Going to the Fort Dodge Municipal Building to pay your water bill?
Step through the front door and go straight ahead.
For folks accustomed to turning left just past the staircase to reach the counter where they paid the bills, that change is the most visible sign of an overhaul impacting both the city clerk's and the utilities offices.
''The goal is to provide a more streamlined customer-friendly approach to doing business with the city,'' said Penny Clayton, the city clerk and finance director.
She said the change consolidates three offices and three managers into two offices with two managers.
The three offices were city clerk, utility billing and data processing. Data processing was folded into the city clerk's office.
Physically, the clerk's office traded places with the utility billing office. Clayton said the switch gives the busy utility office two customer service windows instead of just one. That office now has four account clerks who work directly with the public. Previously, there were three.
As part of the transformation, some familiar faces in the clerk's office now have new roles.
Michelle Hefley, who was deputy city clerk and treasurer, now will work strictly as the treasurer. She will be paid $52,919.64.
Hefley is responsible for deposits, financial statements, property insurance costs and claims, bond debt payments, cost reports, utility billing and collection of past due fees for services provided by the city. She'll also supervise the utility billing office.
Dawn Siebken, who was the department secretary, has been promoted to deputy city clerk. She will be paid $39,491.61.
She's now responsible for preparing documents, researching and maintaining records, and managing Web pages for the clerk's office and City Council. She'll also step in to do Clayton's duties when she's unavailable.
The transformation really began in 2002, when the city clerk's office took over the old chores of the data processing manager after that position was abolished.
The trend continued early this year when the position of utility billing supervisor was eliminated after the retirement of Marion Dencklau. At that time an additional position for an account clerk who works directly with the bill-paying public was created.
Reducing the number of managers and increasing the number of staffers who work directly with the public was one of Clayton's goals in the reorganization.
Eventually, the utility billing office will be the place people will pay most bills issued by the city.
''We may get close to one-stop shopping at the utility counter,'' Clayton said.
Contact Bill Shea at (515) 573-2141 or bshea@messengernews.net
