HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/01/2003 Adjourned Meeting 334 •
CITY OF YAKIMA, WASHINGTON
ADJOURNED MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL
APRIL 1, 2003 - 7:30 A.M.
COUNCIL CHAMBERS - CITY HALL
1. ROLL CALL
Present:
Council: Mayor Mary Place, presiding, Council Members Lynn Buchanan,
Paul George, John Puccinelli, and Bernard Sims
Staff: Dick Zais, City Manager; Paul McMurray, Assistant City Attorney;
Glenn Rice, Assistant City Manager; Carol Bates, Chief Examiner,
Sheryl Smith, Deputy Human Resources Manager, and City Clerk
Roberts
Commission: Charter Civil Service: Melanie Gilmore, Greg Lighty, and Beverly
Warren
Police & Fire Civil Service: Gloria Anderson, Melanie Gilmore, and
William Wright
Consultant: Robert Weaver
Absent: Council Members Clarence Barnett and Larry Mattson
2. STUDY SESSION ON CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEE RECLASSIFICATION PROCESS
• The Civil Service Commissions are Described
Carol Bates gave an overview on the purpose of the Civil Service Commissions that
have their roots in the City Charter. Mayor Place asked why there is both a Civil
Service Commission and Union established for the employees? Ms. Bates replied that
the Civil Service Commission was established by the City Charter. The employees are
also covered by a union who assists with labor negotiations and other related
employee /management issues. The Charter employees are covered through the
AFSCME Union, and the Police and Fire employees have their separate Civil Service
Commission and Unions.
Ms. Bates advised that there are three members on the Charter Civil Service
Commission. The covered employees appoint one member; one is appointed by the
City Council, and those two Commission members select the third one. The members
of the Police and Fire Civil Service Commission are appointed by the City Manager.
The term of appointment for both Commissions is six years.
• Carol Bates Describes the Reclassification Process
• Ms. Bates stated that every year, if an employee believes that their job duties have
changed substantially (over 50 %), they can apply for a reclassification (reclass) of their
position. As the Chief Examiner, she reviews the application and if she agrees that the
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change is significant she will recommend special assignment pay while the application
is under review and will forward it to the City's consultant for further scrutiny. The
consultant will conduct a job audit, interview the employee and his /her supervisors,
and then give his recommendation to the Chief Examiner. The application and
recommendations will then be presented to the Civil Service Commission, who will
make their own recommendation for presentation to the City Council. She elaborated
on the 5% special assignment pay, stating that the employee has to have been doing
the extra work assigned by his supervisors for six months or longer. The changes have
to be more than technical in nature, for example, it has to be more than changing from
a typewriter to a computer.
• What the Consultant Does:
Robert Weaver, RHW Consulting Services (former Human Resources Manager for the
City of Yakima), described his process to review the applications:
• Read the information packet from the employee about what they do and how
they do it; look at the level of responsibility and independent level of authority
• Review the information provided by the supervisors
• Talk with the employee for two hours or more
• Talk to the supervisor(s) for about one to one - and -a -half hours
• Spend some time, in most cases, with the department director
• If it appears that the job has changed or the job description is out -of -date, he will
draft a revised job classification
• The information is then submitted back to the employee, supervisor, and
department director with a request for their comments
• He will do a salary study using comparisons within the state of Washington and
public and private entities /businesses within the City
• He then analyzes the information provided by the other entities to determine if
there are any good matches with our job description
• He evaluates the classifications within the City to find similar type of work to this
job
• • He prepares a report to submit to the Chief Examiner on the external analysis
and salary information suggestions, and the internal analysis and salary
information.
• He gives his recommendation on the appropriate salary range
• It then goes to the Civil Service Commission for action
Asked how someone ends up working out of class, Mr. Weaver stated that his
experience tells him that the extra duties are usually assigned to the employee;
sometimes it is because the work of the department has changed due to consolidation
of the department; or by assuming tasks not in the employee's job description that
were done by an employee whose position was Another reason that
requests are made is that there is more work to be done, and if that is the primary
reason for the request, he will normally say that doesn't justify a reclass. Paul
McMurray interjected that most job descriptions are flexible due to the standard phrase
in them that states, "and other duties as assigned."
