For City Council Meeting May 14, 2024
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Tanya Williams, Acting City Manager
AUTHOR: Shama Curian, Director of Human Resources and Risk Management
Title
Request City Council to Adopt Resolution No. 8209, Amending the Salary for the Utilities Manager Classification.
Body
BACKGROUND
On July 12, 2016 the City Council approved Resolution 6981 establishing the Utilities Manager Position.
The job classification was updated and amended on November 14, 2023.
After many years of dedicated service to the City, Rialto’s Utilities Manager retired from service in late December, 2023. Recognizing the potential for significant interruption in service this vacancy could cause, on December 7, 2023, the City opened a competitive recruitment for Utilities Manager. However, with the lack of qualified candidates responding to the recruitment, Human Resources/Risk Management conducted a salary survey among surrounding cities and comparator agencies that had a similar situated position. The survey identified a need to increase the salary range for the Utilities Manager to 6400A, which accurately reflects the scope of significant duties and services that are undertaken by this position.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION
The Utilities Manager position is a management-level position that reviews the activities and operations of the City’s water/wastewater utilities under a Public Private Partnership. This position also takes on the responsibility of being the City appointed liaison between the City/RUA and the Concessionaire. As such, this uniquely situated position undertakes complex responsibilities in order to meet service delivery standards.
A comprehensive salary review of comparator agencies with positions similar to that of Utilities Manager was conducted. The analysis also took into consideration those agencies the City considered competitive agencies within the surrounding area, and agencies that had a similar organizational and pay structure similar to our classification of Utilities Manager. The results of this review determined that the City’s pay structure is below market average. The table below summarizes the inequity in monthly salary between our classification and that of the comparator agencies.
Balancing the necessity to effectively recruit and retain a talented and qualified workforce with the internal equity and organizational structure of classifications, staff is recommending the pay range to be adjusted from 6100A to 6400A. A review of the service delivery, workload, and supervisorial oversight substantiates a recommended increase of 10% to accurately align the position internally as well as within current labor market.
Approving the increase in salary for this position will allow the City to restart the active recruitment for this vital position in the organization.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
This request is not a Project as defined by Section 15378 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines. A “Project” means the whole of an action, which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. Pursuant to Section 15378 (b)(5), a project does not include organizational or administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment.
GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY
This action is consistent with Guiding Principle 3A in the General Plan:
“Our City government will lead by example, and will operate in an open, transparent, and responsible manner that meets the needs of the citizens and is a good place to do business.”
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney has reviewed and approved the staff report.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Operating Budget Impact
There is no additional cost with this action for Fiscal Year 2023-2024. The fully burdened rate for the new salary will be accounted for in the new Fiscal Year 2025 budget.
Capital Improvement Budget Impact
There is no impact to the Capital Improvement Budget through this action.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council Adopt Resolution No. _____ Amending the Salary for the Utilities Manager Position.