TO: Finance Committee
FROM: Allison Swisher - Director of Public Utilities
SUBJECT:
title
Approval of the Reclassification of a Secretary I Position to Utilities Clerk in the Department of Public Utilities
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BACKGROUND:
The Department of Public Utilities, Field Operations Division currently has a Secretary I position. Since February 2025, the division has been without a secretary. This vacancy has prompted a review of the administrative tasks and job responsibilities in the division.
CONCLUSION:
Staff conducted a review of the administrative tasks and job responsibilities for the Field Operations Division. This review identified the following administrative tasks that are needed in addition to other clerical duties:
• Open requisitions, process purchase orders, and process payments for the Field Operations Division
• Produce and manage mailings for Field Operations programs, prepare reports and track compliance
• Use work order and asset management software to create, respond, and manage work orders
• Troubleshoot and resolve meter and billing issues
The Secretary I position performs secretarial tasks, whereas the Utilities Clerk position performs high-level clerical and administrative work. A higher level of administrative work is required to perform the tasks listed above. Upon review of the job descriptions, the Utilities Clerk position is best suited to perform this higher-level administrative work.
These necessary tasks that support critical department initiatives such as backflow prevention, non-revenue water reduction, and fats, oil and grease compliance are either not currently being performed or are taking staff away from work they could otherwise be performing. Performance of these tasks by a Utilities Clerk is more cost efficient than hiring outside consultants.
Currently, the other divisions in the Department of Public Utilities (Engineering & Plant Operations) have Utilities Clerks that complete high-level administrative work for those divisions. Their current workload does not allow them to perform the additional work required in Field Operations.
Reclassification of the Secretary I position to a Utilities Clerk would not require a budget amendment for the pay differential since the department has not been 100% staffed for 2025 and budget is available. For comparison, the salary range for a Secretary I is $40,680 - $75,471 while the salary range for a Utilities Clerk is $46,843 - $87,220. Both of the positions are covered by the AFSCME Collective Bargaining Agreement.
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Based on the above, it is recommended that the Mayor and City Council approve reclassification of the Secretary I position to Utilities Clerk in the Department of Public Utilities and authorize the City Manager to advertise and fill this position immediately upon approval.
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