City seeks to boost morale of employees

Monday, March 18, 2013

In the midst of tackling a $1.68 million budget shortfall, Jefferson City officials are trying to address the morale of city employees.

Tonight, the City Council is expected to approve budget cuts to erase that shortfall through reductions in services, as well as savings from not filling vacant city positions.

On Tuesday, the city announced the resignations of Public Works Director Roger Schwartze and Communications Manager Michelle Gleba.

At a council meeting Monday night to address the budget shortfall, Gleba’s position had been called into question by one council member who asked why it was necessary to have someone employed to manage social media.

Schwartze said he resigned to protect his employees from any possible layoffs, which at the time of his resignation, he said might be unavoidable.

Those resignations, the ongoing budget discussions and the issue of employee morale led the City Council to hold a special meeting Thursday where the council members sought to assuage any concerns of staff about furloughs or layoffs.

As city officials tried to deal with the budget shortfall, looking at cuts to every department, there were brief mentions of layoffs and furloughs, though neither was ever offered officially as a way to make cuts.

Mayor Eric Struemph said, after he received word of the resignations of Schwartze and Gleba, he met with each department head, partially to see if any others were considering a similar course of action. Struemph said he has no reason to believe any other department heads will consider resignation.

After the special meeting Thursday, Struemph said he believed the morale of employees was “improving literally by the minute.”

Struemph said it is not uncommon to discuss furloughs or layoffs when dealing with a budget shortfall, but it’s tougher on government employees because they have to read about it in the local news.

City Administrator Nathan Nickolaus said while discussing the budget shortfall, some employees may have gotten the wrong impression that layoffs or furloughs would be needed.

In a letter to city staff dated March 6, Nickolaus wrote that though he believed furloughs would not be required, “I feel it is important to outline how these would work if they become necessary.” Nickolaus goes on to say that if furloughs become necessary, he would begin with the highest paid employee, which is Nickolaus, and “work down the list as needed.”

Second Ward Councilman Shawn Schulte said Thursday’s meeting surely boosted city morale that was lowered by the budget discussions.

“Uncertainty deflates morale,” Schulte said.

Second Ward Councilman Rick Mihalevich said he believed the council tried its best to bolster morale by telling city employees no furloughs or layoffs would be part of the budget cuts.

Fifth Ward Councilman Larry Henry said he hopes morale continues to improve after the tumultuous few weeks of budget discussions.

“I just want to assure the city staff that we’re doing all we can,” Henry said.

Fourth Ward Councilwoman Carrie Carroll said she felt strongly throughout the process that the needed savings could be found without the need for layoffs.

“I just hope we never came across as wanting to cut staff,” Carroll said. “We need to be open and clear that that’s not what we intended.”

Third Ward Councilman Bob Scrivner said morale has been under stress in the last few weeks, but it’s important to remember that city services can not be delivered without staff. Scrivner noted that Schwartze resigned at least in part to protect his employees from any potential layoffs.

“It was a self-sacrificing thing, which is admirable on his part,” Scrivner said of Schwartze’s decision.

But Third Ward Councilman Bryan Pope said he was disappointed with Schwartze’s resignation and the stated reason for it, because layoffs should be something a manager can handle when needed. To be able to make the toughest calls, Pope said, is why managers receive higher salaries.

“We expect that of our managers,” Pope said. “Nobody wants to fire people, I don’t like that either.”

Nickolaus said morale has been improving steadily since the special meeting Thursday and, as the council looks to approve the necessary budget cuts, employee morale will only get better.

More like this story

JCLifer 2 months ago

Give 'em a hot dog and a cup of ice cream. That always help raise morale.

usmc007 2 months ago

Not understand the need for more Suv's for the police department, when most of the vehicles are sitting at city hall during shifts unused. What's that about? That's 150,000 or whatever wasted in its self, Get the physically challenged officers memberships to our local YMCA instead,that would be more efficient. Not knocking our Police department, but when you take a class with an officer of bigger statue and your hear him bragging about needing an Suv then this one has to truly wonder....These people facing lay offs and etc have families but mostly they have dedicated themselves to this town and thats a true unjust in USMC EYES but hey its a bussiness decision at the end of that day. Semper fi

rodinman 2 months ago

Perhaps the two resignations were due to being fed up with internal politics. The mayor needs to accept their resignations and move forward and stop trying to talk them into coming back.

usmc007 2 months ago

@Rodinman you are Politically correct, but that's how the cookie crumbles around here Period.

JVicors 2 months ago

Hey usmc007, I was having a bit of difficulty following your thought process. Have you personally taken inventory on the amount of police cars you've noted parked on the lot as compared to the number of officers on duty, or on patrol, or doing reports at the police department, or needed for shift changes when the amount of police actually doubles during peak needs, or cars possibly down with maintenance issues? It's my understanding from speaking with upper echelon police employees and city officials that JCPD has a very good record of saving the tax payers money by maintaining a moderate sized fleet by most standards. What are your resources for information....or shall I say "intel", your hip pocket, or are you just another drive by critic?

