CITY OF POMONA
COUNCIL REPORT
July 18, 2022
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: James Makshanoff, City Manager
Submitted By: Linda Matthews, Human Resources Director
SUBJECT: ADOPTION OF RESOLUTIONS TO RESTRUCTURE POSITIONS IN PUBLIC WORKS, HUMAN RESOURCES, POLICE, AND WATER RESOURCES DEPARTMENTS AND AMEND FLEXIBLE STAFFING PROVISIONS RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council adopt the following resolutions:
RESOLUTION NO. 2022-121 - A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF POMONA, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING APPENDIX B OF THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE POMONA CITY EMPLOYEES’ CHAPTER OF THE TEAMSTERS LOCAL 1932 BY INCREASING THE SALARIES OF VARIOUS CLASSIFICATIONS IN PUBLIC WORKS AND WATER RESOURCES, AUTHORIZING A SIDE LETTER RELATED TO THE PUBLIC WORKS REORGANIZATION AND AMENDING THE FLEXIBLE STAFFING PROVISIONS RESOLUTION NO. 2022-122 – A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF POMONA, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING APPENDIX B OF THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE POMONA MID-MANAGEMENT / CONFIDENTIAL EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION TO MODIFY THE POSITIONS OF WATER TREATMENT AND QUALITY CREW CHIEF, WATER TREATMENT AND QUALITY SUPERVISOR, FLEET SERVICES SUPERVISOR, ONE ASSISTANT/ ASSOCIATE/ CIVIL ENGINEER, ADDING A PUBLIC INFORMATION COORDINATOR, AND AMENDING THE FLEXIBLE STAFFING PROVISIONS RESOLUTION NO. 2022-123 - A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF POMONA, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING APPENDIX A OF THE COMPENSATION PLAN FOR EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT GROUP A AND B EMPLOYEES BY LOWERING THE SALARY RANGE FOR HUMAN RESOURCES/RISK MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR RESOLUTION NO. 2022-124 – A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF POMONA, CALIFORNIA AMENDING THE CITY OF POMONA’S SALARY SCHEDULE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022-23 TO MEET THE CALIFORNIA CODE OF REGULATIONS TITLE 2, SECTIONS 570.5 AND 571 TO REFLECT CHANGES TO CERTAIN PUBLIC WORKS, HUMAN RESOURCES, POLICE AND WATER RESOURCES CLASSIFICATIONS RESOLUTION NO. 2022-125 – A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF POMONA, CALIFORNIA AMENDING AUTHORIZED STAFFING LEVELS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2022-23 OPERATING BUDGET RELATED TO POSITIONS IN PUBLIC WORKS, POLICE AND WATER RESOURCES DEPARTMENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Approval of the proposed Resolutions (Attachments No. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5) will authorize a variety of classification changes to better reflect the staffing needs of City departments and to improve the recruitment and retention of staff. The proposed Resolutions also will restructure positions in the Public Works, Human Resources, Police, and Water Resources Departments.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total estimated cost of the proposed Public Works and Water Resources salary adjustments and reclassifications is $202,300 annually for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022-23, of which $7,477 is from the General Fund, and the remaining is from special revenue funds in Public Works, the Solid Waste Fund, and Water and Sewer Funds. The specific breakdown by Fund related to these actions is shown in Attachment No. 6. A specific cost estimate is not available for the changes to the flexible staffing provision, but the only potential cost impact is associated with incurring the cost sooner to the extent employees promote earlier. The total estimated annual savings of lowering the salary range of Human Resources/Risk Management Director is $11,616, of which $6,389 is from the General Fund and the remaining $5,227 is from the Self-Insurance Fund (668). The annual cost increase of reclassifying the Public Information Specialist I/II to Public Information Coordinator is $14,426 for FY 2022-23. There will be no cost adjustment to reclassify one Associate Civil Engineer to Capital Facilities Engineer. The cost of overfilling the Accounting Manager with a Payroll Supervisor prior to the retirement of the incumbent is $35,183 for FY 2022-23. It is estimated that sufficient budget appropriations are available for FY 2022-23 for all actions herein and no additional budget appropriations are requested at this time.
