Upper’s Manager Unveils Several Efficiency Initiatives

PETERSBURG – Upper Township Committee met Feb. 12 and under its agenda approved support for Senate Bill S-211 and Assembly Bill A-3798 authorizing the use of “school bus stop arm cameras.” 
This action resulted in the wake of a recent accident when a driver struck an Upper Township student getting off a school bus on Route 9 in the municipality.
“I’m kind of concerned as to who will be paying for the equipment,” queried Committee member Curtis Corson. “This measure is important since it’s trying to make sure people watch and are obeying school bus regulations,” said Mayor Richard Palombo.
Toward Efficiency
Newly-hired Business Manager Scott Morgan briefed the committee on several programs and initiatives he is introducing to make municipal operations more efficient.
“In the last two weeks, we’ve been developing the use of a computer-driven, on-line, tool, called Mobile 311 which will provide an accounting of all Public Works workflow.
“It will include direct access to spending, analyze daily duties and responsibilities of Public Works employees and show how projects are being implemented from supervisor to employee.
“We expect to implement Mobile 311 within the next two months.” Morgan continued his explanation that Mobile 311 will be interactive with the public. “With this system, a township resident can input information directly from a smartphone or computer into the work log, such as potholes that need filling or compost or trash that needs to be picked up or recycling that needs to be addressed.
“So they’ll be dealing directly with the township on-line. And once the task is completed, a notification goes out to the resident so that they know the work has been finished. “
Morgan described a couple of other projects he is introducing to make the municipality more efficient including from a company, the National Time System, which is a biometric time system to keep track of work and jobs undertaken by employees.
“Training is underway on the National Time System tool,” said Morgan. “We’re also going to be using township-wide Power DMC which is a document management system for all employees to receive information on relevant events, policies, personnel regulations, administrative directives and SOPs [standard operating procedures]. The system will even tell an employee if certain necessary certification is being maintained or needs updating. This is an archiving system as well so employees will be able to go back months or years later and retrieve these documents as desired.”
Morgan explained that in reviewing Upper’s shared services agreement with the county for mechanical work, some changes were required since the last update in 2012.
“We’ll be working with the county to make sure these necessary changes are done before we enter into the next agreement,” Morgan said.
Committee member John Coggins said he had received “resumes from highly-qualified and interested” applicants for positions on the township’s newly-forming Economic Development Committee.
Palombo said that second reading of the ordinance to stand up the committee with the required public hearing would be held at committee’s next meeting Feb. 27, and that the Economic Development Committee members could be introduced at the March 6 Committee meeting.
To contact Camille Sailer, email csailer@cmcherald.com.