Request to Eliminate Assistant Public Works Director, Hire an Additional Field Operations Supervisor, and adjust the Part-time Administrative Assistant to Full-timeCity of Dubuque
City Council Meeting
Consent Items # 013.
Copyrighted
February 19, 2024
ITEM TITLE: Request to Eliminate Assistant Public Works Director, Hire an Additional
Field Operations Supervisor, and adjust the Part-time Administrative
Assistant to Full-time
SUMMARY: City Manager recommending City Council approval to eliminate the
Assistant Public Works Director position, hire an additional Public Works
Field Operations Supervisor, and change the part-time Administrative
Assistant to a full-time Administrative Assistant.
SUGGESTED Suggested Disposition: Receive and File; Approve
DISPOSITION:
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
MVM Memo City Manager Memo
Public Works Restructure Request Staff Memo
THE C
Dubuque
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TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Request to Eliminate Assistant Public Works Director, Hire an Additional
Field Operations Supervisor, and adjust the Part-time Administrative
Assistant to Full-time
DATE: February 15, 2024
Public Works Director Arielle Swift is recommending City Council approval to eliminate
the Assistant Public Works Director position, hire an additional Public Works Field
Operations Supervisor, and change the part-time Administrative Assistant to a full-time
Administrative Assistant.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
v
Mic ael C. Van Milligen
MCVM:sv
Attachment
CC' Crenna Brumwell, City Attorney
Cori Burbach, Assistant City Manager
Arielle Swift, Public Works Director
Shelley Stickfort, Director of Human Resources
Jennifer Larson, Chief Financial Officer
Robyn Hosch, Budget/Financial Analyst
Laura Bendorf, Budget Manager
THE CITY OF
DUB TE
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
TO: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
Dubuque
All -America City
2007.2012.2013
2017*2019
FROM: Arielle Swift, Public Works Director
SUBJECT: Request to Eliminate Assistant Public Works Director, Hire an Additional Field
Operations Supervisor, and adjust the Part-time Administrative Assistant to Full-
time
DATE: February 10, 2024
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this memorandum is to request your approval to eliminate the Assistant
Public Works Director position, hire an additional Public Works Field Operations
Supervisor, and change the part-time Administrative Assistant to a full-time
Administrative Assistant.
BACKGROUND
The Assistant Public Works Director Position became vacant when the Public Works Director
retired and the Assistant was promoted, through a nation-wide search. Instead of
immediately hiring an Assistant Public Works Director, a review was conducted of
departmental services and future initiatives to analyze the correct organizational structure of
Public Works. One of these reviews included looking at recently approved positions and
restructuring. The Data Scientist position approved through the FY2024 budget process
relieves much of the data gathering, cleaning, and analyzing work previously completed by
the Assistant Public Works Director.
DISCUSSION
Two (2) major concerns found during the review included our current call answer rate (48%)
and performance development reviews/evaluations implementation. Public Works has five
(5) core areas: Administration, Field Operations, Resource Management, Landfill, and Fleet
Maintenance. While these two (2) concerns impact each of these core areas, the largest
impact was found within Administration and Field Operations. After extensive discussion with
Human Resources and Public Works employees, staff identified the need to adjust the
organizational structure in the department to remove the Assistant Public Works Director
position (-1.00 FTE), add an additional Field Operations Supervisor position (+1.00 FTE),
and increase the part-time Administrative Assistant position (+0.33) to a full-time position.
Administration is where the concern for Public Works' call answer rate (number of external
calls answered/number of external calls received) was found. We currently have two (2) full-
time positions primarily dedicated to answering phones. These phone calls directly impact
each of the core areas within Public Works. If the phones are not answered, we cannot
capture all community concerns nor respond with the appropriate level of service. While the
rate of increase has fallen, we are still experiencing an increase in call volume year -over -
year. To assist in remedying this, we propose taking the currently vacant part-time
Administrative Assistance (0.67 FTE) and increasing hours to a full-time position (+0.33
FTE).
Field Operations is the core area in which we have the most concern. Currently we have a
single Public Works Field Supervisor who manages materials, equipment, and employees
(42.00 FTEs) across ten (10) different sub -activities and four (4) funding sources, two (2) of
which are enterprise funds coordinated with other departments.
Performance development reviews/evaluations have currently not been completed within the
Public Works Department in over 30 years. The impact of reviewing job performance in a
formal, quarterly manner within Field Operations is estimated to take an average of 3 hours
per quarter per employee, resulting in an additional 504 hours annually. Hiring an additional
Public Works Field Operations Supervisor (+1.00 FTE) will assist in mitigating this impact on
current operations. Hiring a Public Works Field Operations Supervisor will allow Public
Works the opportunity to diversify our leadership team by hiring complementary skill set to
work in tandem with the current Public Works Field Supervisor.
BUDGET IMPACT
The additional Field Operations Supervisor position is recommended at pay grade GE-35A.
The cost of the position at 1.00 FTE or 2,088 hours annually is $95,982 in FY2024. This
position will assist in performance evaluations, safety training specific to field operations,
field operations review, and other administrative tasks assigned to the current Field
Operations Supervisor overseeing 42 FTEs.
The Administrative Assistant position is recommended at pay grade GE-25A. The cost of
the position at 1.00 FTE or 2,088 hours annually is $68,498 in FY2024. The position is
currently at 0.67 FTE or 1,399 hours annually at $38,498 with a total increase of $30,000.
This position will focus on answering phones, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and
other administrative tasks as phone calls allow. Our current phone answer rate is averaging
48% and we have found it difficult to retain a part-time employee in this position.
The estimated cost increase for the remainder of FY2024 is $27,063 for the full-time Public
Works Field Operations Supervisor position, and $23,902 to adjust the Administrative
Assistant to full-time. The budget impact of these cost increases would be offset by
eliminating the vacant Assistant Public Works Director position which has $88,205
unexpended and vacancy in part-time Administrative Assistant with $29,804 unexpended.
FY2024 Budaet Impact
Position
FTE Change
Wage
Remaining FY24
V Assistant Public Works Director
-1.00
GE-38
88,205
Administrative Assistant
+0.33
GE-25
23,902
Field Operations Supervisor
+1.00
GE-35
27,063
V PT Assistant
-
GE-25
29,804
Cell Phone & Tablet for Supervisor
1,270
(V) = Vacant
FY2025+ Budget Impact
(65,774)
Position
FTE
Change
Wage
FY25
Remove Assistant Public Works Director
-1.00
GE-38
121,237
Remove PT Administrative Assistant
-0.67
GE-25
38,498
Add Public Works Field Operations Supervisor
+1.00
GE-35
95,982
Add FT Administrative Assistant
+1.00
GE-25
68,498
Remove Assistant Public Works Director Conferences
7,920
(3,175)
Fund Net Decrease
Road Use Tax (110) $ (3,175)
This request increases the full-time equivalents in the Public Works Department by +0.33
FTE.
REQUEST
I respectfully request your approval to eliminate the Assistant Public Works Director
position, hire an additional Public Works Field Operations Supervisor, and change the part-
time Administrative Assistant to a full-time Administrative Assistant.
cc: Shelley Stickfort, Director of Human Resources
Jennifer Larson, Chief Financial Officer
Robyn Hosch, Budget/Financial Analyst
Laura Bendorf, Budget Manager