Agenda Item No. 7
CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council DATE: August 28, 2023 FROM: Matthew Bronson, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Karla Mattocks, Management Analyst/Human Resources SUBJECT: Resolution to Reclassify the Job Classification of Deputy City Manager to Assistant City Manager, and Management Analyst/Human Resources to Human Resources Officer, and Set the Salary Schedule
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt the Resolution to reclassify the Job Classifications of Deputy City Manager to Assistant City Manager, and Management Analyst/Human Resources to Human Resources Officer and set the salary schedule.
BACKGROUND
In the recent organizational assessment conducted by Baker Tilly (See Attachment 1 – Baker Tilly Organizational Assessment Report), two recommendations were brought forth regarding the structure and positions of the City Manager’s Office (City Management Department). These recommendations included reclassifying the Management Analyst/Human Resources position to Human Resources Officer along with reducing the City Manager’s volume of direct reports by delegating supervision of certain functions to the Deputy City Manager. A staff review of duties performed concurs with these assessments and finds both positions are currently performing overall functions that are consistent with the recommended reclassifications. Staff also concluded that reclassifying the Deputy City Manager position to Assistant City Manager will provide additional management capacity within the organization and greater flexibility for the City Manager to devote time to critical strategic issues for the City, including the implementation of the restructured Five Cities Fire Authority and the final development and construction of the Central Coast Blue recycled water project.
The position of Deputy City Manager was established in September 2021 to create greater bandwidth and workload capacity within the City Management Department. While the essential functions and duties of the Deputy City Manager are broadly defined, they do not include oversight of departments or divisions or supervision of direct reports. Rather, the Deputy City Manager duties include only management and supervisory support for specific functions along with coordination of special projects and citywide responsibilities and the City Manager directly supervises all divisions of the City Management Department and all Department Directors.
To better align with industry standards and in recognition of the necessity to expand the scope of the position to provide more comprehensive support to the City Manager, staff is recommending the reclassification of the position of Deputy City Manager to Assistant City Manager. Many cities across the county and state have such an Assistant City Manager position as it recognizes the need to provide skilled professional support to the City Manager in day-to-day operations, supervision, policy implementation, strategic planning, and decision-making processes. The Staff Report: Assistant City Manager and Human Resources Officer Position Reclassifications Page 2 August 28, 2023
Assistant City Manager would oversee the programs of the City Manager Department including City Clerk and Human Resources along with the new Community Services program in addition to other citywide responsibilities including communications and economic development. As a result of this reorganization, the Assistant City Manager would have three direct reports and would oversee a staff of six employees. In addition, the added duties will include serving as acting City Manager for citywide operations when the City Manager is absent or otherwise unavailable. This restructuring is an example of the City’s professional development and workforce planning for key leadership positions.
In terms of the Human Resources position, the organizational responsibilities of the role have greatly expanded since the last assessment of the Human Resources job classification conducted in 2017. The duties are complex and involve oversight of all human resources functions within the City including classification and compensation, performance and leave management, coaching, conflict resolution, disciplinary actions, grievances, covid compliance, labor relations, risk management, and legal compliance for employment. The position exercises considerable discretion and judgment in conducting confidential personnel investigations, performing extensive liaison and coordination responsibilities with department directors and City staff, as well as the development, management, and assessment of a wide variety of policies and programs to ensure they are administered in a professional, legally compliant, and cost-effective. The level and complexity of the duties performed are consistent with the position of Human Resources Officer in comparable cities. This position is currently a “standalone” role and oversees all Human Resources functions for the City until such time that another Human Resources position can be added as recommended by the Baker Tilly assessment.
Based on the recommendation of the organizational assessment, high level of responsibilities, cross-departmental workload, technical difficulty, and discretion inherent to this position, staff recommends the reclassification of the Management Analyst/Human Resources position to Human Resources Officer. This will align the City of Grover Beach with like agencies within the county and state and provides greater opportunities for recruitment and retention in the future.
Staff has researched compensation levels in comparable cities and the following salary schedule has been established for Assistant City Manager and Human Resources Manager:
FISCAL IMPACT
The fiscal impact for these reclassifications is approximately $66,000 for the remainder of fiscal year 2023-24 and $83,000 annually on an ongoing basis. However, this cost is largely offset by the cost savings from the reclassification of the Parks and Recreation Program Director position to Community Services Supervisor, which was approved by the Council on July 24, 2023. This position is currently vacant so additional cost savings from this vacancy will fully cover the added cost of these additional reclassifications this fiscal year. Future costs will be incorporated into the department’s operating budget.
Section 1 - Executive Management MIN MAX
Assistant City Manager * 12,841 13,483 14,157 14,865 15,608 16,389 Section 2 - Management & Confidential A B C D E F
Human Resources Officer * 8,096 8,501 8,926 9,372 9,841 10,333 Staff Report: Assistant City Manager and Human Resources Officer Position Reclassifications Page 3 August 28, 2023
ALTERNATIVES
The Council has the following alternatives to consider:
1. Adopt the Resolution to reclassify the job classification of Deputy City Manager to Assistant City Manager, and reclassify the position of Management Analyst/Human Resources to Human Resources Officer, and set the salary schedule; or
2. Provide alternate direction to staff.
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION
The agenda was posted in accordance with the Brown Act.
Attachments
1. Baker Tilly Organizational Assessment Report
2. Resolution to reclassify the job classification of Deputy City Manager to Assistant City Manager and reclassify the position of Management Analyst/Human Resources to Human Resources Officer and set the salary schedule.
Exhibit A – Job Classification Assistant City Manager
Exhibit B – Job Classification Human Resources Officer
Exhibit C – Salary Schedule Assistant City Manager and Human Resources Officer March 2023
City of Grover Beach
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Attachment 1
BAKER TILLY • 1730 MADISON ROAD • CINCINNATI, OH 45206 • 513 861 5400 • FAX 513 861 3480 March 7, 2023
Mr. Matthew Bronson
City Manager
City of Grover Beach
154 S. Eighth Street
Grover Beach, CA 93433
Dear Mr. Bronson:
Baker Tilly is pleased to transmit this report on our organizational assessment for the City of Grover Beach. The focus of the assessment was to identify opportunities for an efficient organizational structure, provide recommendations to improve operations, and identify priority operational service objectives. Our report includes 57 recommendations for improvement based on this assessment and best practices.
The City of Grover Beach has many strengths. It relies on capable and qualified staff members who take great pride in the work they accomplish with the resources they have. Overall, the City is well positioned to continue moving forward to address community needs, especially with the recent passage of Measure F-20, the 1% sales tax increase.
We wish to thank City staff for their assistance in providing us with a variety of information, having candid discussions with our team members, and for their participation in the employee survey.
Sincerely,
Carol Jacobs
Managing Director
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Table of Contents Baker Tilly
i
Table of Contents
Executive Summary............................................................................................................................. 1 Citywide Functional Organization Chart.................................................................................. 2 Key Performance Indicators....................................................................................................... 2 Major Areas of Focus and Recommendations .......................................................................... 3 Organization of the Document................................................................................................... 6 Project Approach ................................................................................................................................. 7 Interviews .................................................................................................................................... 7 Interview Themes................................................................................................................... 7 Major Themes from Focus Groups ............................................................................................ 8 Public Works Maintenance Crew Focus Group ...................................................................... 8 Community Focus Group....................................................................................................... 9 Employee Survey ...................................................................................................................... 10 Comparison Agency Research ................................................................................................. 14 Prior Organization Assessments.............................................................................................. 15 Documents................................................................................................................................. 16 Public Works Department................................................................................................................ 18 Organization Structure and Staffing........................................................................................ 19 Engineering ......................................................................................................................... 19 Maintenance Operations...................................................................................................... 20 Training, Standard Operating Procedures .............................................................................. 24 Communication and Leadership ............................................................................................. 25 Improving Services Will Require Systems and Technology.................................................. 26 Capital Improvement Program Project Management............................................................ 27 Corporation Yard...................................................................................................................... 28 Parks and Recreation Department................................................................................................... 30 Organization Structure and Staffing........................................................................................ 31 Lack of Program/Event Metrics and Associated Costs .......................................................... 35 Parks and Recreation Program and Event Subsidies............................................................. 36 Planning and Partnerships ....................................................................................................... 36 Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Table of Contents Baker Tilly
ii
Community Development Department.......................................................................................... 39 Organization Structure and Staffing........................................................................................ 39 Succession Planning ............................................................................................................ 40 Communication and Leadership ............................................................................................. 41 Lack of Technology Severely Impacts Staff Efficiency and Customer Service..................... 42 Performance Indicators and Turnaround Times .................................................................... 43 Good Progress on the 2018 Zucker Report; High Priorities Remain..................................... 44 Administrative Services Department.............................................................................................. 47 Organization Structure and Staffing........................................................................................ 47 Finance47
Information Technology ....................................................................................................... 49 Communication and Organization Culture............................................................................ 50 Training and Professional Development....................................................................................... 51 Operational Policies and Procedures............................................................................................ 52 Technology Strategic Action Plan ........................................................................................ 52 Equipment Replacement Fund ................................................................................................ 53 Police Department.............................................................................................................................54 Organization Structure and Staffing........................................................................................ 55 Technology ................................................................................................................................58 Customer Service ...................................................................................................................... 59 Police Facility.............................................................................................................................59 City Manager’s Office....................................................................................................................... 61 Organization Structure and Staffing........................................................................................ 61 Human Resources ..................................................................................................................... 62 City Clerk Services.................................................................................................................... 65 Conclusion..........................................................................................................................................68 Attachment A – List of Recommendations..................................................................................... 69 Attachment B – Examples of Key Performance Indicators ........................................................... 73 Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Table of Contents Baker Tilly
iii
Tables
Table 1. Employee Survey Responses Regarding Organizational Health ................................. 11 Table 2. Employee Survey Responses Regarding Organizational Culture................................ 12 Table 3. Employee Survey Responses Regarding Staffing .......................................................... 14 Table 4. Comparable City Information........................................................................................... 15 Table 5. Public Works Department Heads and City Engineers in Comparable Jurisdictions (as of FY 2021-22)................................................................................................................................ 19 Table 6. Public Works Engineering and Maintenance Division Manager Staffing in Comparable Cities for FY 2021-22 .................................................................................................... 20 Table 7. Public Works Maintenance Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Staff and Positions in Comparable Jurisdictions for FY 2021-22........................................................................................ 21 Table 8. City Assets Across Comparison Agencies for FY 2020-2021 .......................................... 23 Table 9. Recreation Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Staff and Positions in Comparable Jurisdictions for FY 2022-23 .............................................................................................................. 33 Table 10. Full-time Equivalent (FTE) Staff Comparisons in the Human Resources Function . 63 Figures
Figure 1. Existing Citywide Functional Organization Chart.......................................................... 2 Figure 2. Employee Survey Respondents by Department............................................................ 11 Figure 3. Existing Public Works Department Organization Chart.............................................. 18 Figure 4. Existing Parks and Recreation Department Organization Chart................................. 30 Figure 5. Existing Community Development Department Organization Chart........................ 40 Figure 6. Existing Administrative Services Organization Chart.................................................. 47 Figure 7. Existing Police Department Organization Chart........................................................... 55 Figure 8. City Manager’s Office Existing Organization Chart..................................................... 61
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Executive Summary Baker Tilly
1 Executive Summary
Baker Tilly was engaged by the City of Grover Beach to conduct an organizational assessment to review staffing levels, identify opportunities to achieve an efficient organizational structure, and surface priority operational service objectives. We conducted a full assessment of three departments: Public Works, Parks and Recreation, and Administrative Services. We also conducted a high-level assessment of the Community Development, Police Department and the City Manager’s Office. The focus of the high-level assessments was to review the studies previously conducted, determine which recommendations have been implemented and identify those that are still outstanding and should be addressed.
The challenge we encountered during this engagement is that the City does not currently utilize performance measures or key indicators in departmental operations. These have not been developed to date given limited administrative capacity historically for developing such information. Absent performance indicators, program and workload information, the Baker Tilly team was unable to conduct an in-depth examination of operational procedures, program cost effectiveness, and to a significant extent, employee workload. Without adequate documentation, we were unable to reach definitive conclusions about staffing levels in some areas, i.e., field maintenance, or make specific recommendations regarding service cost effectiveness.
Nonetheless, we used our knowledge of best practices and professional expertise to recommend areas of focus that we believe ought to be priorities, specific staffing level issues that should be addressed, and business systems and technology changes that are important to making informed resource allocation decisions in the future. In support of this, we interviewed Council members, the city manager, deputy city manager, department heads and key staff.
Following the interviews, we deployed an employee survey that was distributed to all staff members, conducted two focus groups, and conducted a comparative agency analysis to assist in our assessment. This Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Executive Summary Baker Tilly
2 report provides 57 recommendations across all departments, which are contained in Attachment A.
Citywide Functional Organization Chart
Figure 1 provides a functional overview of the City of Grover Beach’s organization structure. Each departmental section addresses the functional organization structure and our observations and recommendations.
Figure 1. Existing Citywide Functional Organization Chart Key Performance Indicators
Effective assessment of staff workload capacity related to the delivery of programs and services expected by the City Council and the community requires the establishment and tracking of key performance indicators (KPIs) to provide essential information about what is being accomplished with the resources available.
While Baker Tilly believes that staff capacity is constrained in certain departments, it is an anecdotal assessment because there are few, if any, KPIs, nor is there consistent or reliable data to assess what the staff members have and have not accomplished.
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Executive Summary Baker Tilly
3 Performance indicators provide an idea about how resources are being used to provide programs and services internally and externally and the cost. They also indicate workload (e.g., what staffing needs and resources are necessary to accomplish what needs to be done).
Measuring what is done, the quality of the work, and the cost of doing so is critical to assessing how well available resources are being used and whether they are focused on the right things. Key performance indicators help ensure accountability, and focus discussions on what is most important. They assist city leaders and staff in quantifying the cost and effectiveness of their services and allocating appropriate resources to support them. This, in turn, can help executive management and policy decisionmakers determine how better to utilize limited financial resources across the City, and, as important, identify where the gaps may be.
Examples of key performance indicators may be found in
Attachment B.
Major Areas of Focus and Recommendations
During our assessment, we developed and deployed an employee survey and conducted focus groups, interviewed City staff, reviewed documents, including three previous assessments, and conducted a peer comparison.
These activities informed the following major areas of focus and recommendations that we believe City leaders should focus on in the near term.
1. Address the management and leadership gap in the Public Works Operations Maintenance Division through the addition of a new division manager. There is a substantial management and leadership gap between the public works director and the public works supervisor. Without a position at the division head level, the public works supervisor has had to try to perform this role.
First line supervisors are typically operationally focused, and this has resulted in a response-driven approach to how the public works maintenance crew operates (rather than a proactive approach). In addition, there are communication and resource issues in the maintenance function.
2. Analyze current parks and recreation program costs to inform future decisions on program scope and structure. The work, programs, and activities that come from the Parks and Recreation Department are well received by community members, the City Council and staff. However, there is significant policy and Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Executive Summary Baker Tilly
4 community interest in producing more programs, activities, and special events. Doing so will continue to be challenging until department staff assess the current cost effectiveness of the programs and activities offered, identify opportunities for cost recovery and new ways of providing services through a more robust volunteer program, partnerships, as well as a likely increase in staff. This work will also inform future decisions on the scope and structure of this program such as whether it should remain a stand-alone department given its relatively small size or combined with another department.
3. Develop key performance indicators to inform effective decisions about resource allocation. As previously mentioned, there is a lack of KPIs in departments. Without keeping track of such data, it is difficult to assess staff workload, service costs, and whether program objectives are being met. City leaders need to focus on critical mission areas and ensure performance goals and objectives are developed and tracked.
4. Develop and implement an equipment replacement policy. The City has a significant amount of capital assets, information technology equipment, and vehicles that all have a useful life and will eventually need to be replaced. However, an equipment (vehicle or technology) replacement policy does not exist, nor is there an adequate system in place to address replacement costs except on a year-by-year allocation basis. An equipment replacement policy is also critical to inform policymakers about these needs and the importance of budgeting for them.
