REPORT TO GOVERNANCE AND ETHICS COMMITTEE
SUBJECT
Title
Action on Council Policy Establishing an Annual Performance Review Process for Council Appointees
Report
BACKGROUND
Currently, there is no established process for City Council to evaluate and assess the performance of Council appointees, including employees in the classifications of City Manager and City Attorney. The City Council had expressed interest in adopting a policy to achieve predictability, transparency, and consistency in the performance evaluation and assessment of Council appointees.
DISCUSSION
This item for the Governance and Ethics Committee consideration is a new Council policy for the performance evaluation process for Council appointees, including employees in the City Manager and City Attorney classifications.
The following is a summary of the notable provisions of the new Council policy, and a complete copy of the new Council policy is attached:
Annual Rating Period: The rating period for Council appointees shall be January 1st through December 31st of each year.
Facilitator: The Human Resources Director shall secure the use of a performance appraisal facilitator to be selected by City Council to assist with the performance evaluation and assessment of the Council appointees, including meeting with and interviewing City Council and any other identified staff members to gather information necessary for the performance appraisal.
Timeline: The new Council policy provides a timeline for the evaluation and assessment process, including but not limited to the months when certain actions are expected to be completed such as the selected facilitator meeting with City Council and staff (January); meeting with the City Council and the Council appointee in closed session to provide the results of their work (February); the City Council appointing a subcommittee to meet with the Council appointee to negotiate any changes to compensation, benefits, or any other requested modifications to the Council appointee’s employment agreement (March); the subcommittee meeting with the full City Council in closed session to present the results of negotiations with the Council appointee and provide a recommendation for further discussion and action in open session (May).
It should be noted that the new Council policy also calls for a salary increase of approximately 2% or the applicable CPI (Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward), whichever is lesser, in the event the City Council does not complete the outlined process on or before May 31st.
In the event City Council seeks to take action for providing any further modifications or adjustments concerning compensation, benefits or other modifications to the Council appointee’s employment agreement after May 31st, the Human Resources Director shall bring such modifications or adjustments to open session for discussion and approval.
If the Committee approves the new Council policy, staff will prepare the policy and present it to the full City Council for consideration and approval. If additional revisions are approved by the Committee, staff will also include those in the recommendation.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(a) as it has no potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact with this report other than administrative staff time.
COORDINATION
This report was coordinated with the City Manager’s Office, Human Resources Department and the City Attorney’s Office.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Committee agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Approve a new Council policy for the Performance Evaluation Process for Council Appointees, and present the proposed new Council policy to the full City Council for consideration and approval.
Staff
Reviewed by: Marco Mercado, Acting Director of Human Resources
Approved by: Jōvan Grogan, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Council Policy - Council Appointee Performance Appraisal Process