Santa Cruz Looks at Hiring Management Firm, Salutes Police

UPDATE: Despite some community members suggesting that the study could be done better and for free by a panel of city residents, the council approved the project by a 6-1 vote Tuesday afternoon, with Tony Madrigal voting no.

Santa Cruz is looking at spending $50,000-$90,000 to save money by hiring a consulting firm to help it reorganize and be more efficient.

If it sounds like a contradiction in terms, or something the city should be able to do itself, it's not, says City Manager Martin Bernal.

"A lot of cities have been doing them and finding savings by employing a different technology or reorganized structure," he said. "They can compare it to other jurisdictions and find better ways for us to provide a service."

Part of the four-month study would include interviews with workers and labor unions, who might feel more comfortable talking to a neutral party and unearth new suggestions, he added.

The money would come from savings made in the city manager's office. The office has only two employees, with one unfilled vacancy, and Bernal and Assistant City Manager Tina Shull took their jobs a little more than a year ago at less than the previous manager was making, so there is money in the budget for the task.

The city needs an additional $2-$3 million reduction in operating costs to balance the budget, his report to council says—but the city has already trimmed extensively. Four city bargaining groups, including police, agreed to a 10 percent cut this year and workers are already taking unpaid furloughs. 

Bernal says San Jose, Sacramento, Tracy, Glendale, Burbank and Anaheim have had outside consultants with excellent results.

The council meets at 3 p.m. Tuesday, opened by the Santa Cruz Police Honor Guard posting the colors. The police department is being honored for its contribution to the city.

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation that designated May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day, and the week in which that date falls as Police Week. Now, tens of thousands of law enforcement officers from around the world converge on Washington, D.C., to participate in a number of planned events, which honor those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice, according to a police press release.