07/26/1999 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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AGENDA ITEM 3D STAFF ORIGINATOR: Linda Waite Smith, City Administrator DATE: 7/26/99 TOPIC: Consider Reestablishing Finance Director Position VOTE REQUIRED: 315 BACKGROUND: The Finance Director position was replaced with a Financial Analyst position in the 1998 reorganization. The Financial Analyst and three other Finance Department employees reported to the Director of Administration. The Financial Analyst resigned his position April 16, 1999, before he completed his six - month probationary period. In an exit interview he indicated that his position had several drawbacks. First, because the position didn't supervise the other Finance Department employees, he felt it was awkward to keep department activities moving forward. Second, because of the demands on the Director of Administration's time, employees in the department had difficulty getting a quick response when questions arose. Finally, as the chief financial professional in the organization, the Analyst felt he should report directly to the City Administrator and sit at the table with the management team to stay informed and offer advice. The elimination of the Finance Director position was a good faith effort that fell short of expectations. The new City Administrator recognized very soon in her tenure that she preferred to have the finance professional report to her on a director level. All City activities are dependent on human resources and finance. Both functions should be represented on the senior management team. In addition, the finance professional should direct the activities of the Finance Department. Staff is requesting that the City Council reestablish the Finance Director position and authorize staff to recruit applicants for the position. OPTIONS: 1. Reestablish Finance Director position and authorize staff to recruit applicants for the position. 2. Return to staff for further review. RECOMMENDATION: 1. Reestablish Finance Director position and authorize staff to recruit applicants for the position.