St. Helena City Council
May 19, 2026

BLACKBERG
GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 3C: Financial Efficiency Review
8 Prior to submission, in October 2025, Blackberg requested current salary and staffing data from Mandy Kellogg, Director of Administrative Services (see Email B). No responsive data was received. Blackberg therefore sourced and analyzed publicly available salary information from the State of California website, with accuracy subsequently confirmed by Ms. Kellogg.

The City Manager further commented, “While I applaud you for taking the initiative to conduct a compensation study, it is truly not needed and if your firm has additional capacity, we would like you to focus on some additional areas. Please do not misunderstand, if you intend to verify the work of the city’s consultant for some reason, go for it, but I believe that would be duplicative (thus inefficient). Glad to discuss this with you if you so desire.” The documented exchange is noted as it represents an atypical engagement dynamic in the context of compensation benchmarking findings that revealed substantial upward variances in managers’ total compensation compared to market benchmarks. Our expectation was that the City Manager would be very interested in this and ask for more details and investigation because our results showed that the City might be systematically and largely overpaying many managers. Based on our experience, the City Manager’s email response is a highly unusual reaction to such data and findings.
13) In Draft Deliverable 3A, Blackberg reported: (1) that interviews with the HR Technician indicated the City had not maintained significant or reliable benchmark data on salaries, benefits, and other compensation; and (2) that the City should establish minimum capability standards for financial and accounting personnel, with preferred qualifications such as accounting degrees or certifications. The City responded that these statements were in error, citing a Compensation Analysis by Ralph Andersen & Associates and a Full Classification and Compensation Study that included minimum qualifications for City positions.

However, we emphasize that we discovered it had not “maintained…benchmark data…based on interviews with the HR Technician.” If the HR Technician, who is the only City employee with an HR designation, does not have the Compensation Analysis or the Full Class and Comp Study, then how can anyone be confident that it is being maintained? Further, multiple managers reported that consultant deliverables are frequently received but infrequently referenced or utilized in ongoing operations.

Blackberg responded to the City by verbally requesting copies of the referenced Compensation Analysis and Full Classification and Compensation Study. The immediate verbal response was: “well we might not have it available, but we can probably get it from our consultant.” The subsequent email providing one of the documents included a consultant in the thread to furnish the information. If the City does not have the documents readily available, it indicates that the City is neither routinely using nor maintaining benchmark data.

Review of the reports provided by the City revealed the following:

A. The Full Classification and Compensation Study is dated November 5, 2018—approximately seven years old as of 2025/2026—and is labeled 'DRAFT' on the document. A study of this age and status does not align with the concept of ongoing maintenance of current benchmark compensation and classification data, particularly given the passage of time into 2025/2026. Questions remain regarding whether a final version was delivered, is retained by the City, or contains substantive differences from the draft provided. Blackberg sample reviewed the Finance Manager role (contained in the study), the study specifies the following educational qualification: “Any combination of education and experience that has provided the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary for a Finance Manager.” This criterion lacks specificity and does not establish clear, objective standards for minimum or preferred educational qualifications. The description’s breadth leaves it open to almost any interpretation, arguably the exact opposite of a standard.

B. Blackberg reviewed the 2024 Compensation Analysis provided by Ralph Andersen & Associates. For the position of Assistant Administrative Services Director (See Figure 3), the analysis presents multiple descriptive statistics, including: St. Helena Rank, Coefficient of Variance, Number of Observations, Variability, Labor Market Mean, Labor Market Median, 25th Percentile, 75th Percentile, and Percentile Rank. The underlying sample size for this position consists of three observations. While a sample of three comparator agencies may be sufficient for narrowly targeted recruitment from those specific entities, the

BLACKBERG
GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 3C: Financial Efficiency Review
9 application of extensive descriptive statistics to such a small sample limits the statistical reliability of the results when used to assess fairness of salaries and total compensation relative to the broader regional labor market.

Blackberg requested additional clarification from the City via email on January 5, 2026. As of the date of this report, no reply has been received.

The email stated: “Good morning and Happy New Year! I'm working on updating the Deliverable 3A with the information that you shared. You sent me the Ralph Andersen data for 2024; however, the documents that you sent in this email were from 2018/2019. Did Ralph Andersen conduct the 2024 update? Also, do you have documents from Ralph Andersen for the 2024 that provide information on their approach (similar to how these attached documents do)?”
The purpose of the request was to verify whether Ralph Andersen & Associates performed a 2024 update and, if so, to obtain any accompanying documentation describing their methodology, consistent with the detail level of the previously submitted materials."
Figure 3 – Compensation Analysis: This image was taken from the Compensation Analysis that City told us was completed by Ralph Andersen in 2024.

The preceding examples illustrate select findings from Blackberg’s review. The combination of limited data tracking, inadequate performance monitoring, weak internal controls over financial and operational information, minimal

BLACKBERG
GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 3C: Financial Efficiency Review
10 professional qualifications in key functions, and reliance on outdated or externally sourced consultant materials creates a significant control environment vulnerability.

Historically (not in St. Helena), we have seen examples of municipal government employees developing “revolving door” style relationships with small, local/regional consulting firms. These consulting firms deliver reports and data that are mostly inaccurate, misleading or unreliable but support what government employees want. In turn, these firms receive repeated contracts for work. Historically (not in St. Helena), we saw this involve multiple municipalities with the same network of individuals and consulting firms engaged in revolving door style situations. Blackberg is not saying that this is happening in St. Helena. However, the current control deficiencies and oversight gaps materially elevate the inherent risk of undetected misuse of resources or improper influence in procurement and advisory relationships.

Critical Recommendation: Based on the findings from Blackberg's current state assessment—scheduled to conclude this month (January 2026)—which has identified potential vulnerabilities in financial controls, operational processes, and resource stewardship within the City's administration, we recommend the City Council procure specialized consulting services focused on fraud, waste, and abuse (FWA) detection, prevention, and mitigation.

Blackberg Group, LLC cannot serve in this capacity due to an inherent conflict of interest. As the firm that recently conducted the current state assessment (concluding this month, January 2026), Blackberg has deep prior involvement in evaluating the City's financial controls, operational processes, and potential vulnerabilities. Engaging the same firm to perform the subsequent specialized FWA analysis and detection work would potentially compromise objectivity, independence, and the integrity of the investigation. This could undermine public confidence in the findings and expose the City to risks of perceived or actual bias. However, Blackberg will provide recommendations in Deliverable 4 that will include tactics to detect and prevent FWA.

To preserve the credibility, thoroughness, and impartiality of this next step, the City should engage an entirely independent third-party consulting firm with no prior contractual relationship or involvement with the City. • The selected firm should have:
o no previous engagements with the City (as contractor, consultant, subcontractor, or otherwise) to avoid any appearance—or reality—of compromised independence.
o Comprehensive FWA risk assessments and data-driven analytics to identify irregularities in procurement, payroll, grants, contracts, and other high-risk municipal functions. o Forensic accounting capabilities, including transaction tracing, loss quantification, evidence preservation, and expert witness support for investigations or litigation. o Proactive prevention strategies, such as enhancing internal controls, establishing or improving anonymous hotlines, conducting staff training, and implementing continuous monitoring tools. o A track record of serving city or local governments, ensuring familiarity with public sector regulations, transparency requirements, and taxpayer accountability. • Procurement guidelines should explicitly require disclosure of any past or current relationships with the City, its officials or employees, or related entities, with disqualification for any material conflicts. • Preference should be given to firms demonstrating a strong track record of ethical independence in public sector engagements, including adherence to professional standards (e.g., those from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners or Government Auditing Standards).

2.3. Staffing Reductions
Overall, the City is somewhat lean in terms of number of staff if you assume low/no use of automation, artificial intelligence solutions, and poorly defined business processes, which is the City’s current state. However, there are some interventions that could lead to staff reductions.

Community Services Department (Library) – The Library is well-managed and well-run. We found extensive evidence that, based on performance ratios, one could argue that the Library is in a top 10 position (in terms of performance quality) for libraries of its size across the country. We base this on its performance ratios compared to Public Library Survey (PLS).

BLACKBERG
GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 3C: Financial Efficiency Review
11 Nonetheless, based on the same PLS, the Library is also highly staffed and expensive. To bring the Library closer to average (it would still be above average), the City could remove 1 Master of Library Sciences (MLS) prepared staff member and 1 junior individual.

The total annual savings from a 2 FTE reduction would reach approximately $270,000. However, such a reduction would undoubtedly diminish the quality and quantity of services. Blackberg does not recommend this reduction action; however, we believe it is important for the City to be aware of the facts and option.

Community Services Department (Broadly) – Based on our recommendation to restructure the Community Services Department, the City could eliminate the Director of Community Services position. However, we believe it would need to hire an additional Recreation Supervisor. The reduction would save approximately $240,000; however, the additional Recreation Supervisor would cost $135,000 more. This results in a net savings of about $105,000.

Administrative Services Department – Reductions to Administrative Services are not possible until AI, automation, and process improvement solutions are complete. However, once those efforts are completed, a reduction of 1-2 FTEs is possible (most likely 1.5). To be conservative, we will assume only a one (1) FTE reduction (likely an Accounting Technician). The cost savings is approximately $100,000. However, we do believe this Department is likely in need of staff reallocation.

Specifically, Blackberg believes the City needs a part-time IT Manager and part-time HR Manager. This will likely cost an additional $200,000 - $300,000 for both part-time positions. Of the two positions, Blackberg believes the HR Manager is most critical for the City’s future success.

Community Development Department – Community Development may be able to reduce staffing by one (1) FTE with the implementation of AI, automation, and process improvement. The Permit Technician I is the potential position; however, a full 1 FTE reduction is optimistic. It is more likely that the City could reduce this position to a 0.5 FTE. The cost savings would be approximately $50,000.

Public Works – Public Works has an opportunity for some personnel reductions through restructuring. Based on our recommendations, the City could remove the Project Manager and Environment Services Technician II positions. However, we recommend adding a Director of Water and Sanitation. The cost savings from the reduction is approximately $280,000.

The cost increase of the Director Water and Sanitation is approximately $180,000. This results in an approximate total cost savings of $100,000.

These are all the areas within the City where Blackberg identified potential cost savings through staff reductions/reallocations. The total potential cost savings is approximately $625,000 if you do not include hiring the parttime IT Manager and part-time HR Manager.

2.4. Strategic Partnerships for Human Resources
The City may have opportunities to reduce costs on certain employee positions through strategic partnerships. Strategic partnerships include forming relationships with other municipal governments to share human resources. There are two areas of possibility:
1) The HR Technician position is an enabler for much needed improvements to the Talent Management System. The City currently pays a total compensation of approximately $80,000 annually with additional benefits costs of about $18,600. We believe the total compensation is reasonable to acquire the expertise needed. However, the City does not need a full-time employee to develop and run the Talent Management System. This is an opportunity for the City to partner with another small town (possibly Calistoga) to split the cost and employee time. If successful, this would produce an approximate cost savings of $48,000 annually. 2) The Fire Chief and Police Chief positions also have a similar possibility of sharing the cost with another small town; however, the opportunity will be much more geographically limited than with the HR Technician. Likely, Calistoga is the only small town with geographic proximity to the City to enable such a strategic partnership. However, if

BLACKBERG
GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 3C: Financial Efficiency Review
12 successful, the two cities could split the costs of both the Fire Chief and Police Chief positions. This would result in a cost savings of approximately $335,000 annually. This is a function of splitting their combined total pay and benefits for both positions.

2.5. Total Potential Cost Savings
Blackberg examines three primary areas for cost savings:

Management Compensation Reduction, Staffing Reductions, and Strategic Partnerships. Figure 4 summarizes the potential cost savings.

With Staffing Reductions, the City needs process maturation, IT automation, and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions to enable the staff reductions in all areas except for the Library. If the City decides to reduce Library staffing, it will reduce the availability of services and programs. However, the reductions in the other Departments should not negatively impact effectiveness of services because the efficiency gains are enabling the staff reductions.

The Strategic Partnership cost reductions are contingent on the City’s ability to form an agreement with Calistoga (or other nearby city).

In addition to the cost savings, Blackberg estimates that the increased use of IT automation and AI solutions will cost the City approximately $80,000 more per year than current IT SaaS spending.

Further, it would be inaccurate to assume that the City can capture the cost savings of both the reduction in salaries of the Fire Chief and Police Chief while also capturing the reductions of strategic partnerships for those two positions. Therefore, we need to look at a few scenarios:

Scenario 1: The cost savings of salary reductions are fully realized, but the strategic partnerships do not happen. In this case, the total cost savings are $1,283,678.

Scenario 2: The salary reductions are not possible, but the strategic partnerships do occur. In this case, the total cost savings are $1,354,817.

Scenario 3: Both the salary reductions and the strategic partnership occur. In this case, the total cost savings are $1,640,456.

2.6. Sensitivity Analysis
The three cost savings scenarios in Figure 4 assume an aggressive and highly successful set of results across all areas (particularly with staff total compensation reduction efforts). Realistically, there is likely to be some flaws and missed opportunities in these efforts. Therefore, Blackberg provides a high, expected, and low success set of outcomes for these three scenarios (See Figure 5). Further, the cost reductions will accumulate over time. If the City were to seek all cost savings opportunities, we expect those savings could begin within three (3) months and be fully realized within three (3) years.

Figure 4 - Potential Cost Savings Areas: The City has an opportunity to capture approximately $1.6 million in cost savings.

Potential Cost Savings
Management Compensation Reduction Savings
Analyzed Postions 590,678
Additional Management Positions 100,000
Total: 690,678
Staffing Reductions
Library 270,000
Community Services Department 105,000
Administrative Service Department 100,000
Community Development Department 50,000
Public Works 100,000
Total: 625,000
Strategic Partnerships
HR Technician 48,000
Fire Chief and Police Chief 261,565
Total: 309,565
Total Potential Cost Savings:

Scenario 1: $ 1,363,678
Scenario 2: $ 1,434,817
Scenario 3: $ 1,720,456
Additional IT & AI SaaS costs 80,000
Scenario 1: $ 1,283,678
Scenario 2: $ 1,354,817
Scenario 3: $ 1,640,456
Total Potential Cost Savings (IT Cost Adustment):

BLACKBERG
GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 3C: Financial Efficiency Review
13 Although Blackberg believes the cost savings are available, we do not believe that the City should seek to simply reduce personnel spending one-for-one. There are known gaps in roles and capabilities into which the City should seek to reallocate some of the cost savings. These roles include an HR Manager and an IT Manager.

Figure 5 - Sensitivity Analysis: The sensitivity analysis explores outcomes per scenario based on fluctuations in the total compensation reductions that the City can achieve in attempting to align it with Small Town averages.

3.0 Cost Avoidance
Blackberg would like to highlight two areas of potential cost avoidance for the City. First, with implementation of a Talent Management System, the City will improve overall staff capabilities and expertise. This will enable the City to reduce its need for outside consultants to provide expertise. It’s very difficult to estimate what the amounts might be; however, they will generate material reductions. Second, the City may have some opportunities to avoid costs through improved procurements for contractor support. We believe these opportunities may be present in Public Works, particularly with the increased expected spending on capital projects. We reviewed the “5-Year Capital Improvement Plan” in the “Proposed Operating Budget Fiscal Year 2026 & 2027.” There are many “projects” listed that have similar scopes of work. Rather than considering these as individual projects, there may be economies of scale and scope possible from consolidating the efforts planned for contractor performance into two to three contracts. The projects would become individual tasks within a contract with project management applied across the design-repair-build efforts of all tasks collectively.

4.0 Conclusion
Blackberg’s Financial Efficiency Review identifies approximately $0.8–$1.6 million in annual potential cost savings or avoidance through three key areas: aligning management compensation with market benchmarks, targeted staffing reallocations enabled by process maturation and IT/AI adoption, and strategic partnerships for select roles such as HR Technician, Fire Chief, and Police Chief. Realizing these savings will require disciplined execution: incremental investment in automation/AI ($80,000–$120,000 annually), process maturation, partial reallocation of funds to essential part-time HR Low Expected High
Scenario 1
Scenario 2
Scenario 3
$834,391 $1,283,678
$880,631 $1,354,817
$1,066,297 $1,640,456
$834,391 $1,164,825 $1,640,456

BLACKBERG
GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 3C: Financial Efficiency Review
14 and IT Manager positions, and pursuit of viable strategic partnerships. With phased implementation, net savings of approximately $1.16 million annually are achievable within three years.

The analysis reveals materially above-market manager compensation, alongside significant control environment vulnerabilities—including limited data tracking, inadequate performance monitoring, outdated consultant resources, low specialized qualifications in critical functions, and governance indicators that collectively heighten the risk of undetected inefficiencies or integrity concerns. While no evidence of active corruption has been substantiated, these structural weaknesses merit serious attention. Blackberg strongly recommends that the City procure an independent, specialized consulting firm to conduct a comprehensive fraud, waste, and abuse (FWA) assessment. This third-party review may need to apply forensic-level scrutiny to high-risk areas (procurement, contracts, payroll, and capital projects) to protect public resources and rebuild trust. Blackberg cannot perform this role due to an inherent conflict of interest.

The City has a clear opportunity to significantly improve financial efficiency by strengthening financial stewardship, modernizing operations, and enhancing accountability for the long-term benefit of St. Helena residents.

BLACKBERG
GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 3C: Financial Efficiency Review
15 Appendix A – Emails.

EMAIL A
The following email was sent to Blackberg on 11/6/2025 at 7:00 PM.

Keith,
I just began to read your most current report and had to stop after reading the very first paragraph. Please see my comments after this quote.

The scope of Blackberg’s work does not include reviewing salaries, other compensation, or benefits. However, we discovered that the City has not maintained any significant or reliable benchmark data on salaries, benefits, and other compensation based on interviews with the HR Technician. To the contrary, based on multiple interviews with City staff, there is considerable disagreement about the adequacy of total compensation and many express serious concerns about total compensation data that is discussed (in terms of quality and reliability). While we do not need this data to complete Task 3A, it would be helpful to have some benchmark data. Furthermore, to ensure a robust delivery of a separate future deliverable (i.e. Deliverable 3C-Cost Savings Potential), Blackberg decided to conduct a salary benchmark analysis.

This will help inform our future input on the need for a Talent Management System, which the City currently completely lacks. We begin this deliverable with the salary benchmark analysis and then shift to concerns about structure, staffing levels, and resource allocations.

I will make it a priority to review the rest of the report in the next few days. But the statements in the first paragraph are disconcerting.

The City has for several years used a consultant to conduct total compensation surveys. That consultant has over 30 years of experience doing this type of work. The results of the surveys have been reviewed/negotiated with each bargaining group and city council prior to implementation each time. Since labor negotiations are held with representatives of each bargaining group, it is unlikely that individual employees will be fully informed about the basis, logic, and bargaining that goes into the final compensation package. In fact, in California the employer is prohibited from discussing these issues directly with employees. Further, for this year, the consultant has already begun to conduct the compensation study. That consultant has already met with the City Council and Finance Committee sub-committees to discuss the benchmark agencies and has begun to gather data. Compensation, as you can imagine, is a sensitive subject for staff, city council and the residents so conclusions need to be arrived at with strong factual basis. As with my previous email, I emphasize that the source of information needs to be credible.

While I applaud you for taking the initiative to conduct a compensation study, it is truly not needed and if your firm has additional capacity, we would like you to focus on some additional areas. Please do not misunderstand, if you intend to verify the work of the city’s consultant for some reason, go for it, but I believe that would be duplicative (thus inefficient). Glad to discuss this with you if you so desire.

Thanks

ANIL COMELO

CITY MANAGER
City of St. Helena

EMAIL B
The following email chain was initiated to Mandy Kellogg on 10/27/2025 at 8:34AM.

From: Mandy Kellogg <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2025 2:16 PM
To: Keith <[email protected]>
Cc: Andrew Bradley <[email protected]>; Martin Beltran <[email protected]> Subject: Re: Salaries and Additional Cost

BLACKBERG
GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 3C: Financial Efficiency Review
16 Hi Keith,
Yes, this was received. We are trying to run a report from our system to provide the data which Martin is working on. If we cannot, I will just provide you with the spreadsheet we use for budget development.

Attached is our cost allocation plan for the indirect costs. It is not finanlized as the Finance Committee would like to dive deeper in it, but it was used in our current budget with the expectation that amendments may be necessary depending upon the results of the final version.

Thank you,

MANDY KELLOGG

ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DIRECTOR
City of St. Helena | Administrative Services
1088 College Avenue | St. Helena, CA 94574
Direct: (707) 968-2649 | Mobile: (707) 312-1260 | [email protected] | http://cityofsthelena.gov/finance PLEASE NOTE: we have transitioned to .gov for our email addresses and website. My new email address is [email protected].

From: Keith <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2025 10:58 AM
To: Mandy Kellogg <[email protected]>
Cc: Andrew Bradley <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Salaries and Additional Cost

Hi Mandy,
I just wanted to circle back on this and make sure you received my email.

Thank You!
Kind Regards,
Keith
From: Keith
Sent: Monday, October 27, 2025 8:34 AM
To: Mandy Kellogg <[email protected]>
Cc: Andrew Bradley <[email protected]>
Subject: Salaries and Additional Cost

Hi Mandy,
I'm going to examine salaries and staff structure this week. Can you provide me a complete list of City employees and their salaries plus additional costs (fringe benefits, overhead, or indirect costs). I don't need fringe, overhead, and indirect broken out. I simply need the base salary plus the total of fringe, overhead, and indirect. Thank you! Kind Regards,
Keith

Technology Utilization
& Modernization
February 2, 2026
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study

BLACKBERG
GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 3D: Technology Utilization & Modernization
Contents

1.0 Executive Summary .............................................................................................................. 1

2.0 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 2

3.0 Current IT Inventory............................................................................................................. 2

4.0 Current IT Management....................................................................................................... 3

5.0 IT Management Enhancements............................................................................................ 4

5.1. TOGAF (The Open Group Architecture Framework) ....................................................... 5

5.2. ITIL 4 (IT Infrastructure Library) ..................................................................................... 6

5.3. CMMI V3.0 (Capability Maturity Model Integration) ...................................................... 7

6.0 IT Solution Enhancements.................................................................................................... 8

6.1. Cloud Migration and Integration .................................................................................. 8

6.2. AI/Automation Enhancements...................................................................................... 8

6.3. Cybersecurity Enhancements ........................................................................................ 9

6.4. Recommendations and Implementation Roadmap........................................................ 9

7.0 Integrating CMMI Process Maturity, IT Automation, and AI............................................. 10

8.0 IT Governance..................................................................................................................... 13

9.0 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 14 Appendix A - Glossary .................................................................................................................. 16

BLACKBERG
GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 3D: Technology Utilization & Modernization
1 1.0 Executive Summary
The City of St. Helena (City), a small municipality with an estimated population of approximately 5,200–5,400 residents, faces the classic challenges of limited resources, outsourced Information Technology (IT) support, and the need for resilient digital infrastructure amid growing cyber threats. Following a significant ransomware attack in May 2024 (attributed to a known group, which disrupted systems, forced closures including the public library, and compromised data for nearly 1,000 individuals), the City transitioned to managed services with Apex Technology Management, LLC in July 2025. This shift has stabilized operations, but persistent issues remain: reliance of on-premise servers (notably the Police Department’s RIMS system), integration gaps across SaaS platforms (e.g., manual transfers between Springbrook and OpenGov), underutilized tools like ArcGIS, and low cybersecurity training compliance.

The City’s total annual IT subscription spend is approximately $293,637, supporting a diverse ecosystem heavy on Microsoft products for productivity, alongside specialized tools for finance, permitting (eTRAKiT launched September 2025), and other functions. While embedded Artificial Intelligence (AI) features in Microsoft 365 (e.g., Copilot), OpenGov, and Springbrook offer untapped potential, no dedicated AI procurement has occurred as of November 11, 2025. Hardware includes aging on-premise servers across seven sites and a costly $2,700 monthly rented data center.

This report assesses current utilization and recommends a phased modernization strategy to enhance efficiency, effectiveness, and resident experience. Key IT Management Enhancements include adopting a simplified, tailored hybrid framework and management systems: TOGAF for strategic enterprise architecture alignment (focusing on lightweight Architecture Development Method (ADM) subsets for cloud migration and interoperability); ITIL 4 for agile, value-driven service management (e.g., incident handling and continual improvement); CMMI V3.0 for process maturity progression (targeting Level 3 from current Levels 1-2 to reduce risks and enable insurance savings); plus ISO standards (e.g., 27001 for security), RASCI for clear roles, and Knowledge Management for capturing expertise.

IT Solution Enhancements prioritize 100% cloud migration (e.g., to Azure) for superior security, scalability, and 20– 30% overhead reduction; replacing non-migratable RIMS with Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS)-compliant cloud alternatives (e.g., NicheRMS or eFORCE RMS) to eliminate data center costs; integrating SaaS tools into a cohesive Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)-like system; and piloting embedded/ethical AI for automation (e.g., permit processing in eTRAKiT, predictive maintenance in Public Works, chatbots for inquiries) while avoiding unproven standalone vendors.

A structured IT Governance Committee (5–7 members: City Manager chair, department reps, Apex liaison, council member) will oversee alignment, prioritize projects via RASCI, monitor KPIs (e.g., >99% uptime, >90% training compliance), and require monthly Apex reports plus annual audits/tabletop exercises.

The phased roadmap starts short-term (0–6 months) with training enforcement, IRP completion, RIMS RFP, and AI pilots; advances medium-term (6–18 months) to full migration, integration, and framework pilots; and targets longterm (18+ months) CMMI Level 3, expanded AI, and ROI tracking. Initial investments (~$50,000–$100,000) are offset by efficiencies (10-20% labor savings, eliminated rentals) and risk reductions in California’s high-threat cyber landscape.

Implementing these recommendations positions St. Helena to evolve from reactive recovery to proactive, citizencentric governance—delivering reliable services, cost savings, enhanced security, and public trust while serving as a model for small California municipalities.

BLACKBERG
GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 3D: Technology Utilization & Modernization
2 2.0 Introduction
The City of St. Helena (City) has been actively working to integrate information technology (IT) solutions and automation into its operations. For the Community Development Department, the City launched eTRAKiT in September 2025, streamlining permitting and tracking processes. Additionally, the City has been examining artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for the past two years. As of November 11, 2025, no specific AI solution has been purchased; however, several existing IT platforms already incorporate AI capabilities. Notable examples include Microsoft 365 (with AI-driven features like Copilot for productivity), OpenGov (for data analytics and transparency), and Springbrook (for financial management automation).

Blackberg’s primary focus in this review is to assess the City’s current IT utilization and provide actionable recommendations for modernization. These recommendations aim to directly or indirectly support improvements in efficiency, effectiveness, and customer experience. This analysis is informed by the City’s IT subscription inventory, discussions with Apex, departmental insights, and broader municipal cybersecurity trends.

The City’s IT landscape reflects a small municipality’s typical constraints: limited in-house expertise, reliance on outsourced providers, and a mix of legacy and modern systems. Recent events, such as the 2024 ransomware attack, underscore the need for robust modernization to mitigate risks and enhance service delivery.

3.0 Current IT Inventory
The City provided Blackberg an Excel list of IT Subscriptions by Department. We will reference items on the IT Subscriptions list throughout this document. We provide information from that list in Figure 1. The total annual cost of all IT Subscriptions is approximately $293,637.