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APRIL 1, 2003 — ADJOURNED MEETING
• Questions and Answers
Staff responded to Council questions by giving the following answers:
There are two reasons for special assignment pay: 1) for someone consistently
working out of class for more than six months, and 2) someone may receive temporary
special assignment pay for performing work out of class on a temporary basis, i.e.
filling in for someone who is ill. The special assignment pay is authorized by the
Municipal Code and not through the Civil Service rules. The employee may be
approved to receive acting pay, which would be one step above their current range in
the pay scale.
• Although there are a lot of cities that have police and fire civil service, which is
established by state law, there are only six other cities that have charter civil
service.
• If a reclass is not approved, the special assignment pay ceases, but the
employee is not required to reimburse the City for the special pay previously paid
to him.
• A position that is reclassified downward is usually done through the budget
process and is a managerial decision and not a Civil Service Commission
decision.
• The latitude of the Commission was described; their duty is to determine if there
is a sufficient change in duties to warrant the reclassification.
• A specific employee cannot be singled out for extra pay for exceptional service
through the negotiation process.
• Council Hears from the Union Representative
Tom Barrington, Union Staff Representative for AFSCME, commented that if this
reclassification process were not available, then reclassifications would be a part of the
labor negotiations. Since there are 290 employees represented by the Union, this
reclass process is a benefit to both the employee and the City. Responding to Council
Member Puccinelli's earlier comments, singling out an employee for extra pay for
exceptional service, he commented that every city employee needs to meet a certain
standard and the City has established the step increase system, based on merit, to
reward the employee for performing at a certain standard.
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APRIL 1, 2003 — ADJOURNED MEETING
• More Questions and Answers
A reclassification is based upon the duties of the position and not the merit or
character of the employee in that position. Reallocation of the position is another
method to reclassify a position, i.e. take a position from a general classification and
make it specific for a certain position.
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It was pointed out that many of these job descriptions were done in the 1970's and
have not been changed or updated since. Updated classifications would reduce the
number of reclassification requests.
• Discussion turned once again for rewarding the employee for performing their job in an
exceptional manner or after an employee receives additional training or schooling that
helps them perform their job in a more efficient manner, thus saving the City money.
• Mr. Zais and Mr. McMurray both alluded to the collective bargaining contracts that may
contain a provision to provide special pay for advanced schooling. Council also
discussed the merit pay through the salary five -step increases. Once an employee
reaches the top step in the salary range, the next opportunity to receive additional pay,
or an incentive to stay, is by advancement, reclassification, or a lateral transfer to gain -
different experience. There is also the longevity benefit that pays extra money based
on the length of employment.
It would take a vote of the citizens to change or eliminate the Civil Service system
because it is a provision in the City Charter. Council also discussed the previous
attempt to combine the two civil service commissions.
Council, staff, and the Commission members briefly touched on the number of job
examinations performed during the year, the recruitment process, bi- lingual special
pay, and the time devoted by the Commission members that is volunteered. Each of
the Commission members provided Council with a brief bio, stating which Commission
they sit on and for how long.
• Closing Remarks
City Manager Zais commented that it is important to remember that the Charter Civil
Service has a long history that goes back to protect the rights of the employee and
provide checks and balances to protect against favoritism. It is important that the
system be brought into a more modern era of reform.
Mayor Place thanked the Commission members for being here today and for the hours
they volunteer as service to the City and the community. She requested that for future
reclassification reports that the Chief Examiner's recommendation and the
Commissioner's recommendation be placed side -by -side in the report.
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APRIL 1, 2003 — ADJOURNED MEETING
Council discussed the minutes of the Commission meetings, noting that they are very
detailed so that the whys and wherefores of the decisions of the Commission may be
referenced. It was suggested that perhaps the action taken by the Commission could
be bolded in the minutes to make it easier to find.
Tom Barrington noted that another purpose for the civil service system is that it
establishes a relationship between the taxpayers and the employees. It eliminates,
through the process, the possibility of a situation in which an employee is'treated
differently (discriminated against) for reasons other than their abilities and to be paid
accordingly.
• 3. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 9:00 a.m.
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READ AND CERTIFIED ACCURATE BY: ( a0 ' D7` O
V OUNCIL MEMBE! ,4 *ATE
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COUNCIL MEMBER DATE
ATTEST:
CITY CLERK MARY PL MAYOR
Minutes prepared by Karen Roberts. An audio and video tape of this meeting are available in the City Clerk's Office
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