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PROPOSAL:

Approve Classification and Salary Recommendations and Add and Delete Positions

SYNOPSIS: 

Based on results of consultant-conducted classification studies and changes in staffing needs, staff recommends establishing three new job classifications, revising classification specifications for four classifications, increasing the salary level for three classifications, reclassifying seven positions, and adding four positions and deleting three. The total AQMD cost for FY 99-00 to implement these recommended changes is approximately $50,238.

COMMITTEE: 

Administrative, September 17, 1999. Less than a quorum was present during the discussion of this item. Those Committee Members who were present communicated their concurrence.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

1. Establish new classifications, adopt attached classification specifications as part of AQMD’s classification plan, and amend the Salary Resolution to establish salary ranges for Assistant Telecommunications Technician (Salary Schedule 37L: $33,831 – 41,911), Assistant Computer Operator (Salary Schedule 32C: $28,903 - $35,806), and Legislative Assistant ($39,826 - $49,278)

2. In Information Management, delete two positions, an Office Assistant and an Information Systems Training Specialist, and add two positions, a Telecommunications Technician II and a Systems Analyst, and, in Science and Technology Advancement, add one Senior Office Assistant, to be funded within the Mobile Source Reduction Committee’s annual administrative budget

3. Adopt the attached revised classification specifications for Contracts Manager, Finance and Budget Manager, Human Resources Manager, and Executive Secretary as part of AQMD’s classification system

4. Amend the Salary Resolution to increase the salary for Contracts Manager (new title, Procurement Manager), Finance and Budget Manager (new title, Financial Services Manager), and Human Resources Manager from a salary range of $70,794 - 86,072 to the noncontract manager salary range of $77,873 - $94,666

5. Adopt the reclassification recommendations reflected in Exhibit A.

6. Adopt resolution amending AQMD’s Salary Resolution in accordance with the above action.

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

AQMD has not undertaken a systematic review of job classifications in more than a decade. During that time, the District underwent two major reorganizations and downsized significantly. From a total of 1126 positions in FY 91-92, the current budget is down to 761 positions. And since FY 92-93, contract management positions have been reduced from 27 to 20, and noncontract management positions from 50 to 38. Further, there have been program changes and new programs have been added. As a result, duties and responsibilities in specific areas have changed. The FY 99-00 Budget includes funding to begin a systematic review of positions and classifications. This is the first in a series of recommendations that are anticipated to result from that review.

Position reductions and job changes that have occurred over time have resulted in significant increases in duties and responsibilities for three noncontract management classes (affecting four managers), four Administrative Secretary positions, one Legal Secretary, and a Technical Writer position. Additionally, the Mobile Source Reduction Committee (MSRC) brought to AQMD management’s attention the fact that duties and responsibilities for their staff support positions, funded as part of their annual administrative budget, had increased over time and requested the positions be reviewed for appropriateness of classification level. As a consequence, contract consultants from Comp Plus, a division of William Hamilton & Associates, were asked to conduct classification and salary studies of these positions and classifications.

The study involved review of written descriptions of duties, responsibilities, scope of authority, accountability requirements, and other characteristics of positions, as well as personal interviews with position incumbents and management-level supervisors. Salary data, classification specifications, and organizational data relevant to the classifications, along with internal and external classification and salary comparisons, were also reviewed.

The consultant’s study report indicated that significant increases in duties and responsibilities have occurred for the Contracts Manager, Finance and Budget Manager, and the two Human Resources Manager positions as a result of downsizing, the elimination of manager positions, and changes over time in job requirements.

With respect to the Contracts Manager, duties and responsibilities of the eliminated Purchasing Manager have been added, including responsibility for purchasing and receiving functions and supervision of six additional staff. The Contracts Manager is responsible for protecting AQMD interests in negotiating a wide variety of complex contracts, assuring cost-effective procurement practices, and directing AQMD’s outreach program to the business community regarding procurement opportunities.

Subsequent to establishment of the salary level for Finance and Budget Manager, responsibility for customer service and billing operations, with a staff of twelve employees, was added. Primary responsibilities of the position include protecting AQMD interests in finance, budgeting, and customer service operations, managing automated billing programs developing revenue projections, and providing treasury management support.

With respect to the two Human Resources Manager positions, the duties and responsibilities of three other manager positions were added when a third Human Resources Manager position, a Risk Manager position, and an Organizational and Human Resources Development Manager position were eliminated. The two Human Resources Managers are responsible for protecting AQMD interests in a wide variety of areas that involve complex legal issues with costly implications for AQMD and that contribute significantly to the maintenance of effective employer-employee relations.

The consultant’s study report indicated that, based on comparisons of managerial responsibility, accountability and decision-making level, level in the organization, number and level of staff supervised, and level of specialized expertise required, these three noncontract management classifications are more closely comparable to classifications in the noncontract management salary band, Salary Band E ($77,873 – 94,666), than those in their current band, Salary Band F ($70,794 – 86,072). As a result, the consultant has recommended placing the salaries for these three classifications at Salary Band E.

Based on changes in duties and responsibilities, the consultant also recommends reclassification of two Administrative Secretary positions. The first, in Public Affairs and Transportation Programs, reports directly to the Deputy Executive Officer and, with elimination of a Legislative Analyst position, is responsible for working with lobbyists and staff to track and coordinate the review of pending legislation and for providing staff support to the Board’s Legislative Committee. The consultant’s report concludes no existing classification appears to encompass these duties and recommends establishment of the Confidential classification of Legislative Assistant, at a salary range of $39,826 – 49,278. The second Administrative Secretary position in the study reports directly to the Executive Officer and is responsible for in-depth Board letter review and Board letter tracking and for sharing duties and responsibilities of the Executive Secretary. Based on these high-level duties and responsibilities in support of the Executive Officer, the consultant recommends reclassifying the position to Executive Secretary and revising the class specification to reflect the fact that this is no longer a single-position class.

