3 Years in Review When I became city manager three years ago, I wanted to give Topeka a “well-run city.” I believe we are doing that now. We have several objectives in addressing the needs of Topekans: Providing a safe & secure community Growing thriving, livable neighborhoods Establishing organizational excellence Being stewards of the city’s physical assets Committed to customer service Fiscal health & sustainable growth We have implemented several programs toward achieving those objectives, as you will see below. It has been an honor serving the City of Topeka the past three years, and I look forward to seeing how much further we can go in the next three. Thank you, Jim
Safe and Secure Community
All of our patrol officers have body cameras that they wear while on calls for service. Established two community policing centers in the City, which are staffed by community police officers and personnel. Began switching to digital ticketing technology. In the next 18 months, all police officers will be using digital ticketing. Reduced management and supervisory positions within the Topeka Police Department to reduce costs. TPD created a searchable Electronic Major Incident Log database for criminal intelligence to be shared with all officers across shifts and bureaus. Constructed the Fire Training Burn Building, followed by orientation and training events. The Topeka Fire Department completed new mobile radio installations in all TFD heavy-duty fire apparatus. Municipal Court implemented Alternative Sentencing Court and secured grants to fund it.
Thriving, Livable Neighborhoods
Reorganized Housing and Neighborhood Development to Department of Neighborhood Relations and added community engagement divisions. We are focused on building relationships across the community regardless of Neighborhood Improvement Association (NIA) status of neighborhoods. Implemented International Property Maintenance Code training for inspectors to better prepare them to implement the new requirements. Combined Development Services and Code Services to make a streamlined process and allow for information to flow between departments, services and customers. Neighborhood initiative was adopted in 2015. This included the implementation of the Special Structures Unit with dedicated staff to address dilapidated structures and increased demolition funding. Housing Services is coordinating HUD-funded community redevelopment with Property Maintenance efforts to address community blight in a strategic manner.
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3 Years in Review Organizational Excellence
Reorganized City departments and put in place new department directors that share a vision of running the organization as a “high performance service delivery vehicle.” Appointed six new department directors of our 11 departments. In the past year alone: New Neighborhood Relations Director and Police Chief. In 2014, we added a new Administrative and Financial Services Director, Chief Fiscal Officer, Development Services Manager, Budget Manager and many others. Set performance standards and hold people accountable to them. Earned reaccreditation of the Topeka Police and Public Works departments. Completed the Public Safety Resource Allocation Study. Working on assessment and implementation strategy. Implemented in 2014 a “Position Review Committee,” an internal committee made up of representatives from the City Manager’s Office, Finance and Human Resources who review every position request from departments to ensure the positions being filled meet City priorities.
Stewardship of City’s Assets
The adopted 2016 budget includes a major street improvement plan using existing citywide half-cent sales tax dollars. In the first year, the City has identified possibly eight neighborhood projects totaling 22 miles of streets for the first $12 million investment. Ever year after that for the remaining four years of the tax, the City plans to invest at least $5 million in infrastructure. These funds are in addition to the $10.7 million of citywide half-cent sales tax budgeted through 2020 into existing neighborhood streets and sidewalks, identified in the Capital Improvement Plan. In Hi-Crest, the City is doing more than $5 million of work this year. The Land Use and Growth Management Plan 2040 was unanimously recommended for approval by the Topeka Planning Commission and then adopted by the Council in 2015. Installed new electronic water meters that can be read remotely. Restructured Water Pollution Control to achieve operational efficiency, regulatory compliance and succession planning. In 2013 and 2014, we replaced a pump station, completed replacement and rehabilitation of 10 target areas of our storm main and water mains, and we completed cleaning, inspections and repairs on locations as part of our wastewater system inflow and infiltration program.
Commitment to Economic Development
Downtown Topeka is nearly finished. We have continued efforts to redevelop downtown Topeka including construction of the Kansas Avenue project and cooperation with Downtown Topeka, Inc., and Visit Topeka to support the vision of a thriving and vibrant downtown area. We renewed the countywide half-cent sales tax to support City and County economic development efforts. More of those details of a plan and budget will be announced later this fall. We are evaluating our development and permit processes. We are customer focused and that includes our economic developers and business owners. We want to provide them with an environment that gives them a path toward establishing or expanding their business or development opportunities.
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3 Years in Review Commitment to Customer Service
This year, we rolled out the interactive open budget portal (budget.topeka.org). It demonstrates our 2014, 2015 and 2016 budgets—what they do and our goals behind our budget funding. Beginning Aug. 1, residents can now do e-Billing—receive bills by e-mail instead of paper mail. We send out about 685,000 bills annually. Each one casts the city about 53 cents but the electronic statements cost just 8 cents. Upgraded our Integrated Digital Voice Recording system for the Water Call Center. We also implemented Integrated Voice Response call center capabilities for the Water Call Center. Summarize and post detailed, monthly financial reports. GFOA recognized the City’s annual report by awarding it the Certificate of Achievement in Financial Reporting in 2015. Enhanced communication with residents with tools like Nextdoor, a new utility billing website, Twitter, City4 video productions, e311 and multiple community meetings on various topics. We also have increased TPD’s and the City’s footprints on social media outlets and are exploring more ways to achieve engagement on these platforms. Implemented an applicant tracking and recruiting application.
Fiscal Health & Sustainable Growth
We just completed the adoption of a 2016 budget that includes no mill levy increase. This budget will have a huge emphasis on infrastructure, so employees will see an influx of dollars to street maintenance and deferred maintenance. It includes: It includes a 2% cost of living increase to go into effect in 2016 for Management and Executive employees; and It does not include an increase to the property tax (mill levy) rate or sales tax rate. Your individual property tax will be based on the same mill levy as last year but may vary based on whether or not the assessed property value of your home changed. The city portion of sales tax will continue to be 1.5% in most areas of the City – 1% for general use, 0.5% for the citywide half cent sales tax to be used for street maintenance, and 0.5% for the countywide half cent sales tax to be used for economic development and other infrastructure projects. After an April 17, 2015, visit to the City, Standard & Poor’s rating service upheld the City’s AA bond rating for a series of General Obligation bonds. We are hoping to reach a AA+ rating by next year. This is stable and much improved. It demonstrates the City’s improved financial practices and could save money if the City is able to obtain lower interest rates. In 2012 we knew we had to balance the budget. In 2012 and 2013, the budget was structurally imbalanced by $1.5 million. Even though a structural imbalance existed in 2013, operational changes were made in 2013, resulting in a $3.9 million increase in the fund balance or a 39% increase from 2012 to 2013. Adjustments had to be implemented mid-year in the 2013 budget which assisted with adding a $3.9 million increase instead of a $1.5 million budgeted loss. This resulted in a fund balance of approximately 12% at yearend 2013. The 2014 budget process ended with a structural balance and had an ending balance of 15%. I implemented practices that resulted in expenditures coming in lower than the budget. The 2015 budget was a balanced budget, with no mill levy increase and vastly improved financial conditions.
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