Creation of deputy city manager position OK’d
By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE — City officials are currently in the process of accepting applications for the post of deputy city manager, following City Council’s decision Sept. 7 to create the position in order to create a more structured form of city government.
In a memo to councilors dated Sept. 2, City Manager Jim Bennett noted Council had “seen my preference to structure our government based on the changing situations and circumstances we are in. In other words, other than the overall framework, there are a lot of moving parts that become changeable based on the evolving situations.”
Prior to being named director of public services — which oversees the operations of both public works and solid waste — Dana Fowler had managed city business in the absence of the city manager. Bennett told councilors now Fowler has his hands full and to ask him to fill in as he did in the past would be expecting too much of the man.
“When we asked Dana to assume the role as public works director, we had to find someone to replace Dana as the Number 2 guy,” said the city manager.
Bennett said funding the new position shouldn’t be a burden on taxpayers.
“With the recent vacancy with planning and development, it was decided not to fill that position. Since Ken’s (Arndt, director of planning and development) not supervising and we brought down LaNiece Winslow (resource management director) — with the deputy chief we’d fund by not having a planner and not paying Dana a stipend as second in command, as well as adjusting other positions,” Bennett told the councilors.
Bennett had explained in his memo that the city planner (Jamie Francomano) “recently resigned in order to pursue other opportunities downstate. This resignation, along with other factors, has caused me to recommend that we create the deputy city manager position at this time.”
The memo explained Bennett’s other recommendations.
“I am further recommending that we reclassify the positions of human resource director and planning and development director into a category of professional staff level, but not at the department head level. The rationales for these recommendations,” said Bennett, “are outlined in further detail later in the memo.”
Bennett said one of the “clear staff expectations of the person hired in the DCM role would be to assist and oversee both of these operations.”
He indicated creating the new position may entail additional costs.
“Financially, I fully expect that there will be some additional costs, although minimal in the upcoming budget. In the long term, the move should be cost neutral. As outlined in the compensation study, should the revenues ever become available, the two department heads (human resources and planning) would have their respective compensation adjusted upward. These yet unpaid amounts, when combined with the non-filling of the planner’s position, would offset the cost of the DCM. On the other hand, since those amounts are not being paid at this time, it is not accurate to portray that there would be no impact in the upcoming budget,” said Bennett.
Bennett said in the long term, he would expect to “replace the planning and development director, when there is a vacancy in the future, with a planner again.”
“I would further expect some sort of refinement of the roles played in economic development, management of the airport and management of the industrial park in the next couple of years. These changes would occur as normal attrition presents itself. In other words, this recommendation is not the conclusion but part of the continuum of evaluating best practices in the way we do business,” he said.
If the Council agreed, Bennett said certain goals would be set, including:
• Create a specific job description for the deputy city manager position;
• Create the recruitment process and proceed. The expectation is that the City Council would play a more engaged role in the process beyond the one used most recently for department heads because of the significance of the position;
• Redefine the job description and classifications of the other two positions; and
• Seek to have a person selected and on board by the first of the year.
“I believe the recommendation meets an expectation that the City Council has requested. Further, it does so with minimal impact to the taxpayers. In fact, one could argue that when combined with the changes that were made in public works, it still reduces the financial impacts compared to the 2011 staffing levels,” Bennett said.
Bennett noted in his memo that even if councilors voted to begin the search for a deputy city manager, they could ultimately change their minds if, come the budget discussion, it was deemed necessary to cut the position.
“It should also be clear to the Council that an affirmative vote is not irreversible, should the Council seek to change its mind. Given the suggested timeframe, the Council still needs to deal with the 2012 budget prior to a person being nominated for the position by this office and the Council being asked to confirm that nomination,” said Bennett. “Effectively, an affirmative vote starts a process that cannot be concluded without a final vote by the Council.”
“To be clear, we’re actually reducing the number of personnel and department heads — streamlining the organization as the Council has asked me to,” said Bennett.
Following Bennett’s presentation, councilors voted unanimously to create a deputy city manager position and authorized running advertisements to begin accepting applications.
City Council will hold its next regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, Oct. 3, at City Hall at 6 p.m. The public is welcome and encouraged to participate. For more information, call 760-2785.
