Part-Time Confidential Account Clerk PositionMasterpiece on the Mississippi
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
Dubuque
kital
All- America City
II 111!
2012
SUBJECT: Part -Time Confidential Account Clerk in Support of the City's Stormwater
Management Program and Bee Branch Creek Restoration Project
DATE: November 28, 2012
City Engineer Gus Psihoyos recommends City Council approval to hire a Part -Time
Confidential Account Clerk (25 Hours per week) to provide administrative support for the
Bee Branch Creek Restoration Project. The expense of this Part -Time Confidential
Account clerk would be fully funded by 100% recharge to Stormwater Capital
Improvement Projects. The addition of the Clerk will not impact the stormwater rate
structure because the time and costs the Clerk will charge to the Bee Branch Creek
Restoration Project will be in lieu of higher costs that would be charged to the project if
performed by outside consultants.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
kri,„
Michael C. Van Milligen
MCVM:jh
Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Teri Goodmann, Assistant City Manager
Gus Psihoyos, City Engineer
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
TO: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Mana
FROM: Gus Psihoyos, City Engineer
SUBJECT: Part -Time Confidential Account Clerk in Support of the City's Stormwater
Management Program and Bee Branch Creek Restoration Project.
Dubuque
All•AmericaCiity
2012
DATE: November 28, 2012
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this memorandum is to request approval to hire a Part-Time Confidential
Account Clerk (25 hours per week). The individual would provide administrative support
for the Bee Branch Creek Restoration Project, assisting with scope, schedule, budget,
grant, and fundraising activities. The position will also provide administrative support for
the other dozen stormwater management capital improvement projects (CIPs).
BACKGROUND
The lack of administrative support staff dedicated to stormwater management projects
has necessitated a civil engineer or consultant to perform project tasks that would be
done more cost effectively by a Clerk. The Clerk would allow the Civil Engineer and
Project Manager assigned to the project to concentrate their efforts more on ensuring
that: the project remains true to the scope as set forth by the City Manager and City
Council, the project moves forward through design and construction so that the flood
protection is established without delays, and that the project budget and funding
sources are tracked appropriately to limit the cost to Dubuque citizens.
DISCUSSION
The Clerk would initially focus primarily on the Bee Branch Creek Restoration Project.
Working under the joint supervision of Civil Engineer Deron Muehring and Project
Manager Steve Brown, the Clerk would:
— Assist with the management of the six grants totaling $21.1 million that fund various
portions of the Bee Branch Creek Restoration Project (SRF Green Project, Vision
Iowa RECAT, NSB Scenic Byways, IDOT REAP) and the Bee Branch Green
Infrastructure Project (SRF Green Alleys);
— Assist with invoice payment and processing;
— Assist with meeting coordination, agenda development and minutes /reports;
— Assist with CIP cost accounting and budgeting;
— Assist with keeping City staff and citizens up to date regarding the status of the
project and responding to various requests for information;
— Help coordinate with design consultants and contractors to provide owner - supplied
information; and
— Assist with the coordination of America's River III public fundraising campaign.
As the Bee Branch project moves toward completion, the Clerk would also provide
additional support for the balance of the stormwater management projects and activities
outlined in the current and planned 5 -year stormwater program budget that are currently
in various phases of planning, design and construction. Specifically, they would assist
with project purchasing /procurement such as construction, equipment and materials as
well as coordinating the preparation and processing of contracts, bonds and insurance
reviews.
RECOMMENDATION
I recommended that the Engineering Department hire a Part -Time Confidential Account
Clerk to work 25 hours per week (1,300 hours per year).
It is recommended that the position be classified as a GE -25 Confidential Account Clerk
($16.66). Based on employment for 25 hours a week, the payroll costs would be:
Personnel Costs
FY13 - Annual Gross Wages 1,300 hours x $ 16.66 = $21,658
Social Security = $ 1,657
IPERS = $ 1,877
$25,192
No additional office equipment is required as the Clerk would utilize a computer and
workspace used previously by a temporary financial Intern employed the past two
summers.
BUDGET IMPACT
The expense of this Part -Time Confidential Account Clerk would be fully funded by
100% recharge to Stormwater Capital Improvement Projects, fund 80055620.
The addition of the Clerk will not impact the stormwater rate structure because the time
and costs the Clerk will charge to the Bee Branch Creek Restoration Project will be in
lieu of higher costs that would be charged to the project if performed by out -side
consultants.
As Table 1 shows, it is anticipated that adding the Clerk position will result in savings to
the City based on the work that the Clerk would perform.
Table 1. Cost comparison of the cost of services for an Account Clerk versus other resources.
'Tasks performed by the Clerk in lieu of the Project Manager or Civil Engineer will not
result in direct savings to the City. But it will allow for more cost - effective use of their
time and by extension better use of City resources.
2The cost of the Clerk position would be offset by eliminating the need for a seasonal
Engineering Intern to work on stormwater funded efforts.
3The cost of the Clerk position would be offset by eliminating the seasonal Financial
Intern position which can be done with the addition of the Clerk position.
4The cost of the Clerk position would be offset by the Clerk performing work tasks that
would otherwise be performed by consulting engineers at much higher costs.
ACTION TO BE TAKEN
I respectfully request authorization to hire a 25 Hour Part -Time Confidential Account
Clerk to work as an assistant to the Civil Engineer in charge of the City's Stormwater
Management Program.
cc: Jenny Larson, Budget Director
Bob Schiesl, Assistant City Engineer
Steve Sampson Brown, Project Manager
Deron Muehring, Civil Engineer II
Recharge
Rate
Eliminated
Hours
Projected
Cost
'Civil Engineer II
$53.73
60
$ 0
'Project Manager
$58.14
50
$ 0
2Engineer Seasonal
$14.80
520
$ 7,696
3Financial Seasonal
$14.80
520
$ 7,696
4Consultant — Admin. Staff
$65.00
100
$ 6,500
4Consultant — Engineer Asst.
$125.00
50
$ 6,250
Total
1,300
$28,142
Account Clerk
$19.38
1,300
$25,192
Projected Savings
$ 2,950
'Tasks performed by the Clerk in lieu of the Project Manager or Civil Engineer will not
result in direct savings to the City. But it will allow for more cost - effective use of their
time and by extension better use of City resources.
2The cost of the Clerk position would be offset by eliminating the need for a seasonal
Engineering Intern to work on stormwater funded efforts.
3The cost of the Clerk position would be offset by eliminating the seasonal Financial
Intern position which can be done with the addition of the Clerk position.
4The cost of the Clerk position would be offset by the Clerk performing work tasks that
would otherwise be performed by consulting engineers at much higher costs.
ACTION TO BE TAKEN
I respectfully request authorization to hire a 25 Hour Part -Time Confidential Account
Clerk to work as an assistant to the Civil Engineer in charge of the City's Stormwater
Management Program.
cc: Jenny Larson, Budget Director
Bob Schiesl, Assistant City Engineer
Steve Sampson Brown, Project Manager
Deron Muehring, Civil Engineer II