HomeMy Public PortalAboutA 2012-11-15 - PERSONNEL BOARD REGULAR MEETING OF THE PERSONNEL BOARD
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012
5:00 PM
I. CALL TO ORDER °
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II. ROLL CALL f A\ j ?DSk4
Hilario Esparza, Chairperson RECEIVED
Barbara Battle, Vice -Chair
Robert Robinson NOV 0 8 2012
Jacqueline Espinoza
Paulette Bradley CITY OF LYNWOOD
CITY CLERKS OFFICE
III. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Led by 04 \4
IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Regular meeting of October 18, 2012
Motion Second Vote
V. PUBLIC ORALS
VI. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS
VII. NEW /OLD BUSINESS
Requested Reclassification for the position of Office Assistant II in the City
Clerk's Office
VIII. COMMISSIONER & STAFF ORALS
IX. ITEMS TO BE AGENDIZED
X. ADJOURNMENT
Regular Meeting — December 20, 2012
Motion Second Vote Time
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CITY OF LYNWOOD
REGULAR MEETING OF THE PERSONNEL BOARD
OCTOBER18, 2012
The regular meeting of the Personnel Board of the City of Lynwood was held on
Thursday, October 18, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers of City Hall,
11330 Bullis Road, Lynwood, California. The agenda was duly posted as
prescribed by the Brown Act.
CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order at 5:06 p.m. by Vice - Chairperson Battle. Roll call
was taken by Yolanda Delgadillo, Personnel Analyst.
Commissioner Attendance:
Present — Battle; Robinson; Espinoza; and Bradley
Absent — Esparza
Staff Present: Yolanda Delgadillo, Personnel Analyst
Guest: Brenda Diederichs, Personnel Board Legal advisor
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Led by Commissioner Robinson.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
The motion was made by Commissioner Robinson and seconded by Commissioner
Bradley to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of July 19, 2012. All in favor.
Motion carried.
PUBLIC ORALS
City Clerk Maria Quinonez, approached the podium to speak on the item of the
reclassification for the City Clerk's Office. She then distributed a letter and read it
aloud to the Board (attached). In conclusion, she respectfully requested that the
Board approve the reclassification of the current Office Assistant II to a more
appropriate class. She also noted that the City Clerk's staff conducted a
compensation and title survey with surrounding cities. The results of the titles were
Records Coordinator, Record Technician or Record Imaging Technician. She then
stated that in order to attract a qualified candidate the range will need to be
adjusted and she appreciates the consideration of the Board.
Commissioner Bradley asked if the City Pilot Program is in conjunction with this
argument.
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Deputy City Clerk, Kristina Santana responded that the Pilot Program does not
have anything to do with the reclassification. The reclassification is specifically for
the City Clerk's Office and they are only requesting a reclassification of the position
not an increase in salary.
Commissioner Bradley asked if there is an assumption that in the future there will
be a salary increase.
Deputy City Clerk, Santana responded that at the present time the salary would
stay the same which will be a net savings to the City since the new person will have
to pay the full 8% EPMC instead of the 2% which is what the current employees are
paying. She then stated that other surrounding cities have successfully reclassified
their positions and would like for the City of Lynwood to do the same.
Brenda Diederichs, Personnel Board Legal Advisor clarified that a new person
would start at the beginning of the salary range and would work their way up to the
top of the range. The annual rate would be at $30,000 and would eventually move
up to a new range.
INFORMATIONAL ITEMS
Vice - Chairperson Battle noted that the Board received the information about the
closed promotional opportunities for the position of Director of Finance,
Maintenance Worker, Park Superintendent, Parking Control Officer (P/T), Street
Maintenance Worker, Water Service Worker II. All in favor. Motion carried.
NEW BUSINESS
Vice - Chairperson Battle requested that Minutes Clerk Yolanda Delgadillo read
aloud for the record the background section of the Agenda Report on the
Reclassification request for the City Clerk. She then opened the item for discussion
and comments from the Personnel Board members.
