►
Description
Human Resources Director Alicia Davis and Assistant City Manager Stuart Bedenbaugh give insight to working in the City Manager's office and explain the City's business and employment relationship with the surrounding community, including procurement and hiring.
A
C
I
am
starting
april
of
probably
nine
years
ago,
so
next
year,
be
ten
years
with
the
city
of
Aiken.
I
came
in
as
a
recreation
program
coordinator
and
got
promoted
as
a
human
resources
director
my
main
target.
You
know
when
I'm
working
with
the
employees
basically
and
I
call
it
employee
relations,
so
I
do
a
lot
with
posting
jobs,
making
sure
the
handbook
is.
You
know
legal
and
correct
and
also
just
I
work
with
our
finance
department
on
insurance,
and
you
know
the
benefits
and
just
basically
like
I,
said:
employee
relations,
okay,
okay,.
B
Us
about
what
to
do
sure,
I'm
the
assistant
city
manager
and
I've
been
in
the
posts
for
about
four
and
a
half
years.
That
job
has
a
lot
of
responsibilities
and
duties.
Of
course,
I
work
with
city
manager
at
his
discretion
on
projects,
but
also
we
have
several
divisions
within
the
city
manager's
office
that
I
supervise
and
make
sure
those
operations
run
efficiently.
Also
is
the
members
of
the
public?
B
Glen
well,
if
we
can
go
back
a
little
ways
prior
to
the
mid
1950s,
the
city
had
a
has
always
had
a
mayor
in
a
city
council,
but
in
the
mid-1950s,
the
council
and
the
mayor
decided
to
create
the
council-manager
form
of
government
in
South.
Carolina
cities
can
have
one
of
three
types
of
governments.
There's
the
strong
mayor
form
which
the
city
of
north
augusta
and
city
of
charleston
have
there's
the
council
form
of
government.
B
Then
there's
the
council-manager
form
of
government
city
of
Aiken
has
had
this
council-manager
form
of
government
since
the
mid
50's
and
seven
folks
have
served
as
city
managers
during
that
time,
and
that
person
serves
is
sort
of
the
see
if
you
can
liken
it
to
a
private
sector.
Corporate
structure.
You've
got
your
citizens
or
your
voters.
B
The
customers
you've
got
your
board
of
directors
in
the
private
sector
will
relate
that
to
the
mayor
and
the
council,
and
then
the
city
manager,
who
carries
out
the
policy
directives
of
the
mayor
and
council
on
a
and
runs
the
day-to-day
operations
over
time.
As
the
city
has
grown,
operations
have
gotten
a
little
more
complex.
The
assistant
city
manager
position
was
created
at
some
time
in
the
1970s,
and
those
roles
and
responsibilities
vary
by
the
city
manager.
B
So,
as
the
city
is
grown
and
the
needs
to
provide
services
to
our
citizens
of
increased,
the
demand
has
increased.
The
the
roles
have
changed.
Also
one
thing
I
failed
to
mention,
I'm
also
the
airport
manager,
which
I
think
we've
had
a
city
airport.
A
lot
of
people
don't
realize
since
the
late
1940s
after
World
War,
two,
the
federal
government
gave
the
airport
to
the
city
and
that's
located
about
8
miles
outside
our
corporate
limits
on
highway
1
near
Interstate,
20.
Ok,
that's
a.
A
B
The
beauty
of
my
job
is
on
a
day-to-day
basis,
while
I
have
a
general
idea
of
what
I'm
going
to
do,
the
beauty
of
it
and
the
thing
I
like
and
find
really
engaging.
Is
it
changes
from
day
to
day
it's
not
the
same
old
same
old?
So
but
typically,
I
do
interact
with
the
divisions
within
my
departments.
They
are
very
good
at
keeping
me
informed
of
what's
going
on
in
terms
of
something
unusual
within
their
operations.
