PORT ANGELES — City Manager Kent Myers has recommended that the Public Works and Utilities Department not be reorganized, saying in a report to the City Council that the cost of splitting up the agency would be “significant.”
The Port Angeles City Council will discuss Myers’ report at its regular meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the City Council chambers at City Hall, 321 E. Fifth St.
At their regular monthly work session March 27, council members asked Myers to review options for reorganizing the agency, including making utilities a separate department, and parks and recreation a separate department.
Myers’ report, which includes comments from department heads and other employees who like things the way they are, echoes concerns expressed by some council members at the March work session that the cost of reorganization would be prohibitive.
“The costs in making any reorganization would be significant, and how these costs would be incorporated into a tight city budget would have to be carefully explored,” Myers said in his report.
“It is my conclusion that the current structure and organization of the city of Port Angeles Public Works and Utilities Department is the best option and should be retained for the present time.”
Myers did not return a call for comment late Friday afternoon.
Deputy Mayor Brad Collins had suggested at the March 27 session that rising costs in the utilities budget were an issue; that utilities should be managed separately from public works; and that it could be done with existing personnel.
An advantage of splitting off utilities from public works would be that individual managers for two departments could devote more attention to their responsibilities, Myers said.
But salary and benefits for a utilities director would come to about $146,000 a year, Myers said.
Collins said Friday he had not yet read Myers’ report but suggested reorganization was still an option.
“I don’t necessarily think it has to be more expensive,” Collins said.
“I’ll be happy to go over Kent’s recommendation, and see where he thinks those expenses are and whether or not there are alternative ways to deal with those expenses.”
Myers estimated the salary for a new parks and recreation director would be $132,250 with salary and benefits.
He said if the council continues to be interested in reorganization, a firm should be hired to conduct a more detailed study, which he estimated would cost $15,000 to $20,000.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5060, or at paul.gottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
