COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY
COMMITTEE REPORT -
:
1350 Pennsylvania Ave, NW 20004
OFFICE OF THE
TO: All Councilmembers
FROM: Councilmember Phil Mendelson, Chairman, Committee on the^Judiciary
DATE: May 30,2006 /
SUBJECT: Report on PR 16-683, the "Director of theyOffice^of Unified Communications E.
Michael Latessa Confirmation ResolutionM 2006"
The Committee on the Judiciary, to which PR 16-683, the "Director of the Office of
Unified Communications E. Michael Latessa Confirmation Approval Resolution of 2006" was
referred, reports favorably thereon and recommends approval by the Council.
CONTENTS
I. Background and Need 1
II Legislative Chronology 3
III. Summary of Testimony 3
IV. Impact on Existing Law 5
V. Fiscal Impact 6
VI. Section-by-Section Analysis 6
VII. Committee Action 6
VIII. Attachments 6
I. BACKGROUND AND NEED
The purpose of PR 16-683 is to confirm the Mayor's nomination of E. Michael Latessa as
the Director of the Office of Unified Communications (OUC). Mr. Latessa currently resides at
4100 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20016.
The Office of Unified Communications was established by the FY 2005 Budget Support
Act of 2004 (D.C. Law 15-205) after the Inspector General and the Council repeatedly
documented chronic service delivery problems with the District's 911/311 system. The OUC
consolidates emergency (911) and non-emergency (311 and 727-1000) call activities from the
Metropolitan Police Department, Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department and
Customer Service Operations in order to allow for centralized, and more efficient, District-wide
coordination and management of public safety communication. The OUC began operation as its
own agency on October 1, 2004. Its mission is to provide fast, professional, and cost-effective
response to emergency and non-emergency calls in the District.
Committee on the Judiciary Page 2 of 6
Report on PR 16-683 May 30, 2006
E. Michael Latessa's service in the District government pre-dates the creation of the
OUC. He was hired in February 2004 to facilitate the development and transition of
consolidating police and fire communications and the Mayor's City-Wide Call Center into the
newly created Office of Unified Communications. He was named Interim Director of the OUC
in October 2004. Under his direction and leadership during the past 28 months, the Universal
Call Taker Program was initiated, skill deficiencies were addressed, and a training curriculum
was developed. Mr. Latessa has also worked to create pay parity among staff and has
reclassified and compensated all operational positions accordingly. Additionally, under his
leadership the percentage of 911 calls answered within 5 seconds has increased dramatically
from 65% in September 2003 to 95% at present time. The same improvement can be seen with
311 calls answered with 11 seconds (from 65% in September 2003 to 96% at present time). The
percentage of abandoned calls has dropped dramatically as well under his tenure as Interim
Director (from 10.9% in November 2003 to 2.8% today).
One area of significant concern that the Committee has with Mr. Latessa's leadership is
employee morale. For over a year, the Committee has received numerous complaints from OUC
employees that have been critical of Mr. Latessa's management style. At about the same time
that the Mayor transmitted PR 16-683, OUC union leadership indicated uncertainty whether they
could support the appointment because of employee dissatisfaction. Indeed, at the Committee's
confirmation hearing on Mr. Latessa's appointment there were two separate incidents where
employees broke down while testifying; one had to be helped from the chamber, she was so
distraught. Employees, both individually and through their union, have felt it to be unnecessarily
difficult to discuss fully and to resolve work place issues. Also, they have often been left in the
dark as to personnel changes. The Committee notes that achieving weekly labor/management
meetings has been fitful for over a year, and that there has not been a labor-management
partnership council at this agency.
At the time Mr. Latessa's nomination was submitted to the Council, and as part of his
commitment to address these complaints, Mr. Latessa appointed a Deputy Director for Human
Capital, and he has made several concessions (articulated in MOUs) with the National
Association of Government Employees (NAGE). There appears to have been substantial, recent
progress in fostering better management/employee relations.
Mr. Latessa possesses a broad and extensive background in managing emergency
response operations. He has served in public safety positions for 30 years. Before serving as
Interim Director of OUC for the District, Mr. Latessa served in leadership positions for
numerous government entities such as the Emergency Communications/Emergency Management
Agency for the City of Norwalk, CT from 2003-2004; he served as the Director for the Public
Safety Department for Manatee County in Bradenton, FL, from 1988 to 1998; he also served as
the Director of Emergency Medical Services Division for Lee County in Ft. Myers, FL from
1985 to 1987. In 1987, Mr. Latessa's division was voted as the National Association of EMT's
Paramedic Service of the Year. Mr. Latessa is the recipient of numerous other awards and
honors. His educational background includes a B.S. in Administration from the University of
New Hampshire and a Masters in Public Administration from the University of South Florida.
