Since breaking the connection to consultant CH2M Hill last year and electing to bring all personnel functions in house, Milton officials have been busy revamping and streamlining the city’s organizational structure.

Seven city positions in place under the consultant’s contract are no longer on the books, according to City Manager Chris Lagerbloom.

“We are right-sizing for our city size of around 20,000 [residents] and it’s made us more efficient,” he said.

Council members culled five jobs in October during the budget process. “We had more administrative and assistant secretaries than we needed,” Lagerbloom said. “Now we all share the load. We don’t need people just to make copies and answer phones.”

Two more positions, special events coordinator and one of four in the IT department, were cut recently, Lagerbloom said.

City Clerk and Clerk of Courts Jeanette Marchiafava has also left City Hall, but not because the job was eliminated. Lagerbloom said he could not discuss the particulars of her exit but noted it was due to a personnel issue. He said he expects council to ratify the appointment of Deputy Clerk Sudie Gordon as interim clerk Jan. 6.

The duties of planning and coordinating the city’s special events are being blended into the parks and recreation director’s job description. Milton’s first-ever parks and recreation director, Cyndee Bonacci, starts this week at a salary of $85,000. Bonacci held the same position in Snellville, where she won 2008 Distinguished Professional of the Year for the Georgia Recreation and Park Association.

“She comes with a pretty amazing background, with quite a record of success in visioning, parks master planning and build out,” Lagerbloom said.

Milton now has 54 fire employees, 26 in the police department and 29 general government employees.