HomeMy WebLinkAbout17 - Reoganization of the Community Services DepartmentCITY OF NEWPORT BEACH
AGENDA ITEM NO. 17
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Homer L. Bludau, City Manager
DATE: July 23, 2002
SUBJECT: Council Consideration of City Manager's Recommendation to
Reorganize the Community Services Department
ISSUE:
Is the community better served by a reorganization of the Community Services
Department into two Departments: Recreation and Senior Services and Library
Services?
RECOMMENDATION:
Approve the City Manager's recommendation to restructure the Community
Services Department into two departments: Library Services and Recreation and
Senior Services.
BACKGROUND:
In 1994, previous City Manager Kevin Murphy combined the separate
departments of Library Services and Parks and Recreation Department into one
department— Community Services. The Library Director was appointed the new
department's director. The opportunity for this reorganization was created with
the retirement of the Recreation Director. The reorganization took place at a time
when the State legislature diverted 15% of local governments' property taxes
(known as the Education Revenue Augmentation Fund or "ERAF" shift) from
cities, counties, and special districts to school districts. The combination of a
downturn in the economy and the State diversion of local governments' property
taxes caused a reduction of approximately 60 full time City positions and a
significant reduction in City services. The combined department was one of the
reactions to this revenue loss.
City Hall . 3300 Newport Boulevard • Post Office Box 1768 . Newport Beach, California 92659 -1768
Recommendation to Reorganize the Community Services Department
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The retirement of the Community Services Director gives rise to the question as
to whether the Community Services Department should remain in place or
whether a reorganization makes better sense. In order to obtain input from
interested parties to this issue, over the past month the City Manager has met
with the Library Trustees, Parks, Beaches and Recreation Commission and the
City Arts Commission. In addition, he spoke with 29 department employees to
gain an understanding of their experiences and opinions. From this dialogue
process, all three commissions strongly favored a reorganization and 27 of the
29 employees did also.
The City Manager sees the pro /con reorganization tradeoffs in the following light:
DISADVANTAGES
1. Reorganization would result in an additional (the 10"') City Department.
Some might view the reorganization as building a larger bureaucracy.
2. The reorganization would result in an additional Department Director
position at an estimated cost of approximately $140,000, including
benefits.
3. The reorganization adds another reporting responsibility for the City
Manager, spreading his attention a little thinner.
4. The separate departments could result in a loss of cooperation and a
reduction in the sharing of Community Services resources.
ADVANTAGES
1. The separate departments would allow for more individual attention being
given by the department directors to the three Commissions, department
issues, staff supervision and department management.
2. Separate departments would allow for department directors to specialize
in their areas of expertise.
3. The City is likely to have greater success in recruiting well - qualified
directors for two departments, because our combination of library and
recreation is unique.
4. With the right personnel selection, cooperation between the two
departments could actually increase. Many additional opportunities exist
for cooperation.
In assessing the tradeoffs, the City Manager believes it comes down to whether
the opportunity for closer, more detailed department management is worth the
anticipated $140,000 in annual cost. He feels the answer is "yes ". It is "yes"
because Newport Beach is a City of quality, and the organization wants to reflect
the highest quality of services at all levels. Our library system, our cultural and
arts programs, OASIS and our recreational programs are not necessities of life;
rather, they are quality of life factors. When added to many other quality of life
factors, they help make Newport Beach one of the best places in the world to
Recommendation to Reorganize the Community Services Department
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live, work or recreate. Also, it is not the same situation as the City Manager
faced in 1994; the City can afford this reorganization. It appears that the State is
not going to take the amount of money from local government as the budget was
predicated on.
The City Manager wants to be clear on one particular point. He believes it is
possible for Community Services to continue operating as one department, and
for it to be managed effectively and efficiently. But he also believes that the
recent growth in library services, cultural and arts programs, senior center
activities and recreation programming and the demand for future growth in
customer services in all these areas are better served by having a Library
Services Department, composed of library and culture /arts programs, and a
Recreation and Senior Services Department, composed of recreation and senior
services.
Should Council approve this recommendation, the recruitments and selection
process for the positions of Library Services Director and Recreation Services
Director would take from 10 -13 weeks.
J