“DEREK LAZZARO:
”The retention of City Hall staff has been a major challenge over the past 6 years. I believe this is due to 1) long commutes 2) micromanagement 3) relatively low pay compared to other cities 4) leadership instability after several City Managers were fired or resigned.

As a member of City Council, I would support hiring an Assistant City Manager to handle many of the day-to-day issues. This would free the City Manger to be a strategic thinker, focused on long-term solutions, balancing the budget, negotiating contracts, and hiring and retaining quality staff.

I would also advocate for a policy ending the current practice of contractors negotiating city contracts on behalf of the city. Only city employees or city attorneys should negotiate on behalf of our city!””

“DESIREE ‘“DEZ” MYERS:
”This issue was made public in December 2019, five years ago, with recorded speeches at the podium. Vacancies have continued since. However, there has been no discussion at Council asking City Manager what the cause is, or a discussion about a solution.

One of the two most common causes of quitting a job is because the work is not valuable and/or their management is ineffective.

Employees have spent quite a bit of time on projects that were not valuable and had their efforts wasted supporting projects like the Roundabout, the Tree Management plan, rezoning La Venta, etc. This can be frustrating.

If Council focused on the high priority projects, employees may find their efforts more valuable and public funding better directed.

Recommendations:
• If I was on Council, I would seek the City Manager’s or HR representative’s feedback on the underlying cause(s) of turnover and advise Council on how to address it.
• Outsourcing should be considered for high-turnover administrative departments to provide stability and costs savings
• Council Adhocs should have a stated goal and a budgeted cost center tracked and reported against the actual costs. We need to eliminate low-value projects and hidden costs.
• Projects that meet strong resident objection, such as the Roundabout, should be stopped earlier before so much money is wasted.””

“CRAIG QUINN:
”The root cause of the City’s stability issues are (1) a perceived lack of stability and ability to advance by staff (2) a need to invest in culture and show appreciation by the community and management (3) a desire by staff to avoid commuting and work remotely and (4) the view that PVE is a stepping stone to other opportunities, whether in the public or private sector.

Residents that recognize the need to employ quality people must be willing to invest in and support “A” players, while equally expecting services and related accountability. We need to improve and develop public trust, and show our employees that they are appreciated, trusted, and invested in. Like many other challenges within our city, creating a predictable revenue stream that does not have to be constantly cut-against is the solution. Managing expense and balancing the City’s budget are critical requirements. Doing so on the back of its employees just won’t work.””