Okaloosa County BOCC — November 4, 2012 — Colin Baenziger — reading text

 Articulate,  Humble,  Well traveled,  Bright, and  Optimistic. Strengths: Analytical skills, financial ability and diverse experience. Weaknesses: None identified. Lise Sundrla – Executive Director, Savannah Development and Renewal Authority, Savannah, GA – (912) 651-6973 Ms. Sundrla has known Mr. Morrill since 2001. They have worked as colleagues. The Savannah Development and Renewal Authority is not a city department. As a separate entity they have coordinated economic development in the downtown area of Savannah. Mr. Morrill has been a critical component for much of the redevelopment in downtown Savannah. He has engaged the City and partnered with other agencies. He was integral to the planning efforts of Ellis Square. This area had been a historical square but was developed into a parking lot. He spent several years cobbling together the funding to restore the area to its original purpose of a public space. An underground parking lot was constructed along with several shops, restaurants and businesses. He was a guide and a mentor to the developers and to -14-  Reference Notes Christopher Morrill the Renewal Authority on several issues and concerns regarding the project. He also spent many hours working with the Council to gain its support. Mr. Morrill created strategic goals to focus on revitalizing the Martin Luther King corridor, once a premier historical African American neighborhood bustling with life. The placement of an overpass on I-16 stunted the growth of the area and limited the access to other areas. He has pressed for the overpass to be removed. By doing so, our lost street connections and nine acres of developable land would be reclaimed. He has negotiated local option sales tax and capital improvement dollars to fund the project. He coordinated the efforts of the City, the Renewal Authority and other private entities to stimulate the integral corridor. Already, a full size grocery store has opened in the area. Another major project Mr. Morrill has orchestrated was Savannah Landing located in eastern downtown Savannah. The area has been underdeveloped since 1909. He secured the funds and involved the necessary agencies. The development links and compliments the historic downtown area. It also opens up connections to six lost streets and expanded the river walk 2,000 feet. Public squares were donated back to the City. Mr. Morrill petitioned for the first tax allocation to be used to support the economic development of the area. Oddly, when it is time to make a presentation to the City Council, the person who is best is Mr. Morrill. They often try to do things that are not in the best interest of the City. They rely on Mr. Morrill to give them honest criticism and advice. He can speak on their level. Ms. Sundrla trusts Mr. Morrill implicitly, which she considers a bold statement. She has approached him with personal and political issues. He has offered guidance and solutions to support her efforts. He is gifted with people. He respects others and in turn is well respected. He has excellent communication skills and is an attentive listener. Mr. Morrill would be a fine choice for City Manager. He is well qualified. He has the skills and the character to lead. Adjectives or Phrases Used to Describe Mr. Morrill:  Reliable partner,  Thorough planner,  Engaging,  Mentor,  Respected, and  Gifted with people. Strengths: Team building, vision, people skills, and communication skills. Weaknesses: None identified. -15-  Reference Notes Christopher Morrill Lester B. Johnson III – Assistant City Attorney, City of Savannah, GA – (912) 238-5100 Mr. Johnson has known Mr. Morrill since 2001. Mr. Morrill has a fine personality and a calm demeanor. He has a good rapport with the citizens of Savannah. He also has a good working relationship with his staff and with the elected officials. Mr. Morrill oversees the financial and budget concerns. He keeps a meticulous budget. One of the results is that the City has not needed to use any of its reserves since Mr. Morrill became the Assistant City Manager. As another of his responsibilities, he oversees the Recorder’s Court. He makes sure the Court is making more money than the operating budget. He has worked closely with Mr. Johnson to find ways for the Court and the Judge to be more efficient. Mr. Morrill also oversees all problems with ordinance violations. One of the trickier situations involved the some wealthy and very powerful residents of 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-  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. 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-  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. 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-  Reference Notes Christopher Morrill Strengths: