Public Works Staff Change Request Copyrighted
December 2, 2019
City of Dubuque Consent Items # 17.
ITEM TITLE: Public Works Staff Change Request
SUMMARY: City Manager recommending approval to upgrade the
current part-time clerical position to a full-time secretary
position.
SUGGESTED DISPOSITION: Suggested Disposition: Receiveand File;Approve
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
Public Works Department Staffing Change Request- City Manager Memo
MVM Memo
Public Works Department Staff Change Request Staff Memo
Dubuque
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TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Public Works Department Staffing Change Request
DATE: November 24, 2019
Public Works Director John Klostermann is requesting an upgrade to the current part-
time clerical position to a full-time secretary position. The additional cost is covered by
Fiscal Year 2020 vacancy savings in the Public Works Department and adjustments will
be made in the FY 2021 budget if this request is approved.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
v
Mic ael C. Van Milligen
MCVM:jh
Attachment
cc: Crenna Brumwell, City Attorney
Teri Goodmann, Assistant City Manager
Cori Burbach, Assistant City Manager
John Klostermann, Public Works Director
Dubuque
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TO: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
FROM: John Klostermann, Public Works Director JK
SUBJECT: Public Works Department Staffing Change Request
DATE: November 15, 2019
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this memorandum is to request approval to increase a part-time clerical
position to a full-time Secretary.
BACKGROUND
The Public Works Department prides itself on providing excellent customer service. Now
that new data capturing software was implemented and departments can report on
specific service-oriented data points, a report was developed for Public Works and the
result is not what we expected.
Service-Oriented Data Point Expectation Data Results
Phone Calls 90%+ answer rate 63.6% answer rate*
Internally generated WebQAs 20% T since 2015 54.5% T since 2015
'This data is very limited due to new software received October 30, 2019.
DISCUSSION
Once this information was received, the department began looking into historical data that
was available, though limited. Since 2015, our internally generated WebQAs between our
current 1.68 FTEs dedicated to customer service has increased 54.5% in the last four
years. On average, our current full-time secretary is answering 96 phone calls a day over
the last year, and still having to work overtime to return voicemails and calls that were
unable to be answered. This supporting information with the new data captured by the
phone software, catapulted our need to immediately request increasing staff hours. Not to
mention, November is historically our busiest month for inbound phone calls.
The current workload exceeds the capacity of the current human capital assigned to
customer service. This does not currently allow for personnel growth and training
opportunities to improve or innovate our service level. Our current part-time clerical individual
is very efficient, high performing and would be excellent in this new full-time position. We
estimate the phone call abandon rate increasing to 90%+ immediately upon increasing hours.
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A full-time Secretary is requested (2,080 hours or 1 .00 FTE). The net cost of this staffing
change request is as follows:
Requested Fiscal Year 2020 Change $ Change FTE Chg.
Eliminate Part-Time Clerical (8 months remaining) -$12,713 -0.68
Addition of Full-Time Secretary (8 months remaining) +$40,328 +1.00
Net Change $27,615 +0.38
FY2020 Savings in Vacancies $54,938
The full-time Secretary would also help provide coverage for the other frontline staff when
they are sick, on vacation, or at conferences and training.
The future impact on budget is as follows:
Requested Fiscal Year 2021 Change $ Change FTE Chg.
Eliminate Part-Time Clerical -$18,259 -0.68
Addition ofFull-Time Secretary +$57,398 +1.00
Net Change $39,139 +0.38
Under the current administration overhead formula, the net budget impact to this requested
change ($39,139) will be divided up between seven funding sources. The net change will affect
the following funds;
General Sanitary Sewer Storm Sewer Road Use Solid Waste Garaqe DMASWA
$4,060.50 $2,103.50 $929.50 $17,710.00 $5,235.50 $3,669.50 $5,430.50
REQUEST
I respectfully request approval to upgrade our current part-time clerical position to a full-
time secretary position. The additional cost is covered by Fiscal Year 2020 vacancy
savings in the Public Works Department. Adjustments will be made in the FY 2021
budget if this request is approved.
J K/aes
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