Staff Report
City Council
Item No. 1.A
Meeting Date: February 19, 2025
From: Charles P. McClendon, City Manager
Title: City Manager's Department Staff Review
RECOMMENDATION:
This item is presented for information, discussion and direction only.
BACKGROUND:
As a service organization, expenditures on staffing, including salaries and benefits, is one of the largest components of the budget. Therefore, a key component of the budget development process is to provide a comprehensive presentation on staffing throughout the City including the use of contracts and overtime, support services, etc. To meet this need, a series of special workshops have been scheduled over the upcoming weeks to conduct a department by department staffing review and to provide the Council with information on proposed changes and additions throughout the departmental budgets.
DISCUSSION:
The City Manager’s department includes the following divisions:
City Manager
City Clerk
Human Resources
Communications and Events
Information Technology
The following table compares authorized staffing in the City Manager department in FY13- 14 to the present. The table shows the staffing reflects reductions made in June 2020 due to the COVID revenue reductions, the adopted FY22-23 budget and the current authorization for FY24-25. The FY13-14 numbers are from the printed budget, revised only to reflect organizational structure changes that have occurred in the interim:
FY13-14
FY20-21
COVID
FY22-23
Adopted
Current
FY24-25
Authorized
Change from
FY 13-14
City Clerk 1.50 2.00 1.50 2.00 2.00
City Manager 2.00 1.00 2.00 2.50 1.50
Communications/Events 0.00 1.50 2.00 3.00 3.00
Human Resources 2.50 3.00 3.00 3.50 1.00
Information Technology 2.12 4.00 5.00 5.50 3.38
City Manager Total 8.12 11.50 13.50 16.50 103%
City Manager
The City Manager function currently consists of three positions, the City Manager, Assistant City Manager, and Analyst II which is shared with Economic Development. The table below is the allocation of the City Manager’s time. The allocation of the ACM time should be similar with more time on the management of city departments and less time allocated to the City Council. The Analyst II works on special projects in support of the City Manager and Assistant City Manager.
Function Approx. %
Prepare for and Conduct Council Meetings and Interact with Council Prepare agenda items, staff reports and supporting materials Review agenda materials prepared by staff
Prepare, review and rehearse presentations
Brief Councilmembers and research and provide responses to questions
Coordinate response and follow-up after Council meetings Handle issues and concerns for Councilmembers and coordinate with departments on responses and actions
50%
Staffing Citizen Commissions and Committees
Resident Study Committee
Cannabis Task Force
Public Arts Commission (ACM)
Issues/Concerns related to other Commissions and Committees 5%
Manage Activities of City Departments
Development of work plans to address Council goals
Review departmental activities and service levels
Address issues related to budgeting, personnel issues, resident or customer complaints, etc.
Provide counseling, coaching and direction to department heads 25%
Community Relations
Listen to and coordinate responses to resident and customer complaints, concerns, suggestions and needs
Participate in City events, monitor social media and other sources of feedback from the community
10%
Regional Relations and Coordination
Provide staffing to Councilmembers serving on regional 5%
committees
Serve on committees with CVAG, CalCities and others
Interact with City Managers and others from regional cities Miscellaneous
Interact with the news media
Review claims, lawsuits, etc
Handle calendars, meetings and zoom calls, appointments, correspondence and research and reporting for self and Council 5%
City Clerk
The City Clerk is the local official for elections, local legislation, the Public Records Act, the Political Reform Act, and the Brown Act (open meeting laws). The State Government Code prescribes the basic functions of the City Clerk while the City Charter and Municipal Code provide the specific responsibilities along with procedures to follow. It is the responsibility of the City Clerk to ensure actions taken by the Council are in compliance with all statutes and regulations and that actions are properly executed, recorded and archived.
The City Clerk’s Department is made up of one full-time City Clerk and one full-time Administrative Assistant, that is shared with the City Manager and City Council for administrative functions. The office of the City Clerk is a service department which the City Council, all city departments, and the general public rely on for information regarding the operations and legislative history of the City. The City Clerk’s Department serves as the liaison between the public and City Council and provides related municipal services.
The following is a table of the major functions of the City Clerk’s Department. Many of the functions of the Department are time-sensitive and require completion during a prescribed time frame.
