You might have to ring the bell a few times next time you visit
City Hall.
Gilroy
You might have to ring the bell a few times next time you visit City Hall.
City officials and residents expect layoffs will lead to lengthy lines, longer response times, leaner sports teams, stressed employees and a shuttered museum, among other things.
Although all city departments aimed to cut 15 percent of their respective budgets, Gilroy’s Community Development Department – which includes building, engineering and planning personnel – will be heaviest hit. Of the 44 employees set to lose their jobs across the city, 17 work in development and represent about $1.95 million, or 35 percent, of that department’s annual budget.
A freefall in development has choked off related fees and left in-the-field employees with few projects to inspect, making their positions easier to cut – at least, employees said, until development picks back up. Responding to sidewalk and road issues or water and sewer complaints, tending to the reservoir and wells, inspecting bridges, overseeing the construction of the new library and high school, and checking the levees are all ongoing tasks for the city’s engineering team.
But after desks are cleared out next month, city projections show remaining engineering employees will spend 80 percent less time reviewing project environmental concerns and will have hardly any time to work on special parking projects or downtown issues. Design discussions about the planned arts center will cease, and response times to customers will double – it could take a city planner up to a year to review maps for a subdivision and up to three weeks to issue a sign permit. Staff also expects delayed responses to hazardous material and waste water spills.
“We haven’t really had a chance to formulate a plan,” City Engineer Rick Smelser said referring to the development department’s supervisors, led by Community Development Director Wendie Rooney.
Engineer Cheri Carlet, who has received a layoff notice, told the council last month that the loss of jobs “will cause a defunct department.”
Smelser did not go as far.
“I’m sure it’s going to be much slower. We’ll be transferring various duties to more senior engineers, and you’ll probably see some sitting at the counter, answering phones, whereas they’d normally be out responding to questions and working with the public,” Smelser said.
That includes Parks and Recreation Commissioner Steve Ashford, a local builder who has spent years getting permits from City Hall.
“It seems like they’re keeping all the higher-ups instead of the folks who know what’s going on, the people out in the streets and roads and parks – the workers. They’re the people doing the work,” Ashford said. “They need to clean house.”
Facilities and Park Manager Bill Headley is one manager who received a pink slip, as did Planning Manager Bill Faus, who was planning to retire anyway. Cleaning house elsewhere, though, is hard without a clear leader.
The Community Services department has not had a director since Nov. 20, when Susan Andrade-Wax left for a Pleasanton job. The department will shed most of its environmental programs division, eliminate day camp, close the museum, reduce front-counter staffing, and cut back on sports supplies and personnel.
Despite the lack of leadership, City Administrator Tom Haglund said he is still considering whether to fill the position, which last year paid nearly $150,000 not including benefits.
Saving that amount of money every year could help Haglund satisfy the council’s direction to cut another $500,000 this fiscal year and $1 million next year. The layoffs – coupled with postponed infrastructure projects – will save the city $3.3 million this fiscal year and $6.7 million next year, and officials expect this year’s deficit to total $2.5 million but expect next year’s deficit to rise to $1 million in the black thanks to the extra $1.5 million in cuts by then.
But Gilroy’s general fund reserve has been hemorrhaging money. Shrinking tax receipts and sour investments have contributed, but the fund also insures nearly $32 million worth of infrastructure and public facility projects that were supposed to draw funds from fees that developers have stopped paying because they have stopped building. The rainy-day fund held $26 million a year ago, and without the layoffs, which will occur Jan. 31, staff expects the reserve to drop to $4.9 million by June 2009 and to negative $23 million a year later.
The police and fire department, which cut 5.8 and 8.8 percent of their annual budgets, respectively, fear a sizable chunk of the additional $1.5 million will come from their budgets. The council will meet Dec. 15 to discuss its financial health and to hear about additional cuts from Haglund.
In the meantime, part-timers at the museum, 195 Fifth St., will prepare to shutter its doors. Employees referred comment to Recreation Manager Maria De Leon, who did not return messages. An assistant at the historical building would only say: “I have hope for the museum.”
Smelser also has hope that his and other supervisors’ skills will come back when they’re asked to perform tasks they haven’t done in years. “We’re a little rusty,” Smelser said. “It’s going to take some time just to get back up to speed.”
It will also take time to work through the politics of layoffs. Senior employees have the option of “bumping” subordinates who did not receive layoff notices, and employees said there is confusion about why full-time workers have received pink slips while part-timers have not. There are 271 full-time positions and 57 part-time positions at City Hall. Of 44 layoffs, 16 are part-time positions. The reason for this is that some positions do not have part-time counterparts to relieve first, Human Resources Director LeeAnn McPhillips said.
Regardless of who remains, though, they will surely have more work.
“The bottom line is we can do the work,” Smelser said. “It’s just going to take longer.”