Department IT Subscriptions FY24 Annual
Cost ($) Expected Retention Period Notes
City-wide Microsoft 365 23,715 5+ years
City-wide Microsoft Project 2,892 5+ years
City-wide Adobe 9,585 5+ years
City Clerk ECS Imaging - Laserfiche 13,850 5+ years Recently Implemented City Clerk I-compass 6,880 5+ years
City Clerk Granicus 1,504 5+ years
Finance Springbrook 55,362 5+ years No Plans
Finance Stampli 14,400 2+ years Implemented in FY 2024
Finance Breeze Smartware 1,980 5+ years
Finance GovInvest 12,381 Cancel in FY25 We might keep it now Finance OpenGov 2,800 5+ years
Human Resources NeoGov 23,596 2 Years
Human Resources Target Solutions 9,116 5+ years
Library Userful 3,383 5+ years Based on Work Stations
Library SPLASH 50,138
2+ years
Solano County has Full
Title & Ownership/
Payment Varies
Library OCLC 2,829 2+ years
Planning TrakIT 24,625 Cancel in FY25 Can cut, Migrating to New Software Public Works ArcGIS 1,043 5+ years
Police RIMS 17,248 5+ years
Police LEFTA 1,639 5+ years
Police Critical Reach 250 5+ years
Fire Zoll 2,453 Cancel in FY24 It is gone, Migrating to New Software

BLACKBERG
GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 3D: Technology Utilization & Modernization
3 Department IT Subscriptions FY24 Annual
Cost ($) Expected Retention Period Notes
Fire Image Trend 10,381 5+ years
Fire Active 911 300 5+ years
Recreation ActiveNet 1,288
Cancel in FY25
Now use CivicRec,
Migrating to New
Software
Community
Development eTRAKiT N/A
Just launched -
September 2025
*Most subscriptions auto-renew annually, providing flexibility but requiring vigilant cost management.

This inventory reveals a diverse ecosystem of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) tools, with heavy reliance on Microsoft products for city-wide productivity. Department-specific tools like RIMS (Police) and Springbrook (Finance) address specialized needs, but integration gaps—confirmed with Finance—hinder seamless data flow. For instance, manual data transfers between Springbrook and OpenGov reduce efficiency.

Hardware inventory includes on-premise servers at various facilities (e.g., City Hall, Water Treatment Plant), approaching end-of-life, and a rented data center costing $2,700 monthly. The City supports operations across seven sites: City Hall/Police, Corporation Yard, Fire Department, Library, Parks & Recreation, Water Treatment, and Wastewater Treatment.

4.0 Current IT Management
IT management resides within the Administrative Services Department. The City outsources support to Apex Technology Management, LLC, which began in July 2025. Apex delivers comprehensive managed services, including:
 Network and system administration
 Security monitoring
 On-site and remote help desk (2 full on-site days weekly, remainder remote)  Procurement
 Backup and recovery
 Database administration
 Hardware lifecycle management
 Project management
This outsourced model is common for small municipalities like St. Helena, addressing limited in-house expertise and scale.

However, it introduces risks of information asymmetry without internal oversight.

A major cybersecurity incident in May 2024—a ransomware attack on on-premise servers—prompted the shift to Apex.

This event aligns with broader trends: California municipalities face frequent cyberattacks, with ransomware surging 126% globally in 2025. Common vulnerabilities include outdated infrastructure and human error.

Post-incident, Apex has focused on “plugging security holes” and infrastructure improvements, including cloud backups and threat monitoring. The City maintains cyber liability insurance, providing financial protection.

Challenges include the Police Department’s reliance on RIMS, which requires on-premise servers and lacks vendor support for cloud migration. The City rents a data center from a prior provider, adding unnecessary costs.

Overall, current management ensures basic operations but lacks strategic integration and full cloud adoption, limiting resilience and efficiency.

BLACKBERG
GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 3D: Technology Utilization & Modernization
4 5.0 IT Management Enhancements
To improve efficiency, effectiveness, and customer experience, Blackberg recommends enhancements in two broad categories: IT management and IT solutions.

For IT management, the City should adopt a simplified combination of established frameworks: TOGAF, ITIL 4, CMMI V3.0, and ISO standards (long-term). Start small to avoid overload.

TOGAF (The Open Group Architecture Framework): Provides blueprints for IT architecture, ensuring alignment with business goals. Use Archi (ArchiMate tool) for enterprise architecture modeling. Will help the City avoid investing in incompatible systems.

ITIL 4 (IT Infrastructure Library): Focuses on agile service management, value co-creation, and integration with practices like Agile and DevOps. It addresses “what” to deliver in value-driven services. Will help staff respond faster to outages and citizen tickets.

CMMI V3.0 (Capability Maturity Model Integration): Assesses and improves process maturity across domains (e.g., Development, Services, Security). It strengthens “how” to achieve reliable results. Potential benefits include insurance cost reductions at Level 3 certification. As the City matures operations, it must integrate the IT infrastructure into the process models—documenting where processes move from manual to automated processes and vice versa.

ISO Standards: Incorporate relevant standards (e.g., ISO 27001) for long-term compliance and quality.

The City should complement these with Knowledge Management (KM) (systematically capturing and sharing expertise, per APQC’s framework (See Figure 1) at https://www.apqc.org/expertise/knowledge-management/interactive-kmframework) and the RASCI Model (Responsible, Accountable, Support, Consulted, Informed) to clarify roles.

Figure 1 – Knowledge Management Strategic Framework: This strategic framework comes from the American Productivity & Quality Center which has many free resources that would be useful for the City.

Long-term Stretch Goals
ISO 9001 (Quality Management): Boosts
operational efficiency, cuts waste, and can
lower liability insurance by showing solid
processes. Cities report 5–15% savings on
premiums; it also often qualifies for state
grants or lower vendor costs.

ISO 27001 (Info Security): Protects
against cyber threats–insurers prefer it for
data breach coverage, often reducing cyber
policy rates by 10–20%.

BLACKBERG
GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 3D: Technology Utilization & Modernization
5 Implementation: Begin with pilot projects in high-impact areas like Finance or Public Works. Train staff on basics, aiming for gradual maturity. This approach could yield predictable processes, reduced waste, and better customer service. Plan these pilots with reference to TOGAF and begin building TOGAF compliant enterprise architecture (See Figure 2).

Figure 2 – TOGAF: TOGAF is a widely recognized, vendor-neutral enterprise architecture methodology that’s used globally, including by many government entities.

5.1. TOGAF (The Open Group Architecture Framework)
TOGAF is a widely recognized, vendor-neutral enterprise architecture methodology that is used globally, including by many government entities. It is used by organizations of all sizes, and it is a good choice for the City. However, the City should be careful to apply it in a tailored, lightweight way. For larger organizations, TOGAF can become large and complex. The City should not seek to replicate how large organizations develop their TOGAF.

Blackberg recommend TOGAF because of the following beneficial aspects:
 Scalability and adaptability — TOGAF is explicitly designed to be tailored. The official standard states it’s used by small, medium, and large organizations, including government departments and public sector bodies. You do not have to implement the full, heavyweight version; small cities can use a subset of the Architecture Development Method (ADM), focus on high-priority phases (e.g., business architecture and migration planning), and skip or

BLACKBERG
GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 3D: Technology Utilization & Modernization
6 simplify others. This makes it suitable for smaller-scale transformations like digital service improvement, smart city initiatives, or consolidating legacy systems.
 Proven in public sector and municipal contexts — Many local governments and cities (including smart city projects) have adapted TOGAF successfully. Examples include its use in various U.S. municipal and local government initiatives for digital transformation, e-government services, and smart city planning. Many American cities and counties adapt TOGAF (often alongside or in comparison to the U.S. Federal Enterprise Architecture Framework, or FEAF) to align IT strategies with public priorities. It supports efforts to improve citizen-facing services (such as online permitting, 311 systems, or open data portals), enhance interoperability across departments (e.g., public works, police, utilities), and optimize limited budgets through better resource planning and reduced system duplication.
 Vendor neutrality and common language — As an open standard, it avoids lock-in to specific vendors (important for cities reliant on grants, multiple suppliers, or shared state/federal systems). It provides a standardized vocabulary and structured approach, which is valuable in government settings with multiple stakeholders (e.g., city council, departments like public works/IT, citizens, and regional partners).  Supports strategic alignment and efficiency gains — Small cities often face challenges like aging infrastructure, limited IT staff, siloed departments, and pressure to modernize services (online permitting, 311 systems, data sharing). TOGAF helps:
o Align technology with City strategy and citizen needs. o Reduce duplication and waste through better planning. o Improve ROI on limited funds (e.g., prioritizing cloud migration or cybersecurity). o Manage risk during digital transformation or smart city projects.  Flexibility for agile or incremental use — Modern TOGAF editions (10th and beyond) include more guidance for agile enterprises and digital transformation, allowing integration with lighter approaches rather than rigid waterfallstyle execution.

5.2. ITIL 4 (IT Infrastructure Library)
ITIL 4 is an excellent fit for small towns and municipalities, offering a flexible, value-driven framework for IT service management (ITSM) without requiring large teams or budgets. Its Service Value System emphasizes guiding principles like “focus on value,” “start where you are,” and “progress iteratively with feedback.” This is a good fit for resource-constrained environments with limited IT staff.

Small towns, like St. Helena, use tailored ITIL 4 practices (e.g., incident management, service desk, change enablement) to deliver reliable citizen services—such as online permitting, 311 systems, or utility support—while improving efficiency, reducing downtime, and responding quickly to community needs. Examples include U.S. cities like Goodyear, Arizona, adopting ITIL-aligned tools to boost ITSM maturity amid growing demands. Scalable and adaptable, ITIL 4 helps small governments maximize limited resources, align IT with public priorities, and achieve measurable improvements in service delivery.

Combining ITIL 4 and TOGAF creates a powerful, scalable framework for IT governance and service delivery. TOGAF focuses on enterprise architecture—designing the “what” of IT systems, while ITIL 4 emphasizes IT service management (ITSM), handling the “how” of operations and continuous improvement. Together, they align strategy with execution in resource-constrained municipal environments.

Complementary Strengths – TOGAF’s Architecture Development Method (ADM) provides a structured blueprint for aligning IT with city goals, such as modernizing citizen services (e.g., online permitting or 311 apps). It ensures interoperability across departments like public works, utilities, and emergency services, reducing silos and optimizing limited budgets.

BLACKBERG
GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 3D: Technology Utilization & Modernization
7 ITIL 4 builds on this by operationalizing the architecture through its Service Value System (SVS). Key elements include:
 Guiding Principles: Focus on value, collaboration, and simplicity—ideal for small teams avoiding complexity.  Service Value Chain: Manages end-to-end service lifecycle, from planning (integrating TOGAF’s designs) to delivery and improvement.
 Practices: 34 customizable practices (e.g., incident management, change enablement) ensure reliable operations post-architecture implementation.

In tandem:
 Use TOGAF to architect solutions (e.g., cloud-based data sharing for smart city initiatives).  Apply ITIL 4 to manage those services (e.g., monitoring performance, handling incidents, and iterating based on citizen feedback).

Overall, this combination fosters resilient, citizen-centric IT, enabling small cities to punch above their weight in digital governance while staying agile and cost-effective.

5.3. CMMI V3.0 (Capability Maturity Model Integration)
Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) is a proven, globally recognized process improvement framework that helps organizations—particularly in IT—assess, benchmark, and elevate their capabilities across development, services, data management, security, and more. In IT contexts, CMMI applies maturity levels (from 0: Incomplete to 5: Optimizing) and capability levels within practice areas, guiding organizations to move from ad-hoc processes to predictable, measured, and continuously improving ones. This maturity progression reduces risks, enhances quality, boosts predictability, and aligns IT efforts with business objectives.

CMMI excels at integrating IT and automation into broader business processes by:

Promoting standardized, repeatable workflows that incorporate tools like DevOps, AI-driven automation, and robotic process automation (RPA).

Embedding practices for data governance, security, and virtual work, enabling seamless embedding of automated solutions (e.g., automated testing, CI/CD pipelines, or AI-enhanced decision-making).

Focusing on measurable outcomes, such as reduced defects or faster delivery, while supporting integration with agile, DevSecOps, and other methodologies.

A small town, such as St. Helena, can integrate TOGAF (for enterprise architecture), ITIL 4 (for IT service management), and CMMI V3.0 (for process maturity and performance improvement) to create a holistic, scalable IT governance system.

This combination addresses strategic planning, operational efficiency, and continuous improvement in public services like citizen portals, utility management, and emergency response systems. The frameworks are complementary: TOGAF provides structure for “what” to build, ITIL 4 handles “how” to operate it, and CMMI V3.0 ensures processes mature over time with measurable performance. [Note: Please see deliverables 1 & 2 for additional background and scoring of St.

Helena’s process maturity and CMMI V3.0.]
Overview of Integration Approach – The City should follow these general steps to integrate CMMI, TOGAF, and ITIL 4 to maximize success in improving effectiveness and efficiency:
 Assess Maturity with CMMI V3.0: Begin by using CMMI’s appraisal method to evaluate current IT capabilities across domains like Development (for custom apps), Services (for citizen-facing IT), and Supplier Management (for vendors). In a small town, focus on Maturity Level 3 (Defined) to establish repeatable processes. Identify gaps in areas like project management or risk handling, which inform priorities. CMMI’s performance focus helps quantify ROI, e.g., reducing service downtime by 20% through data-driven improvements. Blackberg has already completed a process maturity assessment. Most of the City’s processes are at a maturity level of 1 with some processes reaching level 2. However, the City will need to routinely reassess its maturity level in the future.

BLACKBERG
GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 3D: Technology Utilization & Modernization
8  Design Architecture with TOGAF: Leverage TOGAF’s ADM (Architecture Development Method) to create a tailored blueprint aligning IT with town goals, such as smart infrastructure or e-government. Integrate CMMI insights to ensure architecture supports mature processes (e.g., Phase B: Business Architecture incorporates CMMI’s governance practices). For small-scale, skip complex phases and emphasize agility, e.g., migrating to cloud services for interoperability between departments like Public Works and Administrative Services (i.e. accounting).  Operate and Manage with ITIL 4: Apply ITIL 4’s Service Value System (SVS) to operationalize the TOGAF architecture. Use guiding principles like “optimize and automate” for efficient service delivery. Map CMMI practices to ITIL’s 34 practices (e.g., incident management aligns with CMMI’s service delivery maturity). In practice, a small town could use ITIL for a service desk handling 311 requests, while CMMI tracks maturity progression.

6.0 IT Solution Enhancements
Building on the current inventory, enhancements should prioritize integration, cloud migration, AI adoption, and talent retention. Key issues include disparate SaaS tools causing inefficiencies (e.g., in Finance) and non-cloud-compatible systems like RIMS.

6.1. Cloud Migration and Integration
The City plans a 100% cloud-based environment (e.g., Azure), which is recommended for enhanced security, scalability, and cost savings (20–30% potential reduction in IT overhead). Benefits include automatic updates, robust backups, and AIdriven threat detection.

However, RIMS (Records Information Management System by Sun Ridge) poses a barrier, as it only supports on-premise servers. We recommend the City explore replacing RIMS with cloud-native alternatives:

Solution Provider Deployment Key Features Why a Good Alternative NicheRMS Niche
Technology
Fully cloud,
mobile-first
Investigation management, incident
reporting, evidence tracking, AI
analytics, NIBRS compliance
Matches RIMS’ case and
warrant tracking; adds real-time
mobile access
eFORCE
RMS
eFORCE
Software
Cloud and webbasedRecords management, CAD
integration, e-citations, evidence
logging, customizable reporting
Mirrors RIMS’ citations and
inmate management; userfriendly for small departments
The City should evaluate for CJIS compliance and migration support. This shift eliminates the $2,700 monthly data center rental. Further, the City should seek to integrate existing SaaS tools into an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system (e.g., expanding Springbrook or adopting Oracle Cloud ERP) to reduce manual data transfers and labor hours. This will generate a higher annual IT cost, but it is key for achieving the staffing and finance efficiencies explored in deliverables 3A and 3C.

6.2. AI/Automation Enhancements
The City should leverage embedded AI in current tools (e.g., Microsoft Copilot for document automation) and explore dedicated solutions by well-known industry service providers. We caution against purchasing siloed, standalone AI solutions from new companies (particularly startups). Although some of the solutions may be appealing, there is often minimal customer support, integration issues, and questionable long-term viability. However, AI is clearly a valuable tool. AI can automate routine tasks like permit processing in eTRAKiT or predictive maintenance in ArcGIS for Public Works assets.

BLACKBERG
GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 3D: Technology Utilization & Modernization
9 Recommendations:
 Pilot AI for customer service (e.g., chatbots for resident inquiries).  Ensure ethical use: focus on augmentation, not replacement, with data privacy safeguards.  Budget for training to maximize ROI. This may require the addition of a part-time IT Manager to the City’s roster of personnel.

6.3. Cybersecurity Enhancements
The City should continue to collaborate with Apex (or whatever IT service provider the City chooses to provide support) on strengthening cybersecurity. We highly recommend the City focus on compliance with City personnel completing Apex training. We observed many situations in which Apex is providing extensive flexibility and opportunities to complete cybersecurity training, but City personnel are choosing not to complete it. Our understanding is that training compliance may have been as low as only 7–12 personnel in the early Fall of 2025.

We provide further recommendations of topics to explore with Apex in the following table. We updated the “City Status” in October 2025. However, these and other cybersecurity topics should be reviewed by the City on a routine basis that is codified in City policy.

Cybersecurity Mitigation Strategies
Strategy Description City Status
Robust Backup Practices Immutable off-site backups (3-2-1 rule) Supported by Apex (cloud backups) Multi-Factor Authentication
(MFA)
Require for all accounts Implemented via Microsoft
Authenticator
Employee Training Phishing simulations and awareness
programs
In progress; low completion rates
Zero Trust Architecture Continuous verification and network segmentation
Implemented with ThreatLocker
Patch Management Automate updates Handled by Apex
Incident Response Plan (IRP) Detailed plan with drills To-do item for Apex Endpoint Protection EDR tools and firewalls Handled by Apex Cyber Insurance Financial protection In place
Resource Collaboration Use NIST/CISA resources Not in use

6.4. Recommendations and Implementation Roadmap
Prioritize high-impact, low-cost actions:

Short-Term (0–6 Months): Complete IRP development, enforce training completion, initiate RIMS replacement RFP, and pilot AI in one department (e.g., Finance).

Medium-Term (6–18 Months): Achieve full cloud migration, integrate SaaS tools, and implement TOGAF/ITIL pilots.

Long-Term (18+ Months): Pursue CMMI Level 3 certification, expand AI use, and monitor ROI through KPIs (e.g., reduced ticket resolution time, cost savings).

Budget implications: Initial investments (~$50,000 for software transitions) offset by efficiencies (e.g., labor savings of 10–20%). Partner with Apex for execution.

BLACKBERG
GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 3D: Technology Utilization & Modernization
10 7.0 Integrating CMMI Process Maturity, IT Automation, and AI The City of St. Helena is at an early stage of process maturity (CMMI Levels 1-2 across assessed departments like Public Works, Administrative Services, and Community Development). This means processes are often ad hoc, reactive, and lacking standardization. Integrating efforts to boost CMMI maturity with IT automation and AI can create a synergistic approach: CMMI provides the structured framework for process improvement, while IT automation streamlines repetitive tasks, and AI enhances decision-making and predictive capabilities. This integration aligns with the study’s recommendations for adopting frameworks like CMMI V3.0 alongside ITIL 4 and TOGAF, emphasizing starting small and building incrementally.

To integrate these efforts, we recommend the following phases and steps, followed by documentation strategies:

Phase 1: Establish a Unified Framework for Integration
Step 1 - Adopt a Hybrid Maturity Model: Use CMMI V3.0 as the core for assessing and advancing process maturity across domains (e.g., Services, Development, Security). Integrate IT automation and AI as key enablers within CMMI’s maturity levels. For example:

At Level 2 (Managed): Define basic processes for IT automation (e.g., scripting routine tasks in tools like Microsoft 365 or Springbrook) and pilot AI for simple applications (e.g., chatbots for resident inquiries via Granicus).

At Level 3 (Defined): Standardize automation workflows (e.g., using OpenGov for automated reporting) and incorporate AI analytics (e.g., predictive maintenance in ArcGIS for Public Works assets).

Aim for Level 4-5 (Quantitatively Managed/Optimizing): Use AI-driven metrics to optimize processes, such as forecasting budget shortfalls or detecting fraud in financial systems.

Step 2 - Align with Complementary Frameworks: Combine CMMI with ITIL 4 for service management (focusing on value co-creation through automation) and TOGAF for enterprise architecture (mapping how AI and automation support business goals). This ensures IT automation reduces manual errors, while AI provides insights for continuous improvement.

Step 3 - Form a Cross-Functional Team: Create an Integration Task Force including representatives from Administrative Services, IT (via Apex), Finance, Public Works, and Community Development. Apply the RASCI model (Responsible, Accountable, Support, Consulted, Informed) to assign roles—e.g., Apex as Responsible for IT automation implementation, Department heads as Accountable for AI adoption.

Phase 2: Prioritize Pilot Projects for Phased Implementation Step 1 - Start Small in High-Impact Areas: Begin with pilots in departments with low maturity (e.g., Public Works, rated at CMMI Level 1-2 for process ownership and measurement). For example:
 IT Automation: Automate asset tracking in ArcGIS (currently underutilized) to log maintenance like pothole repairs or water system checks, reducing manual spreadsheets.  AI Integration: Use embedded AI in Microsoft 365 (e.g., Copilot for generating reports) or explore tools like conversational agents for customer service, benchmarking against peers where the City lags (bottom 10% in AI adoption per the study).
 CMMI Tie-In: Assess pilot processes using the study’s CMMI-based checklist (six dimensions: Process Ownership, Documentation, Measurement, etc.), targeting a jump to Level 3 within 6–12 months.

Step 2 - Scale City-Wide: After pilots, expand to Finance (e.g., AI for fraud detection in Springbrook) and Community Development (e.g., automating permit tracking in eTRAKiT with AI predictions for approval timelines). Leverage cloud

BLACKBERG
GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 3D: Technology Utilization & Modernization
11 migration (e.g., to Azure) to enable scalable automation and AI, replacing non-cloud systems like RIMS with alternatives (e.g., NicheRMS or eFORCE RMS) that support AI analytics.

Step 3 - Address Risks and Training: Conduct cybersecurity training (noting low completion rates in the study) and use AI ethically (e.g., for augmentation, not replacement). Budget for this: Initial costs ~$20,000–50,000 for tools/training, offset by 10–30% efficiency gains (e.g., reduced labor hours, per APWA studies referenced in the analysis).

Phase 3: Measure and Iterate for Continuous Improvement Step 1 - Set KPIs Aligned with CMMI: Track maturity progress with metrics like process repeatability (e.g., 80% automated tasks), AI ROI (e.g., 20% faster decision-making), and efficiency gains (e.g., reduced ticket resolution time). Use tools like GovInvest for dashboards.

Step 2 - Foster a Culture of Improvement: Incorporate Knowledge Management (per APQC framework) to capture lessons from automation/AI pilots. Address cultural issues (e.g., job insecurity in Library/Parks) by communicating how these efforts enhance roles.

Step 3 - Timeline: Short-term (0–6 months): Pilots and baseline assessments. Medium-term (6–18 months): Full integration and Level 3 certification (potential insurance reductions). Long-term: Optimize with AI for predictive governance.

Phase 4: How to Document These Items
Documentation is crucial for CMMI maturity (emphasized in the study’s framework, where Level 3 requires standardized processes and Level 5 embeds continuous improvement). The City lacks centralized systems, so focus on building reusable assets to “cut waste, speed decisions, and build lasting performance edge” (as per the draft).

Step 1 - Use Structured Templates and Tools:
 Process Maps and SOPs: Document each integrated process with flowcharts (using Archi/ArchiMate from TOGAF) and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). For example, create an SOP for “AI-Enhanced Permit Processing” detailing steps, automation scripts, and AI inputs/outputs.  RASCI Matrices: For every initiative, map roles (e.g., who is Responsible for AI tool training).  Knowledge Repositories: Build a central hub (e.g., in Microsoft 365 SharePoint) for capturing expertise—include pilot reports, AI benchmarks.

Step 2 - Documentation Process:
 Capture at Each Stage: During pilots, log decisions, challenges, and outcomes in real-time (e.g., via weekly RASCI reviews).
 Version Control and Accessibility: Use Laserfiche for archiving, ensuring documents are searchable and compliant (e.g., with ISO standards for long-term).
 Audit and Update: Schedule quarterly reviews to update docs based on CMMI assessments, incorporating feedback loops for automation/AI refinements.
 Tools for Efficiency: Leverage AI for auto-generating docs (e.g., Copilot summaries) and automate versioning in cloud tools.

BLACKBERG
GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 3D: Technology Utilization & Modernization
12 This integrated approach positions St. Helena to move from reactive (Level 1-2) to proactive governance, potentially cutting costs by 10-20% while improving services. If needed, consult Apex for technical support or benchmark with peers via resources like CISA or APQC.

A small town can apply TOGAF (enterprise architecture for strategic design), ITIL 4 (IT service management for operations), and CMMI V3.0 (process maturity for improvement) to common municipal processes. Below is a table with 15 practical examples:

Small Town Process TOGAF Alignment (Strategic
Architecture)
ITIL 4 Alignment (Service
Operations & Delivery)
CMMI V3.0 Alignment
(Process Maturity &
Improvement)
Online
Building/Development
Permitting
Designs integrated permitting
architecture, aligning apps,
data, and portals with town
goals (ADM Phases B/C).

Manages request fulfillment,
incident/change for
submissions via self-service
portal.

Builds repeatable, measured
review processes (Levels 2-3),
reducing defects.

Utility Billing & Service
Requests
Blueprints interoperable utility
systems, integrating legacy
billing with cloud tools.

Handles service desk for
outages/requests, problem
management, feedback loops.

Establishes defined billing
accuracy and delivery
processes, tracking metrics.

Public Works Road
Maintenance & Asset
Management
Defines target architecture for
GIS-based asset tracking and
smart infrastructure.

Applies asset management,
change enablement for
scheduling and notifications.

Improves maturity in
service/project delivery,
optimizing resource use.
311 Citizen Service
Requests (non-emergency)
Aligns multi-department
architecture for unified citizen
engagement platform.

Operates service value chain
for intake, routing,
resolution, knowledge mgmt.

Advances from ad-hoc to
optimizing, measuring
satisfaction/efficiency.

Online Payment of Taxes &
Fees
Architects secure payment
gateway integration across
finance systems.

Manages financial service
requests, incident resolution
for payment issues.

Standardizes payment
processing for consistency and
error reduction.

Parks & Recreation
Program Registration
Designs citizen portal
architecture linking registration
to scheduling/data.

Delivers service catalog,
request fulfillment, and
continual improvement.

Develops managed registration
workflows with performance
metrics.

Code Enforcement &
Violations Reporting
Builds architecture for mobileenabled reporting and case management systems.

Supports incident/problem
management for violation
tracking and follow-up.

Establishes repeatable
inspection/enforcement
processes for quality gains.

Emergency Management &
Alert Systems
Defines resilient architecture
for alert distribution and interagency data sharing.

Handles major incident
management and
communication services.

Improves crisis response
maturity through defined,
measured procedures.

Employee HR Onboarding
& Payroll
Aligns HR systems architecture
with town-wide identity and
access management.

