CAMDEN FIRST ChiefChief OperatingOperating Officer’sOfficer’s 20042004 BIANNUALBIANNUAL REPORTREPORT > > VISIONTo transform: Camden into a city in which government CONTENT > is linked to its people by Message of the Chief Operating Officer 2 responsive service systems, Municipal Reform 4 DEPARTMENTAL HIGHLIGHTS 8-17 state of the art technology Department of Administration 8 and accountable decision Department of Development 8 and Planning MISSION: making processes Inside Front Cover Department of Public Works 9 > To serve and build Camden’s Department of Finance 10 diverse community by effectively, Department of Code Enforcement 11 efficiently and equitably Department of Health 14 Blank and Human Services enhancing resident’s quality of Law Department 15 life, attracting private investment Police Department 16 and delivering services with a commitment to excellence The Fire Department 17 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 18-31 …Where We’ve Been Enhanced Health Care 20 Thriving Technology 21 Enhanced Transportation Network 21 Revitalized Housing 22 …And Where We’re Going Neighborhood Revitalization 24 Innovative Private Development 26 Health Care Expansion 26 Academic Expansion 27 Waterfront Development 30 City Council 32 Message from the Chief Operating Officer > CAMDEN… IN TRANSITION TO A NEW BEGINNING he City of Camden is in the midst of a Camden, to ensure effective governance and American and almost 39 percent of which are major economic transformation, one fiscal accountability. Under the Act, the State Hispanic. This public strategic partnership is Tthat will usher in a period of economic of New Jersey provided an infusion of $175 critical, not only to the implementation, but regeneration and revitalization that will not million in economic development investment. long-term sustainability of our management only improve the lives of our current citizens It not only paved the way for the City’s eco- and economic development initiatives. but of future generations to come. Once nomic recovery, but created a legislative Throughout this Report, you will find evi- home to 125 manufacturing firms in the late framework for economic revitalization. dence of change: municipal reforms that 19th century, Camden’s manufacturing-driven Notwithstanding the economic dislocation include a new management team and a economy, like many in the Northeast, waned. that Camden suffered as a community, we are defined blueprint for governance as well as Accompanied by population declines and not without assets; from Cooper Hospital and economic development initiatives driven by Melvin R. Primas, Jr. urban flight to the suburbs, the economic ero- Our Lady of Lourdes, to Rutgers University, the the Camden Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Chief Operating Officer sion of Camden’s economy had a devastating Aquarium and the Tweeter Center, among oth- and renewed interest in private investment City of Camden impact. ers, Camden has a set of assets upon which to and development. However, Camden is now in transition. With build and leverage for the future. The municipal reforms and economic devel- the enactment of the Municipal Rehabilitation Change, however, evolves over time. As we opment initiatives highlighted in this Report and Economic Recovery Act (MRERA) in create change in our infrastructure, and the are just the beginning. Much has been accom- 2002, we now have more coordinated deci- very economic landscape of our City, we will plished and these are but the first of many sion- making and greater financial resources do so with public participation and engage- steps in our journey to economic recovery. to chart our future growth. The Act sets forth a ment. Camden is now a city of almost 80,000 comprehensive redevelopment strategy that citizens; 55 percent of which are African- Melvin R. Primas, Jr. enables qualified municipalities, such as Chief Operating Officer City of Camden < Looking north to the Ben Franklin Bridge at Camden’s burgeoning waterfront. > 2 3 < Municipal Reform > Reorganization and Staffing Development of a Municipal City of Camden Organizational Chart Management Study he Municipal Under the Act, the Office of the COO was T Chief Operating Rehabilitation directed to reorganize municipal operations to Complementing the reorganization, the Office Officer create greater operating efficiencies. Staffed and Economic of the COO was also directed to develop and by 1260 employees, 54 percent of which are implement a Municipal Management Plan to Office of the Office of the Recovery Act Mayor City Council residents of Camden, the City now has nine enhance municipal service levels. The Plan, (MRERA) (9) major operating departments. With the Camden First 2010, provides a strategic blue- exception of the Police Department, each