TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Organization of the Manager’s Office
DATE: January 19, 2001
At the Council Planning Session on January 14, 2000, the Council established the following goal:
At the Council Retreat on September 1, 2000, the Council noted that solid waste management responsibilities have shifted from the Town to the County.
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide general background information about the organization of the Manager’s Office and to address the issues identified by the Council.
I. Manager’s Office Structure and Organizational Structure
We attach several tables that provide general background information and historical perspective:
Attachment 1 shows positions allocated to the Manager’s Office since 1980.
Attachment 2 shows the number of authorized positions Town-wide during the same period, with Town population.
Attachment 3 shows positions now authorized in all departments, as published in the 2000-2001 Adopted Budget.
Attachment 4 shows the Town’s basic organization chart.
Attachment 5 describes key leadership relationships among the Town Manager, Assistant Town Managers, and department heads.
The number of employees in the Manager’s Office has changed over time, as noted below:
· In 1983, the Council added a second Assistant Town Manager position.
· In 1987-88, the position of Human Services Coordinator was transferred to the Housing Department and subsequently to the Police Department in 1993. Positions for Public Safety Director, established in 1987, and Risk Manager, established in 1988, which were budgeted in the Manager’s Office, were abolished in 1991-92.
· The Executive Assistant to the Town Attorney was budgeted in the Town Manager’s Office until July 1, 1999.
· The Town Clerk’s Office was included as a division of the Town Manager’s Office until July 1, 2000.
Recent Changes in the Manager’s Office
On April 17, 2000, the Solid Waste Management Department became an agency of Orange County. For the three years before that, a transition was being negotiated with the County and the Town of Carrboro. For the last year of the transition period, the Town’s management responsibilities were significantly reduced. Transfer of the Solid Waste Management Department has reduced the number of night meetings attended by staff and shifted overtime work to other functional areas. As the time needed for management of solid waste functions has decreased, staff work has increased in the areas of construction management and property acquisition.
Effective July 1, 2000, the duties of the two Assistant Managers changed to consolidate leadership of development management, construction management, public safety, and human services functions.
Assistant Town Manager Sonna Loewenthal is responsible for management leadership of the Engineering, Planning, Inspections, Public Works, and Parks and Recreation departments, as well as construction management, development review, land acquisition, and special projects.
Assistant Town Manager Florentine Miller is responsible for management leadership of the Clerk’s Office, Fire, Police, Housing, and Transportation departments, as well as special events, weather emergencies, and special projects.
Key Duties of Positions in the Manager’s Office
Town Manager.
The Manager serves at the pleasure of the Town Council and is responsible for the overall general management of Town operations.
The Manager:
· develops and implements Town operating policies and procedures, as directed by the Council
· develops and administers the Town budget and capital improvement program
· supervises Town department heads
· deals with other entities and other governments on behalf of the Council
Assistant Town Managers. The two Assistant Managers assist the Town Manager with overall operation of Town government and assume the duties of the Manager in the Manager’s absence.
The Assistant Managers each:
· supervise groups of departments
· manage special projects
· serve as managers of interdepartmental efforts and liaisons to outside agencies and citizen groups
· plan and supervise large-scale events such as Halloween or NCAA basketball preparation
· provide guidance to department heads and supervisors in policy development, operations, personnel management, resolving difficult citizen requests, and hearing grievances.
Assistant to the Manager. This position provides a variety of administrative duties for the Manager, Mayor, Council Members, and Assistant Town Managers, including:
· preparation of agenda schedules, follow-up reports, and tentative future agenda calendars
· supervision of cablevision franchise agreement
· research of telephone and other utility projects
· preparation of various agenda items and reports
· assistance to citizens in answering questions and complaints.
Executive Assistant. The Executive Assistant provides administrative and secretarial support to the Town Manager by:
· scheduling department meetings and appointments
· organizing and maintaining the Manager’s calendar
· composing and typing various correspondence for the Manager
· researching issues requested by the Manager
· responding to inquiries and complaints by resolving the problem or referring the inquiry to the appropriate department.
Secretary II. The Secretary II:
· answers the telephone and receives calls for all staff in the Manager’s Office
· answers calls for the Mayor, Attorney, Council Members, and other Town departments
· greets and provides assistance to the public
· sorts and distributes mail to all departments
· provides secretarial support to the Mayor, Manager, Manager’s staff, and Town Clerk’s Office as possible.
Management Philosophy. The fundamental value guiding the Management team is that all people should be treated with dignity and respect. Key business principles are to provide fair, effective, efficient, and fast service, consistent with the policies of the Council.
II. Town Technology Plan
At the Council retreat on September 1, the Council received a presentation by Lee Mandell of the N.C. League of Municipalities regarding the “Promises, Realities, and Challenges of E-Government.” The Council also received a report from the Town’s Information Manager, Bob Avery, outlining the status of the Town’s information technology capabilities.
On October 23, the Council-appointed Technology Committee presented a proposed Technology Plan for the Town of Chapel Hill. The Committee worked with the staff over the course of a year to determine current system capabilities and to project future needs.
The Committee’s report includes recommendations to:
· upgrade network infrastructure;
· transform the Town web site to a one-stop access point for citizen and inter-governmental transactions;
· expand and restructure the Information Technology Group, making it a separate organization that would report to the Town Manager.
A summary of the Committee’s report is attached for reference in the Council discussion.
In February, we will present specific proposals for responding to the Committee’s recommendations, including organization and budget proposals. The Technology Committee also is working to develop short and long-range budget projections for technology improvements, and this work should be completed in February, also.
We will be pleased to any additional information the Council may desire and we look forward to your to discussion.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Table I: History of the Manager’s Office Since 1980-81 (p. 5).
2. Table II: History of Town Positions Since 1980-81 (p.6).
3. Permanent Authorized Positions, 1998-2001 (from 2000-2001 Adopted Budget)( p. 7).
4. Mayor, Council, Manager, and Departments’ Organizational Chart (p. 10).
5. June 15, 2000 Memorandum from Town Manager to Department Heads Regarding Organizational Changes (p.11).
6. Technology Committee: Executive Summary, October 23, 2000 (p 12).