DISCUSSION:
Approval of the five (5) attached resolutions will implement several changes to classifications and flexible staffing provisions, with the goal of improving staffing flexibility and recruiting and retaining high quality staff. Each of the recommendations is described below.
Public Works Classification Restructure and Salary Adjustments. The Public Works Department is proposing to merge the classification of Paint and Sign Technician I/II with Public Services Maintenance Worker I/II to provide greater staffing flexibility for the department, along with more job variety and skill enhancement for staff. Currently, Paint and Sign Technician I/II is paid two ranges (approximately 5%) more than Public Services Maintenance Worker I/II. In order to facilitate a successful merger of these two classifications, as well as given the highly competitive labor market associated with the “Great Resignation” (a national trend), it is recommended that the series of Public Services Maintenance Worker I/II, along with a few related series in both the Public Works and Water Resources Departments, be provided a two-range (approximately 5%) salary increase. The specific proposed adjustments are as follows:
Classification
Current Range
Proposed Range
Public Services Maintenance Worker I
GS-042
GS-044
Public Services Maintenance Worker II
GS-046
GS-048
Public Services Crew Leader
GS-052
GS-054
Lead Landscape Maintenance Technician
GS-052
GS-054
Graffiti Removal Worker
GS-040
GS-042
Lead Graffiti Removal Worker
GS-046
GS-048
Water Facilities Worker I
GS-042
GS-044
Water Facilities Worker II
GS-046
GS-048
All of the above classifications are in the bargaining unit represented by PCEA/Teamsters and impact approximately 28 filled and vacant budgeted positions.
In addition, it is recommended that the classification and incumbent of Fleet Services Supervisor be provided a 3 range (approximately 7.5% increase) due to unrelated compaction issues. This position is represented by the Pomona Mid-Management/Confidential Employee’s Association (PMMCEA).
Water Resources Classification Series Adjustments and Creation of Stormwater Maintenance Worker I/II. It is recommended that the Water Utility Worker series and the Wastewater Maintenance Technician series receive a two-range adjustment (approximately 5%). These are both entry level series in the Water Resources Department and the proposed adjustment is being driven primarily by recruitment and retention issues. The specific proposed adjustments are as follows:
Classification
Current Range
Proposed Range
Water Utility Worker I
GS-049
GS-051
Water Utility Worker II
GS-053
GS-055
Water Utility Crew Leader
GS-059
GS-061
Wastewater Maintenance Technician I
GS-049
GS-051
Wastewater Maintenance Technician II
GS-053
GS-055
Wastewater Maintenance Technician III
GS-059
GS-061
In addition, it is recommended that two (2) Public Services Maintenance Worker I/II positions in Water Resources be reclassified to a new classification of Stormwater Maintenance Worker I/II that will better align with the current duties. There will be no impact to the salary ranges or compensation, except for the salary adjustment to Public Services Maintenance Worker I/II as described above, which will also be provided to these positions/incumbents.
All of the above classifications are in the bargaining unit represented by PCEA/Teamsters and impact approximately 33 filled and vacant budgeted positions in the Water Resources Department.
There are two reclassifications recommended for positions in PMMCEA with no impact to salary or compensation:
reclassify one (1) Water Treatment and Quality Crew Chief to Water Quality Crew Chief (Range MC-073); and reclassify one (1) Water Treatment and Quality Supervisor to Water Quality Supervisor (range MC-079).
There is one (1) position and incumbent in each of these classifications. The proposed changes reflect a prior reorganization that resulted in Water Treatment and Water Quality functions being separated into two different divisions. These reclassifications are recommended to better align both the titles and job descriptions with the current duties and responsibilities.