Planning Board Municipal Clerk prescribed a print that is designed to affect change in Department is led by an Acting Director: Camden’s organizational structure, financial series of •Administration management, human capital development, Zoning Board Elections mandates, •Development and Planning technology utilization, and delivery of public each of which • Public Works services. Included in the Plan are a series of •Finance recommendations that address the following: Municipal Court Vital Statistics ABC Control has been fully • Code Enforcement • Restructuring municipal government to implemented, • Health and Human Services achieve more efficient and cost-effective Public Defender service delivery to restructure •Law •Police • Utilization of more efficient and effective municipal technology Adm. Business •Fire Administrator operations. • Improving inter-departmental In addition to reorganizing the structure of performance across a number of areas, Asst. Business government, the Office of the COO also initi- including zoning, code enforcement, Administrator ated a retroactive compensation program for permitting and planning municipal employees. The program was pri- • Qualification levels and training of Personnel MIS Fleet Mgt. Purchasing marily designed to redress the inequity expe- departmental employees rienced by employees who had not received Once fully implemented, this Plan will enable Health & Human Code Development Law Public Works Finance Fire Police increases in pay for three (3) years. Under the the City of Camden to achieve the vision and Services Enforcement & Planning program, employees received pay raises, mission adopted by City Council in 2003. retroactive for the three- year period. Risk Management > 4 5 < Municipal Reform Capacity Building Study Citizen Participation Camden City Government Under the Municipal Rehabilitation and One of the mandates prescribed by the Act Economic Recovery Act, the Walter Rand was the establishment of a 13- member Capacity Building Action Plan (Fishbone) Institute for Public Affairs at Rutgers University Community Advisory Committee to ensure was directed to provide comprehensive train- citizen participation in the rehabilitation and ing as well as assist in hiring a non-partisan, recovery process. The Committee is designed City Government Communications Technology professional staff to execute governmental to serve as a conduit to disseminate informa- Processes functions. The Institute, through policy tion to their respective communities as well as A B C research, training and educational outreach, provide feedback to the Administration. The Internal (1) IT Strategy (2) External Decision IT / Org serves as a resource to elected officials, com- Committee, chaired by Mayor Gwendolyn A. w/ Public (2) Making (1) Assessment (1) External Budgeting (2) munity leaders and non-profit professionals Faison, has fulfilled its statutory requirement (Media, State) (3) throughout southern New Jersey. to meet twice, and will continue to meet Purchasing (3) IT Infrastructure (3) throughout 2005. IT Software (4) VISION Pursuant to the mandate, the Rand Institute Civil Service (4) Complaint Management To transform Process (5) assisted in hiring two additional City Council Another requirement of the legislation was the Camden into a city staff members. In addition, two retreats were creation of a Regional Impact Council. This in which conducted, the first of which occurred in Council’s role is to promote coordination government is November 2003 in Princeton, New Jersey, among communities within the region sur- MISSION PUBLIC SERVICE linked to its people by responsive during which Mayor Gwendolyn A. Faison, rounding Camden and to assist in the formu- Professional service systems, City Council and City Department Directors lation of long-range strategies to address Responsibilities (5) state-of-the art met and developed a unified Mission and regional issues. During a recent meeting of the To serve and build Camden’s diverse technology and Employee IT Training (4) Vision for the City of Camden. R.I.C. members were updated on Camden’s community by: Discipline (3) Professional Dev. / accountable Employee Training (3) Council decision making progress by Chief Operating Officer Melvin R. Effectively, efficiently, and equitably Positions (4) The Rand Institute exceeded its mandate and, enhancing residents’ quality of life; processes. Primas and heard remarks from Majority Personnel Policies (2) under the direction of the Chief Operating Attracting private investment; Unions (3) Leader Joseph J. Roberts and Department of Skill Audit (2) Officer, the City embarked on a collaborative Stimulating growth city wide; and Decision Decision Community Affairs Commissioner Susan Bass Making (2) Making (1) Management State