The Human Resources and Information Technology Committee met 12/11/2024. They had two action items on their agenda, a request to over hire for the Deputy Director of Humana Resources position and a request to hire CP2 Consulting to facilitate the creation/update of the City of Appleton’s strategic guide.
Both of these items were recommended for approval, but Alderperson Sheri Hartzheim (District 13) did vote against the hiring of CP2 not because she took issue with them specifically but because she had issues with the underlying project.
I’ve prepared a transcript of the discussion for download:
ITEM 24-1545 – Approval to Over Hire for the Deputy Director Human Resources Position: The city’s current Deputy Director of Human Resources is planning to retire effective 03/10/2025. Human Resources Director would like to bring her replacement on up to 4 weeks prior to her departure as a transitional overlap to provide training and ensure the transfer of institutional knowledge. There are a number of computer systems related to data collection and analysis that the new hire will have to learn how to use. Additionally, the position involves a lot of compliance aspects related to reporting and audits.
Director Ratchman hoped to find the right person in time to allow 4 weeks of over hire, but he stressed that they were going to make sure they found the right person to fill the job regardless of timing.
The cost of over hiring was estimated to be $11,254 and would be covered by vacant salary dollars. Alderperson Hartzheim asked how they knew they would have vacant salary dollars in 2025. Director Ratchman indicated that they had vacant salary dollars from 2024 that could be brought forward. Additionally, any vacant salary dollars that happen during 2025 would be able to be put toward covering the cost of the over hire.
The committee voted 4-0 to approve the item.
ITEM 24-1546 – Approval to hire CP2 Consulting for the City of Appleton Strategic Guide Facilitation Services: In August of this year, the Common Council voted 9-1 to reallocate $45,000 of American Recovery Plan Act funds to go toward the hiring of a consultant to help the city update its Strategic Plan. City staff was now recommending that the city approve a contract with the Illinois-based CP2 Consulting. The cost would be $44,200 as well as a travel allowance of up to $5,000 for a total of $49,200 which was $4,200 more than the $45,000 in ARPA funds.
Director Ratchman mentioned that there were a couple reasons to update the strategic plan at this point. There are a lot of new people on the city’s leadership team and the last update to the city’s strategic plan was performed in 1999.
During the Request For Proposals process, the city proactively went out and searched for consultants and asked colleagues for referrals. They ended up with two finalists who they believed were qualified. Staff believed CP2 Consulting was the right choice because they did a lot of work within the public employment sector, a lot of work in Wisconsin, strategic planning was their area of focus, and they were within the city’s budget.
Director Ratchman said that although the final price was slightly higher than the $45,000 in ARPA funds that had been allocated for the project, they would be able to cover that with their existing organizational development budget.
Alderperson Hartzheim had opposed the reallocation of ARPA funds for this project back in August. She reiterated her opposition to that during this meeting at well, saying, “this is an expense that I don’t feel that we should be using ARPA funds for, that I don’t feel that we should have budget funds for. But that is my personal opinion. That is not necessarily the opinion of many in the city and in the council. I have concerns about the fact that this, including the travel allowance, comes up, comes in above that $45,000 that was allocated, but greater than that is, again, my feeling that this is not something that the taxpayers of this city should be paying. So, I will be voting no, but I understand that that’s probably in the minority.”
The committee voted 3-1 to approve the item.
View full meeting details and video here: https://cityofappleton.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=1251945&GUID=47065EBE-7F9F-468E-A521-720F138E110D
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