Saint Helena council approves classification study and efficiency review amid calls for clear ROI and oversight

The City of Saint Helena City Council on July 22 approved funding for a combined classification and compensation study and authorized a professional services agreement for a business transformation and efficiency study, the council said during its meeting.

The classification and compensation work carries a noted budget of $44,800, which staff said covers both the classification and the compensation study components. The contract for an efficiency and business-transformation study was described in staff comments as a professional services agreement with Blackbird Group, LLC; the meeting record did not state the contract dollar amount.

City Manager Mr. Camillo introduced the items, saying the classification component would likely be limited in scope but that including it in the proposal allows the city to compare positions with the private sector and, if the study recommended new classifications, gives the city “financial capacity to create those positions.”

Why it matters

Council members framed the studies as tools to cut waste, streamline operations and potentially reduce future staffing costs while improving service delivery. Several members said the chosen consulting team emphasized Lean Six Sigma process-review techniques and robotic process automation (RPA) opportunities that could reduce repetitive staff work.

What council discussed

Vice Mayor Deasy said she had sat in on final interviews and was “impressed by the candidate that was ultimately selected, particularly their focus on the Lean 6 Sigma methodology” and the consultant’s experience with “robotic process automation,” which she said could “save time and money.”

Council Member Barrick described the business-transformation study as “an opportunity to look at all areas of operations” and urged the city and staff to treat recommendations seriously while preparing to manage the organizational change they may require. He cautioned the council to be ready to “pull the plug early” if the work did not produce tangible results.

Other council members pressed for realistic expectations on cost savings, noting that some recommendations can raise short-term costs (for example, by hiring project managers) even if they produce longer-term efficiencies. Council Member Spatarotto said she would “temper expectations on saving money and more [on] becoming more efficient and providing better service.”

How it passed

Both items were approved as part of the consent calendar. The roll-call vote on the consent calendar recorded four yes votes and one no (Council Member Summers). The formal consent action covered multiple consent items and excluded two other items (10.8 and 10.12) that were postponed.

What staff and council said would come next

Staff recommended the contracts and confirmed the city would monitor vendor performance. Council members asked staff to return with examples of successful implementations from other cities and to set benchmarks to judge whether the consultant’s recommendations produce measurable savings or service improvements. No specific performance metrics or a formal monitoring schedule was adopted during the meeting; council members said they expect staff to exercise oversight and to consider stopping the project early if it does not deliver value.

Quotes

“[,I] was impressed by the candidate that was ultimately selected, particularly their focus on the Lean 6 Sigma methodology,” Vice Mayor Deasy said, adding that she was “also really, impressed that they had a focus on robotic process automation.”

“The business transformation … is an opportunity to look at all areas of operations,” Council Member Barrick said. “We have to be prepared, though, to pull the plug early, not just keep going and keep spending.”

Context and limits

Staff said the $44,800 figure covers both classification and compensation components and that the classification component is expected to be limited. The Blackbird Group LLC contract was discussed by name but the meeting transcript did not specify the not-to-exceed dollar amount for that agreement. Council discussion repeatedly stressed that the studies’ value depends on implementation.

Next steps

With the consent calendar approved, staff may execute contracts and begin the vendor work. Council members asked staff to return with specific examples of successful implementations and to report back on metrics that will show whether recommended changes reduce cost or improve services.