HomeMy WebLinkAboutStudy Session - Presentation by the City Administrator on Stiff
CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
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FROM: �enelope Culbreth-Graft, DPA, City Administrator
DATE: February 7, 2005
SUBJECT: Staffing Priorities and Restoration of Critical Services ._..,
City Council Study Session for February 7, 2005
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Background
This memorandum provides background information responding to Council's direction for staff to
develop a plan to address critical service needs. Councilmembers requested that a proposal be brought
back to the City Council to discuss restoration of critical services. Following the February 7 Study
Session, staff will prepare an RCA for the February 22, 2005 agenda with immediate implementation
of Council's action.
This is a multi -faceted issue since each affected department has unique needs and experiences. This
overview attempts to consistently address the various policy issues, provide a fiscal year timetable and
a recommended approach for Council direction.
Current Staffing Status
It is significant to note that, with vacancies due to resignations and retirements over the last two years,
all employees who were laid off in 2003 either have been returned to service or, because of personal
reasons, have declined reemployment. Also, the hiring freeze that was in effect at the time of the lay-
offs has since been retracted and all budgeted, vacant positions are being filled.
Proposed Services Restoration and Staffing
To conserve available funds in the current fiscal year, a moderate approach to restoring curtailed or
eliminated services is recommended. The following positions represent "Level I" or the most
important items identified by staff for immediate action. Costs are assigned to these Level I items, in
comparison to the Level II needs for which costs will be developed in conjunction with the FY 2005/06
Budget preparation. It is important to clarify that those services discussed below, classified as "Level
II" do not present an exhaustive list of the various departments' planned budget requests for FY
2005/06. Department Directors will be present at the Study Session to provide additional detail in
response to questions from Council.
2/7/05 Page 2
Level I Priority Positions Recommended for Immediate Restoration
FY 2004/05 FY 2005/06+
Department Position (9 of vacancies) (partial year) (annualized)
Admin. Services
Accountant, Sr. (1)
$ 48,214
$ 96,429
City Treasurer
Recurrent PT Level N (2)
14,926
29,852
Comm. Services
Maintenance Wkr., Recurr PT
36,979
73,958
Fire
Fire Protect Spcst, Oil Field lisp (1)
31,056 (net)
62,112 (net)
Fire
Deputy Fire Marshal, Training (1)*
72,653
145,306
Fire
Deputy Fire Marshal, Operations (1)*
36,326
145,306
Library
Library Specialist - Main St. Br. (1)
15,474
61,894
Library
Library Specialist - Banning Br. (1)
15,474
61,894
Planning
Admin. Analyst, Sr. (1)
0 (net)
47,000 (net)
Planning
Associate Planner (1)
incl. above
incl. above
Police
Police Officer (9)*
0
998,937
Police
Police Sergeant (2)*
0
284,854
Police
Records Supervisor (1) *
32,697
65,394
Police
Forensic Computer Specialist (1) *
36,110
72,219
Police
Crime Analyst (1) *
47,520
95,039
Public Works
Maintenance Service Worker (3)
92,841
185,682
Public Works
Admin Env. Specialist (1)
26,952 (net)
53,904 (net)
TOTAL COSTS
$507,222
$2,479,780
* Designates a Level I priority due to being an unfunded safety position shown in the FY 2004/05
Budget. Costs are assigned to FY 2005/06 as a funding commitment, even if not to be filled
immediately.
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Administrative Services
Level I Priorities:
Returning the Administrative Services Accountant, Sr. position will restore the department's ability to
complete important accounting functions in a more timely manner and resume work on deferred tasks
such as bank reconciliations and fixed asset accounting.
✓ Remaining Year Cost = $48,214 (restored staffing - 6 months)
✓ Annual Cost = $96,429 (restored staffing)
Level 11 Priorities:
The FY 2005/06 Budget submittal is anticipated to recommend restoring an Accountant position for
the Central Services Division, to assist with contract services administration.
City Treasurer
Level I Priorities:
The two part-time, recurrent positions for the City Treasurer's Department are for Municipal Services
Billing and Vault Operations. On -going, essential tasks to process billings, handle remittances and
ensure double -custody cash handling processes and procedures, including parking meter coins, are
time -sensitive activities that are essential to complete daily billings and prepare daily cash flow
deposits to the bank.
