HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 3.G 09/09/2019Agenda It
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DATE: September 9, 2019
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council through City Manager
FROM: Charles Castillo, Director of Human Resources
Leonard Thompson, Fire Chief
SUBJECT: Resolution Authorizing the Position Allocation of One Administrative Technician
Confidential and Eliminating the Position Allocation of One Administrative
Assistant Confidential
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt the attached Resolution Authorizing the Position
Allocation of One Administrative Technician Confidential and Eliminating the Position
Allocation of One Administrative Assistant Confidential.
BACKGROUND
Currently, the entire Petaluma Fire Department's administrative needs are filled by two
administrative roles. A Secretary classification is exclusively assigned to the Fire Prevention
Division. An Administrative Assistant is assigned to Fire Headquarters and fulfills administrative
needs for the rest of the department. The Headquarters Administrative Assistant position
supports the Fire Chief, Assistant Fire Chief, three Battalion Chiefs, contract medical EMS
services, nine Fire Captains, and many of the other thirty-nine fire suppression personnel, who
have axillary administrative responsibilities such as grant writing, equipment purchasing, and
records management. Similar to other roles across the City, the Administrative Assistant role
within the Fire Department has evolved over time to meet the increasing and changing needs of
the department. In order to fill the current vacancy with a classification adequately aligned to
conduct the level of work required by the department, staff recommends allocating a technical
level administrative role to ensure department operational needs are met.
DISCUSSION
There is one Administrative Assistant Confidential allocation in the Fire Department budget. The
Administrative Assistant Confidential classification provides secretarial and office administrative
assistance to a department director. Whereas, the Administrative Technician Confidential
classification includes a variety of technical duties and provides administrative support to various
programs and/or projects, monitors and evaluates programs and/or projects, interprets data, and
assists with the budgetary process within an assigned department.
In addition to administrative assistance to the Fire Chief and many others, the responsibilities of
the vacant administrative support role include serving as the Department's Custodian of Records,
responding to subpoenas, medical records requests, fire investigation requests and general
information requests from insurance companies, law firms and involved parties. Additional
duties include providing preparation materials for fire members who need to attend court or
depositions. The role will be responsible for extensive department budget responsibilities,
including assisting with the yearly development of the department budget, informing command
staff of their budget status throughout the year, reviewing the budget through Eden, transferring
money between funds and submitting budget requests.
The role requires the ability to process, code and submit all invoices, formal bid documents,
purchase orders, grant applications, check requests and educational reimbursements for all
members. The role assists the Assistant Fire Chief with managing specialized EMS funding
programs, routing contracts, tracking monies received, and generating City Council reports.
Furthermore, it will locate and provide specialized statistics and reports to various groups,
hospitals, and outside agencies on a yearly, quarterly, and monthly basis with regards to EMS.
The classification needed to fill this role will also be expected to work with the department's
ambulance billing vendor and use a variety of different software programs (i.e., Firehouse,
ImageTrend, Telestaff) to query and disseminate information and reports. The role also will
assist the Assistant Fire Chief with the management of the department's contract medical EMS
services including keeping contracts up to date, submitting payroll, maintaining work schedules,
providing computer training, ordering uniforms, editing medical special orders, and facilitating
training documents, locations and medical continuing education certificates to assist department
members with maintaining paramedic/EMT certification.
The Administrative Technician Confidential classification most closely matches the scope of the
current and ongoing needs of the department, some of which are addressed above, and therefore,
in line with Petaluma Municipal Code 3.04.020 and the City of Petaluma Personnel Rules and
Regulations (Rule IV- Classification and Rule V — Compensation), the proposed allocation
change is justified and necessary.
Both position classes are represented by Bargaining Unit 1, American Federation of State,
County and Municipal Employees ("AFSCME"). AFSCME has reviewed the proposed action
and is supportive of the proposal.
PUBLIC OUTREACH
There was no specific outreach performed in relation to this item aside from the normal public
meeting agenda process. As indicated above, the City and AFSCME representatives have
discussed the proposed actions both in meetings and through email correspondence.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS
01
The annual salary range for the Administrative Technician Confidential position is $63,573.90—
$77,255.62. The salary range for the Administrative Assistant Confidential position is
$60,509.54— $73,543.86. The financial impact, related to salary only, for the proposal would
range from $3,064.36- $3,711.76. The total financial impact including salary and benefits ranges
from $3,773.49-$4,555.67, 100% of costs are allocated to the General Fund. A budget
adjustment in the amount of $4,556 will be brought forward in conjunction with I" quarter
budget adjustments.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Resolution
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ATTACHMENT 1
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE POSITION ALLOCATION OF ONE
ADMINISTRATIVE TECHNICIAN CONFIDENTIAL AND ELIMINATING THE
POSITION ALLOCATION OF ONE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
CONFIDENTIAL
WHEREAS, the City Manager, acting as the Personnel Officer, has determined
that certain duties and responsibilities currently performed by one Administrative
Assistant Confidential position are more appropriately performed under the
Administrative Technician Confidential classification; and,
WHEREAS, the City Manager, acting as the Personnel Officer, has determined
the addition of one Administrative Technician Confidential position allocation and
elimination of one Administrative Assistant Confidential position allocation properly
aligns the description of the duties and responsibilities of the existing workload within
the Petaluma Fire Department.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of
Petaluma hereby:
1. Takes these actions pursuant to Petaluma Municipal Code 3.04.020 and
the City of Petaluma Personnel Rules and Regulations (Rule IV -
Classification and Rule V — Compensation) and other applicable
authorities.
2. Authorizes the position allocation of one Administrative Technician
Confidential.
Eliminates the position allocation of one Administrative Assistant
Confidential.
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