By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
A deeply divided city council has turned down a request by the city manager to revise the city’s management structure.
The council, on a 3-4 vote, balked at City Manager John Sheedy’s request to change the city’s organizational chart, a move that would have created a deputy city manager position and added a second assistant city manager. Sheedy presented the request during the council’s July 11 meeting.
“Tonight, I’d like to present a proposal that would allow additional management positions within the organization. I don’t bring this item lightly, and it is something that has been discussed for well over a year,” Sheedy told the council.
“If we want to see more of the progress we’ve made in the past, we must acknowledge the organizational structure must be updated to provide sufficient management and oversight, especially considering the unprecedented boom we are currently experiencing in Del Rio,” the city manager added.
After reviewing a lengthy list of ongoing city projects he and his staff are working on, Sheedy told the council, “This (restructuring) proposal is about one thing and one thing only: to provide us the ability to optimize all available resources in a manner that will provide us the greatest progress. I believe it was the mid-80s since additional management positions were added and that was to add the single and current assistant city manager.
“The city has grown and the demand for services has grown with it. I hope that I’ve shown that we are working hard, and we are making real progress, including on some things that have been left to sit for years, as well as new things we are putting together.
“I know that requesting new management positions is not popular and although I would have preferred not to have to come to council to ask for additional management support, however, as I was hired to ensure the continuing progress of the city, and because I’m in a position to have the clearest information as to the need, I believe I’m obligated to my council and to the community I serve to express this need.
“A good leader is not afraid to ask for help. I’m asking for help.
“Finally, I want to extend my sincere gratitude to the Del Rio City Council, the city employees and all the citizens of our great community for allowing me the opportunity to work for this city in its primary management position. It is the honor of my life.
“I’m very proud of the progress we’ve made together so far. I remain at your service as long as you believe I’m making the progress that is required or until such time I feel I can no longer deliver on the demands of the position,” Sheedy said.
A lengthy discussion and question and answer session followed Sheedy’s presentation. Mayor Al Arreola asked Sheedy to display and explain the proposed new organizational chart.
Sheedy said the restructuring proposal would move Manual Chavez, the current assistant city manager, to the new deputy city manager position, and his salary would remain the same.
Sheedy said several department heads would continue to report directly to him, including
the communications and marketing director, the operations and compliance auditor, the police chief, fire chief and economic development director.
Sheedy said one of the assistant city managers would oversee city services.
“This will include finance, our community services, our human resources department, our airport manager, our bridge superintendent, our transportation director and our MIS director, and there’s numerous subdivisions under those folks as well,” Sheedy said.
Sheedy said the second assistant city manager would supervise city projects.
This manager would oversee the parks and recreation director, a new position being proposed, as well as planning and zoning director, public works director, emergency management coordinator, civic facilities, animal control and a new facilities manager position.
“If I just go out and hire one assistant city manager, that’s going to cost us approximately $160,000 in pay and benefits. So my plan is to use two in-house positions and give them a raise. They’re still going to so their primary jobs, and I’m going to be able to do what we need to do,” Sheedy said.
Another advantage to selecting the two new assistants from in-house staff, Sheedy said, is that they won’t need to be brought up to speed on ongoing city projects and services.
“Do we have that budgeted anywhere?” Arreola asked.
“So basically it would be funded from the savings of the hiring lag, vacancies that we’ve had throughout the year. Again, if we were going to add a new position, we would have to come up with that $160,000, which we don’t have. It’s not budgeted. We can do it internally and provide a savings to the city,” City Finance Director Alberta Barrett replied.
Barrett added the city’s larger departments like police, fire and public works “consistently have vacancies.”
Arreola asked Sheedy how many vacancies existed among the city’s hourly-wage employees.
Human Resource Director Mario Garcia replied there are about 40 to 50 such positions open.
The mayor said he has spoken to Sheedy about the new management structure.
“My thought right now is that we’re lacking manpower to fix our streets, fix our parks and everything that we have out there, and I see the vision. I see the growth. I see the potential that we’re going into, but there’s no one person that’s going to be a superhero. It’s a team and it’s a team effort, and it comes from the bottom all the way up,” Arreola said.