FUNCTION CITY
CLERK
ADMINISTRATIVE
ASSISTANT
City Council Agenda/Agenda Packet and Minutes
Manage Future Agenda Items List with input from
the City Manager and Staff on a weekly basis
Prepare and Publish Agenda and Agenda Packet
for all Regular and Special City Council Meetings
Responsible for Minutes of all Regular and
Special Council Meetings
Ensure all Government Codes/City Codes and
City Charter are followed related to the posting of
the Agenda and Notices
Schedule the meetings with IT for all Regular and
Special City Council Meetings.
Attend all Regular and Special City Council
Meetings
Manage the Agenda Management Program
(template changes, troubleshooting and staff
assistance)
Process all Resolutions, Ordinances and
Contracts that are approved by the City Council
35% 20%
maintaining all the legislative history of the City
Public Records Requests
Must Complete/Review/Respond within 10 days of
receiving the request
Monitor requests on a daily basis to ensure that
they are completed by prescribed law
Work with all Departments related to questions
and concerns related to Public Records Requests
and the workflow of requests
Manage the NextRequest Public Records Request
Platform
40% 5%
Commissions and Committees
Responsible for the production of the Parks and
Community Events Commission, Public Arts
Commission, Finance Advisory Committee, Mobile
Home Fair Practices Commission and Cannabis
Task Force Meetings Agendas, Packets and
Minutes
Attend all Regular and Special Parks and
Community Events Commission, Public Arts
Commission, Finance Advisory Committee, Mobile
Home Fair Practices Commission and Cannabis
Task Force Meetings
Communicate with the Liaisons, Chairs and
Commissioners related to upcoming meetings,
etc.
Maintain Current Rosters of all Commissions and
Committees
Facilitate the application and interview process for
all Commissions and Committees
Monitor Ethics Training for each Commissioner
and Committee Member
Ensure all Government Codes are followed
related to vacancies and notices
Maintain Commission/Committee Policy
Handbook
5% 15%
AB1234 and AB1661 Requirements
Track the completion of Ethics Training and
Sexual Harassment Training of all Council
Members and Commissioners
Maintain a log of those who have completed the
training
Maintain files of certificates of completion
1%
FPPC Filings
Filing Official for Campaign Statements for all
Candidates and Controlled Committees (these
forms are filed Semi-Annually and more frequent
during an election)
Filling Official for Statement of Economic Interests
Forms for designated staff
2%
Update Resolution designating staff every two
years
Maintain logs of all Forms filed
Maintain Files per the Records Retention
Schedule
Elections
Conduct City Elections along with the County of
Riverside Registrar of Voters Office on even
numbered years (this would include everything
necessary to ensure a proper election is
conducted within the City)
Conduct Special Elections as necessary (this
would include everything necessary to ensure a
proper election is conducted within the City)
1% .5%
Contracts/Recorded Documents
Ensure Contracts are executed and provided to
the appropriate departments
Ensure Contracts are retained
Record and Maintain all Recorded Documents for
the City
5% 9%
Website
Update City Clerk’s Department Page
Update Commissions and Committees Page
Maintain Transparency page
Maintain Policies Page
Make changes and edits as needed and when
capable
1%
Records Retention Schedule/File Room
Maintain Records Retention Schedule
Review/Approve Records for destruction
Maintain City Clerk and other various City records
in File Room
5% .5%
Miscellaneous Items
Publish various notices and required documents
on an ongoing basis
Prepare Proclamations/Commendations and
Certificates upon request
Maintain the Municipal Code/Supplements
Provide support to the members of the City
Council, City Manager and Executive Staff
oSchedule Conferences and make travel
arrangements
oTrack/log expenditures and reimbursements
oReserve City Vehicles
oRSVP for committee meetings and events
oSchedule meetings for City Council with Staff
oSchedule meetings for City Manager and Staff
oSchedule meetings for City Council and
members of the public
oSchedule meetings for City Manager and
5% 50%
members of the public
oCoordinate catered lunch meetings for City
Council, City Manager and Executive Staff
oReceive public complaints via phone, in-
person and email for City Council and City
Manager
oCoordinate media interviews for City Council
Administer the Oath of Office to all City Council
Members, Commissioners, Committee Members
and Employees
Maintain Policy Handbook for the City Council
Work with other Agencies and Liaisons related to
Council appointments and meetings
Provide various clerical assistance to the City
Council, City Manager and City Clerk
oSignature requests
oLetters of support requests
oScanning and letter preparation
oBusiness cards and name plates
oOrder office supplies
oMail distribution
The percentages allotted in the table for each function and position may vary depending on the year, the time of year and whether or not there are hot topics in the Community, which will cause the amount of time to shift for both positions.
