HomeMy WebLinkAbout1977 02-09 County reorganization plan seen as possible THE REVIEW Norgard proposes Fie 9, /9,71
County reorganization
plan seen asp ossible
by Anne Skinner those duties over to local governments. will not be allowed extra funding for that
—Where applicable,turn county park operating year.
Ramsey County Commissioner Hal land and open space over to local com- THE FIVE OPERATING departments,
Norgard is optimistic about approval of munities to maintain and utilize as the under Norgard's plan, would become:
his plan for the reorganization of Ramsey community mandates organized Human Services, Community Services,
County government.In November of 1975, recreational activities. Taxation and Records, Personnel
Norgard presented a two-phase plan —Separation of civil and criminal Management and Finance and Courts and
which would reorganize the county board, sections of the county attorney's office, Public Safety. The departments would
its administrative offices and operating allowing the elected county attorney to each be under the executive secretary's
departments. handle criminal matters and the ap- office.
The reorganization of the board and its pointed attorney of the county board to Norgard said, "This looks like what
administrative offices took effect Jan.1, handle civil matters. Carter's going to do,but I thought of this a
1976.The second phase of Norgard's plan year ago—I don't want anyone to think
is currently under review by a board —Place each of the five departments on I'm a copycat." The proposed plan is
subcommittee and is expected to be a mill levy, allowing each department expected to streamline the county
presented to the Ramsey County Board of director to administer the funding of his government.
Commissioners in the near future. department, understanding the fill fun- Norgard added,"I think they're coming
"I think it's going to pass,"Norgard ding is his total working capital and he around.".
said.He added the committee said his
plan was the first it had seen that had any
substance to it. present structure
The operational departments would be
reorganized as follows:
—Reduce the number of operating of county government
departments to five,thereby eliminating
duplication of service and providing a
county equipment and resource pool and by Anne Skinner
reducing layers of administrative
bureaucracy. —Ramsey County currently operates under approximately 36 departments,
—Establish productivity standards for with what Ramsey County Commissioner Hal Norgard calls an inordinate
all county positions, amount of duplication of services and equipment.
—Abolish the maintenance function of —Productivity standards for positions in the county's current operating
the engineering department and turn departments are practically nil.The standard civil service job descriptions
are being used,but often the employee is actually working in different areas
outside the standard description.The proposed productivity standards would
use the civil service job description as a basis hut also evaluate the employee's
actual workload and responsibilities as well.
—The county currently plows and maintains all county-owned road through
an allocated tax-based budget.Under Norgard's plan,those tax revenues
would be passed directly to the municipality to cover its increased main-
tenance burden.North St.Paul is currently a pilot city under this proposal.
—Ramsey County presently operates under a"passive recreation" (pic-
nicking,etc.)philosophy.The county buys the land for parks and open space
but does not develop it.Under Norgard's proposal,the county would become a
coordinating center for locally proposed development.
—Presently,Ramsey County employs a full-time appointed attorney for civil
matters.Norgard proposes to contract an attorney for civil matters as needed;
he or she would specialize in the particular case area and be subject to the
current county selection standards of lowest bidder and best qualified.
—Each of the approximately 36 operating departments are currently
budgeted by the board of commissioners on an item by item basis:so much
money for a typewriter,so much money for a specific position.The various
departments are in the practice,according to Norgard,of approaching the
board when they need more operating funds.Under Norgard's proposal,each
of the five(proposed)operating departments would be subject to a fixed
budget determined according to the mill levy funding.