Central Speaks with the Mayor

An Interview with Mayor Mac Watts

    IBTS, our new City Services provider, will begin full operations in eight days.  Will everything be ready to go?
IBTS will be ready.  We had a transition meeting last week and in our staff meeting this morning we went over pending work orders.  We are down to 29 pending work orders right now.  We do not want IBTS to inherit a lot of work orders.  You are not going to clear them all up because some will always be in process.  We have another transition meeting tomorrow with both companies.  In the area of information technology everything should flow smoothly.  The actual transition date is next Friday and the City Services office will be open, but we are asking that citizens wait until Tuesday, the day after the 4th of July holiday, to come in for any new business.  If there is an emergency IBTS is prepared to handle it, but having that Friday and the long holiday weekend to get a good startup will be a big help.

    Will we see all new people at the City Services office?
They have hired quite a few of the current employees, including  a good number of Central residents, and that will be a good thing for the transition and for a continuation of the good service for our citizens.  There will be a few new faces, including David Ratcliff who will be their Program Director.  There will be a new Planning & Zoning Manager, Ken Eglinsdoerfer, and Helen Lemoine will be the new Assistant City Clerk.   Helen used to be Fred Raiford's secretary so she knows the ins and outs of much of that position. 

    What changes will Central citizens see with the changeover to IBTS?
Other than the new location, there will not be many changes.  One big change is that you will be able to do many things on line, such as applying for permits, and making payments.  This should be a great benefit and time saver for our citizens.  Overall, I am expecting a smooth transition and I believe that the level of service for the people of Central will continue to be excellent.