BY ANNE MICHAUD
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Hamilton County commissioners are poised to spend $382,000 to have a consultant overhaul the operations of three departments. The estimated savings in the first year: $795,500.
The departments are Regional Planning, facilities, and administrative services' microfilm operation. Consultant A.T. Hudson & Co. of Oradell, N.J., has done a preliminary study of those departments to come up with the cost and savings estimates.
The facilities department would account for $600,000 of the first-year savings, the consultant projected.
County commissioners heard the figures Monday and are prepared to approve the spending Wednesday.
A.T. Hudson worked with the Department of Human Services to eliminate redundant jobs and create standards of productivity, saving an estimated $3 million a year. The consultant's fee was $1.4 million.
After receiving those results in February, commissioners invited other elected county officials -- the clerk of courts, sheriff, auditor, treasurer -- to take advantage of A.T. Hudson's services. None has.
County Commissioner John Dowlin said Monday that he will make another effort at interesting those elected officials. Commissioners do not have control over other officials' operations, but they do fund them, in part, from the general fund.
A.T. Hudson found these problems in the three departments that are participating:
In the facilities department, daily and weekly measures of productivity and quality do not exist.
In administrative services, the daily production goal of 29,000 microfilm images is "unrealistically low."
In Regional Planning, there is no process for improving productivity.