B
One
of
the
other
things
I
do
also
as
I'm
the
purchasing
agent
for
the
city
of
the
city
does
not
have
a
procurement
department,
so
may
work
a
lot
with
that
have
good
support
staff
with
city
clerk
and
the
Ministry
of
assistance
that
are
in
the
city
manager's
office,
but
a
lot
of
things
varies
were
working
on
a
lot
of
different
things
right
now,
a
lot
of
movement
with
a
new
city
manager,
some
goals
and
and
things
he
would
like
to
accomplish
working
with
him
on
that
lot
of
exciting
things.
Ok
do.
A
B
You
know
he
can
get
briefed
after
the
fact,
but
if
something
certainly
pressing
or
unusual
occurs,
I'll
notifying,
but
otherwise
we've
got
a
very
good
staff
here
from
you
know
the
lowest
level
employee
to
department,
heads
and
everyone
knows
their
job
and
displays
very
good
judgment
and
common
sense,
almost
one
hundred
percent
of
the
time.
So
it's
really
makes
the
job
very
easy
and
I
think
that
was.
A
The
serving
as
the
assistant
or
serving
as
the
city
manager
was
more
important
years
ago,
when
you
didn't
have
the
technology
we
do
today.
Today,
we
all
seem
to
when
we
go
on
vacation.
We
don't
really
because
we
seem
to
be
keeping
up
with
our
emails
and
those
kind
of
things
when
we're
out
of
town.
It's
a
little
bit
easier
today,
I
guess.
B
A
B
Have
a
decentralized
purchasing
system
at
this
point,
meaning
each
department
up
to
a
point
has
a
lot
of
autonomy
and
discretion
on
purchasing
materials,
goods
and
services.
So
if
I
may,
I
would
like
to
kind
of
go
through
that
step
by
step.
Essentially,
you
know
for
your
run-of-the-mill
low
cost
items.
You
know
your
office
supplies,
etc.
B
Each
department,
of
course,
has
the
autonomy,
and
one
thing,
I
will
say:
our
staff
is
very
good
about
getting
the
best
deals
on
things,
whether
it's
your
paper
clips
or
large
capital
items,
I
think
our
staff
does
a
very
good
job
with
that.
But
let's
start
with
the
goods
and
services
that
are
in
the
2500
to
five
thousand
dollar
range,
a
staff
member
or
a
department
head
is
required
to
get
three
oral
quotes.
B
If
an
item
good
or
service
is
going
to
cost
between
two
thousand
five
hundred
dollars
and
five
thousand
dollars,
then
they
typically
almost
all
the
time
they
will
purchase
the
lowest
lowest
priced
item
off
the
list
or
the
lowest
price
service.
Now
you
may
ask
well
where
do
they
get
these
folks
or
providers
from
well?
B
We
do
have
a
vendors
list
that
I
encourage
vendors
to
to
get
their
name
in
the
Hat
for,
and
you
work
off
that
vendors
list
now,
obviously,
occasionally
there's
going
to
be
an
odd
good
or
service,
where
we
don't
have
vendors
on
the
list.
So
then
they
have
to
do
a
little
extra
research.
But
your
comment
a
moment
ago
about
technology
and
everything
with
the
internet.
B
B
Now
now,
if
a
good
service
or
item
is
between
five
thousand
dollars
and
twenty-five
thousand
dollars,
you
can
get
three
written
bids
from
vendors
off
our
vendor
list
and
then
again
purchase
the
best
item
or
lowest
cost
item
that
way,
but
it
has
to
be
in
writing,
unlike
an
oral
bid.
The
other
thing
the
one
exception
to
that
is
a
professional
service.
Now,
what
does
a
professional
service
viewers
might
be
asking?
B
We
review
interview
the
best
applicants
and
then
negotiate
a
contract
with
them
for
the
for
that
professional
service.
So
for
professional
services
that
it's
a
little
nuance,
that's
different
if
you're
buying
actual
material
item
now
for
the
run-of-the-mill
material
items
that
are
25
thousand
dollars
in
greater,
you
have
to
go
through
a
sealed
bid
process
or
you
can
purchase
it
off
of
state
of
South
Carolina
contract.