Commissioner Robinson requested that the discussion be among the Board
members and would like for the item to be a closed session item. Vice -
Chairperson Battle responded that it cannot be taken to a closed session because
the item was posted and presented to the Board as an open item. Therefore the
discussion would have to be open.
Commissioner Robinson stated that from his point of view the reclassification would
be going beyond the hiring freeze and right now he has a problem with the salary
increase.
Commissioner Espinoza would like to know what would be the budget impact.
Vice - Chairperson Battle stated that she has several questions but the HR Director
was not present to answer them. Legal Advisor Brenda Diederichs indicated the
foundation of the report speaks for itself (attached). She first informed the Board
that before becoming an attorney, she used to handle class and compensation.
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Therefore she has years of experience in the field. She then stated that it's
common for departments to ask for a reclassification for their employees, although
some employees are covered by an association or union and will then be entitled to
the seniority structure, and bumping rights. At the present time, this is neither an
appeal nor a hearing and the Board would only be making a recommendation if the
Board agrees or not with the Human Resources report. It will then be presented to
the City Council. The City Council would make the final determination and the
union would need to negotiate a title change and salary increase if necessary. The
Board also had an opportunity to hear the thoughts of the City Clerk and noted that
the Human Resources staff conducted a study and did not find sufficient reason for
the position to be reclassified to a unique title nor for a salary upgrade.
Commissioner Bradley stated that the City Clerk indicated something that really
affected her as part of the culture in city management, people with experience
leave because of the salary packages. As far as the salary upgrade, that is not for
the Personnel Board to determine. It is up to the City Council and the union to
determine. She also commented on the bumping rights and longevity.
Vice - Chairperson Battle stated that she received the agenda late and did not have
enough time to review. Therefore she would like more time to digest the
information presented by staff and the hand out by the City Clerk. She feels that
there are unanswered questions about the process. As a result, she made a
recommendation to leave as is and stated that personally she is not ready to accept
or reject the recommendation. Commissioner Robinson felt the same way. He is
not ready to act at this point. Vice - Chairperson Battle asked the Board what is the
pleasure of the Board.
Commissioner Bradley responded that the Board is split because she interpreted
the recommendation from staff as being told to leave as is. As a result, she was
ready to make a vote today but after listening to the information from the City Clerk
she is not comfortable to make a vote. She feels that the Board was not informed
of the whole process and would like to know why the first paragraph of the report is
telling them to leave it as it is.
Mrs. Diederichs explained that the format of the report is the general structure for
preparing agenda items.
Commissioner Bradley stated that she would like more details because she is not
going to be a rubber stamp.
Vice - Chairperson Battle stated that the item was presented to the Board as a
discussion item only not an item to make a recommendation. The way it was set
up on the agenda, it appeared to be an action item. It was presented to the Board
as a report to read only. When the report was read, it was then that it asked for the
Board's recommendation.
A brief discussion took place and concluded that the Board would like more
information on the study, a status update and would like to hear from both sides.
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City Clerk Quinonez stated that she had an opportunity to discuss the
reclassification with the director prior to this meeting. At that point, she was told
that a recommendation would be going before the Board and a determination would
be made. That is the impression that she got during the meeting with the director.
Commissioner Bradley made the motion to bring back the item after Mr. Lopez
reviews the information that the Board received today. Commissioner Robinson
seconded. All in favor. Motion carried.
COMMISSIONER & STAFF ORALS
Commissioner Robinson inquired about the update that Mr. Lopez was supposed to
provide the Board on the construction project on Atlantic and Carlin and requested
the item to be agendized for the upcoming meeting.
Commissioner Bradley inquired about the Annex Project update and would also like
the item to be agendized for next month's meeting.
Vice - Chairperson Battle stated that Mr. Lopez was not present because he was
scheduled for a minor surgery and wanted him to know that he is in her prayers and
thoughts and hopes that everything goes well with him.
ITEMS TO BE AGENDIZED
Update on the construction project on Atlantic and Carlin.
Update on the Annex Project.
Note: Staff to confirm if these matters are within the scope of the Personnel Board.
