Minutes 04/19/1994 - Laserfiche WebLink

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36,0 April 19, 2994 Change is not coming to Portsm°uth, Virginia -- it is already here and continuing!~ Step by, step our deliberate, measured and conservative efforts have been giving our city an edge enabling Portsmouth to redefine itself and prosper and grow. We are still becoming a new model of what an older city can be. Typically, those who cannot see this progress are focused improperly on outcome and not process, and simplistically conclude that no progress has been made. When properly focused on process, our achievements realized over the last four years are abundantly clear. I need only to point out our major economic development achievements and fiscal accomplishments to demonstrate where we were and where we arenow. To realize our goals and objectives in 1995 will require that we continue to compromise and sacrifice, but we will accomplish much as we are all partners in the future of the City of Portsmouth. This partnership is built upon the spirit of a common destiny and a stalwart determination to realize the benefits people can accomplish when they work together -- safe neighborhoods and streets, strong industry and commerce, a good standard of living, excellence in education, and most important, pride in our community. In last year's budget message I stated, when discussing personnel, "plainly and simply, we still have more positions on our payroll than we need, and we are yet to realize our optimum allocation." Remaining fully committed to this managerial assessment, I authorized, with the unanimous consent of Council, an organizational efficiency study which began on March 14, 1994. Conservatively, I expect to achieve a net reduction of expenditures through a structural reorganization at a substantial cost savings for our citizens. However, the budget being presented today does not reflect this anticipated expenditure reduction. It would be unwise to build a budget in such a manner. To create desired local government efficiencies, it is necessary to reform and reorganize our personnel system, and redefine how the personnel structure must be configured to deliver these services. This study was not recommended and authorized because of financial desperation, it is the product of the determination of you as Council and me as your Chief Executive Officer to provide our citizens responsive, quality services with the most efficient organization possible. Additionally, the study represented the logical next step following the last four years of the Workforce Management Review method. Finally, it has been more than twenty years since the City's personnel structure has been examined, retooled, and fine-tuned for those issues and challenges facing our City. In essence, we have been attempting to address today's needs of our citizens with an outmoded service delivery structure. Later phases of our effort to retool the structure will address positions in Grades 19 and below, a full review of all personnel policies and procedures, and the complete reworking of our pay and classification system. Accordingly, it would be unwise and premature to recommend any general wage increase at this time. There is a new equation for effective and efficient goverrnnent in Portsmouth. The equation brings our citizens, elected leaders, and staff together for a common purpose -- quality services for the least cost. I applaud the efforts of our City department heads and all City employees for holding