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positions were evaluated to determine if continuity of public service required that the jobs be <br /> filled, or if they could remain vacant, or if the city could realign its method of deploying <br /> employees in ways that were more efficient.This practice continues. <br /> In the process of making these revisions, staff encountered a provision in Article 7 of the City <br /> Code that lists, by title, the employee positions that the city uses—that are not covered by the <br /> city's collective bargaining contracts.The original ordinance provision was intended to affirm that <br /> the city manager exercises the city's at-will employment regarding these positions. But over the <br /> years, this section of the City Code has been amended at the request of different city managers <br /> to instead approve changes to individual job titles as they were needed. I believe this practice is <br /> antiquated and cumbersome. The city manager is accountable to the City Council for the <br /> formation and abolition of all departments, and for the divisional and aggregate costs of all <br /> departments through the council's annual review, adoption and amendment of the budget.The <br /> city manager is already authorized to make minor changes to the internal organizational structure <br /> of city departments.Correspondingly,several organizational changes have been made by the city <br /> manager and department heads to improve efficiencies in recent months.After the same fashion, <br /> I believe it should be within the purview of the city manager to determine what position titles <br /> should be used (and when they should be changed or updated) to accomplish the work of the <br /> city (except where otherwise stipulated in collective bargaining contracts). <br /> To facilitate this change, increase management's flexibility to continue making minor structural <br /> changes inside city departments, and remove barriers to efficiency improvements as they are <br /> identified and implemented, it is recommended that the language of Article 7 be amended to <br /> delete most of the title list. <br />