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3 <br />Memorandum <br />TO: County Commissioners <br />From: Laura Blackmon, County Manager <br />RE: Proposed Reorganization Plans <br />Date: February 10, 2009 <br />One of the Board's clear directives when I was hired in November 2006 was to <br />streamline County operations in a manner to promote efficiency and maximize utilization <br />of limited resources. The maximization of limited resources is even more critical and <br />urgent now than it was in 2006. In fact, in recent worksessions and retreat settings I <br />have highlighted my concerns that our resources are so constrained at this point we <br />may face reduction of services in order to meet your budget goals. <br />The reorganization being proposed for the departments associated with the <br />management of our public assets, both physical and environmental was not conceived <br />lightly and I believe keeps faith with the Board's 2006 directive to me. Understandably, <br />however, the recommended change raises concerns that previously established goals <br />and objectives, particularly in the area of the environment, will face competition for <br />resources within the new structure and will not be met in a manner consistent with the <br />Board's desire or the public's expectations. Ironically, the thinking that lead me to the <br />recommendation is based on just the opposite assumption-the reorganization will <br />provide additional resources to accomplish these goals more expediently and will <br />promote the saturation of environmental Initiatives deeper into the daily operations. <br />This reorganization does not seek to change the service or mission of the individual <br />parts but rather to change the functional structure within which it operates to one that <br />will more effectively serve their customers, whether public or internal to county <br />operations. <br />Further, I believe the new functional structure will be critical in my efforts as Manager to <br />develop succession planning within County operations. There is a gold mine of <br />historical perspective among the current department directors and staff who join forces <br />under this reorganization plan. Some of the key staff are within five-seven years of <br />retirement, so the timing is critical to develop a sustainable structure for the core <br />functions represented in this grouping. <br />I continue to believe it is a plan that when fully implemented, will better serve our <br />residents and will consistently use their tax dollars more wisely. The attached <br />memorandum from the November 18, 2008 agenda materials will provide more detail of <br />the proposed reorganization. My staff and I stand ready to discuss this more fully with <br />the Board on February 10. In the meantime, I ask that you seriously consider my <br />recommendations and I ask for your support of this initiative as I strive to establish <br />functional structures which will enable us to move the organization forward more <br />strategically. <br />