5. Add capital improvement program implementation resources through contractual services based on future capital funding levels should the program is expanded from its current level to ensure program success. The City’s capital improvement program has expanded beyond its historical size and scope, almost tripling in terms of financial resources. According to staff, the existing staffing level, supplemented by contract services, has generally been sufficient for the current program though workload concerns remain. Baker Tilly believes additional contract implementation services may be necessary particularly if the program expands further, to ensure projects are finished on time and within budget.
6. Develop and implement a financial plan for a renovated corporation yard and police vehicle yard. The City’s public works Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Executive Summary Baker Tilly
5 corporation yard and the Police Department’s vehicle yard are both undersized. The corporation yard is in extremely poor condition. This severely impacts the City’s maintenance function.
In addition, neither yard provides shelter for the current fleet, thereby exposing all vehicles to the elements, which leads to rust and corrosion issues. The City has developed a plan for renovating the Corporation Yard and it is important to develop and implement a corresponding financial plan to address these needs.
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Executive Summary Baker Tilly
6 Organization of the Document
This report is organized into the following major sections:
• Introduction
• Project Approach
• Public Works Department
• Parks and Recreation Department
• Administrative Services Department
• Community Development Department
• Police Department
• City Manager’s Office
• Conclusion
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Project Approach Baker Tilly
7 Project Approach
Baker Tilly obtained information to inform our observations and recommendations in this report through a variety of activities as described below.
Interviews
In addition to interviews with the Mayor and Council members, Baker Tilly’s team conducted individual interviews with the following staff:
1. Capital Improvement Project (CIP) Manager
2. Chief of Police
3. City Clerk
4. City Manager
5. Deputy City Manager
6. Director of Administrative Services
7. Director of Community Development
8. Director of Public Works
9. Finance Manager
10. Information Technology Specialist
11. Management Analyst
12. Parks and Recreation Program Director
13. Planners (2)
14. Police Commanders (2)
15. Public Works Supervisor
16. Senior Engineer
17. Senior Planner
Interview Themes
The following major themes that emerged from City Council interviews are summarized below.
1. Council members are proud of the City leadership, community events, and staff, particularly the work done by public works maintenance staff and the Police Department.
2. There is strong interest in more community events in City parks as well as providing more recreational activities for the public.
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Project Approach Baker Tilly
8 3. Council members believe there will be an increase in issues related to unhoused people in the future.
4. There is interest in making aesthetic and other improvements along Grand Avenue, including undergrounding of utilities where feasible.
The following major themes that emerged from interviews with staff are summarized below.
1. Staff believe there is generally strong communication both within departments and citywide.
2. Staff members expressed they are motivated to do a good job.
3. Providing good customer service is a shared value.
4. Concern was expressed about low staffing levels in administrative services, public works maintenance, and parks and recreation.
5. Staff expressed that a lack of effective succession planning associated with pending retirements will lead to issues regarding getting work done effectively and the loss of institutional knowledge.
6. Staff recognize that many departments lack key performance indicators (KPIs) and standard operating procedures (SOPs).
7. Staff commented that some departments lack key business systems and tools to effectively perform their work (e.g., work tools and equipment, technology, asset management or
permit/project tracking systems).
8. Concerns were expressed about development review coordination between the Community Development and Public Works
departments.
Major Themes from Focus Groups
Baker Tilly conducted two focus groups. One was comprised of members of the public works maintenance crew and the second consisted of members of the community representing residents and small businesses.
Public Works Maintenance Crew Focus Group
Four members of the public works maintenance crew participated in a focus group to discuss field operations, staff workload, and internal communications. This focus group was conducted to obtain the perspective of field staff in these areas. The major themes from this focus group are summarized below.
1. Staff are proud of their adaptability to handle a mix of tasks and demands daily.
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Project Approach Baker Tilly
9 2. Focus group participants indicate the unit is significantly understaffed and think at least three to four additional staff members are needed to support the current workload.
3. Focus group participants are frustrated that their work is often reactionary (i.e., responding to urgent issues) and not more strategic and proactive (i.e., focusing on preventive maintenance).
4. Concerns were expressed about pending retirements of coworkers and the associated loss of institutional knowledge given a lack of a defined succession plan.
5. Appropriate tools and equipment are not always available to perform the work and those available are often old and
inadequate for the job.
6. Staff receive little feedback from management about resolving issues about poor equipment or inadequate staffing levels.
7. Maintenance staff do not always feel valued or recognized for their contributions to the City, which leads to morale issues.
8. Staff want increased communication from department
management, including periodic visits to the corporation yard.
Community Focus Group
Baker Tilly facilitated a focus group with four members of the community who are frequently engaged with City issues. One additional member who was not able to participate responded by email to discussion questions that were posed to the group. The purpose of the focus group was to elicit feedback about City services, hear ideas about how to improve, and identify what future services will be needed. The major themes that emerged from this discussion are summarized below.
1. Overall, the group believes that staff members are responsive to residents, and the City is doing a good job communicating and engaging with residents through social media platforms.
2. They are proud of City leaders’ proactive approach to dealing with issues such as homelessness, affordable housing, and economic development. Participants stated that they want the City to continue making progress on these issues (especially on homelessness) rather than feel like enough has already been done.
3. In the first two years of the COVID pandemic, the City did a good job supporting and making funds available to local businesses, which kept several businesses afloat.
4. Public safety is viewed as one of the City’s strengths, as the Police Department responds quickly and effectively to calls for service.
5. Participants want better traffic enforcement and street designs that are more walkable and bike friendly with less reliance on Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Project Approach Baker Tilly
10 cars. They also asked for a more comprehensive sidewalk development plan, as well as greater investment in public transportation options (e.g., improving the bus system and adding a trolley that goes through downtown).
6. Participants expressed the need for more affordable and additional childcare options, preferably City-sponsored services (e.g., summer camps and childcare during working hours).
7. An interest was expressed in more programs related to local youth, e.g., sports and recreational activities.
8. Participants noted the lack of available and appropriately sized properties for small businesses. They expressed a strong interest in having City leaders find new ways to attract more varied, small businesses that cater to resident needs and create a sense of community (e.g., coffee shops, more dining options, doctors’ offices).
9. Participants were supportive of the City’s decision to welcome the cannabis industry and lauded the City’s progressive policies in this regard.
Employee Survey
As part of the organizational assessment, Baker Tilly developed and deployed a survey to obtain input from employees on staffing, resources, training and professional development, organizational health, organizational culture, communication, employee relations, continuous improvements, service delivery, and customer service.
A total of 40 employees responded to the survey (a response rate of approximately 46.4%). While the responses are very positive overall, we cannot be confident that the results reflect the ideas of the entire organization due to the relatively low response rate reflecting approximately half of the City’s workforce.
Figure 2 shows the departments in which the respondents work.
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Project Approach Baker Tilly
11 Figure 2. Employee Survey Respondents by Department
Table 1 contains responses to each of the questions provided by survey respondents about organizational health. In general, respondents provided a positive picture of the health of the organization. In fact, 94% of respondents would recommend the City of Grover Beach as a good place to work.
• Employees are encouraged to use their own judgement and initiative when carrying out their job (97%).
• More than nine in ten of respondents agreed that they can raise concerns without fear of retaliation (92%).
• Employees believe leaders encourage open and honest
communication (92%).
• A total of 92% of the respondents indicated their team works well together and 90% responded that they are treated as a valued team member by other employees.
Table 1. Employee Survey Responses Regarding Organizational Health Answer Choices
Strongly
Agree Agree Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
Don't
Know
Strongly Agree /
Agree
Strongly Disagree /
Disagree
City employees work well as a team. 9 (22%) 25 (63%) 5 (13%) 1 (2%) 0 (0%) 34 (85%) 6 (15%) Employees are held accountable for the results of
their work.
5 (13%) 26 (64%) 7 (18%) 2 (5%) 0 (0%) 31 (77%) 9 (23%) Employees can raise concerns about work-related
issues without fear of retaliation.
8 (22%) 26 (70%) 2 (5%) 1 (3%) 3 (8%) 34 (92%) 3 (8%)
4 2
4 1
15 11
0 3
0 2
4 6
8 10
12 14
16 Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Project Approach Baker Tilly
12 Answer Choices
Strongly
Agree Agree Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
Don't
Know
Strongly Agree /
Agree
Strongly Disagree /
Disagree
Employees are held accountable for their actions. 4 (10%) 26 (67%) 8 (20%) 1 (3%) 1 (3%) 30 (77%) 9 (23%) The City of Grover Beach’s leaders encourage open
and honest communication.
11 (28%) 26 (64%) 2 (5%) 1 (3%) 0 (0%) 37 (92%) 3 (8%)
Leaders are open to ideas for improvement from line
staff.
10 (26%) 22 (58%) 6 (16%) 0 (0%) 2 (5%) 32 (84%) 6 (16%) Employees at all levels in the organization treat each
other with respect.
8 (20%) 25 (62%) 7 (18%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 33 (82%) 7 (18%) Quality performance is recognized and rewarded. 5 (13%) 19 (49%) 12 (31%) 3 (7%) 1 (3%) 24 (62%) 15 (38%) I would recommend the City of Grover Beach as a
good place to work.
13 (32%) 24 (62%) 1 (3%) 1 (3%) 0 (0%) 37 (94%) 2 (6%)
I am encouraged to use my own judgment and
initiative when carrying out my job.
14 (36%) 24 (61%) 1 (3%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 38 (97%) 1 (3%)
Employees are encouraged to improve work
processes.
13 (34%) 20 (53%) 5 (13%) 0 (0%) 2 (5%) 33 (87%) 5 (13%) Table 2 contains responses to each of the questions provided by survey respondents about organizational culture. All respondents indicate that they have a clear understanding of their job responsibilities, are familiar with the City’s personnel policies and procedures, and the vast majority (98%) feel that they are held accountable for their work product. There is also a high level of trust within the organization amongst respondents and a feeling that work groups work well together.
Table 2. Employee Survey Responses Regarding Organizational Culture Answer Choices
Strongly
Agree Agree Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
Don't
Know
Strongly Agree /
Agree
Strongly Disagree /
Disagree
I have a clear understanding of my job
responsibilities and expectations.
13 (33%) 27 (67%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 40 (100%) 0 (0%) My team works well together.
13 (32%) 24 (60%) 2 (5%) 1 (3%) 0 (0%) 37 (92%) 3 (8%)
I am treated as a valued team member by other
employees.
16 (41%) 19 (49%) 4 (10%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 35 (90%) 4 (10%) Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Project Approach Baker Tilly
13 Answer Choices
Strongly
Agree Agree Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
Don't
Know
Strongly Agree /
Agree
Strongly Disagree /
Disagree
I am held accountable for the results of my work.
12 (31%) 26 (67%) 0 (0%) 1 (2%) 0 (0%) 38 (98%) 1 (2%)
My manager/supervisor does not show favoritism
among employees in the City.
11 (29%) 18 (47%) 7 (19%) 2 (5%) 2 (5%) 29 (76%) 9 (24%) Leaders are open to ideas for improvement from line
staff.
14 (36%) 20 (51%) 4 (10%) 1 (3%) 1 (3%) 34 (87%) 5 (13%) When mistakes are made, my manager/supervisor
emphasizes lessons learned rather than placing
blame.
11 (29%) 25 (66%) 2 (5%) 0 (0%)
2 (5%) 36 (95%) 2 (5%)
I trust the managing team. 15 (38%) 20 (51%) 3 (7%) 1 (3%) 1 (3%) 35 (90%) 4 (10%) I trust others in my organization.
11 (28%) 25 (64%) 2 (5%) 1 (3%) 1 (3%) 36 (92%) 3 (8%)
I find Council policies and directions are easy to
understand.
9 (24%) 23 (62%) 5 (14%) 0 (0%) 3 (8%) 32 (86%) 5 (14%) Citywide policies and procedures are relevant and up
to date.
5 (13%) 21 (57%) 10 (27%) 1 (3%) 3 (8%) 26 (70%) 11 (30%) Department policies and procedures are relevant and
up to date.
8 (21%) 18 (49%) 10 (27%) 1 (3%) 3 (8%) 26 (70%) 11 (30%) I understand the City’s personnel policies. 8 (21%) 31 (79%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 1 (3%) 39 (100%) 0 (0%) I understand my department’s vision and strategy for
the future.
10 (26%) 20 (51%) 7 (18%) 2 (5%) 1 (3%) 30 (77%) 9 (23%) Morale is good in my department. 7 (18%) 19 (49%) 11 (28%) 2 (5%) 1 (3%) 26 (67%) 13 (33%)
Table 3 contains responses to the questions provided by survey respondents about staffing. The question with the highest number of “disagree” responses indicates that many respondents do not believe their departments are adequately staffed. Approximately half of the respondents indicated recruitment and retention are areas of concern.
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Project Approach Baker Tilly
14 Table 3. Employee Survey Responses Regarding Staffing Based on the responses, organizational culture and communication are strong in the City of Grover Beach. Additionally, the City appears to have a strong customer service focus. Succession planning and staffing, however, appear to be an area of concern for many respondents.
Comparison Agency Research
Baker Tilly reviewed publicly available data and information to compare specific areas of the Public Works Department, recreation-related staffing, and the human resources function with the same functions in the following peer jurisdictions:
• Arroyo Grande,
• Morro Bay, and
• Pismo Beach.
The cities in Table 4 were selected due to their relatively similar population and location on the central coast, but primarily because these are also the comparator agencies that Grover Beach uses for other purposes. However, there are factors which make a direct comparison of maintenance functions and services as, on the one hand, Grover Beach is significantly smaller than Arroyo Grande and Morro Bay in terms of Answer Choices
Strongly
Agree Agree Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
Don't
Know
Strongly Agree /
Agree
Strongly Disagree /
Disagree
Our City does a good job recruiting staff. 3 (8%) 17 (45%) 13 (34%) 5 (13%) 2 (5%) 20 (53%) 18 (47%) Our City does a good job retaining staff.
0 (0%) 17 (47%) 14 (39%) 5 (14%) 3 (8%) 17 (47%) 19 (53%) My pay is fair for the duties I perform.
1 (3%) 11 (29%) 18 (47%) 8 (21%) 2 (5%) 12 (32%) 26 (68%) My employee benefits package is fair.
2 (5%) 21 (54%) 16 (41%) 0 (0%) 1 (3%) 23 (59%) 16 (41%) Staffing in my department is appropriate for our
workload.
2 (5%) 8 (20%) 14 (35%) 16 (40%) 0 (0%) 10 (25%) 30 (75%) I can complete my work within the expected
timeframe.
3 (8%) 20 (51%) 13 (33%) 3 (8%) 1 (3%) 23 (59%) 16 (41%) Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Project Approach Baker Tilly
15 square miles, but on the other hand, Grover Beach maintenance includes utility maintenance, which is a separate function in the comparison cities.
It is difficult to draw staffing level conclusions from only publicly available information without a full understanding of the functions and service levels provided by each jurisdiction. Comparison information can inform decisions but should not be used as the sole basis for making resource allocations. Further comparative analysis results for public works, recreation, and human resources are discussed in the relevant department sections below.
Table 4. Comparable City Information
City Population1
Median Household
Income2
Square
Miles3
Total
Citywide
FTE4
FY 2021-22 General
Fund Budget4
Arroyo Grande 18,294 $88,068 5.835 81.4 $19,189,337
Grover Beach 12,707 $66,408 2.310 73.23 $18,683,032
Morro Bay 10,466 $73,864 5.303 97.7 $15,597,235
Pismo Beach 7,981 $90,837 3.600 92.0 $24,929,906
1 Source: California Department of Finance (as of January 1, 2022) 2 2020 American Community Survey Five-Year Estimates 3 U.S. Census 2010 4 FY 2021-22 City Budgets Prior Organization Assessments
Since 2016, the City of Grover Beach has engaged the services of three different consulting firms to assess the City’s administrative and internal services, the Community Development Department, and the Police Department. These three assessments produced a total of 174 recommendations. As part of this current engagement, Baker Tilly was requested to review each of the reports to determine which recommendations have been implemented and those that are outstanding. The following are brief descriptions of each of these assessments.
