Personnel Committee

PERSONNEL COMMITTEE AGENDA COMMISSION CHAMBERS 4243 REMEMBRANCE RD. NW. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2023 5:00 PM Call Meeting to Order - Record Attendance 1. Committee Members: Mayor Carey (Chair), Jessica Babcock, Thom Burke, and Alternate is Elaina Huizenga-Chase. Discussion Items 1. Approval of Minutes from July 24, 2023 2. IT Specialist-Public Safety Position Approval 3. Compensation Study Presentation 4. Chiefs & City Manager Annual Performance Review Discussion Adjournment Page 1 of 20  PERSONNEL COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES COMMISSION CHAMBERS MONDAY, JULY 24, 2023 5:00 PM Call Meeting to Order - Record Attendance Committee Members: Mayor Carey (Chair), Commissioners Thom Burke, Jessica Babcock, and Alternate is Elaina Huizenga-Chase City Staff: Shannon Bales, Darrel Schmalzel, and Frank Wash Discussion Items Approval of Minutes from December 19, 2022 Motion by Thom Burke, seconded by Jessica Babcock to approve meeting minutes from December 19, 2022. Motion Carried. Social Media & Content Specialist Position Approval Motion by Thom Burke, seconded by Jessica Babcock to approve Social Media and Content Specialist Position with minor edits. Motion Carried. Department Specialist - Engineering Position Description Approval Motion by Jessica Babcock, seconded by Thom Burke to approve Department Specialist- Engineering Position Description. Motion Carried. Section 140.12 Safety Policy Update Motion by Thom Burke, seconded by Jessica Babcock to approve Section 140.12 Safety Policy Update. Motion Carried. Compensation Study Results & Approval • HR Director, Shannon Bales, gave background about the study to the committee. • Discussion was held Motion by Jessica Babcock, seconded by Thom Burke to table Compensation Study Results & Approval until the next meeting. Motion Carried. Personnel Committee Minutes 7-24-23 Page 1 of 2 Page 2 of 20 Adjourned at 6:00 PM Personnel Committee Minutes 7-24-23 Page 2 of 2 Page 3 of 20  CITY OF WALKER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM TO: Personnel Committee FROM: Jason Rottman, Director DATE: September 2023 RE: IT Specialist - Public Safety In July 2022 the IT Department started supporting the City of Grandville. Over the course of the year, we have found that additional staff is needed to support both cities. An area of continued growth is the technology needs for the Public Safety departments we serve, Court, Fire and Police. I am proposing that we add a position that will focus on those departments, becoming a subject matter expert in their related technologies. This position will also be critical in further implementing and improving technology for those same departments. This position is proposed to be at Grade 9 2023/2024 Rates Minimum Midpoint Maximum Grade 9 $55,005 / FT Annual $63,255 $71,506 To support this addition, the City of Grandville management has agreed to increase their agreement with the City of Walker by approximately $57,000 a year. This increase is contingent on the City of Grandville Council approval. If this new position is approved by the Walker Personnel Committee, we would not move forward with this position until the Grandville Council has approved of this increase at their next scheduled meeting. I have included a document in this memo that shows other local government IT staffing levels. I have redacted names for this memo but will bring a printout that includes organization names to the Personnel Committee meeting. A common metric for IT staffing is the number of people supported (users) to IT Staff. From the included survey, the average ratio is 1 IT staff per 66 users. The Walker IT department is currently at 117 to 1, and with this change will be at 88 to 1. This isn’t a perfect comparison as each IT department will support different things, but it’s a good metric for reference. I will be at the Personnel Committee meeting to answer any questions. Page 4 of 20 IT Specialist - Public Safety Memo Page 2 Page 5 of 20  IT Specialist - Public Safety Department: Information Technology Classification: Full-Time Reports To: IT Director Date: September 2023 Position Description Objective The IT Specialist - Public Safety focuses on supporting the Information Technology used by the Court, Fire and Police Departments, and assists with other departments as needed. The position also assists in systems administration for the Public Safety departments. In addition, the position will assist with expanding the use of technology for the Public Safety departments. Essential Job Functions An employee in this position is required to perform the following essential functions with or without reasonable accommodation. 1. Maintain an in-depth level of understanding of the technology in use at the Public Safety departments supported by the City of Walker IT Department, currently the Cities of Grandville and Walker. 