ADJOURNMENT
Commissioner Robinson made the motion to adjourn and Commissioner Espinoza
seconded. The meeting adjourned at 5:53 p.m. All in favor. Motion carried.
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PERSONNEL BOARD
AGENDA REPORT
DATE: October 18, 2012
TO: Personnel Board Chair and Members of the Board
FROM: A.J. Lopez III, Director of Human Resources
P 1
SUBJECT: Office Assistant II Position — City Clerk's Office
Recommendation
Staff respectfully requests the Personnel Board maintain the City Clerk's Office
Assistant II position "as is" currently written.
Background
Personnel Rule IV, Section 4, Reclassification states, "Positions, the duties of which
have changed materially so as to necessitate reclassification, shall be allocated by the
Personnel Officer to a more appropriate class, whether new or already created, in the
same manner as originally classified and allocated. Reclassification shall not be used
for the purpose of avoiding restrictions surrounding demotions and promotions."
Further, reclassifications are not to be used to avoid the seniority impacts of "bumping"
due to non - disciplinary economic layoffs. This includes any changes to position title only
as an attempt to avoid layoff in a particular job classification.
Discussion and Analysis
At the request of the City Clerk, the HR Department performed a reclassification study
on the Office Assistant II position. The Human Resources Department concluded the
study and identified that the current classification is appropriate as is currently written.
In summary, responding to Public Records Act requests falls within the duties of the
Office Assistant II classification. Moreover, the City Clerk's Office coordinates the
response. Meanwhile, operating departments such as Human Resources, Finance and
Administration, etc. are preparing the actual responses. Therefore, the analytical skills
required to perform PRA- related duties are in the operating departments and are not
expected in the OA II position of the City Clerk's Office.
In addition, the City Clerk's Office has two other full -time positions: Deputy City Clerk
and Executive Assistant to the City Clerk. Although the City Clerk is not an executive
and only works in an elected capacity part -time, the combination of those two positions
along with the Office Assistant 11 and a reasonable temporary part -time staffing budget,
staffing in the City Clerk's Office appears to be appropriate. Further, although - a couple
Business License staff members and one Code Enforcement Officer did recently join
the Clerk's Office, that action is part of a pilot program, and will later be reviewed by the
City Council in a few months. Therefore, HR staff cannot make permanent decisions
based upon temporary needs.
In general, the OA II is responsible for:
• Performing a wide variety of typing, data entry, public contact and general clerical
duties with only occasional instruction or assistance;
• Setting up and maintaining a variety of files;
• Preparing, reviewing, sorting and filing documents and records according to
predetermined classifications;
• Indexing and cross - filing ordinances, resolutions and agreements;
• Performing a variety of specialized clerical duties related to the functions of the
office or department to which assigned.
As part of the study, HR conducted an interview with both the supervisor and the former
employee (Note: No longer with the organization), and completed a Position Description
Questionnaire. The questionnaire provided additional detail on what specific duties the
incumbent was performing. The study concluded the incumbent performed the
following duties:
• 30% of time was spent coordinating public records act requests with departments
• 20% time was spent scanning and organizing records
• 10% of time was spent formatting and printing documents
• Remaining time was spent on Council requests, public contact and other office
and clerical duties
The employee(s) may have been dissatisfied with the compensation assigned with the
classified duties. However, pay is to be mutually negotiated by the City and the
Lynwood Employees' Association (LEA) and approved by the City Council. For
example, in the last year or two the City Clerk also proposed a pay increase for the
Deputy City Clerk but that was not approved by the City Council.
Regarding compensation and budget, the Clerk's Office is staffed by:
• Part -time City Clerk at an annual stipend of $12,000 ($1,000 per month)
• Full -time Office Assistant II at an annual salary of $30,220 per year
• Full -time Deputy City Clerk $45,526.92 per year
• Full -time Executive Assistant to the City Clerk $55,647.84 per year
• Plus, a part-time staffing budget of $14,300 per year, which is used to hire OA H
level temporary staff throughout the year.
Therefore, the OA 11 position classification is appropriate classified especially with the
other higher classified personnel in the Clerk's Office.
