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Friday, May 24, 2013
Budget woes lead to overhaul of city departments
by Kathleen Haley, published on July 1, 2010 at 10:35 PM
Storyline: Sacramento City Hall / Politics
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Sacramento’s city government is in the midst of a major overhaul.
The merging of seven city departments and offices was among many cuts city leaders made to close out a $43 million budget shortfall. Consolidations of several departments, including Neighborhood Services and Parks and Recreation, are now under way.
Neighborhood Services is no longer its own department. It’s now a division of the Parks and Recreation Department. The Office of Youth Development also lost its unique status — it now falls under the umbrella of Parks and Recreation.
The consolidations include cuts to a few top positions. Vincene Jones, who was the director of the Neighborhood Services Department, is now the manager of the Neighborhood Services division.
As part of the Parks and Neighborhood Services consolidation, Jones’s division is now responsible for a special events unit formerly under the jurisdiction of Parks and Recreation.
Putting the special events unit under the Neighborhood Services division is a “natural fit” because the two groups already had a working relationship, Jones said.
“We do things together anyway,” Jones said.
Neighborhood Services will lose two staffers. Parks and Recreation and Neighborhood Services will continue to be housed at City Hall on Ninth Street.
Lyn Corbett, who headed the Office of Youth Development, is leaving the city in the next couple months, said Hindolo Brima, a spokesman for the Parks Department. Corbett did not respond to a phone call Thursday afternoon. The city formed the Office of Youth Development in 2007.
The Parks-Neighborhood Services-Youth Development consolidation results in a Parks Department with more expertise relating to neighborhoods and youth, Brima said.
At the same time, the Code Enforcement Department has joined with the Community Development Department. Code Enforcement is now a division of the Community Development Department.
Max Fernandez, who was the director of Code Enforcement, said a decision has not been announced about his employment with the city government. While his job status is up in the air, Fernandez spoke positively about the consolidation.
“We’ll be able to share the resources of the two departments to use them more efficiently,” he said.
Fernandez noted that Code Enforcement personnel will be moving from their current headquarters on Meadowview Road to the Community Development Department headquarters on Richards Boulevard. Staff will move over in the next 60 to 90 days, he said.
In a third group of consolidations, the Human Resources and Labor Relations Departments have merged, said city spokeswoman Amy Williams.
In addition, Williams said the city is still examining the idea of creating an Office of Communications, in which public information officers would work under one office instead of at various departments.
Photos: Vincene Jones of Neighborhood Services and a Code Enforcement employee.
Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.
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Think of it like a Swiss Army knife. A Swiss Army knife is pretty efficient--it lets you fit a bunch of small tools in your pocket. But generally the screwdriver on a Swiss Army knife isn't quite as good as an actual screwdriver, the knife blade not quite as handy as a fixed-blade knife, etcetera. Giving a tool too many jobs means it's generally adequate at most but not ideal for any of them. So even though it's technically more "efficient," it's not the best solution.
That’s all I needed to read....
Burg are you a paid apologist for the inefficient? SERIOUSLY, thats not an accusation, WHO PAYS YOU?
Seriously, do you own a home and pay property taxes? Are you like most Americans who pay over 50% of their incomes to the government? Are you on the dole? A trust funder?
Because as a property owner and taxpayer, I dont think I have ever heard more offensive remarks that what you just made... In fact your remark is so offensive to me and almost every other tax payer on the planet, I am going to flag your post as offensive.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), "most cars’ fuel efficiency peaks at speeds from 35 to 60 miles per hour." Driving in congested stop and go traffic or in 25 mph speed zones also reduces cars' efficiency. Is it a good thing never to drive more than 60 or less than 35?
Why is it that those on the Left could care less about government inefficiency and waste? Hmmm something to do with union contracts, HUGE government salaries, health care and retirement packages? Or is it y’all live off the hard work and perspiration of others?
A message to you on the Left - Government financial malfeasance, waste and inefficiency harms everyone, but it disproportionately harms the poor through cutbacks in social services health care and education.
Self reliance and personal responsibility, coupled with responsible financial management by elected officials, and less taxation would make our economy flourish and increase employment.
Government irresponsibility and inefficiency is why our city, our county, our state and our federal government are completely broke - our grandchildren will be paying the price for the monkeys running all levels of government.
Two facts remain. One is that perceived waste and inefficiency is sometimes a poorly thought out and faulty conclusion to an existing problem. The second is that waste and inefficiency in ANY organization must be weighed in terms of risk and short time gain vs. long time losses in quality of product and services. BP is a prime example.
The combined departments are there as another arm of public safety. First, CDD is there to make sure that buildings are built correctly and in compliance with ALL applicable codes. Secondly, CE is there to make sure that said properties are maintained in a safe manner in order to protect the public's health, safety & welfare.
During the past 5 years the Portland boys made a mockery of the CDD/DSD department by giving away the store along with the animals and the farmer's wife. They brought to us buildings in the flood plain, waiver of much needed revenue and a hovering grand jury. It is time to clean house and start afresh with a director that is capable. Again, Max Fernandez may very well be it! Gus, are you reading?