Manages HR service desk,
request fulfillment for
onboarding/payroll queries.

Builds defined HR processes,
reducing variability and
improving compliance.

Public Records Requests &
FOIA Processing
Architects document
management and secure access
portal for transparency.

Operates service requests,
knowledge management for
records fulfillment.

Standardizes request handling
for timeliness and auditability
(Levels 2-3).

Zoning & Land Use
Applications
Designs zoning data models
and workflow architecture for
planning integration.

Manages application
fulfillment, change
enablement for approvals.

Creates repeatable zoning
review processes with metrics
for optimization.

Library Services & Digital
Catalog Access
Blueprints integrated library
system with citizen
authentication.

Delivers service desk for
loans/reservations, continual
service improvement.

Advances library operations
maturity for efficient resource
allocation.

Water Quality Monitoring
& Reporting
Defines IoT/sensor architecture
for real-time data collection
and reporting.

Manages monitoring
services, incident response
for quality alerts.

Establishes measured, datadriven processes for compliance and improvement.

Voter Registration &
Election Support
Architects secure, compliant
systems for registration and
voter data mgmt.

Handles service requests,
problem management during
election periods.

Builds managed, auditable
processes to ensure accuracy
and reliability.

BLACKBERG
GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 3D: Technology Utilization & Modernization
13 Cybersecurity Incident
Response
Designs overarching security
architecture and governance
framework.

Applies information security
management, major incident
practices.

Improves security maturity
(Levels 3+), with proactive risk
measurement.

These frameworks work together: TOGAF provides the long-term blueprint, ITIL 4 ensures smooth daily execution, and CMMI drives progressive maturity—all scalable for small IT teams to enhance efficiency, cut costs, and deliver better public services.

8.0 IT Governance
Effective IT governance is essential for a small municipality like St. Helena, where limited resources, outsourced IT support, and evolving threats (such as the 2024 ransomware attack) demand structured oversight. Governance ensures that IT investments align with the City’s strategic objectives—enhancing operational efficiency, resident services, and fiscal responsibility—while mitigating risks and promoting accountability. This section outlines a tailored governance model that integrates the recommended frameworks (TOGAF, ITIL 4, CMMI V3.0, ISO standards), Knowledge Management, and the RASCI model, enabling the City to manage its IT ecosystem proactively rather than reactively.

At its core, IT governance involves defining policies, processes, and structures to guide decision-making. For St. Helena, this means establishing clear authority over IT initiatives, from cloud migration and AI adoption to cybersecurity enhancements. The governance framework should be lightweight to avoid overburdening the small administrative team, yet robust enough to support scalability as the City grows its digital capabilities (e.g., expanding eTRAKiT or integrating OpenGov with Springbrook).

Governance Structure: Form an IT Governance Committee as the central body for oversight. Comprising 5–7 members— including the City Manager (as chair), representatives from key departments (Administrative Services, Finance, Public Works, Community Development, Police), an Apex liaison, and a City Council member—this committee would meet quarterly or as needed. Its role includes reviewing IT proposals, prioritizing projects based on ROI and resident impact, and approving major changes (e.g., RIMS replacement). This cross-functional setup reduces silos, fosters collaboration, and addresses the information asymmetry noted in the outsourced IT model. For external input, invite occasional guests like regional IT experts or Municipal Information Systems Association of California (MISAC) representatives to benchmark against peers.

Roles and Responsibilities: Utilize the RASCI model to delineate duties clearly. For instance, in a cloud migration project:
 Responsible: Apex handles technical execution (e.g., Azure setup).  Accountable: The City Manager ensures overall success and budget adherence.  Support: Department heads provide input on user needs.  Consulted: External vendors (e.g., RIMS alternatives) offer expertise.  Informed: City Council receives progress updates.

This matrix should be documented for each major initiative and reviewed annually, preventing overlaps and ensuring accountability. It complements Knowledge Management by capturing lessons learned in a centralized repository (e.g., Microsoft 365 SharePoint), promoting institutional knowledge retention amid staff turnover risks.

Integration with Recommended Frameworks: Governance ties directly into TOGAF, ITIL 4, and CMMI V3.0 for a cohesive approach. TOGAF’s Architecture Governance (within the ADM) ensures architectural decisions support city goals, such as interoperable systems for better data sharing across departments. For example, the committee would approve architecture blueprints during Phase E (Opportunities & Solutions), aligning with strategic priorities like full cloud adoption.

ITIL 4’s Service Value System (SVS) embeds governance in operational practices, emphasizing value co-creation. The committee could oversee the application of guiding principles like “focus on value” during service desk operations (e.g., handling 311 requests) and continual improvement reviews. This operationalizes governance, ensuring services remain citizen-centric and agile.

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Deliverable 3D: Technology Utilization & Modernization
14 CMMI V3.0 provides the maturity backbone, with governance focused on progressing from Level 1-2 (ad-hoc) to Level 3 (defined processes). The committee would conduct periodic appraisals using CMMI’s domains (e.g., Services, Security), tracking metrics like service downtime reduction or training completion rates. Achieving Level 3 could yield tangible benefits, such as lower cyber insurance premiums, as insurers often reward certified maturity.

Incorporate ISO standards (e.g., ISO 27001 for information security) for long-term compliance, with the committee auditing adherence during reviews. This hybrid model—starting small with pilots in high-impact areas like Finance—avoids complexity while building resilience.

Monitoring, Reporting, and Risk Management: Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) for transparency, such as system uptime (>99%), ticket resolution time (<24 hours), and cybersecurity training compliance (>90%). The committee should require monthly reports from Apex, including threat dashboards and ROI analyses (e.g., cost savings from eliminating the $2,700/month data center rental). Annual third-party audits (e.g., penetration testing) and tabletop exercises for ransomware scenarios would strengthen risk management, aligning with California trends where small municipalities face heightened cyber threats.

Implementation and Challenges: Roll out governance in phases: Short-term (0–3 months)—form the committee and develop RASCI templates; Medium-term (3–12 months)—integrate with framework pilots; Long-term—achieve CMMI Level 3. Budget modestly (~$5,000–10,000 annually for tools/training). Address challenges like staff resistance by communicating benefits (e.g., reduced workload via automation) and involving employees in governance design.

Ultimately, this governance framework empowers the City to leverage IT as a strategic asset, ensuring sustainable modernization that enhances efficiency, resident satisfaction, and security. By embedding accountability and continuous improvement, the City can navigate its constraints while positioning itself as a model for small California municipalities.

9.0 Conclusion
The City of St. Helena stands at a pivotal moment in its digital evolution. With a population over 5,000 residents and the typical constraints of a small California municipality—limited staff, outsourced IT through Apex, and lessons learned from the 2024 ransomware attack—this report charts a clear, achievable path to modern, resilient, and citizen-focused IT operations.

By adopting a tailored hybrid framework combining TOGAF for strategic architecture, ITIL 4 for value-driven service management, CMMI V3.0 for progressive process maturity, and supporting elements like RASCI for accountability and Knowledge Management for institutional memory, the City can transform its IT from reactive and fragmented to proactive, integrated, and efficient. This approach directly tackles current challenges: legacy on-premise systems (e.g., RIMS), integration gaps across SaaS tools, underutilized assets like ArcGIS, and low cybersecurity training compliance.

Prioritizing cloud migration to a 100% cloud-based environment (e.g., Azure) will eliminate the $2,700 monthly data center rental, enhance security with automatic updates and AI-driven threat detection, and enable scalable automation. Replacing RIMS with CJIS-compliant cloud-native alternatives (such as NicheRMS or eFORCE RMS) removes a critical vulnerability while unlocking data interoperability. Leveraging embedded AI in existing platforms—Microsoft Copilot for productivity, OpenGov for analytics, and Springbrook for finance—along with cautious pilots (e.g., chatbots for resident inquiries or predictive maintenance in Public Works) will automate routine tasks, reduce manual effort, and improve response times without risky standalone vendor commitments.

The phased implementation roadmap—short-term actions like enforcing training and initiating RIMS RFPs, mediumterm full migration and framework pilots, and long-term CMMI Level 3 pursuit—minimizes disruption while delivering measurable gains: 20–30% potential IT overhead reduction, 10–20% labor efficiencies, faster citizen services (e.g., permitting via eTRAKiT), and potential insurance premium savings from demonstrated maturity.

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Deliverable 3D: Technology Utilization & Modernization
15 Governance through the proposed IT Governance Committee ensures alignment with City priorities, cross-departmental collaboration, and ongoing oversight via KPIs, monthly Apex reports, and annual audits. This structure empowers the City to navigate resource limitations, mitigate cyber risks in California’s high-threat environment, and foster a culture of continuous improvement.

These recommendations position St. Helena not just to recover from past incidents but to lead as a forward-thinking small municipality. By starting small, building incrementally, and focusing on resident value, the City can achieve sustainable cost savings, elevated service delivery, and greater public trust, turning technology into a true strategic asset for the community’s future.

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Deliverable 3D: Technology Utilization & Modernization
16 Appendix A - Glossary
AI (Artificial Intelligence): Computer systems designed to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as pattern recognition, decision‑making, and automation of repetitive work.

Automation: The use of technology to perform tasks with minimal human intervention, often to increase efficiency and reduce manual workload.

Business Process: A series of structured activities or steps designed to accomplish a specific organizational goal or service outcome.

Change Management: A structured approach for transitioning individuals, teams, and organizations from a current state to a desired future state when implementing new technologies or processes.

Cloud Computing: Delivery of computing services—including servers, storage, databases, networking, software, and analytics—over the internet rather than on local hardware.

CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integration): A process improvement framework that helps organizations improve performance by defining maturity levels for operational and development processes.

CJIS (Criminal Justice Information Services): A division of the FBI that provides law enforcement agencies with information systems and standards related to criminal justice data security and sharing.

Cybersecurity: The practice of protecting computer systems, networks, and data from digital attacks, unauthorized access, or damage.

Data Integration: The process of combining data from different sources to provide a unified and consistent view of information.

Digital Modernization: The ongoing effort to update legacy technology systems, processes, and tools to improve efficiency, security, and service delivery.

ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning): A type of software used by organizations to manage core business functions such as finance, human resources, procurement, and operations in a centralized system.

Framework: A structured set of guidelines or best practices used to organize decision‑making, planning, or system design.

Governance (IT Governance): The policies, procedures, and decision‑making structures that ensure technology investments align with organizational goals and risk tolerance.

ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library): A widely used set of best practices for managing IT services, focusing on service quality, efficiency, and continuous improvement.

Legacy System: An older technology system or software platform that is still in use but may be outdated or unsupported.

Modernization: The process of upgrading or replacing outdated systems, infrastructure, or processes to meet current needs and standards.

Process Maturity: A measure of how well‑defined, managed, and optimized an organization’s processes are over time.

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Deliverable 3D: Technology Utilization & Modernization
17 SaaS (Software as a Service): A software delivery model in which applications are hosted by a vendor and accessed over the internet rather than installed locally.

Scalability: The ability of a system or process to handle increased workload or growth without significant performance loss.

TOGAF (The Open Group Architecture Framework): A framework used to design, plan, implement, and govern enterprise information technology architecture.

Final Report and
Recommendations
APRIL 22, 2026
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study

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Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
a
Contents
Foreword......................................................................................................................................... 1

1.0 Executive Summary .............................................................................................................. 2

2.0 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 4

2.1. Project Background ................................................................................................................ 4

2.2. Objectives and Scope ............................................................................................................. 5

2.3. Methodology Summary.......................................................................................................... 6

3.0 Recommendations................................................................................................................ 7

4.0 Organizational Staffing Perspective................................................................................... 14

4.1. Phase 1 ................................................................................................................................ 14

4.2. Phase 2 ................................................................................................................................ 18

4.3. Phase 3 ................................................................................................................................ 19

4.4. Phase 1-3 Salary Considerations ........................................................................................... 19

5.0 Pre-Transformation ............................................................................................................ 20

5.1. Transformation Roadmap Editing and Enhancements ............................................................ 20

5.2. Fraud, Waste, and Abuse (FWA) Mitigation RFP and Contract ................................................ 20

5.3. Program Management Office................................................................................................ 20

5.4. Change Management Training.............................................................................................. 21

5.5. Human Resource Manager Hiring ......................................................................................... 21

5.6. Strategic Planning Training and Preparation .......................................................................... 22

6.0 Recommendations – Phase 1.............................................................................................. 22

6.1. City Strategic Plan (A.1)......................................................................................................... 22

6.2. Strategic Hiring (A.2) ............................................................................................................ 27

6.3. Strategic Partnerships (A.3) ................................................................................................... 28

6.4. RASCI Matrix Launch (A.4) .................................................................................................... 28

6.5. Fraud, Waste, & Abuse (FWA) Mitigation Engagement (A.5)................................................... 29

6.6. Enhanced City Council Oversight Design (A.6) ....................................................................... 31

6.7. Enhanced City Council Oversight Implementation (A.7) ......................................................... 32

6.8. City Council Executive Dashboard (A.8) ................................................................................. 33

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6.9. Customer-Centered Design Framework (A.9)......................................................................... 33

6.10. Begin Business Process Reengineering (Maturity Level 2) (A.10)............................................. 35

6.11. New Positions & Hirings (A.11) ............................................................................................. 39

6.12. Talent Management System (A.12) ........................................................................................ 40

6.13. Talent Management Policies (A.13)........................................................................................ 41

6.14. Training Program (A.14)........................................................................................................ 42

6.15. RIMS Replacement to go Fully Cloud (A.15)........................................................................... 43

6.16. TOGAF, ITIL 4, and CMMI (A.16) ............................................................................................ 44

6.17. Knowledge Management Systems (A.17)............................................................................... 46

6.18. Records Digitization (A.18).................................................................................................... 48

6.19. Dashboard Development (A.19) ............................................................................................ 49

6.20. Change Management System (A.20)...................................................................................... 50

6.21. Governance and Policy Framework Design (A.21) .................................................................. 52

6.22. Governance and Policy Framework Implementation (A.22)..................................................... 53

6.23. Program Management Office (A.23)...................................................................................... 54

7.0 Recommendations – Phase 2.............................................................................................. 55

7.1. City Accountant (B.1) ............................................................................................................ 55

7.2. FWA Control Recommendations (B.2).................................................................................... 56

7.3. Accounting Focus for BPR (B.3) ............................................................................................. 56

7.4. IT and AI Solutions for Integration and Automation (B.4)....................................................... 57

7.5. Continue Business Process Reengineering (Maturity Level 3) (B.5).......................................... 58

7.6. Staffing Efficiency Gains (B.6) ................................................................................................ 60

7.7. Risk Management System (B.7) ............................................................................................. 61

7.8. Asset Management System (B.8) ........................................................................................... 62

7.9. Strategic Communications Plan (B.9)..................................................................................... 63

7.10. Customer Relationship Management System (B.10) ............................................................... 64

7.11. Quality Management System (B.11)....................................................................................... 65

7.12. Public Works Long-Term Strategy (B.12)................................................................................ 66

7.13. Preventative Maintenance and Predictive Analytics (B.13) ...................................................... 69

7.14. Strategy Implementation (B.14)............................................................................................. 70

8.0 Recommendations – Phase 3.............................................................................................. 72

8.1. Management Systems (C.1)................................................................................................... 72

8.2. System of Systems with TOGAF (C.2) ..................................................................................... 73

8.3. Comprehensive KPIs for Systems (C.3)................................................................................... 73

8.4. Comprehensive Executive Dashboard (C.4)............................................................................ 74

8.5. Business Process Reengineering (Targeted Level 3) (C.5) ........................................................ 75

8.5.1. Seek Level 3 CMMI Certification (C.6).................................................................................... 76

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8.6. Consider Levels 4 & 5 CMMI Maturity for Select Areas (C.7)................................................... 76

9.0 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 77 Appendix A: Business Process Management, Re-engineering, Continuous Improvement, and Dashboards ................................................................................................................................... 78 A.1. Purpose and Intended Outcomes.......................................................................................... 78 A.2. Establish a Citywide BPM/BPR program (Maturity Level 2 to Level 3)...................................... 79 A.3. BPM Maturity Model and Target State................................................................................... 81 A.4. BPM governance and operating model ................................................................................. 83 A.5. Roles and responsibilities...................................................................................................... 84 A.6. Selecting and Sequencing Processes ..................................................................................... 86 A.7. Right-Sized BPM/BPR Method .............................................................................................. 88 A.8. Continuous Improvement System ......................................................................................... 90 A.9. Dashboarding and performance management ...................................................................... 91 A.10. Implementation Plan Aligned to the Transformation Roadmap .............................................. 93 A.11. Key Risks and Mitigations ..................................................................................................... 95 A.12. BPM/BPR Recommendation Card.......................................................................................... 96

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Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
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Figures
Figure 1 – City Fitness Framework: In conducting efficiency and business transformation studies, Blackberg examines all elements that impact a city’s effectiveness, efficiency, and performance. .......... 7 Figure 2 – Transformation Roadmap, Pre-Transformation Activities: The Pre-Transformation activities will help the City prepare for the challenges of transformation. ........................................................... 10 Figure 3 – Transformation Roadmap, Phase 1: Phase 1 of the transformation includes many critical projects, beginning with the City Strategic Plan and including two strategic hires. ................................ 11 Figure 4 – Transformation Roadmap, Phase 2: Phase 2 of the transformation continues development of the management systems and has a key focus on automation in accounting and a long-term strategy for Public Works................................................................................................................................... 12 Figure 5 – Transformation Roadmap, Phase 3: Phase 3 includes purposeful development of a “system of systems” framework and finalizes process maturation to level 3 across the City................................... 13 Figure 6 – Phase 1 Recommended Organizational Structure Changes for Administrative Services.. 15 Figure 7 – Phase 1 Recommended Establishment of Program Management Office. ........................ 15 Figure 8 – Phase 1 Recommended Organizational Structure Changes for Community Services. ..... 16 Figure 9 – Phase 1 Recommended Organizational Structure Changes for Community Services. ..... 17 Figure 10 – Phase 2 Recommended Organizational Structure Changes for Administrative Services.18 Figure 11 – Phase 2 Recommended Organizational Structure Changes for Public Works. ............... 19 Figure 12 – Strategic Plan Example 1: City strategic plans can cover a wide range of topics, goals, and interests that are addressed in a holistic manner. .............................................................................. 24 Figure 13 – Strategic Plan Example 2: City strategic plans are visually engaging and informative.......... 25 Figure 14 – Strategic Plan Example 3: City strategic plans establish a mission and vision while including actionable priorities with timelines. .................................................................................................. 26 Figure 15 – RASCI: RASCI is critical for defining what City employees should be doing. ........................ 29

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Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
e
Figure 16 – Customer-Centered Design Framework: This resident-focused approach provides an essential external lens for evaluating existing processes..................................................................... 34 Figure 17 – Talent Management: This framework addresses key aspects of talent management. ......... 41 Figure 18 – TOGAF: TOGAF is a widely recognized, vendor-neutral enterprise architecture methodology that’s used globally, including by many government entities................................................................ 45 Figure 19 – Knowledge Management Strategic Framework: This strategic framework comes from the American Productivity & Quality Center which has many free resources that would be useful for the City. ...................................................................................................................................................... 47 Figure 20 – ADKAR Model of Change Management: Guides organizations and individuals through change by addressing emotional and practical barriers step-by-step. ............................................................. 51 Figure 21 – Kotter 8-Step Process: Create urgency, build coalitions, vision, communicate, empower action, generate wins, consolidate gains, anchor changes—drives successful organizational transformation. ............................................................................................................................... 51 Figure 22 – Enterprise Risk Management: Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) Enterprise Risk Management Cube, often called the ERM Framework, is a visual tool that maps out how organizations identify, assess, and respond to risks. ............................................................................................... 61

BLACKBERG
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Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
1 Foreword
Over the past nine months, Blackberg conducted a thorough, multi-faceted examination of city government operations. Our goal was to develop a clear “current state” assessment and a practical set of recommendations to enhance the efficiency, effectiveness, and long-term sustainability of St. Helena’s municipal services.

Some of our findings may feel unsettling or concerning. We want to be clear: Blackberg is committed to delivering independent, truthful, and evidence-based insights — wherever they lead. Our work is much like a visit to the doctor. We perform a careful examination, focus on the areas that need attention, and offer targeted recommendations for improvement.

In our Current State Analysis, we naturally highlight the issues and weaknesses we observed. At the same time, we recognize that St. Helena city government also has many strengths — dedicated staff, a strong sense of community, and valuable services that residents rely on every day.

This final deliverable presents our recommendations to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of city government. These recommendations represent transformative change for a city of St. Helena’s size. Transformative change is never easy, and the risk of failure can be high if not managed carefully. To reduce that risk and increase the chances of success, Blackberg developed a detailed Transformation Roadmap. It begins with essential pre-transformation preparation steps and then divides the work into three manageable phases. We also recommend targeted pre-transformation training to build the skills and culture needed for lasting improvement.

One of our highest-priority recommendations is the development of a new City Strategic Plan. We believe this is among the most exciting and critical steps St. Helena can take. For the first time, the City will have a clear “North Star” — a unified vision and set of priorities that align departments, guide decision-making, rebuild community trust, and ensure that every effort supports what matters most to residents.

We are confident that, with strong leadership, community engagement, and steady implementation of this roadmap, St.

Helena can emerge stronger, more efficient, and better equipped to deliver high-quality services for generations to come.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve your community.

Blackberg Group
April 2026

BLACKBERG
GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
2 1.0 Executive Summary
The City of St. Helena (City), a vibrant community of approximately 5,300 residents in the Napa Valley, faces a defining opportunity to modernize its municipal operations and secure long-term fiscal and service excellence. Commissioned by City leadership, Blackberg Group (Blackberg) conducted this comprehensive Efficiency and Business Transformation Study to diagnose operational realities, quantify improvement potential, and deliver a clear, actionable roadmap. This Final Report and Recommendations (Deliverable 4) integrates insights from prior phases and deliverables—including current state analysis (1), information and insight analysis (2), organizational structure and staffing (3A), process improvement potential (3B), financial efficiency review (3C), and technology utilization and modernization (3D)—into a unified three-phase transformation strategy. Blackberg highly recommends reading these previous deliverables prior to reading Deliverable 4.

They provide substantial context and foundational information, data, and findings.

The study’s purpose was straightforward: identify systemic barriers to effectiveness and efficiency, benchmark against peer municipalities and national standards, and recommend practical, phased changes that deliver measurable results. Blackberg employed a rigorous, multi-method approach: quantitative analysis of staffing levels, budgets, compensation data from Transparent California, the State Controller’s “Government Compensation in California”, and IT subscription inventories; facilitated workshops with every department; detailed process mapping and maturity assessments; financial modeling of salary variances and staffing scenarios; and technology audits of current Software as a Service (SaaS) platforms, on-premise systems, and integration gaps. National benchmarks for libraries, asset management, and process maturity provided objective context. The resulting recommendations are designed to be realistic for a small California municipality while ambitious enough to create lasting change.

Current operations reflect classic challenges of many small cities: fragmented systems, reactive management, and underleveraged technology. Business process maturity currently sits at Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) Levels 1– 2—characterized by ad-hoc workflows, minimal standardization, and limited continuous improvement capability.

Departments operate with inconsistent documentation, informal handoffs, and heavy reliance on individual knowledge rather than institutionalized processes. Governance is diffuse, lacking a centralized policy repository, integrated performance metrics, or clear accountability structures such as Responsible, Accountable, Supports, Consulted, Informed (RASCI) matrices. Talent management is underdeveloped; while recruiting and basic training occur, there is no formal framework linking workforce planning to strategy, performance reviews, or succession. Compensation analysis reveals that several executive and mid-management positions exceed market averages for communities of similar size and scope, creating a $590,000 annual savings opportunity through strategic hiring and natural attrition rather than salary reductions for current staff.

Asset and risk management gaps are particularly pronounced. Public Works, the department with the highest operational volume and capital intensity, lacks a centralized preventive maintenance program and enterprise-wide asset management system. This results in reactive repairs, suboptimal resource allocation, and missed opportunities for predictive analytics.

Administrative Services handles core financial functions but contends with manual data transfers between platforms and limited automation. Community Development has advanced with the recent launch of eTRAKiT permitting software, yet broader customer relationship management and service standardization remain inconsistent. Overall, limited performance measurement and dashboards mean leaders lack real-time visibility into key outcomes, hindering proactive decision-making.

These structural and process limitations constrain capacity and inflate costs. Staffing reviews identified opportunities for reallocation and efficiency gains totaling approximately $625,000 annually once foundational improvements in process maturity and automation are in place. Strategic partnerships—particularly for specialized services such as water and wastewater operations—offer additional leverage without compromising service quality. When combined with marketaligned compensation adjustments and technology modernization, the City can realistically achieve $1.3–1.6 million in annual cost savings, reallocation, and avoidance. These figures are derived from detailed sensitivity analysis, and do not include secondary benefits such as reduced overtime, lower liability exposure through better documentation, or grant eligibility from demonstrated process improvements.

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Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
3 The transformation roadmap is deliberately phased to build momentum while managing risk and resource demands.

Preparation and foundational actions (pre-Phase 1) focus on immediate governance and readiness steps. Launching a City Strategic Plan will provide the North Star missing from current operations, aligning all departments around clear priorities.

Strategic hiring of a full-time Human Resources (HR) Manager and part-time IT Manager will professionalize talent and technology oversight. A RASCI matrix rollout and Fraud, Waste & Abuse (FWA) mitigation engagement will clarify roles and strengthen internal controls. Enhanced City Council oversight tools—including an executive dashboard—will improve transparency and policy adherence. A Customer-Centered Design Framework and initial Business Process Reengineering (targeting Maturity Level 2) will equip staff with modern tools before deeper changes begin. Records digitization, knowledge management systems, and a talent management platform will capture institutional knowledge and support recruitment.

Phase 1 (0–12 months) establishes the operational foundation. Core recommendations include full implementation of the strategic plan and governance framework, comprehensive training programs, and migration of remaining on-premise systems (notably RIMS) to secure cloud environments. Adoption of The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF) for enterprise architecture, Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) 4 for service management, and CMMI practices will standardize technology and process disciplines. Dashboard development will give leaders and City Council real-time visibility into key performance indicators. New positions and policies for talent management will professionalize HR functions. These steps are sequenced to deliver early wins: clearer accountability, reduced manual effort, and foundational data infrastructure that enables everything that follows.

Phase 2 (12–24 months) drives operational transformation and efficiency gains. Continued Business Process Reengineering advances targeted departments to Maturity Level 3, with particular focus on accounting integration and automation. A dedicated City Accountant role will strengthen financial controls and reporting. Public Works receives special attention through a long-term strategy, preventative maintenance program, predictive analytics, and exploration of targeted outsourcing or partnerships for high-complexity services such as water and wastewater. IT and AI solutions will automate repetitive tasks, integrate disparate SaaS platforms into a cohesive ecosystem, and pilot ethical AI applications (for example, permit processing and work-order optimization). Risk and asset management systems, a Customer Relationship Management platform, and a Quality Management System will institutionalize reliability. Staffing efficiency gains realized here—through optimized workflows and seasonal adjustments—directly contribute to the $625,000 target. A Strategic Communications Plan tied to change management will ensure staff and residents understand and support the transition.