Fiscal Impact
The OA II position remains in the FY 13 adopted budget. Therefore, there are no
additional impacts with the current recommendation to leave as is.
To date, the City Clerk has not requested to recruit to permanently fill the full -time OA II
position. Should that be requested, HR staff will need to first open this position as a
closed /promotional opportunity to regular employees.
Attachments:
Office Assistant II Classification
Deputy City Clerk Classification
Executive Assistant to the City Clerk
CITY OF LYNWOOD
OFFICE ASSISTANT I
OFFICE ASSISTANT II
DEFINITION
This series specification describes two Office Assistant classes which
have responsibility for performing a wide variety of typing, data entry, general
clerical and public contact work; and to do related work as required.
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
Office Assistant I is the entrance level for clerical employees required to
have basic skills but no previous clerical experience. Employees in this class
normally work under the close and continuous supervision of a Secretary, Office
Supervisor or Department Manager performing a group of relatively repetitive or
closely related duties according to established procedures. While a variety of
tasks may be assigned, each step usually fits a pattern which has been
established and explained before work is started. Generally, work is observed
and reviewed both during its performance and upon completion, and changes in
both during its performance and upon completion, and changes in procedure or
exceptions to rules are explained in detail as they arise. Office Assistant I are
normally considered to be on a training status, and as assigned responsibilities
and breadth of knowledge increase with experience, may reasonably expect their
positions to be reassigned to the next higher class of Office Assistant II. Under
this training concept, positions assigned to the class of Office Assistant II which
become vacant may reasonably be filled at the Office Assistant I level, with the
understanding that future reassignment to the Office Assistant II class in most
cases is to be expected. However, positions which continue to be assigned only
basic, routine and repetitive tasks may remain allocated to the class of Office
Assistant I indefinitely.
The class of Office Assistant I will typically be utilized as a recruiting and
training class for a number of different occupational areas and positions I this
classification may be found in a wide range of City offices and departments.
Designated positions will require that the incumbent possess adequate typing
skills to perform successfully on the job.
OFFICE ASSISTAILT I APJD II
PAGE 2
Office Assistant II is the class which is normally filled by advancement
from the lower class of Office Assistant 1, or when filled from the outside, requires
prior clerical experience. Office Assistant I1 positions work under the general
supervision of a Secretary, Office Supervisor or Department Manager and within
a framework of established procedures, are expected to perform a wide variety of
typing, data entry, public contact and general clerical duties with only occasional
instruction or assistance. Adequate performance at this level requires a
knowledge of departmental or office procedures and precedents, and the ability
to choose among alternatives in solving problems. An Office Assistant II is
expected to work productively in the absence of a supervisor. Employee in this
class may often have contact with the public, answering a variety of procedural
questions or giving out information from established records. Work is normally
reviewed only on completion and for overall results.
EXAMPLES OF DUTIES
Performs a wide variety of office assistance, support and general clerical
work including typing, filing, proofreading, checking, recording information,
answering the telephone and assisting the public in person; types agenda, forms,
lists, memoranda, public notices, staff reports, correspondence, minutes and
purchase orders from draft, copy notes or transcribing machine recordings; sets
up and maintains a variety of files; collects, sorts, dates and distributes mail;
serves as receptionist, greets the public and provides information on routine
questions and directs complex technical questions or unusual requests to
appropriate staff members; takes and relays messages; prepares and reviews
documents; sorts and files documents and records according to predetermined
classifications; assists in ordering and maintaining adequate office supplies;
operates a variety of office appliances and equipment including typewriter,
adding and calculating machines, microfilm equipment and duplicating and
photocopiers; indexes and cross -files ordinances, resolutions and agreements;
distributes and picks up a variety of materials; receives, prepares receipts,
records and deposits funds; processes repair order forms; may assist in training
and supervising other clerical and part-time personnel; maintains personnel
forms, records and files; posts to and maintains time cards; assists in
preparations for municipal elections; performs a variety of specialized clerical
duties related to the functions of the office or department to which assigned; may
operate a computer terminal to input and retrieve data; arranges and coordinates
the reproduction of department materials; lists, abstracts or summarizes data;
performs arithmetical calculations; prepares simple statistical reports.
