Explanation
1. BACKGROUND:
This ordinance realigns departmental responsibilities with respect to management of the city's transportation infrastructure. The Department of Public Service's leadership performed a comprehensive review of processes and work flows. This review revealed inefficient processes and imbalance of workload amongst employees.
Therefore, the existing Division of Mobility Options which comprises approximately 58 employees will be eliminated and one new division will be created within the Department of Public Service; the Division of Traffic Management. The department will also rename the Division of Planning and Operations to the Division of Infrastructure Management. The new division and the renamed division are organized around workflows, the capital project development process, and a multi-modal transportation system.
The Division of Infrastructure Management will focus on long term planning and management services for transportation infrastructure assets, including pavement and structures management, pedestrian and biking facility management, zoning and right-of-way permit reviews, and plat reviews. The division shall also provide street maintenance services including street sweeping, litter control, graffiti removal, and snow removal.
The Division of Design and Construction will focus on design services for transportation infrastructure improvement projects - including capital project prioritization, scoping project management, and plan review. Design services will also focus on in-house design, including but not limited to the resurfacing program. The division will also provide construction services including management of construction contracts, construction inspection, surveying, and materials testing services.
The Division of Traffic Management will focus on parking services, parking enforcement, traffic engineering services and traffic maintenance. The parking services and traffic engineering will include safety studies, parking studies, speed studies, capacity reviews, signal warrant analysis and will work closely with the public on needs throughout the city. The division shall also provide traffic maintenance services including installation and maintenance of pavement markings, traffic signals, traffic signage, and parking meters. The division shall also provide parking management and violation services including the parking violations bureau as established by 2150.04 of the Columbus City Code.
2. FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no direct fiscal impact associated with this reorganization and associated code changes; however, in the long term the three divisions should create operational efficiencies and streamline existing functions. The costs associated with new positions have been offset by the elimination of vacancies.
Title
To enact new section 219.033 of the Columbus City Code; to amend sections 219.01, 219.02, 219.031, 219.032, 2150.04 of the Columbus City Code and to repeal section 219.03 of the Columbus City Code in order to eliminate the Division of Mobility Options, to rename the Division of Planning and Operations to the Division of Infrastructure Management, and to create a new Division of Traffic Management within the Department of Public Service to reflect the reorganization in the Department of Public Service.
Body
WHEREAS, the leadership of the Department of Public Service has completed a comprehensive review of processes and work flows within the existing structure, and documented inefficient processes, an unbalanced workload amongst employees, and an inconsistency among the current divisions; and
WHEREAS, as a result of this review it has been determined necessary to reorganize the existing divisions in the Department of Public Service; and
WHEREAS, the existing Division of Mobility Options which comprises approximately 58 employees will be eliminated and one new division will be created within the Department of Public Service; the Division of Traffic Management;
WHEREAS, the department will also rename the Division of Planning and Operations to the Division of Infrastructure Management; and
WHEREAS, this reorganization is an outcome of the Administration's comprehensive review of work flows and will improve many services such as plan and permit review, project prioritization, capital project delivery, and maintenance of our existing transportation infrastructure; and
WHEREAS, this ordinance shall take effect and be in force from and after the July 1, 2014.; now, therefore:
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That new Section 219.033 of the Columbus City Codes, 1959, is hereby enacted to read as follows:
219.033 Division of traffic management
The division of traffic management is established as a division of the department of public service. The administrative head of the division shall be the traffic division administrator. The division of traffic management will focus on parking services, parking enforcement, traffic engineering services and traffic maintenance. The parking services and traffic engineering will include safety studies, parking studies, speed studies, capacity reviews, signal warrant analysis and will work closely with the public on needs throughout the city. The division shall also provide traffic maintenance services including installation and maintenance of pavement markings, traffic signals, traffic signage, and parking meters. The division shall also provide parking management and violation services including the parking violations bureau as established by 2150.04 of the Columbus City Code.
