City Hall Shuffle Ruffles Feathers Plan Touted For Efficiency, But Union Worried

A proposed reorganization of the city’s Operations Department would improve efficiency, remove layers of bureaucracy and save the city about $400,000 each year, according to the plan’s author.

But the proposal also has stirred concern that the real motivation includes clearing out aging city staff members.

About a dozen jobs and two departments would be eliminated under a draft plan written by Assistant City Manager Nick Dragisich.

The Operations Department provides some of the city’s most basic services, including transportation, engineering, code enforcement, water and sewer service and garbage collection.

City Manager Bill Pupo is reviewing the plan. Most city employees have seen only small sections of it.

Dragisich was hired by the city about nine months ago. He replaced Phil Williams, who was fired by Pupo in November 1997.

Dragisich oversees about 1,000 employees and a $177 million budget. Most of the department’s budget comes from utilities.

Some minor reorganization already has occurred, but the latest proposal is more aggressive.

Dragisich said the plan, which still is being developed, would take three to five years to implement. One goal is to reduce the number of supervisors and add more line staff, he said.

Some of the positions that would be eliminated are vacant and simply wouldn’t be filled.

“No one is going to be fired. There is no plan to eliminate anyone immediately,” Dragisich said. “There is a lot of staff coming up on retirement.”

Among the positions that would be eliminated are transportation director and city engineer.

A new position, director of operations, would be added. Roger Flint, now director of general services, would get that job when his department is eliminated.

Bruce Steele, the current transportation director, would become chief traffic engineer. In that position, he’d replace Jim Smith, who is expected to retire in August.

Steele has been with the city for 28 years. His salary would stay the same in his new position until he retires. After that, the job would pay less.

Steele said he has seen only the Transportation Department part of the report.

“It looks like they are going to do away with department head positions to save themselves some money,” Steele said. “Any time you have change, you have to work with it.

“I’d feel better if some of the money they are saving was going to be put into fixing streets.”

Dragisich said the savings could be used to keep utility rate increases down, or some of it could be returned to the general fund for other uses.

John Bjork’s position as city engineer also would be eliminated.

The proposal mentions a severance package for Bjork, who has been with the city 29 years.

Dragisich said that since the draft was written in April, Pupo has insisted that no one be fired. Dragisich said it still hasn’t been decided where Bjork would fit in with the reorganization.

While staff longevity has advantages, Dragisich said, it also results in a lack of different ideas and perspectives.

“Most of the current staff have been with the city a long time,” Dragisich wrote in the draft plan. “In many instances, they have never worked anywhere else.

“The whole concept of this plan is to use people more effectively, to consolidate functions and ultimately save money,” Dragisich said.

Some City Council members have been briefed on the proposal.

Councilwoman Cherie Rodgers said the money saved by reorganizing the Operations Department would be a “wash” because of the recent addition of other departments, such as Communications. The 2-year-old department has a $200,000 annual budget.

The reorganization needs only Pupo’s approval. The matter probably won’t come to the council for action.

However, it will have to be reviewed by bargaining units, including the Managerial and Professional Association, which represents about 300 city employees.

Barbara Burns, president of the association, said the union has seen only bits and pieces of the plan.

“We will be looking at how it affects people,” Burns said. “We have a very stable work force. A lot of people have been here for more than 20 years.”

Burns said the association was told there will not be open competition for some of the new positions.

“We have people who are very worried and scared,” said Diana Hart, staff representative for the association.

“Technically, we are worried because we don’t have any information to assess,” Hart said.“We don’t want to see anybody lose their jobs.”

Several employees would be given raises, including Gale Olrich, who manages wastewater treatment; Dennis Hein, director of solid waste management; and Katy Allen, director of engineering services.

Some other proposed changes include:

The Transportation Department would be split up between the Engineering Services Department and the Solid Waste Department.

Dragisich said outside operations, including snowplowing, street repair and maintenance, can be handled more efficiently under the Solid Waste Department.

The city’s Real Estate Department would become more involved in economic development efforts.

Later this summer, the City Council is expected to consider instituting a storm water utility fee in Spokane. Expanded storm water services would be added to the Wastewater Management Department’s duties.

Consolidation of the Planning Services and Economic Development departments also is being considered.