By RYAN SKAITH

The St. Joseph City Council is scheduled to vote Monday, Feb. 2 on a proposed ordinance to create a new General Services Department. The move aims to centralize several key municipal functions that are currently spread across various city offices, ranging from engineering to fleet operations.

City officials say the restructuring is designed to improve coordination and accountability as municipal projects grow more complex. By bringing capital project management, procurement, facilities maintenance, and risk management under one roof, the city hopes to ensure more consistent project monitoring and more efficient use of taxpayer dollars. This proposal follows a series of internal streamlining efforts that began in 2025.

If the council approves the measure, the department will launch with 13 employees reassigned from other areas of the city government. The department will be led by a full-time director reporting directly to the city manager, tasked with overseeing both new projects and the long-term care of city assets.

Laurie Thompson, currently the city’s human resources programs and risk manager, has been selected to lead the department through its initial transition. If the ordinance is adopted, Thompson will be appointed as the permanent director with an annual salary of $100,001.

The city plans to update its municipal code incrementally as more responsibilities are folded into the new department. Officials noted that the reorganization is a key component of the city’s broader strategic plan to strengthen interdepartmental teamwork and improve the maintenance of public infrastructure.

The St. Joseph City Council will meet at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 2.