REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Various Revisions to Sections within the Personnel and Salary Resolution
Report
BACKGROUND
At the Council Operational and Strategic Priority Setting Retreat held on January 19-20, 2018, the City Council directed staff in part to streamline administrative process, promote efficient use of resources, and align roles and responsibilities within the organization and, in this case, the City Charter. This is the first of several items that the Administration will advance to the City Council for consideration. This item was presented to the Governance Committee on February 12, 2018, and the Committee supported staff’s recommendation as noted herein.
At the February 12, 2018 Governance Committee Meeting, the attached report (Attachment 1) was approved. The Committee supported staff’s efforts to streamline hiring for both classified and unclassified employees by amending the attached Personnel and Salary Resolution. Previous actions related to the City Manager authorization to only hire at Step 1 for Classified Employees or below 100% of Control Point for Unclassified Employees as well as the Control Point wage structure for Unclassified Employees are referenced in the attached Governance Committee Report.
DISCUSSION
Staff is seeking authority for the City Manager to hire new classified employees above the entry level salary up to step 5 in the salary range. For unclassified employees, replace the current Unclassified Control Point Salary Schedule with a salary range, and grant authority to hire unclassified employees above the entry level salary up to the top of the salary range. Realigning the City Manager’s hiring authority will also bring Santa Clara’s civil service system back into conformance with traditional civil service principles which is to promote merit-based appointment and promotion of public employees in a non-political context.
To effect these changes, the Personnel & Salary Resolution has been revised to reflect:
Section 9(b) Compensation Plan Unclassified Employees
Staff recommends amending this section by removing the control point and establishing a salary range consistent with the current range.
Section 12 Hiring Above Sep 1
Staff recommends to retitle this section to “Hiring Above the Entry Level Salary” and to amend this section by authorizing the City Manager to hire a candidate above Step 1, up to and including Step 5 for classified employees and at any point within the salary range for a job classification for unclassified employees.
Minor, non-substantive revisions were made to the Personnel & Salary Resolution since the Governance Committee meeting; those changes at Section 3(p) and Section 10 are reflected in Attachment 2.
This recommended change to Section 12 of the Personnel & Salary Resolution will only affect the City’s hiring practices. Wage increases will still be subject to MOU provisions for bargaining groups. For unclassified employees, there will no longer be any reference to Control Point; instead the Compensation Schedule will refer to a Salary Range. City Council will continue to have ultimate authority over salary ranges for each position and will continue to review and approve the Personnel & Salary Resolution which will now also include language for unclassified employees that will be consistent with the current practice of authorizing merit increases within the Salary Range.
FISCAL IMPACT
Hiring above the lowest salary level will continue to be monitored by the City Manager. In the event such hiring has a fiscal impact, the City Manager will require the hiring department to justify the hiring rate by demonstrating salary savings or through other savings within the department.
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(b)(5) in that it is a governmental organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect changes in the environment.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council 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 beginning the Thursday evening before the Tuesday 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 <mailto:clerk@santaclaraca.gov> or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Adopt a Resolution approving the revisions to the Personnel & Salary Resolution, including but not limited to (1) the amendment of Section 9(b) of the Personnel and Salary Resolution to eliminate the control point salary structure and establish a salary range for Unclassified Employees and (2) the amendment of Section 12 of the Personnel and Salary Resolution to authorize the City Manager to hire Classified and Unclassified employees above the entry level salary.
Staff
Prepared by: Julia Hill, Assistant Director of Human Resources
Reviewed by: Elizabeth Brown, Director of Human Resources
Reviewed by: Angela Kraetsch, Director of Finance
Reviewed by: Brian Doyle, City Attorney
Reviewed by: Nadine Nader, Assistant City Manager
Reviewed by: Walter C. Rossmann, Chief Operating Officer
Approved by: Deanna J. Santana, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Governance Committee Agenda Report with Attachments (February 9, 2018):
A. Approve Revisions to Sections in the Personnel & Salary Resolution, Eliminate the Control Point Salary Structure for Unclassified Employees and to Authorize the City Manager to Hire Candidates Above the Entry-Level Salary
B. Attachment: Control Point Based Compensation Plan for Unclassified Management Employees (Unit 9 Miscellaneous);
C. Attachment: Control Point Based Compensation Program for: (1) Adoption of Control Point Based Compensation Plan for Employees Represented by Employee Bargaining Unit 9A (Unclassified Police Management); and (2) Adoption of Control Point Based Compensation Plan for Employees Represented by Employee Bargaining Unit 9B (Unclassified Fire Management)
D. Attachment: Revised Personnel & Salary Resolution, redlined
2. Revised Personnel & Salary Resolution, redlined (as modified after Governance Committee meeting)
3. Governance Committee Minutes, February 12, 2018