Two City and Borough of Juneau departments will merge next year as the cash strapped municipality looks for ways to create operational efficiencies and save money.
City officials say the move will eliminate two full-time positions from the city budget and save about $275,000 a year.
City Manager Kim Kiefer on Friday said the Engineering Department will become a division of Public Works. Engineering Director Rorie Watt will lead the merged department, and Public Works Director Kirk Duncan will take over the Juneau Parks and Recreation Department. Current Parks and Rec Director Brent Fischer will move to a new position overseeing Building Maintenance and Parks and Landscapes.
Kiefer says Engineering and Public Works already work closely on a lot of city projects. She adds that Duncan has a recreation background, including seven years as general manager of the city’s Eaglecrest Ski Area.
“As we look at city resources in the future, as we look at potential state resources in the future, this really seemed a really good time to make those adjustments in the organization and putting people in positions that fit well with their skill sets,” Kiefer says.
She admits the $275,000 in savings is just a drop in the bucket compared to the city’s $9.2 million budget deficit next fiscal year. But she thinks the new department heads will be able to come in and find additional ways to save money.
“Yeah, 275-(thousand) isn’t a lot,” she says. “But I think as we get these people in place, I would look to see possibilities of other efficiencies that will be able to happen as they start looking at the budgets and looking at it in a different way.”
All three of the department heads moving to new positions say they’re looking forward to the change. That includes Fischer, who says he agreed to take a pay cut when he gives up the parks and rec director job.
Watt says there won’t be an engineering director, saying he plans to do that job and lead the Public Works Department. He says there may be other operational efficiencies, but he’s not ready to discuss specifics.
“The city budget’s been cut a lot in the last couple years, so it’s not like there’s a lot of fat out there,” Watt says. “And I think people have to know that the services that they’re getting are going to be reduced, and we’re going to try to limit the bad side of that.”
The odd man out is Facilities Maintenance Superintendent Tim Gibson, whose job is being eliminated. His duties will fall to Fischer when the reorganization takes effect Jan. 5. The other half of Fischer’s new job will be overseeing parks and landscapes. Former Parks and Landscapes Superintendent George Schaaf resigned at the end of November.
Gibson says he’s disappointed, but understands the city has to balance its budget.
“The city manager’s office is tasked with making tough calls to deal with fiscal realities and to satisfy the public’s demands for services, and I know they’ve been pretty thorough in looking at their options and they feel that this is their best choice to meet those ends,” Gibson says.
Kiefer says the city will try to find another position for Gibson, who was hired in June.
Gibson used to work at the Kensington Mine and says he has several years of construction and building maintenance experience. He says he could return to the private sector, but wouldn’t turn down another job with the city.
“I guess I’m surprised it’s coming as quickly as it is,” he says. “But I’m OK with it.”
The Juneau Assembly has directed the manager’s office to explore ways to be more efficient. Assembly members will start crafting the city’s new biennial budget this spring.
Full disclosure: Kirk Duncan and George Schaaf are members of the KTOO Board of Directors.