Phase 3 (24+ months) cements optimization and organizational maturity. Full integration of management systems under a TOGAF “system of systems” architecture creates enterprise-wide coherence. Comprehensive Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and an expanded executive dashboard enable data-driven governance. Business Process Reengineering reaches sustained Level 3 performance, with pursuit of formal CMMI Level 3 certification in key areas and consideration of Levels 4–5 for high-impact functions. Continuous quality improvement becomes cultural rather than episodic. By this stage, the City operates with proactive, integrated systems that anticipate needs rather than react to them.

Anticipated benefits extend far beyond financial savings. Residents will experience faster, more consistent service delivery through standardized processes and digital self-service options. Staff will benefit from clearer roles, professional development pathways, and reduced administrative burden—improving morale and retention. City Council and leadership will gain unprecedented visibility and accountability tools. Technology modernization will enhance data security, scalability, and interoperability while lowering long-term maintenance costs. Partnerships and outsourcing options will allow the City to focus internal resources on core community priorities. Collectively, these changes position St. Helena as a model for small-city excellence in California—fiscally resilient, service-oriented, and forward-looking.

Successful implementation requires commitment, leadership alignment, and sustained focus. Blackberg recommends establishing a Transformation Oversight Committee reporting directly to the City Manager, with quarterly progress reviews to City Council. Initial investments in new positions, training, and technology (estimated $80,000–$120,000 annually) are more than offset by the identified savings within the first two years. Change management principles—particularly clear communication, training, and reinforcement—will be essential to sustain momentum.

BLACKBERG
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Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
4 The City of St. Helena has already demonstrated resilience and vision by undertaking this study. By embracing the recommendations outlined in this report, leadership can convert current challenges into a platform for enduring strength.

The result will be a more efficient, effective, and citizen-centered government capable of meeting today’s demands while building capacity for tomorrow’s opportunities. The time to act is now; the roadmap is ready; the potential is substantial.

2.0 Introduction
The City of St. Helena (City), a Napa Valley community of approximately 5,300 residents, stands at a pivotal moment in its evolution as a municipal government. Commissioned by city leadership, Blackberg Group (Blackberg) undertook this comprehensive Efficiency and Business Transformation Study to address longstanding operational challenges and position the City for sustainable success in the 21st century.

This Final Report and Recommendations (Deliverable 4) synthesizes findings from extensive assessments—including current state analysis (1), information and insight analysis (2), organizational structure and staffing analysis (3A), process improvement potential (3B), financial efficiency review (3C), and technology utilization and modernization (3D). Blackberg highly recommends reading these previous deliverables prior to reading Deliverable 4. They provide substantial context and foundational information, data, and findings.

The study reveals a municipality operating with predominantly reactive processes at CMMI maturity Levels 1-2, fragmented governance, above-market compensation in multiple executive positions, and few management systems. While the City has made strides with tools like eTRAKiT and managed IT services through Apex, significant opportunities remain in standardization, automation, strategic planning, management systems, and other aspects of organizational fitness (See Figure 1).

Through rigorous data analysis, stakeholder workshops, benchmarking against peer municipalities, and national standards, Blackberg has identified pathways to potentially achieve $1.3–1.6 million in annual cost savings, reallocations, and/or avoidance. These gains stem from strategic salary alignment, staffing optimizations, adopting Business Process Management (BPM) and Business Process Reengineering (BPR) frameworks, full cloud migration (including RIMS replacement), and targeted partnerships—while simultaneously enhancing service quality and resident experience.

Structured across three implementation phases plus preparatory actions, the recommendations integrate proven frameworks such as TOGAF for enterprise architecture, ITIL 4 for service management, CMMI for process maturity, and customercentered design principles. Central to success will be new talent management practices, enhanced City Council oversight tools, knowledge management systems, and AI-enabled automation.

By committing to this phased transformation, St. Helena can evolve into a model of efficient, transparent, and responsive local government—delivering exceptional value to residents while strengthening fiscal resilience for generations to come.

2.1. Project Background
The City faces the classic challenges of a small, full-service local government. The City provides essential services— including public safety, community development, public works, library operations, recreation, and utilities—while managing a limited tax base, rising operational costs, and the expectations of a high-quality-of-life community.

The genesis of the Efficiency and Business Transformation Study traces to a series of converging pressures in 2024 and 2025 that highlighted the need for comprehensive organizational review and modernization to improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the City’s government.

A pivotal catalyst was the ransomware cyberattack on May 13, 2024, which disrupted City computer systems, forced the temporary shutdown of affected services (including the public library), and compromised data on at least 20 computers and a network server. The incident affected nearly 1,000 individuals whose personal information was exposed, prompting

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Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
5 notifications and credit monitoring offers. While the City, working with its IT contractor, law enforcement, and forensic experts, successfully recovered operations and strengthened network security, the event exposed vulnerabilities in legacy on-premise infrastructure and underscored the risks of outdated systems in an era of escalating cyber threats to California municipalities.

Compounding these technical challenges were persistent fiscal pressures. By 2025, the City confronted a structural budget deficit driven by expenditures outpacing revenues, increasing costs in areas such as healthcare, pensions, staff compensation, and infrastructure maintenance, and limited new revenue sources. The FY 2024–2025 audited financials revealed a projected deficit of approximately $4.7 million (including carry-over expenditures), necessitating significant reserve drawdowns. To address this, the City implemented nearly $2 million in spending reductions for the FY 2025–2026 and 2026–2027 biennial budgets, including personnel and non-personnel cuts totaling about 8.3% in some areas. These austerity measures, while necessary to maintain core services and avoid unsustainable reserve depletion, heightened the urgency for long-term efficiency and effectiveness gains.

Recognizing that reactive measures alone would not suffice, the City Council and leadership sought a proactive, holistic approach to transformation. In early 2025, the City issued a Request for Proposals for an Efficiency and Business Transformation Study, ultimately engaging Blackberg Group (Blackberg) to conduct a thorough assessment. The Blackberg study encompasses a current state analysis (Deliverable 1), an information and insight analysis (Deliverable 2), organizational structure and staffing analysis (Deliverable 3A), process improvement and efficiency potential study (3B), cost savings opportunities (3C), and technology utilization and modernization approach (3D).

At its core, the study addresses the fundamental question facing many small municipalities: how to deliver high-quality, resident-focused services sustainably amid limited resources, aging infrastructure, cybersecurity risks, and evolving demands. For St. Helena—a community of roughly 5,300 residents with a rich heritage and high service expectations—this transformation is essential to ensure fiscal resilience, operational effectiveness, and continued excellence in governance.

2.2. Objectives and Scope
The Efficiency and Business Transformation Study was commissioned by the City to provide a comprehensive, independent assessment of its organizational structure, operational processes, financial practices, and technology environment. The primary purpose of the study is to identify actionable opportunities to enhance long-term fiscal sustainability, improve service delivery efficiency, strengthen internal controls and risk management, and elevate the overall customer experience— all while preserving the high quality of life that defines the community.

The project’s objectives and scope are fully aligned with the goals outlined in the City’s Request for Proposals (RFP) and the resulting contract with Blackberg Group. These objectives can be summarized as follows:

Primary Objectives

1. Assess Current Organizational Structure and Staffing Evaluate the City’s current organizational design, staffing levels, compensation structure, span of control, role clarity, and workforce capacity against best practices for municipalities of similar size and service profile. Identify structural inefficiencies, compensation variances relative to market benchmarks, and opportunities to optimize staffing models for current and future service demands.

2. Analyze Operational Processes and Efficiency Potential Conduct a detailed review of key business processes across departments to determine maturity levels, bottlenecks, duplication, manual workarounds, and opportunities for standardization, automation, and continuous improvement. Apply recognized frameworks (e.g., CMMI, BPM, Lean principles) to quantify efficiency gains and service-level improvements.

3. Identify Cost Savings and Financial Improvement Opportunities Examine expenditure patterns, revenue sources, budget practices, internal controls, and financial reporting integrity to uncover realistic, sustainable costreduction and avoidance strategies. This includes compensation realignment, staffing optimization, procurement efficiencies, shared services/partnership opportunities, and potential revenue enhancements without compromising core service quality.

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Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
6 4. Evaluate Technology Utilization and Modernization Needs Inventory current IT systems, subscriptions, infrastructure, cybersecurity posture, and digital capabilities. Assess alignment with business needs, level of integration, cloud readiness, AI readiness, and overall effectiveness in supporting efficient operations and residentfacing services. Provide prioritized recommendations for modernization, including cloud migration, system integration, automation, and strategic adoption of artificial intelligence.

5. Deliver Integrated, Prioritized Recommendations Synthesize findings from the above assessments into a cohesive set of short-, medium-, and long-term recommendations that maximize impact while minimizing disruption. Recommendations are designed to improve:
o Efficiency - reducing time, effort, and cost required to deliver services, o Effectiveness - delivering higher-quality outcomes and better internal coordination, o Resident Experience - making services faster, more accessible, more transparent, and more responsive.

Scope
The study encompasses the following City departments and functions, including:
 Administrative Services (including IT and finance)
 Community Development / Planning
 Public Works (including utilities)
 Community Services (Library & Parks & Recreation)
 City Clerk
Key activities completed under the scope include:
 Interviews and workshops with more than 36 City staff members and leadership  Review of organizational charts, job descriptions, budgets, financial statements, IT inventories, process documentation, and audit findings
 Benchmarking against peer municipalities (using Transparent California, CalOpps, and industry standards)  Assessments of the City’s current state through: Current State Assessment, Information and Insight Analysis, Organizational Structure & Staffing Component, Process Improvement & Efficiency Potential, Cost Savings Potential, and Technology Utilization & Modernization
The study focuses on structural, process, financial, and technological levers rather than policy-level decisions (e.g., service level reductions or tax policy changes), which remain the prerogative of the City Council.

By addressing these four core pillars—structure, processes, costs, and technology—in an integrated manner, the study aims to equip City leadership with a clear, evidence-based roadmap to achieve greater resilience, fiscal health, operational excellence, and resident satisfaction in the years ahead.

2.3. Methodology Summary
Blackberg used the City Fitness Framework (CFF) (See Figure 1) to provide structure and context for the study. The primary focus of the overall study is the “Structure” element within the CFF; however, it is important to understand how other elements interact and affect the Structure (i.e. Talent, Alignment, Elements of Performance, etc.). Specifically, one can study each element within the CFF in relative isolation, but the reality of any organization is that each element is interreacting with all other elements as a complex adaptive system. These interactions might be primary, secondary, or tertiary, but there is an interaction. In this sense, the elements are mutually enhancing (sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worst).

Therefore, it is important to understand the interactions in different parts of the organization.

In developing the Current State Analysis, Blackberg focused on the Structure element within the CFF, but we also assessed the City organization broadly with some focus on Talent, Culture, and Ongoing Operations (See Figure 1 red boxes). Our methodology covered 4 steps: Document Review, Survey, Structured Interviews, and Analysis.

BLACKBERG
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Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
7 Figure 1 – City Fitness Framework: In conducting efficiency and business transformation studies, Blackberg examines all elements that impact a city’s effectiveness, efficiency, and performance.

3.0 Recommendations
The City Fitness Framework is a simplified view of the complex adaptive system that represents any organization. A key challenge with organizations is to understand how the different elements can be self-reinforcing and mutually enhancing— both beneficially and detrimentally. Blackberg used the City Fitness Framework to identify the different components of the City’s organization and to recommend improvements. Many of our recommendations fall under the Control and Coordination element; however, we also provide recommendations for improvements in many other areas. Two essential questions, in preparation for transformation, are where should the City begin and how should it sequence its efforts to improve effectiveness and efficiency.

To answer those two questions, Blackberg developed the Transformation Roadmap that you will find on the next six pages.

The City should begin preparations with the recommended Pre-Transformation activities. Once ready for transformation, the first and most important step is for the City to develop a City Strategic Plan. In parallel to the City Strategic Plan development, the City could also launch the Fraud, Waste, and Abuse (FWA) mitigation engagement.

A City Strategic Plan serves as the essential North Star for St. Helena, replacing fragmented efforts with unified direction.

It aligns departments, Council, staff, and residents around clear priorities, links budget decisions to community outcomes, and enables measurable progress. Benefits include improved resource allocation, enhanced transparency, stronger public trust, and a foundation for all transformation initiatives—driving effectiveness and efficiency gains while delivering consistent, resident-centered services.

Transformation Roadmap. The Transformation Roadmap is the City of St. Helena’s comprehensive, phased blueprint for translating the findings of the Efficiency and Business Transformation Study into measurable, sustainable improvements in effectiveness, efficiency, resident service delivery, and long-term fiscal resilience. Developed by Blackberg as the culminating deliverable of the study, the Roadmap integrates insights from all prior phases—Current State Analysis, Information and Insight Analysis, Organizational Structure and Staffing, Process Improvement and Efficiency Potential, Financial Efficiency Review, and Technology Utilization and Modernization—into a single, actionable sequence. Communications Internal Comms External Comms
= Area of heavy focus
City Fitness Framework
= Area of focus

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Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
8 The Roadmap is intentionally designed as a living document. As new information, stakeholder feedback, or changing realities emerge, the City should refine it annually in conjunction with updates to the City Strategic Plan. Each phase is sequenced to build momentum while managing risk and resource demands, with Phase 1 being the longest. The Roadmap is anchored in proven frameworks (TOGAF, ITIL 4, CMMI, customer-centered design, and continuous quality improvement) and emphasizes high-priority initiatives, lever points (small shifts that produce outsized impact), and clear governance through the Program Management Office (PMO).

Successful transformation begins with deliberate preparation. The following sections explain each component of the Roadmap, beginning with the foundational Pre-Transformation Activities.

Figure 2 illustrates the critical preparatory phase that we recommend precede full transformation. These 2–4 months of targeted activities establish the governance, talent, skills, and alignment required for success while minimizing disruption and risk. The diagram centers on the newly established Program Management Office (PMO) as the central coordination hub. The PMO is created by realigning existing roles (Management Analyst and Public Works Project Manager) at no net additional cost and serves as the “nerve center” for disciplined project execution, risk management, resource allocation, and cross-departmental coordination. Completing these pre-transformation activities creates the essential foundation of governance, capability, and alignment, dramatically increasing the likelihood that Phases 1–3 will deliver the projected annual cost savings, reallocations, and avoidance.

Phase 1 Recommendations to Improve Effectiveness and Efficiency (10–12 Months) – Figure 3 Figure 3 details Phase 1, the foundational phase of active transformation. It begins with the highest-priority item—the City Strategic Plan (A.1)—and includes two strategic hires and multiple high-priority initiatives that establish core systems, policies, and processes. Lever Points (small shifts with big impact) in Phase 1 include policy documentation in a centralized register, dashboard tracking of policy adherence, FWA mitigation to rebuild trust, customer-centered design familiarization before deeper reengineering, and establishing a culture of continuous quality improvement.

Key elements flow from the City Strategic Plan and converge through Begin Business Process Reengineering (Maturity Level 2) (A.10), which includes As-Is diagramming, analysis, To-Be design, and initial implementation. Supporting streams include:
• High-priority strategic hiring (HR Manager, IT Manager) and new positions. • Enhanced City Council oversight tools (design, implementation, and Executive Dashboard). • Governance & Policy Framework (design and implementation). • Foundational systems: Talent Management System, Knowledge Management System, Records Digitization, Dashboard Development, Change Management System, and RIMS cloud migration. • Cross-cutting enablers: Customer-Centered Design Framework, RASCI Matrix launch, Training Program, and TOGAF/ITIL 4/CMMI adoption.

Lever Points (small shifts with big impact) in Phase 1 include policy documentation in a centralized register, dashboard tracking of policy adherence, FWA mitigation to rebuild trust, customer-centered design familiarization before deeper reengineering, and establishing a culture of continuous quality improvement.

By the end of Phase 1, the City will have a unified strategic direction, professionalized talent and technology leadership, clearer roles and accountability, foundational management systems, and initial BPR results—creating early wins and the data infrastructure needed for subsequent phases.

Phase 2 Recommendations to Improve Effectiveness and Efficiency – Figure 4 Figure 4 shows Phase 2, which drives deeper operational transformation and realizes efficiency gains. Building on Phase 1 foundations, this phase advances Continue Business Process Reengineering (Maturity Level 2 & Targeted Level 3) with a strong emphasis on integration and automation.

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Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
9 Key focus areas include:
• City Accountant hire and Accounting Focus for BPR (high priority). • FWA Control Recommendations and IT & AI Solutions for Integration & Automation. • Public Works Long-Term Strategy (high priority)—the area of highest transformational potential—including preventative maintenance, predictive analytics, and evaluation of outsourcing options for water/wastewater services (Total Outsource, Water Outsource, or As-Is Improved).
• Continued development of management systems: Risk Management, Asset Management, Customer Relationship Management, and Quality Management Systems.
• Strategic Communications Plan (tied to the Change Management System).

Lever Points in Phase 2 highlight accounting integration/automation, careful coordination with the IT Manager for costeffective IT/AI solutions, Public Works as the highest-potential area for change, and strategic communications as essential to successful change management.

Phase 2 delivers tangible staffing efficiency gains, optimized workflows, and measurable cost reductions while maintaining or improving service quality.

Phase 3 Recommendations to Improve Effectiveness and Efficiency – Figure 5 Figure 5 depicts Phase 3, which cements optimization and organizational maturity. The phase focuses on full integration of management systems under a System of Systems with TOGAF architecture and advances Continue Business Process Reengineering (Targeted Level 3).

Core activities include:
• Alignment and integration of all management systems (Change Management, Customer Relationship Management, Quality Management, Asset Management, Talent Management, Knowledge Management, and ITIL 4). • Comprehensive KPIs for Systems and Comprehensive Executive Dashboard. • Pursuit of Level 3 CMMI Certification (with consideration of Levels 4–5 in select high-impact areas).

Lever Point: Strong alignment across systems—particularly shared data from a common database—combined with comprehensive, timely dashboards that provide evidence of process performance and tie directly to the RASCI framework.

By the conclusion of Phase 3, the City will operate with proactive, integrated, data-driven systems, sustained Level 3 process maturity, and a culture of continuous quality improvement. This creates a resilient, citizen-centered government capable of anticipating needs rather than reacting to them.

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Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
10 Figure 2 – Transformation Roadmap, Pre-Transformation Activities: The Pre-Transformation activities will help the City prepare for the challenges of transformation.

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Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
11 Figure 3 – Transformation Roadmap, Phase 1: Phase 1 of the transformation includes many critical projects, beginning with the City Strategic Plan and including two strategic hires.

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Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
12 Figure 4 – Transformation Roadmap, Phase 2: Phase 2 of the transformation continues development of the management systems and has a key focus on automation in accounting and a long-term strategy for Public Works.

Transformation Roadmap – Phase 2 Recommendations to Improve Effectiveness and Efficiency B.5 Continue Business Process Reengineering (Maturity Level 2 & Targeted Level 3) Business Process Reengineering Phase 1As-Is
Diagraming
As-Is
Analysis
To-Be
Design
To-Be
implement
Continuous Quality Improvement
B.3 Accounting Focus
for BPR
High Priority
B.4 IT & AI Solutions
for Integration &
Automation
2 B.1 City Accountant
High Priority
B.2 FRA Control
Recommendations
1 B.12 Public Works
Long-Term Strategy
Total Outsource
Water Outsource
As-Is Improved

OPTIONS
B.14 Strategy
Implementation
B.6 Staffing Efficiency
Gains Restructuring
B.8 Asset
Management
System
B.2 FRA Control
Recommendations
B.7 Risk
Management
System
B.10 Customer
Relationship
Management System
B.11 Quality
Management System
Management System
Development Continues
High Priority
3 2
1 Accounting ties into many processes in
other departments. These processes need to
be integrated and automated.
2 Careful coordination with the IT Manager
supports selection and 100%
implementation of IT and AI solutions that
are fully integrated for minimal cost.
3 Public Works is the area of city government with the highest potential for transformational change. Public Works is an area of high work volume that ranges from simple to complex with seasonality impacts on surges in staffing needs. This is an area of highest challenge for a small town to operate as a total solution.

Primary amongst those challenges is water and wastewater services.

Lever Points Description
Lever Points are places where a small shift in
one area can produce big changes. Lever
Points exist at each element but gain power
through their interconnectedness—a change in
one area often cascades to others. In phase 2,
Blackberg identifies 3 Lever Points that can
trigger significant improvements in
effectiveness and efficiency.

B.13 Preventative
Maintenance &
Predictive Analytics
B.9 Strategic
Communications Plan
A.20 Change
Management System 4
4 Strategic communications planning ties into
change management efforts and the change
management system. It is impossible to
effectively change without strong
communications.

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Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
13 Figure 5 – Transformation Roadmap, Phase 3: Phase 3 includes purposeful development of a “system of systems” framework and finalizes process maturation to level 3 across the City.

Transformation Roadmap – Phase 3 Recommendations to Improve Effectiveness and Efficiency C.1 Management Systems
Change Management System
Customer Relationship
Management System
Quality Management System
Asset Management System
Talent Management System
Knowledge Management System
ITIL 4
C.2 System of Systems
with TOGAF
C.5 Continue Business Process Reengineering (Targeted Level 3) Business Process Reengineering Phase 1As-Is
Diagraming As-Is Analysis To-Be Design To-Be
implement
Continuous Quality Improvement
C.6 Seek Level 3 CMMI
Certification
C.4 Comprehensive
Executive Dashboard
C.3 Comprehensive KPIs
for Systems
1 3
1 2
It is critical that the various management systems within the City have alignment, and in some cases, shared information drawing from the same database. Further, it is important that within each system there exists alignment between people, process, IT, and customer objectives. TOGAF will significantly aid in designing, tracking, and maintaining such alignment and management.

A primary weakness of the City is a lack of quality, reliable, and timely information. A comprehensive dashboard will support communication of information to various stakeholders. It is also key to establish the dashboard in a manner that it reports on KPIs that show evidence of the various processes being used effectively and efficiently. In this sense, it can be a forcing mechanism for managers to complete all aspects of their job.

This also ties directly to the RASCI framework element.

Lever Points Description
Lever Points are places where a small shift in
one area can produce big changes. Lever
Points exist at each element but gain power
through their interconnectedness—a change in
one area often cascades to others. In phase 3,
Blackberg identifies 1 Lever Point that can
trigger significant improvements in
effectiveness and efficiency.

C.7 Consider Levels 4 & 5 CMMI
Maturity for Select Areas
2 A.4 RASCI Matrix
Launch

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Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
14 4.0 Organizational Staffing Perspective
In the following subsections and Figures 6-11, we provide recommendations for changes to the City’s organizational structure. Please note that all estimated cost savings and cost increases are “base salary”. They do not include overhead and indirect costs for the positions. Also, with any recommended position eliminations, we recommend this mostly be achieved through natural attrition versus any terminations of staff. However, some terminations might be necessary if it is found that existing staff have serious gaps in capabilities for their position.

4.1. Phase 1
1) Hire an “HR Manager” – This position is key to move the City from reactive hiring to strategic hiring. It is also a critical position to establish and lead the Talent Management System. We recommend that this position be 1.0 fulltime. The position should be staffed with an individual that is at a more senior level of experience. They should have multiple years of HR experience in California (8+ years of total experience). We recommend that the HR Manager be maximally independent from the City Manager and Executive Managers to avoid any undue influence on hirings. Further, we recommend that the question of maintaining the independence of the HR Manager be a key question for the recommended FWA mitigation engagement. We estimate a base salary cost of $120,000 annually.

The existing HR Technician position is recommended for elimination, which will offset about half of the cost. 2) The existing Management Analyst position moves from Administrative Services into a newly established Program Management Office. There are no net cost savings or increases. 3) The Public Works Project Manager moves to the new Program Management Office. There are no net cost savings or increases.
4) The Public Works Finance Analyst moves under Administrative Services but continues to serve Public Works. This position also supports the new Program Management Office. The purpose of this move is to ensure that an accounting focused role maintains a line of reporting in accounting. There are no net cost savings or increases. 5) The Public Works Environmental Services Technician II and Assistant Engineer move under Community Development with no cost savings or increases.
6) Hire an “IT Manager” – The IT Manager (half-time) is added under Administrative Services. This is a key role to support digitization and automation efforts across the City. We estimate a base salary of $90,000 ($180,000 if fulltime annually). 7) Records Technician (Summer Intern) – The City currently has many records in hard copy format only. We recommend the use of a Records Technician to digitize the hard copies. The job is relatively simple; however, it is critical to move all records to digital format to enable automation and knowledge management efforts. This is also a key task to reduce work volume on the City Clerk. We estimate the cost impact as small: $8,160. 8) We recommend the elimination of the Director of Community Services position. However, we understand that the position does provide support for recreation. Therefore, we recommend the hiring of an addition Recreation Supervisor in combination with the elimination of Director of Community Services. We estimate a net cost savings of $89,000. We recommend the elimination of the Deputy Community Services Director / City Librarian position which could reallocate approximately $170,000 annually. This can be achieved with natural attrition of personnel instead of any terminations.

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Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
15 Figure 6 – Phase 1 Recommended Organizational Structure Changes for Administrative Services.

Figure 7 – Phase 1 Recommended Establishment of Program Management Office.

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Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
16 Figure 8 – Phase 1 Recommended Organizational Structure Changes for Community Services.

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Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
17 Figure 9 – Phase 1 Recommended Organizational Structure Changes for Community Services.

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Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
18 4.2. Phase 2
Hire a “City Accountant” – This position leads and manages all accounting efforts for the City. We recommend this position have minimum qualifications of a CPA; bachelor’s or master’s degree in accounting (no substitutions); and experience with automated accounting systems. We highly recommend that the City explore candidates beyond the Napa region and beyond individuals with government experience. This effort should begin in Phase 1 with a target start date at the beginning of Phase 2. This will create a temporary (~1 year) overstaffing of Administrative Services/Accounting to focus on the shift to automated solutions. Please note, many automated solutions are already available in the existing accounting system software; however, they have either not been activated or not fully implemented. We estimate the base salary cost of the City Accountant at $147,000 annually. At the end of Phase 2, the Finance Manager and one (1) Accounting Technician position can be removed for cost reallocation. This will produce an estimated saving of approximately $213,000.

Public Works – The City should explore long-term/very long-term strategies for staffing Water and Wastewater Treatment.

The current staffing is lean, and it will be impossible for the City to ever achieve desirable economies of scale because its population size is low. Research shows that significant economies of scale begin with a population size of about 10,000 and continue to improve until about 50,000-100,000. This means that the City is always going to face efficiency and effectiveness challenges in Water and Wastewater Treatment. Blackberg believes that the optimal goal is to outsource Water and Wastewater Treatment. If successful, this would enable the elimination of one of the Public Works Senior Manager positions with possible reallocation of savings to building maintenance. We provide recommendations and further discussion in section 7.12.

Figure 10 – Phase 2 Recommended Organizational Structure Changes for Administrative Services.

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Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
19 Figure 11 – Phase 2 Recommended Organizational Structure Changes for Public Works.

4.3. Phase 3
We do not have any recommended organizational changes for Phase 3.

4.4. Phase 1-3 Salary Considerations
In Deliverable 3A’s Figure 6, we compared the City’s total compensation for select manager roles to California averages.

We also examined how much more expensive the cost of living in Napa County is in comparison to California average. Our findings indicate that the City is overpaying substantially for many positions, even when adjusted for cost-of-living differences. The City has an opportunity, over the long term, to reduce total compensation to market averages. The timing of these adjustments could occur at any time as we recommend the City achieve this through natural attrition of the positions.

