8.5 Bldg Serv Improvement CITY OF SALINA
REQUEST FOR CITY COMMISSION ACTION DATE TIME
03-06-00 4:00 P.M.
AGENDA SECTION: ORIGINATING DEPARTMENT: APPROVED FOR
NO. 8 AGENDA:
CITY MANAGER
ITEM
NO. 5 BY: Dennis M. Kissinger BY:,,,__~,~,/'
Item:
Report from City Manager regarding City/Chamber Building Code/Inspection Improvement Task Force
Report.
Background:
On February 7, 2000, the City Commission accepted the final report and recommendations of the Task
Force, as presented by its Chairman, Steve Ryan. At that time, the City Manager was directed to
provide a follow-up staff report and preliminary action plan related to the recommendations in the
report. The date set for the follow-up report was March 6.
At Monday's meeting, the City Manager will provide a verbal staff report to the Commission. An outline
paper of general and specific administrative actions will also be provided at the meeting.
Action:
Receive the follow-up report from the City Manager and provide further direction on proceeding as
deemed appropriate.
March 6, 2000
PRELIMINARY ACTION PLAN FOR IMPROVEMENT
First Priority Action - Management Operations Realignment
As tentatively announced previously, the City will proceed with a very
important internal reorganization which will better define responsibilities,
decision-making, supervision and reporting relationships.
Currently, Building Permits and Inspections is a function within the
Planning and Community Development Department. The new organization
structure will separate these functions.
Planning and Community Development will continue to be headed by Roy
Dudark, an Executive Staff member reporting directly to the City Manager. Mr.
Dudark will continue to lead the city operations involving planning and zoning,
nuisance abatement, neighborhood services, housing and community
development programs including grants management, and economic
development assistance programs such as industrial development tax
exemptions, revitalization rebates, etc.
What has previously been known as the Permits and Inspection Division
will be restructured to function as a full department level operation. The City
currently has a management level vacancy. That position will be filled by a
senior level manager who will be a member of the Executive Staff, reporting
directly to the City Manager. This new manager will lead, direct and supervise all
day-to-day operations in building permits, inspections, licensing, etc. The current
division head, Michael Peterson, as well as other current employees in this area,
will report to and be supervised by this new manager.
This organizational change will provide a renewed focus and management
attention to help us reach our high performance goals. The level of growth,
building and development in Salina has reached the point that planning and
community development and the building services functions merit separate
management to effectively meet service demands and responsibilities, and are
both better served by this restructuring.
Obviously, the prime focus of attention in the Task Force work has been on
the City operations involving building codes, plan review, permits and
inspections. Major improvements (in the form of "reinvention") in this area will
require a high level of leadership, an infusion of active, visible management, and
a focused amount of time and attention. Through this reorganization, that
improvement and change can best be achieved. By being assigned fewer
collateral duties and assignments, and assisted by new senior level leadership
and management, the City employees in this area can best concentrate their own
efforts on providing service improvement and meeting today's challenges of an
active, demanding and more complex work responsibility.
In addition to the Task Force attention on codes, permits, and inspection
functions, they also identified areas for improvement in other city development
related functions. It is clear that one of the facts we have all come to realize is
that interdepartmental coordination and consistency of organization response
and decision-making is crucial for success in providing our development
services. In almost every case, the issues and decisions in a project "crosscut"
various departmental lines of responsibility in City govemment. For example,
Planning and Zoning, Engineering, Utilities, Building Codes, Fire Codes, etc. are
often involved. When these various responsibilities are well coordinated,
consistent and responsive, we are at our best in helping a private or public
development or building project be successful. Conversely, lack of citywide
coordination/communication, whether perceived or actual, can and does lead to
problems and difficulties for those we are providing service to. Any of these
coordination deficiencies also cause our own staff more time and problems later.
Addressing the issues raised and identified by the Task Force, and internal
management review over the past months is at the highest level of importance to
our success as a city organization, and for the community as a whole. In order to
give us the best overall leadership and management in meeting these
challenges, the new manager in this area will be at the Assistant City Manager
level. This critical area of development services coordination, along with the
direct day-to-day management of the permits/codes/inspection operations will be
provided in the reorganization plan by an Assistant City Manager for
Development Services.
This is essential work for city management, and the intent is to fill that
vacant position with an individual with exceptional leadership, organization,
communication, judgement and problem-solving skills.
One specific role to be played by the new Assistant City Manager for
Development Services is to function in all ways as an Ombudsman for issues,
concerns and problems within any areas of city regulation and the development
review process. This will apply in the direct department management of building
codes/permits/inspections, etc., as well as other crosscutting department areas.