OFFICE ASSISTANT I AND II
PAGE 3
DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS
Knowledge of:
Office Assistant I
English usage, spelling, grammar and punctuation;
Arithmetic, filing and recordkeeping procedures;
Receptionist and telephone techniques;
Standard office machines and equipment;
Office Assistant II
The above, plus;
Basic programs and services of the office or department to
which assigned;
and
Ability to:
Office Assistant I
Perform routine office support, assistance and clerical work;
Learn to operate a variety of office equipment and a
computer terminal;
Learn office methods, rules and policies;
Understand and carry out oral and written directions;
Type at a speed of not less than 40 words per minute from
clear copy;
Work cooperatively with others and meet the public with
courtesy and tact;
Read and write at the level required for successful job
performance.
Office Assistant II
Perform office support, assistance and clerical work of
average difficulty, including compiling data for reports;
Make arithmetical calculations;
Operate a variety of office equipment;
Understand and carry out oral and written directions;
Type at a speed of not less than 50 words per minute from
clear copy;
OFFICE ASSISTANT I AND II
PAGE 41
Operate a computer terminal to input and retrieve data;
Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships
with others and meet the public with courtesy and
tact;
Read and write at the level required for successful job
performance.
and
TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE
Any combination of training and experience which would provide the
required knowledges and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain these
knowledges and abilities would be:
Office Assistant I
No experience required.
Office Assistant II
Either
One year of experience as an Office Assistant I in the City of Lynwood.
Or
One year of experience performing general clerical and office assistance
work.
CITY OF LYNWOOD
DEPUTY CITY CLERK
DEFINITION
Under the general supervision of the City Clerk, to assist in the
maintenance of official city documents and records and the conduct of municipal
elections; to perform a variety of specialized clerical duties; as directed, to
perform the official duties of the City Clerk; and to do related work as required.
EXAMPLES OF DUTIES
Assists the City Clerk in planning, coordinating and supervising the office's
activities; participates in maintaining City Council and Commission records and
minutes; edits and types minutes of Council, Commission and Redevelopment
agency meetings; maintains records and files related to all City resolutions and
ordinances; processes and maintains records for all city contracts; processes
legal notices to newspapers; completes, distributes and files ordinances and
maintains and updates the Municipal Code; types a wide variety of
correspondence; sets up and maintains records of appointments to City boards,
commissions and committees; check deeds, agreements, claims, lawsuits,
certificates and other documents for completeness and conformance with
applicable codes and laws; assists with the maintenance and updating of general
City records; provides information on actions and resolutions to others; maintains
records on expiration dates of agreements; assists with the conduct of municipal
elections; may attend meetings and take and transcribe dictation; provides
general information to office visitors and telephone callers; distributes and files
ordinances and resolution; provides work direction to other offices; certifies and
mails proper staff notification of hearings and actions; serves as City Clerk in the
Clerk's absence.
DESIRABLE QUALIFICATION
Knowledge of:
Legal requirements, procedures and policies of the office of the City
Clerk;
General municipal and departmental organization and
administration;
Legal documents and contracts;
Modern principles and practices of office management,
recordkeeping and central filing systems;
Election codes and administration, including conflict of interest
requirements;
D E P UTV ('ITV CLERK
PAGE 2
and
Laws and procedures affecting public access to information;
Principles of work direction and office organization:
Ability to:
Interpret, explain and work in accordance with a wide variety of
codes, laws and ordinances;
Maintain effective centralized recordkeeping and filing systems;
Assist with administering municipal elections;
Insure the proper notification and public dissemination of
information concerning official City actions;
Assist in coordinating the work of office staff;
Initiate correspondence and carry out procedural assignments
independently;
Take dictation at a rate of 80 works per minute and transcribe it
accurately;
Type at a rate of 60 words per minute from clear copy;
Effectively represent the City Clerk's functions and City policies with
individuals, organizations, representative of the media, legal
officials and representatives of other governmental
organizations;
Perform a variety of secretarial and technical clerical duties;
Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships.
and
TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE
Any combination of training and experience which would provide the
required knowledges and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain these
knowledges and abilities would be:
Three years of increasingly responsible work experience in office
assistance and recordkeeping, preferably including experience in working with
the functions and operations of a City or County Clerk's office. Work experience
involving extensive public contact is desirable.
