HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 4.B 04/16/2018DATE: April 16, 2018
Agenda Item #4.B
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council through the City Manager
FROM:Amy Reeve, Director of Human Resources
SUBJECT: Resolution Amending the Classification and Compensation Plan by Establishing
the Classification, Position Allocation and Pay Range of Revenue Development
Specialist
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt the attached Resolution Amending the
Classification and Compensation Plan by Establishing the Classification, Position Allocation and
Pay Range of Revenue Development Specialist.
BACKGROUND
The Finance Department is a service oriented department providing financial management and
accounting services across all City departments. The department currently lacks sufficient
personnel to address various revenue generating activities and collections needs, including:
transient occupancy tax and business license auditing/collections, unlicensed business discovery,
accounts receivable collections, and doubtful account outreach. The Revenue Development
Specialist classification will fill the void in these services.
The need for this position has been discussed during Council goal setting sessions and has been
added to the Council's goals related to fiscal sustainability. Funding for this position was
included in the FY 2017-18 Budget.
DISCUSSION
Currently, the Accounting Assistants have little time to handle the revenue generating and
collections activities listed above. The Accounting Assistants perform all subsidiary system
billing duties and provide customer service, including assisting customers at the front counter,
cash receipting, web portal management, email and telephone coverage, and sending and
receiving utility service orders. Water service, shut offs, and reinstatement activity involve a
great deal of time and involvement to aid customers; phone lines are kept open for customer
calls.
The organizational structure of the Finance Department includes a Commercial Services
Manager who will be overseeing the Revenue Development Specialist. The position will focus
on accounts receivable collection and doubtful account work while the Accounting Assistants
continue to concentrate on billing, cash receipting, and providing customer service. The City's
third -party collection agency service comes at a cost to the City because the agency retains 25%
of the collected revenue. The Revenue Development Specialist will work to mitigate the need for
a collection agency by conducting collection outreach through various avenues, seeking to retain
more City revenue. The Revenue Development Specialist will aid in increasing business tax
revenue by researching databases and other sources for unlicensed businesses (e.g., vacation
rentals) and performing audits on accounts with suspected underreported income. This is work
being done, or has previously been done utilizing contractors.
Accordingly, it is recommended the City Council establish the classification of Revenue
Development Specialist. The attached position classification summarizes major responsibilities
and sets minimum qualifications. The attached resolution establishes a salary range for the
position. In setting a salary range, both the external market and internal pay structure were
considered. Regarding the external market, a survey was conducted of comparator public
agencies. The recommended salary range of $54,267.20 to $65,956.80 is at the labor market
average.
The proposed classification specification was reviewed in a meet and confer session, and has
been approved as a new classification represented by the American Federation of State, County
and Municipal Employees (AFSCME).
Following Council approval, staff will proceed with recruitment, with a hiring offer anticipated
by June 1, 2018.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS
The recommended salary range for the Revenue Development Specialist is $54,267.20 to
$65,956.80 annually. The total annual compensation for this position, including salary and
benefits, ranges between $90,462 to $104,807. This places the salary range at the labor market
average for the position. The Finance Department anticipates on-going funding for this position
through increased collections in various cost recovery sources (e.g., utility billing collections,
business license collections/discovery, Assessment District administration and miscellaneous
receivable collections).
ATTACHMENTS
Resolution and Exhibit A
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ATTACHMENT 1
Resolution No. 2018 -XXX N.C.S.
of the City of Petaluma, California
RESOLUTION AMENDING THE CLASSIFICATION AND COMPENSATION
PLAN BY ESTABLISHING THE CLASSIFICATION, POSITION ALLOCATION
AND PAY RANGE OF REVENUE DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST
WHEREAS, the City wishes to keep its Classification and Compensation Plan
current and amendments or revisions to the Classification and Compensation Plan are
effective upon approval by the City Council; and,
WHEREAS, the City Manager/ Personnel Officer has determined that certain
duties and responsibilities are appropriately allocated to the classification of Revenue
Development Specialist (as attached hereto and marked Exhibit A); and,
WHEREAS, the pay range for the classification of Revenue Development
Specialist as listed below, is hereby recommended, effective with the adoption of this
Resolution.
Classification Title Pay Range Per Month
Revenue Development Specialist $54,267.20 - $65,956.80
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of
Petaluma:
1. Approves the amendment to the Classification and Compensation Plan as
written in this Resolution including the amendment in the Competitive
Service of the Personnel System.
