Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Operations Assessment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Momentum Firm reports mixed progress on 266 operational recommendations; commissioners press for budget reconciliation
Summary
Momentum Firm presented an implementation update on a countywide operational assessment, reporting 59 recommendations met, 11 blocked and roughly 123 needing more resources; commissioners asked staff to reconcile which requests were denied, which were addressed in the adopted budget, and to provide itemized follow-ups.
Lakisha Sissay, managing principal of the Momentum Firm, told the DeKalb County operations committee that her team is tracking 266 recommendations from last year’s assessment and that departments report 59 have been met, 11 are blocked and about 123 require additional resources.
The presentation, introduced by COO Zach Williams, described a Smartsheet dashboard used to track progress across 18 departments and outlined a management process for implementation, change management and quarterly reporting to the CEO and board. Sissay said the work identifies quick wins and major projects and that the top three challenge areas are governance/organization structure, technology limitations and resource constraints.
Commissioners pressed for clarification about funding and implementation timelines. Commissioner Robert Patrick noted that the board recently adopted a budget intended to address priorities and asked why roughly 24% of recommendations still list funding as required. "Is there a disconnect between what you're needing and what we've approved for the budget?" he asked. Sissay responded that the figures are self‑reported by departments and that some budget requests were submitted before the board adopted the budget; she offered to drill down to specific examples.
COO Williams told the committee that some requests involve capital or software procurements that will be reconciled in coming weeks and that software replacements already approved in the budget — including a multi‑million allocation for code/planning systems — should improve efficiency across affected units. He also said the administration may centralize or reorganize some business operations to achieve efficiencies other than immediate new funding.
Several commissioners urged additional transparency tying budget line items to the assessment recommendations. Commissioner Michelle Lone Spears asked staff to track productivity and capacity so the county can distinguish between efficiency gains and needs for new hires, and she suggested piloting alternative work structures as a tool to increase retention and productivity. Sissay said departments were often unsure of implementation costs and that Momentum Firm will work with departments over the next month to clarify target dates and the precise supports required.
The committee did not take formal action on the assessment but asked staff to return with a more detailed reconciliation of which recommended items were addressed in the adopted budget, which remain blocked, and a timeline for high‑priority recommendations.
