Sunday, August 25, 2013

Under Consideration in Eau Claire: Public Works + Parks, Recreation and Forestry = Community Maintenance Services

EC looks to merge parks, public works departments. (Eau Claire Leader-Telegram, 8/24/2013)


Excerpt:    “We had a lot of individual ‘silos,’ ” City Manager Russell Van Gompel said of the city’s current organizational structure. “One of the things I’m looking to do is incorporate more team activities.” 

Since becoming city manager in December, Van Gompel noticed areas of duplication and heard critiques of city plowing methods that sometimes resulted in bare recreation trails but snow-laden streets. 

A memo from the city’s assistant city manager and human resources director Dale Peters also noted inefficiencies that cropped up due to the traditional structure of the two departments. 

"Over time, this has developed into a duplication of many services like mowing, building maintenance, store rooms and equipment,” Peters wrote. “It has also limited staffing flexibility to meet seasonal workloads.”


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