This individual will also lead city staff in a revitalized Development Review Team
process.
On an interim basis, until the position is filled, Deputy City Manager Mike
Morgan will fill the role of department director, development services coordinator
and ombudsman. As a City, we have much to do in these areas, and it is
important for us to "hit the ground running" in making visible, real, substantial
progress. Mr. Morgan has the authority, skills and a substantial record of
success which will be invaluable on this interim basis, and in the long-term city
management team approach to our improvement/reinvention effort.
BEGINNING LISTING OF OTHER SPECIFIC
IMPROVEMENT ACTIONS PLANNED
(Consistent with the Task Force Recommendations)
1. Development of "Mission Statement"
In our city organization, we will refer to this as a Vision and Values
Statement. We will begin immediately on the process of development and
adoption of this to provide overall direction, commitment and guidance. The City
government's overall direction must be sustained by core values. There has
been outstanding work done on this by other successful cities. We will build on
those examples to apply it to our own organization's mission and vision work.
Based on the full city organization Vision and Values efforts, individual
departments, beginning with those in the development processes, will also
develop their own mission/vision statements.
Understanding and committing to vision, mission and core values does
provide the foundation for organizations and individuals to meet high standards
of performance in serving the community.
2. Performance Goals and Objectives
The City will make greater use of written goals, objectives, benchmarks
and measurable performance standards to assist us in evaluating our service
delivery. We will use the performance measurement work going on in various
cities across the country, along with input from our local citizens/customers to
identify the most appropriate and verifiable benchmarks. Specific measurable
service goals such as tumaround times for plans, permits, etc. can be used, as
well as customer service evaluations.
3. Communications
The City will implement the following specific strategies as early priorities:
A. Provide a regular, informative, productive newsletter for owners,
developers, builders, architects and engineers involved in residential and
commercial development in Salina.
B. Implement better use of technology to communicate, including voice
mail, e-mail and internet.
C. Hold regular planned meetings (bi-monthly?) with those in the
development/design/construction community. For example, one city has found
success holding an information/idea/issues meeting with residential developers
and homebuilders one month; commercial developers/builders/design
professionals on the altemate month.
D. Establish special ad hoc working groups involving both city staff
members and members of the construction/development/design community to
analyze and attempt to reach consensus on specific recurring areas of problems.
For example, possible first topics might be residential basement egress windows
and smoke alarm requirements, and also grease trap requirements in restaurants
and food service establishments.
As envisioned, two separate working groups could "tackle" those issues.
Their results could then be brought to the Building Codes Advisory and Appeals
Board for public comment and review, followed by action, either administratively
or by the City Commission if required.
E. Develop and widely distribute written code interpretation and policy
documents, providing for better understanding by everyone, and opportunity for
review and/or reconsideration as appropriate.
F. For significant projects, a pro-project cooperative development meeting
system will be established, along with a companion plan to help monitor and
address communication and issues resolution during the project. Better
communication eady and during a project can minimize issues and problems
later.
4. Staff Training and Education
The City will review all job descriptions, education, training and certification
requirements for positions. Professional development and training plans will be
set for employees. In addition to standard "technical" areas of employee training,
city staff members will be provided significant training and assistance in the "soft
skills" essential for these jobs. These include, written and verbal communication,
conflict resolution, and problem-solving approaches, team building and other
customer service attributes.
5. Problem-Solving, Reviews and Appeals
A. A system of Quick Problem Resolution (Q.P.R.) will be established to
provide an effective opportunity for timely and improved decisions when thero is
a point of disagreement between building inspectors or other city staff, and
contractors/architects/owners during a project.
B. A moro timely and effective method of formal appeals should be
developed for when the Q.P.R. system does not resolve issues. The specifics of
this appeal process should be fully addressed by the Building Codes Advisory
and Appeals Board, the development/construction industry and city officials.
Some ordinance changes may be required.
6. Building Code Advisory and Appeals Board
City staff agrees that the Board has been underutilized in the past. It has
not been fully used for advice, nor is the current appeal process very effective.
There are currently three vacancies on the Board. It is possible the City
Commission may wish to expand the Board, or take some other action by
ordinance. A first priority should be to identify exactly what role the Board should
play in the whole codes, laws, regulation and policy system. This process is
important to begin with the Board members, city officials and the community.
7. Oversight Task Force
The City staff agrees that continuation of the current Task Force, or some
modified version of it can be very helpful. This group would meet periodically to
hear reports of specific actions and programs, and to review progress achieved
in addressing the improvement areas identified through their initial process.
They can continue to provide valuable feedback to the City as the improvement
efforts proceed in the coming months or longer.