Departments

Over the past decade the City has been prudent in implementing a number of cost-saving measures. The following is a non-exhaustive list of reductions made City-wide and by departments over the last 10 years:

City-wide

• Voluntary furlough days (140 employees)
• Positions eliminated or left vacant
• Other personnel savings/layoffs
• Elimination of capital repairs
• Delayed fleet and computer replacement
• Other miscellaneous deductions

City Clerk

• Postage - eliminated pre-paid postage for returned Absentee Voter (AV) ballots
• Legal notices - reduced cost by 1/2 by publishing with alternate newspaper
• Reduced staff by one part-time employee
• Reduced number of times ordinances are codified by Municode
• Implemented $20 taxi driver application fee
• Organized City Department Supply Swap - donated supplies were swapped with other departments
• Elections - saved on costs to burn election program onto memory packs (now doing this in-house)
• Elections - made Qualified Voter File program available on every desktop reducing staff interruptions and response time to customers/election workers

Communications

• Consolidated within the Administrative Services Department
• Brought all graphic design in house, including the Annual Report & Community Calendar
• Included East Lansing Art Festival program guide in Dialog instead of publishing in the Lansing State Journal
• Cut one edition of the Dialog (residential newsletter) per year
• Turned off electricity in Valley Court and other downtown areas during off season
• Increased communications with the introduction of a number of new, no-cost e-newsletters
• Eliminated freelance photographer position
• Eliminated in-house cable studio
• Contracted out cable broadcast services

Human Resources

• Eliminated post-employment healthcare for new hires for non-union employees and two union groups
• Implemented defined contribution retirement plans in lieu of defined benefit pensions for new hires, non-union employees and three union groups
• Established and utilized union/management Healthcare Task Force to manage employee healthcare benefits. This Task Force significantly reduced the rate of health care expense growth through annual competitive bidding, restructuring of the benefit package and cost-sharing arrangements
• Eliminated post-employment healthcare for new hires and three union groups

Information Systems

• Implemented virtual server technology
• Eliminated one IS position by contracting out the maintenance and development of Web services
• Contracted new City Hall Xerox copier leases and AT&T telephone services under state contract
• Eliminated external conference/travel/training
• Saved on phone systems maintenence by switching provider
• Postponed City-wide hardware replacements for computers, printers, servers and enterprise phone systems, software purchases and upgrades
• Began providing in-house employee training
• Switched to a third-party vendor for hardware maintenance on server infrastructure
• Extended various maintenance agreements in order to lock in and capitalize on current discounts and future pricing breaks

City Manager’s Office and City Council

• Created online packets for media, residents, etc. (save on printing and staff time)
• Purchased individual tickets rather than tables for special events
• Began e-mailing Friday mailing rather than sending mail (save on postage, printing and staff time)
• Reduced staff by one position

Code Enforcement & Neighborhood Conservation

• Restructured fees and charging methods to create a full-cost recovery budget
• Implemented paperless processes as much as possible resulting in fewer mailings
• Laid off one full-time and one part-time position
• Cut telephone expenses by allowing employees to use their personal cell phones rather than City phones
• Strategically scheduled inspections to reduce driving distances and times

Finance

• Purchased natural gas through broker
• Increased electronic transactions
• Reduced/eliminated credit card transactions
• Archived reports electronically
• Implemented BS&A Equalizer software, which has saved a minimum of $50,000, plus benefits in one staff position and immeasurable time savings
• Made Internet assessing information available online, saving (at minimum) one part-time position

Fire Department

• Cut a number of positions through attrition, including an assistant chief and five firefighter positions
• Cut overtime by half
• Increased ambulance revenue and reduced medical billing rates
• Involvement in joint training with surrounding departments
• Extended fleet life
• Dramatically reduced capital purchases
• Reduced daily staffing cut from 14 to 11

Library

• Began charging for copies, printing, etc. for patrons
• Increased use of volunteers
• Implemented five furlough days
• Raised non-resident cardholder fees
• Established fee for DVD rentals
• Raised fines
• Reduced printing and mailing cost by using email
• Implemented non-resident fee for classes
• Consolidated positions