This represents a significant goal for the new HR Manager and “strategic hiring” efforts. Further, there are potential cost savings through strategic partnerships with adjacent municipalities. The City should explore strategic sharing of resources, such as the Police Chief, Fire Chief, IT Manager, or HR Manager, to reduce total salary burden on St. Helena. For clarity, the City should still target a half-time IT Manager and full-time HR Manager. However, those individuals could potentially

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Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
20 both be full-time, with their salary split between municipalities. The potential total cost savings of salary reduction to market averages and strategic partnering is over $900,000 annually. However, it is very difficult to predict when these savings might be realized.

5.0 Pre-Transformation

5.1. Transformation Roadmap Editing and Enhancements
To secure additional organizational buy-in and refine the Transformation Roadmap before full implementation, the City should conduct a focused editing and enhancement process during the pre-transformation period. This activity involves targeted stakeholder feedback sessions with City Council, the City Manager, department heads, and key staff to validate timelines, resource needs, and interdependencies across the three phases.

The goal is to strengthen alignment with the emerging City Strategic Plan and ensure pre-transformation activities integrate seamlessly with Phase 1 priorities. Enhancements may include minor adjustments to sequencing, clearer performance metrics for lever points, or updated risk mitigations, while preserving the integrity of Blackberg’s core recommendations.

Caution: The study strongly advises against significant changes to the Roadmap at this stage. Major revisions could undermine the evidence-based foundation developed through the full Efficiency and Business Transformation Study and delay momentum. Instead, the process should focus on refinement, clarification, and ownership. However, Blackberg believes more significant additions and refinements will be warranted in the future for phases 2 and 3 as the transformation advances and more information arrives.

5.2. Fraud, Waste, and Abuse (FWA) Mitigation RFP and Contract Blackberg recommends that the City issue an RFP and award a contract for an independent, third-party FWA mitigation engagement. This specialized assessment will identify vulnerabilities in financial controls, procurement, payroll, contracts, and resource stewardship identified in the current state analysis.

Blackberg Group cannot participate due to an inherent conflict of interest; the selected firm must have no prior relationship with the City to ensure complete objectivity and maintain public confidence. The engagement will deliver comprehensive FWA risk assessments, forensic analytics, proactive prevention strategies (including internal control enhancements, anonymous reporting mechanisms, and staff training), and specific recommendations for remediation.

Of particular interest with FWA, the City should seek guidance on how to maintain the independence of the HR Manager to avoid undue influence of senior leaders wanting hiring for reasons misaligned with the City’s interests. This should include discussion on cautions with consultant input that may not be entirely “independent.”

5.3. Program Management Office
The City should establish a “lightweight” Program Management Office (PMO) at the beginning of pre-transformation period to serve as the central governance hub for the entire Transformation Roadmap. The PMO will be formed by realigning existing resources—the Management Analyst and Public Works Project Manager—at no net additional cost. The PMO can be fully built over the duration of the 2-4 month pre-transformation activities.

Once operational, the PMO will provide disciplined oversight of all pre-transformation and Phase 1 activities, including standardized project execution methodologies, risk management, resource allocation, stakeholder coordination, and progress tracking. It will ensure the multiple high-priority initiatives (strategic planning, BPR, dashboard development, governance framework, etc.) remain interconnected and on schedule.

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Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
21 Caution: Blackberg cautions strongly against viewing the PMO as wholly and solely responsible for implementing and developing the various initiatives of the transformation. The City Manager and Executive Management Team must remain extensively involved and ultimately accountable for outcomes.

The PMO creates the operational backbone that greatly improves the City’s ability to achieve sustainable efficiency gains and successful transformation results. It also serves as the single point of integration for the FWA mitigation engagement, Change Management Training, HR Manager onboarding, and Strategic Planning preparation.

5.4. Change Management Training
During the pre-transformation period, the City should conduct comprehensive Change Management Training for leadership and staff. This training equips participants with proven frameworks—most notably the ADKAR Model and Kotter’s 8-Step Process—to navigate organizational change effectively.

Participants will learn how to address emotional and practical barriers, minimize resistance, build coalitions, create urgency, generate short-term wins, and anchor new behaviors into the culture. The curriculum will be tailored to the City’s specific transformation context, including the upcoming City Strategic Plan, Business Process Reengineering, new management systems, and potential staffing adjustments.

By completing this training before Phase 1 begins, the City will foster a culture of adaptability, stronger organizational buyin, and successful execution of Business Process Reengineering and other high-priority initiatives. The training also directly supports the Strategic Planning Training and Preparation activity by giving leaders the tools needed to facilitate inclusive planning sessions and communicate vision effectively.

Caution: Change management cannot be treated as a one-time event; it must be reinforced continuously through the PMO and future communications plans. Early investment in these skills will reduce the risk of stalled initiatives and accelerate the realization of efficiency gains across all phases.

5.5. Human Resource Manager Hiring
The City should hire a highly capable, full-time Human Resources Manager (senior level with some California public-sector or equivalent experience and commercial experience) during the pre-transformation period. It is critical that the individual has experience and passion for hiring high performers and building highly capable teams. This should include substantial experience in recruiting from the commercial sector. This strategic hire is essential to move from reactive hiring to professional talent management and to support the broader transformation effort.

The HR Manager will lead development of the Talent Management System, modernize recruitment and onboarding practices, implement performance frameworks, and ensure strategic alignment between workforce planning and the City Strategic Plan. The position should be structured with appropriate independence from the City Manager and Executive Team to maintain impartiality, especially in relation to the FWA mitigation engagement.

Caution: The HR Manager must not be unduly influenced by the City Manager or Executive Management. The City should explicitly address this independence requirement in the job description and onboarding plan.

This role is foundational because much of the transformation’s success hinges on the City’s ability to attract, develop, and retain talent capable of executing BPR, new management systems, and cultural change. The HR Manager will also support the Records Technician (summer intern) hire and future strategic partnership explorations. Net cost impact is low after eliminating the existing HR Technician position.

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Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
22 5.6. Strategic Planning Training and Preparation
The City should conduct Strategic Planning Training and Preparation during the pre-transformation period to equip leadership and key staff with the knowledge and tools needed to develop St. Helena’s first comprehensive City Strategic Plan.

Training will cover best-practice strategic planning methodologies, vision and mission development, situational analysis (SWOT), stakeholder engagement techniques, goal setting with measurable objectives, and alignment with the Transformation Roadmap. Participants will also review example strategic plans from peer municipalities to understand how to create a visually engaging, actionable document that serves as the North Star for all transformation activities.

This preparation ensures the strategic planning process itself models the desired future state—transparent, inclusive, datainformed, and resident-centered. It directly incorporates insights from the FWA mitigation engagement, customer-centered design principles, and organizational fitness findings.

By completing this activity before Phase 1, the City establishes the foundational alignment required for successful Business Process Reengineering, governance framework development, and all subsequent initiatives. The resulting City Strategic Plan will articulate clear priorities (including rebuilding trust through FWA mitigation and operational excellence) and provide the measurable outcomes against which transformation progress will be tracked.

6.0 Recommendations – Phase 1

6.1. City Strategic Plan (A.1)
The City of St. Helena stands at a pivotal moment. The Efficiency and Business Transformation Study has illuminated significant opportunities to modernize operations, strengthen governance, and rebuild public trust. A foundational step in realizing these opportunities is the development and adoption of a new, comprehensive City Strategic Plan, the priority (A.1) in the proposed transformation roadmap. Based on input from multiple managers, we understand that St. Helena has never had a strategic plan. It is time for that to change.

A robust strategic plan will serve as the unifying framework for all subsequent initiatives, ensuring that business process reengineering, technology modernization, organizational restructuring, and FWA mitigation efforts advance in a coordinated, purposeful direction. Without a clear strategic vision, even the most well-designed improvements risk becoming fragmented or misaligned with community expectations.

The plan should articulate a compelling vision: a City government that is transparent, resident-centered, fiscally responsible, and operationally excellent. Central themes might include:
 Rebuilding Community Trust: Trust has been eroded by past concerns around fraud, waste, and abuse. The strategic plan should explicitly commit to FWA mitigation as a core pillar, with measurable goals for enhanced internal controls, regular audits, and public reporting. Establishing trust with residents must be a defining theme, demonstrated through tangible actions rather than rhetoric alone.  Customer-Centered Service Delivery: Incorporate customer-centered design principles from the outset. The plan should prioritize understanding resident and business needs, streamlining interactions, and measuring satisfaction, ensuring that process improvements translate into better experiences at every touchpoint.  Operational Excellence and Maturity Growth: Align the plan with the phased movement toward CMMI Maturity Level 3, embedding continuous quality improvement, integrated management systems (knowledge, talent, quality, asset, customer relationship), and modern technology frameworks (TOGAF, ITIL 4). The strategic plan should set

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23 clear targets for efficiency gains, cost savings, and service enhancements across departments, with particular emphasis on high-impact areas like Public Works and financial management.  Long-Term Sustainability: Address the unique challenges and strengths of St. Helena—seasonal demands, water and wastewater infrastructure, tourism-driven economy, and small-city scale. The plan should outline strategies for strategic partnerships, potential outsourcing where appropriate, and investments in predictive analytics and preventative maintenance to ensure resilient essential services.

The planning process itself should model the desired future state: inclusive, transparent, and data-informed. Engage City Council, staff, residents, business leaders, and regional partners through workshops, surveys, and public forums. Leverage insights from the transformation study deliverables—current state analysis, organizational review, technology assessment, and process improvement findings—to ground objectives in evidence.

Implementation should begin immediately, targeting adoption within the next 12–18 months, with annual progress reviews tied to the City Council Executive Dashboard. The newly recommended Human Resources and IT Managers should play key roles in supporting plan execution.

By placing the City Strategic Plan at the forefront of the transformation agenda, St. Helena can chart a clear path toward a more effective, efficient, and trusted local government—one that honors its heritage while confidently meeting future demands.

Core Attributes of a Strategic Plan vs. a Simple List of Goals and Objectives A strategic plan is a comprehensive, dynamic roadmap that guides an organization (like a city government) toward longterm success. It goes far beyond merely listing goals or objectives, which are often static, disconnected aspirations that lack context, direction, or accountability. A simple list might say "Improve public trust" or "Enhance operational efficiency," but it doesn't explain why, how, who, when, or how to measure progress. This can lead to fragmented efforts, misaligned resources, and limited impact.

In contrast, an effective strategic plan integrates analysis, inspiration, execution, and adaptation into a cohesive framework. It aligns the entire organization, builds buy-in, and enables ongoing adjustment in response to changing conditions—critical for a municipality like St. Helena facing trust issues, fiscal constraints, and operational challenges.

Aspect Simple List of Goals/Objectives Comprehensive Strategic Plan Scope Narrow: Broad or specific aspirations (e.g.,
"Reduce waste," "Build trust")
Holistic: Full roadmap from current reality to
future vision
Foundation None or minimal Mission (purpose), Vision (future state), Core Values (guiding principles)
Analysis Absent Situational assessment (e.g., SWOT, current state review, stakeholder input)
Direction Vague outcomes Prioritized goals (broad, long-term) + SMART objectives (specific, measurable)
Execution No "how" Strategies (approaches), action plans (tactics, timelines, responsibilities, resources)
Capabilities Often ignored Ensuring City staff have the capabilities and experience needed to execute the strategy
Measurement Rarely included KPIs, metrics, dashboards for tracking progress and outcomes
Accountability &
Adaptation
None Assigned roles, regular reviews, flexibility to
adjust based on results

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24 Engagement Limited Inclusive process with stakeholders (residents, staff, council) for buy-in and relevance
Outcome Often unrealized or siloed Sustainable change, alignment, and measurable impact over 3–10 years
For St. Helena, a true strategic plan would weave in themes like community trust and customer-centered design, ensuring transformation efforts (e.g., BPR, IT modernization) cascade from a unified vision, turning aspirations into achievable, accountable progress.

Common best practices of strategic planning/strategic plans include:
 Clear Foundational Elements: Starts with a compelling mission (why the city exists), vision (desired future), and values (e.g., transparency, resident-centered service) to inspire and unify.  Robust Situational Analysis: Grounds the plan in reality via SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats), data review, and community input—essential for addressing issues like FWA mitigation or Public Works challenges.  Hierarchical Goals and Objectives: Broad goals linked to specific, measurable objectives, prioritized to focus limited resources.
 Strategies and Actionable Initiatives: Details how to achieve objectives, including phased implementation, resource allocation, and integration across departments.  Performance Measurement: Defines KPIs and monitoring tools (e.g., executive dashboards) to track adherence and results.
 Implementation and Accountability: Assigns owners, timelines, and budgets; ties to operational plans and annual reviews.
 Stakeholder Involvement and Communication: Engages residents, staff, and council throughout for ownership and trust-building.
 Flexibility and Urgency: Includes mechanisms for annual updates and a sense of priority to drive change without rigidity.

There are many small towns and cities strategic plans that St. Helena can review for inspiration and ideas. We provide some snapshots from such examples below (Figures 12-14).

Figure 12 – Strategic Plan Example 1: City strategic plans can cover a wide range of topics, goals, and interests that are addressed in a holistic manner.

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25 Figure 13 – Strategic Plan Example 2: City strategic plans are visually engaging and informative.

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26 Figure 14 – Strategic Plan Example 3: City strategic plans establish a mission and vision while including actionable priorities with timelines.

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27 6.2. Strategic Hiring (A.2)
The City of St. Helena’s Efficiency and Business Transformation Study underscores that organizational capacity is a critical bottleneck to achieving operational excellence. Strategic hiring must be elevated as an immediate priority to build the internal expertise needed for sustainable change.

Current staffing gaps, particularly in specialized roles, limit the City’s ability to execute complex initiatives like business process reengineering, IT modernization, FWAmitigation, and maturity growth toward CMMI Level 3. Filling key positions with qualified, change-oriented professionals will provide the leadership and technical skills essential for success.

Immediate High-Priority Hires:
 Human Resources Manager: To develop a Talent Management System, modernize recruitment and retention practices, implement performance frameworks, and foster a culture of continuous improvement and accountability.  IT Manager: To lead cloud migration (e.g., RIMS replacement), select and integrate AI-enabled solutions, establish ITIL 4 governance, and support automation across departments.  City Accountant (Phase 2): To strengthen financial controls, integrate accounting processes, and enhance FWA safeguards.

These roles should be recruited strategically: craft position descriptions aligned with the emerging City Strategic Plan, emphasize competencies in change management and customer-centered design, and target candidates with transformation experience. Competitive compensation, flexible work options, and clear career paths will be vital to attract top talent to a small community.

Strategic hiring extends beyond initial roles. Adopt best practices including competency-based selection, diverse candidate pools, and onboarding tied to transformation goals. Integrate hires into cross-functional teams to accelerate knowledge transfer and momentum.

By investing in the right people early, St. Helena can catalyze cascading improvements—unlocking efficiency gains, rebuilding trust, and positioning the organization for long-term resilience. Seek candidates that have the foundational education and training, coupled with interest, to become future executive managers in the City. Begin recruitment within the next 3–6 months, coordinating with interim support as needed.

Critical Recommendation
To attract the transformative talent required for the Efficiency and Business Transformation Study’s recommendations, the City should broaden its recruiting strategy beyond candidates with exclusively municipal government experience or traditional public administration degrees.

The Council-Manager form of government was intentionally designed to import private-sector best practices into public administration, modeling the City Council after a board of directors and the City Manager after a CEO. This structure was created to deliver greater efficiency, strategic long-term planning, and non-partisan professional expertise.

Remaining faithful to that founding vision, St. Helena should actively recruit private-sector leaders with proven expertise in change management, business process improvement, technology implementation, and financial stewardship.

Expanding searches beyond the Napa region—ideally to a multiple State scope—will deepen the candidate pool and enable the City to secure high-caliber professionals at competitive, market-aligned salaries.

This approach will infuse fresh perspectives and innovative practices, accelerating progress toward operational excellence, stronger internal controls, and renewed community trust.

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28 6.3. Strategic Partnerships (A.3)
St. Helena should pursue strategic partnerships to enhance capacity and fiscal sustainability. As a small city with limited scale, St. Helena faces ongoing challenges in attracting specialized talent, managing costs, and delivering resilient services.

Strategic partnerships—identified as a Phase 1 priority (A.3)—represent a high-impact opportunity to address these constraints through collaboration with neighboring jurisdictions, Napa County, regional consortia, and select private or nonprofit providers.

Partnerships enable shared expertise, risk, and resources while preserving local control. They align directly with the transformation study’s emphasis on efficiency, maturity growth, and community trust, allowing the City to access capabilities beyond its individual capacity without disproportionate fiscal burden.

A core focus should be Regional Water District and cost-shared leadership positions, where salaries, benefits, and overhead are apportioned based on usage or population:
• Police Chief and Fire Chief: Explore joint appointments or contracts with Napa County or nearby cities. Shared chiefs can provide strategic leadership, advanced training access, and enhanced emergency coordination while significantly reducing the City’s full-time cost burden. • IT Manager and Human Resources Manager: Form regional shared-service agreements with other small municipalities. A fractional IT Manager could oversee cloud migration, cybersecurity, and integrated systems across partners at lower per-entity expense. Similarly, a shared HR Manager would professionalize recruitment, talent management, and policy implementation without requiring dedicated full-time roles.

Beyond leadership, pursue partnerships for joint procurement, shared training programs, grant collaborations, and specialized services (e.g., regional GIS or financial auditing). These models have proven effective in small California communities, yielding 20–40% cost savings while improving service quality.

Initiate a formal partnership exploration task force, including Council, staff, and regional stakeholders, to evaluate options, negotiate memoranda of understanding, and pilot low-risk arrangements within 12 months. Prioritize agreements that include clear performance metrics, exit clauses, and alignment with the City Strategic Plan.

Strategic partnerships will amplify internal transformation efforts, deliver measurable fiscal relief, and position St. Helena as a collaborative regional leader—ultimately strengthening service delivery and resident trust.

6.4. RASCI Matrix Launch (A.4)
RASCI—Responsible (executes the task), Accountable (owns the outcome), Supports (provides resources/assistance), Consulted (offers input), and Informed (kept updated)—is a proven responsibility assignment framework that brings precision to role definition in complex or ambiguous environments (See Figure 15).

For St. Helena, where small staff size often leads to overlapping duties, informal handoffs, and unclear decision authority, the absence of explicit role clarity contributes to inefficiencies, delayed execution, and heightened risk of errors or fraud, waste, and abuse. The current state analysis reveals process bottlenecks rooted in “who does what” confusion, which undermines both daily operations and transformation initiatives.

Implementing a RASCI Matrix will directly address these issues by:
• Eliminating ambiguity: Every critical process, project, and recurring task will have clearly documented roles, reducing duplication, missed steps, and finger-pointing.

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29 • Strengthening accountability: A single Accountable party per activity ensures ownership and aligns with enhanced internal controls and FWA mitigation priorities.
• Facilitating collaboration: Explicit Support and Consulted roles promote cross-departmental coordination without overload, essential for business process reengineering and integrated management systems. This also enables direct ties to committees.
• Supporting change management: As new processes, technologies, and structures emerge, RASCI provides a living tool to redefine responsibilities, reduce resistance and accelerate adoption. • Enabling performance tracking: Matrices can feed into executive dashboards, allowing Council and leadership to monitor adherence and identify gaps.

Begin with high-priority processes (e.g., finance, permitting, public works) in Phase 1, involving staff in matrix development for buy-in. Store matrices in the Knowledge Management System and review quarterly as part of continuous quality improvement.

By institutionalizing RASCI, St. Helena will foster a culture of clarity and ownership, laying essential groundwork for maturity growth, operational excellence, and sustained community trust.

Figure 15 – RASCI: RASCI is critical for defining what City employees should be doing.

6.5. Fraud, Waste, & Abuse (FWA) Mitigation Engagement (A.5) Based on the findings from Blackberg's current state assessment, concluded January 2026, which identified potential vulnerabilities in financial controls, operational processes, and resource stewardship within the City's administration, we recommend the City Council procure specialized consulting services focused on FWA detection, prevention, and mitigation.

We have not found conclusive proof of existing or past fraud; however, we have seen evidence of non-criminal waste and abuse.

Blackberg Group, LLC cannot serve in this capacity due to an inherent conflict of interest. As the firm that recently conducted the current state assessment, Blackberg has deep prior involvement in evaluating the City’s financial controls, operational processes, and potential vulnerabilities. Engaging the same firm to perform the subsequent specialized FWA analysis and detection work would potentially compromise objectivity, independence, and the integrity of the investigation.

This could undermine public confidence in the findings and expose the City to risks of perceived or actual bias. However, Blackberg will provide recommendations in Deliverable 4 that will include tactics to detect and prevent FWA.

To preserve the credibility, thoroughness, and impartiality of this next step, the City should engage an entirely independent third-party consulting firm with no prior contractual relationship or involvement with the City.

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30 The selected firm should have:
• No previous engagements with the City (as contractor, consultant, subcontractor, or otherwise) to avoid any appearance—or reality—of compromised independence.
• Comprehensive FWA risk assessments and data-driven analytics to identify irregularities in procurement, payroll, grants, contracts, and other high-risk municipal functions. • Forensic accounting capabilities, including transaction tracing, loss quantification, evidence preservation, and expert witness support for investigations or litigation. • Proactive prevention strategies, such as enhancing internal controls, establishing or improving anonymous hotlines, conducting staff training, and implementing continuous monitoring tools. • A track record of serving city or local governments, ensuring familiarity with public sector regulations, transparency requirements, and taxpayer accountability.

Procurement guidelines should explicitly require disclosure of any past or current relationships with the City, its officials or employees, or related entities, with disqualification for any material conflicts.

Preference should be given to firms demonstrating a strong track record of ethical independence in public sector engagements, including adherence to professional standards (e.g., those from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners or Government Auditing Standards).

Initial Measures to Prevent FWA
Municipal governments, especially smaller ones, commonly face FWA risks in areas like procurement, payroll, financial transactions, and resource use. Leading organizations such as the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), and various state/local guidelines recommend proactive, layered approaches focusing on prevention, detection, and response. These tactics emphasize internal controls, culture, and technology to reduce vulnerabilities while building public trust.

Tactic Description Examples/Benefits
Strong Internal
Controls
Implement segregation of duties, multilevel approvals, and reconciliations to prevent single-person control over highrisk processes.

Require dual sign-off on payments; automate
invoice matching. Reduces errors and
manipulation (GFOA core recommendation).

Fraud Risk
Assessments &
Audits
Conduct regular internal/external audits
and targeted risk assessments to identify
vulnerabilities.

Annual fraud risk reviews; surprise audits in
finance/procurement. Enables early detection
(ACFE and GFOA frameworks).

Whistleblower
Hotlines &
Reporting Policies
Establish anonymous reporting channels
and anti-retaliation protections.

Toll-free hotlines or online forms. Encourages
staff/residents to report suspicions; often detects
40%+ of frauds (ACFE reports).

Employee Training
& Ethics Programs
Provide mandatory training on red flags,
ethics, and code of conduct.

Annual sessions on common schemes (e.g.,
billing fraud). Fosters a culture of integrity;
“tone at the top” from leadership is key.

Clear Policies &
Procedures
Develop written fraud prevention policies,
including vendor controls and conflict
disclosures.

Mandate competitive bidding; require vendor
verification. Standardizes operations and deters
abuse (common in California municipal
policies).

Technology & Data
Analytics
Use automated tools for monitoring and
anomaly detection.

Implement ERP systems with audit logs; AI for
pattern analysis in spending/payroll. Costeffective for proactive detection in resourcelimited cities.

Background Checks
& Vendor Due
Diligence
Screen employees/vendors and monitor
ongoing relationships.

Pre-employment checks; regular vendor audits.

Prevents insider threats and contractor fraud.

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31 Tactic Description Examples/Benefits
Independent
Oversight
Engage external experts for reviews or
create internal audit committees.

Hire independent forensic consultants for highrisk assessments. Ensures objectivity, especially post-vulnerability findings.

A core concern that led Blackberg to make this FWA recommendation (procure specialized consulting services focused on FWA) is the large lack of management systems within the City. The recommendations that we provide in proceeding sections concerning the establishment of Knowledge Management, Governance, Policy Documentation, and other management systems will greatly aid the City in combating potential FWA.

6.6. Enhanced City Council Oversight Design (A.6)
Enhanced City Council Oversight Design (A.6) is a Phase 1 priority that builds directly on the Fraud, Waste, and Abuse (FWA) Mitigation Engagement (A.5). The FWA engagement—through its current state assessment and vulnerability identification—will surface any gaps in financial controls, procurement, payroll, contracts, and resource stewardship that undermine fiscal integrity and public confidence. Enhanced oversight design translates these findings into structural improvements that empower the City Council to provide more effective, proactive monitoring and accountability.

In small municipalities like St. Helena, Council oversight has often been limited by inconsistent information, reactive reporting, and limited visibility into operational risks. The FWA engagement provides the evidence base: documented vulnerabilities that require stronger governance mechanisms to prevent recurrence, detect issues early, and ensure corrective action. Designing enhanced oversight addresses these by shifting from periodic reviews to systematic, data-informed supervision.

Key Elements of the Recommended Design:
 Structured Oversight Mechanisms: Establish dedicated committees or working groups focused on high-risk areas (e.g., finance/audit, operations/compliance (this already exists to some extent)) with clear charters, meeting cadences, and authority to request reports or audits.
 Expanded Reporting Requirements: Mandate regular, standardized reports from the City Manager on FWArelated metrics, internal control effectiveness, audit findings, and policy adherence. Include exception reporting for anomalies (e.g., unapproved expenditures, vendor issues).  Risk-Based Review Protocols: Develop a risk register derived from the FWA engagement findings, prioritizing oversight on vulnerable processes. Require quarterly deep dives into top risks, with staff presentations and Council questioning.
 Independent Assurance Integration: Incorporate findings from independent FWA consulting (recommended separately) and internal/external audits into Council briefings. Establish protocols for following up on recommendations.
 Transparency and Public Engagement: Design mechanisms for public reporting of oversight activities (e.g., summarized findings in meeting agendas) to reinforce trust and demonstrate responsiveness to FWA concerns.  Alignment with Broader Governance: Link oversight to the emerging Governance & Policy Framework, RASCI matrices for accountability, and dashboards for real-time visibility.

Design Approach: Led by the City Manager with Council input, begin design in Phase 1 (Months 1–9) following FWA engagement conclusions. Form a Council-staff working group to review FWA vulnerabilities and map them to oversight enhancements. Draft charters, reporting templates, and protocols; seek legal review for compliance with Brown Act and ethics rules. Pilot enhanced reporting in one high-risk area (e.g., finance) to test effectiveness.

Provide Council training on FWA risks, oversight best practices, and data interpretation. Tie progress to dashboards for tracking oversight metrics (e.g., issues identified/resolved, follow-up completion rates).

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32 Benefits:
 Directly mitigates FWA risks through proactive Council scrutiny.  Strengthens accountability between administration and elected officials.  Rebuilds resident trust by demonstrating rigorous stewardship.  Supports transformation success by ensuring governance keeps pace with change.

This enhanced oversight design turns FWA findings into actionable governance improvements, creating a more vigilant, transparent Council role that safeguards public resources and sustains long-term fiscal health.