✓ Remaining Year Cost = $14,926 (restored staffing - 6 months)
✓ Annual Cost = $29,852 (restored staffing)
Level II Priorities:
The FY 2005/06 Budget submittal is anticipated to recommend an additional Administrative Analyst
position to help prepare and manage the department's budget; analyze tracking of the revenue
accounts; manage the department's contracts process; interact with line departments on billing and
collection statistics; develop processing efficiencies; and prepare and update the department's annual
fee studies.
Community Services
Level I Priorities:
Restoring part-time Maintenance Worker, Recurrent positions in the Community Services Department
will help to recover previous service levels of beach, parking lots, pier, and Pier Plaza maintenance.
With the currently -reduced staffing, this service has been made even more difficult with the higher
visitor counts from newly -opened venues such as the Hyatt Regency and increased number of year -
around scheduled activities. Recurrent staff will assist in cleaning the beach, rest rooms, trails, ramps,
steps and parking lots at the beach, pier, and Pier Plaza.
✓ Remaining Year Cost = $36,979 (restored staffing - 6 months)
✓ Annual Cost = $73,958 (restored staffing)
Level II Priorities:
Marine Safety staffing needs will be partially addressed at mid -year FY 2004/05 with a proposed after-
hours, extended duty beach patrol coverage and pager/callout response. Additional options for
addressing Marine Safety service levels will be evaluated in the proposed FY 2005/06 Budget.
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Page 4
Also planned for FY 2005/06 is the addition of a Beach Operations Supervisor position, consistent with
the Citygate departmental audit; a Senior Marine Equipment Mechanic position; and restoring the
Deputy Director of Community Services position.
Fire
Level I Priorities:
In FY 2004/05, the Fire Department budget was allocated several positions that were unfunded. To
restore essential services, the following positions are proposed:
Fire Protection Specialist, Oil Field Inspector - A full-time Inspector is needed to respond to
internal and external customers on wastewater issues, oil field safety inspections, handling oil
spills, maintaining oil field safety and compliance efforts, and enforcing the City's Municipal Code
and the Fire Code (including all requirements related to the abandonment of wells). This position
currently is funded 50 percent by fees collected from well owners. The proposal would convert the
part-time position to full time.
✓ Remaining Year Cost = $31,056 (net 50%) (restored staffing - 6 months)
✓ Annual Cost = $62,112 (net 50%) (restored staffing)
• Deputy Fire Marshal, Training - The absence of this position limits the development,
implementation, and management of essential training and safety programs for all 134 sworn
personnel in the department. This position is a "bridge" classification between the department's
rank -and -file and management positions. The FY 2004/05 portion of this position will be six
months.
✓ Remaining Year Cost = $72,653 (restored staffing - 6 months)
✓ Annual Cost = $145,306 (restored staffing)
Deputy Fire Marshal, Operations - While this position has remained vacant, important duties have
had to be reassigned. This includes personnel management; station and facility management;
budget development, implementation, and monitoring; managing the Ambulance Program; and, is
designated as the department Safety Officer. This position also serves as a "bridge" classification
for training future department management. The FY 2004/05 portion of this position will be three
months.
✓ Remaining Year Cost = $36,326 (restored staffing - 3 months)
✓ Annual Cost = $145,306 (restored staffing)
Library
Level I Priorities:
When closure of Library branches seemed inevitable in 2003, after the Library's General Fund budget
was reduced by $500,000 (15 percent), the Friends of the Library redirected donated funds from library
books to cover staffing. This allowed retention of two Library Specialists and kept the Main Street and
Banning Branches open. The Friends' commitment was for FY 2003/04 and 2004/05; however, it is
staff s recommendation that the two positions be restored in the last quarter of this year. This would
allow the Friends' to reprogram three months of the salaries to book purchases.
✓ Remaining Year Cost = $15,474 (restored staffing - Main St. Branch - 3 months)
✓ Annual Cost = $61,894 (restored staffing - Main St. Branch)
✓ Remaining Year Cost = $15,474 (restored staffing - Banning Branch - 3 months)
✓ Annual Cost = $61,894 (restored staffing - Banning Branch)
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Planning
Level I Priorities:
The Planning Department is proposing a service delivery plan through a minor restructuring. Adding
one full-time Administrative Analyst, Sr. and one full-time Associate Planner, and eliminating one full-
time, vacant Code Enforcement Officer position and one half-time, vacant Associate Planner position
will restore services where they are most deficient. The Analyst is needed to support the Advance
Planning Division, to prepare the annual department budget, consultant contracts and the on -going fee
study; updating the department's web page; maintaining CityView and the addressing system; and
managing the department's budget accounts. The Associate Planner is needed in the Current Planning
Division to provide staff support for entitlement processing and customer service at the planning and
zoning counter in labor-intensive areas.
