TO: HONORABLE MAYOR FROM: Jennifer A. Maguire
AND CITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT: SEE BELOW DATE: March 6, 2023
SUBJECT: ADOPTION OF STATEMENT OF POLICY AND CITY COUNCIL
QUESTIONS FOR THE PROSPECTIVE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC
WORKS
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt a Statement of Policy and City Council Questions related to the selection of a prospective Director of Public Works as described in this memorandum, in compliance with City Charter Section 411.1.
SUMMARY AND OUTCOME
The results of this action will be City Council input to me regarding the selection of a Director of Public Works, in compliance with City Charter provisions.
BACKGROUND
In compliance with City Charter Section 411.1, the City Council has adopted a process for City Council confirmation of Department Director appointments. The process requires that the City Council, prior to meeting with the City Manager’s recommended candidate for Department Director positions that are subject to the City Charter’s requirements, adopt a Statement of Policy for the involved department, along with proposed questions for the City Council to present to the City Manager’s recommended candidate for the appointment.
At my direction, staff is coordinating the nationwide recruitment efforts with the executive search firm, CPS HR Consulting, for the City’s next Public Works Director. In the next few weeks, the Administration will conduct an interview process for the position guided by the input provided by the City Council through its adoption of the attached policy and questions, as well as other stakeholder feedback. I will then present my recommended candidate for Director of Public Works to the City Council for confirmation in a Closed Session meeting, along with the written answers to the questions adopted as part of this action. If the City Council confirms my recommended candidate, the appointment would be formally announced at that afternoon’s City Council meeting.
COUNCIL AGENDA:
FILE:
3/28/23
23-434
ITEM: 3.5
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
March 6, 2023
Subject: Adoption of Statement of Policy and City Council Questions for the Prospective Director of Public Works
ANALYSIS
The proposed Statement of Policy (Attachment A) contains the broad goals, objectives, and aspirations for the department as reflected in the Public Works Department’s mission, core services, performance measures, and resource allocation as approved by the City Council as part of the 2022-2023 Adopted Budget.
The proposed City Council Questions (Attachment B) reflect those questions adopted for recent Department Director hiring processes, as well as ones specific to this recruitment. It should be noted that the development of the City Council questions reflect input received during meetings the Administration held with the Mayor and City Councilmembers, Senior Staff members, Public Works Department employees, and select members of the Animal Care Community regarding the knowledge, skills, and abilities desired of the next Director of Public Works, as well as the challenges and opportunities facing the Public Works Department. The City Council may modify, add, or subtract from this list of suggested questions at the March 28, 2023, City Council meeting and, of course, the Mayor and City Council will be able to ask further questions of the recommended candidate during the Closed Session meeting.
The City Council’s adoption of a Statement of Policy and City Council Questions for the prospective Director of Public Works, as described in this memorandum, is in compliance with City Charter Section 411.1 and is an important step in the evaluation and selection process for a new Public Works Director. It is currently anticipated that a recommended candidate will be brought forward for City Council confirmation in May 2023, pending identification of a recommended candidate.
EVALUATION AND FOLLOW-UP
No additional follow-up with the City Council on the Statement of Policy and City Council Questions for the prospective Director of Public Works is expected at this time. A recommended candidate is currently expected to be brought forward for City Council confirmation at a Closed Session meeting in May 2023, pending identification of a recommended candidate, where further discussion will take place regarding that candidate.
PUBLIC OUTREACH
This memorandum will be posted on the City’s Council Agenda website for the March 28, 2023 City Council meeting.
In addition, the Administration convened discussions with stakeholders to gather feedback on the knowledge, skills, and abilities that should be considered for the selection of the Director of Public Works, as well as an understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the Public Works Department. Those stakeholders included the Mayor and City Councilmembers, Senior
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
March 6, 2023
Subject: Adoption of Statement of Policy and City Council Questions for the Prospective Director of Public Works
Staff members, Public Works Department employees, and select members of the Animal Care Community.
COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION/INPUT
No commission recommendation or input is associated with this action.
CEQA
Not a Project, File No. PP17-010, City Organizational and Administrative Activities resulting in no changes to the physical environment.