6.7. Enhanced City Council Oversight Implementation (A.7) Following the Enhanced City Council Oversight Design phase, implementation (A.7) activates the new oversight mechanisms, turning structural improvements into operational reality. This step builds directly on the FWA Mitigation Engagement and the designed enhancements, ensuring the City Council can exercise proactive, informed supervision over high-risk areas identified in the current state assessment—financial controls, procurement, payroll, contracts, and resource stewardship. Successful implementation embeds accountability, transparency, and early risk detection into routine Council activities, preventing recurrence of past vulnerabilities while demonstrating tangible progress in rebuilding resident trust.

Key Implementation Steps:
 Launch and Activation (Months 9–12): Formalize adoption through a Council resolution endorsing the enhanced oversight structure. Establish or re-charter dedicated committees (e.g., Finance/Audit Oversight, Operations & Compliance) with defined scopes, meeting schedules (at least quarterly), and authority to summon reports, staff, or external auditors. Assign a Council liaison for each committee to coordinate with the City Manager.  Reporting Rollout (Months 10–15): Implement standardized reporting templates derived from FWA findings— monthly or quarterly packets covering key risk indicators, exception logs, internal control status, audit follow-ups, and policy compliance metrics. Require the City Manager to present these in closed-session briefings when sensitive, with summarized public versions for open meetings.  Training and Capacity Building (Months 10–18): Deliver targeted training for Council members on FWA risks, oversight best practices, interpreting dashboards, and asking probing questions. Include sessions on legal/ethical boundaries (Brown Act compliance, confidentiality) and data literacy to ensure effective use of new tools.  Integration with Tools and Processes (Months 12–18): Link oversight to the initial dashboards for real-time visibility into prioritized metrics (e.g., approval exceptions, budget variances, vendor concentration). Require RASCI matrices for oversight-related decisions and tie follow-up actions to the Governance & Policy Framework.  Monitoring and Adjustment (Ongoing from Month 12): Track implementation effectiveness through simple metrics (e.g., meeting attendance, issues escalated/resolved, Council satisfaction surveys). Conduct a 6-month review to refine processes, reporting formats, and committee charters based on experience.

Benefits:
 Enables proactive identification and resolution of FWA risks before escalation.  Strengthens separation of policy/oversight from administration.  Provides Council with the tools and information needed for confident stewardship.  Signals to residents a serious commitment to accountability and transparency.

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33 Resources and Support: Led by the City Manager with strong Council involvement; allocate modest funds (~$5–8K) for training, facilitation, and initial dashboard enhancements. Use the Change Management System to address any adjustment challenges among Council or staff.

By methodically implementing these enhancements, St. Helena transforms Council oversight from reactive to strategic— ensuring FWA vulnerabilities are actively managed and the City operates with the rigor and transparency residents expect.

6.8. City Council Executive Dashboard (A.8)
Building directly on the Enhanced City Council Oversight Implementation (A.7), the City Council Executive Dashboard (A.8) serves as the digital centerpiece for effective, proactive oversight. With new committees, standardized reporting protocols, and heightened focus on FWA risks established in the implementation phase, the Executive Dashboard translates those mechanisms into real-time, visual intelligence. It empowers Council members to monitor high-priority metrics without relying solely on periodic staff reports—enabling faster identification of exceptions, trends, or emerging issues in financial controls, procurement, policy compliance, and transformation progress.

Key Features:
 FWA-Focused Indicators: Real-time alerts and summaries for anomalies (e.g., unapproved disbursements, vendor concentration, payroll exceptions) tied to vulnerabilities identified in the FWA engagement.  Oversight Metrics: Track committee follow-up status, audit resolution rates, policy refresh compliance, and risk register updates.
 Strategic Alignment: Display progress against the City Strategic Plan goals, BPR milestones, training completion, and efficiency gains.
 Visual & Accessible Design: Traffic-light status indicators, trend charts, heat maps, and drill-down capabilities; mobile-friendly for Council review.
 Secure & Role-Based: Restricted access with audit logs to protect sensitive data while ensuring Council can view summarized public versions.

Implementation Approach: Led by the IT Manager with Council input and oversight committee guidance, develop in Phase 1 (Months 12–18). Use low-code tools (e.g., Power BI) integrated with existing data sources and planned systems (Knowledge Management). Start with a minimum viable dashboard featuring 10–12 core metrics prioritized from FWA findings and oversight needs. Conduct Council training on interpretation and interaction. Pilot with one committee, gather feedback, and iterate before full rollout.

Benefits:
• Enables proactive, evidence-based oversight, catching issues early. • Reinforces accountability and transparency post-FWA engagement. • Reduces information asymmetry between Council and administration. • Demonstrates tangible modernization to residents.

This dashboard operationalizes enhanced oversight, making Council supervision more effective, timely, and impactful— solidifying trust and fiscal stewardship.

6.9. Customer-Centered Design Framework (A.9)
Establishment of a Customer-Centered Design (CCD) Framework (See Figure 16) is as a high priority Phase 1 item, recommending that City management teams familiarize themselves with CCD principles before initiating business process reengineering (BPR). This resident-focused approach provides an essential external lens for evaluating existing processes, ensuring improvements prioritize user needs over internal convenience alone.

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34 CCD (also known as human-centered design) is an iterative methodology that emphasizes empathy, user research, ideation, prototyping, and testing to create intuitive, effective services. For St. Helena, CCD shifts the organizational mindset from “how we do things” to “how residents experience things,” directly supporting themes of transparency, efficiency, and community engagement.

Figure 16 – Customer-Centered Design Framework: This resident-focused approach provides an essential external lens for evaluating existing processes.

The key benefits of CCD include:
 Uncovers hidden pain points in resident interactions (e.g., complex permitting or fragmented communication), reducing waste from rework and complaints.
 Designs To-Be processes that are simpler and more accessible, improving satisfaction, compliance, and operational outcomes.
 Builds public trust through inclusive engagement, demonstrating the City’s commitment to listening and responding.
 Complements later initiatives like the Customer Relationship Management System and executive dashboards with user-derived metrics.

Implementation Approach for Customer-Centered Design Framework To ensure successful adoption, the CCD Framework should be rolled out in structured phases over 18–24 months, led by a dedicated cross-functional CCD Committee (including the City Manager, department directors, and resident representatives). This committee will oversee progress, allocate resources, and report quarterly to City Council via the Executive Dashboard.

Train and Build Capacity (Months 1–6): Begin with foundational training using established models like the Double Diamond (Discover, Define, Develop, Deliver). Deliver interactive workshops for 25–50% of staff, starting with leadership

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35 and BPR teams. Build and designate internal “champions.” Create a CCD resource library in the Knowledge Management System, including templates for empathy maps and personas.

Embed in BPR Phases (Months 3–18): Systematically integrate CCD tools into ongoing reengineering. During As-Is analysis, develop resident personas and journey maps to visualize pain points. In To-Be design, prototype solutions (e.g., digital forms or service counters) and test with real users. Mandate CCD checkpoints in all BPR projects, ensuring designs prioritize accessibility, simplicity, and inclusivity.

Foster Continuous Engagement (Ongoing, starting Month 4): Launch multi-channel feedback mechanisms: an online resident portal, quarterly focus groups, pop-up events at community venues, and partnerships with local organizations. Tie input directly to process improvements, publicly sharing “You Said, We Did” updates to demonstrate responsiveness.

Measure and Iterate (Months 6+): Define success metrics early (e.g., Net Promoter Score for services (modified for municipal government), reduction in complaints, or time saved per transaction). Conduct post-implementation user testing and annual audits, adjusting the framework based on results and aligning with CMMI maturity goals.

6.10. Begin Business Process Reengineering (Maturity Level 2) (A.10) We provide this recommendation in conjunction with our recommendations from Deliverable 3B. Please read Deliverable 3B before or after reading this section. Deliverable 3B provides additional details and visuals for reference. Further, we again emphasize that the City should complete the Customer-Centered Design Framework step prior to significant engagement in business process reengineering.

Business Process Reengineering (BPR) represents a foundational step in elevating the City of St. Helena’s operational maturity from its current CMMI Level 1-2 state to a more structured, efficient, and resident-focused Level 3 framework. As detailed in the Information and Insight Analysis (Deliverable 2), the City’s processes are largely informal, reactive, and person-dependent, with limited standardization, documentation, and cross-departmental integration. This immaturity manifests in inefficiencies such as backlogged workflows in Administrative Services, inconsistent asset tracking in Public Works, and siloed operations across departments like Community Development and Finance. The Process Improvement and Efficiency Potential (Deliverable 3C) further highlights financial pressures, including $1.6 million in potential annual cost savings through staffing reallocations, market salary adjustments, and strategic partnerships—savings that are contingent on process maturation, IT automation, and AI adoption.

At Maturity Level 2 (Repeatable/Defined), BPR focuses on establishing repeatable processes with basic ownership, documentation, and controls. This recommendation builds upon the Customer-Centered Design Framework outlined in prior discussions, emphasizing resident needs (e.g., reliable water quality, affordable housing, and well-maintained roads) as the core driver for redesign. It integrates with IT enhancements (e.g., transitioning to cloud-based systems like Azure and AI tools for automation) and governance improvements (e.g., an Integrated Policy-Performance Grid to align policies with processes and metrics). The goal is to create transparent, accountable workflows that reduce redundancies, lower costs by 20-30% in targeted areas, and improve service delivery metrics, such as reducing permit processing times from 28 days to under 14 days.

This comprehensive BPR approach is divided into five phases: As-Is Diagramming, As-Is Analysis, To-Be Design, To-Be Implementation, and Continuous Quality Improvement. Each phase includes actionable steps, timelines, responsible parties, required resources, potential challenges, and performance measures. Drawing from the Organizational Structure and Staffing Component (Deliverable 3A), we recommend reassigning resources—such as shifting the Public Works Financial Analyst to Administrative Services—to support BPR without immediate staff reductions.

Phase 1: As-Is Diagramming
The first phase of BPR involves mapping the current (“As-Is”) processes to create a baseline understanding of how work flows across the City. Currently, as noted in Deliverable 2, processes in Public Works (e.g., water treatment and street maintenance) rely on verbal handoffs and legacy spreadsheets, leading to delays and errors. Administrative Services faces

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Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
36 integration issues with tools like Springbrook and OpenGov, resulting in manual reconciliations that consume 20-30% of staff time. Community Development’s permitting processes, while somewhat documented, lack swimlane maps to visualize interdepartmental dependencies, contributing to 28-day average response times for building permits.

To address this, begin with a citywide process inventory using SIPOC (Supplier, Input, Process, Output, Customer) diagrams, as recommended in the BPM framework. This will document 50-70 core processes across departments, starting with high-impact areas like budget development (Administrative Services), asset maintenance (Public Works), and permit approval (Community Development).

Step-by-Step Actions:

1. Form a BPR Team: Assemble a cross-functional team of 8-10 members, including department heads (e.g., Administrative Services Director as lead, Public Works Director, Community Development Director), and a resident representative from the Finance Committee.

2. Conduct Process Discovery Workshops: Hold 4-6 workshops (one per major department) to identify inputs, outputs, and steps. Use tools like Miro, Microsoft PPT, or Microsoft Visio for collaborative diagramming. For example, map Public Works’ water treatment process: Suppliers (chemical vendors), Inputs (raw water samples), Processes (filtration and testing), Outputs (compliance reports), Customers (residents). Incorporate data from Grapevine reports (e.g., 532 PW tickets in 2025) to quantify volumes.

3. Create As-Is Maps: Develop 20-30 SIPOC diagrams and basic swimlane maps for key processes. For instance, the budget process map would show handoffs from departments to Finance, highlighting bottlenecks in data collection.

Integrate with existing tools like ArcGIS for asset-related processes.

4. Validate Maps: Review diagrams with frontline staff and residents for accuracy. Use feedback from Godbe surveys (e.g., low satisfaction with road maintenance at 0.45 rating) to prioritize.

Potential Challenges and Mitigation:
 Resistance to Documentation: Staff may view mapping as time-consuming. Mitigate by emphasizing how it reduces rework (e.g., 15% time savings in Finance per Baker Tilly estimates).  Data Gaps: Public Works lacks quantitative data (e.g., no tracking of street repairs beyond "fun facts"). Mitigate with interim manual logs and AI tools for data capture.  Interdepartmental Silos: Use the IPP Grid to align governance, ensuring processes like permitting involve Public Works early.

Performance Measures:
 Completion rate of SIPOC maps: 100% for priority processes.  Staff participation rate: 80% in workshops.
 Time to complete phase: Under 12 weeks.

This phase establishes a shared understanding of inefficiencies, such as the 14-day delay in acknowledging Grapevine tickets in Public Works, setting the stage for analysis.

Phase 2: As-Is Analysis
With As-Is maps in hand, analyze processes for inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and alignment with resident needs. Deliverable 3C identifies $625,000 in staffing reduction potential, but these are contingent on process improvements to eliminate redundancies (e.g., manual data entry in Finance due to poor SaaS integration). Public Works’ asset management is at Level 1, with no centralized tracking, leading to reactive maintenance and $2.5 million annual infrastructure shortfalls per Baker Tilly. Administrative Services’ payroll and budgeting processes are manual, contributing to backlogs and error rates estimated at 10-15% based on staff interviews.

BLACKBERG
GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
37 Employ root-cause analysis techniques like the 5 Whys and fishbone diagrams to identify issues. For example, analyze why water quality complaints persist: Root causes may include outdated treatment processes (Level 1 maturity) and lack of predictive analytics.

Step-by-Step Actions:

1. Gather Performance Data: Collect quantitative data (e.g., process times, error rates) and qualitative feedback (e.g., staff surveys on pain points). Use Godbe data showing 37% resident concern with water issues to prioritize.

2. Identify Inefficiencies: Analyze maps for waste (e.g., 20% staff time in Public Works on redundant inspections).

Calculate costs, such as $100,000 annual overtime in Administrative Services due to manual reconciliations.

Compare to benchmarks (e.g., national average 10-day permit processing vs. St. Helena’s 28 days).

3. Assess Maturity and Risks: Rate each process using the BPM checklist (e.g., Public Works at Level 1 for controls).

Identify risks like compliance failures in wastewater (91% preventive maintenance rate per illustrative dashboard).

Integrate governance analysis, noting gaps in policy-process alignment (e.g., no IPP Grid for budget strategies).

4. Prioritize Processes: Rank based on impact (e.g., high for water management, affecting 37% of residents per Godbe). Use Pareto analysis to focus on 20% of processes causing 80% of issues.

Potential Challenges and Mitigation:
 Data Availability: Departments like Public Works lack metrics. Mitigate by using proxy data from Grapevine (e.g., 532 tickets) and AI for estimation.
 Stakeholder Buy-In: Resistance from staff fearing criticism. Mitigate with anonymous feedback and emphasis on system, not individual, issues.
 IT Integration: Poor SaaS connectivity hampers analysis. Mitigate by coordinating with Apex for interim reports.

Performance Measures:
 Number of root causes identified: 50+ across processes.  Process inefficiency cost estimate: $500,000+ annual.  Resident alignment score: 70% of prioritized processes address top Godbe concerns.

This phase quantifies problems, such as $300,000 in lost productivity from siloed systems, informing To-Be design.

Phase 3: To-Be Design
The To-Be phase redesigns processes for efficiency, incorporating IT (e.g., AI for predictive maintenance) and governance (e.g., RASCI charts for accountability). Target Level 2 (and preparation for shifting to Level 3) maturity with standardized workflows. For Public Works, redesign asset management to include centralized tracking via Azure, reducing reactive repairs by 30%. In Administrative Services, automate budgeting with OpenGov integration, cutting manual work by 25%.

Community Development can use AI chatbots for permit inquiries, dropping response times to 14 days.

Step-by-Step Actions:

1. Define To-Be Vision: Align with resident priorities (e.g., 85% water satisfaction target). Use BPM framework to design Level 2 subprocesses.

2. Redesign Processes: Create swimlane maps for 20 priority processes. For example, water treatment: Integrate AI for real-time monitoring, reducing discolored water incidents by 50%. Incorporate governance with IPP Grid linking policies to metrics (e.g., compliance rate >95%).

3. Incorporate IT and AI: Recommend tools like Microsoft Power BI for dashboards and agentic AI for automation (e.g., chatbots handling 40% of inquiries).

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Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
38 4. Pilot Designs: Test redesigned processes in one department (e.g., Public Works’street maintenance). Adjust based on feedback.

Potential Challenges and Mitigation:
 Resistance to Change: Use ADKAR model (Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, Reinforcement) to build buyin. Train 80% of staff.  Resource Constraints: Leverage partnerships (e.g., Calistoga for shared AI tools) to reduce costs by 20%.  Governance Gaps: Develop RASCI charts to clarify roles, reducing conflicts by 40%.

Performance Measures:
 Process efficiency gain projection: 25% time reduction.  Alignment with strategy: 90% of redesigned processes tied to budget strategies.  Cost savings estimate: $300,000 annual from automation.

This phase creates future-state maps, ensuring designs are customer-centered and integrated with IT/governance.

Phase 4: To-Be Implementation
Implement redesigned processes with phased rollouts, starting with pilots in Public Works and Administrative Services.

Deliverable 3A recommends staffing reallocations to support implementation without net increases.

Step-by-Step Actions:

1. Develop Implementation Plan: Create Gantt charts for rollout, assigning owners (e.g. Executive Managers).

2. Train Staff: Conduct 10 sessions on new processes and tools (e.g., AI training).

3. Deploy IT Enhancements: Migrate to Azure (100% cloud by Q2 2027), integrate SaaS.

4. Monitor and Adjust: Use dashboards to track KPIs (e.g., 95% on-time maintenance). Conduct biweekly reviews.

Potential Challenges and Mitigation:
 Implementation Overload: Phase over 6 months, starting with 20% of processes.  Budget Constraints: Offset with $590,000 salary savings from market adjustments (Deliverable 3C).  Cultural Resistance: Apply Kotter’s 8 Steps, creating urgency around resident satisfaction.

Performance Measures:
 Adoption rate: 85% of staff using new processes.
 Initial efficiency gain: 15% reduction in backlogs.
 Compliance rate: 95% with new governance standards.

This phase transitions the City to Level 2 maturity, realizing $400,000 in savings.

Phase 5: Continuous Quality Improvement
Embed QMS for ongoing enhancement, using ISO 9001 principles adapted for municipalities. Focus on feedback loops, with monthly MESS boards in departments.

Step-by-Step Actions:

1. Establish QMS Framework: Adopt RASCI for accountability, IPP Grid for alignment.

2. Implement Monitoring Tools: Deploy dashboards for KPIs like 90% preventive maintenance in Public Works.

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GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
39 3. Conduct Reviews: Quarterly audits, annual Godbe-style surveys. Adjust based on data (e.g., reduce water complaints by 20%).

4. Foster Innovation: Train on Lean/Six Sigma, reward improvements (e.g., $5,000 annual fund).

Potential Challenges and Mitigation:
 Sustainment Fatigue: Rotate champions, tie to performance reviews.  Data Quality: Use AI for automated tracking, ensuring 95% accuracy.  Evolving Needs: Annual IPP Grid updates to incorporate new policies.

Performance Measures:
 Improvement projects completed: 20 per year.
 Resident satisfaction increase: 15% in Godbe-style metrics.  Cost savings sustained: $1.3 million annual (post-investments per Deliverable 3C).

Integration with IT and Governance
BPR integrates with IT by prioritizing cloud migration and AI (e.g., $80,000 annual investment yielding 20% efficiency).

Governance is enhanced through IPP Grid, ensuring 100% policy-process alignment. This creates a cohesive system, reducing risks like the $2.5 million infrastructure shortfall.

Conclusion
This “BPR initiative at Level 2 maturity” positions St. Helena for sustainable transformation, addressing inefficiencies identified in Deliverables 2 and 3. By Year 2, expect $.8 million in savings, improved resident satisfaction (target 0.7 Godbe rating for key areas), and Level 2 maturity. Success requires leadership commitment, with progress tracked via quarterly reports to Council. This customer-centered approach not only resolves current pain points but builds resilience for future challenges.

6.11. New Positions & Hirings (A.11)
The current state analyses highlighted significant organizational capacity gaps that impede the City’s ability to execute critical initiatives, including business process reengineering, technology modernization, FWA mitigation, and progression toward CMMI Maturity Level 3. To address these constraints and drive sustainable change, we recommend the immediate creation and filling of two specialized leadership roles: Human Resources (HR) Manager and IT Manager.

These positions represent foundational investments in people and technology—the core enablers of transformation to improve efficiency and effectiveness. Current staffing limitations result in overburdened generalists, inconsistent practices, and delayed implementation of recommended systems (e.g., Talent Management, Knowledge Management, cloud-based platforms). Dedicated experts will provide the strategic focus, technical depth, and change leadership required to accelerate progress while fostering accountability and efficiency.

HR Manager. This role is critical to building a high-performing, accountable workforce aligned with transformation goals.

The City currently lacks centralized HR expertise, leading to fragmented recruitment, limited performance management, and challenges in talent retention amid competitive markets. The HR Manager will:
 Develop and implement a comprehensive Talent Management System, including modern recruitment strategies, competency-based hiring, and succession planning.
 Establish performance frameworks, training programs, and policies supporting continuous improvement and ethical culture.

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Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
40  Lead change management efforts, staff engagement in BPR, and FWA-related training to reinforce internal controls.

Without this position, initiatives like RASCI matrix adoption, policy adherence tracking, and cultural shifts toward customer-centered design will stall.

IT Manager. Technology underpins nearly every efficiency gain identified in the study, yet the City relies on outdated systems, siloed systems, and limited internal expertise. The IT Manager will provide dedicated leadership to modernize infrastructure and enable integration:
 Oversee cloud migration (e.g., full RIMS replacement), cybersecurity enhancements, and adoption of ITIL 4 governance.
 Select and implement integrated AI solutions for automation, anomaly detection, and process optimization across departments.
 Support dashboard development, data analytics, and system interoperability essential for executive oversight and FWA monitoring.
 Manage IT service contractors (i.e. currently Apex).

This role ensures technology investments deliver maximum value, minimizing risks from siloed or manual tools.

Recruitment should begin immediately, targeting candidates with municipal or transformation experience, change management skills, and alignment to the emerging City Strategic Plan. Competitive compensation and national searches will attract top talent. These hires will catalyze cascading improvements, positioning St. Helena for operational excellence and renewed community trust. Ideally, the City is able to hire them inclusive of a strategic partnership with another municipality to reduce cost.

6.12. Talent Management System (A.12)
We recommend the development of a Talent Management System (A.12) as a foundational Phase 1 initiative to elevate organizational capability, support continuous quality improvement, and enable progression toward CMMI Maturity Level 3 (See Figure 17). In small municipalities like St. Helena, talent processes are often ad hoc—relying on informal recruitment, limited performance tracking, and minimal development opportunities. This leads to challenges in attracting skilled professionals, retaining institutional knowledge, aligning staff with strategic goals, and fostering accountability amid competitive public-sector labor markets.

A comprehensive Talent Management System integrates recruitment, onboarding, performance management, learning and development, succession planning, compensation alignment, and analytics into a unified framework. Guided by the recommended Human Resources Manager, it will professionalize HR practices, ensuring the City builds a resilient, highperforming workforce capable of executing transformation priorities.

Research from the MIT Sloan Management Review article "Six Principles of Effective Global Talent Management" (based on studies of top-performing global companies like GE, IBM, P&G, and Shell) provides a proven blueprint. These organizations excel by adhering to six interconnected principles, which—when adapted to local government—offer a roadmap for St. Helena:

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GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
41 1. Alignment with Strategy: Talent practices must
directly support the City’s Strategic Plan, focusing on competencies needed for BPR, FWA mitigation, and
customer-centered service delivery.

2. Internal Consistency: Ensure interconnected
processes (e.g., linking recruitment criteria to
performance evaluations and training) for seamless
execution.

3. Cultural Embeddedness: Embed values like
transparency, accountability, and resident focus into
hiring, assessments, and development to reinforce an
ethical, trust-oriented culture.

4. Management Involvement: Require leadership (City
Manager, department heads, Council oversight) to
actively participate in talent reviews, mentoring, and
succession planning.

5. Balance of Global and Local Needs: Adopt best
practices (e.g., competency frameworks) while
tailoring to St. Helena’s small-city scale, seasonal
demands, and community expectations.

6. Employer Branding Through Differentiation:

Market the City as an innovative, mission-driven
employer emphasizing work-life balance, community
impact, and professional growth to attract privatesector talent.

Key Benefits:
• Enhanced Recruitment and Retention: Broader, competency-based searches yield diverse, change-ready hires; structured development reduces turnover.
• Performance and Accountability: Objective evaluations tied to RASCI matrices and dashboards promote meritbased advancement and policy adherence. • Change Readiness: Targeted training accelerates adoption of new processes, technologies, and systems. • Ethical Reinforcement: Values-based practices support FWA prevention and public trust. • Data-Driven Decisions: Analytics track skill gaps, engagement, and ROI on talent investments.

Implementation: Begin in Phase 1 with policy development (A.13), selecting scalable cloud-based tools integrated with Knowledge and future CRM systems (this could be as simple as using SharePoint). Pilot with leadership roles, expanding organization-wide.

By adopting these principles, St. Helena will transform talent management from a reactive function into a strategic asset— unlocking efficiency, innovation, and sustained community confidence.

6.13. Talent Management Policies (A.13)
Talent Management Policies (A.13) are a Phase 1 recommendation to formalize and institutionalize a modern approach to workforce development. These policies will codify the processes, standards, and expectations within the emerging Talent Management System, ensuring consistency, transparency, and accountability across the organization. Without clear, written Figure 17 – Talent Management: This framework
addresses key aspects of talent management.

BLACKBERG
GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
42 policies, talent practices remain vulnerable to inconsistency, favoritism, or misalignment—risks that undermine efficiency, ethical culture, and public trust in a small municipality like St. Helena.

Talent Management Policies serve as the governing framework for attracting, developing, evaluating, and retaining employees. They translate strategic intent into actionable rules, aligning individual performance with City goals such as operational excellence, customer-centered service, and FWA mitigation. Drawing from best practices (e.g., MIT Sloan principles of alignment, consistency, and cultural embeddedness), these policies will promote merit-based decisions, professional growth, and a high-performance culture.

Core Policy Components:
 Recruitment and Selection: Define competency-based hiring, candidate sourcing (including private-sector talent), national searches, and structured interviews to secure change-ready professionals.  Performance Management: Establish objective evaluation criteria, regular feedback cycles, goal-setting tied to RASCI matrices and the City Strategic Plan, and developmental action plans.  Learning and Development: Mandate ongoing training (e.g., change management, ethics, customer-centered design, cyber security) with individualized plans and tracking via dashboards.  Compensation and Recognition: Outline equitable pay structures, performance incentives, and non-monetary rewards to enhance retention.
 Succession Planning and Ethics: Require identification of key roles, cross-training, conflict-of-interest disclosures, and anti-retaliation protections for reporting concerns.  Equity and Inclusion: Embed principles of diversity, fairness, and accessibility to reflect community values.

Benefits:
 Reinforce accountability by standardizing practices, reducing FWA risks through transparent processes.  Accelerate transformation by ensuring staff are equipped for BPR, technology adoption, and maturity growth.  Build resident trust via a professional, ethical workforce perceived as merit-driven.

Implementation: Led by the new Human Resources Manager, policy development should begin immediately post-hiring.

Form a cross-departmental working group for input, benchmark against leading small-city models, and integrate with the Knowledge Management System for centralized access. Target draft policies within 6–9 months, with Council approval and annual reviews tied to continuous improvement. By establishing robust Talent Management Policies early, St. Helena will create a sustainable foundation for organizational resilience, employee engagement, and long-term success.

