'Operations' may become public works
BY PHIL REYNOLDS SOUTH JETTY REPORTER

They may not see eye to eye with City Manager Michael Kovacs on how he wants to do it, but at least some city council members are apparently ready for a reorganization of the city's operations division.

Kovacs sent councilmen on Thursday, Nov. 1, a proposal for reorganizing the department. Nov. 1 is the deadline the council had set for wanting to hear Kovac's proposals for getting the division into better shape following complaints from both residents and the council itself.

Among Kovacs' recommendations:

• Create a new position, director of public works, to oversee the public works division (renamed from operations) and who will report to the city manager only.

• Fill the position of the former operations director with a lead public works supervisorposition. The supervisor will function as the Beach/Alpha (A) Team Leader.

• Reassign the current operations supervisor to public works supervisor, who will function as the Bravo (B) Team Leader. The supervisor leading each team would report to a director.

• Reduce line force levels by two staff members through attrition. Those job slots are

vacant and already frozen.

Asked by e-mail how they felt about the proposals, three council members said they approved with reservations. Councilman Mike Hall noted that any organization needs to be evaluated from time to time, simply to keep up with changes. "I expect that we have some opportunities for improvement (in the operations division), as this process has not been done this degree in a very long time. I think Michael is right on to have this process going and has my support," he wrote.

"This plan is modeled after the police reorganization, which is working well and evolving," Councilman Rick Pratt said.

Both councilmen Keith McMullin and Charles Bujan said they wanted more time to review Kovacs' proposal. McMullin said he would look at the document in depth over the weekend (Nov. 3-4); Bujan said he didn't want to talk about his reaction until he had discussed it with other council members.

Councilman Keith Donley wrote that he wanted more details before reacting to the proposal. "However," he added, "I do believe that a reorganization and more accountability are long overdue."

Kovacs is due to go over the report with the council in detail at a workshop scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 13, at 5 p.m. in the city council chamber, 710 W. Ave. A.