HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997-01-23 City Council (9)City of Palo Alto
City Manager’s Report
TO:HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT:
CITY MANAGER
JANUARY 23, 1997
STRATEGY FOR
ORGANIZATIONAL
IMPLEMENTATION
RESPONSE
REVIEW
DEPARTMENT:UTILITIES
CMR:124:97
TO THE UTILITIES
RECOMMENDATIONS AND FOR
REQUEST
This is an informational report and no Council action is requested. This report outlines the
strategy for staff’s response to the recommendations from the consulting firm, Theodore
Barry and Associates (TBA), for the organizational review of the Utilities Department and
for the implementation of those recommendations.
Staff plans to incorporate the organizational recommendations of the consultant into the
fiscal year 1997-98 budget and to continue the review and analysis of the operational
recommendations. Staff will return to Council at a later date with the full analysis of the
operational recommendations with suggestions for implementation.
POLICY IMPLICATIONS
This report does not represent any change to existing policies.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
At the December 9, 1996 meeting, the consulting firm of Theodore Barry and Associates
(TBA) presented the final report to City Council for the organizational review of the Utilities
Department. At that time Council referred the report to the City Manager for staff analysis
and response with the direction to return to Council with an implementation plan. Since
that time, staff has begun the review of the thirty-nine recommendations to formulate a
strategy for analysis and implementation.
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In December 1994, when the City Council approved the City Manager’s recommendation
to perform an organizational review of the Utilities Department, the goal was to ensure that
the Utilities were prepared organizationally for future competition in the industry and have
the ability to meet the customer’s service expectations efficiently while remaining
competitive. A periodic review of the departmental structure at that time would ensure that
the most efficient and effective structure was in place. TBA conducted the study over
several months, with the complete cooperation of staff. However, it must be noted that
staff is disappointed that the major areas of focus for the study are operational in nature
and very few are organizational as originally planned. The operational recommendations
address, in many cases, complicated and intricate issues which impact other City
departments as well as the utilities department.. For this reason, staff plans to address the
organizational recommendations pertaining to positions with the FY 1997-98 budget and
return to Council with greater detail on these during the budget issues discussions.
Meanwhile, staff plans to arrange meetings over the next few months within utilities and
with other departments to address the operational recommendations. At a later date, staff
will return to Council with the results of these meetings and recommendations for
implementation.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
This project is categorically exempt.
PREPARED BY:Rosemary Ralston, Utilities Administrator
DEPARTMENT HEAD APPROVAL:
CITY MANAGERAPPROVAL:
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