HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOW 2008-04-28 Item 4A - Budget - 0.37 FTE Administrative Support Technician in City Clerk's Office COUNCIL AGENDA SYNOPSIS
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ITEN INFORMATION-
CAS NUMBER: 08-048 I ORIGLNAL. AGENDA DATE: APRIL 28, 2008
AGENDA I1'EMTI"T"LE. Increase the hours of the Administrative Support Technician in the City Clerk's Office
by 15 hours per week (.37 FTE), making the position full time.
CA 1'EGORY Discussion Motion n Resolution 1 1 Ordinance n Bid Award n Public Hearzng Other
Mtg Date 04/28/08 Mtg Date 05/05/08 kits Date 11 itg Date Mtg Date lltg Date Mtg Date
SPONSOR n Council Mayor Adm Svcs LI DCD Finance n Fzre n Legal n P &R 1 Police PIS'
SPONSOR'S When Mayor Haggerton took office, organizational changes were implemented and an IT Department was
SUMI\l.1ARY created. City functions involving communications and publications were transferred to the IT
Department. The Document Processing Coordinator, who worked in the City Clerk's Office, was also
transferred to IT to facilitate the change. Some of the duties performed for the Clerk's Office by the
Document Processing Coordinator remain and need to be absorbed by existing staff of the Clerk's Office.
This increase will help mitigate the staffing Toss and facilitate the provision of necessary day -to -day
services for the public.
REVIEWED BY COW Mtg. CA &P Cmte F &S Cmte n Transportation Cmte
Utilities Cmte n Arts Comm. n Parks Comm. n Plaruung Comm.
DATE: 04/22/08
RECOMMENDATIONS:
SPONSOR /ADMLN. Approval
COMMIIEEE Unanimous Approval; Forward to Committee of the Whole
_C -IMPACT L -F.UND _SOURCE
EXPENDITURE REQUIRED AMOUNT BUDGETED APPROPRIATION REQUIRED
$25,000 annually
Fund Source: SALARIES AND WAGES
Comments:
I MTG. DATE' ''RECORD OF ACTION
4/28/08 1
_.:ATTACHMENTS -M1rG DATE
4/28/08 Informational memorandum dated 4/17/08
Minutes from the Finance and Safety Committee meeting of 4/22/08
MEMORANDUM
TO: Finance and Safety Committee jL
FROM: Rhonda Berry, City Adq ni that
DATE: April 17, 2008 k
RE: STAFFING IN THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE
PROPOSAL
Increase the hours of the Word Processing Technician (.63 FTE) in the City Clerk's Office by 15
hours (.37 FTE) per week, making the position full time (1.00 FTE).
BACKGROUND
When Mayor Haggerton took office in January this year, he set out to find ways to ensure that City
departments are organized for efficiency and growth. Shortly thereafter he implemented some
organizational changes, creating a Department of Information Technology and transferring the
Document Processing Coordinator and responsibility for City publications, TV21, and the Tukwila
radio station into that department.
With the transfer out of the City Clerk's Office, certain duties performed by the Document Processing
Coordinator did not follow. Some of these duties include review and editing of ordinances and
resolutions, and in -house codification of the Tukwila Municipal Code. Additionally, there are forms,
schedules, calendars, and technical reports specific to the Clerk's Office that requirement re-
assignment to current staff.
The Document Processing Coordinator provided counter and phone support during vacations and
illnesses, and specifically on the 2 days per week the part -time Word Processing Technician is not in
the office. The Word Processing Technician is the primary backup to the counter /switchboard and
works conjunctively with the Administrative Support Technician who staffs the counter /switchboard
full time. (Since April 1, the Word Processing Technician has been working full time to allow the
Clerk's Office to maintain service levels).
DISCUSSION
The staff count for the City Clerk's Office at the end of 2008 will be 5.63 FTE employees. The Word
Processing Technician is the .63 FTE and is the subject of this request. The 5.63 FTE total includes
a new, unfilled position approved for 2008, which will provide essential technical expertise to include
oversight and enhancement of the City Clerk's Imaging System and creation of critical indexes. The
City Clerk's Office has not experienced a staff increase in 17 years.
The Word Processing Technician position was full -time until 1997, when it was reduced to part -time.
This staff member provides not only word processing services, but daily assistance with passports,
business and other licenses, notary services, public inquiries, and phone support. The City's growth
in the past 17 years has affected the activity at City Hall's central services counter. The increase in
the number of phone calls, visitors to City Hall, business licenses, requests for information,
document creation, research inquiries from staff, and fulfillment of the Public Records Act has
impacted staff whose primary responsibilities are on the "front line." There is also a need for backup
phone /counter support for the Mayor's Office. The City Clerk's Office resides within the
organizational structure of the Mayor's Office, and it is logical for Clerk's staff to provide backup
support if adequate staffing is available.
