Organization hopes to become more efficient and organized
By Jessica Thy Nguyen Special to the Dispatch
Gilroy – The Valley Transportation Authority is spending half a million dollars to audit themselves with the hopes of achieving a more efficient business plan for the organization.
“The intent of our organizational review is to look at the efficiency of our business procedure,” said Jayme Kunz, spokeswoman for VTA. The internal review is supposed to identify processes which can be run more efficiently, including all aspects of departments within the organization.
Kunz said the main purpose of this audit is to streamline the procedures within VTA in order for future public transit plans to be processed more quickly.
“It’s really an opportunity to look at the organization from top to bottom,” Kunz said. “Operations private or public need to assess [themselves] to ensure that they’re doing things in the most efficient way.”
The general manager of VTA, Michael T. Burns, was the person who first suggested the review. Kunz said that bringing in new leadership to the organization allowed VTA the opportunity to pursue this audit.
The review is being conducted by a third party, the Hay Group, which will examine the business practices of VTA and make recommendations by the target date of March 2007. They hired an outside company to ensure genuine recommendations for the improvement of VTA, Kunz said.
They’ve made significant requests as to documents that we’ve developed,” Kunz said. “Charts, historical data and information. Thousands and thousands of pieces of info are being delivered to them in the next months.”
As of right now, there is no projected outcome for the review because any type of changes are dependent upon Hay Group’s recommendations.
Tax money that went into a general fund will be paying for the review. According to a board report that was approved by board members, the total amount for this audit will be $511,830.
Money that goes toward transit improvements and road construction come from other fundings, Kunz said.
“The amount of construction we do is constrained by the funding that we get,” she said. “One is Measure A, others come through state measures and programs.”
As for the public’s benefit in this audit, Kunz said it will have an indirect impact.
