by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Early last month, Chief Administrative Officer Alan Mosely rolled out the City’s new organizational structure based on consolidating every City department and function into one of eight business units.
Last week, the City Council’s Rules committee amended that model and while there are still eight business units, the new model renames four of the units including the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission. Under the plan, the JEDC will become the Economic Development & Redevelopment Department.
“The new name more accurately reflects the work that organization does,” said mayoral spokesperson Misty Skipper.
Three of the other eight units — Finance, Technology and Public Safety — won’t change in name or function. The other five, said Skipper, were changed in name alone by the Rules committee for various reasons. Skipper said the new name either better describes the function of the unit or conforms to City ordinances.
“There would have had to be a massive rewrite of the ordinance code in some cases,” she said, explaining how the City ordinance code may only allow the “public works director” to perform certain functions and authorize certain projects and agreements. If the City’s Public Works Department was renamed the Infrastructure Unit as originally proposed, there may not have been such a position as public works director.
Skipper said the legislation proposed last Monday by the Rules committee will eventually require full Council approval.
The new names of the eight business units, the person tabbed to oversee them and their current title are as follows:
• Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Sustainable Communities — Kerri Stewart (Executive Director of Housing & Neighborhoods Department)
• Public Works Department — Joey Duncan (Director of Public Works)
• Recreation & Community Services Department — Roz Phillips (Deputy Chief Operating Officer)
• Central Operations Department — Devin Reed (Director of Procurement)
• Public Safety Department — Dan Kleman (Interim Fire Chief Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department)
• Finance Department — Mickey Miller (Director of Administration and Finance)
• Economic Development & Redevelopment Department — Ron Barton (Executive Director of the JEDC)
• Information Technology Department — Dave Lauer (Deputy Director Chief Information Officer)