Human Resources
The Human Resources division operates with 3.75 employees, consisting of one (1) Human Resources Manager, one (1) Senior HR Specialist, one (1) HR Specialist, and one (1) HR Assistant who works at 75% time. While the budgeted FTE count is 3.5, the department has been able to increase the part-time HR Assistant's hours to .75 FTE by utilizing savings from other areas to support special projects.
The HR Department provides comprehensive services to all City employees, including full- time, part-time, retirees, volunteers, and interns. By maintaining alignment with the City's strategic plan, the department effectively plays a critical role in ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local regulations while managing key human resources functions.
The following are examples of the functions of the Human Resources Department:
Administrative &
Support
Document Management, Database Maintenance, General Support, File Maintenance, Employee Recognition
Benefits &
Enrollment
Benefits Administration, Leave Management, HRIS Maintenance, Open Enrollment, New Hire Benefits, Retiree Management
Labor Relations
Negotiations, Policy Development, Grievance Management, Labor Compliance, EE Relations
Recruitment, &
Classification
Full-cycle recruitment, Candidate Screening, Onboarding Coordination, Position Control, Job Descriptions, Job Classification Risk
Management
WC case management, Wellness Programs, Risk Management
Training &
Development
Required Training Tracking, Professional Development, Compliance Training, Leadership Programs, Skills Development
The following is a representation of the functions each classification in the Human Resources Department manages. The percentages allotted in the table below vary depending on the year, the time of year, and whether or not there is a special project that will cause the amount of time to shift.
Function HR Manager Sr. HR Specialist HR Specialist HR Assistant Strategic
Planning &
Leadership
35%
-Department
strategy
-Budget oversight
-Executive
reporting
Program
Oversight &
Compliance
20%
-Benefits
oversight
-Recruitment
oversight
-Policy
Development
Benefits &
Enrollment
45%
-Program
Administration
-Open Enrollment
-Complex cases
-FMLA/ADA
10%
-Basic
processing
-New hire
orientation
20%
-Processing
support
-Data entry
Recruitment &
Classification
10%
-Classification
studies
55%
-Full-cycle
recruitment
-Position control
-Classification
Studies
30%
-Application
processing
-Scheduling
Labor
Relations
25%
-Lead
negotiations
-Final resolution
-Grievance
handling
-Meet & Confer
20%
-Historian
-Assist with
negotiation
-Interpretations
Risk Management 5%
-WC Claims
Management
10%
-Program
coordination
-Complex cases
Training &
Development
5%
-Strategy
-Program
approval
5%
-Program
development
-Delivery
20%
-Coordination
-Records
-Program
development
-Delivery
Administrative/Office
Support
10%
-Staff supervision
-Operations
10%
Records
-Reports
(Benefits)
15%
-Records
-Reports
(Employment)
-Salary Schedule
Maintenance
50%
-Filing
-EE Recognition
-Quarterly
Meeting
-General
support
TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100%
Communications and Events
Communications and Events Manager
This position has two main job functions of managing the City’s communications and the special events produced by the City and third parties. Now that the Events & Recreation Coordinator is on board, the distribution of job functions has dramatically improved, with 50% of the time on Events and 50% on Communications.
On the communications side, the manager is responsible for video messaging, media relations, social media posts and oversight, city and local business promotions, speech and script writing, and production of the city news, the fall and spring resident mailers, annual publications in Palm Springs Life magazine, annual business conferences’ script and video production, and the City’s weekly newsletter.
The manager is also responsible for media relations involving communicating and representing the City’s viewpoint on important matters for television, social media, and newspaper outlets. Each day, the manager posts and/or reviews comments on social media posts from constituents to understand and report to the city manager community sentiments and determine if any comment reported violates our social media policy.
On the events side, the manager is responsible for working with the City Council, community stakeholders, and businesses to create, plan, organize, and implement City events or assist with City sponsored events. Those have included the city’s three signature events – the Cathedral City Hot Air Balloon Festival, Taste of Jalisco, and Cathedral City LGBT+ Days.