JCLifer 2 months ago

I see a brand new police SUV parked down the street in front of an officers home 16 hours a day or more every day. Can't at least two shifts share a vehicle? Does every cop need his own SUV? Put them in a pool like the state does.

JVicors 2 months ago

I'm pretty sure ever police officer doesn't have his own car let alone an SUV, JCLifer, but it would seem to me that the ones who are call 24/7 such as staff and command, detectives and serious traffick accident investigators who respond to calls from home would need an issued car, much as the highway patrol. You're another drive by, shoot from the hip critic. Low information but lots of, and in your case LOTS of opinions.

JCLifer 2 months ago

I don't like seeing an asset sitting unused 2/3 of the time when I am paying for it, is all. Seems it could be shared and used more effectively.

Not sure what you mean by the drive-by shooting comment. Are you trying to personally insult me?

3blindmice 2 months ago

What is considered "standard" for fleet size. It appears that jcpd is competing with columbia for most luxorious fleet. I would bet some state employees who are stuck at their desks eight hours a day would like chairs as nice as those seats are. But with local journalism that would fall over backwards to side with the city local tax payers would have to FOIA the city ourselves to get the full story. BTY, how many other new jobs did the city create in 2012 with a starting pay in excess of 50k?

JCsleeper 2 months ago

JCPD need SUV's with comfortable seats because they have to drive shifts on JC 's rough streets. Cars would fall apart on these streets. Officers probably need a good dental plan as their teeth are apt to get rattled out of their sockets.

JCsleeper 2 months ago

Disagree with Mr. Pope. Mr. Schwartze did a very kind act by resigning and saving 2 or 3 lower echelon employees' livelyhood. Asking someone to stay on to lay off employees is lame. Sorry to see Mr. Scwartze leave. Seems to be a gentleman of integrity and might have made progress on the repair of JC's decrepit streets.

kentheco 2 months ago

Maybe City Administrator Nathan Nickolaus should resign. That would save the city money in both salary and questionable benefits (instead of a car allowance, give him an older city vehicle to use). Then the city could hire someone with a business management background and not an attorney who admitted that he did not oversee the city budget process

jfester 2 months ago

city wants to keep all existing employees?? employees are the most expensive items in a budget, ~ i.e. salaries, social security, employment tax

seems it would be quicker and more cost efficient to cut department heads in each department NOW surely the second in command could take the helm.

if say, one top-salaried employee was eliminated in each department the shortfall could be reached immediately

too many chiefs, not enough indians

3blindmice 2 months ago

@JCLIFER you mean your state office actually gave you snacks? Even on employee appreciation day our state department had to bring our own snacks in. It is worlds away from the company I work for now in Seattle. Microbrews on tap, a fully stocked fridge and kitchen, a gym, game systems everywhere. Work hard but play even harder environment. The management treat us like humans, and pay us well. I can pick and choose what jobs I want to work on. I get a bonus for employee recruitment. In fact, I took a short 3 month contract that would allow me telecommute from jc and only require office time once a month and it still pays $85/hour.of course i get th added bonus of stealing smart tech employees away from the state

JCLifer 2 months ago

I am guessing that a fifth of your company's workforce is not eligible for food stamps either?

usmc007 2 months ago

@jvicors no drive by's here as a proud Marine but if i chose to you would definately know it...I still say wasted resource when you already have them? I have lived here since 08 i have atleast 50,000 inveested in this community so yeah im a drive by who puts his money where his mouth is...enjoy and thats in entertainment...so hopefully ive contributed enough to voice my thoughts cause im vested..in helping this community to maintain and mostly keep jobs. I can be anywhere else in the world but this is my corner of the earth as a proud Marine still deciding if this is really the community for me, but while here i contribit so carry on sir...

usmc007 2 months ago

@3blindmice if they are id really like to atleast experience the restuarant aspect, not so much so the night life, But it was difficult understanding when i moved here, how this is the capitol city, but i have to drive to Columbia and etc for entertainment...thats MAJOR revenue in itself....

3blindmice 2 months ago

@usmc007 I spend a great deal of time at work. Its not uncommon to be there up to 2 or 3am just so we can have teleconferences with a team somewhere else in the world. As a result i end up eating alot of take out. If i do catch lunch out of the building its in one of the local eats in the neighborhood i live and work in, Fremont. Afterwork is usually at a brew pub. Nothing real high end yet but i'm told about all the places i should eat at by coworkers. Weekends i end up other cities. Ive done both vancouver and portland a dozen times. Someone on our team is from portland and has a house next to the lead singer of modest mouse so the time spent there is always interesting

JCLifer 2 months ago

Sorry you don't have Towne Grill.

usmc007 2 months ago

@ lifer Excellent BREAKFAST "PANCAKES " Awesome! Love the Hill side view.

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