SECTION 2. That Sections 219.01, 219.02, 219.031, 219.032, and 2150.04 of the Columbus City Codes, 1959, be amended to read as follows:
219.01 Department of public service established.
There is established a department of public service consisting of a director of public service, two (2) deputy directors of public service, the division of mobility options, the division of traffic management, the division of planning and operations, the division of infrastructure management, the division of design and construction, and the division of refuse collection. The department of public service shall perform all lawful functions as may be directed by the mayor or ordinance of council.
219.02 Duties of director and deputy director.
The director of public service shall be appointed by the mayor and shall serve at the pleasure of the mayor at a salary fixed by ordinance of council. The director of public service shall have all powers and duties connected with and incident to the appointment, regulation and government of the department of public service and all powers and duties specifically vested in the director of public service by the charter of the city. The director shall designate one (1) of the deputy directors or one (1) of the assistant directors of public service who shall serve in the absence of the director.
219.031 Division of planning and operations. infrastructure management
The division of planning and operations infrastructure management is established as a division of the department of public service. The administrative head of the division shall be the planning and operations infrastructure management administrator. The division of planning and operations infrastructure management shall have as its primary duties long term planning and management services for transportation infrastructure assets including traffic and safety studies, pavement and structures management, pedestrian and biking facility management, capital project prioritization and scoping, zoning and right-of-way permit reviews, and plat reviews. The division shall also provide street and traffic maintenance services including street sweeping, litter control, graffiti removal, and snow removal., installation and maintenance of pavement markings, traffic signals, traffic signage, and parking meters.
219.032 Division of design and construction.
The division of design and construction is established as a division of the department of public service. The administrative head of the division shall be the design and construction administrator. The division of design and construction shall have as its primary duties the design of transportation infrastructure improvement projects including capital project prioritization, scoping, project management, and development of construction plans, plan review., right-of-way and utility management, and management of design contracts. Design services will focus on in-house design, including but not limited to the resurfacing program. The division shall also provide construction services including management of construction contracts, construction inspection, surveying, and materials testing.
2150.04 Parking Violation Bureau.
(a) The City of Columbus Parking Violations Bureau is hereby established pursuant to Section 4521.04 of the Ohio Revised Code. The Bureau shall be a section within the division of mobility traffic management within the department of public service. The bureau has jurisdiction over each parking infraction that occurs within the territory of the City of Columbus. The bureau will also issue residential parking permits for areas established pursuant to Section 2105.21 of this Code. The issuance or renewal of a permit under this section shall not be granted until all outstanding parking infractions under this code are paid in full. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, each parking infraction that occurs within the jurisdiction of the bureau and the enforcement of each such parking infraction shall be handled pursuant to and be governed by the provisions of Title 21 of this Code.
(b) The operating costs of the bureau shall be paid by the City of Columbus. The director of public service shall appoint a parking violations bureau coordinators (violations clerks), hearing examiners and the necessary clerical employees. No person shall be employed as a hearing examiner unless the person is an attorney admitted to the practice of law in this state or formerly was employed as a law enforcement officer.
(c) The fines, penalties, fees and costs established for a parking infraction shall be collected, retained and disbursed by the violations clerk if the parking infraction out of which the fine, penalties, fees and costs arose occurred within the jurisdiction of the bureau. The violations clerk shall issue tickets for parking infractions to law enforcement officers for the City of Columbus and prescribe conditions for issuance and accountability. The fine, penalties, fees and costs collected by a violations clerk for a parking infraction shall be disbursed by the clerk to the City of Columbus.
(d) The director of public service shall have authority to contract with any non-governmental entity to provide services in processing, collecting and enforcing parking tickets issued by law enforcement officers and civil judgments and default civil judgments entered pursuant to this chapter. No contract shall affect the responsibilities of hearing examiners as prescribed in this chapter or the ultimate responsibility of the violations clerk to collect, retain and disburse fines, penalties, fees and costs for parking infractions and monies paid in satisfaction of judgments and default judgment entered pursuant to this chapter
SECTION 3. That existing Sections 219.01, 219.02, 219.03, 219.031, 219.032, and 2150.04 be and are hereby repealed.
SECTION 4. That this ordinance shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2014.