2. Manage help desk tickets and issues to resolution. Primarily focus will be on the Public Safety departments but assist with other departments as needed. 3. Install, upgrade, and configure hardware and software on desktops, mobile environments, laptops, and PC peripherals such as printers, monitors, scanners, modems, air cards, and related hardware. 4. Assist the IT Systems Administrator with troubleshooting and maintenance of servers dedicated to the Public Safety departments. 5. Assist Public Safety departments in increasing efficiency and keeping up to date with latest technology. 6. Update and maintain documentation and standard operating procedures. 7. Participate in an after-hours on-call rotation. 8. Perform other related duties as required. Minimum Qualifications and Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities 1. Associates degree in a related field and 2-4 years of relative work experience required. Prior related work experience in a municipal setting with public safety technologies desired. Note: An equivalent combination of training and experience may be used to meet the minimum qualification of education. 2. Proficient with Active Directory, file/print services, Microsoft 365. 3. In-depth understanding of Microsoft Windows and iOS (iPhones, iPads). 4. Basic understanding of networking concepts and protocols. 5. Possession of, or in the process of obtaining, CompTIA, Cisco, or Microsoft Certifications preferred. 6. Requires a valid State of Michigan driver's license, satisfactory driving record and the ability to maintain one throughout employment. 7. Excellent oral and written communication skills, ability to perform a wide variety of tasks during busy, sometimes stressful times. 8. Ability to exercise good judgment, initiative, and resourcefulness in dealing with the public, members, elected officials, community leaders and co-workers. Page 6 of 20 Position Description IT Specialist - Public Safety 9. Must demonstrate appropriate customer service competencies and behaviors in accordance with department policies and procedures. 10. Ability to concentrate and pay attention to details; also, ability to organize, prioritize and work independently and in a busy environment where priorities change as well as schedules. 11. Manual dexterity to work effectively for extended periods. Lifts and carries supplies equipment etc. weighing up to 30 pounds to waist-high-level. Physical Demands and Work Environment The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the job. An employee in this position spends a portion of their time in-person in an office setting with a controlled climate where they sit and work on a computer for extended periods of time; communicate by telephone, e-mail or in person, and move around the office or travel to other locations to attend meetings and site visits. This position will also spend a portion of their time in garage settings, working on in-vehicle technology. This position is eligible, after six months of employment, to work remotely up to two days a week per the City of Walker’s remote work policy. Due to the nature of this position, remote work may not always be possible, and may have to report to the office on a scheduled remote workday if the need arises. Additionally, this position spends a portion of their time traveling between facilities conducting inspections, repairs, and installations which typically involves moderate physical activity and exertion. An employee must have the strength, stamina and physical coordination required to complete physical inspections, repairs, and installations. This work occasionally involves crawling, stooping, climbing, or otherwise accessing all areas of the site, and the employee is required to have the vision capabilities needed to complete visual inspections. Approvals The above is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for other performance of the job. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities, or requirements. This job description has been approved by all levels of management. City Manager Date Employee signature below constitutes employee's understanding of the requirements, essential functions and duties of the position. Employee Date Page 2 of 2 Page 7 of 20  Compensation Study Page 8 of 20 2023 Non-Union Compensation Review  Outline  Current Compensation Plan Overview  Compensation Study Objectives  Compensation Study Methodology Page 9 of 20  Compensation Study Findings  Inflation & Cost of Living Comparisons  City Wages to Market Averages Comparisons  Total Rewards & Benefits Comparisons  Compensation Study Recommendations  Fiscal Impacts  Implementation  City of Walker Compensation Plan Overview Grade Classification & Wage Ranges Employee Pay • Each position is given a grade • Individual employees are placed within Page 10 of 20 classification based on job the wage range for their position requirements • Based on education, experience, and • Each grade classification includes a job performance wage range with a minimum, midpoint, • Employees