Typically,
we
have
found
that
the
state
contract,
while
those
prices
are
bid
competitively
at
the
state
level.
B
We
have
found
that
by
bidding
out
locally
through
using
our
procurement
sealed
bid
process,
we
can
get
a
lot
of
products
at
a
price
cheaper
than
state
contract
which
helps
the
taxpayer
as
well.
As
you
know,
our
budget,
we
try
to
be
good
stewards
of
city
tax
money,
but
the
seal
bid
process
again,
whether
it's
for
mailing
of
water
bills
to
purchasing
or
having
a
project
to
install
a
water
line.
That's
worked
very
well.
Over
the
years
we
typically
solicit
these
sealed
bids.
B
We
notified
in
writing
via
the
US
mail
bid
opportunities
to
vendors
on
the
bid
list,
for
that
given
project,
let's
say
we're
doing
a
water
line.
We
will
look
on
our
vendor
list
to
see
who
is
signed
up
to
in
to
install
water
lines,
we'll
send
them
a
US
mail,
a
paper
copy
of
the
bid
document.
We
also
post
the
bids
on
our
website,
WOWT
of
aiken
SC
gov,
and
we
also
post
it
on
South,
Carolina
business
opportunities
or
skibo,
as
it's
called
the
vernacular.
B
A
B
Glenn,
that's
a
very
good
point,
because
I
have
run
in
I've,
been
doing
this
for
four
and
a
half
years
and
you're
right
occasionally,
most
of
the
time
the
lowest
monetary
bid
is
also
the
lowest
responsible
bidder.
There
have
been
occasions
where
we
have
not
gone
with
the
lowest
monetary
bid,
and
there
are
several
reasons:
we've
got
in
our
city
procurement,
ordinance.
We
have
factors
we
can
consider
in
addition
to
price
now,
again,
price
tends
to
be
the
predominant
factor,
but
we
do
evaluates
other
items
to
determine
lowest
responsible
bid.
B
Those
can
include
the
capacity
or
skill
of
the
vendor,
for
example,
if
a
vendor
bids
on
a
project-
and
they
have
to
have
a
certain
kind
of
license
say
if
we
want
to
build
a
bill
and
the
lowest
vent
bidder
bids
on
the
project,
but
they're
not
licensed
to
do
construction.
Well,
you
know
they
that
right
there
they're
disqualified,
so
they
they
don't
meet
the
criteria
as
a
responsible
bidder.
B
Another
example
is
in
the
vendor,
complete
the
work
and
the
time
required
some
of
our
projects
or
have
pretty
tight
deadlines,
and
if
we
say
you
know,
we
want
to
put
in
a
water
line
and
it
has
to
be
done
within
30
days,
the
lowest
dollar
bitter
may
say:
well,
I
can
do
it,
but
it's
going
to
take
me
60
days
because
of
a
backlog
of
jobs.
Well,
in
that
case,
we
could
go
to
the
next
vendor
in
case
of
a
deadline
or
if
time
constraints.
Another
example
is
past
performance
of
other
city
jobs.
B
If
we've
used
vendors
and
again
this
has
been
extremely
rare,
but
if
a
vendor's
done
work
for
us
before
and
we've
had
difficulty
or
weren't
satisfied
with
the
finished
product,
we
have
the
ability
to
to
go
to
the
next
vendor
in
terms
of
price
and,
of
course,
vendors
need
to
be
in
good
standing
with
the
city
in
terms
of
being
updated
with
having
any
taxes
owed
or
fees
owed,
etc.
Now,
one
thing
I
do
want
to
mention
to
bid
on
a
city
project.
You
do
not
have
to
have
a
business
license
to
bid.
B
However,
if
you're
awarded
the
project
before
you
can
commence
work,
you
must
obtain
a
city
business
license.
That
is
a
question.