Side Letter Agreement with PCEA/Teamsters Related to Public Services Maintenance Worker Series Modifications. It is recommended that the City Council authorize the City Manager to enter into a side letter agreement with PCEA/Teamsters related to a few technical issues related to the changes described herein. Most significantly, the two (2) incumbents in the Paint and Sign Technician I/II series will be required to obtain a Class B license within two (2) years. A side letter agreement is recommended to clarify the responsibilities of the two incumbents to obtain the license, and what will occur if they fail to meet their responsibilities or are unable to meet the responsibilities. The side letter will also clarify responsibilities of the Public Services Maintenance Worker I/II and Stormwater Maintenance Worker I/II series. A draft of the proposed side letter is included as Exhibit B of Attachment 1, and approval of the resolution in Attachment 1 will authorize the City Manager to enter into this agreement substantially as it is presented.
Flexible Staffing Provisions Changes to Allow Employees to Promote After Two (2) Years. The City has approximately 30 classification series that are considered “flexible staffing” series. Most of the flexible classification series are in the PCEA/Teamsters Unit and a few are in PMMCEA. In these series, less experienced employees may be hired in lower or entry level classifications and promote to higher level classifications as they obtain more experience. Examples of such series include Public Services Maintenance Worker I/II, Water Utility Worker I/II and Wastewater Maintenance Technician I/II/III.
In the typical series, an employee hired at Step 1 would be required to work for three (3) to four (4) years before being promoted to the higher, or next level in the series. Given the competitive labor market, the proposed amendment lowers the minimum waiting period to two (2) years. The proposed amendment also authorizes the Human Resources/Risk Management Director to waive a minimum experience requirement of greater than two years for purpose of flexible staffing promotions only. There are several other requirements that remain, including a positive recommendation from the Department Director and meeting the minimum requirements such as certificates and licensure. Other changes were made in the language to provide more consistency between the provisions in PCEA/Teamsters and PMMCEA. The specific proposed amendment is included in Exhibit A of Attachment 1 and Exhibit A of Attachment 2.
Human Resources/Risk Management Director Salary Adjustment. It is recommended that the Human Resources/Risk Management Director salary be reduced by two (2) ranges (approximately 5%) from Range EA-100 ($154,707 to $207,322) to EA-098 ($147,253 to $197,333). The adjustment will provide better internal alignment between Director-level positions while still maintaining a competitive salary for purposes of recruitment and retention. This adjustment will be implemented effective August 28, 2022 after the retirement of the current incumbent.
Other Classification Actions
It is recommended to reclassify the Public Information Specialist I/II to Public Information Coordinator to reflect broadened duties that have occurred over the last year and to reclassify one (1) Associate Civil Engineer to Capital Facilities Engineer. The Public Information Specialist II assigned to the Police Department coordinates all PD social medial channels and produces departmental press releases in addition to coordinating content creation, social media campaigns and providing video and other supportive assistance to City departmental social media efforts since May 2021. The City Manager’s office will continue to utilize this position to coordinate and to assist with the development of the City’s social media strategy across all departments.
In the Public Works Department, staff has evaluated the need to hire an engineer with capital facilities construction project experience. The City has a number of facilities built approximately in the 1950’s that are in need of refurbishment/upgrades/improvements. In order to accomplish these construction upgrades, and because of the age of the buildings, an engineer with experience with mitigating environmental considerations (such as hazardous building materials) and facility construction knowledge will provide better oversight of complex coordination of building contractors and environmental consultants along with management and monitoring of these capital facilities projects with internal and external staff. In addition, as needed, this position may also be assigned right-of-way civil engineering projects.
Overfill Authority for Job Continuity Purposes and Specifically for Payroll Supervisor – Resolution 2015-113, approved on November 16, 2015, authorized the City Manager to overfill vacant positons on a temporary basis as recommended by the Department Director for a defined purpose. In this context, “overfill” means hiring a second employee for a position that is already filled. An example of when an “overfill” may be approved is to hire Police Recruits to complete the academy to fill behind other sworn officers who have already informed the department of their intent to retire. By hiring in advance of a retirement date, an employee may be hired, trained and prepared to assume the duties by the time the incumbent actually retires to provide for better job continuity. Resolution 2022-125 (Attachment No. 5) reaffirms this authority. The procedure requires that the Director provide a written request to the City Manager. If the City Manager approves the request, the City Council will be notified. The notification would typically be in an email from the City Manager.