Those staff members who provide the counter /phone support also perform other vital functions to
include Council agenda packet(s) production and distribution, ordinance/ resolution/ proclamation/
public notice compilation and processing, paper and electronic document processing, updating
databases, license issuance, central filing, staff research, and assistance with public records
requests. Most of these duties have legal timelines and cannot be put on a back burner. These
functions along with the duties at the central services counter and main switchboard are
critical to City operations in maintaining optimum service levels to the public.
An increase of 15 hours a week for the Word Processing Technician position will help mitigate the
loss of the Document Processing Coordinator and facilitate the provision of the necessary day -to-
day services for the public. Because the Word Processing Technician is already the primary backup
to the counter /switchboard, it is logical for that position to cover those additional hours of counter
and phone services.
OPTIONS
Alternative 1: Keep the staffing level as it currently exists, resulting in decreased service levels
Alternative 2: Allow funding for an increase of 15 hours per week (.37 FTE) to increase the Word
Processing Technician to a full -time position (1.00 FTE).
FUNDING
Alternative #1 would require no funding.
Alternative #2 would require annual funding of 15 additional hours per week (52 weeks a year x 15
780 hours) at the current rate of $22.16 per hour, totaling $17,284.80, plus a percentage increase for
benefits. The total salary and benefit estimate is $25,000.
The salary component of the 2008 City Clerk's budget will reflect a surplus due to: the difference in
pay between the retiring and incoming City Clerks; salary not paid to a Deputy City Clerk position for
at least 6 weeks; and the new Administrative Support Coordinator position fully budgeted for the
year not being hired until the summer.
These savings offset the impact to the budget if the Word Processing Technician is increased to full
time.
7w1LA, 4,
i-: City of Tukwila
y Finance Safety Committee
so
1a
FINANCE AND SAFETY COMMITTEE
Meeting Minutes
April 22, 2008 5:00 p.m.
PRESENT
Councilmembers: Dennis Robertson, Chair; Pam Linder and Kathy Hougardy
Staff Rhonda Berry, Dave Haynes, Jack Pace, Kathy Stetson, Mary Hulvey, Christy O'Flaherty,
Trish Kinlow and Kimberly Matej
Guest: Chuck Parrish
CALL TO ORDER: Committee Chair Robertson called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m.
I. PRESENTATIONS
No presentations.
II. BUSLNESS AGENDA
A. Reauest for .37 FTE Increasing the Hours for the Administrative Support Technician in the City Clerk's
Office
Staff is requesting an increase of .37 FTE for the Administrative Support Technician position in the City
Clerk's Office. This position is currently operating at .63 FTE (25 hours per week). The addition of .37
F1'E (15 hours per week) will bring this position to full -time (1.0 FTE). This position serves as the
primary back up to the front desk position.
Due to recent organizational changes within the City, a full -time Administrative Support Coordinator
previously located in the Clerk's Office has been reassigned to the Information Technology Department.
This reorganization has impacted the workload of the Clerk's Office and has required reassignment of
responsibilities. This requested increase in personnel will mitigate the reassignment of the Administrative
Support Coordinator position and maintain the Clerk's Office current customer service levels.
This request is necessitated by the recent reorganization. There is no budget impact for this year.
UNANII'IOUS APPROVAL. FORWARD TO APRIL 28 COW FOR DISCUSSION.
B. Reauest for .50 FTE for an Administrative Support Assistant in the Municipal Court
Staff is requesting a .50 FTE for an Administrative Support Assistant in the Municipal Court. Over the
past few years, the Municipal Court has utilized extra Iabor hours equivalent to that of a .50 FTE. As a
result, this position has become essential to daily court operations.
Funding for this entry -level position is not in the current budget and will require an estimated $18,000 per
year plus benefits. Additionally, staff explained that Municipal Court extra labor hours are not expected to
decrease as a result of the additional .50 FTE. This is largely due to the upcoming transition to a new,
state mandated, court management system. Future use of extra labor hours beyond this transition cannot
be estimated at this time. UNANIMOUS APPROVAL. FORWARD TO APRIL 28 COW FOR
DISCUSSION.
C. Truck Parking on City Streets
Staff provided follow up information regarding the regulation of truck parking which was requested at the
November 19, 2007, Finance and Safety Committee meeting. Information was presented by Code
Enforcement staff but this issue is also within the purview of the Police Department.
After a Lengthy discussion of the information provided, the Committee determined that they would like
staff to research and prepare information regarding the regulatory parking options for commercial
vehicles on the public right of way. Recreational vehicles will be handled under separate cover at another