I
get
on
a
regular
basis
from
vendors.
So
if
you're
a
vendor
out
there
and
typically
we're
talking
about
vendors
who
aren't
necessarily
inside
the
city
or
mountain
the
county,
but
say
further
away
from
the
Aiken
area,
you
can
certainly
bid
you
do
not
to
get
a
business
license
ahead
of
time.
However,
again,
if
you're
awarded
the
bid,
you
must
acquire
the
city
business
license.
A
B
Is
correct
they
do,
but
this
is
work
very
well.
One
of
the
things
I've
been
I've
done
since
I've
started
as
tried
to
gear
it
more
to
having
it
on
the
website.
Since
we
are
the
you
know,
electronic
age
I
mean
the
Internet's
been
used
as
a
tool
in
the
business
and
government
world
now
for
going
on
20
years.
So
it's
a
commonly
accepted
practice.
A
B
If
a
lot
of
times,
they
don't
know
who
to
call
it
first,
so
they
will
call
the
city
manager's
office,
six,
four
to
seven,
six,
five,
four
and
our
staff.
There
is
very
good
at
sort
of
being
a
good
traffic
cop
for
lack
of
a
better
word.
Depending
on
the
situation.
They
will
know
who
to
transfer
them
to
sometimes
they
if
they
don't
feel
like
they're,
getting
their
answers
in
satisfactorily
resolved
with
their
situation
resolved,
they
will
send
them
up
to
me
and
I
try
to
work
with
them
again.
I.
B
A
C
A
C
Right
now,
currently,
full
time
we
have
about
330
full-time
and
about
90
or
so
part
time
we
typically
sometimes
we
will
have
some
seasonal
employees
and
imma
get
back
to
that
shortly.
But
for
the
most
part
we
we
normally
have
around
400
420
employees,
total
I
said
I
want
to
get
back
to
your
seasonal
employees,
of
course,
because
those
are
our
temporary
employee,
east
and
I
wanted
to
mention.
When
we
do
our
seasonal
postings
I
want
to
remind
our
college
students
or
high
school
students.
You
know
start
looking
some
time
in
February's.
C
C
We
have
two
ways
people
can
apply.
You
can
go
on
the
city's
website,
which
is
wwan,
SC
gov
and
on
that
main
screen,
you'll
see
at
the
very
top.
It
says
appointment
and
that's
where
everybody
can
see
our
current
openings,
where
there
is
part
time
where
there
is
full
time,
whether
it's
seasonal
all
those
jobs,
are
there
on
our
city's
website
now
for
people
that
who
people
who
may
not
have
internet
access,
we
also
have
it
available
at
at
the
South
Carolina
Department
of
Employment
and
workforce
and.
D
C
At
1571
richland
avenue,
and
so
at
that
location
they
have
it
where
they
have
computer
access
and
they
have
a
paper
application
there.
Also.
So
for
some
people
who
may
not
be
on
computer
on
computer
inclined-
and
you
know,
computer
friendly
I
guess
you
could
say
they
have
the
paper
application
available
for
them
to
apply
there
and.
C
C
That's
it
it
doesn't
carry
on.
If
we
open
that
position
say
two
weeks
or
more
from
now,
we
don't
carry
the
your
application
over.
You
have
to
reapply,
so
your
application
is
only
you
know
active
until
that
position
is
filled,
and
sometimes
that
may
take
a
month.
Sometimes
it
may
take
a
few
weeks
it.
D
A
C
If
you
did
it
online,
you
can
update
your
application
on
when
you
actually
apply
online.
It's
going
to
give
you
a
pin
number
and
then
so
you
don't
have
to
sit
there
and
fill
out
that
application.
Again.
You
just
put
in
your
pin
number
and
bring
back
up
your
application,
and
so
you
can
update
it
then,
and
and
just
do
it
from
there
now
I
know
some
people
are
several
people
have
asked.
Can
I
download
my
resume
with
my
application?