Committee on the Judiciary Page 3 of 6
Report on PR 16-683 May 30,2006
Mr. Latessa brings a wealth of experience to the position of Director of the Office of
Unified Communications. His experience since creation of this agency, as Interim Director, has
been one of undisputed progress in the operations - increased call pick-up times, reduced
abandonment of calls, quicker routing of calls from pick-up to dispatch. From the public's
perspective there is no reason not to continue Mr. Latessa's leadership by confirming his
appointment as permanent director. The one cause for hesitation is employee morale. Yet the
nominee has finally made substantial progress on this as well. Indeed, union leadership (both
NAGE and AFGE) did not ask in their testimony that Mr. Latessa's appointment be rejected.
Accordingly, the Committee recommends the confirmation of E. Michael Latessa as the Director
of the Office of Unified Communications.
II. LEGISLATIVE CHRONOLOGY
March 3, 2006 PR 16-683, "Director of the Office of Unified Communication E. Michael
Latessa Confirmation Approval Resolution of 2006" is introduced by
Chairman Cropp at the request of the Mayor. It is referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary. By operation of law it will be deemed
approved after 90 days, excluding days of Council recess (June 12, 2006).
March 24, 2006 Notice of intent to act is published in the D.C. Register.
March 31, 2006 Notice of the public hearing is published in the D. C. Register.
April 24, 2006 Committee on the Judiciary holds a public hearing on PR 16-683.
May 30, 2006 Committee on the Judiciary marks-up PR 16-683.
III. SUMMARY OF TESTIMONY
The Committee on the Judiciary held a public hearing on PR 16-683 on Monday, April
24, 2006. Witnesses discussed concerns about the operations at the Office of Unified
Communications and employee morale. Important issues were raised, and copies of the
testimony are attached.
Michael Patterson, President, NAGE, testified neither in support nor in opposition to
Mr. Latessa's appointment. Mr. Patterson stated that while the past eighteen months were
tenuous, OUC management and NAGE have come to terms on some problematic issues such as
the 12 hour shift, the pay crosswalk, and break periods for universal call takers.
Vincent Fong, Representative, NAGE, testified that OUC management needs to create
an atmosphere at OUC that acknowledges the value of its employees.
Committee on the Judiciary Page 4 of 6
Report on PR 16-683 May 30,2006
La Juan Sullivan, Representative, NAGE, testified that OUC management needs to
continue to take additional steps toward repairing employee relations.
Clifford Lowery, President, AFGE Local 1975, testified that Mr. Latessa has made
improvements towards working more closely with the unions.
Yolanda Geter, OUC Employee, testified in opposition to Mr. Latessa's appointment.
Ms. Geter testified that she was treated in a hostile manner by management on several occasions.
Valerie N. Johnson, OUC Employee, submitted written testimony in opposition to Mr.
Latessa's appointment. Ms. Johnson cited numerous actions by Mr. Latessa and his staff that she
classified as negative.
Sebrina Richardson, OUC Employee, submitted written testimony regarding an incident
she experienced at the OUC. Ms. Richardson stated that guidelines need to be implemented on
how to report another employee for suspicion of terrorism.
Pearl Hodge, Representative, NAGE, testified that Mr. Latessa's treatment of employees
has led to decreased employee morale and productivity.
Carolyn Morris, OUC Employee, submitted written testimony in opposition to Mr.
Latessa's appointment. She stated that Mr. Latessa and his staff display vindictive and
unprofessional practices towards the OUC employees.
Michelle Enoch-Njoku, OUC Employee, testified in opposition to Mr. Latessa's
appointment. She testified that Mr. Latessa has a history of poor relations with employees and
does not treat all employees the same.
Barbara Hammitt, OUC Employee, testified in opposition to Mr. Latessa's appointment.
Ms. Hammitt testified that Mr. Latessa is an ineffective leader for OUC.
Ana Velasco, OUC Employee, testified in opposition to Mr. Latessa's appointment. Ms.
Velasco testified that Mr. Latessa rehired a supervisor that does not respect or value the
employees.
Jacquelyn White, OUC Employee, testified in opposition to Mr. Latessa's appointment.
Bill Starrels, ANC Commissioner 2E05, testified in support of Mr. Latessa's
appointment. Mr. Starrels testified that Mr. Latessa is a dedicated public servant that has done a
lot to improve the quality of service at OUC.
Rob Halligan, ANC Commissioner 2B, testified in support of Mr. Latessa's
appointment. Mr. Halligan stated that Mr. Latessa has implemented a level of accountability at
OUC that should be emulated throughout the District.
Committee on the Judiciary Page 5 of 6
Report on PR 16-683 May 30, 2006
Cherita Whiting, ANC Commissioner 4B, submitted written testimony in support of Mr.
Latessa's appointment. She found Mr. Latessa to be very accessible to the community.
Joseph Martin, ANC Commissioner 4C, testified in support of Mr. Latessa's
appointment. He testified that Mr. Latessa is accessible, accountable, responsive, and has been
pro-active in reaching out to his constituents.
