ACTION REQUESTED:
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Communication from the City Manager with a Request to APPROVE the Addition of a LAND DEVELOPMENT MANAGER in the Community Development Department and a GIS TECHNICIAN in the Information Systems Department Funded with the Anticipated 2016 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
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BACKGROUND: Over the last three years, the City of Peoria has been obtaining vacant property through donations and the abandoned property process. The demand and work involved in this process continues to grow and staff feels it is the appropriate time to devote a full time employee to this process. Funding has been identified by shifting savings from the Code Enforcement activity of the City of Peoria Community Development Block Grant funds to the general fund which makes the hiring of this position budget neutral as far as budget expenditures are concerned. No funding will be taken away from the Code Enforcement Division as part of this shift. A majority of the funds are available through retirement of employees and replacing them will entry level salaries, in addition to geographical shifts of employees assigned code enforcement coverage that allows higher salaries to be charged to the Code Enforcement eligible CDBG activity.
Attached to the Council Communication is a general outline of the position responsibilities of the Land Development Manager. Having a full time position devoted to this function will allow for a more strategic approach to land acquisition, land management, land disposal and land development.
An example of the value of this position is the effort related to 2021 Hamilton Blvd. The property was obtained through the abandoned property process through demolition court. Historically, the property would have been demolished at a cost close to $10,000 to the City of Peoria and a vacant lot generated very little property tax would have been left. However, an RFP was issued for the property and a bid was proposed of $15,777.11 to obtain the property for rehab. This will generated a net gain of over $25,000 for the City of Peoria in addition to leaving a property that will continue to generate property tax in the future.
Staff feels a full time position dedicated to pro-actively finding similar properties that qualify for the abandoned property process but are not yet to the point where demolition is necessary would produce similar results in multiple parts of the City of Peoria.
The addition of a GIS Technician in the Information Systems department would create a single point of contact for all city departments needing mapping services. Historically most requests for maps have been provided by the Senior Urban Planner in Community Development. The addition of a GIS Technician would allow the Senior Urban Planner to focus on his core job duties. All future request for maps would be handled in the Information Systems department. In addition, the additional position with enhance the ability of the IS Department to obtain and make available to staff real-time data relevant to City services and conditions. Attached to the Council Communication is a general outline of the position responsibilities of the GIS Technician.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: Budget neutral to the City of Peoria. Position funding will be from the vacancy savings of the Code Enforcement Division as a result of a staff cost reallocation to CDBG code enforcement budget. Additionally, the remaining position funding will be from available CDBG administration funds. The Land Development Manager position salary funding will be a 50/50 cost split between local revenue (vacancy savings) and federal grants (CDBG).
NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERNS: Pro-actively managing the land function of the City of Peoria will result in fewer vacant properties and better conditions in neighborhoods. Update maps and updated data will allow City staff to better deploy services in the City of Peoria.
IMPACT IF APPROVED: The Community Development Department will handle the land management function of the City of Peoria and a Land Development Manager will be hired. In addition, the IS Department will hire a GIS Technician and all mapping requests will be handled by the IS Department.
IMPACT IF DENIED: The City will continue to reactively take property as time allows. Mapping functions will stay within specific Departments.
ALTERNATIVES: NA
EEO CERTIFICATION NUMBER: NA
WHICH OF THE GOALS IDENTIFIED IN THE COUNCIL’S 2014 - 2029 STRATEGIC PLAN DOES THIS RECOMMENDATION ADVANCE?
1. Attractive Neighborhoods with Character: Safe and Livable
2. Financially Sound City Government, Effective City Organization
3. Grow Peoria: Businesses, Jobs, and Population
WHICH CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR(S) FROM THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DOES THIS RECOMMENDATION IMPLEMENT?
1. Reinvest in neighborhoods.
2. Have an efficient government.
3. Grow employers and jobs.
DEPARTMENT: City Manager's Office