AUBURN — A controversial revamping of City Hall staff is working, councilors were told Monday.

“The big thing for us is communication,” police Chief Phil Crowell, who leads the city’s Public Safety team, said. “We are communicating for community event planning, what personnel might be available, and reviewing operational plans for multiple events.”

Crowell, Information and Communication Technology Manager Renee Bogart and Public Works Deputy Director Denis D’Auteuil reported their progress at the City Council’s workshop Monday.

Councilors said they remained skeptical about the management plan.

“I believe this is a faulted system,” Councilor Dan Herrick said. “I think you three do a superb job at what you do. But what is going on is not what we’re being told.”

City Manager Glenn Aho and his staff began working on the new management plan last summer, after councilors adopted a plan that both trimmed spending and raised taxes. He unveiled the new structure last spring, saying it would make city management more nimble, efficient and responsive to resident needs.

The plan reorganizes city hierarchies — with fewer people reporting directly to Aho — standardizes services and creates testable benchmarks for city employees. Aho said city staff helped draw up a new organizational chart and it has been a success.

Departments are placed into one of three teams. Police, Fire, 911 and Emergency Management are grouped under the Public Safety team. Finance, library, city clerk, human resources, computer systems and social services are grouped under the Public Administration team. Assessing, community development, economic development, planning, parks and recreation and public works are grouped under the Public Service team.

Team leaders Crowell, Bogart and D’Auteuil meet individually with the department heads on their teams and then report to Aho.

“What we’re saying is, one department’s problems are no longer just their own,” D’Auteuil said. “They go right to the team, we walk about and get different perspectives and make changes as necessary.”

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