Parks, Recreation and Arts

• Replaced full-time staff with part-time or contingent employees
• Reduced physical size of Activity Guide and mailing list
• Adjusted hours to reduce overtime
• Canceled programs when revenue would not cover expenses
• Rely on volunteer organizations to offer recreation services
• Use of Hannah basement for storage of City-wide documents
• Increased grant funding, fundraising and dontations to help support programs
• Established contract supervision of custodians, saving $60,000
• Reduced full-time custodial staff through attrition
• Postponed roof replacements in several buildings

Planning and Community Development

• Increased direct charges to DDA, Brownfield Authority and LDFA from $5,000 to $141,000.
• Increased site plan application fees
• Eliminated the minute taker position, saving $12,000 - $15,000 per year
• Did not re-hire senior project manager position
• Reduced staff planners from four to two after retirements
• Eliminated half-time administrative assistant position
• Eliminated position of historic preservation officer through retirement

Police Department

• Cut nine full-time police officer positions, one full-time PACE position, one part-time PACE position, six crossing guard positions, one part-time jail position, one full-time records clerk position, three cadet positions
• Reduced a full-time PACE clerical position to two part-time positions
• Reduced jail overtime
• Extended life of vehicle fleet
• Established night court, which reduces police overtime
• Required MSU to pay for overtime associated with MSU football games
• Cut Citizens Academy program
• Cut annual training and out-of-town training
• Procured new, less expensive uniforms with grant funding
• Cut all capital outlay other than expenditures that are secured by grants
• Established OUIL restitution fees
• Began to bill for special events that required dedicated staff 
• Began to share technology with several area law enforcement agencies

Public Works and Environmental Services

• Established automated waste collection
• Reduced clerical staff by 1.75 positions
• Established technical and procedural standards to make administering projects and preparing construction documents more efficient
• Established an engineering review fee for site plan reviews and on-site inspections involving public utilities to recoup a portion of our staff
• Used computer applications, including AutoCAD, to be more efficient in daily operations, project management and preparing contract documents
• Revised (increased) fee schedule for right-of-way and soil erosion permits to more realistically reflect the actual cost incurred by the City
• Reduced the engineering staff in the last three years from four engineers, three technicians and two interns (total of nine) to three engineers, three technicians and zero interns (total of six)
• Assisted other City departments in design reviews, construction inspections, easements and contract reviews
• Utilized existing staff in lieu of consultants to prepare technical data needed to comply with the City’s obligations under the Stormwater Phase II Program, Wellhead Protection, Pollution Prevention Incident Plan and other regulatory requirements
• Updated facility, which decreases workplace liability and takes care of equipment and vehicles
• Provided service to both Bath and East Lansing school districts for buses
• Reorganized Public Works Department by eliminating four manager positions, eliminating one supervisor position, combining the sewer and water division with the utilities division and eliminating one mechanics position. This was accomplished through attrition and retirements.
• Worked cooperatively with the ELIEU to re-assign employees within other DPW divisions, resulting in a cost savings of more than $40,000 to the General Fund in FY 2010 
• Reduced overtime expenditures
• Worked jointly with the Police Department to revise snow removal procedures by establishing a call procedure for night time, weekends and holidays

Seniors’ Program

• Established a 501(c)(3) non-profit, Friends of the East Lansing Seniors' Program, which manages an endowment in which Prime Time receives 5 percent of interest each year
• Began to charge for services, such as chore service and the foot care clinic
• Began to charge $12 for the monthly printed newsletter to be mailed to participants  
• Reduced program by five days per year by implementing five furlough days
• Began offering a Prime Time e-newsletter, saving $250 a month on printing 
• Began charging businesses to advertise in the monthly print newsletter, bringing in $5,000 annually
• Moved newsletter production in-house, saving the program $150 monthly on production costs
• Began charging vendors to participate in the health fair
• Volunteers contributed 4,755 hours of service to assist Prime Time by teaching classes, aiding in the office, helping with the tax clinic, blood pressure clinic, appliance repair shop and assisting with the many events Prime Time sponsors, resulting in a savings of $43,404
• Increased program offerings from 25 in 1995 to more than 167 in 2009
• Reduced the general fund subsidy to $133,000 by tapping into “Trust in Agency” funds

