Diversity In City Workforce Disappointing

by Valerie Garner

Brenda Hale, President of the NAACP Roanoke Branch, said of Monday morning’s Diversity Report to Roanoke City Council that she “was a little disappointed in the staff racial mix.”  Hale thought the city’s gender mix is also inadequate.

Caroline Glover, director of human resources, gave council an overview of the diversity of Roanoke City’s workforce of 1,621 employees. Males make up 64.16 percent, while females make up 35.84 percent of the city’s workforce. Female promotions lagged behind male promotions in 2010.

Hale wondered aloud about the position level females were hired into compared to males. “Are they being hired in management or supervisory positions or are they glorified custodians,” asked Hale. The city did not capture data for new hire work assignments.

As of April, Roanoke City’s minority population stands at 31.22 percent as recorded by the VEC. Roanoke City’s minority workforce is somewhat lower, at 21 percent. The percent of minority new hires came in at about the same rate.

Staff hiring has picked up in 2010 compared to the lean years of 2008-2009. Prior year calculations reflect years of downsizing and seemed to have hit females more than males. “In 2010 hiring picked up to a more normal rate,” observed Assistant City Manager Sherman Stovall.

Glover admitted that Fire / EMS is “predominantly a white male dominated environment. There is a struggle in the Public Works department getting skilled applicants, and diversity is minimal,” she said.

Budget cuts have required a reduction in the “Professional Development in Leadership” program. A smaller budget has led to the city being very selective in the recruiting of new employees. No-cost or low-cost job fairs are the norm. The Human Resources department works closely with Total Action against Poverty and other organizations.

Councilman Ray Ferris said he’d like to see the percentage of minority applicants to determine if minorities were either not applying or not being hired.

Hale believes that qualifications for city positions need to be clearly defined. If a minority applicant is not qualified, then “it sets them up to fail – it takes away their hope,” she said. Vocational education plays a big part in succeeding in many of the city’s positions.

Hale was dismayed by the “total silence on military veteran recruitment.” Veterans are already a trained skilled workforce. “It doesn’t get any better than that,” she said. “The Non-Commissioned Officer Association is where they should be looking,” added Hale.

Glover explained that recruited applicants have a hard time getting through the Police and Fire/EMS academy. Stovall said that they had been more aggressive in recruiting minorities in the past, and they plan to step it up again as the budget improves.

Recycling Set To Reap Rewards

A recycling awards program with Coca-Cola Bottling Consolidated Operations LLC can win a Roanoke City resident a $50 gift card from Kroger starting in October. A sticker will be mailed to residents to affix to their recycle bins if they want to participate. It is not mandatory.

The city hopes to increase the 38 percent recycling rate and save on tipping fees. The plan is to entice more people to recycle, and recycle correctly. “One day the city will break even,” said solid waste manager, Skip Decker.

On the scheduled day of pick-up, the “Recycle and Win” prize patrol will check participating bins for accurate placement of recyclable material. Bin contamination will result in disqualification. Roanoke is the first city in Virginia to enact the program, which has been successful in Raleigh and Charlotte, NC.

Each city quadrant will be patrolled equally.

Decker also had good news for those who recycle plastic containers. All plastic with the numbers one through seven can now be placed in bins. No more eyestrain searching for a number on the container. Even Styrofoam cups are recyclable—be sure to check for the number six on the cup.

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