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City provides its citizens is labor intensive. Therefore, the proposed FY23/24 budget includes a series of
<br />equipment purchases. More details as to what these items are will be provided later in this memorandum, but
<br />we will touch on several of the more significant items below.
<br />The City will be allocating a significant amount of funding to the demolition of the Belford Building, located
<br />at 260 South Main Street. This building is in a severe case of dilapidation and has begun to collapse internally.
<br />With the availability of ARPA funding, the City now has the chance to bring this multi -story building down
<br />safely, thus greatly improving our downtown district.
<br />The City completed a Phase I analysis of the Grand Theater in FY22/23. This analysis included a structural
<br />analysis of the building and development of bid documents to clean the building and abate asbestos. The goal
<br />is to set this building up in such a way to give the non-profit association tied to this city -owned building a
<br />clean slate to begin donation collection for future restoration. Using ARPA funds, we plan to clean and abate
<br />the building. As this is a city -owned building, and given it is located within the downtown, we wish to do our
<br />part like many other downtown building owners and work towards restoration and occupancy. We have a
<br />long road ahead, but this Phase II is the next step in the process.
<br />Having completed the Phase I of the Housing Study, we are budgeting to proceed with Phase II, which will
<br />be the study itself. We are working with the Paris Economic Development Corporation as well as the Carl
<br />Cecil Foundation to share in this expense. This study will be extremely helpful with advising future city
<br />policy towards housing initiatives for our community.
<br />There is a lengthy series of equipment we are seeking to purchase for most all departments. Whether it be
<br />vehicles, heavy equipment, technology, etc., this equipment will either be replacing old and tired equipment
<br />and/or providing us new abilities to better serve our citizens. A full listing of all capital purchases planned in
<br />the Proposed FY23/24 Budget can be found later in this report.
<br />8. New Positions — The proposed FY23/24 Budget includes eight new positions.
<br />The first new position is a reclassification of an existing position. I would like to promote Doug Harris,
<br />Director of Utilities, to the position of Assistant City Manager. Mr. Harris has served the City of Paris for
<br />30+ years, many of which has been in his current position. After three years of direct observation, it is my
<br />professional opinion that Mr. Harris has skills and abilities that can be put to even greater use upon promotion
<br />to a position of higher responsibility and accountability within the City of Paris. His faithful and loyal service
<br />to the City of Paris, carefully managing the City's treatment infrastructure for water and sewer, has proven
<br />his ability as a manager and leader, and I would like to tap into this to serve Paris, its council, citizens and
<br />staff, at a higher level. To accomplish this, I have reorganized the city's organizational chart. I will reclassify
<br />Rob Vine to Deputy City Manager to create a distinction in the progression of chain of command and shift
<br />responsibilities of all departments between the three positions. First, as City Manager, I will continue to
<br />remain fully responsible for all departments under me, including those overseen by the DCM and ACM
<br />positions. However, my focus will be the oversight of our Emergency Service Departments and HR. Mr.
<br />Vine will take on responsibility of Community Service Departments, including the addition of City Clerk,
<br />Finance and PIO (discussed below). Mr. Harris will take on responsibility of Public Infrastructure
<br />Departments, including those he currently oversees as well as Public Works and City Engineering. He will
<br />continue to perform many of his current duties while delegating some to his direct assigns as needed to
<br />accommodate his new responsibilities as the ACM. A copy of the new proposed organizational chart is
<br />included as Exhibit F. Separating out these three spheres of municipal operation will allow the City
<br />Management Department to have greater efficiency and response time to issues, questions, requests, and
<br />concerns raised by City Councilmembers, citizens, developers, other governmental agencies, consultants,
<br />etc. Furthermore, this will give Department Heads and staff greater timely access to and response from the
<br />City Management Department for high level decision making, strategizing, issue handling, contract
<br />negotiation, HR management, and more. This will also allow us to better focus our efforts within the
<br />Community Service related departments, Public Infrastructure related departments, and Emergency Service
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