Agenda Report
Fullerton City Council
MEETING DATE: FEBRUARY 4, 2025
TO: CITY COUNCIL / SUCCESSOR AGENCY
SUBMITTED BY: stephen BISE, P.E., PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR PREPARED BY: david GRANTHAM, P.E., CITY ENGINEER
jerome joaquin, public works admin. manager
SUBJECT: FISCAL YEAR 2024-25 PUBLIC WORKS PERSONNEL SUMMARY AMENDMENT
SUMMARY
Amend Fiscal Year (FY) 2024-25 Public Works Department Authorized Personnel Summary list to remove one Associate Engineer – Traffic and one Equipment Service Worker and add one Civil Engineer and one Mechanic I.
PROPOSED MOTION
Authorize removing one Associate Engineer – Traffic and one Equipment Service Worker and adding one Civil Engineer and one Mechanic I position in the Fiscal Year 2024-25 Public Works Personnel Summary.
ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS
Approve the Proposed Motion
Reject Proposed Motion
Other options brought by City Council.
STAFF RECOMMENTATION
Staff recommends the Proposed Motion.
CITY MANAGER REMARKS
The City Manager recommends approval of the proposed motion.
PRIORITY POLICY STATEMENT
Fiscal and Organizational Stability
Infrastructure and City Assets.
FISCAL IMPACT
This action results in no change to the number of authorized budgeted positions within the Public Works Department Personnel Summary but generates an approximately $33,090 net increase in the base budget. Vacancy savings from an unfilled Equipment Service Worker position would offset The current Fiscal Year (FY) 2024-25 fiscal impact to replace an Associate Engineer – Traffic with a Civil Engineer and an Equipment Service Worker with a Mechanic I classification resulting in a $4,122 net budget impact this fiscal year. The FY 2024-25 Adopted Budget has sufficient appropriation in the Public Works Department budget for these position changes.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
Traffic Engineering
The Public Works department needs to enhance the traffic engineering team to address rising traffic concerns and projects within the City. Population growth and urban expansion lead to increased traffic, congestion and related complaints, requiring experienced personnel to manage and resolve these issues. Modern traffic systems, with smart signals and multi-modal transportation, demand specialized expertise while more traffic-related projects require careful planning and oversight to prevent delays and inefficiencies.
Compliance with increasingly stringent federal and state regulations requires adequate staffing to avoid penalties and ensure project adherence. Traffic management today relies on data-driven decision-making, making it essential to have sufficient staff to conduct analyses and optimize vehicle flow. Additionally, enhancing road safety becomes crucial as traffic grows, necessitating identification of high-risk areas and proactive safety measures. An experienced team can focus on environmental goals, promoting sustainable transportation and reducing emissions, helping the City meet climate targets.
The City has an Associate Engineer – Traffic position assigned to the traffic engineering team. The organization has a need for a more advanced position that performs difficult and complex civil engineering work in the traffic field. The City requires this position to successfully complete projects with a broad scope and require substantial judgment and initiative. Staff expects this position to potentially provide supervision to other team members in this section to fulfill the project goals.
The action would amend the City authorized personnel summary list by deleting one Associate Engineer – Traffic and adding one Civil Engineer for no net change to the position count for Public Works Department. The operating budget has adequate appropriation to support this action.
Equipment Maintenance
The Equipment Maintenance Division maintains the City 400-vehicles fleet from fire trucks to light pick-ups and sedans, providing preventive maintenance, safety inspections, non-routine repairs and modifications. This Division administers the Equipment Replacement Program, managed through the Vehicle Replacement Fund with contributions from user departments. The Division purchases fuel and maintains six fuel sites and multiple City generators.
The Equipment Service Worker duties have evolved beyond the classification scope. The duties and responsibilities needed for the position fall more in line with a Mechanic I, such as diagnosing and repairing mechanical, electrical and hydraulic systems on equipment rather than performing basic maintenance or service tasks.
The job duties now align more with a Mechanic I in similar organizations, based on industry benchmarks. This amendment ensures internal consistency and competitiveness in retaining skilled labor.
Recognizing the advanced skill set and formalizing the Mechanic I position into the approved personnel summary list allows the organization to reduce dependency on external vendors for repairs and advanced diagnostics, resulting in long-term cost savings.
A Mechanic I classification also sets a clear career development pathway, encouraging skill enhancement aligned with organizational needs.
The action would amend the authorized personnel summary list by removing one Equipment Service Worker and adding one Mechanic I for no net change to the position count for Public Works Department. This position is currently vacant and would have no fiscal impact for the rest of the current fiscal year.
Attachments:
Attachment 1 – Job Specification Associate Engineer – Traffic Attachment 2 – Job Specification Civil Engineer
Attachment 3 – Job Specification Equipment Service Worker Attachment 4 – Job Specification Mechanic I
Attachment 5 – FY 2024-25 Public Works Personnel Summary Revised cc: City Manager Eric J. Levitt
FY 2024-25 Public Works Personnel Summary Amendment
February 4, 2025 - Page 2