1. Citywide Assessment by Management Partners (2016)
Management Partners conducted an organization analysis of the City’s non-safety departments. The purpose of the engagement was to provide recommendations on how the City could optimize performance with respect to organization and staffing, business practices and tools, capital project delivery and maintenance functions, and development processing. This assessment included an in-depth review of the City Manager’s Office staffing and Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Project Approach Baker Tilly
16 structure. The report had 30 recommendations and 22 have been either partially or completely implemented.
2. Development Review Assessment by Zucker Systems (2018) The City engaged Zucker Systems to conduct an assessment of the development review process to identify ways to improve and streamline development services processes. The study evaluated departmental practices, procedures, and performance standards of the building, planning, public works/engineering services, as well as fire plan check services. The assessment resulted in 107 recommendations to improve the City’s development review process. Of the 107 recommendations, 48 were deemed priority one recommendations requiring immediate attention. Of these, 32 have either been partially or completely implemented. In all, staff have addressed and completed 85 of the 107recommendations.
3. Police Department Assessment by RW Martin Consulting in conjunction with RJ Haydon Management Services (2018)
The Grover Beach chief of police contracted with a consulting team to conduct a departmental review and recommend changes that would benefit both the department and the community. The study assessed policies and procedures, operational practices, staffing and personnel assignments, as well as risk management issues, with the goal of recommending best practices and operational efficiencies. The study produced 37 recommendations of which 29 have been implemented. However, remaining 8 recommendations are outside the authority of department management to implement since they deal with either collective bargaining or Council policies.
Our review of these studies was intended as an update about the status of each of the report’s recommendations and to serve as background information that would also inform Baker Tilly’s recommendations in this report. Each of the studies are referenced further in the applicable departmental assessment sections, and summary tables showing all the recommendations and their status have been provided to the City under separate cover.
Documents
Baker Tilly reviewed a range of documents to help inform our analysis, as listed below.
1. FY 2010-11, FY 2011-12 and FY 2022-23 City Budgets
2. Administrative Policies and Procedures
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
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17 3. Capital Improvement Program 2023-2027
4. Cities of Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach, and Pismo Beach Summer 2022 Activity Guide
5. Citywide Assessment by Management Partners (2016)
6. Development Review Assessment by Zucker Systems (2018)
7. Finance Policies and Procedures
8. Human Resources Website
9. Independent Contract Instructor Handbook
10. Police Department Assessment by RW Martin Consulting in conjunction with RJ Haydon Management Services (2018)
11. Police Department Website
12. Police Department Weekly Activity Reports
13. Parks and Recreation Department policies and procedures as publicly posted
14. Parks and Recreation Website
15. Parks, Recreation & Beautification Commission
information/programs
16. Public Works Department Weekly Work Program spreadsheet Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Public Works Department Baker Tilly
18 Public Works Department
The Public Works Department includes approximately 16 full-time equivalent (FTE) personnel as illustrated in Figure 3 below. The department is led by the director of public works who is also the city engineer. The director has the following direct reports:
• Public Works Supervisor
• Capital Improvements Project Manager
• Senior Engineer
• Management Analyst
Figure 3. Existing Public Works Department Organization Chart The Maintenance Operations Division is responsible for maintaining the City’s streets, facilities, and parks. The water delivery system program is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the City’s water distribution system. The wastewater system program is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the City’s sanitary sewer collection system and storm drain system.
The CIP project manager oversees the delivery of the capital program which includes design and construction management services for capital Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Public Works Department Baker Tilly
19 improvement projects (CIP). The senior engineer oversees development review, and engineering review and inspection of all privately funded public improvements. The senior engineer also oversees compliance with a wide range of regulatory requirements.
The department also operates a corporation yard that provides a fullservice garage for the maintenance of City vehicles and equipment, a central point of deployment of all maintenance and operations staff, and storage facilities for public works as well as other departments.
Organization Structure and Staffing
Baker Tilly’s observations and recommendations regarding organization structure and staffing levels are provided below.
Engineering
In Grover Beach, the director of public works is also the city engineer.
Other models common in local government are for the city engineer to be in a separate position, sometimes under the direction of the public works director or a separate position outside the purview of the public works director. As noted in Table 5, Baker Tilly compared three jurisdictions with respect to whether the public works director and city engineer roles are combined or separate for each of the comparison jurisdictions.
Table 5. Public Works Department Heads and City Engineers in Comparable Jurisdictions (as of FY 2021-22)
Jurisdiction Public Works Director City Engineer
Arroyo Grande Assistant City Manager/Director of Public Works City Engineer Grover Beach Public Works Director / City Engineer
Morro Bay Public Works Director City Engineer
Pismo Beach Public Works Director / City Engineer
During interviews we heard that the engineering staff are working at capacity but can address the most critical needs of the department. This is most likely due to the skills and abilities of staff performing the work.
However, it is not clear from the information provided what work may be lagging due to staff capacity.
Considering the size of the Grover Beach Public Works Department, we see no compelling reason to change the designation of the city engineer as a separate position. Although establishing a separate city engineer position would certainly create additional capacity, the current organization structure is functioning adequately. While adding capacity Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Public Works Department Baker Tilly
20 to engineering under the senior engineer, may be of greater benefit, we are not recommending a change at this time.
Maintenance Operations
As would be expected, the Maintenance Operations Division has a large work program and resources, from staffing levels to adequate equipment and systems, which are insufficient to meet the workload demand. Field staff struggle to meet daily service demands and are unable to perform preventive maintenance services to maintain the City’s facilities and infrastructure. The team appears to focus mostly on corrective maintenance or responding to critical emerging issues and emergencies.
With retirements of long-time employees, being able to perform these tasks will become even more challenging.
During our assessment, it became apparent that there is a significant management and leadership gap between the director and the public works supervisor. In our comparison agency research, we also looked at whether the peer agencies had engineering and maintenance division managers.
Table 6 shows that Grover Beach is the only city among the comparison agencies without a maintenance division manager. That role is currently being performed by a public works supervisor, which is a first line supervisor position.
Table 6. Public Works Engineering and Maintenance Division Manager Staffing in Comparable Cities for FY 2021-22
Jurisdiction Engineering Division Manager Maintenance Division Manager Arroyo Grande Associate Engineer1 Public Works Manager
Grover Beach Senior Engineer2 None3
Morro Bay City Engineer Maintenance Superintendent
Pismo Beach Senior Engineer Public Facilities Manager
1 This position is in the Community Development Department. 2 This is an underfilled position; it is budgeted as an associate engineer position. 3 This role is performed by a public works supervisor.
The public works supervisor position in Grover Beach is a working supervisor who organizes the day-to-day activities of the field staff. The director is effectively serving as the management position for the function, in addition to overseeing the operations of the entire department. The management gap appears to have resulted in a response driven approach to the work, leaving no time for a strategic, planned approach, nor time to ensure there is appropriate equipment or an adequate system to plan or perform the work.
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21 Baker Tilly believes that a maintenance superintendent or manager position is critically needed to bridge the management gap to provide strategic and operational oversight of the function. We understand that a superintendent position existed in the past and was eliminated for budgetary reasons. There may have been an expectation that the duties and responsibilities of the deleted position would be absorbed by the higher and lower-level positions, but there really is no capacity for either position to do so adequately.
A maintenance superintendent would receive general direction from the public works director and provide direct supervision over the public works supervisor. The new superintendent position would also develop systems to track progress and drive outcomes based on established performance indicators and service needs.
Recommendation 1. Create a maintenance
superintendent or equivalent position to
provide management and leadership to the
Maintenance Operations Division.
As noted in the Comparison Agency Research Section, Baker Tilly conducted comparative research to get a sense of comparison agencies’ staffing levels in the Public Works Maintenance Division. Table 7 shows the number of maintenance FTEs as well as their positions for each of the selected comparison agencies.
Table 7. Public Works Maintenance Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Staff and Positions in Comparable Jurisdictions for FY 2021-22
Jurisdiction Total FTE List of Positions
Arroyo Grande 14.5 Building Maintenance Worker
Maintenance Lead Worker (2)
Maintenance Worker (8.5)
Parks, Trees, and Landscape Supervisor
Streets Maintenance Supervisor
Fleet Maintenance Coordinator
Grover Beach 10 Fleet Maintenance Coordinator
Maintenance Specialist
Maintenance Worker I (3)
Maintenance Worker II (2)
Maintenance Worker III
Maintenance Worker III (underfilled - Maintenance Worker I) Public Works Supervisor
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22 Jurisdiction Total FTE List of Positions
Morro Bay 12 Consolidated Maintenance Worker I (2)
Consolidated Maintenance Worker II (3)
Consolidated Maintenance Worker III (3)
Maintenance Field Supervisor
Maintenance Lead- Worker
Maintenance Superintendent
Mechanic
Pismo Beach 12 Public Facilities Manager
Fleet Mechanic
Maintenance Worker I (6)1
Maintenance Worker II (2)1
Parks Lead Worker
Streets/Buildings Maintenance Lead Worker
1 Half of these positions, or a total of four maintenance workers, are allocated to parks maintenance.
While Grover Beach appears to have the lowest number of full-time equivalent maintenance staff, at 10 FTE, other factors such as street and water line miles, the number of City parks and other City-maintained facilities play a role in determining workload. Table 8 shows various assets, and whether each agency operates a wastewater treatment plant.
Table 8. City Assets Across Comparison Agencies for FY 2020-2021 City
Total
Maintenance
FTE
Street
Miles
City
Parks
City
Facilities
Fleet
Maintenance
Sewer
Miles
Wastewater
Treatment
Plant
Water
Line Miles
Arroyo
Grande 14.5 70 19 4 In-house 70 No 87
Grover
Beach 10.0 33 7 3 In-house 35 No 48
Morro
Bay 12.0 20 13 81 In-house N/A Yes N/A
Pismo
Beach 12.0 46 18 82 In-house 40 Yes N/A
Source: FY 2020-2021 Annual Comprehensive Financial Reports and FY 2020-2021 and FY 2021-2023 City budgets 1 Morro Bay facilities include a harbor station. 2 Pismo Beach facilities include a water treatment plant in addition to a wastewater treatment plant.
Note: N/A denotes data were not publicly available.
While it appears that Grover Beach maintains fewer city assets overall compared with the selected agencies, it is challenging to reach conclusions about staff workload based solely on these data figures. Each city deploys staff differently across maintenance functions, e.g., specifically to parks maintenance, while others such as Grover Beach do so with staff working across a range of functional areas, i.e., streets and parks.
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
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23 In addition as indicated above, public works maintenance staff in Grover Beach is responsible for not only parks, facilities, and road maintenance functions, but are also responsible for the maintenance of water and wastewater distribution lines. The latter responsibilities, the maintenance of water and wastewater distribution lines are functions typically not performed by the same personnel in the other comparison agencies but rather separate personnel from other departments. This discrepancy makes it more difficult to assess staffs’ workload in relation to the surveyed agencies when Grover Beach’s maintenance workers are responsible for a larger array of maintenance functions than their counterparts in other cities despite maintaining fewer city assets.
Table 9. City Assets Across Comparison Agencies for FY 2020-2021 City
Total
Maintenance
FTE
Street
Miles
City
Parks
City
Facilities
Fleet
Maintenance
Sewer
Miles
Wastewater
Treatment
Plant
Water
Line Miles
Arroyo
Grande 14.5 70 19 4 In-house 70 No 87
Grover
Beach 10.0 33 7 3 In-house 35 No 48
Morro
Bay 12.0 20 13 81 In-house N/A Yes N/A
Pismo
Beach 12.0 46 18 82 In-house 40 Yes N/A
Source: FY 2020-2021 Annual Comprehensive Financial Reports and FY 2020-2021 and FY 2021-2023 City budgets 1 Morro Bay facilities include a harbor station. 2 Pismo Beach facilities include a water treatment plant in addition to a wastewater treatment plant.
Note: N/A denotes data were not publicly available.
As mentioned previously, the maintenance operations function does not have established key performance indicators. Therefore, it was difficult for Baker Tilly to fully evaluate maintenance staffing levels, the work being accomplished, and what is not getting done. Until and unless a work order system is in place, it is difficult to assess what work is being performed, where the gaps are, and where additional staff and other resources should be allocated.
During interviews with individuals within and outside the Public Works Department we heard a consistent refrain that maintenance staff lack the capacity to address critical and ongoing workload demands, much less focus on preventive maintenance needs or a proactive asset maintenance program. Baker Tilly believes that even a minimal workload assessment should not be performed prior to adding a new maintenance superintendent position and until current and near-term vacancies are filled. And as important, the implementation of an asset management Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Public Works Department Baker Tilly
24 system (see discussion below) will be required to improve the capacity and effectiveness of existing resources and provide important information about future allocations.
Recommendation 2. Perform an in-depth
workload assessment to identify priority
resource needs for the maintenance team
and develop a plan for meeting them.
Training, Standard Operating Procedures
The 2016 organization analysis conducted by Management Partners recommended that the City establish an employee training program.
However, this has not yet been implemented given a focus on other human resources needs with the city’s limited human resources staff.
Most training within the department appears to be hands-on training that is performed when new staff are brought on board. Training is ad hoc and while some employees view this as a burden on an already overburdened staff, the need for dedicated time for training was expressed by many staff members.
A structured training and development plan ensures employees have consistent experience and background knowledge to perform their work.
The result is improved employee performance, job satisfaction, and employee retention. Effective training can also increase independence and equip employees with adequate knowledge to do their job without having to ask for help. Since the department will be hiring new employees to replace the retiring maintenance workers, developing a training strategy to address the necessary skill sets in these newer employees is warranted.
Recommendation 3. Develop and
implement a departmental training plan
that helps new employees acquire core
technical and non-technical skills.
Standard operating procedures (SOPs) or manuals do not exist for most job functions within the department. This is particularly acute in the Maintenance Operations Division. SOPs help eliminate uncertainty about how to best complete assignments, improve efficiency, and provide important guidance to staff about what is expected to accomplish the work. SOPs also provide an important platform for training new staff to perform their work. Recognizing that lean organizations such as Grover Beach have resource constraints and it would be difficult to create procedures for every function, it is nonetheless important to identify those that are most critical and draft applicable procedures.
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
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25 Recommendation 4. Develop standard
operating procedures (SOPs) for missioncritical operations.
Communication and Leadership
Staff interviews from across the department identified a general perception of poor communication between department leaders and employees. Some stated that they hear information from other departments before they hear it from their own department leaders. Staff generally expressed that they feel uninformed and undervalued.
Recently instituted one-on-one bi-weekly meetings between the director and his direct reports are appreciated, but there is a strong belief more is needed. Also, the monthly meeting with the city manager that is open to all department staff is appreciated and demonstrates the importance of periodic communication. At times the staff do not know the “why” behind decisions and therefore are unable to communicate effectively with the community on operational issues and matters. Periodic communication and transparency help build trust and share goals and objectives. Leadership starts with clear and consistent communication, directed at the audience.
Recommendation 5. Implement a plan for
regular communication between the
director and all department staff that
includes periodic in-person meetings with
engineering office staff and separately with
maintenance staff (at the corporation yard).
Based on interviews, the focus group, and the employee survey, maintenance staff morale is particularly low and that some employees feel unappreciated and unrecognized. Morale is generally better within the engineering offices. A desire for a greater level of executive leadership was consistently expressed across the department.
Executive coaching can be used to build resilient leaders by strengthening management skills and other abilities to address problems and issues and lead others to do so. Whether someone has been a leader for many years or is just beginning their career, it is important to hone and develop these skills and abilities, often on an ongoing basis. Executive coaching by an outside, third party is an effective path for hearing difficult messages and improving leadership skills for leaders citywide.
Recommendation 6. Assess the skill set of
key management and executive team
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26 members and identify those key staff that
would benefit from executive coaching.
Improving Services Will Require Systems and Technology
As City leaders understand, systematically conducting preventive maintenance on assets and infrastructure to prolong life and prevent costly emergency repairs is critical. Preventive maintenance also decreases unplanned downtime of facilities due to breakdowns in systems. Ultimately preventive maintenance saves money, provides peace of mind, and allows maintenance operations to run more smoothly, efficiently, and effectively.
Another recommendation from the 2016 organization analysis report was that public works should acquire an asset management system. Local governments rely on asset management systems to manage the assets and infrastructure that are vital to provide services, maintain them, and deploy resources accordingly. It is a systematic way to track the conditions, schedule maintenance, and manage costs over the life cycles of the assets. Some asset management systems also include an integrated solution for managing work order requests.