2. Takes this action pursuant to Personnel Code 3.04.020 and Personnel
Rules and Regulations (Rule IV- Classification and Rule V —
Compensation) and, that the notice of this action has been properly posted.
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CLASS SPECIFICATION
Date: 04/16/2018
r$r,� Job Class: 03RVDS
Revenue Development Specialist
Summary
Responsible for performing and monitoring revenue generating activities and collections;
incumbent is expected to exercise independent judgment in enforcement of the City's revenue
producing ordinances and policies.
Class Characteristics
Direction is provided by the Commercial Services Manager. Responsibilities may include indirect
supervision of accounting assistant personnel.
This position performs, within policy, procedural, and legal guidelines, including Federal, State,
and local laws, with a high degree of independence and initiative, collection, enforcement and
investigative work. Incumbents perform collections utilizing advanced collection methods,
techniques, research and other procedures designed to preserve the City's collection interests and
secure maximum payment of current or delinquent revenues and accounts receivable.
Essential Duties, Skills, and Demands of the Position
The duties, skills, and demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an
employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations
may be made to enable individuals with a disability to perform the essential duties, skills, and
demands.
Duties:
Perform billing and collection activities on doubtful and delinquent accounts receivable including,
but not limited to, miscellaneous accounts receivable, utility bills, business taxes and assessment
districts.
Prepare periodic reports of collections activities.
Enforce City ordinances relating to business taxes to ensure that all business establishments
comply in a fair and consistent manner.
Respond to non -routine customer service inquiries and complaints.
Audit sales tax records, fictitious business name filings, and other records to identify businesses
in operation that are not licensed.
Research business information using various electronic sources, including online business
directories, county records and GIS information for comparison to proprietary database.
Provide over-the-counter customer service, communicate tax requirements, and interpret and
explain applicable City ordinances.
May review financial records of businesses in order to establish tax liability.
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Perform related duties as assigned.
Skills/Abilities:
Analyze and evaluate records related to debtors.
Acquire a thorough knowledge of the local business community.
Maintain accurate and up to date records, and retrieve statistical data from collections records.
Prepare policies and procedures as they relate to collection activities of the City.
Resolve complex and difficult customer situations.
Deal effectively with co-workers and the public in the collection of delinquent accounts and the
enforcement of City tax ordinances.
Understand multiple billing systems.
Train accounting assistant staff in related procedures.
Work effectively without immediate supervision.
Exercise sound judgment in independent decision making.
Interpret and apply policies, procedures and ordinances fairly and reasonably.
Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
Communicate clearly, orally and in writing.
Prepare a variety of reports and correspondence.
Physical Demands and Work Environment:
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, use the computer
keyboard and mouse, use hands to finger, handle, or feel, reach with hands and arms, talk or hear,
stand, walk, and stoop, or crouch. Occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision
abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision,
depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. Requires the ability to work in an office environment
where the noise level is usually moderate.
Qualifications
Knowledge of-
Effective
£Effective billing methods, collection principles, and practices; analysis and research techniques.
Working knowledge of the City's business tax municipal code.
Considerable knowledge of computer software applications including billing systems and
Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access).
Appropriate and accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar.
Principles of organization, administration, supervision, and training.
Principles and techniques of effective oral and written communications and public relations.
Techniques for dealing with customers, often in situation which may be difficult or
confrontational.
Education and Experience
Any combination equivalent to the education and experience likely to provide the required
knowledge and abilities would be qualifying. A typical way to gain such knowledge and abilities
would be:
Education:
Equivalent to graduation from high school supplemented by coursework in accounting or auditing,
or a closely related field; an Associate of Arts degree with major coursework in accounting or
auditing, or a closely related field is preferred.
Experience:
Three years of experience in accounts receivable processing and collection of past due accounts;
thirty (30) semester units completed at an accredited college may substitute for one year of
experience; business tax collection experience using a variety of methods and techniques is
desirable.
Certificates/Licenses:
Possession of a valid California Class C driver's license.
Additional Requirements:
Must be able to travel to locations within Petaluma to perform onsite inspections of financial
records. When driving on City business, the incumbent is required to maintain a valid California
driver's license as well as a satisfactory driving record.
Established: 04/16/2018
Resolution #:
Reformatted:
Department: Finance
FLSA Status: Non -Exempt
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