficult to isolate. The city manager and HR staff said the aim is to build internal capacity over time so the city can ultimately perform many safety functions in-house once HR resources and certification capacity are expanded.

Some councilmembers said they would prefer an eventual transfer of tasks to city staff to reduce consultant fees; staff said they are pursuing that path alongside ongoing contract work because the safety programs are time-consuming and technically detailed.

The item was presented as a contract amendment on the agenda; council discussion focused on program results, timelines to train city staff, and the limits of in-house staffing capacity.