Arreola also asked if Sheedy’s proposal follows legal hiring protocols for the city, and Garcia told him that it does.
Arreola asked about the annual cost of the changes, and Barrett said it would cost the city about $64,000 annually.
“The success or failure of this is going to be on me. You all will see it. You will see if it’s working or not, and they are on probation. If it doesn’t work, we’ll change it,” Sheedy said.
Arreola asked why the measure could not wait until the next fiscal year.
Sheedy said he believed the new management structure would allow his team to move more quickly and efficiently on ongoing city projects.
Mayor Pro-tem Steve Webb asked if the restructure would make things more efficient at City Hall for the benefit of the citizens.
“Without a doubt,” Sheedy said.
“Is it going to make it easier for your directors and everybody to be able to communicate with somebody and get an answer without having to wait for weeks?” Webb asked.
“Without a doubt,” Sheedy replied.
Webb said he has researched and found communities smaller than Del Rio with as many managers, adding he “has been on the city manager for more than a year” to implement the new management structure.
“We get to the point where we have to make a decision that’s best for the public, for the community, for operations, and what Mr. Sheedy has here is an ideal division. I think it’s going to benefit everyone and help us get things done quicker,” Webb said.
Councilman Jim DeReus said he has spoken to Sheedy about the new management structure for more than a year-and-a-half.
The mayor and council members spent some time questioning Sheedy about his plans.
Councilwoman Ernestina “Tina” Martinez said, “I feel it’s a very good idea, but why can’t we bring it back at (budget) time?”
Martinez said she would feel more comfortable if the change was included in the budget.
Webb noted he believed the sooner the change was enacted, the faster work could begin on various city projects.
Councilman J.P. Sanchez also made an observation.
“I believe in giving the people of our administration and our workers the tools that they need to do the job. The other day we got a new paving machine. We got a new curb machine. We’re constantly buying backhoes because I don’t want these people out there working with their fingernails. I don’t want you working with your fingernails. But you also said, it’s your head on the chopping block.
“If this thing doesn’t work the way you say it’s going to work, your head is on the chopping block, John. We’re going to hold you responsible because you said it was going to work,” Sanchez said.
“Absolutely,” Sheedy replied.
“I like the fact that we’re going to be hiring from within, from the people you have here right now. . . But you yourself said it’s your head that’s on the chopping block, and I’m going to hold you to that,” Sanchez added.
“I wouldn’t expect anything less, and it is my responsibility. . . I absolutely accept full responsibility,” Sheedy said.
Sanchez said he viewed the city manager’s request as an ask for a “tool he needs to better this community,” but reiterated, “If it doesn’t work, it’s on you.”
Councilman Jesus Lopez Jr. and Councilwoman Alexandra Falcon Calderon both expressed reservations about Sheedy’s request.
Lopez focused his comments on vacancies among the rank-and-file employees and providing raises for the employees the city currently has. Lopez said he believes Sheedy has the tools he needs to do his work, adding he, too, would like to wait until the new budget year.
Calderon, too, took issue with the timing of the request and wondered aloud whether the managers moved into the new positions would still be effective at doing their own jobs.
DeReus said he believed Sheedy’s request to change the organizational chart and providing raises to rank-and-file employees are not mutually exclusive. He said he also believed that Sheedy’s request would allow the city manager to carry out more strategic planning.
Following more discussion, Sanchez made a motion to table Sheedy’s request until the new budget cycle, with Martinez giving the second.
DeReus suggested approving the request, but making it effective Oct. 1, at the start of the new budget.
“The question is, do we think this organizational structure is the right way to go or not? I think we should make a decision,” DeReus said.
City Secretary Mari Acosta asked Sanchez to clarify his motion, and he said he would like to consider Sheedy’s request as part of the upcoming budget cycle.
Sanchez then said he would like to revise his motion to approve the reorganization, effective Oct. 1. Webb gave a second to Sanchez’s revised motion.
Arreola asked for a roll call vote, and Sanchez’s motion failed 3-4, with Webb, Sanchez and DeReus voting in favor, and Arreola, Calderon, Lopez and Martinez voting against it.
The writer can be reached at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com .
