REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action on a Resolution Approving Revised Salary Schedule for As-Needed (Temporary) Employees
Report
BACKGROUND
Pursuant to City Code Section 3.20, on January 1, 2019, the City’s hourly minimum wage will increase from $13.00 per hour to $15.00 per hour. The ordinance further requires that beginning on January 1, 2020, and each January 1st thereafter, the minimum wage shall increase by an amount corresponding to the increase, if any, in the cost of living. The prior year’s increase in the cost of living shall be measured by the percentage increase, if any, as of August of the preceding year of the Bay Area Consumer Price Index (Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, CA for All Items) or its successor index as published by the U.S. Department of Labor or its successor agency, with the amount of the minimum wage increase rounded to the nearest multiple of five cents ($0.05).
The City employs approximately 929 as-needed employees who provide important temporary services to the City, predominately seasonally or for special events. The minimum wage increases need to be applied to the City’s as-needed or temporary workforce. Therefore, the salary schedule that applies to those employees must be updated and approved to reflect the increase in the minimum hourly wage.
Government Code 20636(b)(1) and California Code of Regulations 570.5 require that public salary schedules include specific information and be approved by the governing body whenever they are updated or revised.
DISCUSSION
The schedule is being streamlined to eliminate classifications no longer used and to provide a salary range instead of salary steps. This will also ease the administrative burden if/when additional minimum wage adjustments are required. Other changes to the salary schedule include an increase to the top of the range for “Consultant” from $106 per hour to $175 per hour. This change is necessary to provide the City with sufficient flexibility in hiring as-needed employees for highly specialized assignments requiring specific knowledge and/or skills. Without this change, the City will not have the ability to pay competitive rates for specialized consulting assignments.
Revising this salary schedule is an administrative measure to ensure that the schedule is approved and updated in conformance with state law. After approval by Council, the revised salary schedule will be posted to the City’s website.
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.
FISCAL IMPACT
Any additional fiscal impact related to the increase in salary ranges from $13.00 per hour to $15.00 per hour and for the increase in the Consultant rate for as-needed employees will be absorbed by departments using those types of temporary workers. Department operating budgets accounted for the minimum wage increase and it was incorporated in the FY 2018/19 Adopted Budget. The Consultant range increase is merely an increase to the range and will not trigger any automatic wage increases; any department hiring a Consultant over the former top of the range will be required to absorb that fiscal impact into its existing operating budget and not increase departmental expenditures. No additional appropriations for FY 2018/19 are required.
COORDINATION
This report has been coordinated with the City Attorney’s Office and the Finance Department.
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 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 <mailto:clerk@santaclaraca.gov> or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Adopt Resolution approving the revised salary schedule for As-Needed (Temporary) Employees.
Staff
Reviewed by: Teresia Zadroga-Haase, Director, Human Resources
Approved by: Deanna J. Santana, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Resolution Approving Revised Salary Schedule for As-Needed (Temporary) Employees