here - City of Reedley

Department Challenges/Unmet Needs
The Department is fortunate to have a roster of qualified employees, several of which have
been with the City for many years. The challenge is that much of the institutional knowledge of
policies and procedures are not formally documented, creating potential issues for continuity of
operations should an unexpected absence or leave occur. The quality, accuracy, and efficiency
of services that the Department provides directly impact the service delivery of other City
Departments. By embarking on the arduous task of creating a Department policies &
procedures manual, the City will have a tremendous resource.
The Department currently builds the citywide budget in several very comprehensive Microsoft
Excel spreadsheets, which is not unlike other cities of similar or smaller size. The challenge in
continuing with this method is the preservation of historical and current data, less ability to
make changes to the budget process, and most importantly, engaging staff in the budget
process so that there is clear understanding, ownership, and accountability of their budget. In
addition, the City's financial system, which is essentially the same system put into place over 20
years ago, is experiencing an increasing number of issues that require labor intensive patches
and 'work-arounds' to maintain. Several other cities in California who use the same system have
since transitioned to different vendors. Staff will begin looking into the cost, benefits, and
feasibility of transitioning to a replacement financial system that will support the multitude of
needs within the City.
As the Department takes on more duties and responsibilities that are reflective of a municipal
Administrative Services Department, staff will need to continuously look for ways to automate
or otherwise reduce time spent on tasks. This may require upfront investments in additional
technology or equipment, but will result in future, ongoing savings that provides a return on the
initial investment. As ideas continue to come forth, staff will fully consider the cost versus
benefit of each idea and the payback period of investments.
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CITY OF REEDLEY
ADOPTED BUDGET 2013-2014