ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: September 14, 1998
Author/Local: TDroettboom/7099

RTS-96
CC: File No. 1363

TO: Vancouver City Council

FROM: General Manager of Community Services

SUBJECT: Staffing Modification - Community Services Group

RECOMMENDATION

A. THAT an exempt position be established to manage the consolidated Records Management function for the four departments in the Community Services Group, subject to job evaluation by the Director of Human Resources, at an annualized salary and benefits cost of approximately $62,900.

B. THAT the cost of Recommendation A be completely offset by consolidation of administrative functions in the Support Services Division by December 31, 1998.

COUNCIL POLICY

Council approves creation and deletion of regular positions.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this report is to seek Council's approval to establish an exempt Records Management position as an integral part of the restructuring process in Community Services. This report is one in a series of reports intended to incrementally implement structural changes in Community Services to accompany and support process improvements in this service group.

DISCUSSION

This new position facilitates the consolidation of records management services from the four departments making up Community Services (Housing, Planning, Permits & Licenses, and Social Planning) into a more efficient records management service for all of Community Services. The cost of this new position will be completely offset through savings generated in the consolidation of support service functions.

Community Services requires establishment of this position as another step in the consolidation of the Support Services division. To date, the Information Services, Financial Services, Graphics and Communication, and Human Resources groups are in place; some remnants of the Human Resource and Financial Services consolidation are scheduled to occur concurrent with, and following, the relocation of staff to the VanCity building and within the East Wing.

Recommendation "A" requests approval to create an exempt position responsible for planning, coordinating, facilitating, and developing the provision of records services for the Community Services Group. Broad responsibilities include management of staff engaged in the provision of Records Management, Addressing and Bylaw Administration services. Community Services manages a huge number of detailed development and building records on virtually every property in the city and has recently implemented the DOMINO document imaging project (one million electronic records entered to date); expansion of DOMINO to other Community Service records is required.

Recommendation "B" indicates Community Service's commitment to completely offset the cost of Recommendation "A", through cost reduction associated with continued consolidation of Support Services, by December 31, 1998.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

Annualized funding changes will result in no net increase to the Community Service Budget. The $62,900. cost of the creation of this position will be completely offset by reductions to the Support Service Division's budget by December 31, 1998.

CONCLUSION

The General Manager of Community Services requests Council's approval of the above recommendations to implement incremental modifications in the organization and staffing of the Community Services Group and facilitate greater efficiencies in delivery of support services. As processes continue to be redesigned, we will come forward with additional organizational changes.

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(c) 1998 City of Vancouver