6.14. Training Program (A.14)
The establishment of a Training Program (A.14) is a high-priority lever point in Phase 1, essential for building staff capacity and ensuring successful adoption of transformation initiatives. In small organizations training is often informal or reactive, leading to skill gaps, resistance to change, inconsistent process execution, and heightened risks in areas like FWA mitigation. A structured, ongoing training program will equip employees with the knowledge, tools, and mindset needed to drive operational excellence and maturity growth.

This program will foster a culture of continuous learning, directly supporting key priorities: business process reengineering, technology modernization, customer-centered design, RASCI implementation, and ethical governance. By investing in employee development, the City demonstrates commitment to its workforce while enhancing service quality and resident trust.

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Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
43 Core Components:
 Foundational Training: Mandatory sessions on core frameworks—customer-centered design principles, change management, RASCI roles, and continuous quality improvement—to align staff with transformation goals.  Technical and Role-Specific Skills: Targeted modules for new systems (e.g., cloud platforms, dashboards, AI tools) and departmental needs (e.g., financial controls, procurement best practices).  Ethics and Compliance: Annual FWA awareness training, covering red flags, reporting protocols, and internal controls to reinforce accountability.
 Leadership Development: Programs for managers on performance coaching, strategic alignment, and inclusive leadership.
 Soft Skills and Innovation: Workshops on communication, problem-solving, and resident engagement to support cultural shifts.

Benefits:
 Accelerates adoption of To-Be processes and technologies, reducing implementation delays and errors.  Enhances employee engagement and retention by providing growth opportunities.  Strengthens risk management through consistent application of controls and policies.  Enables measurable progress via training metrics in executive dashboards.

Implementation: Led by the HR Manager in coordination with the IT Manager, development should begin within 6 months of their hiring. Conduct a needs assessment via surveys and skill gap analysis, then design a blended program (in-person workshops, online modules, on-the-job mentoring). Leverage cost-effective resources: free platforms (e.g., LinkedIn Learning, Coursera for Government), regional partnerships, and internal champions. Track completion and effectiveness through the Talent Management System, with annual refreshes tied to strategic plan updates.

By prioritizing a robust Training Program early, St. Helena will empower its team to sustain change, innovate effectively, and deliver superior public service—unlocking the full value of the transformation roadmap.

6.15. RIMS Replacement to go Fully Cloud (A.15)
RIMS Replacement to go Fully Cloud (A.15) is important for modernizing the City’s records and information management infrastructure. RIMS (Records Information Management System), legacy on-premises public safety or records management platform, currently limits scalability, integration, security, and efficiency. Transitioning to a fully cloud-based system will eliminate outdated hardware dependencies, enable seamless access, enhance data security, and support broader transformation goals like integrated management systems, AI automation, and executive dashboards.

Legacy on-premises RIMS installations often suffer from high maintenance costs, vulnerability to cyber threats, limited remote access, and poor interoperability with emerging tools. A cloud migration addresses these by providing:
 Scalability and Flexibility: Cloud platforms automatically scale with demand, accommodating seasonal surges or growth without capital hardware investments.
 Enhanced Security and Compliance: Built-in encryption, role-based access controls (RBAC), multi-factor authentication, automated backups, and audit trails strengthen FWA mitigation and data protection—critical postransomware recovery.  Improved Accessibility and Collaboration: Real-time access from any device supports remote work, crossdepartmental coordination, and resident self-service portals (e.g., for public records requests).

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Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
44  Cost Efficiency: Shift from capital expenditures to predictable operational costs, with reduced IT overhead and automatic updates.
 Integration and Innovation: Enable connectivity with future systems (e.g., CRM, asset management, AI analytics) under TOGAF/ITIL 4 frameworks, facilitating anomaly detection and process automation.

Implementation Approach:
 Assessment and Planning (Months 1–3): Led by the new IT Manager, conduct a needs analysis, evaluate vendors (e.g., modern cloud-native records solutions like those from Sun Ridge Systems’ RIMS or equivalents with cloud options), and develop a migration roadmap aligned with the City Strategic Plan.  Vendor Selection and Procurement (Months 4–6): Issue an RFP prioritizing cloud-native features, data sovereignty, California compliance (e.g., CPRA), and integration capabilities.  Migration and Testing (Months 7–12): Execute phased data transfer, user training, and parallel running to minimize disruption. Include cybersecurity hardening and disaster recovery testing.  Go-Live and Optimization (Ongoing): Launch with monitoring, user feedback loops, and integration into dashboards for performance tracking.

Budget modestly for migration support and training. This move will deliver immediate resilience, long-term cost savings, and foundational support for maturity growth, positioning St. Helena for secure, efficient, resident-centered operations.

6.16. TOGAF, ITIL 4, and CMMI (A.16)
Integrate TOGAF (The Open Group Architecture Framework), ITIL 4 (IT Infrastructure Library), and CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integration) (A.16) into the City’s IT operations and business operations (See Figure 18). For a small municipality like St. Helena, grappling with legacy systems (e.g. RIMS), recent cybersecurity incidents, and the need for scalable, resident-centered services, these frameworks provide a synergistic foundation for IT maturity. St. Helena should use a simplified/scaled down version of TOGAF, ITIL 4, and CMMI to fit its size and sophistication. Integrating them will align IT with business goals, optimize service delivery, and foster continuous improvement—essential for cloud migration, process reengineering, and FWA mitigation while supporting the journey to CMMI Level 3 certification.  TOGAF is an enterprise architecture methodology that guides the design, planning, and governance of IT structures. It emphasizes a holistic view, using phases like Preliminary, Architecture Vision, and Business/IT /Data/ Application/ Technology Architectures to create blueprints that ensure IT supports organizational objectives. For St. Helena, TOGAF will structure the "System of Systems" in Phase 3, integrating disparate tools into a cohesive ecosystem.  ITIL 4 focuses on IT service management (ITSM), promoting value co-creation through a service value system (SVS) that includes guiding principles, governance, service value chain, practices, and continual improvement. It shifts from rigid processes to flexible practices, incorporating agile and DevOps elements for modern service delivery. This is crucial for operational resilience, such as incident management post-ransomware and service desk enhancements.  CMMI assesses and improves process maturity across five levels (Initial to Optimizing), covering areas like process management, project management, and engineering. It provides a staged path to measurable improvements, ensuring repeatability and optimization. Targeting Level 3 (Defined) in Phase 3 will standardize IT processes, reducing risks and inefficiencies.

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GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
45 Figure 18 – TOGAF: TOGAF is a widely recognized, vendor-neutral enterprise architecture methodology that’s used globally, including by many government entities.

These frameworks complement each other without overlap conflicts. TOGAF provides the architectural blueprint (what to build), ITIL 4 handles service operations (how to deliver and support), and CMMI ensures process maturity (how to improve sustainably). Research from MIT Sloan and industry mappings (e.g., COBIT integrations) shows that combining them creates an “Architecture-to-Operations Continuum,” where strategy flows seamlessly into execution. For local governments, this integration enhances governance and supports aligned standards for efficiency and compliance. In St. Helena’s context, it addresses siloed systems, supports strategic partnerships (e.g., shared IT roles), and enables data-driven decisions via dashboards.

Benefits:
 Strategic Alignment: Ensures IT investments support the City Strategic Plan, prioritizing resident needs and cost savings (e.g., 20–40% from shared services).
 Operational Efficiency: ITIL 4’s practices streamline incident response and service requests, while CMMI reduces waste through defined processes.

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Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
46  Risk Reduction: TOGAF’s governance mitigates cybersecurity threats; integrated audits enhance FWA controls.  Scalability and Innovation: Facilitates AI integration, cloud adoption, and maturity growth, positioning the City for resilient, future-proof IT.
 Measurable Outcomes: KPIs from CMMI feed into dashboards, demonstrating ROI and building public trust.

Implementation Approach
Led by the newly hired IT Manager, the integration of TOGAF, ITIL 4, and CMMI V3.0 should unfold in a realistic, phased manner over 4–18 months (phases 1-2). This timeline accounts for St. Helena’s small IT department, limited resources, reliance on external support (e.g., Apex Technology Management), and the need to minimize disruption to daily operations while building internal capability. Training from the recommended program will be essential throughout, starting with foundational sessions to build awareness and progressing to role-specific deep dives. The HR Manager can coordinate with the IT Manager on these needs.

1. Preparation (Months 1–6): Conduct a comprehensive IT “as-is” assessment using CMMI appraisals to baseline current capabilities (currently Level 1–2 in many areas). Train staff on framework fundamentals—leveraging free or low-cost resources from The Open Group (TOGAF introductory modules), AXELOS (ITIL 4 guiding principles), and CMMI Institute materials. Map existing processes (e.g., incident handling, change requests, and records management) against the frameworks to identify quick-win gaps and prioritize high-impact areas like postransomware recovery and cloud migration. Establish a small IT Governance Committee (IT Manager, department leads, Apex liaison) for oversight and buy-in.

2. Architecture Development (Months 7–12): Apply a tailored subset of TOGAF’s Architecture Development Method (ADM) to create an enterprise architecture roadmap. Focus on key phases: Architecture Vision (aligning IT to the City Strategic Plan), Business Architecture (documenting resident-facing services), and Technology Architecture (planning cloud transitions). Incorporate ITIL 4 practices for service design (e.g., value streams) and CMMI for establishing process baselines. Pilot the approach in high-priority domains, such as records management following RIMS cloud replacement, to demonstrate value and refine the model without overwhelming the team.

3. Service Management Integration (Months 13–18): Embed ITIL 4’s Service Value System (SVS) into day-to-day operations, including guiding principles like “focus on value” and “collaborate and promote visibility.” Align these with TOGAF architectures to ensure consistent service delivery. Use CMMI to define and document processes, measure performance (e.g., incident resolution time, uptime), and target Level 2 (Managed) certification as an interim milestone. Roll out training on ITIL 4 practices like incident management and continual improvement, integrating them with RASCI matrices for clear accountability.

4. Maturity Optimization (Months 19+): Institutionalize integrated practices to achieve CMMI Level 3 (Defined), where processes are standardized, documented, and repeatable across the organization. Conduct annual maturity reviews and audits, feeding results into the City Council Executive Dashboard for visibility and accountability.

Leverage dashboards for real-time KPIs (e.g., service availability >99%, reduced manual rework) to drive continual improvement. Expand to advanced integrations, such as AI-enabled monitoring, while maintaining scalability for a small team—potentially through regional partnerships or shared services.

This integrated approach will transform St. Helena’s IT from reactive to proactive, delivering efficient, secure, and valuedriven services that honor community needs.

6.17. Knowledge Management Systems (A.17)
Knowledge Management System (KMS) (A.17) is a Phase 1 initiative to capture, organize, and make accessible the City's institutional knowledge (See Figure 19). In a small municipality like St. Helena, where staff turnover, limited resources, and reliance on individual expertise create risks of knowledge loss, a centralized KMS is essential for preserving continuity, accelerating decision-making, and supporting transformation efforts such as business process reengineering, policy adherence, and FWA mitigation.

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Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
47 Figure 19 – Knowledge Management Strategic Framework: This strategic framework comes from the American Productivity & Quality Center which has many free resources that would be useful for the City.

A robust KMS serves as a single, searchable repository for policies, procedures, historical records, lessons learned, training materials, and operational insights. It addresses current challenges: fragmented documentation, reliance on email or personal drives, and difficulties in onboarding new staff or recovering from disruptions (e.g., post-2024 ransomware). By centralizing knowledge, the system enables quick retrieval, reduces duplication, and fosters collaboration across departments.

Core Features and Alignment:
 Centralized Repository: Store all policies, RASCI matrices, process diagrams (As-Is/To-Be), training resources, and audit trails in one secure, cloud-based platform (integrated with future RIMS cloud replacement (optional based on security concerns per Police Department Leadership guidance) and ITIL 4 governance).  Search and Accessibility: Implement intuitive search, tagging, and categorization (e.g., by department, topic, or process) with role-based access controls to protect sensitive information while enabling broad use.  Knowledge Capture and Sharing: Use tools like wikis, templates, and contribution workflows to encourage staff input. Include mechanisms for capturing lessons from projects, audits, or incidents.  Version Control and Auditability: Ensure document history, approvals, and change logs support compliance, FWA controls, and continuous improvement.
 Integration: Link to executive dashboards for real-time insights and the Talent Management System for training alignment.

Benefits:
 Efficiency Gains: Reduces time spent searching for information or recreating work, supporting maturity progression to CMMI Level 3.
 Risk Reduction: Preserves expertise during transitions and enhances FWA detection through documented controls.

BLACKBERG
GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
48  Resident Trust: Enables consistent, transparent service delivery and faster responses to public inquiries.  Cultural Shift: Promotes knowledge sharing, collaboration, and a learning organization.

Implementation Approach: Led by the IT Manager and Human Resources Manager, development should begin in Phase 1 (Months 1–12). Start with a needs assessment: inventory existing knowledge sources and conduct staff surveys to identify high-value content. Select a scalable, user-friendly platform (e.g., cloud-based tools like SharePoint, Confluence, or government-focused solutions) with strong search and security features. Pilot with priority areas—policies, BPR outputs, and FWA guidelines—before full rollout.

Provide training on contribution and usage, integrated into the broader Training Program. Establish governance: assign content owners, set update protocols, and tie maintenance to continuous quality improvement. Budget modestly ($30–60K initially for licensing and setup), leveraging potential regional partnerships for cost sharing.

By prioritizing a Knowledge Management System early, St. Helena will safeguard its intellectual capital, empower staff, and lay a foundation for sustainable, efficient governance that serves residents effectively.

6.18. Records Digitization (A.18)
Records Digitization (A.18) is a recommendation in Phase 1 to modernize the City’s information management. Currently, many municipal records exist in hard copy format, stored in filing cabinets, boxes, or off-site locations. This paper-based system creates inefficiencies, security risks, accessibility barriers, and vulnerability to damage or loss (e.g., from floods, fire, or degradation over time).

Digitizing these records converts physical documents into searchable, secure digital formats using scanning, optical character recognition (OCR), indexing, and metadata tagging. This initiative aligns directly with broader transformation priorities: cloud migration (e.g., RIMS replacement), Knowledge Management System development, enhanced FWA controls through auditable trails, and improved resident service delivery via self-service access.

Key Benefits:
 Efficiency and Accessibility: Staff can retrieve documents instantly, reducing search time from hours to seconds and eliminating physical handling. Residents gain online access to public records (e.g., via portals), improving transparency and satisfaction.
 Cost Savings: Reduces storage space needs, lowers off-site archiving fees, reduces search and retrieval time (i.e.

City Clerk) and minimizes printing/copying expenses. Long-term, it supports paperless workflows and automation.  Risk Mitigation: Digital backups and encryption protect against loss or damage. Immutable audit logs strengthen FWA detection by tracking access and changes.
 Compliance and Preservation: Meets California Public Records Act requirements for timely access while preserving historical documents indefinitely without physical deterioration.  Integration Enablement: Digitized records feed into the Knowledge Management System, executive dashboards, and future AI tools for analytics or anomaly detection.

Implementation Approach: Led by the IT Manager in coordination with department heads and the Human Resources Manager (for training), begin in Phase 1 (Months 6–12). Conduct a records inventory and prioritization assessment: classify documents by volume, sensitivity, usage frequency, and legal retention requirements (e.g., vital records first, then administrative). Partner with a professional digitization vendor experienced in municipal records (e.g., for secure scanning, OCR accuracy >98%, and indexing).

BLACKBERG
GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
49 Phased rollout:
 Pilot high-volume, high-impact areas (e.g., permitting or finance files) to test workflows.  Scan using high-speed, secure equipment; apply OCR for searchability; tag with metadata (date, department, type).  Store in a secure cloud repository integrated with emerging systems.  Provide staff training on digital workflows and search tools.

Budget modestly ($10-20K, depending on volume), potentially offset by grants (e.g., for historical preservation). Establish governance: assign custodians, set quality standards, and include annual audits. Tie progress to dashboards for visibility.

By prioritizing records digitization, St. Helena will eliminate paper bottlenecks, enhance operational resilience, and deliver modern, efficient services that rebuild community trust and support long-term maturity growth.

6.19. Dashboard Development (A.19)
Dashboard Development (A.19) is a Phase 1 initiative that compliments the records digitization and knowledge management system and enables data-driven oversight, performance tracking, and informed decision-making across City operations. In a resource-constrained small municipality like St. Helena, where data is often siloed in spreadsheets, legacy systems, or manual reports, initial dashboard capabilities will consolidate key metrics into clear, visual formats—reducing time spent on manual analysis and improving visibility into operational health.

Focus the initial phase on building foundational departmental and operational dashboards before expanding to higher-level executive views. This approach leverages existing data sources (e.g., financial records, permitting systems, public works logs) and aligns with broader goals like cloud migration, process reengineering, FWA mitigation, and policy adherence monitoring. The dashboards are critical for ensuring the processes developed in business process reengineering are followed and monitored.

Core Objectives for Initial Development:
 Deliver actionable insights at the departmental level to support daily management and quick identification of issues.  Establish reliable data pipelines and visualization standards for scalability.  Track transformation progress, such as BPR milestones, training completion, and efficiency gains.  Foster a data-informed culture by demonstrating immediate value through simple, accurate metrics.

Key Features for Initial Dashboards:
 Operational KPIs: Monitor service delivery metrics (e.g., permitting processing times, public works response rates, utility service requests), financial indicators (e.g., budget variances, invoice processing cycles), and compliance signals (e.g., policy update status, training participation rates).  Visual Elements: Use intuitive charts (bar, line, gauge), traffic-light indicators (green/yellow/red status), trend lines, and basic drill-down for details.
 FWA and Control Monitoring: Include exception alerts for anomalies like unapproved changes, duplicate payments, or threshold breaches to support early detection.  User-Friendly Design: Role-based access (department heads see relevant views), mobile compatibility, and simple filters for ease of use.

Implementation Approach: Led by the IT Manager with input from department leads, begin in Phase 1 (Months 3–12).

Conduct a rapid data inventory: identify accessible sources, prioritize 8–12 high-value metrics aligned with strategic priorities, and assign data stewards for accuracy and timeliness.

BLACKBERG
GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
50 Select accessible, low-code tools (e.g., Microsoft Power BI, Google Data Studio/Looker Studio, or government-oriented platforms) that support secure cloud integration, automated refreshes, and minimal IT overhead. Start with a pilot in one or two departments (e.g., Finance or Public Works) using existing data feeds to build and test prototypes. Gather user feedback through short workshops to refine layouts and add needed views.

Provide targeted training on dashboard usage and interpretation, integrated into the broader Training Program. Establish basic governance: define refresh schedules (daily/weekly), data quality checks, and a process for adding new metrics.

Budget modestly ($5–8K initially for licensing, setup, and training). Track adoption and impact (e.g., time saved on reporting, issues identified early) to demonstrate ROI and justify expansion.

This initial development creates tangible benefits—faster insights, reduced manual effort, and stronger accountability— while building technical and cultural readiness for more advanced dashboards. It positions St. Helena to evolve from reactive management to proactive, evidence-based governance that enhances efficiency and resident trust.

6.20. Change Management System (A.20)
A Change Management System (A.20) is a high priority item that should be established early in Phase 1 and carried forward through all subsequent phases. Large-scale transformation initiatives—business process reengineering, cloud migration, new management systems, organizational restructuring, and major shifts in culture and accountability—create significant disruption for staff, departments, and residents. Without a structured, repeatable change management system, these efforts are at high risk of delayed adoption, resistance, rework, reduced morale, and ultimately failure to deliver intended benefits.

A formal Change Management System provides a consistent framework for planning, communicating, supporting, and sustaining change across the organization. It treats change as a disciplined process rather than an ad-hoc activity, significantly increasing the probability of successful implementation.

Core Components of the Recommended System:
 Structured Change Framework —Adopt a proven model(s) (e.g., Prosci ADKAR (See Figure 20), Kotter 8-Step Process (See Figure 21), or a hybrid tailored to small government) that includes clear phases: awareness of need, desire to participate, knowledge of how to change, ability to demonstrate new skills/behaviors, and reinforcement to make change stick.
 Change Impact Assessment — Require every major initiative to complete an impact analysis identifying who is affected, how significantly, and what support will be needed.  Stakeholder Engagement & Communication Plan — Create tailored communication strategies (timing, channels, messages) for different audiences: staff, leadership, City Council, residents, and external partners.  Resistance Management — Build proactive strategies for identifying and addressing resistance, including listening sessions, feedback loops, and targeted support for high-impact groups.  Training & Support Integration — Link change initiatives directly to the Training Program so that skill-building occurs at exactly the right time.
 Sponsorship & Leadership Alignment — Require visible, active sponsorship from City Manager and department heads.
 Measurement & Reinforcement — Define adoption metrics (e.g., usage rates of new processes/systems, employee feedback scores, speed of transition) and track them in dashboards. Establish reinforcement mechanisms (recognition, policy updates, ongoing communication).

BLACKBERG
GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
51 Figure 20 – ADKAR Model of Change Management: Guides organizations and individuals through change by addressing emotional and practical barriers step-by-step.

Figure 21 – Kotter 8-Step Process: Create urgency, build coalitions, vision, communicate, empower action, generate wins, consolidate gains, anchor changes—drives successful organizational transformation.

Implementation Approach: Led initially by the new HR Manager in close partnership with the IT Manager, begin development in early Phase 1 (Months 1–3).
 Start with a lightweight, practical framework that can be applied immediately to the highest-priority changes (RIMS cloud migration, initial BPR projects, new roles onboarding).  Create simple templates and toolkits (impact assessment, communication plan, ADKAR checklist).  Train a small internal change agent network (5–8 people across departments) to support initiatives.

BLACKBERG
GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
52  Integrate change management requirements into the project governance process so no major initiative proceeds without a change plan.

Benefits:
 Dramatically improves adoption rates and speed of realizing benefits  Reduces resistance, frustration, and productivity dips  Protects staff morale during a period of significant change  Increases likelihood of sustaining improvements long-term  Builds organizational change capability for future initiatives A well-executed Change Management System is not optional infrastructure; it is a fundamental enabler of the entire transformation program. Establishing it early creates the conditions for every other recommendation to succeed.

6.21. Governance and Policy Framework Design (A.21)
Governance and Policy Framework Design (A.21) is a foundational Phase 1 priority, to be followed by Implementation in later step in Phase 1. In a small city like St. Helena, where governance has historically relied on informal practices and limited formal structures, the absence of a clear, unified framework contributes to inconsistencies in decision-making, policy application, accountability gaps, and challenges in executing transformation initiatives. A well-designed governance and policy framework establishes clear rules, roles, responsibilities, and oversight mechanisms—ensuring alignment with the City Strategic Plan, supporting FWA mitigation, and enabling efficient, transparent operations.

This framework serves as the “operating system” for City government, codifying how decisions are made, policies are created/updated/reviewed, and accountability is maintained. It addresses vulnerabilities identified in current processes— such as fragmented policy management, unclear authority, and limited oversight—while promoting a culture of compliance, ethical conduct, and resident-centered governance.

Core Elements of the Recommended Framework:
 Governance Structure: Define clear decision-making hierarchies, including roles for City Council, City Manager, department heads, and cross-functional committees. Incorporate RASCI matrices to assign responsibilities explicitly for key processes and initiatives.
 Policy Lifecycle Management: Establish standardized procedures for policy creation, review, approval, dissemination, training, monitoring, and periodic refresh (e.g., every 3–5 years or as needed). Require impact assessments, stakeholder input, and alignment with legal/compliance requirements (California codes, public records laws).
 Centralized Policy Register: Mandate a single, searchable repository (integrated with the Knowledge Management System) for all active policies, versions, effective dates, owners, and status—ensuring accessibility and version control.
 Oversight & Compliance Mechanisms: Build in monitoring tools (e.g., dashboards tracking adherence, exceptions, and refresh cycles), annual policy audits, and escalation protocols for violations.  Ethical & Accountability Standards: Embed principles of transparency, conflict-of-interest disclosure, and antiretaliation protections to reinforce FWA controls and public trust.  Integration with Transformation: Ensure the framework supports BPR, IT governance (TOGAF/ITIL/CMMI), talent management policies, and change management by requiring governance alignment for major changes.

BLACKBERG
GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
53 Benefits:
 Reduces risks of inconsistent application or outdated policies that lead to errors, waste, or legal exposure.  Enhances accountability and oversight, directly supporting FWA prevention through documented controls and monitoring.
 Provides clarity for staff, leadership, and Council, accelerating decision-making and transformation adoption.  Demonstrates commitment to good governance, rebuilding resident confidence in City operations.

Implementation Approach: Led by the City Manager with support from the new Human Resources Manager and IT Manager, begin design in early Phase 1 (Months 1–9). Form a small cross-functional working group (including department leads and legal counsel) to map current governance practices and policies, benchmark against leading small-city models (e.g., California League of Cities resources), and draft the framework. Prioritize high-risk areas (finance, procurement, ethics) for initial policies. Use workshops for input and buy-in.

Target draft framework completion within 6–9 months, followed by Council review/approval. Store in the centralized Policy Register and link to dashboards for ongoing tracking. Provide training on the new framework as part of the broader program.

By developing a robust Governance & Policy Framework early, St. Helena will create the structural foundation needed for all other transformation elements to succeed—ensuring consistent, accountable, and effective government that serves residents well into the future.

6.22. Governance and Policy Framework Implementation (A.22) Following the design step in early Phase 1, the Governance and Policy Framework Implementation (A.22) represents the critical transition from planning to action, embedding the newly defined governance structure and policy lifecycle into daily City operations. This step ensures that the framework moves from document to practice, creating consistent decisionmaking, accountability, and compliance across departments. For St. Helena, where informal processes have historically led to inconsistencies and oversight gaps, successful implementation will institutionalize transparency, support FWAmitigation, and enable all transformation initiatives to operate within a clear, unified structure.

Implementation must be deliberate, phased, and supported by leadership commitment to avoid the common pitfall of frameworks remaining on paper. It builds directly on the design deliverables—clear roles via RASCI, a standardized policy lifecycle, centralized Policy Register, and oversight mechanisms—turning them into living practices.

Key Implementation Steps:
 Rollout and Communication (Months 9–12): Launch with a formal announcement from the City Manager and Council resolution adopting the framework. Conduct all-staff town halls, department briefings, and targeted sessions to explain changes, benefits, and expectations. Provide simple one-pagers and FAQs for quick reference.  Training and Capacity Building (Months 10–15): Integrate framework training into the broader Training Program. Require mandatory sessions for all employees on policy lifecycle, decision authority, and compliance responsibilities. Train department heads and supervisors on using RASCI in practice and monitoring policy adherence. Include scenario-based exercises to build confidence in applying the framework.  Policy Register Activation (Months 10–18): Migrate all existing policies into the centralized, cloud-based register (integrated with the Knowledge Management System). Assign policy owners to review, update, and certify documents. Establish automated reminders for review cycles and version control.  Governance Activation (Months 12–18): Operationalize decision-making bodies and committees (e.g., crossfunctional review groups for major changes). Require RASCI matrices for all new projects and processes. Begin tracking key decisions against the framework in meeting minutes and reports.

