City of Murfreesboro launches new Public Works Division
The City of Murfreesboro announced Wednesday (Aug. 1) the launch of the new Public Works Division as part of the on-going process to reorganize the City’s administrative structure and enhance customer service. The newly created division will include the Engineering, Transportation and Urban Environmental departments along with the Streets Division under the direction of an Executive Director of Public Works.
“I believe the creation of the Public Works Division will assure that the continued close coordination of these departments as the City grows, allowing processes and priorities to be further aligned with improved customer service delivery,” said City Manager Craig Tindall. “Over the coming year, the major focus of this restructuring will be a new emphasis on developing our customer’s perspective of ‘One City.’ From this perspective, citizens will view the City as an integrated entity providing the valuable services they need.”
City Engineer Chris Griffith will be promoted to serve as Executive Director of the new Public Works Division. Griffith will continue in his role as the City Engineer over the Engineering Department, which includes the Streets Division. Under the new structure, Jim Kerr and Cynthia Holloway will continue to serve as directors of the Transportation Department and Urban Environmental Department respectively.
Griffith has served as the City Engineer in Murfreesboro for nearly 13 years where he was first hired as a Project Engineer in May 2002. He has over 28 years engineering experience in both the private and public sectors. Griffith holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville.
“I appreciate the confidence Mr. Tindall has shown me and look forward to the opportunity to continue to work with each of these departments to better serve the residents of Murfreesboro,” said Public Works Division Director Chris Griffith. “The City of Murfreesboro has great employees that take a lot of pride in their work and we look forward to working together to improve our great City.”
When completed, the on-going process of reorganizing the City’s administrative structure will ultimately create five new divisions, plus the existing Police and Fire Rescue departments. The goal of the realignment is to assure that coordination of process and workflow aligns with the increasing demands of a growing City.
“It is the second new division announced this summer. We will be implementing additional organizational changes over the next couple of months,” added Tindall.
In early July, Tindall announced the new Development Services Division, appointing Sam Huddleston, previously Assistant City Engineer, to serve as Executive Director for the newly reorganized Development Services Division. The division includes the Planning, Building & Codes and Community Development departments along with some aspects of Engineering and the Urban Environmental. The details of the planned reorganization were outlined to City Council in the July 19 workshop meeting.
The Development Services Division is designed to enhance the City’s economic development with focus on re-developing downtown, utilizing tax increment financing incentives, implementing the Bottoms and Highland Avenue studies, and locating the next major planned development area. The Public Works Division will stress coordination, cooperation and oversight of the engineering, development and maintenance of streets and other City projects.
Plans outlined July 19 places the City’s utility services under one “Utilities Enterprise Division” umbrella to include the Electric Department, Water Resources Department, Solid Waste Department and the Municipal Airport. An Internal Services Division would include Information Technology, Human Resources, Broadcast Communications (CityTV) and Asset Management. A new Community Services Division would oversee the Parks & Recreation Department, Golf Department, Senior Services and outside agencies.
Under the proposed plan, the current 24 City departments would report to seven division executive directors, including the police and fire chiefs. This structure will shift the authority over operating decisions closer to operations, improve communications, and enhance cost efficiency with the goal of achieving excellent customer service.
