Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 3.D 07/20/2015DATE: July 20, 2015 TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council FROM: John C. Brown, City Manager Agenda Item #3.D SUBJECT: Resolution Authorizing the Position Allocation of Secretary Confidential in the City Clerk Department RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the City Council adopt the attached Resolution Authorizing the Position Allocation of Secretary Confidential in the City Clerk Department. BACKGROUND In February 2014, the position of Deputy City Clerk was vacated. The vacancy prompted the City to review the need for clerical support in the Clerk's Office as well as other offices in City Hall. The position remained vacant while the City reviewed these needs. Clerical support has been provided on a part -time basis with appointments through an employment agency. The review included informal evaluations performed by City management and an evaluation performed by the Acting Clerk, based on observations between March and May, 2015 while the Clerk was away from the office on leaves. Review found that although there is not a current need for a dedicated Deputy City Clerk, there is a need for skilled clerical support in the City Clerk's Office as well as in the City Attorney, City Manager, and Finance Director's offices. DISCUSSION It has been determined that the day -to -day needs of the Clerk's Office, which are primarily clerical in nature, do not require a dedicated Deputy Clerk level position. For the majority of the year, excluding those periods when the Clerk is away from the office for prolonged periods and during portions of the Municipal election season, a Secretary Confidential position, working between 20 and 30 hours per week in the Clerk's Office, can provide the support needed by the City Clerk. Hiring a full -time position to fill this need would allow for ten (10) to twenty (20) hours of time weekly that can be utilized by other departments in City Hall, most of whom lost allocated clerical positions or hours during the Recession, and all of whom have need for intermittent clerical support. The allocation of the Secretary Confidential position reflects these changing organizational needs, provides the appropriate level of support in the City Clerk's Office, and allows for cross - training and flexibility across departments. Concerns that have been raised regarding filling the vacancy in the City Clerk's Office at the Secretary Confidential level related to the additional work this position would need to perform during City Cleric absences, and the reporting relationship between this employee and multiple department managers. The Secretary Confidential position classification includes among the job duties "preparing and distributing agenda materials and taking and producing minutes of actions or proceedings" and so the position will have the skill set to staff Council meetings. The City Clerk will, however, perform these responsibilities with respect to the City Council, relying only on the assistance of, rather than delegating those duties to, the Secretary Confidential position. It is anticipated that the City Clerk will proceduralize these responsibilities, and familiarize the Secretary Confidential with those procedures so that they can be fully conducted in her absence. It is further anticipated that pay, including out -of -class pay, would be reflective of work assignments undertaken by the Secretary Confidential during such periods. The position will report to the City Clerk, who will retain supervisory responsibility for the position, and who will coordinate with the City Attorney, City Manager, and Finance Director's offices to provide high level clerical support services to those departments. It should be noted that the existing Deputy City Clerk position allocation in the Clerk's Department is not recommended to be abolished. The position will remain vacant and unfunded and available for substitution for the Secretary Confidential position in the event future or organizational conditions should warrant that change. FINANCIAL IMPACTS The estimated cost of this position, for 2015/16 including salaries and benefits, calculated at the third (midrange) step of the salary schedule and anticipating an October 1, 2015 starting date is approximately $68,000. The annualized cost of the position, calculated at step three is approximately $90,175, which represents a savings of approximately $14,700 from what has been included in the Clerk's budgets for a Deputy City Clerk. ATTACHMENTS 1. Resolution 2 ATTACHMENT 1 RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE POSITION ALLOCATION OF SECRETARY CONFIDENTIAL IN THE CITY CLERK DEPARTMENT WHEREAS, the City Manager/Personnel Officer has determined that a dedicated Deputy City Clerk is not the most efficient organizational structure at this time; and WHEREAS, the City Manager /Personnel Officer has determined that certain duties and responsibilities are appropriately allocated to the classification of Secretary Confidential. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Petaluma: 1. Authorizes the position allocation of Secretary Confidential in the City Clerk Department effective with the adoption of this Resolution.