Marc Ott’s new Executive Team Assignments
TO: Mayor & Council Members
FROM: Marc A. Ott, City Manager
DATE: November 22, 2011
SUBJECT: Executive Team Assignments
I will be rotating some responsibilities with my Executive Team with three goals in mind. First, it’s important to give Executives new and different responsibilities to help the team gain broader knowledge. I’ve used this “rotation” program throughout my career with my direct reports and I have also been a part of programs like this as an Executive. I gained invaluable experience supervising many different departments early in my career and these experiences helped me develop a better understanding of all city functions. The bottom line is that new responsibilities and a new service group alignment will help each of my Executives (including Department Heads that will be in a new Service group) grow and continue to build on their “enterprise-wide” perspectives. Secondly, I’m putting departments with similar functions in the same service group to continue to encourage coordination and the efficient and effective delivery of all city services. Finally, I have tried to balance the work load as much as possible (keeping in mind the first two goals) across my Executive Team.
I will be making these changes effective January 1, 2012. I’ve attached a revised organizational chart for your reference. I’ve also given you some more detail below regarding each Service Group (lead by Assistant City Managers and my Chief of Staff) and some of my reasoning for the changes.
Public Safety – Deputy City Manager Mike McDonald
Service Group =
- Austin Police
- Austin Fire
- Emergency Medical Services/Medical Director
- Homeland Security
- Community Court
- Code Compliance
- Staff Liaison for Municipal Court, Municipal Judges, and Police Monitor
This Service group remains largely unchanged except for the addition of Code Compliance. The Code Compliance Department works with many other city departments on a variety of issues. I evaluated whether to shift Code into the Development Services group due to the close interaction with Planning and Development (work without permit issues, etc). However, Code also works very closely with our public safety departments in our PACE (Public Assembly Code Enforcement) team. So, I’ve placed Code Compliance in the Public Safety Service group to build on that collaboration.
I have also added a new role for Mr. McDonald. I’ve officially designated him as the “Deputy” City Manager. Mike has been functioning in this role informally for some time and this move helps clarify his role. He will not be acting as a supervisor for my direct reports (ACMs, City Attorney, Chief of Staff, etc.) and those relationships will remain unchanged. As the Deputy, Mike will be taking on my duties when I’m absent, attending some functions in my stead, and generally serving in a direct support role to me as he has in the past.
Financial and Administrative Services – Assistant City Manager Rudy Garza
Service Group =
- Financial Services (Chief Financial Officer) – Budget Office, Controller’s Office, Purchasing Office, Contract Management, Treasury
- Human Resources/Labor Relations
- Communication and Technology Management (CTM)
- Convention Center
- Staff Liaison for City Auditor and Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau (ACVB)
As you know, Leslie Browder, our Chief Financial Officer (CFO), will be retiring in January. The CFO is obviously a key position, perhaps even more important during these tough economic times. As a reminder, the CFO leads our corporate Financial Services programs which include the Budget Office, the Controller’s Office, Purchasing, and Treasury. It’s imperative that we have strong, consistent leadership for our financial services. I currently have direct oversight of Financial Services and will be maintaining the same level of involvement I’ve taken in Budget development. The budget that I deliver to you for your consideration is the “City Manager’s recommended budget” and thus I will always lead in the development of that recommendation. However, with a new CFO coming on board, I believe that additional day-to-day guidance will facilitate a successful transition. Therefore, I have placed Financial Services in Assistant City Manager Rudy Garza’s service group. Rudy has years of financial expertise and his guidance will be invaluable.
Contract Management will be shifted to the Financial Services group to build on coordination with the Purchasing Office. Both these areas will grow by working closer together since they share many similar goals and responsibilities.
Human Resources, Labor Relations, and CTM are primary “support,” or administrative functions, and will be shifted to the Financial and Administrative Services group. ACM Garza will also keep the Convention Center, and his liaison work with the ACVB.
Development Services – Assistant City Manager Sue Edwards
Service Group =
- Economic Growth and Redevelopment Services Office (EGRSO)
- Planning and Development Review
- Watershed Protection
- Sustainability Office
- Real Estate Services
- Aviation
Real Estate Services is an enterprise-wide function, and could be placed in almost any Service Group. I’ve chosen to place it in Development Services to build on the coordination with EGRSO (including potential land-banking opportunities) and Planning & Development Review. Moving the Aviation department to the Development Services group will help focus on one of the airport’s primary mission of supporting economic development.
Infrastructure Services – Assistant City Manager Robert Goode
Service Group =
- Public Works
- Austin Transportation
- Austin Resource Recovery (formerly Solid Waste Services)
- Austin Water Utility
- Capital Planning Office
- Staff Liaison for Austin Energy
Austin Water will now be within the Infrastructure Services group providing a great opportunity for collaboration/coordination with our other primary infrastructure departments. With Capital Planning within this group, a “cradle to grave” outlook should enhance all these department’s capital delivery programs.
Community Services – Assistant City Manager Bert Lumbreras
Service Group =
- Health and Human Services
- Animal Services
- Library
- Parks and Recreation
- Neighborhood Housing and Community Development
- Staff Liaison for City Clerk
This Service group remains largely unchanged with the exception of the addition of Neighborhood Housing and Community Development. Shifting Housing to the Community Services Group will provide some key coordination points that should enhance their efforts. The redevelopment function within Housing will shift to the Economic Growth and Redevelopment Services Office to ensure coordination with other economic development projects within the city.
Chief of Staff
I have moved Small and Minority Business Resources (SMBR) to the Chief of Staff. SMBR is a critically important function and I’m confident that my Chief of Staff will continue building on the success that SMBR has achieved. I have also shifted Building Services, Fleet Services, and Telecommunications and Regulatory Affairs (TARA) to the Chief of Staff.
Mr. Snipes will continue his oversight of the Public Information Office (PIO) and Governmental Relations.
Other Direct Reports
I’ve made a few changes for my other direct reports as detailed below.
City Attorney
I have shifted the Integrity Office to the City Attorney’s purview. With this additional responsibility, we are working on developing a new “compliance team” focused on many of the issues that the City has been challenged with over the past year. Lee Crawford will be assigned to lead this team. With Lee taking on this lead role, John Steiner will be freed up to focus on other issues for the Law Department. I want to take this opportunity to thank John for his commitment and dedication as our Ethics Officer.
Austin Energy
Although Austin Energy will still be reporting directly to the City Manager, I’ve directed ACM Goode to act as “staff liaison.”
Police Monitor
Although the Police Monitor will still be reporting directly to the City Manager, I’ve directed Deputy City Manager McDonald to act as “staff liaison” to coordinate communication between the Police Department, the Police Monitor, and the City Manager’s office.
Assistant to the City Manager
I have shifted the Agenda Office and our Automated Citizen Assistance Program (ACAP) Coordination to Mr. Baray. Ray will continue supporting me directly, but will now also provide oversight for all of our Agenda work and the important citizen communication system.
cc: Assistant City Managers
Chief Financial Officer
Chief of Staff
