Madison’s new city manager, John Klimm, is taking the bull by the horns in his new job.
He brought up several items during the Sept. 2 Madison City Council meeting that he believes should be addressed during the next 12 months or so.
Klimm said 21 of Madison’s city staff attended a forum sponsored by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government held in the City Council chamber recently that dealt with issues related to purchasing and procurement.
Klimm said some changes need to be made regarding Madison policies that are now outdated, including purchasing and procurement thresholds that have been affected by inflation.
Klimm also said he would like to see the city restrict budgeting proposals to the weeks surrounding the approval of the tax digest.
Klimm said that a much more disciplined approach to preventing random budget requests throughout the year would allow the city to be better prepared as emergencies arise during the fiscal year.
Klimm also wants the city council to take more control of the grant process, so council members are aware of what grants are being applied for and by whom.
In addition, Klimm said the city needs to conduct a rate study for sewer, water and trash based on the cost of providing those services.
He said a study should be conducted every three years or so and the last one was done in 2005.
Klimm also advocated that a complete stormwater plan be developed for Madison. He recognized that many smaller cities do not have such plans but said he believes the time has come for Madison to have one. He also said Madison’s infrastructure needs to be inventoried.
Klimm wants the city to conduct a personnel compensation classification study, saying he had noted some inconsistencies in the pay scale and believes it is important that employees are adequately and fairly compensated. Attracting and retaining employees is also part of that equation in order to stay competitive with other cities.
Klimm said Madison has a strong retention rate and seems to have content employees. He wants to make sure that continues.
Another financial issue Klimm is exploring concerns an enhanced budget book that not only includes how much money each department spent but also why they spent it.