Business Agenda Item 5b
STAFF REPORT
City Council Business Agenda Item
DATE: March 21, 2022
TO: Honorable Mayor and Council Members
FROM: Merritt Perry, City Manager
SUBJECT: Approve Proposed Staff Position Changes and Pay Classification Changes STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the proposed pay classification changes including the corresponding organizational chart changes.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Staff is recommending the following position changes and reclassifications. Staff understands that in general the council would like to see staffing changes during the development of the annual budget, however, given the departmental needs the following changes are being recommended to make now in advance of the annual budget. Additional changes may be requested in the future.
Below is a list that with the current proposed changes with the purpose of each change:
1. Eliminate Deputy Director of Public Works and add Public Works Director - The recent resignation by the Deputy Director of Public Works led to the review of that position and its responsibilities. Staff feels that the City would be better served by removing the City Managers’ responsibility to Public works as its Director and having a full time, dedicated position to serve that department. Due to the demands on the City Manager for other assignments and projects outside of Public Works, there has not been sufficient oversight, staff development and the general participation needed by the department. By eliminating the Deputy Director position and adding the Director position, we expect to be able to provide the oversight and expertise needed in that department. This was previously brought to council for approval and staff were directed to proceed with the recruitment and approval of this change now would formalize that decision.
2. Eliminate Utility Lead Worker Position and Add Utility Shift Supervisor Position – It has been challenging for the City to find a qualified Utility Superintendent with the skills desired for that position, specifically someone that is able to handle both the technical and professional duties required of that position. Currently the lead worker has been filling in to provide an oversight of the utility crew, with less of a focus on the long term planning for the division than would be desired by a Utility Superintendent. Additionally, the Utility Lead worker is required to have similar number and level of certifications and responsibility level as the Wastewater Shift Supervisor but there is a significant disparity between the pay of the two positions. Reclassifying the lead worker as a shift supervisor would change the pay scale classification from an F32 to F39.
Business Agenda Item 5b
Staff feels that changing the Utility Lead Worker to a Utility Shift Supervisor, would provide adequate oversight needed for the Utility Division and the newly created Public Work Director and existing engineering staff could handle the technical and professional tasks that would be needed as a result of the continued frozen status of the Utility Superintendent Position.
3. Reclassify Recreation Program Supervisor– The Recreation Programs Supervisor position develops and oversees recreation programs and conducts hiring and oversight of several recreation staff positions. This is a highly responsible position with high expectations from both the public and City Manager. Currently this position is classified at the lowest pay category in the City that ranges from $16.20/hour (minimum wage) to $19.70 per hour.
Typically within our pay scale positions of a higher responsibility are paid at least 8-10% higher than those they supervise, and in this case the highest pay scale for the Recreation Supervisor is approximately 7% over Recreation Program Coordinators (which are supervised by the Recreations Supervisor) with a salary that ranges from $15.00 to $18.24.
Additionally, staff have reviewed this position and determined that this is more responsible position that oversees up to four Recreation Coordinators and 16 Recreation Leaders, and should be classified above the Facility Custodian, which has no oversight responsibilities or educational experience requirements. Therefore it is the opinion of staff that the Recreation Supervisor should be reclassified at least two steps above the Facility Custodian position to either to either F20 or F23. Step F20, has a salary that ranges from $17.65/Hr. to $21.48/Hr., which is approximately $1.45/hr. higher than scale F15. F23 is approximately $1 more per hour above F20. Therefore staff proposes to reclassify the Recreation Program Supervisor to the F20, pay classification. This proposed pay scale is comparable with Recreation Coordinator positions at other Humboldt County Cities but, remains significantly less than Recreation Supervisor Positions at other local cities.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The anticipated cost changes for the proposed organizational chart changes described above are shown in the table below:
Proposed Change
General Fund
Annual Cost
Impact
Enterprise
Funds Annual
Cost Impact
Comments
Eliminate Lead Utility Worker Position $ - $ (98,650)
Add Utility Shift Supervisor Position - 107,500 assumes moving to F39 and starting at same step as current
Net Impact - 8,850
Eliminate Deputy Director of Public Works Position (34,500) (103,500) Add Public Works Director Position 41,200 123,500
Net Impact 6,700 20,000
Reclassify Recreation Supervisor 4,500 -
Net Impact 4,500 -
Total of all Changes $ 11,200 $ 28,850
Business Agenda Item 5b
The proposed changes above reflect the current pay scales recently approved by the council. The proposed changes would increase the general fund budget by $11,200 and would result in an enterprise fund savings of $28,850. The costs for the Recreation Supervisor would come from Measure E.
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:
1. Receive staff presentation and review Council questions with staff
2. Open Public Comment
3. Close Public Comment
4. Motion to approve the proposed pay classification changes and updated organizational chart. Roll Call vote.
ATTACHMENTS:
Proposed Pay Rate Schedule