Corporation Counsel Elliot Raimondo makes case for new ombudsman position to City Council (April 17, 2023)

Jamestown City Council heard the case for bringing back the Ombudsman position to fill human resources needs.

Corporation Counsel Elliot Raimondo has requested the title be brought back to replace the recently vacant Assistant Corporation Counsel position in his office. He said the salary range for the position is around $54,000 to $85,000. The position is currently funded through the end of 2023.

City Council President Tony Dolce voiced concern that the city would have to fund two full time positions when the ombudsman position was eliminated over 20 years ago to save money, “As you look into 2024, you have to consider, especially if you’re going to go to a higher range within that someone is hired and they move up and they keep moving up. That’s obviously going to have a long term effect down the road on the budget to have a full time Corporation Counsel and a full time Ombudsman. You could be at some time doubling the costs that you have.”

Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist said human resources needs of the city have changed “tremendously,” “We’re seeing more and more mental health issues. We’re seeing more and more disputes between employees that we’ve not seen in many, many years. And our EAP only covers so much of that. And so we’re trying to bring an HR position in to assist in that process on top of the litigation that Mr. Raimondo is currently engaging in, which council is aware of, that will take a significant amount of time.”

Council member Marie Carrubba agreed that there are more HR issues for businesses today than in the past and that it would be difficult for the Corporation Counsel to wear “both hats.”

Council also reviewed a request to purchase new accounting software.

The City chose Springbrook Software following a request-for-proposal process. Mayor Sundquist said the bid of $63,986.50 for the purchase and $42,300 annual maintenance cost is higher than the bid received in Fall 2022 due to the former request not including an accounts receivable feature.

The software would be purchased using American Rescue Plan funds and would replace the KVS accounting system that’s been in use by the city since the early 2000s.

Sundquist said the new software would help the city continue digitizing some of its paperwork, “It would also allow us to approve purchase orders and that sort of things for departments as well move all of our timesheets online. Right now we do all timesheets on paper, as well as paper slips for each different departments. It would also allow employees their own access, in fact this is something we’re getting from a lot of the newer employees, which is the ability to see their paystub and not get a paper stub, as well as to change their tax filings.”

Sundquist noted the software will free up staff time and have cost savings in paper purchases. He added that the last audit of the City recommended that the city move to this kind of system.

Acting DPW Director Mark Roetzer explains how the professional engineer certificate works within the DPW Director role to City Council (April 10, 2023)

Jamestown City Council members don’t seem in favor of removing a professional engineering certificate requirement for the Public Works Director position.

An ordinance to amend the City Code to do just that came before council at its April 10 work session.

The city has had issues finding a replacement for former Public Works Director Jeff Lehman, who retired March 31, in part because of the engineering requirement.

It came to light that the only residency requirement for the position is that the director must live in Chautauqua County. Mayor Eddie Sundquist said this was a change in state law.

Council Member at Large Jeff Russell asked if removing that requirement would have any effect in the department being able to get work done.

Acting Public Works Director Mark Roetzer said the director doesn’t produce drawings that are then stamped and signed as a professional engineer, “But you’re reviewing drawings and plans and that sort of thing, specifications, so to not have a P.E. would be a detriment. If you hire someone who does not have it, they’d potentially become more of an administrator. The work that the director does now, part of it, would fall back on the other engineering staff that does have a P.E., or people under them that they oversee.”

Council member at Large Kim Ecklund expressed concern that could lead to the union requesting a stipend for extra work or change in job duties.

Roetzer said when the city receives plans, those were historically reviewed by Lehman, who had the P.E. designation. He pointed out that the DPW Director also is a member on the Planning Commission and the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities.

Russell stated he didn’t think the city should “lower its standards” by getting rid of the designation requirement.

Sundquist said only one application received for the DPW Director position had the required P.E. certificate, “And what we’ve heard, especially from Jeff (Lehman), to many folks who are getting P.E.’s are going into consulting firms that almost double the rate that we pay, which has been a concern. So, the county does not have a P.E. requirement for their Director of Public Facilities. Most communities do not. They have more of an administrator role at the top, which is the proposal.”

No action seems likely on the matter any time soon as the ordinance was tabled by the Public Safety committee with council members citing that city does have an acting director while the search continues.

Council also continued discussions on the proposed hiring of an Ombudsman in the Corporation Counsel‘s office. This position is proposed to replace the Associate Corporation Counsel position, which is being vacated by Ben Haskin.

Corporation Counsel Elliot Raimondo cited a need for a Human Resources-type of employee to help with mandatory employee trainings, “Issues with employee complaints and disputes, following up on council concerns, following up on public concerns apart from the police, following up with department heads to ensure that they’re doing what they’re supposed to be doing, handing our EAP program which I’m not the happiest with, and, recently, dealing with our health insurance program which is not functioning the way it should be functioning.”

Raimondo said he thought the position should report both to the Mayor and City Council. He said he understands that the addition of the ombudsman may lead to the Corporation Counsel position being made part-time versus full-time.

Finance Chair Kim Ecklund requested a salary schedule with a projection for future years be provided. The position would be funded through 2023 by funds previously allocated for the Associate Corporation Counsel.