We
don't
have
that
capability
yet,
but
I
do
have
some
alternative.
C
A
C
Rely
on
the
department's
very
heavy,
and
I
say
that
because
I
am
a
department
of
one
so
I
I
personally
can't
go
through
each
application,
because
I
don't
know
on
what
the
actual
department
is
looking
for.
You
know,
and
so
I
rely
on
them
to
go
through
those
applications,
and
then
you
know
Daria
at
the
time
they
would
give
me.
Okay,
these
are
our
candidates.
We
want
you
to
look
over
and
sometimes
I'm
available
to
actually
it
interview
with
them.
Okay,.
C
So
the
departments
are
very
involved
on
the
selection
process
as
far
as
interviews
are
concerned,
and
then
sometimes
we
may
have
a
few
people,
it's
just
like.
We
just
can't
figure
out
which
one
so
you
know
we.
We
may
have
a
separate
interview
process
where
it
may
be
just
the
department,
directors
and
myself
or
I
know:
we've
actually
sent
the
at
candidates
to
the
city
manager.
So.
D
A
C
A
C
The
the
position
that
you
applied
for
it.
It
should
never
determine
what
you
should
wear
for
an
interview.
You
should
always
always
come
to
an
interview
professional,
whether
that's
ladies
a
skirt
and
a
suit
coat
or
a
blouse,
nice
pair
of
slacks
or
skirt
gentlemen,
a
pair
of
khakis,
a
polo
shirt
or
college
shirt,
long-sleeve
short-sleeve,
that's
fine!
A
C
A
C
A
C
Oh
wow,
yes,
I,
do
agree
with
you
on
that
one.
Of
course
we
do
provide
every
all
of
our
full-time
employees
with
an
insurance.
We
have
life
insurance.
We
do
have
we
pride
ourselves
on
being
wellness
friendly.
We
have
a
city
nurse
here
and
she's,
not
an
actual
city,
employee
she's
through
aiken
regional,
but
she-
and
I
say
she-
we
have
several
nurses.
D
C
Can
you
know
get
reimbursement?
We
also
do
really
well
with
pension
for
our
non-sworn
employees
and
I,
say
non-sworn
that
I
Public
Safety
officers
they
they
have
to
go
through
the
statement,
but
for
non-sworn
we
have
our
own
pension
and
the
great
thing
the
great
benefit
about
our
pension
is
what
someone
is
vested
with
the
city
invest.
It
means
you
have
been
with
the
city
full
time
for
five
years.
C
B
Goodness
I
would
say
the
Marion
of
situations
that
we
deal
with
some
are
trying
to
organize
and
prioritize
things
that
need
to
be
done.
We
get
a
lot
of
issues
that
face
us
on
a
daily
basis
and
most
or
a
lot
of
them
can't
be
resolved
in
a
day,
so
just
trying
to
see
things
through
from
start
to
finish
and
making
sure
that
it's
organized
properly
yeah
a
lot
of
hats.
B
C
Alicia,
it's
just
your
internal
and
your
part
on
external
customers,
making
sure
that
internally,
the
employees
are
happy
and
or
care
for
it
and
they
have
what
they
have.
And,
of
course,
whenever
I
have,
the
external
customers
are
making
sure
that
those
applications
are
in
and
making
sure
that
they
have
what
they
need.
So
it's
just
the
juggling
a
future.
A
Yeah
exactly
well,
thank
you
both
for
being
over
here,
I
appreciate
it
very
much.
You've
shared
some
very
good
information
with
us
today.
Let
me
just
remind
you:
in
the
upcoming
weeks
fire
captain,
Brian
brasher
will
be
joining
us
he'll
be
talking
about
fire
prevention
week.
We've
also
got
some
committee
chairs
coming
Old
MacDonald
law
with
bza,
and
the
equine
committee
is
going
to
join
us
also,
so
we'll
look
forward
to
those
interviews
and
upcoming
weeks.
Thank
you
for
joining
us.
Have
a
great.