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Setting the Course for the Future of Facilities & Environmental Services in Albemarle County

The Albemarle County Executive’s Office engaged Matrix Consulting Group to perform an operational, organizational, and staffing assessment of the County’s Facilities and Environmental Services (FES) Department. This assessment was intended to provide actionable recommendations and an implementation plan to manage growth and secure the resources needed to provide facility, property, and public works services on behalf of the County.

Challenge

Albemarle County is home to the City of Charlottesville and the University of Virginia, as well as the historical home of Thomas Jefferson. The County operates as the primary service provider for the region surrounding Charlottesville and is responsible for the maintenance and management of several historical structures that require specialized services. The County has also undertaken a Climate Action Plan to improve the environmental impacts of County programs, which requires long-term implementation guidance and action by County Staff.

The Facilities and Environmental Services Department (FES) is the County’s operational department responsible for all county facilities, property, and public works functions. They provide services including building maintenance/cleaning, grounds maintenance, fleet management, street cleaning, construction, and project management, and serve as the programmatic leader for sustainability programs, aquatic dam management, internal support services such as copying and mailroom activities, and building security. The Department recently came under new leadership and sought guidance from Matrix on appropriate staffing allocations based on current assets and conditions, as well as on the technological resources and operational guidelines needed to be successful with a limited county budget.

Solution

Matrix Consulting Group completed the six-month project using a multifaceted approach, including a best-practice assessment, an on-site operations review, staff interviews with all departmental staff and stakeholders from other departments, and a data-driven staffing analysis based on industry standards and prevailing practices. Matrix then created an implementation plan for the County to follow based on immediate, intermediate, and long-term needs.

Key recommendations included:

  • The development and implementation of asset management principles and programs to better align resources with required maintenance.
  • An alignment of project management staffing to the project needs of the County.
  • A realignment of the organization of the Department to meet administrative needs and to focus technical expertise on maintenance and operations.
  • Assessing the need for in-house copying and document development needs, as these functions continue to be prevalent in the private sector.
  • Staffing needs were assessed using a data-driven facilities management staffing model that was developed by the Matrix project team.
  • Organizational structures based on future needs were presented to the County for its use.
  • Technology deficiencies were identified, and new systems were recommended to streamline maintenance and asset management processes, improving operations and reducing administrative requirements on operational staff.

Outcomes

Using these recommendations, the County implemented the plan and developed a multi-year improvement program for FES that incorporated necessary staffing and organizational considerations. The County was able to justify the need for additional technology investment to support the Department’s mission and priorities, as well as to improve overall maintenance and tracking.

Matrix bridged the gap between data analysis and operational needs in this project through in-house subject-matter expertise in public works, facilities management, and grounds management, while drawing on an understanding of the County’s historic functions and the unique requirements of agencies in Virginia.

The Director of FES, Jeffrey Dumars, commented:

“[Matrix] listened closely to staff at all levels, engaged deeply with our data and workflows, and produced an analysis that was both candid and constructive.”

“Matrix delivered actionable recommendations across supervisory development, asset management, staffing alignment, technology integration, and long‑range planning. Most importantly, they offered a realistic and prioritized implementation strategy that reflects our operational realities and fiscal constraints.”