minfin 11-30-20 - Laserfiche WebLink

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They acknowledged that Council wanted to see more progress on commercial inspections and stated that they intend to prioritize this once COVID restrictions are lifted. The two discussed staff changes in the department due to hiring and retirements. They spoke about the difficulty of hiring in this field due to the length and the specific type of experience required. These qualifications are set by the state. Basically, the only pool of candidates is those who are currently working for other municipalities. Those candidates may not be incentivized to leave their positions due to accrual of leave time and seniority. Lakewood's pay rates and benefits are competitive and the department is attempting to tackle this challenge by putting together a succession plan. Mayor George stated that the issues experienced with hiring in our Building Department are experienced throughout the state. She noted that the state has lifted some requirements to try and assist municipalities, but the problem persists. Chairman Bullock stated that he would be open to a conversation about increasing staff if the Building Department thinks that would be beneficial. Councilmembers thanked the Building Department for its responsiveness to residents and to Council Law Department Director Corrigan delivered a presentation that is attached and summarized here. Director Corrigan discussed the department's staff and staffing levels. The biggest change between 2019 and 2020 is that the Law Director position is full-time, where it used to be part- time. Since 2019 the department has a new Chief Prosecutor and has had two different part-time law clerks. Director Corrigan discussed the nature of the work in the law department, breaking it down between the civil side and the criminal side. Director Corrigan and Chief Assistant Director Swallow are mainly responsible for the civil side of the department, although the challenges of COVID have made cross-training more important. He discussed the duties of the criminal side of his operations, which also included a virtual landlord training seminar this year. Director Corrigan stated that the criminal side of the department accounts for the majority of the day to day work. He explained that all cases charged must be reviewed and analyzed. He stated that 100,000 such cases have moved through the Court and his department in 20202. He described how the prosecutors advise officers 24/7 Director Corrigan discussed the anticipated projects and initiatives for 2021 which include: • an improved notification system for crime victims • hospital site negotiations • sewer, water, EPA improvements • working with the Court to develop a paperless system of criminal case accessibility.