Changes come to FD city offices
Clerk and utility offices reorganizeBy BILL SHEA, Messenger staff writer
Article Photos
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
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marka405
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07-19-08 4:07 PM
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I have to disagree with you. There is not a staff nurse in Ft. Dodge earning $35-40 dollars per hour, and if they work 3-4 days per week they likely are working 12 hour shifts. ALSO, they are many secretaries/clerical worker of very high caliber in jobs making $10-12 dollars per hour, and many not receiving health care & other benefits that the county employees are. Again, I would like to know how these salaries are determined & who approves them.
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CommonSense
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07-19-08 3:08 PM
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Marka, I have to disagree. You need to relook at what nurses and teachers make per hour. Nurses are now making 35-40 per hour and many times more, working 3-4 days per week. Teachers get 3 months vacation paid every summer and have the ability to take on summer work and make much much more than these ladies. These girls aren't just receptionists who answer the phone either. They have many many more resposibilities. Try to pay someone 10 or 12 bucks per hour and see what caliber of people fill out the applications. Typically not the ones I would like to see keeping the records of FD or any other city for that matter. There are not to many teachers getting paid less than these ladies anymore.
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marka405
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07-18-08 3:09 PM
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What is with these high salaries for county employees??? $20-25.00 per hour for "secretaries". Our nurses & teachers are paid considerably less, and they have spent their time & money to earn degrees. Teachers typically work more than an 8 hour day + they spend considerable money of their own on students & activities!! Nurses work Holiday's & weekends & are in high risk positions. I, for one, would like to know how these salaries are determined? Who authorizes them & who implements them. I want everyone to have a living wage, but this is Fort Dodge, Iowa!!
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