below the midpoint of the and maximum wage pay range are given “years of service” • Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) is adjustments each July based on how added July 1st of each fiscal year to many years in their position reflect changes in inflation, labor • Merit increases are available annually markets, etc based on job performance as • COLA is determined annually as part of determined by Department Heads and the budgeting process City Manager  Example  Custodian II hired at $18 per hour based on past work experience, current certifications held, and current labor market at time of hire Page 11 of 20  Custodian can move through wage range as their tenure with the City progresses with “years of service” adjustments up to the midpoint of the pay scale (1% increase for each year in the position, up to 5% max)  Custodian can also move through wage range as their performance dictates based on exemplary performance evaluations and satisfactory work output (up to 3% increase per year)  Compensation Study Objectives  Review competitive labor market wages  Due diligence - Last non-union compensation done in 2005 by the Michigan Municipal League Page 12 of 20  59th District Court positions done in 2022 in conjunction with the City of Grandville’s compensation study  Ensure compensation structure aligns with recruitment and retention goals  Goal 1: Proactive competitive market strategy - Attract top candidates  Goal 2: Retain top performers  Goal 3: Be responsible with fiscal resources  Compensation Study Methodology  Third party consultant objectively reviewed positions and comparable wages  Pontifex Consulting Group LLC; Peter Ronza CCP, SHPR Page 13 of 20  Surveyed comparable communities  Used professional published surveys for positions that have comparables in the private sector as well (i.e. positions in IT, HR, Finance)  If there was not an appropriate match, the position was not included in the study  Inflation & Cost of Living (COLA)  Comparison of Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)  Bureau of Labor Statistics Page 14 of 20 Employment Cost Index (ECI)  Historical City COLA increases  Findings: City annual market adjustments are averaging on trend with comparable inflationary data  Comparison of City Wages to Market Averages  Compared City wages to comparable community wage averages Page 15 of 20  Findings: City wage ranges are lower than comparable data in each rate position (minimum, midpoint, and maximum)  Factors in rate differences  Above average movement on minimum rates due to labor shortages and regulatory increases (national trends)  Pandemic related shifts at lower end of market  Total Rewards TOTAL REWARDS Philosophy Employee compensation isn’t just about wage, it also includes our benefits offerings Benefits Page 16 of 20 Total Rewards = salary + benefits $42,605 est. $68,718 avg. Salary *Average salary $68,718 (includes non-union and union); Fringe benefit rate of 62%  Benefits Comparison Benefit Labor Market Comparables City of Walker Medical Contributions* 27% of premium cost 15% of total cost of plan Page 17 of 20 Vacation Leave 10 – 18 days per year 11 – 20 days per year Sick Leave 12 days per year 12 days per year Holidays 10 days per year 12 days per year Personal Days 3 days per year 2 days per year * Walker employee medical contributions are made on the total cost of the medical plan which includes plan premium and employer provided HSA contribution. Market comparables were listed as premium cost. Unable to directly compare without more data.  Compensation Study Recommendation  5% increase on wage ranges to align with comparable market data  Align minimum rates with lower end market shift Page 18 of 20  Provide slight advantage in market position in midpoint and maximum rates  Allow for competitive positioning until next market analysis is performed  Future Project: Perform classification study on some individual positions that trended +/- 10% of the market averages within the analysis  Either hire third party or conduct study internally on these positions  Bring forward to Personnel Committee individually and incorporate into the fiscal year budgetary process  No current impact • Change wage ranges, not current employee pay • All employee current pay is above the 5% proposed increase to the minimum rates Future impact Page 19 of 20 Fiscal Impacts • 25 employees move below the mid-point of their range • Eligible for years of service adjustment per policy at new budget year based on years in position, up to 5% increase • Top performers would have higher earning potential • Currently budget $30,000 for performance evaluation merit requests (GL#101-172-823.000)  Implementation  Communication with Department Heads  Review performance evaluation / merit pay policy Page 20 of 20  Communication to all employees  Highlight performance-based merit pay opportunities  Publish compensation plan and updated position descriptions on citywide drive