PURCELLVILLE, Va. April 24, 2018 — Purcellville’s new Town Manager, David Mekarski is settling in and getting to know the Town’s staff, citizens, and businesses. As we move forward, the Town of Purcellville would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude for the strong performance and commitment of our Interim Town Manager, John Anzivino, and the guidance he provided during the transition to the Town’s permanent Town Manager. The Town benefited immensely from Mr. Anzivino’s experience and expertise and in the spirit of transparency and open governance, the Town would like to share his observations and recommendations.
Mr. Anzivino acknowledged that he encountered a challenging situation when he arrived. The Town faced significant issues with staffing and crises at every turn. However, through his practical leadership and dedication, we have accomplished much to move our administrative and operational service delivery and customer service to a greater level of efficiency and effectiveness.
The following highlight Town achievements under the leadership of Mr. Anzivino:
Implemented the Fiscal Year 2019 budget review and adoption process, ensuring a
high level of participation with key stakeholders and citizens of our Town while focusing on minimizing fiscal impact our residents and businesses;
The appointment of an Interim Town Attorney who provided significant assistance to guide the Council, in its investigative process, leading the Council on clear path to identify truth, administer justice, and work toward the resolution of the administrative instability impacting the organization;
Solicited Request for Proposals for the Town’s first Classification/Compensation System review and Personnel Policy overhaul since 2005/2007;
Addressed problems stemming from a leaking water tank and an underfunded water tank maintenance project;
Pursued a contract to purchase filters at a discounted rate for the wastewater treatment plant, saving the Town thousands of dollars a year from our former procurement process;
Worked with Council for the recruitment and evaluation of candidates for a new Town Manager;
Expanded, reviewed and adjusted administrative policies leading to improved governance practices including but not limited to greater internet security, a more defined FOIA policy, improved hiring practices, and a better records retention system;
Moved forward with the organizational assessment/operational assessment process;
Concluded the first phase of an investigation of a range of events that Mr. Anzivino defined as the “Perfect Storm” of local government and taking positive action to begin a return to organizational normalcy and with the selection of our new Town Manager toward a path organizational excellence.
Mr. Anzivino outlined recommendations for the new Town Manager which will help guide the new administration to work with the Mayor and Council on an organizational assessment and the implementation of measures to strengthen the efficiency and effectiveness to all operations.
The outlined recommendations are:
Personnel Policy – update the 2005 policy to current federal/state law and best practices
Completion of a New Classification and Compensation Study – utilizing outside resources
Address the Town’s Outdated Emergency Operations Plan – it is recommended that the Town convene a panel of staff to identify deficiencies and update the plan to include local fire, EMS and County resources
Develop a Master Plan for New Water Meter Installation and Rollout
Develop a Detailed Technology Plan – outlining the Town’s goals for use of technology, both hardware and software, to ensure that the Town makes the best investments in the future
Coordination of Software Purchases with the IT Department
Build Department Head Accountability for Budget Management and Personnel – expand the annual evaluation process to ensure department heads are being assessed on specific aspects of personnel and departmental management practices and are measured against those criteria as key factors of their departmental business plan.
Development of a Records and Retention Policy and Records Storage/Recovery System
Cultivate and Nurture a Staff Culture of Creativity – encourage creativity in addressing and solving problems coupled with recognition for creative solutions.
Foster a Culture to Address Issues Proactively – focus efforts on looking to the future to identify and evaluate potential issues rather than a reactive approach.
Simplify Meeting Agendas – to streamline and increase efficiency of meetings
Development/Update of Internal Administrative Policy Manual – review and update existing manual
Development of a Press Release Policy – to define what items and events should be released to ensure that they are timely and noteworthy to capture the press’ undivided attention as oversaturation results in diminished interest.
Mr. Anzivino charted a path to help make our Town stronger and higher performing and to set the stage for Mr. Mekarski, our new Town Manager. We look forward to working with Mr. Mekarski on the continued implementation of positive change as we strive to continue to provide the citizens of Purcellville the open, transparent, and effective governance they deserve.