The department does not yet have an asset management system.
However, the procurement of a system is underway. Department staff evaluated several systems and identified one developed by Sedaru as the preferred approach. The next step is to award a contract for the purchase and development of the system. The department uses a paper/manual process for the management of work order requests. One of the critical elements of the new system will include a work order processing component.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
As mentioned previously, KPIs are not in place for department services.
KPIs help measure progress against strategic and program objectives.
Without measuring performance, it is difficult to prioritize work and it is not easily discernable whether program objectives are being met. Based on the department’s core goals and objectives, KPIs need to be established to drive performance towards those goals. KPIs also help determine successes and failures and allow an organization to adjust their work approach in response.
For maintenance operations, KPIs might include the following:
• Percent of facilities with a condition assessment rating of good or better (three or better on a five-point scale),
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Public Works Department Baker Tilly
27 • Percent of preventive maintenance work orders completed within x hours,
• Percent of customers surveyed who rate timeliness of service as good or excellent,
• Percent of customers surveyed who rate quality of service as good or excellent, and
• Percent of fleet in compliance with the preventive maintenance schedule.
For engineering services, example KPIs could include:
• Percent of capital improvement projects completed on time, • Percent of capital improvement projects completed within budget, • Project delivery costs for each capital improvement project compared with target industry standards,
• Percent of development permit applications reviewed within approved cycle times, and
• Percent of development process participants rating service as good or excellent.
Recommendation 7. Identify KPIs for
each function and track progress to achieve
them. This should be done in conjunction
with department staff.
Capital Improvement Program Project Management
Projects in the capital improvement program (CIP) are typically designed by consultants (a limited number may be done inhouse) and awarded to construction contractors through the procurement process. Design consultants are procured through a request for proposals (RFP) process and construction contractors are procured through a bidding process.
These services can be scaled up and down with the size of the program.
The capital improvement project manager plans and coordinates the development of the CIP including budget, design oversight, procurement, and construction management. An excel spreadsheet is used to track the status of each project. Given the number of projects historically budgeted, this approach may have worked in the past. However, beginning in FY 2021-22, the Council authorized the largest single year of capital projects to improve public infrastructure in the city.
The CIP projects are funded by a broad range of funding sources including the recently approved Measure F-20, a 1% local sales tax. The project categories include streets, parks, public buildings and facilities, water, and wastewater systems. Total expenditures in the proposed CIP budget compared with the FY 2020-21 budget are expected to increase Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Public Works Department Baker Tilly
28 from $3 million a year to approximately $8 million a year. This $5 million annual increase triples the expected annual expenditures (although it is unclear when projects will be designed and constructed).
As the capital improvement program expands over time beyond its historical size and scope pending additional funding, the department should explore the use of a capital program management software tool that would help track the budget, manage costs, and document project flow and the schedule of every project. This would provide more detail than is currently available with the department’s excel spreadsheet. Offthe-shelf project tracking tools are available on the market.
As mentioned, design consultants and construction contractors can be scaled up and down as needed through the capital project RFP and construction bidding process. However, adding project management staff to address the peaks of capital programs can be challenging for any city.
This is especially true for a smaller city.
Baker Tilly’s team did not review the current capital program to understand whether projects have been delivered on time or within budget. Existing staffing levels and contract services may be sufficient for the current program. An expanded capital program, though, will clearly require additional support to accomplish.
There are full-service consulting firms that offer a wide range of capital program management services that can be performed under the direction of the capital improvement project manager. In addition, when project levels fluctuate, the City can also consider using temporary employees (such as retired annuitants) to help fill the gap when more personnel resources are needed to manage capital projects.
Recommendation 8. Issue a request for
proposals to retain capital program
management contractual services. This
should be done following an assessment of
the services required and a schedule for
implementation of the capital improvement
program.
Corporation Yard
As City leaders are aware, the corporation yard is in extremely poor condition. Buildings and pavement are in a significant state of deterioration and the yard is messy and unorganized. Generators are not covered and are left out in the elements, as were the vehicles. The mechanic shop has holes in the ceiling from corrosion and rust.
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Public Works Department Baker Tilly
29 A corporation yard is the base of operations for all field operations and maintenance activities. Corporation yards need to be safe, efficient, and provide the necessary equipment and material for operations. A corporation yard is the workplace of the field staff and typically includes a meeting space and break room for staff.
Poor workplace conditions can lead to poor productivity, an increased risk of workplace incidents, and unmotivated employees. In some cases, poor conditions may lead to a violation of federal or state labor regulations. A well-designed corporation yard can help improve workplace safety, processes, and effectiveness, as well as space allocation and workplace culture. In some cases, it can also enhance technology.
Most important, an investment in a corporation yard demonstrates a commitment to the success of field operations and the staff who perform the work.
The City has developed a plan for renovating the Corporation Yard to expand and modernize the corporation yard. This plan includes a needs assessment, an evaluation of the current facility, preliminary site layouts, and preliminary floor plans, which is effectively a pre-design report. The next step needed is development and implementation of a financial plan to address these needs. Options could include renovating existing buildings, demolishing and replacing buildings, relocating the yard, or expanding the yard.
Recommendation 9. Develop and
implement a corporation yard renovation
financial plan.
While the corporation yard has limited storage space and is landlocked, there are opportunities to acquire adjacent property that could be utilized for the renovation or expansion of the corporation yard. We recommend the City look at purchasing the adjacent property to the west of the corporation yard to expand the yard.
Recommendation 10. Assess the feasibility
of purchasing the property at 1122 Farroll
Road to expand the current corporation
yard.
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Parks and Recreation Department Baker Tilly
30 Parks and Recreation Department
The City operates a small Parks and Recreation Department that provides traditional programs, activities, and special events for the community.
The department also oversees the use of facilities and parks and provides staff support to the Parks, Recreation and Beautification Commission (Commission). The maintenance of City facilities and parks is provided by the Maintenance Operations Division of the Public Works Department with input from the parks and recreation director.
Figure 4. Existing Parks and Recreation Department Organization Chart Until recently, the Parks and Recreation Department consisted of 2.5 FTE positions. The recreation coordinator position was vacated in July 2022 and subsequently filled in October 2022. During this vacancy, the administrative assistant position was increased from part-time to fulltime, bringing the department’s total staffing to three full-time employees as indicated in Figure 4. Increasing the hours for the administrative assistant position also allowed the department to increase office hours open to the public.
During this engagement we learned that staff is very enthusiastic about the work they do, and the programs and services they provide are well received by the community. During interviews and in discussions with community focus group participants we heard a desire to see more recreational programs and community events. Staff are also interested in Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Parks and Recreation Department Baker Tilly
31 finding ways to increase programs and services but are working to bring back previous programs and services that were discontinued during the pandemic; however, are challenged to do so based on limited staffing.
Organization Structure and Staffing
The director, a long-time employee of the City, serves as the executivelevel position in the department. The director works with the Parks, Recreation and Beautification Commission and is the department representative who interfaces with the Maintenance Operations Division of the Public Works Department about department facilities and parks maintenance-related issues. While the director works with the Parks, Recreation and Beautification Commission, staff support for the Commission (related to agenda posting) is provided by the City Clerk’s Office.
The administrative assistant position provides support to staff and is responsible for the operation of the department office, processing registrations and rentals, and keeping the office open to the public. In the past, the office was only open part time. Since the position is now full time, the office is open with expanded hours. However, there is no backfill available as the office is remote from City Hall offices.
Consequently, when the administrative assistant is away from the office, the director or the recreation coordinator must cover the office and public counter, which detracts from their primary duties and responsibilities.
The recreation coordinator is directly responsible for running programs and special events under the general supervision of the director. As is the case in other cities, the recreation coordinator position is an entry-level position, which is often filled with early career professionals who typically do not have extensive recreation experience.
Coupled with the fact that there is no career progression within the department (from a promotional standpoint), there has recently been a high degree of turnover. Consequently, the director has historically spent a great deal of their time carrying out the coordinator role when the position is vacant.
Since the staff were increased to three full-time positions and the recreation coordinator was hired, the department is now staffed to be able to operate programs and activities as they have in the past. However, having only three full-time employees limits the ability to add any additional programs or special events.
A key missing component in the department is a recreation supervisor position. A recreation supervisor would be able to relieve the director Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Parks and Recreation Department Baker Tilly
32 from having to get directly involved in running programs and covering the office and would provide an additional level of supervision for the coordinator and administrative assistant.
A supervisor position would provide additional staff to expand the current list of programs and special events, provide career progression for the recreation coordinator position, allow the director to spend more time performing strategic planning activities, and enable the director to work more closely with neighboring agencies on joint projects and services. It would also provide additional personnel resources to cover the office when there is a vacancy.
Since there is no succession plan for replacing staff in the department, a supervisor position could address this issue. That position could also be responsible for cross training staff.
Recommendation 11. Establish a full-time
recreation supervisor position to increase
staff capacity, expand programs and
activities, and provide professional
development opportunities in support of
staff retention.
Most park and recreation departments utilize part-time, seasonal, or temporary help and volunteers to assist with programs events, and/or add staff capacity during peak periods. The department utilizes volunteers for events in a limited fashion and has an application process for recruiting volunteers. However, they lack a comprehensive volunteer recruitment program, as well as training and recognition programs.
Recommendation 12. Create and
implement a volunteer recruitment,
training, and recognition program for
department events under the direction of
the new recreation supervisor.
Staffing in parks and recreation is limited as the City has only three fulltime employees and does not utilize any part-time employees. To gain a sense of recreational staff in other agencies, Baker Tilly conducted a comparative analysis as illustrated in Table 9 below. And while it is difficult to draw staffing level conclusions based solely on the below information since each city provides a different array of recreational programs and services, each city with the exception of Grover Beach Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Parks and Recreation Department Baker Tilly
33 relies heavily on part-time staffing to provide programs and services as indicated in the below footnotes.
Table 10. Recreation Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Staff and Positions in Comparable Jurisdictions for FY 2022-23
Jurisdiction Total FTE List of Positions
Arroyo Grande1 5.0 Facility Attendant (0.75)
Recreation Coordinator
Recreation Director
Recreation Supervisor (1.5)
Volunteer and Class Coordinator (0.75)
Grover Beach 3.0 Administrative Assistant
Parks and Recreation Director
Recreation Coordinator
Morro Bay2 10.5 Administrative Technician
Recreation Program Coordinator (3.0)
Recreation Services Manager
Recreation Supervisor (2.0)
Senior Recreation Program Coordinator (2.5)
Pismo Beach3 3.5 Facility Coordinator (0.5)
Recreation Coordinator (1.5)
Recreation Leader (0.5)
Recreation Manager
1 In addition to those listed above, Arroyo Grande also has the following temporary employees: 1.7 FTE allocated for their preschool and 6.9 FTE allocated for their child care program, 1.0 FTE allocated for clerical support, 0.2 FTE allocated for sports programs 2 In addition to those listed above, Morro Bay has the following temporary employees: 0.9 FTE assigned to their pool program, 4.8 FTE assigned to their sports program, 4.0 FTE assigned to their youth program, and 0.6 FTE assigned to the office and/or instructors. 3 In addition to those listed above, Pismo Beach has the following temporary employees: 3.0 FTE assigned to recreation and volunteer services
With the limited full-time staff noted above, it will be difficult to grow the department without part-time staff and volunteers. If programs and activities are to be expanded, in addition to a recreation supervisor position, utilizing part-time, temporary, seasonal staff and volunteers must be considered as a cost-effective way to expand programming.
Doing so will require working directly with the City’s human resources staff to determine who will be responsible for the various duties that result in using this type of staffing component.
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Parks and Recreation Department Baker Tilly
34 Recommendation 13. Use part-time,
seasonal, and temporary employees to
assist with programs and events.
The maintenance of park and recreation facilities is the responsibility of the Public Works Department, with park maintenance provided by contract services through Public Works; however, playground inspections and maintenance is still provided by Public Works staff. To provide more workload capacity for public works maintenance staff, the City should contract-out playground inspections and related maintenance.
Recommendation 14. Assess the feasibility
of the Public Works Department
contracting out for playground inspections
and related maintenance.
With only three full-time employees, and maintenance of department parks and facilities performed through the Public Works Department, the question of viability as a stand-alone department was raised during discussions with the City. Accordingly, an opportunity to restructure the department in the future may exist, whereby City leaders could determine whether the department should remain a stand-alone department or merge with another department, likely as a separate division. Should the latter occur, downgrading the director position to that of a manager may be appropriate. In that case, the manager would report to the department head of the new department.
Furthermore, the decision as to whether the Parks and Recreation Department stays a stand-alone department or is merged (as a division) with another department should be aligned with the priorities of the City Council. As mentioned above, with only three full-time employees, it may be hard to justify a stand-alone department. However, if City Council’s intent is to grow the services of parks and recreation, in addition to creating a recreation supervisor position, the City could move all department-specific maintenance-related services currently administered through contracts by public works staff to parks and recreation staff. This is a common practice in other cities that contract for park-related maintenance, and it would allow public works staff to spend more time on other citywide maintenance duties.
Recommendation 15. Assess future City
Council goals related to parks and
recreation services in determining options
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Parks and Recreation Department Baker Tilly
35 on the structure and scope of the Parks and
Recreation Department.
Lack of Program/Event Metrics and Associated Costs
The department operates a wide range of programs, events, and activities and is still reestablishing many of them following the lifting of pandemic restrictions that were in place since 2020. While the department offers a range of programs, events, and activities, they do not have a formal process to measure or evaluate their success or their costs and benefits.
Many parks and recreation programs are subsidized for the benefit of the community, but it may also not be necessary for others due to demand and participation. City leaders should understand the costs of providing parks and recreation programs to make informed policy and resource allocation decisions. Before the department considers expanding programming, Baker Tilly strongly recommends developing a system to track and evaluate the costs and benefits of the current programs offered.
The department utilizes ActiveNet for online program registration and it has the capacity to track responses when sign-ups occur. This would be a good starting point. Additionally, the department should track program attendance, the number of rentals and registrations processed, and institute an on-going evaluation of each program at the end of each event.
Recommendation 16. Develop a program
of key performance indicators to track
program attendance, number of
rental/applications processed, and evaluate
the cost of each parks and recreation
program, activity, and event.
As important as tracking and evaluating program and event success and/or ways to improve is, the department needs to develop an annual reporting process to the community, the Commission, and the Council.
The KPIs and evaluation data can be used to identify programs to be added, expanded, or eliminated.
While the community supports and appreciates the programs and events offered by the department, it is a best practice to utilize KPIs to track and show effectiveness and the costs for delivering programs and events.
Recommendation 17. Develop a process
for regular reporting of information that is
tracked and evaluated for programs,
activities, and events to the Parks,
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Parks and Recreation Department Baker Tilly
36 Recreation and Beautification Commission
and the City Council.
Currently, the administrative assistant is the administrator of the ActiveNet program. However, the administrative assistant has not been provided the training to really utilize the many available functions of the program. In addition to tracking and processing registrations, the program has a financial component that is not being utilized to its fullest.
Recommendation 18. Provide additional
training for staff on the ActiveNet
registration program to better utilize its
features.
Parks and Recreation Program and Event Subsidies
Staff in successful parks and recreation departments are keenly aware of the costs to provide their programs and events. As stated previously, it is important to understand where General Fund subsidies typically are necessary to support parks and recreation programs. The department does not track program costs and has little understanding of the subsidies that go into providing their services.
Aside from tracking expenses, staff should create a cost recovery program that sets goals for each program regarding operational cost recovery.
Once the cost recovery goals are determined, a fee study should be conducted periodically to ensure cost recovery goals are met and assess the fees based on the surrounding market.
Recommendation 19. Establish goals for
cost recovery for all programs, activities,
and events.
Recommendation 20. Conduct a fee study
to ensure programs, activities, and events
meet cost recovery goals and that the fees
charged are competitive with other agencies
providing similar services.
Planning and Partnerships
A parks and recreation department needs to have a strong understanding of its vision, mission, and goals and how they fit into the overall city goals, Council policies, and community interests. The Parks and Recreation Department does not have a strategic plan to guide it as staff try to meet the growing demand for programs and services. If developed in conjunction with the Commission and City Council, a strategic plan Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Parks and Recreation Department Baker Tilly
37 would provide direction about programs, activities, and events that can be offered in the future and the path for doing so. A strategic plan would help department staff evaluate activities moving forward. This is a best practice often overlooked.
