Consultants tell Sandy council public‑utilities operations are sound but need data, CityWorks and project‑management fixes

Matrix Consulting presented its general management and operations study of Sandy City Public Utilities on the council’s informational agenda, telling elected officials the department is staffed and compliant but could improve data practices and project delivery.

"We found a very prideful, dedicated staff," said Jen Winter, Matrix’s project manager. She said the consultant team identified strengths — including water‑conservation standards, infrastructure master planning and a strong safety culture — and about 58 recommendations across leadership, engineering, asset management, and operations. Winter said inconsistent use of the CityWorks asset management platform and missing standard operating procedures limit the city’s ability to make data‑driven choices.

The consultants recommended department‑wide adoption of CityWorks dashboards, clearer ties between performance metrics and goals, and an implementation roadmap. They also recommended targeted investments in project‑management tools and evaluating public‑works capacity to deliver a capital improvement program they described as 47 projects worth roughly "over $35,000,000." Amy Mabey, a manager with Matrix, urged that hydrant testing be transitioned from the fire department to utilities over time for consistent certification.

Council members pressed for timelines and implementation clarity. Winter said staff could shift to more consistent data capture within three to six months and produce an 18‑month window to generate a full year of reliable workload data. Council discussion emphasized the need for a prioritized implementation plan; Matrix said it provided a supplemental implementation roadmap with responsibilities and timeframes for each recommendation.

The presentation did not include any formal votes; instead, staff said they would work with Matrix and Public Utilities leadership to bring prioritized items and resourcing needs back to the council for later decisions.