Title
Adopt Two Resolutions 1. Amend the San Leandro Management Organization (SLMO) Salary Schedule; and
2. Adopt a Resolution to Authorize Changes to the Adopted Budget Staffing Allocation
Staffreport
COUNCIL PRIORITY
• Infrastructure
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends the following personnel actions related to the creation of a new Recreation and Parks Department, and the merger of the Public Works Department with the Engineering & Transportation Department:
1. Adopt a resolution to amend the San Leandro Management Organization (SLMO) salary schedule to add the Recreation and Parks Director classification and eliminate the Engineering and Transportation Director classification.
2. Adopt a resolution to authorize changes to the adopted budget staffing allocation for FY 2024 & 2025.
BACKGROUND
The City Manager’s Office retained Baker Tilly (formerly Management Partners) to conduct an organizational assessment of the Recreation and Human Services Department, the Public Works Department, and the Engineering and Transportation Department. The assessment studied how to best organize these departments to meet the needs and expectations of the organization and community, and to achieve an efficient organizational structure and optimize staffing. Human Services was separated into a standalone department in early 2022 to elevate the functions as a high priority in the community.
Based on the assessments, the City Manager made the following decisions:
• Create a Recreation and Parks Department recreation, parks, street trees, medians, marsh maintenance, and golf operations)
• Merge the remaining functions of the Public Works Department (building, fleet, pavement and traffic maintenance, and street services) with the Engineering and Transportation Department.
• Change the reporting of the Water Pollution Control Plant division from Public Works to the City Manager’s Office.
To implement this reorganization, the addition of a new Recreation and Parks Director position, the addition of a Public Works Services Manager position, and the elimination of the Engineering and Transportation Director position are proposed.
Analysis
The proposed Recreation and Parks Director position will oversee a traditional Recreation and Parks Department that combines recreation programs with park and urban landscape maintenance. Since early 2022, recreation functions have been overseen by the City Manager’s Office after being split from human services functions. Parks maintenance activities have been managed by the Public Works Department. The consolidation of recreation and parks maintenance is an operational model used by many cities throughout the Bay Area and the nation; it is considered best practice. Based on a compensation survey completed by Human Resources, the salary placement is recommended at a range of $16,889-$20,528 monthly. A recruitment will be conducted to fill the new position.
The proposed Public Works Services Manager position will manage the operations and activities of the Parks division within the newly formed Recreation & Parks Department. A new classification will be created at a later date, after the functions have been unbundled from the Public Works Department. The incumbent who currently holds the classification of Public Works Services Manager will eventually transition to the Recreation and Parks Department.
The Public Works Director is proposed to oversee the Public Works maintenance and the Engineering and Transportation Department functions, resulting in the elimination of the Engineering and Transportation Director position. The current Engineering and Transportation Director will assume the Public Works Director position, which is currently vacant due to a recent retirement. Many benefits will be realized by bringing these two departments together under one department head, namely increased operational efficiencies, and strengthening coordination between the design and maintenance functions, which should enhance development and implementation of the City’s Capital Improvement Program. The merging of Public Works maintenance with Engineering and Transportation is also an operational model used by many cities and is considered a best practice.
Board/Commission Review and Actions
The Personnel Relations Board approved the new Recreation and Parks Director job specification on August 29, 2023, as well as revisions to the Public Works Director job specification to reflect the merged functions.
Financial Impacts
The proposed position changes will not impact fund balance as sufficient funding is available in the Fiscal Year 2023-2024 adopted budget. The cost of a new Recreation and Parks Director and Public Works Services Manager will be offset in the current fiscal year from salary savings from the elimination of the Engineering and Transportation Director, salary savings from the Public Works Director vacancy, and operational savings from the Recreation division. Costs for future fiscal years may require Council appropriation and will be brought forward as part of actions to be undertaken through the mid-year budget process to the corresponding salary allocations.
ATTACHMENTS
• Attachment A: Resolution of the City of San Leandro City Council to Amend San Leandro Management Organization Salary Schedule
• Attachment B: Resolution of the City of San Leandro City Council to Authorize Changes to the Adopted Budget Staffing Allocation for FY2024 & 2025
• Attachment C: SLMO Salary Schedule
PREPARED BY: Emily Hung, Human Resources Director, Human Resources Department