TO: |
Mayor and Town Council |
FROM: |
Steve Spade, Transit Director |
SUBJECT: |
Mechanic Career Advancement Series and Classification Changes |
DATE: |
March 23, 2009 |
The purpose of this memorandum is to recommend changes in the Mechanic Career Advancement Series as well as classification changes in both the Transit and Public Works Departments.
The Department of Human Resource Development, the Transit Department and the Public Works Department have worked together to develop and recommend a strategy that will help us attract and retain mechanics at the Town of Chapel Hill.
To effectively achieve the Council’s priorities, we need a skilled and stable workforce to maintain our transit buses and fleet of vehicles throughout the Town. The work of mechanics has evolved from that of mechanical repairs to a high technology job. Mechanics must have a broad base of knowledge and continuously update that knowledge to be able to work with computer based technical diagnostic equipment and reference materials.
The Career Advancement Series in Public Works and Transit currently authorizes advancement from Mechanic I to Mechanic II after certain professional certifications, length of service and performance evaluation standards are met. We are recommending expansion of this series to include a Senior Mechanic to provide a greater opportunity for career advancement. The title would be “Mechanic III”, classified as a pay grade level 33 to align with competitor municipalities’ pay ranges.
The recommended strategy will help us to attract and retain skilled mechanics by setting high standards and providing developmental opportunities within and between these two departments.
We recommend that the Council enact the attached ordinance.