HR and Risk Management Staff
The Department of Human Resources and Risk Management is the one of City's smallest departments. Some of the staff had been members of the City Manager's Office. Very slowly, the "personnel function" has separated, first by a separate budget program, and then eventually a separate department within the City budget. A management study was conducted when the classification/pay study was completed in 1994, which resulted in formalizing a separate department called Human Resources. In 1998 the department name was changed to Department of Human Resources and Risk Management to emphasize the importance of the risk management function.The H.R. staff consists of the following:
Michele Tolbert, Director - hired 1995Lori Gray, Benefits/Risk Manager - hired 1981, H.R. 1992
David Weisbrodt, Safety/Training Manager - hired 1997
Quenna Norris, Human Resources Specialist - hired 2004
Ann Venhaus, Office Associate - hired 1999
Danielle Wright, part-time Office Assistant - hired 2006
Two major recommendations in the departmental management study were the addition of the Safety/Training Manager position, and the H.R. staff all be housed in one area rather than on upper floors of City Hall. The safety position was badly needed to respond to numerous federal and state laws that have been passed relating to employee health and safety. These require that policies be adopted and followed regarding employee training, safety equipment, medical testing, and record keeping. Some of these duties had previously been assigned to the Benefits/Risk Manager, however addition of the self-insured employee medical benefits plan in 1992 had severely reduced this employee's availability to address safety issues. The City has seen a significant reduction in workers compensation claims and work-related injuries as a result of adding this position.
The department relocated to the renovated ground floor of City Hall in January 1999, providing offices and a training room totaling 3000 square feet.