Fort Walton Beach Council agenda — 11-26-2007 special agenda — reading text

t. asked by Dr. Long to the Purchasing Director was: Can your department do the work with 4 people instead of 5. The response was: At certain times of the year it is possible four people can do the work but normalJy it takes fIVe people. In my 36 years of experience, I have never seen a firm who can interview two people for a total of 90 minutes and, based on this, state this department is overmanned. If, in fact, this department was to lose this. position it would not only affect how the department will operate in the future; but how the City will operate in the future. The Warehouse maintains 1, 413 active line items, valued at $ 160,000.00, which are used throughout the City. Inventory Control presently performs the following major functions: Stock issues Central receiving Annual inventory of Golf Club, City Shop and Warehouse Purchases all commodities maintained in the Warehouse Reviews and purchases all projects for water and sewer Auction Sale of saap material c 60 c Presently, the City Warehouse is open from 5: 30 a. m. untit 5: 00 p.m. and City departments can obtain supplies from the Warehouse any time during these hours. By losing the position, the hours would change .and how we issue stock items would change. The only time a department would be able to get stock items any time they needed would be for emergencies only. Simply put, stock requisitions put in Monday would be available Tuesday and so on, The Warehouse is also central receiving. Almost all deliveries for the City are made to the Warehouse, where they are logged in and the department notified of the delivery. Anything being sent back to a vendor is also sent from the Warehouse. The Warehouse receives approximately 1 ,450 deliveries a year. Stock items must be inspected, received in HTE, and items stocked on the shelves. Items that need rotation are rotated at this time. While this may seem like a menial task, when you receive 47,000 items per year, it is not a menial task. Presently, all of Public Works and Utilities personnel can come into the Warehouse at any time and get stock items ( without a stock requisition) so they can get back on the job site to get their If this jobs accomplished. This saves countless time and money for these departments. department loses a position this service will stop as we will not have the manpower to constantly what working on to go into the Warehouse to pull stock items. The only time this stop we are would be allowed is for emergencies. The report also states the department coordinates the annual auction. There is a significant amount of time and paperwork to prepare for the auction. All fixed asset items must have the sold. To say the department proper paperwork and logs are n1aintained to show what is being c coordinates the audion is very misleading. The report does not mention the department is responsible for performing inventory of the Warehouse locations at the Golf Club, City Garage and the fuel tanks. The report does not mention the department is responsible for telephone and cen phone installation I repairs even though this is an IT function. Any time there is a problem with a land line, this department handles it. All cell phone inquiries, purchases, and repairs are handled by the department. Services During the budget process, there was a discussion about an Administrative and Parks & Recreation tb fall under this new department. Department with IT, HR, Purchasing Discussion was if this department was formed then the duty titles and pay of the existing this proposal department heads should be changed and pay lowered. Based on the discussion, was dropped. As I read the remainder of this report and see where it states the Police Department should only the additional 8 employees on the level have 42 positions based on population, you can justify for the of service the City wants to provide its citizens. Shouldn't the same concept be applied of service do want to provide? If this position is Purchasing Department? What level you deleted, then no one person will be responsible for the inventory; it will be management by committee. This will lead to poor inventory control, running out of stock and other problems associated with inventory management. c 61 c The last issue I have is the Warehouse is here to predominantly support the Utilities Department. Specifically, we carry parts to repair water and sewer lines. Why don't .we have the Utilities Department help pay the salary of this position? This will not only help the general fund but it will ensure the Utilities Department has parts available when they are needed, MCT/ mhj c c 62 c City of Fort Walton Beach Memorandum To: Joyce Shanahan, City Manager From: John Hofstad, Utilities Director Date: November 6, 2007 Subject: Study of Alternative Delivery Methodologies for City Services As requested, I've reviewed the ~ study conducted by Management Advisory Group ve referenced and offer the following comments related to the recommendations presented for the Utilities Department Reeommendation #58: Revise the Utilities Department tion structure and orpni7.- Ordinance 1659 to retleet aetual organizational relationships - The study recommends that the survey party and CAD positions report directly to the Utilities Division Operations in Manager ~ opposed to the Utilities Director. Since the department infonnaIly operates this fashion now, I have no objection with changing the orgJIni7'JUional stmcture to reflect c these lines of authority. This can be accomplished through the upcoming FY 2008/09 budget process, or earlier, if desired. Reeommendation #59: Retain the Adminifltration and Stormwater Divisions and establish two 2) ( new divisions that incorporate the other four (4) eurrent divisions - As stated previously, I agree with the :first part of this recommendation to realign Smvey and CAD under the Utilities Opemtions Manager. As far as the second part of the 1 recommendation is concerned,I do not agree with MAG' s position to create a new Treatment ~ ; Division. If the emphasis of the study is to find ways to reduce costs,why would we want to increase overall personnel costs and create another layer of management? The study indicates that this change would lead to increases in efficiency and operational effectiveness, but does not elaborate on any existing problems with efficiency and effectiveness. The department has certain levels of expertise in key positions currently, which promotes the smooth flow of work and clearly defines areas and lines of responsibility. For instance, the department director is licensed in both disciplines ( drinking water and wastewater treatment) with over 20-years experience in m8n~ ng water and sewer facilities. The person hired for the Division Manager position would likely be someone with very similar skills and background. What would be gained from duplicating this level of oversight and authority? My worldoad is such that I have the capacity to provide managerial oversight to the Opemtions Divisions along with my pther duties and responsibilities. Recommendation # 60: Eliminate the Wastewater Opentions Superintendent position currently vaeant) and establish a Treatment Division Manager position - ( See response c 63 c above) Since the time that this study was commissioned, the departmeJ1t solicited for and hired a new Wastewater Operations Superintendent The new superintendent currently holds a Class " A" License as does the Utilities Director. I believe a more effective realignment would be tQ eHm; nat,e the Wastewater Supervisor position through attrition, which would. result in the remainder of.the Operations staff reporting directly to the Superintendent. Furtherm~ I recommend elimin~ 11g the Maintenance Mechanic and Service Worker II positions ( also through aUrition) in an effort to further reduce the personnel costs for this division. With the pending renovations to the WWfP, I do not foresee a need to continue staffing a maintenance subdivision at the facility since the maintenance problems of the past will be eHminated through the renovation project Along this 1ine~ we have already reassigned the Service Worker II to a Treatment Plant Operator position to fill a vacancy in the operations staf[ My intention at this time is to not fill the SWII position given the possibility of renovating the plant MAG' s recomm~ dation would result in an estim. ed cost increase of $10,000 for the Operations Division. In contrast, staff's recommendation would result in a cost savings of approximately $ 138,251 through the elimination of the three positions referenced above. LastJy, I do not agree with moving the Wastewater PletJ:eat!nent Coordinator to the Collections Division. Again,this move does not promote any cost savings for the Utility. Furthennore, the duties of the Pretreatment Coordinator are such that only a small ftaction of his day- to..day duties involve grease 1Iaps and the sewer collection system. This person is a licensed treatment plant operator and does provide shift coverage for the plant as required by the facility' s FDEP opera1ing pennit The position should remain in the Wastewater Operations DiviSion. c 61: Recommendation ## The Service Worker m in Wastewater CoDStroctioD, who is respousible for sewer line video inspection, should report to CODectioDS Systems -