HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/27/1993 Item 5 - Council Secretary Position MEETING ATE:
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I `EM NUMBER: !;d
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
FROM: Diane R. Gladwell, City Clerk
SUBJECT: Analysis of the Council Secretary Position
RECOMMENDATION: By motion, receive and file Hughes, Heiss and Associates'
analysis of the City Clerk's Office;
By motion,adopt alternative #1 retaining the Council Secretary
position.
BACKGROUND:
At the budget study session held on March 13, Council requested an analysis be conducted
to determine if the Council Secretary position could be reduced to half-time. Interest in
discussing the past analysis of the City Clerk's department was also expressed.
The Council Budget has been reduced by$16,240 (a 12.1% reduction),with Council actually
cutting their professional development funds by 37%to accommodate funding for the radio
broadcast of all Council meetings.
The Council Secretary position is funded through and supervised by the City Clerk. The
City Clerk's proposed budget includes a reduction .of 16.2% and recommends the
elimination of one Office Assistant position.
Hughes, Heiss and Associates was retained to analyze the City Clerk Department one year
ago. They found processes to be generally efficient, although staffing levels were higher
than other cities because this office performed functions not traditionally administered by
City Clerk departments. They recommended transferring functions (special events, contract
processing, City Hall mail) to other departments and subsequently reducing staff in the City
.Clerk's office. In September, a new City Clerk was appointed by the Council. After a
thorough and objective analysis, selected recommendations from the report were
implemented, but the transfer of selected functions to other departments was deferred due
to impending budget cuts and staff reductions. Rather than repeat the analysis that was
submitted to Council in January, we have included the memorandum as an attachment to
this report.
Following the March 13th meeting, the Council Secretary conducted a time/task study,
tracking activities over a two-week period. Analysis of this data provided the following
information:
1. Public Access to Council : (Respond and refer phone calls and
visitors, process mail) 15%
2. Public Information/Other: (City Clerk, Administration, General) 15%
3. Scheduling Activities: (Various public functions requested by
Council, staff and citizens) 25%
4. Special Assignments: (Advisory Body activities, Research, etc) 15%
5. Council Budget Management: 5%
6. Other: (Training activities, meetings) 5,%
7. Calendaring: Evaluating and scheduling requests 10%
8. Dictation and Transcription: 10%
These activities exclude seasonal peaks in activities, such as the advisory body appointment
and interview process.
SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS:
Activities listed in items 1 through 6 are driven by requests generated from the public or the
City organization. Only 20% of the activities are in direct response to Council requests.
In addition, the position has seasonal heavy workloads in the support of the Advisory Body
nomination and appointment process and elections.
Due to severe budget cutbacks throughout the organization, shifting administrative burdens
such as special events, contracts and mail services from one general fund department to
another is no longer a simple alternative, although the City Clerk Department is required
to reduce its staff while retaining those 'functions. The department is committed to
creatively re-engineering processes, and plans to implement a volunteer program in order
to maintain acceptable service levels.
Because 80% of the Council Secretary's functions are driven by citizen/staff requests, these
tasks would have to be assigned to other staff if Council elected not to request secretarial
support, reducing or eliminating this position. In addition, the position is scheduled to
accept the responsibility for coordinating all Council activities (e.g. Groundbreakings,
hosting of the Cities with Prison Conference, etc.) due to significant reductions in
Administration staff which will reduce their capacity to assist with ceremonial and
community relations functions.
CONCURRENCES:
John Dunn, City Administrative Officer concurs with the identification of alternatives.
ALTERNATIVES:
1. Retain the Council Secretary position.
Advantages: Council support not mixed with mandated and administrative functions;
citizen contacts with Council maintains high-priority, consistent and independent of
the organization.
Disadvantages: Because of higher labor costs, a larger reduction in operational
expenses were proposed in the City Clerk department.
Fiscal Impact: Retain recommended reduction of $53,800 (16.2%) in City Clerk
budget.
2. Reduce the Council Secretary position to 1/2 time, and transfer selected functions
to other departments (I have suggested the transfer of City Hall mail support as the
best alternative for the organization.)
Advantages: Less expensive.
Disadvantages: During the Council Secretary's "off' hours, it will be more difficult
to respond to Council-related requests; impact of transfer of proposed City Hall mail
support function on another department; anticipated increased staff turnover due to
very high demand levels.
Fiscal Impact: Proposed City Clerk budget further reduced by $20,400 (fully
burdened rate); for a total reduction of $74,200 (22.3%); an estimated $5,000
increase in another budget if City Hall mail is transferred.
3. Eliminate the Council Secretary position, restore the Office Assistant position,
support the listed activities by assignment throughout the department (I would
request an equal increase in the contract secretarial service account to support peak
demand periods.)
Advantages: Simplifies internal structure of the City Clerk Department; allows City
Clerk to delegate assignments to match skill and responsibility of remaining
personnel.
Disadvantages: Decreased response to Council and citizen requests; staff asked to
mix mandated and administrative responsibilities with Council priorities; loss of the
independent qualities of Council support.
Fiscal Impart:
If no additional secretarial support is funded: Proposed City Clerk budget further
reduced by $7,300 (fully burdened rate); for a total reduction of $61,100
(18.4%).
If difference is added to secretarial support account: Retain recommended reduction
of $53,800 (16.2%) in City Clerk budget.
4. Implement recommendations made by Hughes, Heiss and Associates, eliminate an
additional Office Assistant or the Council Secretary position.
Advantages: Unidentified costs or savings by shifting administration and costs to
other departments.
Disadvantages Some services discontinued, some functions would have to be moved
to departments where staffing levels have been reduced (City Clerk Department's
budget has included these functions with a reduction of one position), re-training
would be required, newly implemented contract streamlining would be redesigned,
anticipated increased staff turnover due to very high demand levels.
Fiscal Impact•. Unidentified.
RECOMMENDATION:
The key factor in the decision between these alternatives is whether the Council is willing
to accommodate delays and sacrifice the independence of their support on a long-term basis.
Since this decision is not the prerogative of the City Clerk, and there may be an inherent
conflict of interest to the City Clerk Department in alternative #3, my recommendation is
to adopt alternative #1.
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ATTACHMENTS: (Available in the Council Office)
Council.Secretary Time/Task Study
City Clerk Memorandum: January 9, 1993
Hughes, Heiss and Associates Analysis of the City Clerk's Office: August 15, 1992
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