Okaloosa County BOCC — November 4, 2012 — reading text

an historic district and the Savannah College of Art and Design. The neighbors were not happy about having the School in their neighborhood and complained it violated the parking ordinance. The ordinance required that a certain number of off street parking spaces per building were required if the building was to be used and the school did not have enough spaces. Mr. Morrill investigated every building in the area and the school was not the only building without enough parking spaces. To preserve the historic district, satellite parking lots were developed. Students were shuttled from them to the school buildings. Mr. Morrill communicated frequently with the neighbors and calmed their concerns. He demonstrated to them the financial importance the school to the City and how it brought millions of dollars to the community every year. He showed them that it was vital that they worked together. He was a good mediator between these two strong willed entities and was able to find a reasonable compromise. Mr. Morrill is well respected by the public. He often speaks in town meetings regarding the financial state of projects. A major project was underway to solve the City’s drainage issues. He spoke often in the town meetings explaining the project’s finances. Many citizens were concerned the funds would run out before it was completed. Mr. Morrill explained in clear terms the financial condition of the project and the status of the contingency funds. He responded well to the large crowd, spoke in simple terms and reassured them that the money was there to complete the effort. Mr. Morrill is designated to take over the City Manager’s position when he is absent. He is also on call for every Council meeting to answer any questions or provide any financial information. Adjectives or Phrases Used to Describe Mr. Morrill:  Strong family man,  Competent individual,  Calm demeanor,  Good rapport with others,  Easy personality, and  Responsible. -16- Packet Pg. 285  6.1.a.b Reference Notes Christopher Morrill Strengths: Financial skills, problem solving skills, and building relationships. Weaknesses: None identified. Kenneth Sadler – Former Alderman, City of Savannah, GA (912) 661-0484 Mr. Sadler has known Mr. Morrill since 2000. Mr. Sadler was an Alderman for four years. Attachment: Colin Baenziger (1222 : Search Firm for Position of County Administrator) Mr. Morrill is bright and well educated. Even though finance had been his primary background, he has developed skills in other fields through his position as Assistant City Manager. He is a good leader and provides strength to his staff. Many of them lean on his expertise and ask for his advice. He mentors his staff and helps them grow. Mr. Morrill’s primary skills are in finance and planning. He knows how to maintain the long term financial health of the City and has helped it weather the financial downturn. He did so through sound financial practices and thorough planning. He actually anticipated the financial problems and adequately prepared the City for them. He understands how to spend money responsibly and which services are capable of producing revenue. Mr. Morrill has a good relationship with each member of Council. He is responsive to their requests. They are willing to delegate to him because he follows up on projects and keeps them informed. He is straightforward and easy to talk to. Frequently Mr. Morrill has been easier to contact and work with than the City Manager. Mr. Morrill focuses on people. Whether it is a Councilman or a citizen of the community, he will take time to listen to the issues they raise and look for a solution. He has an optimistic demeanor that puts people at ease. He has a good grasp of city issues and a sensitivity to their importance. Adjectives or Phrases Used to Describe Mr. Morrill:  Smart,  Capable,  Good planner,  Strong financial background,  Understands communities, and  Relates well with people. Strengths: Organization skills and financial background. Weaknesses: None identified -17- Packet Pg. 286  6.1.a.b Reference Notes Christopher Morrill Carol Bell – Central Services Director, City of Savannah, GA (912) 651-6401 Ms. Bell has known Mr. Morrill since 1994. They were colleagues when he was Budget Director and she now reports directly to him in his position as the Assistant City Manager. Mr. Morrill is a dedicated public servant. He focuses on serving the people and is often a voice for the underprivileged. He volunteers his time to support agencies which help needy citizens. Attachment: Colin Baenziger (1222 : Search Firm for Position of County Administrator) The City has benefited from his strong financial background. He has improved the financial operations by utilizing his analytical skills and thinking beyond the norm. Mr. Morrill is a member of the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), has written finance articles and taught classes for the Association. Mr. Morrill is people oriented. He develops good relationships with entities outside