City Council Votes to Approve Funding for More Staff

• Members Cannot Agree on How Much More Money to Green Machine

BY BILL KOENEKER

Malibu City Manager Jim Thorsen wants some help and last week asked the city council to approve a position of assistant to the city manager. Members agreed to do so.
Council members were told the position is different than assistant city manager and that the post is necessary in order to assist the city with the completion of many vital council projects and internal administrative issues.
Thorsen explained it is an entry-level position whereby the assistant learns the city manager’s tasks, can serve as a backup, do a lot of the research work and perform some public outreach.
In a memo to council members, Thorsen elaborated with additional explanation. It is anticipated that the assistant will help the city manager with the library, college and park development projects currently in the pipeline, undertake budget review and preparation, and attend and represent the city at various public meetings, do follow-up with sensitive complaints and inquiries and assist with legislative projects.
The position would pay from $70,000 to $90,000 per year.
Council members discussed how the assistant position was different than an assistant city manager post. The city at one time had an assistant city manager position, but it was eliminated as unnecessary in such a small municipality.
The reorganization created the administrative services director position, which took over many of the functions performed by the second in command post.
Reva Feldman, who is the city’s current Administrative Services Director, said she too needs help for managing the municipality’s growing information and telecommunications systems. Feldman recommended, and the council concurred, the creation of an information system technician position, which is described as necessary to add additional staff support for the city’s information systems management and telecommunications systems. Currently, the city has one staff person who manages the city’s computers, servers, telephones and equipment. Due to the increased number of staff, data and technology, additional staff support is needed, according to Feldman, who said the position will also assist with managing the city’s GIS system, graphics and other technological needs.
In a turnaround, the public works department wants to eliminate the associate civic engineer position and the assistant civic engineer position. It has been determined that it is more much efficient to utilitze non-engineering staff members for processing the amounts of paperwork required.
According to Feldman, the total number of authorized personnel for fiscal year 2007-2008 is 73.
Council members also talked about how additional funding could be made to the Malibu Green Machine, the organization that is offering to beautify and landscape the Pacific Coast Highway median in central Malibu.
Councilmember Pamela Conley Ulich wanted the city to turn over $200,000 to MGM.
However, other members said they did not believe the city could legally turn over so much money without going through some kind of formal process.
Consequently, the council agreed to direct the city manager to report back to them about whether there is a viable route to allocate the funds for the median project.
Additionally, the council heard from Malibu Coastal Vision, which is seeking city funding for the publication of its book that is nearly finished.
Members agreed to table the request until the group finishes its book and the addition of a chapter on Legacy Park and suggested the addition of artwork obtained from a contest held by the youth commission on what Malibu would look like in 10 years.