By Debbie Robinson
news@joplinglobe.com
MIAMI, Okla. — Government in the city of Miami will be focused on leadership training and providing a succession plan for employees and department heads who retire or leave their current positions.
City Manager Huey Long recently implemented the plan at every level of the organization.
The plan began with the city manager’s office where Tim Wilson, former interim city manager and head of the public work’s department, was named assistant city manager.
Wilson also will be directly responsible for public works and public utilities.
Long said the plan also has provided for some consolidation of departments.
The city recently had a utility superintendent and an electric supervisor, he said.
Those positions will be consolidated.
The longtime utility superintendent, Dave Matthews, is retiring.
“We learned we didn’t have sufficient backup,” Long said. “My goal is to blend the utility and public works departments to eliminate duplication of efforts, thus creating an organization better able to serve its citizens.”
Another consolidation plan is to eliminate the separate sports coordinator position and bring the program under the umbrella of the parks department, he said.
The previous sports coordinator already has left his position, Long said.
Another position that will be eliminated is the cemetery director who is retiring.
“We’ve had one person who was responsible for the plotting of lots,” Long said.
A parks department employee is training for the cemetery duties, but will remain as a parks department employee, he said.
Jill Fitzgibbon, who has been serving the city in public works and as assistant to the city manager, has been named the new public services coordinator.
Fitzgibbon will provide Wilson support over the public works and public utility departments, Long said.
“On all of these positions, you have to carefully evaluate,” Long said. “Is (the position) a need to have or just nice to have.”
Long said another first step in succession planning is evaluating the skills of each employee and having a benefits package that will allow the city to retain those employees.
Local News
Miami city manager formulates training, succession plan
- Local News
-
-
Electric bill to drop $6 a month in Joplin
The Missouri Public Service Commission has approved a request filed by The Empire District Electric Company, based in Joplin, to lower the fuel adjustment charge (FAC) on the bills of its electric customers.
-
Mo. Legislature officially ends its 2012 session
Missouri's annual legislative session has officially come to a close.
-
Strong to severe storms forecast for Joplin region
Storms developing across the central and southern plains this afternoon are expected to migrate into the Joplin region this evening.
-
Economic-development strategies posed for Joplin region
More than 30 people shared ideas Wednesday on ways to promote economic development in the seven counties that are participating in the Joplin Regional Prosperity Initiative.
-
Kansas primary filing deadline near
Kansas candidates have until noon Friday for file for county offices in the Aug. 7 primary.
-
Date set to reintroduce rare beetle in Missouri
An endangered species of beetle will be reintroduced in southwest Missouri on June 5.
-
Senators: Missouri River flooding unifying moment
Two U.S. senators who symbolize disagreements between upstream and downstream states over management of the Missouri River say last year’s historic flooding was a unifying moment.
-
First-ever electricity for parts of India
The solar power company SunEdison is launching a program to get electricity for the first time to more than two dozen villages in India.
-
Couple 'scoop out' ice cream business from the past
When 3-year-old Brynlee Rabel tried coconut ice cream for the first time Tuesday, it was love at first taste. “She got the vanilla, but when she tasted my coconut ice cream she had to have it,” said Kayleigh Daugherty, a Joplin resident who wanted Brynlee to share the same experience she had as a little girl when she visited Anderson’s Ice Cream.
-
Missouri National Guard releases records involving soldiers who looted from Wal-Mart
The Missouri National Guard has released records confirming that four soldiers were disciplined for taking merchandise from the ruins of a Wal-Mart store in Joplin one day after the tornado that devastated the city a year ago.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Electric bill to drop $6 a month in Joplin