EDUCATION
Completion of college level courses in secretarial and office practice is
desirable.
CITY OF LYNWOOD
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE CITY CLERK
DEFINITION
Under general direction to perform and carry out a variety of analytical and
administrative duties for the City Clerk; to relieve the City Clerk of administrative
and clerical details; and to do other related work as required.
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
The position is distinguished from other classes by the confidential and
sensitive nature of duties, and administrative assignments related to working in
the City Clerk's office. This position required a considerable degree of initiative
and mature judgement. The incumbent must possess the experience and
diplomacy necessary to interact with the public. Duties are performed under
minimal supervision and require a comprehensive knowledge of City Policies and
Procedures.
EXAMPLES OF DUTIES
Acts as a confidential administrative assistant to the City Clerk and
relieves him /her of a variety of administrative and clerical details; analyzes and
reviews the operations and administrative procedures of department; develops
and implements revised procedures and corrective actions; reviews, evaluates
and recommends changes for administrative processes, work flow, records and
other documents, and achievement of stated departmental objectives; may
supervise subordinate staff; attends meetings, takes and transcribes dictation for
letters, reports and memoranda; prepares a variety of materials including
correspondence, reports, resolutions and ordinances; gathers information and
composes correspondence in reply to various requests, inquiries and
questionnaires; acts as liaison between City Clerk and various interest groups;
processes conference registrations and reservations; maintains office and
confidential records, departmental financial records, assist in departmental
annual budget process; collects, processes, evaluates, and interprets data for
statistical analysis to support research and development purposes; coordinates
data collection with other units; answers the telephone and interviews callers,
exercising considerable independent judgement in providing information and
referring to appropriate parties; maintains executive appointment schedule,
prepares agenda materials for City Council or board meetings; operates a variety
of office equipment and maintains office supplies at necessary levels.
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO
THE CITY CLERK
PAGE 2
DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS
Knowledge of:
City policies, rules and regulations;
Principles and practices of administration, organization and their
application in solving a variety of operational and
administrative problems;
Modern office methods, procedures and equipment;
Account and statistical recordkeeping;
Correct English usage, spelling, grammar and punctuation;
Personal computer (Le. word, excel, power point, desktop
publishing and Internet research);
Current principals and priorities used in the planning of services;
and
Ability to:
Interpret and apply City rules, laws and policies with good judgment
while carrying out a variety of office assistance, stenographic
and administrative detail assignments;
Evaluate the effectiveness of administrative functions and
implement changes to provide for more effective and
efficient operations;
Compose correspondence independently;
Perform responsible and difficult office assistance work with speed
and accuracy;
Perform financial and statistical record keeping on a regular basis;
Prepare and maintain a variety of records and reports;
Ability to transcribe information accurately;
Type at a rate of 65 words per minute from clear, legible copy;
Deal tactfully and courteously with other City staff and the general
public;
Operate computer using current Microsoft Office programs;
Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships;
Express ideas effectively, both orally and in writing.
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO
THE CITY CLERK
PAGE 3
and
TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE
Any combination of training and experience which would provide the
required knowledge and abilities. A typical way to obtain such knowledge and
abilities would be:
Five years of increasingly responsible experience in office practices
involving frequent public contact, administrative support, technical experience
involving research and analysis, budget preparation and other ancillary support
services.
EDUCATION
Completion of college level courses in office information systems and
office practices is desirable.
City of
.40 ,.
LYNWOOD
Incorporated 1921
�w 11330 Bull's Road, Lynwood, CA 90262
(310) 603 -0220 x 214
OFFICE OF THE
CITY CLERK
October 18, 2012
Personnel Board
City of Lynwood
Honorable Personnel Board Members,
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak before you regarding my request to
reclassify the Office Assistant II position in my office.