Recommendation 21. Develop and
implement a Parks and Recreation
Department strategic plan.
Also lacking is a current parks master plan that provides an up-to-date condition and inventory of parks and facilities and a plan for future improvements. Such a master plan would also typically describe the duties and responsibilities for the department and public works as they work together on the use and maintenance of parks and facilities. This is also a best practice for departments that want to provide effective services in their community.
Recommendation 22. Update the City
parks master plan to address needed
improvements and enhancements, create a
priority list, and a financial plan to
implement it.
Grover Beach currently produces an activity guide with the neighboring communities of Pismo Beach and Arroyo Grande. This is an excellent way of advertising and promoting events and activities in the area. Though the guide covers what is offered in each community, the communities do not work together or plan programs so they do not compete, nor do they jointly sponsor programs or events. The activity guide is an opportunity for the three cities to work together on joint programs and events and to purposely program in a way as to reduce competition between the cities.
Recommendation 23. Expand the working
relationship with adjacent communities
and identify opportunities to cosponsor
programs and eliminate conflicting and
duplicative programs and services.
To further expand programs and offerings, staff should also identify organizations that could assist with special events and activities, such as the local Kiwanis, Rotary and Optimist clubs as well as the Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity at California State University, San Luis Obispo.
The latter organization is an excellent resource with whom to partner, as it is a local group that provides college student volunteers to assist with large community events. We understand neighboring cities utilize these volunteers successfully.
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Parks and Recreation Department Baker Tilly
38 Recommendation 24. Partner with the local
Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity chapter
along with other organizations to gain more
volunteers for community events and
activities.
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Community Development Department Baker Tilly
39 Community Development Department
The Community Development Department has broad responsibilities that include long-range planning, reviewing new development applications, and promoting and maintaining an attractive community. In interviews, staff indicated that morale in the department is positive, and one staff member offered that morale is better than any other departments. During interviews, multiple staff members conveyed pride in the quality of service they provide to both internal and external customers. Staff respect one another and seem to work well together as a team.
Organization Structure and Staffing
As Figure 5 shows, the department is structured with 5.25 (FTE) positions in four divisions: building, code compliance, housing, and planning. The Building Division provides plan review and inspection of buildings and structures to ensure they meet established building codes and standards.
The Building Division provides these services through a contract with a building services consultant. The Code Compliance Division enforces city codes related to property maintenance, zoning, and building code violations to preserve and maintain an attractive community.
The Housing Division manages grants from federal Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) and the HOME Investment Partnership Program. They provide programs for first-time home buyer assistance, owner occupied rehabilitation loans and other programs that benefit low-income households. Consultants are used to provide additional assistance in the implementation of the grant programs.
The Planning Division is responsible for planning the physical, social, and economic development of the City and ensuring compliance with the California environmental quality act (CEQA) for public and private projects. In association with the Building Division, staff in the Planning Division review projects to ensure consistency with the general plan, the development code, and other policy documents. Planning staff also oversee updates to the general plan, zoning code, and other policy documents.
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Community Development Department Baker Tilly
40 Figure 5. Existing Community Development Department Organization Chart The director provides administrative leadership and oversight of the planning and building plan check contract staff, and assists with advance planning, complex development review, and economic development. The senior planner handles complex development review projects, oversees the cannabis program, assists in managing junior staff, and is the lead for more complex objective design standard reviews.
The associate planner performs development review and less complex objective design standard review, administers CDBG grants, oversees processing of vendor invoices and developer deposit accounts and backs up the counter and telephone. The assistant planner manages the intake, routing, and tracking for the building permit plan check process. The assistant planner is the primary staff member who responds to the public counter, answers the phones, and works on special projects such as the procedures manual. The position also provides miscellaneous administrative/clerical duties.
The existing structure provides the capacity needed for most daily operations and other department functions. As noted above, building services and the implementation of some grant programs are provided through contracts. Staff supporting specialized services and one-time projects are typically obtained contractually.
Succession Planning
The organization structure provides an opportunity for professional growth and advancement at all levels in the department. A new director was recently hired to replace the former, long-standing director who retired in 2022.Interest in career advancement varies in the department.
The associate and assistant planners have been with Grover Beach for more than fifteen years and were former building permit technicians promoted to planning positions. If the senior planner were to leave his position, there would be a significant void in mid-level management. The Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Community Development Department Baker Tilly
41 associate planner may also retire within a few years, and this may provide an opportunity for the assistant planner to be promoted to the associate position (with additional training).
Baker Tilly did not conduct an in-depth evaluation of the responsibilities, skills, or interests of the incumbents in their current positions. Such an assessment may be beneficial as leaders consider options following the retirement of the director.
Communication and Leadership
Based on interviews, communication between the former director and staff was good. The director held weekly staff meetings and met one-onone with individual staff members regularly. The director also kept staff apprised of citywide information obtained from the city manager. In interviews, staff expressed their appreciation for the director’s communication efforts.
The director provides training and guidance in day-to-day operations, policy, and procedures. The department does not have a policy and procedures manual for specific positions or departmental functions but is currently drafting one. It is expected to be completed in early 2023.
Preparation of a policies and procedures manual will ensure current and future employees operate consistently.
Staff reported they have been encouraged to engage in professional training on specialized topics relevant to the department’s work and in support of professional development. Continuing this practice will be important for the new director.
Recommendation 25. Establish a training
plan to ensure that staff continue to receive
the most current information in their
respective disciplines.
With such a small staff, when one staff member is out of the office, there is limited capacity to cover others’ assignments. Becoming familiar with various functions and responsibilities of the respective positions in the department would help mitigate this issue.
Recommendation 26. Establish a crosstraining program to increase employee knowledge of department responsibilities.
In interviews, staff indicated that there was little concern about current workloads. However, staff also stated that the amount of time required to perform certain administrative tasks such as invoicing, accounting, and Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Community Development Department Baker Tilly
42 administrative duties distracts from their focus and ability to complete core work assignments. As only one-quarter of an administrative assistant’s time is allocated to the department, the allocation of additional administrative support would be cost effective and improve operations.
Recommendation 27. Assess
administrative support needs of the
department to determine if there is an
opportunity to improve efficiency through
additional resources.
Recent changes in state planning and zoning laws regarding housing are shifting the nature of the work in the Planning Division from discretionary reviews to more administrative “by-right” reviews. In some cases, these changes also dictate shorter review times than discretionary projects may require, which could impact the ability of staff to meet these timelines. If this trend continues, a review of staffing levels may be warranted.
Recommendation 28. Assess whether an
increased number of administrative
projects (versus discretionary projects)
submitted for review will require a change
in staffing levels.
Lack of Technology Severely Impacts Staff Efficiency and Customer Service
The current technology used in the department is not meeting staffs’ needs. The enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, Innoprise, has not been as effective as hoped for permit and performance tracking. Staff reported that the software is cumbersome to use, has limited functionality, and requires significant manual input. Consequently, efficiencies in permit processing and performance tracking have not been fully realized, nor can staff meet customer expectations for tracking development services projects and permits.
The Administrative Services Department and Public Works Department are the other primary users of Innoprise. We understand the Five Cities Fire Authority is unable to use Innoprise because the Administrative Services Department will not allow access to the system by outside agencies for security reasons. This hinders the development review process.
The City issued a request for proposals (RFP) in August 2022 to implement a new ERP system. Given the disappointing performance of Innoprise with respect to development services functions, it will be Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Community Development Department Baker Tilly
43 essential to carefully review proposals for a new ERP system to ensure a new system meets the Community Development Department’s needs.
Some of the cost of acquiring and implementing the applicable modules could be recovered through a technology fee (see discussion below).
Recommendation 29. Acquire and
implement appropriate modules in the new
ERP software system, including
development application, permit tracking,
building, and credit card payment.
Performance Indicators and Turnaround Times
As mentioned previously, in 2018, a comprehensive study of the City’s development review process was completed by Zucker Systems. The study included 107 recommendations for improving and streamlining the City’s development process.
Many of the recommendations in the Zucker report are considered best practices and include adopting performance measures and tracking compliance with them. Innoprise was intended to be the system that would produce reports to track project status, but because the tracking function is cumbersome reports are difficult to produce and require much manual work.
Because of the difficulty using the system, the director keeps track of project status through regular meetings with staff and other departments.
The director also reports that performance standards will be incorporated in the next professional services agreement for building services. A new building services consultant is anticipated by the end of the year.
The department has implemented performance standards for returning customer emails and phone inquiries but does not formally track response times. The former director estimated that the standard is met 90% of the time. However, his assessment is based on anecdotal, not performance-based information.
As a result of significant changes in state law that require more “by right” reviews for housing-related permits and a shift towards more administrative-level reviews, a reassessment of the performance-based standards is warranted. These changes have resulted in more complexity in terms of review.
Simpler administrative permits require significantly more staff review and a shorter timeframe in which to do so. For example, objective design reviews and accessory dwelling units require more collaboration with applicants and consequently more time to review. In addition, some state Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Community Development Department Baker Tilly
44 requirements mandate shorter review turnaround times. The shift to more administrative-level reviews will also reduce discretionary reviews requiring approval by an advisory body like the Planning Commission. (This was a major focus of the Zucker report.)
Other changes that have occurred since the 2018 Zucker report include the implementation of electronic plan submittal software, improved communication capabilities with video teleconferencing, and the unexpected underperformance of Innoprise, the City’s ERP permit tracking software.
Attention to several KPIs would help ensure that staff are focused on moving projects efficiently through the development review process and could identify bottlenecks. Consistently monitoring these indicators and reporting the information to the community establishes confidence in the department and the review process.
Examples of development services KPIs include the following:
• Total number of permits issued
• Number of applications submitted by type
• Number of over the counter (OTC) permits issued
• Process review turnaround times by type
• Inspection request turnaround times
• Percent of email and telephone calls returned within 24 hours • Percent of submittals requiring multiple reviews
Recommendation 30. Monitor activity to
establish new key performance indicators
for development applications and plan
check review.
Good Progress on the 2018 Zucker Report; High Priorities Remain The Zucker report categorized the recommendations as either priority one (the most important to address first) or priority two (those less significant). Of 48 priority one recommendations, 32 were addressed. Of the 107 recommendations made in the Zucker report, 85 were either partially or completely implemented representing almost an 80% implementation rate. The status of these recommendations is included in a separate deliverable. Several recommendations should remain a high priority, including:
• Update the building services contract (Recommendations 24 through 28, 33 through 40)
• Obtain and implement a new ERP system (Recommendation 100) Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Community Development Department Baker Tilly
45 • Update outstanding elements of the General Plan every eight years (Recommendation 58)
• Establish a program to complete digitization of paper files (Recommendation 29)
The most important recommendation is to update the building services contract. At the time of the Zucker report, the building services contract was with JAS, but a request for proposals (RFP) was issued in September 2022. Seven of the remaining priority one recommendations are in process and will be implemented as part of the updated building services contract whether it is with JAS or another provider.
Full implementation of the Innoprise program was also a high priority recommendation in the Zucker report, but a better system is needed. This remains a high priority as the inefficiencies of the Innoprise system have had a significant impact on the department’s ability to conduct work. As mentioned previously, a review of proposals for a new system is underway. Whatever system is selected must meet the department's needs and include online credit card processing capabilities.
Since the Zucker report, all General Plan elements were updated except the circulation and noise elements. The safety element update is in process. A consultant is updating all the General Plan elements.
Another outstanding priority in the Zucker report is to establish an aggressive program to digitize and index new applications and paper records. New applications are now submitted electronically, which will help in the future, but will need to be incorporated into the new ERP system. The existing paper records provide valuable information that must be easily accessible.
The former director indicated that the scanning of paper records has been performed by staff on and off for the past five years and is only about 25% complete. The staff’s ability to review older records and scan them is time consuming and can only be done as time permits. While it would be more effective to outsource this process, we understand there may be resource limitations to retaining an outside vendor to help digitize plans and records. However, the cost of hiring a vendor to digitize records could be recovered through a technology fee (such a fee is common in local government development services fee structures).
A technology fee could also include offsetting some of the costs of the permitting and tracking modules as part of a new ERP. Moving forward, staff will also need to consider how to integrate electronic submittals into a new system.
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Community Development Department Baker Tilly
46 Recommendation 31. Estimate costs for
digitizing and indexing paper records and
establish a technology fee to support the
work.
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Administrative Services Department Baker Tilly
47 Administrative Services Department
Organization Structure and Staffing
The Administrative Services Department (ASD) is responsible for all finance-related functions of the City, including accounting and financial reporting, budgeting, treasury and revenue management, payroll, accounts receivable and payable, utility billing, debt service, as well as risk management and information technology. The finance manager and information technology specialist report directly to the administrative services director.
Figure 6 shows staffing by major function.
Figure 6. Existing Administrative Services Organization Chart Finance
Though staffing levels are thin, this is not uncommon for similarly sized cities. When staffing is lean it is especially important that incumbents possess the right skill sets to support the department’s financial roles and responsibilities. At the professional/managerial level, minimal staffing levels and the lack of specific skill sets resulted in some tasks not being completed in a timely manner. These included important functions and special projects such as:
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Administrative Services Department Baker Tilly
48 • Monthly bank reconciliations,
• Monthly financial closings,
• Updating and maintaining department policies and procedures, • Updating the cost allocation plan,
• Development fee update,
• Tracking key performance indicators, and
• Development of an accounting procedure manual.
Despite the staffing level, workloads have continued to increase with the introduction of new programs regarding short-term rentals, a cannabis tax, etc. This environment reinforces the need to have necessary accounting skills. When staff have the right accounting skill sets, the finance manager and the director would then have the capacity to do more long-range, strategic, and financial planning.
The importance of this objective surfaced recently with the recruitment of a new accounting technician III and finance manager. Based on discussions with department management, an emphasis was placed on professional-level accounting skills and experience during this most recent recruitment. They believe they have succeeded in finding the right skills set and experience with the newly hired individuals.
The incoming finance manager was previously a finance director at a smaller agency and holds a CPA license. In addition, the recently hired accounting technician III is technologically oriented and close to completing his bachelor's degree. The effect of these two new staff members creates the potential for a small team of accounting professionals to backfill the director. This will allow the director to delegate some routine, technical accounting duties that she formerly had to complete herself, freeing up time to concentrate on more important strategic, financial planning matters, and special projects described above.
The addition of these new hires also addresses succession planning by creating a professional career ladder within the department.
At the administrative support level, all functions noted earlier are adequately covered when fully staffed. However, when someone is absent or when a position is vacant, having adequate coverage in the office becomes a problem.
From discussions with finance staff, the front desk administrative assistant I position is particularly difficult to keep staffed due in part to the relatively low rate of pay for the position. Upgrading this position from an administrative assistant I to an accounting technician I would have two advantages: 1) the higher rate of pay would attract better Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Administrative Services Department Baker Tilly
49 qualified candidates that may stay longer, and 2) upgrading to an entrylevel accounting technician would allow the department to cross train this individual to provide backup for payroll, accounts payable, accounts receivable, business licenses, and/or the utility billing functions.
Given the lean staffing at this level in the department and the current work schedule, such a change could provide stability in the front office as well as provide additional coverage for finance functions that the current administrative assistant I position is not qualified to cover.
Recommendation 32. Upgrade the vacant
administrative assistant I position to an
accounting technician I position to allow
stability in the front office and provide
backup support for other functions.
We believe the department’s personnel complement would still be lean, but manageable if the decision is made to upgrade the vacant front desk position (since the accounting technician III and finance manager positions are now filled with qualified individuals).
To help rectify this situation, leaders should either reconsider existing work schedules or create a written plan for how each function will be covered during staff vacancies. For example, if the front desk is vacant, then a plan should be in place about how to cover it. With the addition of the new accounting technician position, and an upgraded administrative assistant position, a clear coverage plan could succeed, and the current work schedule could remain in place.
Recommendation 33. Create a policy
regarding coverage so all staff members
understand they may be required to cover
unstaffed functions in the office when
necessary.
