City Needs Updated Table of Organization

Over recent months, new city titles have been created and older titles have been revived. It's time to spell out the current organizational set-up, even if some of these posts are vacant right now.

For example, does anybody recall passage of a resolution permitting hiring of two deputy police directors? Where do they fit in with the present structure of the Police Division? During the previous administration, the number of captains changed several times, most recently to five in charge of seven bureaus but previously as low as three and as high as seven.

The title and salary band for the chief of staff position were approved last year, although the City Council rejected the mayor's appointee by cutting the 2014 budget. There is a new deputy city administrator for economic development, even though no one held the position foe eight years and it is not presently reflected on the city's web site.

Divisional changes have resulted in a split-off of Media from Information Technology and there is confusion over job titles there. Is the person in charge an "audio visual specialist" or media director?

The title of Public Information Officer goes back many years, although it was vacated by way of defunding it for several years, revived and most recently defunded again. There is also some confusion over whether it is a cabinet-level post.

The city has six bargaining units, including the Plainfield Municipal Managers Association and the Plainfield Municipal Employees Association, as well as a rather long list of non-union or non-represented employees. With changes in recent years, it would be good to know for planning and budgeting purposes who reports to whom across the organization.

These basic structural considerations may have gotten lost in the political brouhaha that has reigned since the beginning of 2014. A chart of the titles and chain of command can be drawn up and made public despite the controversies, so that when and if the dust settles, at least the framework of the administration will be known and recognized.

--Bernice