PUBLIC SUBSIDY REPORTING
This item does not include a public subsidy as defined in section 53083 or 53083.1 of the California Government Code or the City’s Open Government Resolution.
JENNIFER A. MAGUIRE
City Manager
For questions, please contact Dolan Beckel, Chief of Staff for the City Manager, [email protected]
or (408) 745-9696.
Attachments
Attachment A: Statement of Policy - Public Works Department Attachment B: City Council Questions - Director of Public Works
ATTACHMENT A
STATEMENT OF POLICY
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
Department Mission
To provide excellent service in building a smart and sustainable community, maintaining and managing City assets, and serving the animal care needs of the community.
Department Core Services
1. Animal Care and Services
Promote and protect the health, safety, and welfare of animals and people in the City of San José.
2. Facilities Management
Provide safe, efficient, comfortable, attractive, and functional buildings and facilities.
3. Fleet and Equipment Services
Manage operations which provide a safe and reliable fleet of vehicles and equipment.
4. Plan, Design, and Construct Public Facilities and Infrastructure Plan, design, and construct public facilities and infrastructure, Materials Testing Laboratory, and Surveying Services.
5. Regulate/Facilitate Private Development
Preview private development to ensure that new development contributes to the safety and welfare of the residents as well as the City’s economic development.
6. Strategic Support
Infrastructure and Mapping, Financial and Contractual Administration, Technology Services, Human Resources, and Pandemic Response.
Department Performance Goals
Department performance goals are reflected in the Public Works Department’s performance measures and its resource allocation in the 2022-2023 Adopted Budget. The Department’s Service Delivery Framework is also outlined in the Adopted Budget.
The Public Works Department also plays an important role in supporting the City’s Enterprise Priorities which can be found here
https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-
offices/office-of-the-city-manager/enterprise-priorities
ATTACHMENT B
CITY COUNCIL QUESTIONS
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS
1. Please describe your education, experience, accomplishments, and leadership style and explain how they have prepared you for the Director of Public Works (Director) position.
2. What drives you to seek this position?
3. The Statement of Policy for the Public Works Department (Department) contains the broad goals, objectives, and aspirations for the Department as reflected in the 2022-2023 Adopted Budget. Please explain how you would approach achieving these goals.
4. What do you think are the biggest challenges facing the Department over the next five years? Please describe your approach to addressing them, including what actions you would prioritize in your first 12 months.
5. Provide the best example of your leadership in delivering large and complex infrastructure, transportation, and location specific development projects (such as revitalizing the downtown) – both your successes and lessons learned.
6. Re-orienting the City’s critical infrastructure strategy toward the future is a critical role of the Public Works Director. What is your experience and/or proposed approach to promoting clean energy, including Citywide electrification of existing and new buildings and the City’s vehicle fleet?
7. Animal Care Services is not a typical service provided by a Public Works Department.
Please describe your experience and/or passion in caring for several hundred sheltered animals. How would you approach this unique relationship with the animal care community, employees, volunteers, and other stakeholders?
8. What is your experience in crafting and enforcing policies such as minimum wage, prevailing wage, and/or living wage, as well as policies to prevent wage theft and promote responsible contractors?
9. What is your experience with developing programs for apprenticeships, local hires, and disadvantaged businesses programs?
10. In a complex organization like the City, we have many competing priorities and not enough resources to accomplish all that our community, employees, and policy leaders desire. Describe how you manage setting priorities, setting expectations, and measuring performance while applying an equity lens during service delivery?
11. This position requires the Director to navigate relationships with both internal and external stakeholders. Please describe an example of a significant project you handled where multiple stakeholders were involved with competing or conflicting goals, and how you helped achieve a satisfactory resolution. Describe your approach and experience in understanding and addressing community needs and concerns.
ATTACHMENT B
CITY COUNCIL QUESTIONS
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS (Cont’d.)
12. Provide insight into how you have built and sustained strong teams. What are the practices you use to hire, develop, coach, and manage performance, and maintain a high service and high-performance culture? Share how you measure your success as a leader of people.
13. The Department serves as a service provider to many other departments in the City. How might you approach overlaps and gaps across departments?
14. What is your plan for maintaining good communication with the Mayor, City Council, and the City Manager?
15. What else should the City Council know about you?