This overfill authority has only been used once since it was approved in 2015, related to a Police Lieutenant. Although rarely used, it is still recommended to renew the authority as a best practice. In addition, there is currently a new situation where an overfill is recommended. Specifically, the Finance Department has been informed that the Accounting Manager will be retiring by the end of the year. One of the primary responsibilities of this position is to supervise the payroll function. The Finance Department is recommending that the position be overfilled with a position of Payroll Supervisor in advance of the incumbent’s retirement. The specialized skill of Payroll Supervisor has been identified as critical for the smooth continuity of payroll operations, as well as the ability to successfully leverage technology to improve payroll operations, such as online timecard completion. If the overfill authority is reaffirmed, the Finance Department will proceed with this overfill. After or closer to the incumbent’s retirement, modifications to the authorized staffing levels will be submitted to City Council for approval to reflect the new organizational structure.
Summary of Each Resolution
To accomplish all of the actions described above, it is recommended that the City Council adopt the five (5) resolutions. Each of the resolutions addresses a different part of the implementation and the purpose of each is described below.
Resolution No. 2022-121 (Attachment No. 1 and Exhibits A and B) modifies the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with PCEA/Teamsters to reflect the following changes described above: 1) salary adjustments; 2) add new classification of Stormwater Maintenance Worker I/II to the MOU; 3) authorize the City Manager to enter into a related Side Letter; and 4) amend flexible staffing provisions.
Resolution No. 2022-122 (Attachment No. 2 and Exhibit A) modifies the MOU with PMMCEA to reflect the following recommendations: 1) salary adjustment; 2) add new classifications of Public Information Coordinator and Capital Facilities Engineer; 3) water classification changes; and 4) amend the flexible staffing provisions.
Resolution No. 2022-123 (Attachment No. 3) modifies the Compensation Plan for Executive Management Group A and B Employees to reflect the salary reduction for the Human Resources/Risk Management Director.
Resolution No. 2022-124 (Attachment No. 4) modifies the citywide salary schedule to reflect the same changes recommended herein. In accordance with the requirements of the California Code of Regulations, Title 2, Sections 570.5 and 571, the City must adopt and publicly post a consolidated salary schedule for all City classifications.
Resolution No. 2022-125 (Attachment No. 5) modifies the authorized staffing levels in the FY 2022-23 Operating Budget to reflect the changes described herein and authorizes the City Manager to temporarily overfill positions to help ensure job continuity.
All of the actions will be effective August 14, 2022 except the salary reduction for Human Resources/Risk Management Director which will be effective August 28, 2022.
This action includes compensation changes for a local agency executive. Pursuant to California Government Code 3511.1, the City is required to “orally report a summary of a recommendation for a final action on the salaries, salary schedules, or compensation paid in the form of fringe benefits of a local agency executive, as defined in subdivision (d) of Section 3511.1, during the open meeting in which the final action is to be taken.” Consistent with this requirement, this item is being placed on the discussion calendar for consideration Prepared by:
_____________________________
Linda Matthews
Human Resources/Risk Management Director
ATTACHMENT(S):
Attachment No. 1 – Resolution No. 2022-121 amending PCEA/Teamsters MOU Exhibit A – Flexible Staffing Amendment with PCEA/Teamsters Exhibit B – Side Letter with PCEA/Teamsters
Attachment No. 2 – Resolution No. 2022-122 amending PMMCEA MOU Exhibit A – Flexible Staffing Amendment with PMMCEA
Attachment No. 3 – Resolution No. 2022-123 amending Executive Group Compensation Plan Attachment No. 4 – Resolution No. 2022-124 amending Citywide Salary Schedule Exhibit A – Citywide Salary Schedule
Attachment No. 5 – Resolution No. 2022-125 amending Authorized Staffing in Operating Budget Attachment No. 6 – Fiscal Impact Summary by Fund
Classification and Flexible Staffing Modifications