Other sizable events include Snow Fest, Halloween Spooktacular, Tastes & Sounds of Cathedral City, and the State of the City that requires significant speech and script writing as well as video production. The city also participates in other events such as Palm Springs Pride, Palm Springs International Film Festival, Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, Kids Summer Movies Program, Visit GPS Restaurant Week, and the CCHS Homecoming Parade. Besides the implementation, each of the city events requires significant marketing communications, video production, webpage design and messaging, print collateral, social media messaging, managing sponsorships, ticket sales, vendor contracting, and media relations.
Additionally, the Communications and Events Manager continues to play an active role with booking and marketing the Cathedral City Community Amphitheater. This includes implementing a new marketing plan/strategy, determining equipment and amenities that should be added for the best use of the facility. This has also included working with local businesses and the city attorney to produce contracts that promote facility rental, sponsorships, and operations of the concession stand. Additional work was completed to develop professional service contracts for sound/lighting technician as well as operations for special events.
Events Coordinator
Under administrative direction of the Communications & Events Manager, the Events Coordinator performs a wide variety of tasks related to special events, communications, community relations, as well as special projects assigned by the Communications & Events Manager. The coordinator plans and coordinates internal and strategic external activities, events and operations and assists as a communications link to the public and news media; coordinates activities and serves as liaison with City staff, outside agencies, and the general public.
Works with Communication & Events Manager to plan, implement and operate all City special events, as well as any third-party special events. Assist graphic designer/webmaster to ensure all events are properly advertised on a variety of communication mediums such as electronic billboard, pedestrian kiosk, airport kiosk, auto center billboard, Spring/Fall mailers, and banners at our local parks.
Collaborate with two amphitheater brokers in providing planning tours and working with them to get Special Use Permits to City Council.
Work with Communication & Events Manager to maintain calendar of events. Assist as needed with video shoots, social media, and the City’s website. Understand and receive training on how to turn off irrigation, power usage, water systems, AV systems, etc.
Partners with other city departments to implement festival safety protocols at events. Plans for potential scenarios that could impact the integrity of the event. Manages contact database of vendors, event planners, entertainers/agents, and sponsors.
Understands, selects, negotiates, and contracts with culturally appropriate entertainment for City’s special events.
Coordinates with City’s Risk Manager to mitigate potential litigation related to special events.
Obtains appropriate outside agency permits for City special events.
Webmaster/Graphic Designer
Webmaster: The City has 12 unique websites. CathedralCity.gov is the City’s governmental website that has information of City Government, departments, and general city information.
This website is hosted off-site by Granicus. The webmaster is responsible for maintaining the general appearance of the site as well as confirming content and appearance meets City web standards as well as legal standards for visual appearance.
Other city websites are hosted on City servers where staff maintain the displayed data as well as the coding making up the website. The 11 websites are:
DiscoverCathedralCity.com, the City’s main website for news and information CathedralCityPolice.com
JoinCathedralCity.org, the Human Resources website
CathedralCityAmp.com, the newest site promoting the Community Amphitheater CathedralCitySisterCities.com, created for our sister City Committee CathedraCityPublicArts.org
Event specific sites:
oSnowfest.us
oTasteofJalisco.com
oCathedralCityLGBTDays.com
Maintaining these websites includes:
Keeping the site software updated
Maintaining Search Engine Optimization (SEO) so the pages are Google searchable Keeping plugins updated
Running weekly security scans on the sites
Receiving and investigating notices from the sites as to attempted site breeches and hacks
Maintaining and tracking usage data of all sites
Publishing Press Releases for CCPD
Business notification for Economic Development
The position also provides design, subscriber maintenance and weekly sending of the Weekly Newsletter with 2000+ subscribers.
A system-wide search and replace of old or wrong information on our websites has begun.
Working with all departments, the webmaster has begun a data refresh of CathedralCity.gov.
A page-by-page review of the site and updating forms and pages. A search for old logos in forms has also begun.
Graphic Designer: Duties relating to graphic design for the City are mainly related to Communications and Events but can reach to all departments of the City. Much of the time spent is in support of the various events. Creating Logos for the events, designing various media for the events including posters, postcards, banners, brochures, program booklets, newspaper and magazine advertising, billboards, and digital advertising.
The Graphic Designer also maintains a library of graphics and sponsor and business logos used during promotion of the events. These logos are typically print ready and large enough for high quality reproduction. If a business does not have such a logo, they must be recreated to meet standards. He also maintains the City Photos library of Images taken in Cathedral City.