✓ Remaining Year Cost = $0 (net) (restored, modified staffing)
✓ Annual Cost = $47,000 (net) (restored, modified staffing)
Police
Level I Priorities:
In FY 2004/05, the Police Department budget was allocated several positions that were unfunded. In
addition, customer services such as staffing for the Records lobby were curtailed. Now, one year later,
the Records lobby has reopened with seven-day service, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., to assist the
public with vehicle releases, report requests, fingerprinting and other essential services. To restore
other services, the following is proposed:
Eleven vacant, sworn positions [nine Police Officers and two Sergeants] in the current budget are
unfunded. In addition to the unfunded positions, there are currently twelve vacant, funded Police
Officer positions. The department expects to fill the vacant, funded positions by the end of the
current fiscal year. Funding will be requested for the other positions beginning in FY 2005/06.
✓ Remaining Year Cost (Officer) _ $0 (not to be filled until FY 2005/06 - currently unfunded)
✓ Annual Cost (Officer) _ $998,937 (restored staffing - currently unfunded)
✓ Remaining Year Cost (Sergeant) = $0 (not to be filled until FY 2005/06 - currently unfunded)
✓ Annual Cost (Sergeant) _ $284,854 (restored staffing - currently unfunded)
Records Bureau Supervisor - The Records Bureau Supervisors are responsible for first -line
supervision of Records Bureau personnel who cover a 24-hour per day, seven-day per week
operation. The bureau has two Records Supervisors, which are not sufficient to supervise the 24-
hour operation. Each week, ten shifts have no supervisor on -duty and there is no supervisor on -
duty seven days a week between 3:00 and 6:30 a.m. This additional position will provide full
supervisory staffing.
✓ Remaining Year Cost = $32,697 (restored staffing - 6 months)
✓ Annual Cost = $65,394 (restored staffing)
Forensic Computer Specialist - The Forensic Computer Specialist is charged with examining
computers seized during criminal investigations. This is a growing need, particularly in the
investigation of financial crimes, child molestations and child pornography. The loss of this
position resulted in a Police Detective being assigned full-time to perform these forensic
examinations instead of pursuing proactive computer crime investigations.
✓ Remaining Year Cost = $36,110 (restored staffing - 6 months)
✓ Annual Cost = $72,219 (restored staffing)
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Crime Analyst - Currently, the department is conducting no in-depth crime analysis, significantly
decreasing its ability to identify and respond to the City's crime trends. Restoring this position will
facilitate both crime analysis and analysis of calls for service, allowing the department to more
effectively deploy its resources.
✓ Remaining Year Cost = $47,520 (restored staffing - 6 months)
✓ Annual Cost = $95,039 (restored staffing)
Public Works
Level I Priorities:
Restoring three Maintenance Service Worker positions will provide support to the Landscape
section of the Maintenance Division, sweeping the sidewalks and removing weeds and debris along
arterial streets. These workers will backfill employees who are licensed applicators while the latter
are performing weed spraying operations.
✓ Remaining Year Cost = $92,841 (restored staffing - 6 months)
✓ Annual Cost = $185,682 (restored staffing)
The addition of one (1) Administrative Environmental Specialist will provide mandated
enforcement of the Federal Clean Water Act by doubling the number of Administrative
Environmental Specialists to two. These employees are needed to ensure the City's compliance
with its storm water discharge permit. Fees collected from restaurants will generate approximately
25 percent of program costs since this position will perform the necessary duties required by the
newly -mandated Fats, Oil & Grease (FOG) regulations to prevent sanitary sewer overflows.
✓ Remaining Year Cost = $26,952 (net 75%) (restored staffing - 6 months)
✓ Annual Cost = $53,904 (net 75%) (restored staffing)
Level II Priorities:
While the Council approved an emergency appropriation to re -staff the graffiti abatement program by
restoring one Maintenance Service Worker, numerous other service areas were scaled back with prior
budget cuts. The FY 2005/06 Budget submittal is anticipated to address service categories in sidewalk
concrete, facility maintenance, landscape maintenance and tree maintenance, through a combination of
staffing and contract services.
There are numerous Public Works activities that should be considered in allocating resources. Such
considerations would include capital equipment replacement for flood control; planning and
improvements to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act; downtown sidewalk maintenance;
and routine pier preventive maintenance and bridge structural repairs.
c: Assistant City Administrator
Executive Team