Benny Coates, OUC Employee, testified in support of Mr. Latessa's appointment. Mr.
Coates stated that under Mr. Latessa's leadership the OUC supervisors are held accountable for
implementing the District's strategic goals and objectives.
Kenneth Mallory, OUC Employee, testified in support of Mr. Latessa's appointment.
Mr. Mallory credits Mr. Latessa with giving his supervisors the latitude to aggressively hire
employees and implement other changes that have greatly benefited OUC.
David Mott, OUC Employee, testified in support of Mr. Latessa's appointment.
Clark Higgs, OUC Employee, testified in support of Mr. Latessa's appointment.
Charles H. Ramsey, Chief of Police and Suzanne J. Peck, Chief Technology Officer,
submitted a joint letter in support of Mr. Latessa's appointment. Chief Ramsey and Ms. Peck
stated that under Mr. Latessa's leadership OUC has substantially improved 911 emergency
communications.
Edward Reiskin, Deputy Mayor, Public Safety and Justice, testified in support of Mr.
Latessa's appointment. Mr. Reiskin testified that under Mr. Latessa's leadership, OUC has seen
dramatic improvement in its ability to answer 911 calls more quickly and efficiently.
E. Michael Latessa, Interim Director, OUC, testified that he was pleased to be the
Mayor's nominee for the position of Director of OUC. Mr. Latessa explained the state of the
agency when he first started, stated the changes he made to improve performance, and cited
statistics showing vast improvements in agency performance. Mr. Latessa also stated several
initiatives that he was taking, along with the union, to improve management/employee relations.
IV. IMPACT ON EXISTING LAW
The position of Director of the Office of Unified Communications exists pursuant to § 1-
327.52(b) of the D.C. Official Code. By operation of law, the appointment is deemed approved
on the 90th day after submission by the Mayor, excluding days of Council recess, unless the
Council takes action.
Committee on the Judiciary Page 6 of 6
Report on PR 16-683 May 30, 2006
V. FISCAL IMPACT
PR 16-683 will have no adverse fiscal impact on the District of Columbia budget or
financial plan. Compensation for service as Director of the Office of Unified Communications is
provided pursuant to D.C. Official Code § 1-327.52 and has been included in the District's
budget appropriation. The grade for the Director's position is EX E5 with a salary range of
$115,197 to $173,880. Mr. Latessa is currently paid $129,213. The Director is eligible for an
annual performance incentive, not to exceed 10% of base pay, based upon the successful
attainment of goals and performance contract, subject to agency funding.
VI. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
Section 1 Provides the long title.
Section 2 Confirms the appointment of E. Michael Latessa as the Director of the Office
of Unified Communications.
Section 3 Requires that a copy of the resolution, upon adoption, be transmitted to the
nominee and the Mayor.
Section 4 Provides that the resolution shall take effect immediately.
VII. COMMITTEE ACTION
On May 30, 2006 at 3:08 p.m., the Committee met to consider PR 16-683, the "Director
of the Office of Unified Communications E. Michael Latessa Confirmation Resolution of 2006."
Present and voting were Councilmembers Mendelson, Catania, and Brown. Chairman
Mendelson moved the bill and report together. He also read a memo from Councilmember
Patterson who was unable to attend the mark-up but expressed her support for PR 16-683. After
a brief explanation of the bill and a time for discussion, the members voted unanimously in favor
of the bill and report (Mendelson, Catania, and Brown), with leave for technical changes. The
meeting adjourned at 3:15 p.m.
VIII. ATTACHMENTS
1. PR 16-683 as introduced.
2. Public Hearing Notice for PR 16-683 and copies of written testimony.
3. Committee Print of PR 16-683
4. Memo from Councilmember Patterson
1 Committee Print
2 Committee on the Judiciary
3 May 30, 2006
4
5
6
7
8 A PROPOSED RESOLUTION
9
10 16-683
11
12 IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
13
14
15
16
17 To confirm the appointment of Mr. E. Michael Latessa as the Director of the Office of
18 Unified Communications.
19
20
21 RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That
22
23 this resolution may be cited as the "Director of the Office of Unified Communications E.
24 Michael Latessa Confirmation Resolution of 2006".
25 Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia confirms the appointment of:
26
27 Mr. E. Michael Latessa
28 4100 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., #LT04
29 Washington, D.C. 20016
30 (Ward 3)
31
32 as the Director of the Office of Unified Communications, established by section 3203 of
33 the Office of Unified Communications Establishment Act of 2004, effective December 7,
34 2004 (D.C. Law 15-205; D.C. Official Code §1-327.52), in accordance with section 2 of
35 the Confirmation Act of 1978, effective March 3, 1979 (D.C. Law 2-142; D.C. Official
36 Code § 1-523.01), to serve at the pleasure of the Mayor.
37 Sec. 3. The Council of the District of Columbia shall transmit a
1
2 copy of this resolution, upon its adoption, to the nominee and to the Office of the Mayor.
3
4 Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.
5