Please be assured that I am not making this request without due consideration nor am
merely concerned with salary. In fact, although I have requested that the position be
reclassified, I understand the City's current fiscal condition and have not requested an
increase to the salary. It is only after extensive deliberation and research that I decided
to submit a request for reclassification back in July of this year.
My objective in attempting to reclassify this position is twofold. First, it is absolutely
necessary to the success of the City Clerk's Office to maintain the desperately needed
expertise and continuity provided by trained staff. The City Clerk's Office is responsible
for administering democratic processes such as elections, access to city records, and all
legislative actions ensuring transparency to the public. We act as compliance officers for
federal, state, and local statutes including the Political Reform Act, the Brown Act, and
the Public Records Act. Therefore, staff must not only be knowledgeable about the City's
legislative and political history but they must also be knowledgeable about federal, state
and local statutes. In the five years that 1 have been City Clerk, there have been four
different people holding the position of Office Assistant II. Not only does this constant
transition make it extremely difficult to make any progress but it is essentially wasting
City resources used for training and development.
Secondly, my attempt to reclassify this position is aimed at recognizing the actual
knowledge skills and abilities needed to perform the job. This position goes beyond
even complex clerical functions, as described on page two of your staff report. Staff in
this position must possess specialized knowledge specific to the City Clerk profession,
1
they must possess skills in customer service, and electronic document management,
they must possess the ability to maintain strict confidentiality, to adapt to changing
priorities, to analyze requests to procure the fastest and most accurate responses, and
to be a creative problem solver. This position is critical to the success of the City Clerk's
Office, and it deserves to be recognized for the work it actually performs above and
beyond the Office Assist II position description.
Lastly, I have prepared the following responses to the Discussion and Analysis section of
your staff report, which I believe is wildly misleading.
The staff report states that while the OAII is in charge of administering the Public
Records Act, he /she does not exercise any analytical skills and instead, the departments
filling the records requests exercise these skills. This could not be further from the truth.
The Public Records Act Administrator must be both knowledgeable about City records
and how and where they are stored, but also about the Public Records Act regulations
that allows disclosure for some but not all records. The administrator works with the
public to ensure that records requests are specific and allowable. Then he /she works
with City staff to procure the records. Additionally, many PRA requests are filled by the
administrator himself. This office receives close to 300 Public Records Act requests per
year. The administrator must know exactly where each requested record is housed and
who he /she must contact to procure those records. Then, after proper coordination
which includes detailed tracking and logging, records are received from various City staff
and it is the responsibility of the administrator to review the records for completeness
and accuracy as well as for CPRA exemptions which must be redacted. The last person
to hold the OAII position in my office was so highly trained and knowledgeable that we
were able to save thousands of dollars in attorney fees previously spent on reviewing
PRA responsive documents.
Furthermore the staff report states that the other two full time positions and the part time
position in my office combined with an OAII level position are sufficient to carry out the
business of the City Clerk's Office. To clarify, the part time position was funded by the
City Council specifically to handle the records clean up backlog created by the lack of
trained City Clerk staff in the past. The part timer does not engage in any OA II duties
and is solely used for record retention and destruction. Moreover, the Deputy City Clerk,
the Executive Assistant and the Office Assistant II are all cross trained to perform each
others' duties so that there is never a gap in service for staff or for the public but each
position holds a full and distinct list of responsibilities.
Lastly, the report is correct to note that I have previously requested a pay increase for
the Deputy City Clerk. There are numerous reasons for this request. As a part time City
Clerk, I completely depend on my Deputy to carry out my mission and to administer the
2
day to day responsibilities of the office in a professional and efficient manner. My
Deputy is highly educated as well as highly trained and has earned the Certified
Municipal Clerk status. Her impressive accomplishments and huge responsibilities are
two of the reasons why she deserves a pay increase. But I was sure to do my research
before I submitted my request. An official salary survey obtained through the
International Institute of Municipal Clerks and an informal survey of surrounding cities
prove that my Deputy position is embarrassingly underpaid. Though the Deputy is in
charge of the office and acts in my capacity in my absence, there are four other
employees under my charge that earn a significantly higher salary. I believe that all of
these reasons combined are more than enough to warrant an increase, however I have
suspended my efforts to complete this equity increase because I understand the severe
fiscal hardship that the City is under.
