To: Honorable Mayor and Members of City Council
From: Heather Ruiz, Human Resources Director
Prepared By: Caitlin Saldanha, Management Analyst II
TITLE:
Title
Classification Plan and Salary for Stormwater Program Coordinator in the Public Works Department
LABEL
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommendation
Adopt a resolution amending the City Classification Plan by adopting the new classification specification and salary range for Stormwater Program Coordinator; and amending the Budget Staffing Plan by adding one (1) Stormwater Program Coordinator position, and deleting one (1) Engineering Assistant position.
Body
DISCUSSION:
The Human Resources Department received a request from the Public Works Department and Development Engineering Division to review the job classification, workload, and scope of responsibilities of the Engineering Assistant overseeing the City’s Stormwater program.
Based on the classification specification, the Engineering Assistant is a complex technical level classification responsible for general technical and field tasks in multiple City departments. Some duties include: coordination of detailed, accurate information necessary to design and evaluate projects such as streets, parks, structures, drainage improvements/facilities, traffic signals, traffic striping/signing/pavement markings parking lots, potable drinking water facility maintenance and capital improvements, and other public facilities; checking private development improvement plans for compliance with established standards related to site grading, roadway horizontal and vertical curves, roadway cross-sections, material quantities and costs, alignments, hydraulics and drainage, potable and non-potable water facilities, stormwater facility design and best management practices, flood plain management, and traffic control device and infrastructure design; overseeing data logging, monitoring, quality control, and reporting for compliance related to water operations; and may provide lead direction to lower level technical and/or clerical staff.
Through the class study, it was found that the position is performing supervisory duties which included advanced technical program coordination as well as training, evaluation, and scheduling of journey, entry, and part time staff within the work group. Additionally, given that the knowledge, skills and experience related to stormwater work is extremely specialized, it is necessary for the City to have a classification that carves out designated operational needs for the program. The Engineering Assistant job title and its broad-ranging description is not practical, does not best serve the City’s interests, and is not consistent with the work performed by the position. Therefore, it is recommended that the Engineering Assistant classification be removed from the work group and a new classification created where the City would hire incumbents with previous experience and have the ability to assign the full scope of stormwater program responsibilities.
The classification study also found that the job title needed to better reflect the work and expectations of this role. The recommended title for a new classification specification is Stormwater Program Coordinator.
In review of this classification against the external market, the pay for the Engineering Assistant ($97,781.66 - $118,126.84) is not comparable as each organization handles stormwater differently. Therefore, it is recommended that the pay of the new position be set based on internal comparison, and equivalent to the Supervising Engineering Assistant ($103,729.91 - $125,319.89). This ensures competitiveness in the market, employee development opportunities, and internal equity.
The affected bargaining unit, Napa City Employees’ Association (NCEA), was given an opportunity to review the classification, and agreed on the recommendations.
The new classification and salary range for Stormwater Program Coordinator was heard by the Civil Service Commission at their special meeting on October 23, 2023, and the Commission recommended to Council for approval.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS:
The Public Works Department has worked with the Finance Department to shift already appropriated funding to accommodate the additional costs of these salary range changes for the FY 2023/24 and FY 2024/25 budget.
CEQA:
The Human Resources Director has determined that the Recommended Action described in this Agenda Report is not subject to CEQA, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15060(c).
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
ATCH 1 - Resolution
EX A - Classification Specification for Stormwater Program Coordinator
NOTIFICATION:
Department Managers and Bargaining Groups