Two other Administrative Secretary positions and a Legal Secretary position are recommended for reclassification since they report to contract managers that, in the District’s classification system, are allocated higher level secretarial positions. Consequently, it is recommended that the two Administrative Secretary positions be reclassified to Senior Administrative Secretary and the Legal Secretary position be reclassified to Administrative Secretary/Legal. These reclassifications will address secretarial classification and pay inequities that developed when Designated Deputy positions were eliminated and job functions consolidated, resulting in reporting relationship changes.

The District’s only Technical Writer position reports directly to the Executive Officer and provides broad and extensive staff support to Board members, the Executive Officer, and management staff. The position is responsible for developing position papers, briefing materials, and management summaries on a wide variety of critical and sensitive topics; converting highly technical information into clear and concise explanations suitable for lay audiences; developing coherent, integrated, and effective ways of communicating AQMD programs and goals; and preparing speeches and audiovisual materials to support public speaking activities. Based on the breadth and depth of policy issues dealt with, the consultant recommends this position be reclassified to Staff Specialist.

As to the Staff Assistant position that supports and is funded by the MSRC, the consultant recommends reclassification to recognize changes in duties and responsibilities. The position, which reports directly to the Assistant Deputy Executive Officer of Science and Technology Advancement and to the MSRC, is primarily responsible for administering numerous contracts related to the AB 2766 discretionary fund program. With minimal direct supervision, the position is responsible for supervising support staff; negotiating work statements, budgets, timelines, insurance requirements, and contract amendments with contractors; tracking progress and payments to assure appropriate fulfillment of contract requirements; resolving issues and concerns between the MSRC and contractors; and presenting information at MSRC and MSRC-TAC meetings. Based on the breadth and complexity of assigned duties, the consultant recommends reclassifying the position to Staff Specialist.

In addition, the MSRC currently uses a temporary employee to meet administrative support needs. Due to the ongoing nature of the work, the Committee requests a regular AQMD position be allocated to this function, with funding for the position provided by the MSRC. Based on analysis of the level of duties to be performed, staff recommends a Senior Office Assistant position be added in Science and Technology Advancement to provide MSRC staff support.

Finally, Information Management has recently experienced significant difficulty attracting and retaining technical staff. In an attempt to increase hiring flexibility, staff recommends creating two new, trainee-level classifications, Assistant Telecommunications Technician and Assistant Computer Operator, that would permit hiring or promoting internally, at a lower cost, qualified staff with limited experience and allowing them to acquire the directly relevant on-the-job experience needed at the higher level. Additionally, to meet changes in Information Management staffing needs, staff recommends deleting two vacant positions, an Office Assistant and an Information Systems Training Specialist, and adding two positions, a Telecommunications Technician II and a Systems Analyst. These staffing changes will enhance Information Management’s ability to keep pace with rapidly changing technologies needed to support AQMD operations.

Proposal

Staff recommends the Board approve the actions listed under "Recommended Actions" at the beginning of this Board letter and described in greater detail in the background section immediately above. Since all the incumbents affected by these changes have been performing the higher-level duties for a significant period of time, it is recommended that they be reclassified with their positions. If approved, the actions recommended here would be effective at the beginning of the pay period following Board action.

Resource Impacts

There is no cost to the establishment of the two new trainee-level classifications, since no additional position allocations are requested. These new trainee levels can be used to hire employees at a lower rate of pay into currently budgeted positions while they acquire the experience needed to move up to the higher levels.

The annual fifth-step cost of moving the three noncontract manager classifications, affecting four incumbents, to the next higher noncontract management salary range is $34,376, and the FY 99-00 cost is approximately $23,797.

The annual fifth-step cost of the seven position reclassification recommendations described in Exhibit A is $72,029, of which $29,158 would be funded as part of the MSRC’s annual administrative budget, for an annual fifth-step AQMD cost of 42,871. The FY 99-00 cost of the Exhibit A recommendations is approximately $29,769, of which $11,155 would be funded by the MSRC, for a FY 99-00 AQMD cost of $18,614.

The annual fifth-step cost of adding a Senior Office Assistant position in Science and Technology Advancement is approximately $43,683, and the FY 99-00 cost is approximately $30,242, of which all would be funded as part of the MSRC’s annual administrative budget. And the net annual fifth-step cost of deleting the two positions in Information Management and adding a Telecommunications Technician II and a Systems Analyst is approximately $47,207. By underfilling the Telecommunications Technician II position at the new, lower trainee level recommended above, the FY 99-00 cost of these two Information Management position changes would be approximately $7,827.

AQMD’s total annual fifth-step cost, at current salary levels, for the changes recommended here is approximately $124,454. The total AQMD cost for FY 99-00 is approximately $50,238. Because of salary savings from vacant budgeted positions, sufficient funds exist within the approved budget to cover this cost increase.

Attachments

New Classification Specifications (Assistant Telecommunications Technician, Assistant Computer Operator, and Legislative Assistant

Revised Classification Specifications (Contracts Manager, Finance and Budget Manager, Human Resources Manager, and Executive Secretary)

Resolution
Exhibit A

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