Starting at the top

Structural changes in the way the County does business

The long-awaited shakeup of the County’s municipal bureaucracy has begun. Last week Merlin Dewing, the County’s chief administrative officer, announced that the County was shedding two commissioners leaving just two larger commissions. The County manager also announced that the newly created Community Development Department and Human Resources Department would now report to him. Further, he is implementing a one-window approach for development proposals— no longer will potential investors need to seek approvals and authorizations from a variety of County departments.

At a committee of council meeting last week Dewing also won approval to transfer a series of routine decision-making processes from council to staff to streamline the way the municipality does business and expedite customer service.

FIRST STEPS
Though it took a while to get under way, the scope of the changes announced over the past week and their implications signal a profound and far-reaching reassessment of the County’s operations.

Dewing says he is just getting started.

“We are changing the thinking about how we do business,” said Dewing. “Everything is going to be looked at. I think there will be a natural rationalization. The next phase will have a greater substance in terms of changes in the numbers of staff.”

County’s new structure splits the Recreation, Parks and Culture Department between two remaing departments. Planning and building becomes part of a new Engineering, Development and Works Commission.

Dewing says that at the end of this process the County will be run with fewer employees and at a lower cost.

“Nine months to a year from now I expect an overall reduction in staff complement and salary load,” said Dewing. “Just as importantly we will be a more effective and efficient organization.”

The County’s Recreation, Parks and Culture Department will disappear—its services and responsibilities to be absorbed by the new Engineering, Development and Works Commission and a Corporate Services and Finance Commission, to be headed by Robert McAuley and Susan Turnbull, respectively.

Similarly the County’s Planning Department will be absorbed by McAuley’s new commission. Commissioners Gerry Murphy and Barry Braun will see their jobs eliminated; however, they may have the opportunity to “re-integrate” into the new structure.

TIMELINE
Dewing figures it will take about a month for his organization to absorb these top-level changes. Then he will begin rolling out the changes for the next layer of administration over the next 60 days.

“It is happening fairly quickly,” said Dewing. “The biggest hurdle will be in communicating how the changes in service delivery are going to feel for users and groups. We are working on a transitional plan that will keep staff and the public involved about who will be affected and how the service will be altered. Services should not change, but as we reduce numbers there will certainly be different people the public will be dealing with.”

Mayor Peter Mertens says these steps are the first toward a renewal of local government in Prince Edward County—the reason he chose to seek the mayor’s job.

“It was apparent to me after one term as councillor there was a great deal of duplication in this organization and a huge opportunity to do things more efficiently,” said Mertens. “The challenges we face aren’t unique, as we learned in the Eastern Ontario Warden’s report detailed this spring, but we can no longer shrug our shoulders and carry on the way we always have done.”

Mertens says these and additional structural changes are necessary for this administration to deliver appropriate services that can be sustained by County residents.

Dewing cautions it will take the better part of a year for the projected savings to filter down to the bottom line as the muncipality deals with severance packages and early retirement incentives. He says that while the scope of the announced changes is broad, the more meaningful changes in terms of cost savings are yet to come.

To get there, he needs the municipality’s unions to get on board—to enable the County more flexibility in how, when and where it uses its workforce.

“The notion that this group works here and that group works there has to be out the window— particularly as we look to combine garages with fire halls and ambulance facilities. We have to have the ability for staff members to work in almost any area.

“When you have overlapping areas of responsibilities there are natural opportunities for economies of scale. We need the flexibility to take advantage of these.”

Dewing is aware that he is creating unease within his organization but insists these steps are necessary. “There is trepidation throughout this organization at the moment,” acknowledged Dewing. “But staff feel we have strong council support that we are headed in the right direction.”

Is he worried about his popularity?

“It may feel good personally—but it is not my objective. Everyone knows I have a job to do. If I was driven by popularity—I wouldn’t get anywhere. My aim is to be transparent and fair.”