Over the past decade the City has been prudent in implementing a number of cost-saving measures. The following is a non-exhaustive list of reductions made City-wide and by departments over the last 10 years:

City-wide

• Voluntary furlough days (140 employees)
• Positions eliminated or left vacant
• Other personnel savings/layoffs
• Elimination of capital repairs
• Delayed fleet and computer replacement
• Other miscellaneous deductions

City Clerk

• Postage - eliminated pre-paid postage for returned Absentee Voter (AV) ballots
• Legal notices - reduced cost by 1/2 by publishing with alternate newspaper
• Reduced staff by one part-time employee
• Reduced number of times ordinances are codified by Municode
• Implemented $20 taxi driver application fee
• Organized City Department Supply Swap - donated supplies were swapped with other departments
• Elections - saved on costs to burn election program onto memory packs (now doing this in-house)
• Elections - made Qualified Voter File program available on every desktop reducing staff interruptions and response time to customers/election workers

Communications

• Consolidated within the Administrative Services Department
• Brought all graphic design in house, including the Annual Report & Community Calendar
• Included East Lansing Art Festival program guide in Dialog instead of publishing in the Lansing State Journal
• Cut one edition of the Dialog (residential newsletter) per year
• Turned off electricity in Valley Court and other downtown areas during off season
• Increased communications with the introduction of a number of new, no-cost e-newsletters
• Eliminated freelance photographer position
• Eliminated in-house cable studio
• Contracted out cable broadcast services

Human Resources

• Eliminated post-employment healthcare for new hires for non-union employees and two union groups
• Implemented defined contribution retirement plans in lieu of defined benefit pensions for new hires, non-union employees and three union groups
• Established and utilized union/management Healthcare Task Force to manage employee healthcare benefits. This Task Force significantly reduced the rate of health care expense growth through annual competitive bidding, restructuring of the benefit package and cost-sharing arrangements
• Eliminated post-employment healthcare for new hires and three union groups

Information Systems

• Implemented virtual server technology
• Eliminated one IS position by contracting out the maintenance and development of Web services
• Contracted new City Hall Xerox copier leases and AT&T telephone services under state contract
• Eliminated external conference/travel/training
• Saved on phone systems maintenence by switching provider
• Postponed City-wide hardware replacements for computers, printers, servers and enterprise phone systems, software purchases and upgrades
• Began providing in-house employee training
• Switched to a third-party vendor for hardware maintenance on server infrastructure
• Extended various maintenance agreements in order to lock in and capitalize on current discounts and future pricing breaks

City Manager’s Office and City Council

• Created online packets for media, residents, etc. (save on printing and staff time)
• Purchased individual tickets rather than tables for special events
• Began e-mailing Friday mailing rather than sending mail (save on postage, printing and staff time)
• Reduced staff by one position

Code Enforcement & Neighborhood Conservation

• Restructured fees and charging methods to create a full-cost recovery budget
• Implemented paperless processes as much as possible resulting in fewer mailings
• Laid off one full-time and one part-time position
• Cut telephone expenses by allowing employees to use their personal cell phones rather than City phones
• Strategically scheduled inspections to reduce driving distances and times

Finance

• Purchased natural gas through broker
• Increased electronic transactions
• Reduced/eliminated credit card transactions
• Archived reports electronically
• Implemented BS&A Equalizer software, which has saved a minimum of $50,000, plus benefits in one staff position and immeasurable time savings
• Made Internet assessing information available online, saving (at minimum) one part-time position

Fire Department

• Cut a number of positions through attrition, including an assistant chief and five firefighter positions
• Cut overtime by half
• Increased ambulance revenue and reduced medical billing rates
• Involvement in joint training with surrounding departments
• Extended fleet life
• Dramatically reduced capital purchases
• Reduced daily staffing cut from 14 to 11

Library

• Began charging for copies, printing, etc. for patrons
• Increased use of volunteers
• Implemented five furlough days
• Raised non-resident cardholder fees
• Established fee for DVD rentals
• Raised fines
• Reduced printing and mailing cost by using email
• Implemented non-resident fee for classes
• Consolidated positions

