To: Honorable Mayor and Members of City Council
From: MJ Tueros, Human Resources Director
Prepared By: Caitlin Saldanha, Management Analyst II
TITLE:
Title
Staffing Plan Update for Information Technology Division
LABEL
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommendation
Adopt a resolution amending the City’s Budget Staffing Plan and amending the FY 2026/27 Nonrecurring General Fund budget as documented in Council Budget Amendment No. 03P04.
Body
DISCUSSION:
The Human Resources Department received a request from the Information Technology Division to update the City’s Budget Staffing Plan by adding one (1) Limited-Term Systems Administrator position to better address operational needs at this time. As a part of this update, the Information Technology Division is requesting to add one (1) Limited-Term Systems Administrator position to join the Public Safety IT Team assigned to Napa Police Department and provide vital IT services to the Communications Dispatch Center.
The Communications Dispatch Center is the primary public safety answer point for all 911 emergency calls to the Napa Police Department, Napa County Sheriff's Department, American Canyon Police Department, Napa Fire Department, American Canyon Fire Department and AMR Ambulance Services. Our dispatchers are also responsible for transferring calls to CalFire, St. Helena Police Department and Calistoga Police Department. These outside agencies reimburse the City of Napa for the services provided. A comprehensive update to the cost allocation plan for our Central Dispatch services is currently underway. This revised model will incorporate the additional Limited-Term Systems Administrator position, enabling the City to recover a portion of the costs associated with this staffing addition.
The addition of a new Limited-Term Systems Administrator would increase the Information Technology Division’s operational capacity to support 911 dispatch telephone systems, manage public safety software systems, configure hardware, design and install infrastructure, monitor testing, and implement projects. This work is currently performed through a contract. While we anticipate a future reduction in these contract costs, establishing the Limited-Term position will allow us time to assess how much of the contracted work can be reduced to support transitioning this role into a full-time City position. This new position will assist in the long-range strategic planning of various IT systems and collaborate with management, end users, software developers, and network architects to strengthen the City’s 911 Computer Aided Dispatch System (CAD) and ancillary components.
Therefore, staff recommends amending the City’s Budget Staffing Plan to add one (1) position allocation for a Limited-Term Systems Administrator in the Information Technology Division. If the new position is approved, then the Human Resources Department will work closely with the Information Technology Division on recruitment efforts to ensure public safety services continue to be seamlessly delivered to the community and surrounding areas.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS:
The annual cost of a System Administrator is currently $185,000. Should the proposed action be approved, the anticipated fill date would be November 2026. The addition of one Limited-Term System Administrator position will be funded from the Nonrecurring General Fund, which has adequate fund balance to support the position in the current and subsequent fiscal year. For FY 2026/27 67 percent of the position cost would be appropriated whereas the full cost of the position will be budgeted in fiscal year 2027/28. Bringing the position in as limited-term is appropriate while the City evaluates reductions in contracted service costs resulting from adding this position and determines whether the ongoing need warrants establishing the position as a regular full-time position.
The position will also be incorporated into a new Cost Allocation Plan for 911 and Dispatch services, providing an opportunity to recover a portion of the position's ongoing costs through additional pro rata revenue from other agencies utilizing the City's services.
CEQA:
The Human Resources Director has determined that the recommended action described in this staff report is not subject to CEQA, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15060(c).
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
ATCH 1 - Resolution
EX A - Council Budget Amendment No. 03P04
NOTIFICATION:
None.