Information Technology
While the workload is high, staff in the Information Technology Division indicated current staffing levels are sufficient to accomplish daily tasks adequately. However, special projects such as producing some financial reports arise unexpectedly, which creates challenges. For example, since the information technology specialist is the only staff member who knows how to program in structured query language (SQL), it becomes challenging to create ad-hoc financial reports (that are time-consuming) Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Administrative Services Department Baker Tilly
50 while also having competing information technology priorities in other departments.
Baker Tilly did not perform an in-depth analysis of how IT services are perceived by staff in other City departments or the adequacy of existing services. Recently, a full-time information technology assistant was hired and they are being trained to support customer service and provide backup when needed. The addition of the new position should provide additional capacity and depth, but an internal customer assessment of services would be required to fully understand whether this is sufficient.
The financial management system will soon be upgraded to enhance the department’s functional, internal controls, and reporting capabilities.
Staff plan on using a phased-in approach, implementing the general ledger and budget modules first, then adding payroll and utility billing in the future.
Implementing a system upgrade is a difficult and time-consuming undertaking that that can put a significant strain on existing staff. In addition to their day-to-day responsibilities, staff must often also become subject matter experts while running parallel processes and testing the new system. Given the current thin staffing in the department noted earlier, additional staff (either temporary or through a contract) should be used to manage the implementation, or backfill existing staff so they can manage the implementation. The latter approach is often preferable as current staff will be more familiar with the City’s chart of accounts and processes, and it would be excellent training on the new system they will be working with.
Recommendation 34. Hire temporary or
contract staff to assist with the upcoming
financial management system
implementation.
Communication and Organization Culture
Department management believes communication is good within and outside the department. The monthly all-hands meetings with the city manager were particularly well received and staff indicated they were aware of what was going on in the City. Similarly, division management within the department believe the feedback they get from the director during their regular update meetings keeps them adequately informed.
Information technology believes there is an understanding level of trust across the organization such that staff would talk to them before doing something that might create a security issue.
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Administrative Services Department Baker Tilly
51 Interviews surfaced ongoing concerns about expanding workloads and new programs. The only specific issue that emerged during interviews was a concern when the front desk position is vacant.
As described earlier, when this happens the remaining three support positions must cover that desk, which interrupts their normal schedules and impacts their ongoing work. The staff person at the front desk greets customers who come to City Hall and answers the phone when callers don’t select a specific department from the automated phone tree.
Training and Professional Development
Each person interviewed felt supported and indicated they receive appropriate training for their respective responsibilities. They also said adequate funds are budgeted for needed training. They expressed concern about having the time to attend training and the lack of interest on the part of some staff to do so to advance their skills.
There is no structured professional development plan in place to help ensure each employee receives appropriate training for their respective roles. Such plans are often discussed as part of an employee’s annual performance evaluation. Having adequate, structured training for all department staff is crucial to maintaining technical skill sets at a high level as well as soft skills, such as communication and management.
Recommendation 35. Create a professional
development plan for every department
employee and incorporate it as part of their
annual performance evaluation.
All staff interviewed acknowledged the importance of tracking KPIs and expressed a desire to have such a program implemented. This effort, however, was viewed as an unattainable goal given other more pressing demands. Therefore, department staff do not currently track or report outcome-based performance measures that provide information on how the outputs compare to benchmarks or how well departmental services are being performed.
To assess internal service provision, we recommended that the department develop outcome-based performance measures for key finance functions. The performance measures should include a customer satisfaction component, as well as turnaround times.
Recommendation 36. Establish and track
outcome-based performance measures for
key finance functions.
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Administrative Services Department Baker Tilly
52 Operational Policies and Procedures
Department personnel agreed that documenting operational policies and procedures is an important priority and management has taken initial steps to document some step-by-step procedures. Though the purchasing policy was recently updated (and a draft was sent to the city attorney’s office for review), there are no desk manuals for other functions such as utility billing, reconciling bank accounts, payroll, and accounts payable.
Manuals are critically important because they provide clear procedural guidance for each key function, including task frequency descriptions, the designation of responsible staff, the policy basis for specific actions where appropriate, and explain why performance of the function is important.
Recommendation 37. Create detailed
procedural manuals by financial function
that build on efforts currently underway.
Technology Strategic Action Plan
During the organization analysis in 2016, Management Partners recommended that the City develop a three-year technology plan.
Technology is a fundamental tool for municipal governments to guide the organization about priorities and resource allocation purposes.
Technology and business systems enable staff to dramatically improve communication processes across departments and to collect data and analyze opportunities for improving service delivery more efficiently.
While the City does have a technology master plan prepared by Digital West in 2010, it is externally focused on creating a fiber network within the community as a stimulus for economic development. It did not address the City’s organizational needs for technology. While the City has implemented numerous technology systems in recent years, the City does not have an overarching master plan to guide this work.
Baker Tilly believes that an outside consultant should be engaged to develop and create a strategic technology action plan for implementation over a period of three to five years. The plan should also address the resources needed to implement it, additional server maintenance storage capacity, and possible upgrades to, and replacement of, network router and switches. Such a plan should be developed in consultation with staff throughout the organization.
Recommendation 38. Develop a three-tofive-year strategic technology action plan that addresses the future needs of the City.
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Administrative Services Department Baker Tilly
53 Equipment Replacement Fund
A best practice for local governments is to proactively set aside funds on an annual basis for their existing fleet, facilities, and information technology investments. The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) has stated that cities of all sizes can benefit from having an equipment or asset replacement program. Accordingly, a well-designed program helps prudently manage the substantial investment made in both capital improvements and other assets.
The 2016 organization analysis conducted by Management Partners recommended that a vehicle replacement policy for all City vehicles be established as well as a vehicle replacement fund to help finance the purchase of future vehicles. During this assessment, Baker Tilly learned that the City does have a fund (Fund 71) used for various equipment and asset-related purchases. We also learned the City leases most of their vehicles.
However, Fund 71 has a relatively low fund balance ($51,000) and allocations are not consistently transferred into it on a regular basis to finance the replacement of equipment and vehicles. Instead, when the City is able, funds are transferred into it for vehicle or equipment replacement for the upcoming fiscal year to cover that year’s purchases.
In addition, there are no formal policies regarding vehicle or technology replacement or other asset replacement, which is a best practice that is lacking.
Recommendation 39. Create an equipment
replacement policy that addresses fleet,
facilities, information technology and other
mission critical asset needs of the City.
GFOA recommends cities establish capital planning policies that undertake a multi-year planning and budgeting process to accumulate the necessary funding to address future capital needs. A best practice is to have sufficient reserves in such a fund to proactively manage capital assets by annually setting aside money so that funding is available when replacements are necessary. Reserves can also be available for unforeseen or catastrophic capital needs. In either case, the development and use of capital reserves should be supported by clear policies identifying how the reserve will be formed and how it may be used.
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Police Department Baker Tilly
54 Police Department
The Police Department’s primary purpose it to patrol the residential, commercial, and industrial areas of the City, to investigate crimes, and to respond to all public safety-related calls for service.
In 2018, an organizational assessment of the Police Department was conducted by RW Marin Consulting in conjunction with RJ Haydon Management Services. The study reviewed department policies and procedures, operational practices, staffing and personnel assignments and resulted in in 37 best practices and operational recommendations.
A status review of the recommendations indicated that 29 of the recommendations have either been implemented, partially implemented or are in the process of being implemented. Three recommendations are outside the authority of department’s management since they are related to collective bargaining, and due to recent operational changes, one recommendation is no longer relevant. Two of the remaining four recommendations address the need for a new facility, another relates to the need to set aside funds for equipment replacement, and the remaining one addresses the need for additional patrol staffing.
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Police Department Baker Tilly
55 Organization Structure and Staffing
Figure 7 shows the staffing allocation across the department.
Figure 7. Existing Police Department Organization Chart According to the Uniform Crime Reporting Program, the average number of sworn law enforcement officers per capita nationwide is 2.4 per 1,000 residents. The number of full-time law enforcement employees (both sworn and non-sworn) per capita is 3.4 per 1,000 residents.
Locally, the nearby communities of Arroyo Grande, Morro Bay, and Pismo Beach have a sworn officer per capita ratio of 1.4, 1.7, and 2.8, respectively. In Grover Beach, the overall total FTE ratio is 2.15. When using this metric, the department has a lean staff compared with the national average but is comparable to nearby agencies of Arroyo Grande and Morro Bay. Because of their relatively large tourism population, Pismo Beach has a higher officer per capita ratio, so it is not considered a viable comparison.
Other methods to determine patrol levels include the minimum staffing model, the authorized level model, and the workload-based model. The workload-based model is a systematic analysis of staffing needs based on workload demands. The 2018 department assessment used the workloadbased model in determining that the additional sworn positions were needed.
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Police Department Baker Tilly
56 During discussions with the chief of police, the Chief indicated the need for additional sworn officers because of the workload. The Chief voiced concerns about the department’s increased calls for service in relation to the total number of sworn officers in patrol. (This appears to be a significant challenge for public safety agencies nationwide.) In our review of department statistical data, year-to-date calls for service through September have increased significantly (approximately 20%) compared to the same timeframe last year. However, the scope of our engagement did not allow us to conduct an in-depth examination of call volume data to determine whether additional sworn personnel are warranted.
Recommendation 40. Conduct a patrol
workload assessment using hourly call
volume data to determine if additional
sworn officers are warranted.
The recent increase in calls for service is still concerning, given the fact that the Patrol Division is currently understaffed due to vacancies and long-term medical leaves of absence (industrial-related injuries). As of the date of this report, the department currently has three sworn positions vacant, and two sworn positions on extended medical leave resulting in a 20% decrease in sworn officers.
Department management noted that over the last several years, except for some periods when the Patrol Division was fully staffed, the department has routinely had vacancies in its patrol ranks. These vacancies, coupled with mandatory training days, vacation days, sick leave days, and regular paid time off, are challenging when trying to maintain patrol staffing at an acceptable level. The department’s ability to effectively train its personnel in situational and tactical team exercises is also challenging, given the sworn complement of officers.
Since the department frequently has sworn vacancies, City leaders should consider establishing one or more overfill sworn positions when there are multiple sworn vacancies as well as officer(s) on long-term industrial leave. The salary and benefit savings associated with vacant positions, along with the salary reimbursement the City receives from the California Joint Powers Insurance Agency (for those officers on industrial leave) would more than compensate for the cost associated with hiring an overfill position. Having authorization to hire an overfill position when needed will provide the department with additional sworn personnel to help address workload issues during high vacancies.
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Police Department Baker Tilly
57 Recommendation 41. Seek Council
authorization to create an overfill (sworn)
position when there are multiple vacancies
in the department.
The 2018 department assessment report also recommended hiring nonsworn community services officers to assist in appropriate patrol-related calls for service. Since 2018, the department has created two community services technician positions in patrol and one in the support services division.
The introduction of community services technicians in patrol has enabled sworn officers to increase self-initiated calls for service in the field.
However, during our assessment, we found that community services technicians work a 4/10 work schedule, rather than a regular 8 to 5 work schedule or a 9/80 schedule. To optimize the availability of community services technicians in the field during the day shift, department leaders should consider adjusting the work schedules of community services technicians to better align with departmental needs.
Recommendation 42. Review the work
schedules of the community services
technicians to align with the business
needs of the department.
During our interviews with Council members, the unhoused population and the impact it is having on local businesses in the community was a significant topic of discussion. The police chief and command staff also expressed concern over the ever-increasing calls for service related to the homeless population and issues related to mental health.
Department personnel expressed frustration in not having the necessary personnel resources (i.e., social workers or similar professionals) available to readily assist in these types of calls as they often involve mental health issues. Staff in Arroyo Grande and Pismo Beach also expressed concern about not having county social workers who are trained to deal with mental health matters readily available to assist their personnel in the field. The cost of establishing such assistance could be shared with adjacent law enforcement agencies.
Consequently, arrangements should be made with the County of San Luis Obispo to secure a mental health social worker (or appropriate position) to work alongside local law enforcement personnel in the field to train officers and help address transient and homeless-related calls for service.
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Police Department Baker Tilly
58 Recommendation 43. Secure a county
social worker to work with patrol staff in
the field and share the cost of this position
with adjacent law enforcement agencies.
In addition to homelessness-related concerns, the desire for better traffic safety was also a common theme heard from Council members and community focus group participants. A similar theme was part of the 2018 department assessment which included a recommendation to deploy a motor officer in the field once the department was fully staffed.
Toward the end of this engagement, the department initiated a recruitment for a motor officer, so it appears that the department is actively addressing these traffic safety concerns.
From an organizational standpoint, those interviewed believe department employees work well together and that morale and internal communication are both good. The 2018 departmental assessment cited similar comments about department communications and morale. The department provides its sworn personnel with the leadership and supervisory training needed to help prepare them for advancement; thereby addressing succession planning in both the command staff and supervisory ranks.
Technology
The department employs a significant amount of technology in their daily operations for a department its size. In addition to the use of body cameras and mobile data computers, there is an array of sophisticated ariel drones, dozens of strategically deployed surveillance cameras. The department has deployed license plate readers at various roadways throughout the City. These are all part of supporting crime investigation techniques. While these various systems provide the department with state-of-the-art technology to fight both crime and solve cases, they are expensive assets to acquire, maintain and replace; yet there is currently no equipment replacement policy or fund within the department.
Recommendation 44. Develop an
equipment replacement fund for all police
technology-related equipment and vehicles.
In 2021, the department started transitioning its dispatch operation to the City of Pismo Beach and completed this transition in early 2022. The chief and representatives from the City of Pismo Beach indicated the transition was relatively smooth with no significant service interruptions.
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Police Department Baker Tilly
59 The department also uses social media to communicate with the public on topical and safety issues as well as departmental events. The department prides itself on its extensive community outreach efforts and is to be commended for having a continuous presence on social media sites like Nextdoor, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. All are viewed as best practices in the industry. In fact, community focus group participants made positive comments about the department’s presence on social media sites.
Customer Service
Because of the nature of police service, providing good customer service to the satisfaction of the reporting party is challenging. Nevertheless, department management indicated they strive to provide good customer service to the public. To quantify how well their officers interact with members of the public, the department deploys a customer service survey (SPIDR Tech) to all reporting parties after every call for service.
According to the department, about 40% of all SPIDR Tech surveys are completed and returned by reporting parties. Once completed, department managers review the surveys to ensure officers are interacting with members of the public consistent with customer service expectations. This technology could easily be utilized in other departments to track employee interactions and service delivery with members of the public.
Recommendation 45. Deploy a customer
service application similar to SPIDR Tech
in other City departments where customer
service should be monitored.
Police Facility
The police facility was built in 1981, and over the years the department has conducted numerous remodeling efforts to accommodate its expanding operation. The department recently completed a remodel of its former dispatch center into a new technology advanced briefing and training room that will also be used as a Department Operations Center in times of declared emergencies.
While the department is functioning in its existing facility, there is no more room in the building to accommodate any future expansions of personnel or programs. For example, the lockers in the men’s undersized locker room are not large enough to adequately accommodate the array of equipment officers are required to utilize in their daily operation, nor is there space or lockers for additional personnel.
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Police Department Baker Tilly
60 Another example of the facility constraints is the fleet yard. Because of its current limited configuration, the yard is not large enough to allow the current fleet of vehicles to be parked, nor any additional vehicles needed in the patrol operation. In addition, the current yard which had a vehicle canopy recently installed during this engagement, still lacks sufficient shelter for all patrol vehicles, thereby exposing all vehicles to the elements. Given the department’s proximity to the ocean, rust and corrosion are issues of concern.
Currently, the police facility is landlocked by two other public facilities to its east and west and two commercial businesses to the north. The 2018 department assessment recommended the City pursue acquiring those properties for expansion if the properties to the north of the current police facility become vacant and available. Baker Tilly concurs with this recommendation as expansion of the existing facility is warranted and a financial plan for doing so will require long-term planning.
Recommendation 46. Develop a police
facility master plan to address the mid- and
long-term facility needs of the Police
Department and a financial plan to address
them.
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
City Manager’s Office Baker Tilly
61 City Manager’s Office
As indicated in Figure 8, the City Manager’s Office is comprised of five full-time employees and three programmatic functions: city management, city clerk, and human resources.