My main goal is always to improve, to move forward and to help the City provide the best
service to residents. I truly believe that the best way to do that is to hire and cultivate
quality employees that are qualified to carry out the mission of the City. Therefore I
respectfully ask that you approve the reclassification of the Office Assistant II position. I
am available for any questions you may have.
Respectfully yours,
Maria Quinonez
City Clerk
Enclosed: City Clerk's Office — Office Assistant II List of Duties
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CITY CLERK'S OFFICE - OFFICE ASSISTANT II DUTIES
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1 Administer Requests for Public Records
Accept/clarify requests from the public, coordinate with various departments to
gather requested documents, research records, use judgment/training to forward
certain requests to City Attorney, maintain time line for all requests, mail legally
mandated correspondence, provide records to public and charge for copies. File
hard and electronic completed record requests and prepare for destruction
according to retention schedule.
2 Staff and Council Requests (Records search)
Accept direct requests from staff and Council as well as accept assignments from
supervisor regarding routine as well as complex record searches. Use in depth
knowledge of Laserfiche to research staff /council requests.
3 Records Management
Scan all city records into Laserfiche, conduct quality control checks on previously
scanned records, maintain organized hard and electronic records, stay up to date
with Laserfiche and records management training. Maintain logs and indices for
various records. Prepare records for destruction.
4 Format and Print Resolutions, Ordinances, Minutes
Receive resolutions and ordinances from various departments and format into
specific resolution /ordinance form, edit for errors /grammar and for changes as
directed by Council. Print onto special bond paper and circulate for necessary
signatures. Scan, emboss and file, then update resolution /ordinance index.
5 Maintain Agreement Index
Route agreements for signatures, then scan, log and file.
6 Answer Phone /Greet Customers
Be the first line of service for all guests in City Clerk's Office. Be prepared to
answer a wide variety of questions.
7 Summarize ordinances for publishing
Read and summarize proposed ordinances into one paragraph for publishing.
8 Bids&RFPs
Schedule bids and RFPs on city clerk calendar, reserve council chambers, receive,
date & time stamp and log entries, create bid binders, file binders, and prepare for
destruction.
9 Create "How to" Documents
For each process /program in the Office including PRA process, proclamation
process, scanning process, Eden, etc. Update as needed.
10 Train & Supervise New Employees and Volunteers
11 Accept FPPC forms
Prima facie review.
12 Accept Legal Documents
Accept subpoenas, summons and claims. Scan, file and email to HR and City
Attorney.
13 Insert LMC supplements to existing LMC
14 Edit, Format, Print, Prepare & file Proclamations
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15 Post Agendas in Hallway & Kiosk
Council and Commission agendas.
16 Set Up for Council Meetings
- Copies of Short Agendas
- Set up nameplates, microphones & gavel in chambers
- File Original Agendas
17 Log Documents In /Out
Resolutions Minutes, Agreements, PRA's
18 Maintain City Clerk Outlook Calendar
Keep up to date with all events.
19 Update public workstation
Update Commission vacancies, FPPC deadlines, announcements. Use the
workstation to train constituents how to use MyDocSpot.
20 Prepare certifications
Research and locate records, prepare certification page and emboss City Clerk's
signature.
21 Prepare Notices of Completion
Research and locate records. Prepare Notice of Completion documents for City
Clerk's sjnature
22 Update Counter and Wall Materials
23 Keep Inventory of Office Supplies
Keep storage cabinet organized. Reorder supplies when necessary.
25 Create "How to" documents
- Eden
- PRA
- Proclamations
- Laserfiche
26 Log Deliveries & Coordinate Department Pick Up
27 Pick Up & Distribute Incoming Mail
28 Event Support
Help with biennial Ethics Training Workshop
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