The amount of graphic design for our festivals and events has returned to normal levels as the pandemic era subsides. He has designed several banners, posters, signs, and digital graphics for print and digital billboards for Lamar, Auto center and the City Downtown Digital Billboard.
82 custom sponsor banners were designed and formatted for printing, promoting local businesses for the Downtown Banner Program.
He has also worked with Economic Development to design and create Offering brochures for the 13.5- and 5-acre parcels downtown. These are 20-page documents full of exhibits, photos, and maps of the two projects to give prospective buyers information relating to each site.
Information Technology Department
The Information Technology (IT) Division is responsible for management, support, securing of technology infrastructure, information systems hardware and software, telecommunications, and geographic information systems. It provides leading edge technology and related services for utilization by various departments of the city.
Special services include establishing and maintaining:
Network infrastructure and support system
Wireless infrastructure
Database and internet technologies
System Recovery Plan
Server and desktop computer systems, printers, and laptops Computer hardware and software standards and support
Enterprise Business Applications
Communications and collaboration systems
Security systems design and support
Surveillance Systems
Physical Access controls
System auditing and investigations
Geographic information systems/Maps
Application and Web development
Cloud Technology Services
Audio/Video Technologies for Council and Commission Meetings Public Safety dispatching and mobile computing technologies
Currently the IT division is staffed by Chief Technology Officer, Senior Network Engineer, Enterprise Systems Analyst, GIS Analyst, one full time and one part-time IT Technicians.
The division also has a part-time consultant for Audio/Video Live productions. Work depends upon the specialty, though there is often some overlap. The IT Department serves all city employees and supports all technology systems.
The core functions of the IT division include:
Infrastructure Management: Overseeing the organization’s hardware, software, servers, and networks to ensure everything operates reliably and securely.
Technical Support and Helpdesk: Providing assistance to employees or end-users to resolve technical issues related to devices, software, or connectivity.
System Administration: Ensuring that the organization’s systems, databases, and networks are properly configured, maintained, and updated.
Cybersecurity: Protecting the organization’s data and systems from cyber threats through firewalls, encryption, access controls, and monitoring for potential vulnerabilities.
Software Development and Maintenance: Developing and maintaining custom software applications or working with third-party software to meet the needs of the business.
Data Management and Backup: Ensuring proper storage, backup, and recovery of data to avoid data loss and enable business continuity.
IT Strategy and Innovation: Evaluating and implementing new technologies to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and support business growth.
Compliance and Governance: Ensuring that the organization’s IT operations comply with industry standards, regulations, and policies related to data privacy and security.
Summary of Positions and Functional Roles:
Positions Functions
Chief Technology Officer IT Operations and Staff Management Project Management
IT Budget planning and management
Implement IT policies and compliance
Design and Implement IT solutions
Provide Technical support
Implement and manage IT Security
Research Technologies
Senior Network Engineer Provide Technical Support
Manage Backups
Server and Network Maintenance
Desktop/Server/Network Security updates
Configure and Implement Networking systems
Audio/Video Broadcasting/Streaming Support
Research Technologies
Enterprise Systems
Analyst
Provide Technical Support
Manage and maintain ERP and EPL systems
Project Management of Enterprise Applications
Manage Databases and web applications
Implement and test Enterprise applications
Audio/Video Broadcasting/Streaming Support
Research Technologies
Geographic Information
Systems (GIS) Analyst
Provide GIS Technical Support
Develop and maintain GIS data layers
Develop and update GIS web-based systems
Manage GIS Databases and GIS Servers
Offsite Survey Streets, Addresses, Hydrants
Research Technologies
Provide GIS Software training
IT Technician (1,5 FTE) Provide Technical Support
IT Helpdesk
Manage and update desktops and laptops
Implement and test hardware/software
Surveillance system maintenance
Audio/Video Broadcasting/Streaming Support
Research Technologies
FISCAL IMPACT:
The original published budget for the City Manager department (all divisions) for FY 24-25 was $5,857,847. The total amended budget for the City Manager department (all divisions) for FY 24-25 reflecting amendments through 12-31-2024 is $6,056,729.
FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN:
N/A
ATTACHMENTS:
Presentation Staffing and Budget Analysis City Manager’s Department Presentation Proposed Special Events FY 2026 FY 2027