Fallsnewspress.com - City consolidates three departments / Officials say move will reduce expenses

by Ellin Walsh

Reporter

Cuyahoga Falls -- A merger of three city departments should save the city in excess of $60,000 in 2009, streamline operations and foster synergy, city officials say.

In the belt-tightening economy, the move to pool its technological resources should save the city more than $155,000 two years from now, according to data provided by Finance Director Joseph F. Brodzinski, without any layoffs. Under the plan, as people retire or quit, they may not be replaced or their responsibilities will be redistributed.

John A. Konich, the city's former Information Services Department manager, says the move to combine Information Services, Technical Services and the dispatching arm of the city's safety forces is aimed at cutting costs and streamlining efficiency. Konich heads the new department, which is known as Information Technology Services or ITS. City Council formalized the merger Dec. 29 by adopting legislation creating the position of director of ITS, as well as a bargaining unit position of technician specialist and reclassifying the position of Information Services manager.

The merger, budgeted for in 2009, effectively got under way six months ago.

"It's been very well received by everyone," according to Konich.

Konich describes his responsibilities as budgetary and administrative, as well as setting focus and direction. Konich promoted Jan. 1 and will receive a 4.5 percent to 5 percent salary increase. He has been employed by the city for approximately six years. Konich had been earning $81,207, based on 2008 rates; his increase will raise his annual salary to $86,564, based on 2008 rates.

The city administration "have been looking for ways to combine departments because of the economy -- everybody's trying to find ways to save money," Konich says. To that end, in March Service Director Valerie Wax Carr asked Bob Leonard, in his role as temporary manager of the city's Technical Services department, to explore options for streamlining operations. Leonard, Carr and Konich concluded the three departments should be merged, Konich says, because they're so interrelated from a technology standpoint.

"It makes sense to put them under one director as opposed to having them as three separate departments," Konich says. "That way, we can balance and share resources. With three different managers, conflicts in priorities occur that we can avoid."

Key elements of the change include phasing out two department head positions in 2010 - the Sanitation director's post and the Technical Services manager slot. Former fire chief Bob Leonard had been performing both jobs. Leonard is expected to retire in the next year or so, according to Konich. In the meantime, Leonard will focus his expertise in the coming months on two "critical" projects: a radio frequency rebanding project and upgrading the city's current public safety radio system.

There will continue to be a sanitation department; its staff reports to the same manager as the street department.

The day-to-day operations of the (former) Technical Services department will be handled by a technician, who will be promoted to a post known as "working crew leader." Mark Wiggins, who has been in charge of dispatchers, has become the manager of communications. On the Information Services side, Konich says supervisor Gary Bishop is being promoted from pay grade 27 to 29 to handle daily events. Bishop currently earns $64,492 annually, based on 2008 rates; his increase will raise his annual salary to $68,922, based on 2008 rates.

"I guess it's just the wave of the future," Councilman and Finance Committee Chairman Don Walters (D-6) said. "Technology drives these departments and when there's a savings, it's definitely the right way to go."

E-mail: ewalsh@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-686-3908