Building a better tomorrow in Paradise Valley

Town Hall seeks efficient practices

We need to look at our customer service from the residents’ point of view and limited government point of view by taking the top heavy structure and bringing it down to the lowest level. I think we can provide more service to our residents and more continuity internally.”

Jill Keimach, Town Manager

By Melissa Rosequist
Twitter: @mrosequist_

Staffing changes and proposed alternative work schedules are being implemented at Paradise Valley Town Hall --- all in the name of improved customer service.

Town Manager Jill Keimach presented some new ideas to Paradise Valley Town Council Dec. 5, including an exchange of personnel positions and consideration of a pilot, alternative work schedule. The alternative work schedule would allow for Paradise Valley Town Hall to offer longer hours of operation for residents and customers, she says.

As a part of the personnel reorganization, the position of deputy town manager has been eliminated and an entry-level planner position has been added. Former Deputy Town Manager Dawn Marie Buckland is no longer an employee with the town as a result of the changes.

Ms. Buckland’s last day in office was Nov. 8, officials say.

In addition, Community Development Director Jeremy Knapp will be promoted, as the two Town Planners --- George Burton and Paul Michaud --- will begin to do higher-level work, as an entry level position is installed.

“We need to look at our customer service from the residents’ point of view and limited government point of view by taking the top heavy structure and bringing it down to the lowest level,” Ms. Keimach explained. “I think we can provide more service to our residents and more continuity internally.”

Ms. Keimach pointed out changes that have taken place in the last 10 years --- mainly, moving municipal processes into the 21st Century --- allows the local government to be efficient.

“Organizational structures should be dynamic depending on how the economy changes and how needs change,” Ms. Keimach said. “This is a relatively minor change, from my perspective. Everyone has the same responsibilities but we’re making it a lower-level, rather than an upper level.”

Internal updates

Ms. Keimach explained to the Town Council, she is regularly asked why the town doesn’t return to its full-time equivalent --- known as FTE --- staffing levels from before the Great Recession.

“We started looking at how we were different a decade ago when we had more staff than we have today,” she said.

“We had a police department writing paper tickets, we had an IT --- it was basically no IT staff --- in 2008 there was a lot of technology available, but not in PV.”

Councilmember Paul Dembow chimed in, saying he was on the council in 2008 and remembers the woes well.

“You would not have your little iPad --- we got a dead tree every other Friday,” he explained of the Council packets.

Ms. Keimach added, “it was probably delivered by staff in cars.”

“We now have staff, and instead of driving around in cars, they’re fixing and trying to make all of us more efficient,” she said.

The town now has an IT department that is looking and thinking strategically, instead of putting out proverbial fires.

For the planning department, Ms. Keimach says there are 278% more special use permits being processed than 10 years ago, and they are more complex.

“If you look at Five Star, SmokeTree and Lincoln Medical, they’re a lot more time consuming than they were 10 years ago,” she explained.

Councilmember Julie Pace asked Ms. Keimach where the question of the town’s employment numbers was coming from --- stating she has also been asked about it recently.

“I’ve heard it too myself, and I’m trying to figure out where it’s coming from,” Ms. Pace said. “It’s never been talked about the whole time I’ve been here, and now someone’s drumming it up and I’m just curious what’s up with it.”

Ms. Keimach agreed, she doesn’t know where the root of the questions are coming from.

Compared to a smaller staff during the time of the Great Recession, the town officials agreed they are in a much better position now.

“There’s less people now -- there’s more concierge service; our police department rocks, everybody else rocks. Service at Hillside has finally gotten good, planning has gotten good --- those are all the complaints we had,” Ms. Pace said.

“So, I don’t understand who’s drumming it up and what’s happening.”

Ms. Keimach says she hasn’t heard these complaints from councilmembers, but has heard it from three different people who came into the office.

“If we have three squeaky wheels, I don’t think we need to start defending why our staff is doing such a great job,” Mr. Dembow said.

All rumors aside, Ms. Keimach says the recommended staff changes she is implementing total a net positive of $83,125.

Improved work environment

Ms. Keimach also wants to try out an alternative work schedule --- allowing some employees to work different hours, or from home.

The idea bubbled up from an all-staff meeting held recently, she said.

“It was something that was obviously a strong desire from the staff,” Ms. Keimach said.

Historically, there has been a requirement for Town Hall staff to work regular, eight hour days, five days a week schedules.

Ms. Keimach points out, there are other competing municipalities that offer flexible work schedules; and she says about 90% of organizations provide alternative options for their staffs.

“It’s not to say we would reduce our service, we would only do this if we think from my point of view we’re increasing our availability to our residents,” she said.

By forwarding office calls to department heads’ cell phones, from the outside-looking-in, changes would be minimal, Ms. Keimach said, pointing out that flexible work schedules could allow for Town Hall to have longer hours of operation.

“The one thing I would want to have verified is that everybody does answer this phone, and we don’t have any people having it go to voice mail --- that drives me crazy, and it drives our residents crazy,” Mr. Dembow said. “There has to be a verifiable way to maybe do a check --- so if people are doing that, they’re not letting it go to voicemail; people are answering their phones.”

Vice Mayor Scott Moore says flexible work schedules are becoming more commonplace.

“There are ways we can provide a better work environment,” Ms. Keimach said.