the city government. He makes time to speak with residents and is well respected by them. He is an excellent communicator who can take technically complex issues and easily explain them to the common citizen. Mr. Morrill has been a fantastic liaison between the City and the County helping facilitate the merger of police departments. Both agencies had their own police departments and had been policing much of the same territory which was not very cost efficient. In 2003, it was decided to formally merge the departments within a year. The merger was complex and Mr. Morrill was a major factor in its success. He focused on the commonalities and the benefits this partnership would provide for the citizens. The two separate departments combined to become the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police in 2005. Mr. Morrill is team oriented. He has been able to break down barriers, form unlikely partnerships and is creative. An example is a budgeting strategy he introduced to the City called Budgeting for Outcomes. Each department’s budget is evaluated and projections are made based on priorities and results. Priorities were established by Council and Mr. Morrill then created seven results teams. Each team consisted of a broad base of global thinkers along with an expert member. For instance, the public safety team might have a member of the Fire Department or Police Department as an expert member. However, the team could also have members from Parks and Recreation, or Social Services. The result has been to bring the departments and their staff members together to accomplish the common goal of cutting costs and carrying out the elected officials’ goals. Adjectives or Phrases Used to Describe Mr. Morrill:  Analytical,  Encouraging,  An advocate for the underprivileged,  Involved,  Experienced, and  Knowledgeable. -18- Packet Pg. 287  6.1.a.b Reference Notes Christopher Morrill Strengths: Dedication to serving the public. Strong background and experience in local government. Excellent people skills. Weaknesses: None identified. Jim Burgess - Mayor, City of Social Circle, GA (770) 464-3366 Attachment: Colin Baenziger (1222 : Search Firm for Position of County Administrator) Mr. Burgess has known Mr. Morrill since 1996. He works as a lobbyist for the City of Savannah and is also the Mayor of a small town in Georgia. As Mr. Burgess lobbies on behalf of Savannah to State Legislature, he relies on Mr. Morrill to provide him with pertinent financial information. Mr. Morrill gives him impact research and analysis reports related to specific pieces of legislation. He creates slides, charts, and graphs for Mr. Burgess to present to the State. He is quick to respond to Mr. Burgess’ needs and provides him with thorough information. Mr. Morrill is bright and well educated. His staff members have a high regard for him and value his high morals. He has strong people skills and is not overbearing. He is very easy to work with because of his first-rate personality. Mr. Morrill has a good relationship with the governing body. He is very astute about political relationships. They may often disagree, but Mr. Morrill knows when to push and when he must submit. The Council can sometimes be more involved in day to day operations than they should. Mr. Morrill has successfully managed working with this group of individuals. Mr. Morrill has worked on several successful projects in the community. He focused on cleaning up certain rundown areas and providing renewal in low income communities. One downtown renewal project included a parking facility, the expansion of the river walk, and added retail space. His financial acumen has been a big asset in making these projects successful. Mr. Morrill has worked under a superb City Manager. He has been fully exposed to his skills and learned much from emulating them. He has academic training and has managed a diverse city. Advancing to City Manager would be an ideal step for him, and the timing is right. Adjectives or Phrases Used to Describe Mr. Morrill:  Good personality,  Strong academically,  Not overbearing,  High morals,  Bright, and  Quick to respond. -19- Packet Pg. 288  6.1.a.b Reference Notes Christopher Morrill Strengths: People skills. Weaknesses: None identified. Dick Evans - CFO, City of Savannah, GA (912) 651-6440 Attachment: Colin Baenziger (1222 : Search Firm for Position of County Administrator) Mr. Evans has known Mr. Morrill since 2001. They have worked together monitoring the finances of the City. Mr. Morrill has a strong background in budgeting and knows how to balance a budget. He is very precise and concerned with numbers. Mr. Morrill is very good at keeping others informed. He is open, clear, and direct in his communications. He knows how to word financial reports in ways that are understandable to anyone. He is a good consensus builder. He welcomes the input of his staff, keeps them informed,. He then creates the appropriate solution to the problem. Mr. Morrill pitched the idea of a new budgeting process to the City. It is called Budgeting