Parks, Recreation and Arts

• Replaced full-time staff with part-time or contingent employees
• Reduced physical size of Activity Guide and mailing list
• Adjusted hours to reduce overtime
• Canceled programs when revenue would not cover expenses
• Rely on volunteer organizations to offer recreation services
• Use of Hannah basement for storage of City-wide documents
• Increased grant funding, fundraising and dontations to help support programs
• Established contract supervision of custodians, saving $60,000
• Reduced full-time custodial staff through attrition
• Postponed roof replacements in several buildings

Planning and Community Development

• Increased direct charges to DDA, Brownfield Authority and LDFA from $5,000 to $141,000.
• Increased site plan application fees
• Eliminated the minute taker position, saving $12,000 - $15,000 per year
• Did not re-hire senior project manager position
• Reduced staff planners from four to two after retirements
• Eliminated half-time administrative assistant position
• Eliminated position of historic preservation officer through retirement

Police Department

• Cut nine full-time police officer positions, one full-time PACE position, one part-time PACE position, six crossing guard positions, one part-time jail position, one full-time records clerk position, three cadet positions
• Reduced a full-time PACE clerical position to two part-time positions
• Reduced jail overtime
• Extended life of vehicle fleet
• Established night court, which reduces police overtime
• Required MSU to pay for overtime associated with MSU football games
• Cut Citizens Academy program
• Cut annual training and out-of-town training
• Procured new, less expensive uniforms with grant funding
• Cut all capital outlay other than expenditures that are secured by grants
• Established OUIL restitution fees
• Began to bill for special events that required dedicated staff 
• Began to share technology with several area law enforcement agencies

Public Works and Environmental Services

• Established automated waste collection
• Reduced clerical staff by 1.75 positions
• Established technical and procedural standards to make administering projects and preparing construction documents more efficient
• Established an engineering review fee for site plan reviews and on-site inspections involving public utilities to recoup a portion of our staff
• Used computer applications, including AutoCAD, to be more efficient in daily operations, project management and preparing contract documents
• Revised (increased) fee schedule for right-of-way and soil erosion permits to more realistically reflect the actual cost incurred by the City
• Reduced the engineering staff in the last three years from four engineers, three technicians and two interns (total of nine) to three engineers, three technicians and zero interns (total of six)
• Assisted other City departments in design reviews, construction inspections, easements and contract reviews
• Utilized existing staff in lieu of consultants to prepare technical data needed to comply with the City’s obligations under the Stormwater Phase II Program, Wellhead Protection, Pollution Prevention Incident Plan and other regulatory requirements
• Updated facility, which decreases workplace liability and takes care of equipment and vehicles
• Provided service to both Bath and East Lansing school districts for buses
• Reorganized Public Works Department by eliminating four manager positions, eliminating one supervisor position, combining the sewer and water division with the utilities division and eliminating one mechanics position. This was accomplished through attrition and retirements.
• Worked cooperatively with the ELIEU to re-assign employees within other DPW divisions, resulting in a cost savings of more than $40,000 to the General Fund in FY 2010 
• Reduced overtime expenditures
• Worked jointly with the Police Department to revise snow removal procedures by establishing a call procedure for night time, weekends and holidays

Seniors’ Program

• Established a 501(c)(3) non-profit, Friends of the East Lansing Seniors' Program, which manages an endowment in which Prime Time receives 5 percent of interest each year
• Began to charge for services, such as chore service and the foot care clinic
• Began to charge $12 for the monthly printed newsletter to be mailed to participants  
• Reduced program by five days per year by implementing five furlough days
• Began offering a Prime Time e-newsletter, saving $250 a month on printing 
• Began charging businesses to advertise in the monthly print newsletter, bringing in $5,000 annually
• Moved newsletter production in-house, saving the program $150 monthly on production costs
• Began charging vendors to participate in the health fair
• Volunteers contributed 4,755 hours of service to assist Prime Time by teaching classes, aiding in the office, helping with the tax clinic, blood pressure clinic, appliance repair shop and assisting with the many events Prime Time sponsors, resulting in a savings of $43,404
• Increased program offerings from 25 in 1995 to more than 167 in 2009
• Reduced the general fund subsidy to $133,000 by tapping into “Trust in Agency” funds