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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.