The City Manager’s Office was one of the primary departments assessed in the 2016 organization analysis conducted by Management Partners.
That report produced 30 recommendations designed to improve organizational efficiencies and institute best practices. Our review of those recommendations indicates that 22 have either been partially or completely implemented, seven recommendations are still outstanding, and one recommendation is no longer relevant. Of the seven remaining recommendations, four have already been addressed in prior sections of this report and three will be discussed further in this section.
Figure 8. City Manager’s Office Existing Organization Chart Organization Structure and Staffing
The Grover Beach city manager serves as the chief executive officer and has the primary responsibility of managing the day-to-day operations of the City to ensure that Council goals and policies are understood and implemented to the extent possible. The city manager is also an advisor to the City Council on fiscal, policy and other matters, and works with regional and local community leaders on an array of issues affecting the Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
City Manager’s Office Baker Tilly
62 city. The city manager is also responsible for continually evaluating organizational structure and culture and ensuring city services are being provided efficiently and effectively. In addition to working closely with the city attorney and the fire chief of the Five Cities Fire Authority, the Grover Beach city manager has eight direct reports: five department directors and three staff members.
While the span of control of direct reports to city managers differs among cities, best practices suggest that an employee-to-supervisor ratio of between three-to-one and six-to-one is ideal in most work settings to ensure proper supervision. The current number of direct reports to the city manager (eight) extends beyond those limits and the current operational structure within the City Manager’s Office lends itself to being adjusted to reduce the number of direct reports.
Shifting the supervisory responsibilities of the management analyst from the city manager to the deputy city manager provides the city manager with one less direct report. Doing so will provide more capacity to deal with other mission-critical issues. In addition, this would provide the deputy city manager an opportunity to become more familiar with the city’s human resources operations, an important step given the future retirement of management analyst.
Recommendation 47. Reallocate the dayto-day reporting relationship of the management analyst to the deputy city
manager.
Human Resources
The management analyst in the City Manager’s Office is the sole staff member responsible for all human resources-related duties and responsibilities of the City. Aside from all recruitment-related duties, the incumbent is expected to provide a full range of other important human resources functions, including labor and employee relations, Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) monitoring and compliance, training, classification and pay system implementation, and some risk management-related duties.
This position has a significant level of responsibility. Similar positions in other cities are typically human resources managers, human resources officers, human resources technicians, or similar titles. While we did not perform a classification assessment of the incumbent, we recommend retitling this position to human resources manager to more accurately reflect the work this position performs.
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
City Manager’s Office Baker Tilly
63 Recommendation 48. Assess the
management analyst position to determine
if reclassifying it to human resources
manager is warranted.
We understand the incumbent has a full workload, does not have the capacity for any additional duties or assignments, and is not able to spend any measurable time on strategic planning or risk management functions. In addition, the management analyst does not have any staff support or backup for mission-critical duties.
Discussions with personnel from other departments confirm that the management analyst’s workload is significant and warrants additional support. While Baker Tilly believes that staff capacity is severely constrained, this is an anecdotal assessment because there are no performance measures, or consistent or reliable data to assess what is being accomplished (and what is not). However, we believe there is little time being spent on risk management-related duties, citywide training or strategic planning in support of employee retention and resiliency.
The best practice, especially for smaller municipalities like Grover Beach, is to invest more staff time and effort to:
• Facilitate employee training and onboarding,
• Proactively address risk management-related issues,
• Assist with benefits administration,
• Develop workplace policies that protect the City from potential lawsuits or discriminatory claims, and
• Attend to miscellaneous employee relations matters.
In reviewing staff in adjacent cities, two of the three have more than one position dedicated to the human resources function as Table 10 shows.
Table 11. Full-time Equivalent (FTE) Staff Comparisons in the Human Resources Function Jurisdiction Total Human Resources FTE Human Resource FTE per Total City FTE Arroyo Grande 1.201 0.015
Grover Beach 1.00 0.013
Morro Bay 2.00 0.020
Pismo Beach 1.002 0.011
1 The human resources manager receives approximately 16 hours of support from the City Clerk’s Office and consultants per pay period. 2 Additionally, the assistant city manager splits his time between human resources, city clerk and public information functions. The human resources staff also receives administrative support from an Administrative Assistant reporting to the city clerk.
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
City Manager’s Office Baker Tilly
64 Not having sufficient staff dedicated to human resources and risk management programs can be a significant liability that can only be addressed through additional staff capacity.
Recommendation 49. Add a new position
of human resources technician to provide
staff support to the incumbent and increase
capacity for risk management, citywide
training, and other employee relations
matters.
Hiring a human resources technician would help address succession planning issues and would also allow for cross training in mission-critical areas of human resources. With additional staff support, the incumbent would have capacity to address pressing assignments. Some of this capacity is likely to be directed toward establishing a personnel policy and procedures manual, providing more employee safety and risk management-related programs, dealing with citywide training, ensuring that succession planning is being addressed across City departments, and implementing the NEOGOV’s Perform (performance evaluation) module.
A common theme we heard during this engagement was a concern about succession planning. During interviews, many employees expressed concern about a lack of cross training and backup for key department positions in some non-public safety departments.
City leaders could and should do more to prepare employees for internal promotional opportunities and create promotional career paths to address succession planning. Normally, a succession planning program would be spearheaded by a human resources professional in conjunction with each operating department with the goal of adequately addressing succession planning for key positions.
Recommendation 50. Develop a citywide
succession planning program aimed at
cross training existing staff and preparing
them for future advancement.
Part of a successful succession planning program includes an effective training program. A best practice is to ensure there is a structured training program in place and that all training is tracked by the City.
Ideally, human resources should track all employee training and reflect it in their respective personnel files. In 2016, this was a recommendation in the Management Partners organization analysis and it is still relevant today.
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
City Manager’s Office Baker Tilly
65 During this engagement we learned that the City purchased NEOGOV’s Perform module but has yet to implement it. We also became aware that some employees are not receiving performance evaluations on time, so we are recommending implementation of NEOGOV’s Perform module to ensure performance evaluations are conducted on time and in advance of merit increases.
Recommendation 51. Implement
NEOGOV’s Perform module as soon as
practical.
NEOGOV is one of the leading human resources software platforms used by governmental agencies. In addition to the recruitment and performance evaluation modules (that the City has, but has not implemented), NEOGOV also has an onboarding human resources information system (HRIS) as well as a training module (Learn). To improve the efficiency and effectiveness of tracking citywide training, the NEOGOV training module (Learn) should be procured and implemented. And since the City already utilizes NEOGOV, integrating this new application should be straightforward.
Recommendation 52. Procure NEOGOV’s
training module (Learn) to track citywide
training.
During our engagement we learned that the management analyst intends to retire soon. During her tenure she has attempted to assemble a list of tasks she is responsible for administering. Since her retirement is imminent and she has no immediate backup in the department, the incumbent needs to make it a priority to document her assigned tasks to create a comprehensive desk manual for a successor.
Recommendation 53. Create detailed
human resources policies and procedures
that build on efforts currently underway.
City Clerk Services
The Grover Beach city clerk provides typical municipal city clerk services to the public and the City organization and also serves as the executive assistant to the city manager. The reliability of the services of the city clerk’s office is always critical, especially as they pertain to other departments in the following four categories.
• Agenda management. Coordinating agenda items, setting deadlines, publishing notices, complying with public hearing requirements.
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
City Manager’s Office Baker Tilly
66 • City Council staff reports. Compiling staff reports and attachments, copying and including reports in council packets.
• Contract management. Ensuring contracts are properly executed and confirming that indemnification requirements have been met. • Records management and retention. Indexing and storing official documents and records and making these documents available upon request.
Based on interviews with staff in operating departments, the current working relationship between departments and city clerk staff is good.
Department staff feel supported by both the city clerk and the deputy city clerk. The deputy city clerk also provides agenda-related services to the Planning Commission and the Parks and Recreation and Beautification Commission. The deputy city clerk also assists with agenda-related services and in the absence of the city clerk, would typically be required to document the Council meeting through notes and minutes. However, the deputy city clerk does not regularly attend Council meetings nor routinely covers the meetings to gain hands-on experience in this area.
This is an important backup function to the city clerk and the deputy should be trained to do so.
Recommendation 54. Assign the deputy
city clerk to periodically attend Council
meetings and assume minute-taking
responsibilities.
The 2016 Management Partners organization analysis recommended that the City update administrative policies and procedures. Baker Tilly asked to review the City’s administrative policies and procedures and was informed they are still in development and are being updated. This should be a high priority for the City as these documents are intended to guide staff and ensure consistent application across the organization.
Recommendation 55. Develop a plan and
schedule for concluding the review and
update of the City’s administrative policies
and procedures.
State law also designates the city clerk as the official recordkeeper for the City. The city clerk’s office maintains a records repository in City Hall.
Our review confirmed that the City has adopted a records retention schedule and policy. However, staff indicated that the current practice of finding and retrieving records remains time consuming because the City does not have an automated system. An automated records management system is the only practical path to addressing this issue. There are also Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
City Manager’s Office Baker Tilly
67 contractual services that can assist in this effort; thereby reducing the burden on existing staff.
Recommendation 56. Develop a plan to
acquire and implement a records
management system to streamline the
existing process of searching for documents
and records.
Not having a systematic or routine process of destroying documents and records exacerbates the problem and makes searching for records even more difficult and time consuming.
Recommendation 57. Institute a semiannual records destruction day and require departments to dispose of and eliminate
records in accordance with the approved
records retention policy.
Having a more comprehensive approach to managing public records, which includes technology enhancements and the consistent destruction of older records, would result in a significant improvement in the city clerk function.
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Conclusion Baker Tilly
68 Conclusion
Staff in the City of Grover Beach display a strong commitment to public service and customer service. In addition to past organizational assessments of three departments, the recommendations in this report indicate City leaders should continue to focus on public works maintenance operations and asset management as critically important areas of focus. While staffing levels may be low in specific functional areas, establishing key performance indicators is required to be able to adequately assess the necessary resource allocations.
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Attachment A – List of Recommendations Baker Tilly
69 Attachment A – List of Recommendations
Recommendation 1. Create a maintenance superintendent or equivalent position to provide management and leadership to the Maintenance Operations Division.
Recommendation 2. Perform an in-depth workload assessment to identify priority resource needs for the maintenance team and develop a plan for meeting them.
Recommendation 3. Develop and implement a departmental training plan that helps new employees acquire core technical and non-technical skills.
Recommendation 4. Develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) for mission-critical operations.
Recommendation 5. Implement a plan for regular communication between the director and all department staff that includes periodic in-person meetings with engineering office staff and separately with maintenance staff (at the corporation yard).
Recommendation 6. Assess the skill set of key management and executive team members and identify those key staff that would benefit from executive coaching.
Recommendation 7. Identify KPIs for each function and track progress to achieve them.
Recommendation 8. Issue a request for proposals to retain capital program management contractual services.
Recommendation 9. Develop and implement a corporation yard renovation financial plan.
Recommendation 10. Assess the feasibility of purchasing the property at 1122 Farroll Road to expand the current corporation yard.
Recommendation 11. Establish a full-time recreation supervisor position to increase staff capacity, expand programs and activities, and provide professional development opportunities in support of staff retention.
Recommendation 12. Create and implement a volunteer recruitment, training, and recognition program for department events under the direction of the new recreation supervisor.
Recommendation 13. Use part-time, seasonal, and temporary employees to assist with programs and events.
Recommendation 14. Assess the feasibility of the Public Works Department contracting out for playground inspections and related maintenance.
Recommendation 15. Assess future City Council goals related to parks and recreation services in determining options on the structure and scope of the Parks and Recreation Department.
Recommendation 16. Develop a program of key performance indicators to track program attendance, number of rental/applications processed, and evaluate the cost of each parks and recreation program, activity, and event.
Recommendation 17. Develop a process for regular reporting of information that is tracked and evaluated for programs, activities, and events to the Parks, Recreation and Beautification Commission and the City Council.
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Attachment A – List of Recommendations Baker Tilly
70 Recommendation 18. Provide additional training for staff on the ActiveNet registration program to better utilize its features.
Recommendation 19. Establish goals for cost recovery for all programs, activities, and events.
Recommendation 20. Conduct a fee study to ensure programs, activities, and events meet cost recovery goals and that the fees charged are competitive with other agencies providing similar services.
Recommendation 21. Develop and implement a Parks and Recreation Department strategic plan.
Recommendation 22. Update the City parks master plan to address needed improvements and enhancements, create a priority list, and a financial plan to implement it.
Recommendation 23. Expand the working relationship with adjacent communities and identify opportunities to cosponsor programs and eliminate conflicting and duplicative programs and services.
Recommendation 24. Partner with the local Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity chapter along with other organizations to gain more volunteers for community events and activities.
Recommendation 25. Establish a training plan to ensure that staff continue to receive the most current information in their respective disciplines.
Recommendation 26. Establish a cross-training program to increase employee knowledge of department responsibilities.
Recommendation 27. Assess administrative support needs of the department to determine if there is an opportunity to improve efficiency through additional resources.
Recommendation 28. Assess whether an increased number of administrative projects (versus discretionary projects) submitted for review will require a change in staffing levels.
Recommendation 29. Acquire and implement appropriate modules in the new ERP software system, including development application, permit tracking, building, and credit card payment.
Recommendation 30. Monitor activity to establish new key performance indicators for development applications and plan check review.
Recommendation 31. Estimate costs for digitizing and indexing paper records and establish a technology fee to support the work.
Recommendation 32. Upgrade the vacant administrative assistant I position to an accounting technician I position to allow stability in the front office and provide backup support for other functions.
Recommendation 33. Create a policy regarding coverage so all staff members understand they may be required to cover unstaffed functions in the office when necessary.
Recommendation 34. Hire temporary or contract staff to assist with the upcoming financial management system implementation.
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Attachment A – List of Recommendations Baker Tilly
71 Recommendation 35. Create a professional development plan for every department employee and incorporate it as part of their annual performance evaluation.
Recommendation 36. Establish and track outcome-based performance measures for key finance functions.
Recommendation 37. Create detailed procedural manuals by financial function that build on efforts currently underway.
Recommendation 38. Develop a three-to-five-year strategic technology action plan that addresses the future needs of the City.
Recommendation 39. Create an equipment replacement policy that addresses fleet, facilities, information technology and other mission critical asset needs of the City.
Recommendation 40. Conduct a patrol workload assessment using hourly call volume data to determine if additional sworn officers are warranted.
Recommendation 41. Seek Council authorization to create an overfill (sworn) position when there are multiple vacancies in the department.
Recommendation 42. Review the work schedules of the community services technicians to align with the business needs of the department.
Recommendation 43. Secure a county social worker to work with patrol staff in the field and share the cost of this position with adjacent law enforcement agencies.
Recommendation 44. Develop an equipment replacement fund for all police technologyrelated equipment and vehicles.
Recommendation 45. Deploy a customer service application similar to SPIDR Tech in other City departments where customer service should be monitored.
Recommendation 46. Develop a police facility master plan to address the mid- and longterm facility needs of the Police Department and a financial plan to address them.
Recommendation 47. Reallocate the day-to-day reporting relationship of the management analyst to the deputy city manager.
Recommendation 48. Assess the management analyst position to determine if reclassifying it to human resources manager is warranted.
Recommendation 49. Add a new position of human resources technician to provide staff support to the incumbent and increase capacity for risk management, citywide training, and other employee relations matters.
Recommendation 50. Develop a citywide succession planning program aimed at cross training existing staff and preparing them for future advancement.
Recommendation 51. Implement NEOGOV’s Perform module as soon as practical.
Recommendation 52. Procure NEOGOV’s training module (Learn) to track citywide training.
Recommendation 53. Create detailed human resources policies and procedures that build on efforts currently underway.
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Attachment A – List of Recommendations Baker Tilly
72 Recommendation 54. Assign the deputy city clerk to periodically attend Council meetings and assume minute-taking responsibilities.
Recommendation 55. Develop a plan and schedule for concluding the review and update of the City’s administrative policies and procedures.
Recommendation 56. Develop a plan to acquire and implement a records management system to streamline the existing process of searching for documents and records.
Recommendation 57. Institute a semi-annual records destruction day and require departments to dispose of and eliminate records in accordance with the approved records retention policy.
