AGENDA #4d

MEMORANDUM

TO:                  Mayor and Town Council

FROM:            W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager

SUBJECT:      Recommended Classification and Pay Changes

DATE:            September 26, 2005

PURPOSE

The purpose of this memorandum is to present recommended position classification grade and pay changes for selected Town positions.  We recommend enactment of the attached ordinance.

BACKGROUND

In prior years, the Town’s practice in job classification reviews was to conduct large-scale studies including all positions every three to four years, with little activity in the interim.  These studies, conducted by outside consulting firms, were costly and required considerable staff and employee resources to prepare new descriptions, interview employees and supervisors, and make recommendations.

In November 2003, we proposed and the Council authorized a new practice in which smaller groups of jobs are reviewed during the course of each year.  We have presented small groups for review on a regular basis since 2003.  The Council last reviewed and approved changes to a group of jobs in March 2005, representing studies completed in spring 2004-05.  The recommendations presented below are based on job classification reviews of selected Town positions completed in summer 2005.

We believe this practice of several cycles of review annually for selected positions is more effective and economical.  Reviewing smaller groups of jobs and making pay adjustments in shorter time frames smoothes out the costs (rather than requiring large lump-sum expenditures) and achieves more consistent pay equity within the organization and more competitive pay relationships with area organizations with whom the Town competes for employees.

We believe this approach improves recruitment and retention for Town jobs and produces higher quality and productivity of work performed.  We believe employee morale is enhanced when employees can expect that significant and permanent changes in their duties and requirements will be addressed in a timely way.

DISCUSSION

Criteria and Process for Job Reviews in Spring 2005 Cycle

The Human Resources Department conducted these job reviews in the summer of 2005. Jobs were selected for review through discussion between each department head and the Human Resources Department.  Criteria for selection of a job for review was that either job duties, responsibilities or requirements had changed significantly and on a permanent basis and needed re-evaluation for level, title and/or pay grade or that the Human Resources Department had identified significant and continuing recruitment or retention difficulties in filling the job.

Job descriptions for selected positions were updated by the employee and supervisor and an independent analyst interviewed the employee, supervisor and department head to gather detailed information.  After analysis, recommendations for change to some of the jobs studied were presented to the Human Resources Director and recommended to the Manager.  The Manager then determined which changes would be recommended to the Council.

Recommendations for Grade or Title Changes

The actions recommended include: deletion of one grant-funded position, addition of one grant-funded position, one reclassification and one correction. 

These recommendations are based on one or both of the following factors:

• Market information from pay surveys conducted by the Town Human Resources staff supports a change in pay grade for the position.

• Completion of a job review by an independent classification analyst with whom the Human Resources Department has contracted supports a change in pay grade, title or qualifications for the position based on duty changes and increased responsibilities which significantly affect the job requirements and are permanent in nature. Internal comparisons to other positions in the organization are also considered and changes proposed as needed to maintain equity.

For each position, we present information on the change proposed, the basis for the change, and whether a pay increase for the current employee(s) is recommended. If a pay change is proposed, the added cost for this fiscal year is shown.  If approved, these grade and/or title changes and pay adjustments would be implemented effective September 27, 2005.  Sufficient funds have been identified in the department budget to cover the costs of these changes.

The next cycle of job reviews will be completed in fall 2005 and we anticipate the next report to Council will be submitted in November 2005.

Proposed Changes

Career Progression for Maintenance Mechanics in Housing and Public Works: When the Council approved the proposal to expand the use of the Maintenance Mechanic career progression series to Housing as well as Public Works in July 2005, an error was made in recording in the Ordinance the title for the beginning level of the series; it was stated as Mechanic Helper and should have been stated as Maintenance/Repair Worker. We propose to correct this error. No cost is associated with this correction.

Pay Grade and Title Changes Proposed

Police: The Police department currently has two captain positions; each commands two patrol platoons and several specialty units, including training, K-9, Community services, School Resource Officers, traffic enforcement, and investigations. Each captain supervises approximately 40 people.  The two captains report to the police major who serves as the department’s operations commander and who reports directly to the Chief.

We recommend a change of an existing vacant Police Officer position at pay grade 33 to create a third Captain position at grade 43.  This change would allow the department to place its specialty units under a separate unified command. See Attachment 1 for more detail on this plan. The cost of the action proposed is $8,000 and the department has identified funds from the current budget to fully cover this added cost. 

New Position Proposed

Police: We propose to abolish a vacant position of Substance Abuse Counselor.  The duties of this position have been transferred to a contracted agency.  The effective date of this change would be September 27, 2005.

The Project Turnaround program has secured additional funds to support an additional full-time position.  We propose to establish a third Alternative Sentencing Assistant for this program. The effective date would be September 27, 2005.

RECOMMENDATION

We recommend that the Council enact the attached ordinance to implement these changes effective September 27, 2005.

ATTACHMENT

1. Memorandum from Chief Jarvies (p. 5).

AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE POSITION CLASSIFICATION AND PAY PLAN FOR EMPLOYEES OF THE TOWN OF CHAPEL HILL, SUCH AMENDMENT TO BE EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 27, 2005 (2005-09-26/O-1)

BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Personnel Ordinance dated July 1, 2005, be hereby amended effective September 27, 2005:

Section III

The assignments of the following positions are changed as noted:

Present Title	New Title or other change	Number of Positions	Present Grade	New Grade
Police Officer I	Captain-Police	1	33	43
Beginning level of Maintenance Mechanic career progression series is shown as Mechanic Helper	Beginning level of Maintenance Mechanic career progression series is shown as Maintenance/Repair Worker	N/A	28	No change
Substance Abuse Counselor	Delete	1	33	N/A
Add one position	Alternative Sentencing Assistant	1	N/A	31

This the 26^th day of September, 2005.