BLACKBERG
GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
54  Monitoring, Enforcement, and Continuous Improvement (Ongoing from Month 12): Deploy dashboard tracking for policy refresh status, compliance exceptions, and training completion. Conduct initial compliance audits (internal or third-party) within the first year. Establish an escalation process for violations and a feedback mechanism for refinement. Tie annual performance reviews to framework adherence.  Integration with Other Initiatives: Require governance alignment for BPR projects, IT changes (TOGAF/ ITIL/ CMMI), and new systems. Embed framework requirements in change management plans to ensure major shifts follow approved processes.

Benefits of Effective Implementation:
 Creates consistent, defensible decision-making and reduces risks of ad-hoc actions.  Strengthens FWA controls through documented authority and auditable processes.  Builds organizational discipline and accountability, supporting maturity growth.  Demonstrates to residents and stakeholders a commitment to professional, transparent governance.

Resources and Support: Led by the City Manager with support from the Human Resources Manager (training/compliance) and IT Manager (tools/register). Allocate modest budget for training, communication materials, and initial audits (~$1–3K).

Leverage the Change Management System to address resistance and secure buy-in.

By prioritizing thoughtful, phased implementation, St. Helena will transform the governance and policy framework from a design artifact into a powerful driver of efficiency, integrity, and sustained transformation success—ultimately delivering more accountable, effective government for the community.

6.23. Program Management Office (A.23)
To drive the recommendations from the Blackberg Group’s Efficiency and Business Transformation Study, the City of St.

Helena should establish a Program Management Office (PMO). This office will centralize coordination of the multi-phase Transformation Roadmap, including strategic planning, business process reengineering (BPR), IT modernization, and governance enhancements. The PMO must be efficient, focused on high-priority Phase 1 actions, and integrated with existing structures like enhanced City Council oversight. We recommend the following steps to establish the PMO:

1. Secure Buy-in and Charter (Preparation). Obtain approval from City Council and the City Manager. Develop a PMO Charter outlining objectives: oversee implementation of the Capital Improvement Projects, City Strategic Plan, RASCI Matrix, Fraud/Waste/Abuse (FWA) mitigation, Customer-Centered Design, and initial BPR (Maturity Level 2) etc. Define scope, authority, reporting to the City Manager and City Council, risk management protocols, and alignment with the Governance & Policy Framework. Tie it to lever points for maximum impact.

2. Adopt PMI Best Practices. Structure the PMO using PMI’s Program Management Offices: A Practice Guide and PMBOK principles to standardize processes, define clear governance, and track performance with maturity assessments, ensuring consistent, value-driven delivery across transformation initiatives.

3. Staffing and Structure. Follow strategic hiring recommendations. Appoint a dedicated Program Manager (potentially new position) supported by the recommended IT Manager and Human Resources Manager. Start small (2-4 staff or part-time equivalents) and use strategic partnerships for specialized expertise in TOGAF, ITIL 4, and CMMI. Utilize RASCI to clarify responsibilities across departments.

4. Phased Implementation and Monitoring. Prioritize Phase 1 high-priority items: strategic plan, FWA engagement, As-Is process mapping, talent management system, and dashboard development. Establish milestones, budgets, and continuous quality improvement cycles. Provide monthly reports via dashboards to Council. Scale to Phase 2 (Public Works focus, automation) and Phase 3 (full management systems integration) based on progress.

BLACKBERG
GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
55 5. Training and Sustainability. Roll out the recommended Training Program and talent management policies. Foster a culture of continuous improvement and customer focus. Conduct regular maturity assessments and adjust based on sensitivity analysis from financial efficiency reviews.

A well-designed PMO will ensure accountability, minimize duplication, accelerate efficiency gains (as projected in financial deliverables), and enhance resident trust through transparent transformation. Estimated initial setup: 3-6 months with strong executive support.

7.0 Recommendations – Phase 2

7.1. City Accountant (B.1)
The Efficiency and Business Transformation Study, particularly Deliverables 3A (Organizational Structure and Staffing Component) and 3C (Process Improvement and Efficiency Potential), highlights critical gaps in Administrative Services, especially within accounting. Current staffing in Administrative Services relies on generalist roles and outsourced support, leading to manual reconciliations, integration challenges with tools like Springbrook and OpenGov, and backlogs that contribute to inefficiencies and heightened FWA risks. Deliverable 3C notes that accounting processes tie into many departments, with potential for significant efficiency gains through integration and automation, estimating up to $625,000 in annual savings from staffing reallocations and process improvements—savings that require stronger internal accounting leadership.

Strategic hiring of a dedicated City Accountant (recommended for Phase 2) addresses these vulnerabilities by bringing specialized accounting expertise to oversee financial controls, process integration, automation, and compliance. This role would report to the Administrative Services Director and serve as the technical lead for accounting operations, ensuring accurate financial reporting, budgeting, timely reconciliations, and robust internal controls.

Rationale and Alignment with Deliverables:
 Deliverable 3A recommends restructuring Administrative Services to enhance accounting oversight, including shifting resources (e.g., reassigning a Public Works Financial Analyst) and creating specialized positions to reduce reliance on external support and improve accountability.  Deliverable 3C emphasizes accounting as a high-leverage area: processes cross multiple departments, manual workflows create waste, and automation opportunities (e.g., AI-enabled reconciliations) remain untapped. A City Accountant would lead these integrations, support FWA mitigation through segregation of duties and audit trails, and align with broader goals like cloud migration and continuous quality improvement.

Key Responsibilities:
 Oversee and execute day-to-day accounting operations, including general ledger maintenance, accounts payable/receivable, payroll integration, and financial statement preparation.  Implement and monitor internal controls to prevent FWA, such as dual approvals for transactions over thresholds and automated exception reporting.
 Coordinate with IT for SaaS tool optimization (e.g., Springbrook/OpenGov integration) and future AI solutions for anomaly detection and automation.
 Lead budgeting, forecasting, and compliance with California financial reporting standards.  Train staff and collaborate with the Human Resources Manager on talent development in accounting.

BLACKBERG
GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
56 Hiring Strategy: Recruit nationally, targeting candidates with municipal finance experience, CPA certification required, a bachelor’s or master’s degree in accounting required, and expertise in government accounting (GASB standards), accounting IT systems, and process automation. Competitive salary aligned with market adjustments recommended in 3C (to attract/retain talent). From a strategic hiring perspective, this individual should have interest in advancing to Administrative Director and/or City Manager with career progression. Begin recruitment in Phase 1 post-HR Manager hiring, with onboarding tied to the Training Program and Change Management System.

Development and Integration: Once hired, the City Accountant will integrate into the Governance & Policy Framework (policy lifecycle for financial procedures) and RASCI matrices (clear accountability). Outputs will feed the City Council Executive Dashboard (e.g., financial KPIs, control metrics) and support BPR (To-Be designs for accounting workflows).

This role accelerates maturity to CMMI Level 2 and 3 by establishing repeatable financial processes.

7.2. FWA Control Recommendations (B.2)
The Efficiency and Business Transformation Study, through Deliverables 3A (Organizational Structure and Staffing Component) and 3C (Process Improvement and Efficiency Potential), underscores the need to integrate FWA findings into Administrative Services’ accounting operations. Deliverable 3A identifies staffing gaps in Finance, with reliance on manual processes leading to vulnerabilities like inadequate segregation of duties and poor oversight. Deliverable 3C highlights accounting as a high-leverage area, where fragmented workflows across departments contribute to inefficiencies and elevated FWA risks—estimating $625,000 in potential annual savings through integration, automation, and stronger controls.

To address these, integrate FWA findings by embedding preventive and detective measures into core accounting processes and systems. Start with process reengineering: Update As-Is diagrams to incorporate FWA red flags (e.g., unmonitored vendor payments, manual reconciliations) and redesign To-Be flows with built-in controls like automated three-way matching for invoices and dual approvals for disbursements over thresholds (or whatever recommendations come from the FWA engagement). Align with the Governance & Policy Framework by mandating policy updates for financial procedures, ensuring all accounting activities adhere to RASCI-defined roles for accountability.

On the systems side, leverage the IT modernization (TOGAF/ITIL 4) to integrate AI-driven anomaly detection in tools like Springbrook and OpenGov—flagging irregularities such as duplicate payments or unusual overtime. Implement continuous monitoring via dashboards, tracking FWA metrics (e.g., exception rates, audit findings) for real-time visibility.

Led by the new City Accountant, this integration should begin in Phase 2. Conduct FWA-specific training for Finance staff, tied to the Talent Management System, and pilot in high-risk areas like payroll. This approach mitigates risks, unlocks $200,000+ in annual efficiencies (per 3C), and strengthens resident trust through transparent, resilient accounting— positioning Administrative Services as a model for citywide maturity growth.

7.3. Accounting Focus for BPR (B.3)
Accounting processes represent a high-leverage focus area for Business Process Reengineering (BPR) in the City of St.

Helena. Deliverable 3C (Process Improvement and Efficiency Potential) explicitly states that “accounting ties into many processes in other departments,” creating a natural nexus for integration and automation. These cross-departmental linkages mean that inefficiencies, manual handoffs, and control gaps in accounting ripple outward, contributing to waste, delayed decision-making, and elevated FWA risks across Public Works, Community Development, Administrative Services, and beyond.

In the current state (Deliverable 2), accounting relies heavily on manual reconciliations, fragmented SaaS tools (e.g., Springbrook for financials, OpenGov for budgeting), and limited internal expertise, resulting in backlogs, error-prone data entry, and inadequate real-time visibility. Deliverable 3A (Organizational Structure and Staffing Component) reinforces this by recommending specialized staffing in Administrative Services to strengthen financial oversight and reduce reliance on

BLACKBERG
GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
57 generalists or external support. Without targeted BPR in accounting, the City cannot fully realize the estimated $625,000 in annual efficiency gains identified in 3C through staffing reallocations, process streamlining, and automation.

Recommended Accounting-Focused BPR Priorities:

These are natural follow-on actions from the Phase 1 general BPR efforts that included accounting.  As-Is Mapping and Analysis: Diagram end-to-end accounting workflows (e.g., accounts payable/receivable, payroll integration, budget development) using swimlane diagrams and SIPOC. Analyze for bottlenecks (e.g., manual invoice matching consuming 20–30% of Finance time) and FWA vulnerabilities (e.g., single-person approvals, weak vendor verification). Incorporate resident-centered design by evaluating how financial delays impact service delivery (e.g., delayed vendor payments affecting Public Works projects).  To-Be Redesign: Reengineer processes for integration and automation. Implement automated three-way matching, dual approvals for transactions above thresholds, and AI-driven anomaly detection to flag duplicates or unusual patterns. Standardize cross-departmental handoffs (e.g., Public Works requisitions flowing directly into Springbrook) and align with governance through RASCI matrices for clear accountability. Focus on integration of FWA engagement recommendations.
 System and Control Integration: Coordinate with IT modernization (cloud migration, TOGAF/ITIL 4) to unify platforms and embed audit trails. Feed accounting metrics into dashboards for real-time monitoring of variances, compliance, and FWA indicators.
 Staffing and Capacity: Hire a dedicated City Accountant (as recommended in Phase 2) to lead these changes, oversee controls, and train staff. Leverage the Talent Management System and Training Program for skill-building in automated workflows and compliance.

Benefits:
 Unlocks cross-departmental efficiencies (e.g., 15–25% reduction in processing time).  Strengthens FWA mitigation through preventive controls and continuous monitoring.  Supports CMMI Level 2 maturity by establishing repeatable, measured accounting processes.  Enhances transparency and fiscal stewardship, rebuilding resident trust.

Led by the new City Accountant, with oversight and support from the IT Manager, this accounting-focused BPR should begin in Phase 1 pilots (e.g., invoice processing) and scale organization-wide. By prioritizing accounting, the City creates a ripple effect of improved controls, reduced waste, and better-integrated services across all departments.

7.4. IT and AI Solutions for Integration and Automation (B.4) The Efficiency and Business Transformation Study, particularly Deliverable 3C (Process Improvement and Efficiency Potential), positions accounting as a pivotal focus for Business Process Reengineering (BPR), noting its interconnections with other departments and potential for transformational gains through integration and automation. Deliverable 3A (Organizational Structure and Staffing Component) reinforces this by recommending specialized roles in Administrative Services to address manual workflows, which currently lead to inefficiencies, errors, and FWA vulnerabilities.

Recommended IT and AI solutions will enable seamless data flows, real-time insights, and automated controls, advancing accounting BPR from As-Is manual processes to To-Be optimized workflows aligned with CMMI Level 2 maturity.

Key Recommended Solutions:
 Cloud-Based ERP Integration: Migrate to a unified cloud platform (e.g., enhanced Springbrook or NetSuite integration with OpenGov) for end-to-end accounting automation. This supports As-Is analysis by mapping fragmented data sources and To-Be design with automated reconciliations, reducing manual entry by 30–50% and enabling three-way invoice matching.

BLACKBERG
GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
58  AI-Driven Anomaly Detection and Automation: Deploy AI tools for predictive analytics in accounts payable/receivable and payroll. In BPR’s To-Be implementation, AI can flag irregularities (e.g., duplicate payments or unusual vendor patterns) in real-time, tying into FWA mitigation and continuous quality improvement. Low-code platforms can automate routine tasks, such as expense approvals, integrating with RASCI-defined roles for accountability.
 API and Middleware for Cross-Departmental Integration: Use middleware to connect accounting with Public Works (asset tracking) and Community Development (permitting fees), ensuring data interoperability under TOGAF/ITIL 4 frameworks. This facilitates BPR’s As-Is to To-Be transition by eliminating silos and supporting dashboards for monitoring metrics like budget variances.

Implementation Approach: Led by the IT Manager in close collaboration with the City Accountant, begin in Phase 2 (postHR/IT hiring). Pilot AI in accounts payable (3–6 months), then scale. Budget $50–80K initially for tools and training, offset by $200,000+ annual savings from reduced errors and overtime (per Deliverable 3C estimates). Integrate with the Governance & Policy Framework for compliance policies and the Change Management System for staff adoption.

Benefits:
 Enhances efficiency, cutting processing times by 25% and supporting staffing reallocations.  Strengthens FWA controls through automated audits and alerts.  Advances BPR maturity with measurable, repeatable processes, feeding into executive dashboards for oversight.

This IT/AI integration transforms accounting from a bottleneck to an enabler of citywide efficiency, directly supporting resident trust and fiscal sustainability. It also provides the foundation needed to transition to Level 3 CMMI maturity.

7.5. Continue Business Process Reengineering (Maturity Level 3) (B.5) This is the continuation of Business Process Reengineering (BPR) at Maturity Level 3 as a targeted Phase 2 effort, building on the foundational Level 2 achievements established in Phases 1 (A.10). At CMMI Level 2 (Managed), the City of St.

Helena has focused on making processes repeatable within individual projects or departments—emphasizing planning, monitoring, and basic controls. Level 3 (Defined) shifts to organization-wide standardization, where processes are documented, tailored from a standard set, and proactively managed for consistency across the City. This progression ensures scalability, reduces variability, and supports certification, enabling sustained efficiency gains estimated at 20–30% in highimpact areas like public works and finance, as per the study’s lever points.

Building off Level 2 efforts—where As-Is mappings identified bottlenecks, To-Be designs incorporated customer-centered principles, and implementations piloted automation—the Level 3 continuation refines these phases with a focus on institutionalization. It integrates with systems using TOGAF/ITIL 4 for architectural and service management alignment, and the Governance & Policy Framework (A.22) for standardized oversight. Key enablers include the City Accountant for financial process leadership, IT & AI solutions for automation, FWA integration for controls, and dashboards for measurement. The BPR team, now expanded to include strategic partners (A.3), will lead, with oversight from the enhanced City Council mechanisms (A.7). Timeline: 8-10 months post-Level 2 completion.

As-Is Diagramming
At Level 3, refine As-Is diagramming to create a standardized, organization-wide process repository rather than projectspecific maps. Leverage Level 2 outputs (e.g., swimlane diagrams for permitting and budgeting) as baselines, but now apply a common notation standard (e.g., BPMN 2.0) across all departments. This ensures consistency and facilitates tailoring from a citywide process library.

Steps: Conduct a comprehensive review of Level 2 diagrams, incorporating updates from continuous quality improvement feedback. Use the Knowledge Management System (A.17) to store and tag diagrams with metadata (e.g., department, risk level, FWA controls). Integrate IT by linking to digitized records (A.18) and AI tools for automated diagram generation

BLACKBERG
GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
59 from system logs. Involve the City Accountant to map financial interdependencies, such as payroll flows into public works budgeting.

Challenges: Variability from Level 2 pilots; mitigate with governance-mandated standards. Measures: 100% of core processes standardized in the repository within 3 months, with 90% alignment to customer-centered design journeys.

As-Is Analysis
Advance analysis to an organization-wide perspective, moving beyond Level 2’s project-focused evaluations to comparative assessments across departments. Use Level 2 baselines (e.g., cycle times, error rates) to benchmark against industry standards (e.g., APQC metrics for municipal finance).

Steps: Employ advanced tools like process mining software (integrated via ITIL 4) to analyze system data for hidden inefficiencies. Incorporate FWA findings by quantifying risks (e.g., control gaps in vendor payments) and customer-centered feedback from surveys to evaluate resident impact (e.g., delays in service requests). The City Accountant will lead financial analyses, identifying cross-departmental waste like redundant reconciliations.

Integration: Tie to dashboards for real-time metrics and governance for policy compliance checks. Challenges: Data silos; address with IT solutions like API integrations. Measures: Identify 15–20% additional efficiency opportunities beyond Level 2, with risk scores reduced by 25%.

To-Be Design
At Level 3, To-Be design emphasizes tailoring from a standard process set, ensuring designs are adaptable yet consistent citywide. Build on Level 2’s customer-centered prototypes by incorporating organization-level requirements, such as scalability for seasonal demands in public works.

Steps: Develop a City process reference model in the Knowledge System, using TOGAF for architectural alignment. Design To-Be flows with AI automation (e.g., predictive analytics for budgeting) and FWA controls (e.g., automated anomaly detection). The City Accountant will ensure financial designs integrate across departments, like linking procurement to asset management.

Involve strategic partners for best practices (e.g., shared services models). Challenges: Balancing standardization with flexibility; mitigate with governance reviews. Measures: 80% of designs certified as Level 3 compliant, with simulated 20% cost reductions.

To-Be Implementation
Implementation at Level 3 focuses on organization-wide rollout, with standardized training and change management to ensure adoption. Extend Level 2 pilots (e.g., accounting automation) to full deployment, using ITIL 4 for service transition.

Steps: Phased rollout starting with accounting (led by City Accountant), incorporating change plans from the Change Management System (A.20). Train staff via the Training Program (A.14), with RASCI updates for roles. Monitor via executive dashboards, adjusting for issues.

Integration: Use IT solutions for seamless deployment (e.g., cloud-based workflows) and governance for compliance audits.

Challenges: Adoption resistance; address with talent policies for incentives. Measures: 90% adoption rate, 15% initial efficiency gains.

Continuous Quality Improvement
Embed CQI as a Level 3 practice, with organization-wide processes for measurement and refinement. Build on Level 2 feedback loops by standardizing PDCA cycles across departments.

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GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
60 Steps: Establish a CQI committee to review metrics quarterly, using dashboards for data (e.g., process variance, resident satisfaction). Integrate AI for predictive improvements and FWA monitoring. The City Accountant will oversee financial CQI, ensuring controls evolve.

Challenges: Sustaining momentum; mitigate with governance-mandated reviews. Measures: 10–15% annual process improvements, certification readiness assessed biannually.

Other Items for Level 3 Maturity
 Comprehensive KPIs and Dashboards (A.19): Expand initial dashboards to include Level 3 metrics (e.g., process consistency scores).
 System Integration (B.4): Use TOGAF to link BPR with management systems (e.g., Talent, Knowledge), ensuring holistic maturity.

This Level 3 BPR continuation integrates IT for automation/governance for standardization, advancing St. Helena toward resilient, efficient operations and CMMI certification—delivering sustained value to residents.

7.6. Staffing Efficiency Gains (B.6)
Achieving CMMI Level 3 maturity (Defined), in some department processes, represents a significant milestone for the City. It represents shifting from project-specific repeatability (Level 2) to organization-wide standardized, documented, and proactively managed processes. This level of maturity institutionalizes consistent practices across departments, reducing variability and enabling predictable performance.

Staffing efficiency gains at Level 3 refer to the City’s ability to provide the same or improved service levels through better use of existing staff capacity. These gains result from streamlined workflows, fewer manual handoffs, reduced rework, and clearer accountability. Standardized processes eliminate redundant efforts (e.g., manual reconciliations in Finance or siloed handoffs in Public Works), freeing staff time for higher-value tasks. Automation and integration (e.g., AI-driven anomaly detection in accounting) further minimize manual intervention, while defined roles via RASCI matrices help prevent duplication, confusion, and workload imbalance.

Quantitative benchmarks from CMMI-adopting organizations (including government entities) indicate typical gains of 20– 35% in productivity and cycle time reductions, with rework decreasing by 25–30%. For St. Helena, this translates to meaningful staffing efficiencies: the study (Deliverable 3C) already identifies $625,000 in potential annual savings from reallocations and process improvements. At Level 3, expect to realize 15–25% additional productivity per full-time equivalent in high-impact areas like Administrative Services and Public Works—potentially equating to 1–2 FTE equivalents redirected without net headcount increases (e.g., through attrition or reallocation). To be clear, once the departments achieve a level 3 maturity, we estimate:
 Accounting personnel (including bookkeeping) can be reduced to 3 positions;  Community Development can be reduced by 0.5 positions (likely in permit technician functions); and  Public Works can reduce personnel by 2-3 positions.

Critical Points: To be clear, targeted reductions in personnel does not mean that the individuals staffing those positions must be terminated. Rather, they can be reassigned to higher value positions/tasks. This effort will also help eliminate tedious tasks that most employees dislike, and it will enable them to engage in more interesting, higher-impact work. We emphasize these points because it is a common tactic of “resistors to change” in an organization to begin sowing fear that “a lot of people are going to be fired from their positions if we do this.” We have already seen evidence of this in the City at executive management levels. This is a key issue to address in the change management system effort.

BLACKBERG
GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
61 7.7. Risk Management System (B.7)
We recommend the development of a Risk Management System (B.7) as a Phase 2 initiative, essential for systematically identifying, assessing, mitigating, and monitoring risks across the City’s operations (See Figure 22). In a small municipality facing fiscal constraints, operational challenges, and past incidents like the 2024 ransomware attack, an effective risk management system shifts from reactive responses to proactive resilience. It addresses vulnerabilities in areas such as financial controls, infrastructure maintenance, and compliance, while directly supporting FWA mitigation. By integrating anticipated FWA control recommendations (B.2), which include enhanced internal controls like multi-level approvals, automated reconciliations, and anomaly detection in accounting and procurement, the system will embed these safeguards to prevent financial mismanagement and operational inefficiencies.

Development should commence immediately in Phase 2, led by a cross-functional team including the IT Manager, City Accountant, and department directors (e.g., Public Works and Administrative Services). Begin with a foundational framework based on established standards like ISO 31000 or COSO ERM, tailored to the City’s scale. Conduct a comprehensive risk assessment: Inventory potential risks using workshops and surveys, categorizing them into strategic (e.g., budget shortfalls), operational (e.g., water system failures), financial (e.g., vendor fraud), and compliance (e.g., regulatory violations). Prioritize based on likelihood, impact, and alignment with FWA findings—such as weak segregation of duties in finance, which could lead to unauthorized transactions.

Figure 22 – Enterprise Risk Management: Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) Enterprise Risk Management Cube, often called the ERM Framework, is a visual tool that maps out how organizations identify, assess, and respond to risks.

Key development components include:
 Risk Register: Build a centralized, digital repository (cloud-based, integrated with the Knowledge Management System) to track risks, including descriptions, owners, mitigation strategies, and status updates. Incorporate FWAspecific fields, like control effectiveness ratings for audit trails and exception reporting.  Assessment and Scoring Tools: Develop a standardized scoring matrix (e.g., qualitative/quantitative scales) and leverage AI-enabled analytics (e.g., Azure AI) for predictive modeling—flagging emerging risks like overtime spikes or unusual procurement patterns as per FWA recommendations.

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GROUP
Efficiency and Business Transformation Study
Deliverable 4: Final Report and Recommendations
62  Mitigation Playbooks: Create action plans for high-priority risks, embedding anticipated FWA controls such as mandatory dual approvals for disbursements over $5,000 and automated vendor verification to reduce abuse opportunities.
 Integration with Existing Systems: Align with the Governance & Policy Framework for risk-related policies, RASCI matrices for ownership assignment, and dashboards for real-time visualization of risk metrics (e.g., exposure levels, mitigation progress).

Once developed (target: 6–9 months), deployment focuses on embedding the system into daily operations. Roll out in phases: Pilot in finance and public works (3 months), where FWA risks are highest, then expand citywide. Provide mandatory training through the Training Program (A.14), covering risk identification, reporting, and tools usage—aiming for 100% staff participation. Use the Change Management System (A.20) to address resistance, with communications emphasizing benefits. Establish governance: Form an internal Risk Committee (meeting quarterly) for oversight, with escalations to the City Council Executive Dashboard.

Anticipated challenges include data silos and staff overload; mitigate by leveraging IT solutions for automated data feeds.

Performance measures: Track risk reduction (e.g., 20–30% decrease in identified vulnerabilities), mitigation completion rates (95% on time), and integration with FWA controls (e.g., 80% of financial processes audited quarterly).

Benefits are multifaceted: The system will yield 15–25% operational risk reductions, align with CMMI Level 3 for process maturity, and enhance FWA prevention through embedded controls—ultimately safeguarding public resources, improving efficiency, and fostering resident confidence in City governance.

7.8. Asset Management System (B.8)
Public Works is an area with the highest potential for transformational change, characterized by high work volume, seasonal demands, and complex challenges in water, wastewater, streets, and stormwater infrastructure. The current state (Deliverable 2) discusses reactive maintenance, fragmented tracking (e.g., reliance on spreadsheets or manual logs), and deferred investments—contributing to aging assets, discolored water issues, pipe leaks, and a $2.5 million annual infrastructure shortfall per related analyses. Deliverable 3C emphasizes Public Works’ criticality, noting that improved asset management could yield significant efficiencies, while the CIP dashboard tracks a $66.2 million five-year plan across 106 projects focused on streets, water, wastewater, and facilities.

Developing a dedicated Asset Management System (B.8) in Phase 2 is essential to shift from reactive to proactive, predictive maintenance, extending asset life, reducing costs, and improving service reliability. This system will centralize inventory, condition assessments, maintenance scheduling, and performance tracking for all City-owned assets—prioritizing Public Works’ high-volume items like water mains, pumps, streets, sidewalks, and stormwater systems.

Development Approach: Led by the Public Works Director in coordination with the IT Manager and City Accountant, begin with a needs assessment: Inventory existing assets using GIS (ArcGIS integration) and digitize records (building on Records Digitization, A.18). Adopt a standardized framework like ISO 55000 or PAS 55, tailored for small municipalities, to define asset hierarchy, condition grading (e.g., 1–5 scale), and lifecycle costing.

Key features include:
 Centralized Asset Register: A cloud-based CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) such as Cityworks, Cartegraph, or Lucity—integrated with Springbrook for financials and OpenGov for budgeting—to track location, age, condition, maintenance history, and replacement costs.  Preventive and Predictive Maintenance: Schedule routine tasks (e.g., pump inspections) and use predictive analytics (AI/ML via Azure or similar) for condition-based alerts—e.g., forecasting pipe failures based on age, soil data, and historical leaks, reducing reactive repairs by 30–50%.