05-26-2020 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, May 11, 2020 6:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 11 of 22 hands on deck from up above” should have been the theme, and it does not sound like it happened that way. She stated the summer of 2018 is when Printup noted there needed to be a plan. There was plenty of time where many different things could have been investigated. She noted that was a failure to support City Staff, because it was pinpointed that was something Staff needed to keep in mind and nothing happened until that person retired. There was an opportunity to have a seamless transition with lots of options on the table. She knows Printup and herself pushed Staff a lot, but Staff could have made it easier on themselves if the department head would have taken it to Staff and said that Staff had 1 ½ years to figure it out and they should put some plans together. She would not like to repeat that again, because it sounds like the individual contributors at City Hall are the people who pay for it and it is not fair. Johnson said Seals touched on what he was trying to articulate. He wants the City to be very strategic with its labor, and when the City asks to spend taxpayers’ money on additional labor, a Council member needs to have data that helps them know that the City is utilizing existing resources to the fullest before adding more. He stated the position might be very needed, but he does not feel like he has the tools/data to evaluate where the City’s labor is at, that the City is utilizing that labor to the best of its ability, and that it justifies asking the taxpayer to spend more money on labor because they will benefit in some way. He does not have the visibility at this point to support the request, but it doesn’t mean he does not think it’s the right thing to do. Crosby indicated it sounds like Council members feel they do not have enough information to vet the position. The Council is spending taxpayers’ dollars, and if they do not have the proper information to vet the position and its necessity, the Council cannot make an informed decision. Johnson stated Crosby correctly stated the issue. Walsh said he will put his faith in the Organizational Committee for their recommendation because that is what they put them there for, is to bring a recommendation to the table based on all the knowledge they can get, even though the Council may not have all the information to see the issue as clearly as Seals and Printup. He said he looks to Printup and Seals to give a recommendation. Seals stated she supports the position after talking to Edwards and learning more. She noted that this process does not need to happen this way going forward; there is a better way, with more information. She said Printup and herself were asking the same questions Johnson was asking the whole way through and it was clear as mud. She noted it is similar to when the Council asks for data on complaints and the response is, “Complaints have gone up,” and the Council needs to know if it went up from 2 to 4 or 10 to 500. Crosby asked Seals what type of data she felt would be helpful in this case. Seals said, ironically, she is in a process with her boss, who told her to put together a plan to show she needs more headcount. She is putting together a plan saying this is what they are doing now and what they cannot do because there is not enough time. There is a list of things, and if the company is willing to not do those things, that is fine. Printup stated Seals and himself have been immersed in the process for 2 years and apologized if he didn’t explain it better. He noted this would not be increasing Staff. They are moving things around to make things better, because, with time, things change, and it is okay to move things around. He is not convinced the City needs to add anything, but he recommends hiring.