2011-01-14 Cost of Government Commission Minutes

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we lay down in May and June of the particular year for the next fiscal year may not be applicable by the time you reach November and December of that fiscal year. We need too look at changes. And the current system in the manner in which do it, really doesn’t provide adequately for that review. Let me give you an example too of what I’ve st proposed. We put a hiring freeze, for instance, form the first of July to the 31of December and then review that particular policy somewhere in November or December and see how we’re doing. Why not? Maybe we need to review other things that seemed to stick out in the budget. But we can do that and not be reticent to take a hard, fast look at how our finances are doing. How well we’re following the budget. How well our revenue source and stream is coming. Where can we use our fund balance for instance, if there is any excess in addition to what was indicated in the budget? Regardless of how you wish to review this particular effort, a top to bottom review in every department, I believe, needs to be done. And must be a continuous process as we move ahead. It’s just not one person doing the job. By the way, I’m all in favor of these efforts that are being taken and mentioned publicly by some to make sure we know where the cars are going at night and everything else. And that’s important. I don’t mean to diminish or demean that effort. In fact, I compliment the council individuals who are leading that charge, and the departments who are doing that on their own. But come to think of it, isn’t that what the department head is supposed to do in the first place? Is it up to us on the council to try to initiate some legislation to remind the department heads of their responsibilities? I almost feel embarrassed that we do that. Is it necessary for instance, to jump up and down and to pass a resolution that says we want to see your Change Orders 30 days after you make any approved change orders. Hey folks, somewhere along the line, I think we should not be just looking at 30 days after the particular change order, but try to get to the root of the problem as to why those change orders were required in the first place. Those are the tough decisions. That’s where we save money. And by the way, as the Cost of Government Commission, Madam Chair, do you have any idea how many change orders were accepted by the administration in 2010? I don’t know. I’ve asked the question and I’m hoping to get an answer. But it may be interesting to go back a couple of years to find out how the county has done and how much money went out the window. I don’t mean that derogatorily because some of those change orders were required. But that’s where we need to make the changes. To change the thinking, the attitude, the experience, the performance of people on both sides, both in the development community and in the administration in trying to address change order problems, not to give us simply a report. And by the way, that report is public knowledge if we want to go after it. Anyway you have to do a little digging. But I think a good question is to try to find out what the county’s record was for change orders in the last year, not just the one that Belt Collins got nailed on for $350,000. There are a number of different aspects that we could look at. Let me close these general remarks. Again going back to, this is the way we’ve always done it before. I e alluded to the fact that in this particular effort, tough decisions must be made. If I had my way, I’d not simply do a top to bottom review. But I’d go back to each department and identify those jobs and those responsibilities that are good to have but maybe not fundamental to the success or failure of that particular department. I’m going to tell you that there’s probably some reports we do in the County Council office for instance, that are really important. They’re good to have, but maybe we can’t do those reports for the next couple of years because we need to reduce our administrative staff and our costs 7