Citywide High-Level Organization Assessment
Attachment B – Examples of Key Performance Indicators Baker Tilly 73 Attachment B – Examples of Key Performance Indicators Function Effectiveness/Outcome Measures Efficiency Measures Workload Measures Development
Review
• Percent of plan checks completed
over the counter (OTC)
• Percent of time inspectors spend
in the field
• Percent of survey respondents
rating the timeliness of plan check
service good or excellent
• Number of plans checked
per full-time equivalent
(FTE)
• Number of minor
exceptions reviewed per
FTE
• Average cost per
inspection, by type
• Number of permits
issued
• Number of walk-in
customers assisted
• Number of OTC plan
checks completed
Maintenance • Percent of work orders responded
to within 24 hours
• Average lane miles maintained
per year
• Percent of resurvey respondents
rating facility cleanliness as good
or excellent
• Number of work orders per
FTE
• Number of lane miles
paved per FTE
• Number of facilities
maintained per FTE
• Cost per lane mile paved
• Number of work orders
completed
• Number of lane miles
paved
• Number of city
facilities maintained
Human
Resources
• Percent of survey respondents
(new hires) rating the onboarding
process as good or excellent
• Percent of recruitments
completed in less than 60 days
• Number of new hires per
human resources FTE
• Cost per new hire
• Number of new hires
• Number of
recruitments
• Number of citywide
training events
Recreation • Percent of survey respondents
rating the recreation program
good or excellent
• Percent of recreation programs
with a waiting list
• Percent of costs recovered
per recreation program
• Number of recreational
programs provided per FTE
• Number of recreation
program users
• Number of recreation
programs provided
Fleet • Average number of days a vehicle
is out of service
• Number of vehicles and
equipment maintained per
FTE
• Number of vehicles
and equipment
Attachment 2
RESOLUTION NO. 23-
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GROVER BEACH,
CALIFORNIA, TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION TO RECLASSIFY THE JOB
CLASSIFICATIONS OF DEPUTY CITY MANAGER TO THAT OF ASSISTANT
CITY MANAGER, AND MANAGEMENT ANALYST/HUMAN RESOURCES TO
THAT OF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER AND SET THE SALARY
SCHEDULE.
WHEREAS, the representatives of the City propose adopt the Resolution to reclassify the Job Classifications of Deputy City Manager to that of Assistant City Manager (Exhibit A), and Management Analyst/Human Resources to that of Human Resources Manager (Exhibit B), and set the salary schedule (Exhibit C).
NOW, THERFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GROVER BEACH, CALIFORNIA, DOES DELARE, DETERMINE, AND ORDER AS FOLLOWS:
That the City Council of the City of Grover Beach does hereby adopt this Resolution ratifying the above-referenced job classifications.
On motion by Council Member _____, seconded by Council Member ____, and on the following roll-call vote, to wit:
AYES: Council Members –
NOES: Council Members –
ABSENT: Council Members –
ABSTAIN: Council Members –
RECUSED: Council Members –
the foregoing Resolution was PASSED, APPROVED, and ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Grover Beach, California this 28th day of August, 2023.
KAREN BRIGHT, MAYOR
Attest:
WENDI B. SIMS, CITY CLERK
**DRAFT**
FLSA: EXEMPT
CITY OF GROVER BEACH
ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER
DEFINITION:
As a key member of the City Manager’s Office, the Assistant City Manager provides administrative and operational direction and leadership for all departmental/divisional functions and activities including budget, program, and project responsibilities in support of citywide and organizational objectives. Key objectives include managing the City’s economic development program and activities in partnership with the South County Chambers of Commerce and other business groups, coordinating the City’s efforts on high priority catalyst development opportunities, leading citywide communication and public engagement efforts with City departments and outside consultants, coordinating the City’s goalsetting and work program process, directing and managing special projects and initiatives, and providing other highly responsible and complex professional assistance to the City Manager and other officials. This position will be encouraged and expected to offer creative ideas and approaches in an organizational environment that values innovation and improvement.
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:
The Assistant City Manager coordinates key citywide and organizational activities; conducts studies and evaluations for assigned projects and programs and maintains administrative and fiscal records; serves as a member of the City's Executive Team and acts for and on behalf of the City Manager in his/her absence. directly manages and supervises the operations of the City Clerk, Human Resources Officer and the Community Services Program and other assigned personnel; acts as liaison for the city with a variety of private, public, and community organizations and regulatory agencies and performs increasingly difficult and complex duties and responsibilities with a high degree of confidentiality. The incumbent is required to be resourceful and work independently with minimal supervision and instruction. This position requires a project management capability, strong leadership and facilitation skills, analytical aptitude, excellent attention to detail, effective communication and presentation skills, and a commitment to public service. Interest in local government management as a career is desirable.
SUPERVISION RECEIVED/EXERCISED:
Receives direction from the City Manager; provides administrative direction to assigned professional and support staff.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: (include but are not limited to the following):
• Develop, implement, and monitor long-term plans, goals, and objectives focused on achieving the City's mission and City Council goals and priorities. Manage assigned services, programs, functions, and activities within the City Manager's Office and across operational lines. • Advise the City Manager and the City Council on a broad range of issues within areas of responsibility. Provide assistance and information to City Council. Work with the City Manager, Class specifications are only intended to present a descriptive summary of the range of duties and responsibilities associated with specified positions. Therefore, specifications may not include all duties performed by individuals within a class. In addition, specifications are intended to outline the minimum qualifications necessary for entry into the class and do not necessarily convey the qualifications of incumbents within the position.
Exhibit A
City of Grover Beach
DEPUTY CITY MANAGER- CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE
the City Council, City Advisory Bodies, staff, and community stakeholders on long-term strategic vision, plans, priorities, and projects to enhance the wellbeing, sustainability, and safety of the community and its residents.
• Direct the identification and development of policy options and opportunities, including recommendations for improving the overall administration, management systems, procedures, and performance measurement to improve City operations, effectiveness, and accountability.
Research development opportunities to address funding needs; prepare and administer the organizational budgets.
• Serve as acting City Manager upon the absence or request of the City Manager, including representing the City on interdepartmental projects or at public meetings. Serve as City Manager’s designee on assigned issues such as grievances and appeals. • May participate in cross-departmental projects and assist other departments with financial and/or budgetary needs and issues. Work with departments to develop strategies for the accomplishment of organizational goals in compliance with policies established by the City Council. • Manage citywide economic development activities in coordination with City Manager and City departments and business groups such as the South County Chambers of Commerce. • Write and participate in the preparation and presentation of comprehensive reports and recommendations on assigned projects.
• Lead citywide communication and public engagement efforts with City departments and outside consultants. Communicate official plans, policies, and procedures to staff and the public. Serve as a City liaison to outside groups and other local agencies on specific projects and needs. • Direct the City’s legislative advocacy program and positions including development of a legislative platform and position letters.
• Oversee development and implementation of the City Manager’s Office work program and budget, present reports on key outcomes. Develop and direct the implementation of goals, objectives, policies, procedures, and work standards for the department. • Plan and evaluate the performance of assigned staff including interviews, selection, training, evaluations, and discipline. Establish performance requirements and personal development targets; monitor performance and provide coaching for performance improvement and development.
• Other duties as assigned.
PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL WORKING CONDITIONS:
Position requires prolonged sitting, standing, walking, reaching, twisting, turning, kneeling, bending, squatting, and stooping in the performance of daily activities. The position also requires grasping, repetitive hand movement, and fine coordination in using a computer keyboard. Additionally, the position requires near and far vision in reading written reports and work-related documents. Hearing sufficient to provide telephone and personal service is required. The ability to lift, drag, and push files, City of Grover Beach
DEPUTY CITY MANAGER- CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE
paper, and documents weighing up to 25 pounds also is required. Some of these requirements may be accommodated for otherwise qualified individuals requiring and requesting such accommodations.
QUALIFICATIONS: (The following are minimum qualifications necessary for entry into the classification.)
Education and/or Experience:
In addition to the minimum qualifications noted below, the successful candidate must have an ability to manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment and experience working with local government officials (both elected and staff-level) and other business and community leaders.
Experience: Five years of increasingly responsible analytical and management experience preferably in a public agency involving analyzing, recommending, developing, or leading policies, procedures, and programs on a variety of issues.
Education: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in public administration, public policy, political science, business administration, or a related field.
Master’s degree in a related field is desirable. One year of relevant professional-level work experience may be substituted for one year of required education (this will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis).
License/Certificate:
Possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid California driver’s license.
KNOWLEDGE/ABILITIES/SKILLS: (The following are a representative sample of the KAS’s necessary to perform essential duties of the position.) Knowledge of:
Modern methods and techniques of scheduling work assignments; standard office procedures, practices, and equipment; modern office practices, methods, and equipment, including a computer and applicable software; methods and techniques for record keeping and report preparation and writing; proficiency with English language, spelling, and grammar.
Ability to:
Maintain confidentiality; read, interpret, and record data accurately; work independently and as part of a team; make sound decisions within established guidelines; analyze a complex issue and develop and implement an appropriate response or make sound recommendations as appropriate; follow written and oral directions; observe safety principles and work in a safe manner; communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing; establish and maintain effective working relationships.
Skill to:
Operate standard office equipment, including a computer and variety of word processing and software applications.
City of Grover Beach
DEPUTY CITY MANAGER- CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE
Est. 8/2023
Approved & Adopted:
Signature: ______________________________________ Date: ____________________ Human Resources Officer
Signature: ______________________________________ Date: ____________________ City Manager
FLSA: EXEMPT
CITY OF GROVER BEACH
HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER
DEFINITION:
Under general direction, plans, manages and oversees all human resources activities within the city including classification and compensation, performance management, labor relations and contract negotiations, confidential personnel investigations, employee benefits, training and development, leave administration, worker’s compensation administration, workplace safety, recruitment and selection, and perform other job-related duties as required.
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:
• The Human Resources Officer is responsible to organize, manage, and supervise the full range of human resources functions for the city. The incumbent is required to be resourceful, and work independently with minimal supervision and instruction.
SUPERVISION RECEIVED/EXERCISED:
Receives direction from the Assistant City Manager within the City Management Department. May exercise direct and indirect supervision over assigned staff.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: (include but are not limited to the following):
• Organize and implement sound recruitment strategies to ensure equal opportunity employment; conduct the City’s recruitment and selection processes, arrange and schedule oral board and assessment center processes; develop eligibility lists; manage conditional offer and preemployment clearances.
• Interpret and consult with Department Directors and staff on complex Federal, State and City policies and procedures. Confer with and advise City staff on a variety of sensitive personnel issues including performance evaluations, Performance Improvement Plans, disciplinary matters, grievances, and other employee concerns. Review, consult and recommend changes and additions to the City's personnel manual and regulations and to employee policies. • Coordinate the examination and handling of workers' compensation and unemployment claims; oversee and facilitate the handling and processing of incidents, serve as liaison for workers compensation and liability claims and incidents, coordinate return to work programs, and reside over the City’s Safety Committee programs and activities.
• Review, plan, implement and supervise the administration and maintenance of Human Resources software systems, applicant tracking system, personnel and confidential personnel files, and other human resources programs and systems.
• Administer employee benefit programs; conduct new-hire on-boarding and annual benefits open enrollment program, manage employee leaves, process terminations, complete exit interviews with employees who are leaving City service.
Class specifications are only intended to present a descriptive summary of the range of duties and responsibilities associated with specified positions. Therefore, specifications may not include all duties performed by individuals within a class. In addition, specifications are intended to outline the minimum qualifications necessary for entry into the class and do not necessarily convey the qualifications of incumbents within the position.
Exhibit B
City of Grover Beach
MANAGEMENT ANALYST-HUMAN RESOURCES
• Provide professional support in labor relations, including collective bargaining; research and compile compensation survey data; draft language for MOU proposals, finalize MOU and other labor agreements; assist Administration in labor/management committees; and interpret labor agreements/resolutions.
• Direct the administration of the City’s classification and compensation plan, establish, and maintain class specifications and salary ranges for positions, initiate and manage compensation and benefits surveys, analyze, evaluate, and make recommendations on proposed job reclassifications. • Provide insights and guidance on strategic human resources needs for the organization based on industry and workforce trends and conduct periodic employee surveys to gauge employee perceptions and sentiments.
• Prepare a variety of reports including state and federal equal employment opportunity reports, workers' compensation, OSHA, as well as required City Council staff reports, and other special reports and written recommendations as required.
• Consult with Department Directors to develop training programs; participate in the development of a training master plan. Maintain a comprehensive training schedule; monitor and schedule mandatedtraining opportunities for all City employees. Administer the cities DMV Pull Program and the D.O.T. testing program.
• Participate in developing the program budget, including annually setting program goals and objectives; track expenditures; monitor fiscal transactions for risk management activities. • Establish and maintain positive working relationships with representatives of other city, county and state agencies and associations, City management and staff. • Perform other duties as required.
PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL WORKING CONDITIONS:
Position requires prolonged sitting, standing, walking, reaching, twisting, turning, kneeling, bending, squatting, and stooping in the performance of daily activities. The position also requires grasping, repetitive hand movement, and fine coordination in using a computer keyboard. Additionally, the position requires near and far vision in reading written reports and work-related documents. Hearing sufficient to provide telephone and personal service is required. The ability to lift, drag, and push files, paper, and documents weighing up to 25 pounds also is required. Some of these requirements may be accommodated for otherwise qualified individuals requiring and requesting such accommodations.
QUALIFICATIONS: (The following are minimum qualifications necessary for entry into the classification.)
Education and/or Experience:
Any combination of education and experience that provides the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for a Human Resources Officer. Typically, a Human Resources Officer would possess the equivalent of five years of increasingly responsible professional technical and analytical experience in the areas of public sector human resources management.
Equivalent of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in Organizational development, Human Resources Management, Public Administration, City of Grover Beach
MANAGEMENT ANALYST-HUMAN RESOURCES
Business Administration, or a related field is preferred. Relevant work experience may be substituted for the required education on a year for year basis.
License/Certificate:
Possession of, or the ability to obtain, a valid Class C California driver’s license prior to appointment.
KNOWLEDGE/ABILITIES/SKILLS: (The following are a representative sample of the KAS’s necessary to perform essential duties of the position.) Knowledge of:
Modern principles and practices of human resources administration at an advanced level, related to recruitment, selection, Workers’ Compensation, safety, training, classification and compensation, and insurance/benefit administration and general administration; methods and techniques of supervision, training, and motivation; basic principles of mathematics; applicable federal, state and local laws, codes, and regulations; methods and techniques of scheduling work assignments; standard office procedures, practices, and equipment; modern office practices, methods and equipment, including a computer and applicable software; methods and techniques for record keeping and report preparation and writing; proper English, spelling, and grammar; occupational hazards and standard safety practices.
Ability to:
Maintain confidentiality; gather, analyze and compile data; organize, prioritize, and follow up on work assignments related to recruitment, selection, training, Workers’ Compensation, safety, classification and compensation, and insurance/benefit administration; plan, organize, train, evaluate, and direct work of assigned staff; perform mathematical calculations quickly and accurately; interpret, explain, and apply applicable laws, codes, and regulations; read, interpret, and record data accurately; work independently and as part of a team; make sound decisions within established guidelines; analyze a complex issue and develop and implement an appropriate response or make sound recommendations as appropriate; follow written and oral directions; observe safety principles and work in a safe manner; communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing; establish and maintain effective working relationships.
Skill to:
Operate standard office equipment, including a computer and variety of word processing and software applications.
Rev 08/2023
Approved & Adopted:
Signature: ______________________________________ Date: ____________________ Human Resources Officer
Signature: ______________________________________ Date: ____________________ City Manager
Exhibit C
City of Grover Beach
STAFFING DETAIL & SALARY SCHEDULE
Assistant City Manager and Human Resources Officer
Compensation Plan - Monthly Salary
Ranges
Proposed Salary Schedule
Section 1 - Executive Management MIN MAX
Assistant City Manager * 12,841 13,483 14,157 14,865 15,608 16,389 Section 2 - Management & Confidential A B C D E F
Human Resources Manager * 8,096 8,501 8,926 9,372 9,841 10,333