INC NEWS - City manager unveils Durham reorganization (N&O)

[Melissa Rooney]

Hi all. WRT the above article's quote from Councilman Brown involving "streamlining procedures for
development review so that the city does not impede economic
progress"...

Just wanted to say that, on my first reading, I  didn't attach as much importance to that statement as I should have. I was concentrating more on the reorganization of Durham gov't -- which I think is definitely needed. At any rate, I wrote a letter to the N&O about the 'streamlining' comment from Eugene Brown -- though I don't know if they'll print it.

At any rate, when Mike Woodard commended City Council's action Monday night toward protecting Black Ridge Meadow, but said they should not continue the bad precedent of filling Durham floodplains (wrt the Southpoint Professional Center development in South Durham), Eugene Brown responded, "Crooked Creek is no Eno River."

For this same person to push for "streamlining development for economic progress" is definitely disturbing to me.

Melissa

Melissa Rooney
mmr121570 at yahoo.com




--- On Thu, 11/20/08, Kelly Jarrett <kjj1 at duke.edu> wrote:
From: Kelly Jarrett <kjj1 at duke.edu>
Subject: Re: INC NEWS - City manager unveils Durham reorganization (N&O)
To: mmr121570 at yahoo.com
Date: Thursday, November 20, 2008, 10:53 PM




  
Melissa--

Did you read the last line of the article: "streamlining procedures for
development review so that the city does not impede economic
progress"?  I expected a different response from you . . . .



Melissa Rooney wrote:

  
    
      
        Sounds like a great idea to me.

        

I hope the sustainability 'department' comprised of one Tobin Freid, is
included in this interdepartmental working together.

        

Melissa

        

Melissa Rooney

mmr121570 at yahoo.com

        

--- On Thu, 11/20/08, John Schelp <bwatu at yahoo.com>
wrote:

        From:
John Schelp <bwatu at yahoo.com>

Subject: INC NEWS - City manager unveils Durham reorganization (N&O)

To: inc-list at DurhamINC.org

Date: Thursday, November 20, 2008, 3:12 PM

          

          City manager unveils Durham reorganization
By Jim Wise, News & Observer, 20 Nov 2008
 
Just three months into the job, City Manager Tom Bonfield is putting his brand
on Durham.

On Thursday, Bonfield unveiled a reorganization of the
 city's
administration to "promote departments working together."

Bonfield's plan aligns the city's 23 departments into three
"teams" or "theme areas," each under a deputy city manager
charged with "facilitating" inter-department cooperation.

"It isn't about controlling anything," it's about
facilitating," he said.

Reorganization goes into effect Jan. 1. Current deputy manager Ted Voorhees
takes responsibility for Operations -- including police, fire, emergency
management and communications, public works and water among others.

Current deputy Wanda Page gets Administration & Support: finance, budget,
personnel and three others.

A third deputy position will be created for Community Building by shifting a
currently vacant position from elsewhere in the city bureaucracy. 

"For the time being, that's going to be me," Bonfield said. That
six-department "theme" includes economic
 development, planning,
inspections, community development, neighborhood services and human relations.

"I like it," said Mike Barros, community development director.
"It makes more sense than the old one."

Bonfield said reorganizing will probably lead to some jobs and divisions moving
to new departments, but not to a larger staff. Bonfield said the plan was
designed for the existing staff and "recognizing the budgetary challenges
that face the city over the next several years," according to a memo sent
to council members and department heads Thursday.

Earlier this fall, Bonfield had spoken of a need for "fiscal
discipline" in City Hall and for planning the city's work and spending
in terms of set priorities from year to year.

"We're not very good at that," council member Eugene Brown said
before Bonfield announced his plan. "And that's an
understatement." In the immediate future, Bonfield said top
 priorities
should be fiscal management "based on economic reality"; improving
completion of capital projects such as street resurfacing; and streamlining
procedures for development review so that the city does not impede economic
progress. 


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