Panel recommends ways to improve boro gov't.
Volunteers will continue review for additional two-month period
BY CHRISTINE VARNO Staff Writer

OCEANPORT - A volunteer panel has recommended creating a borough manager's position to improve the efficiency of borough government, but said the council may not have to hire additional personnel to fill the role.

A three-member, volunteer "blue ribbon" panel charged with reviewing the current borough departments, presented council with plans last week that call for restructuring municipal offices and reallocating responsibilities without adding more employees, according to Mayor Lucille Chaump.

"They found that we do need someone in a manager role, but that we do not need to hire any more personnel," said Chaump last week. "With restructuring, there will be someone who will have the role of business manager without hiring additional employees.

"[The panel] was charged with doing an objective and independent study of all departments … to quantify the need for a borough administrator position.

"They interviewed borough employees, department heads and council members. They decided that the borough should not hire new personnel, but if we restructure there will be someone who will have the role of a business manager," she said.

The panel presented its findings at a Sept. 6 workshop meeting.

At the presentation, the panel offered a proposal - that they be allowed to continue their service, at no cost, in order to begin implementing some of their recommended changes.

The volunteer team would continue its review for another 60-days to redefine, reorganize and reallocate responsibilities of borough employees and departments.

"We want to be more efficient and by doing this we will be," Chaump said. "At the end of it, council can either agree with it or not. With restructuring, there will be someone who will have the role of business manager without hiring additional employees.

"Eventually one of our five employees will be the business manager," she said.

Council voted 5-1 at the meeting, with Councilman Hugh Sharkey casting the lone no vote, to accept the panel's proposal to allow Wayne Mackenrodt to continue volunteering approximately 20 hours a week.

Mackenrodt, a business owner and management consultant, will be supported by the Marc Lower, a business development director, and George Katzenberger, a retired resident.

The panel's extended volunteer services began on Sept. 11.

Mackenrodt said he will continue to meet with borough employees and department heads and will hold staff meetings.

"It is putting in the time to re-organize," Mackenrodt said. "We are trying to build teamwork management. I expect to implement changes from day one. I will not physically be involved with any management activities. I will strictly be consulting them."

"Our goal is to optimize the productivity of the current employees," Lower said at the meeting. "Within the 60-days you should know if there is a need for further management.

"It is unclear right now whether there is a need to hire a manger," he said, adding, "We need to determine if we can implement some of these changes. We need to give [the current employees] the chance."

The panel's will focus on three initiatives: redefine and reorganize resource allocation; define areas of responsibility and accountability; and define and implement management practices to improve productivity and efficiency.

After the 60 days, the council will review the changes and recommendations and decide whether or not to carry out those directives.

The panel was appointed by Chaump in April after council members were unable to adopt a municipal budget due to disagreement over the need to hire a business administrator.

We are very confident that there is an opportunity to improve productivity in the borough," Lower said.

He added that the panel concluded there is a need for a management role within the borough, but not necessarily the need to hire another employee to act as the business administrator.

"A management role is not a full-time job, but it requires full-time attendance to address issues as they arise," Lower said. "Given the current personnel count, it would not be prudent to hire additional resources."

The panel surveyed surrounding towns to determine the number of full-time employees other municipalities have, Lower said at the meeting.

"Six of the eight towns reviewed do have a business administrator, and for two [of those] towns with a full-time [business administrator], the head count is equivalent or less to Oceanport," Lower said.

"Four of six are in a combined role," he added. "Oceanport is on the high-end for number of full-time employees."

One of the recommendations of the panel is for the council to convert from a hands-on council to a managing council, according to Lower. In order to accomplish that, Lower explained during the presentation, the council would have to restructure its areas of responsibility with borough committees.

"At the first presentation they proposed a . . . committee structure for council committees," Chaump said. "Right now, council [members act as] liaison to committees. There are two council people to each committee.

"The panel suggested that we group them and put three council members in each group."

She explained that rather than have two council members representing each committee, there would be three council members representing half of the committees and another three members representing the other half.

Councilman Ted Ibex commended the panel at the meeting.

"You guys did a great job," Ibex said. "It is about as professional as you get.

"I agree with your findings and I agree with your recommendations," he said.

Chaump concurred.

"I agree with their findings," Chaump said. "Wayne will be going into the departments, redefining roles and seeing where we can be more efficient. I think this is an excellent opportunity."

Councilman Hugh Sharkey said he did not support the blue ribbon panel's proposal.

"You are saying that it is okay for these three guys with none of that experience to be doing this," Sharkey said at the meeting.

"I would have thought that after this amount of time, you would come in and say here are the changes we recommend and we will help you facilitate them," he said.

Lower responded, "What we got were people telling us what they are doing. Now we need to go in and live and breathe it and we are really confident that we can make significant improvements."

Chaump said she was proud of the residents for volunteering time to improve Oceanport.

"It says a lot about Oceanport," Chaump said. "Oceanport has always been made up of volunteers. For three people to give up their time to save the borough money is just amazing.

"Every town should be as fortunate as Oceanport."