Title
Adopt City Council Resolution Authorizing Acting City Clerk Classification and Reclassifying Housing & Economic Development Coordinator Position to Special Projects Manager
Summary
The City's administrative staff is in the midst of a transition. The Assistant City Manager recently retired and the City Clerk is planning to retire in early October. When the recruitment for the Assistant City Manager position was conducted, the position was retitled "Administrative Services Director" to more clearly align it with the primary responsibilities of the position. Adjustments were made to the job description which is within the City Manager's authority and does not require Council approval. Compensation for the Administrative Services Director position remains "banded" with the other Department heads (excepting the Police Chief). The Administrative Services Director recruitment is in the final stage of the pre-employment process and the new Director is scheduled to start work on July 27, 2015.
The City Clerk is on leave and not expected to return to work until mid-September at the earliest. The Clerk's responsibilities have been divvied up by several staff members at City Hall and the City currently is recruiting a temporary Office Assistant to help fill the void. Given the imminent retirement of the City Clerk in October, the City Manager would like to initiate an "internal" recruitment to fill the position as soon as possible. The City Manager recommends that the Council adopt the attached resolution establishing an "Acting City Clerk" position which will be retitled "City Clerk" once the incumbent City Clerk has retired. The resolution classifies the new Acting City Clerk (and future City Clerk) position as an exempt, mid-management position that will report to the Administrative Services Director. The current City Clerk position is an Executive, At-Will classification that reports to the City Manager. In small cities such as Fort Bragg, it is common for the City Clerk position to be filled at the mid-management level. The restructuring of the City's administrative services is intended to create a more cohesive administrative team to provide support services (human resources/personnel, records management, Council packet preparation, elections services, risk management, information technology) to both internal City departments and external customers. As part of this restructuring, the current Administrative Assistant position will report to the Administrative Services Director rather than the City Clerk. A separate resolution is provided to add the Acting City Clerk classification to the resolution which establishes compensation and benefits for mid-management employees.
The City's Community Development Department is also in the midst of a transition. Recruitments currently are underway for the vacant Associate Planner position and the newly-established part-time Grants Assistant position. To enhance stability in the Department, the Community Development Director and City Manager recommend establishment of a mid-management classification. The recommendation is that the "Housing & Economic Development Coordinator" position be reclassified as an exempt, mid-management position entitled "Special Projects Manager." The position will have responsibilities for grants, including supervision and training of the Grants Assistant, and also for special planning projects undertaken by the Community Development Department. The position will be responsible for overseeing the Department when the Director is absent. A separate resolution is provided to add the Special Projects Manager classification to the resolution which establishes compensation and benefits for mid-management employees.
The City Manager reviewed these proposed changes with the Personnel Commitee and the Committee recommended that they be brought forward to the City Council for approval.