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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-18-2003 City Council MinutesMINUTES SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING CITY OF LAKE ELSINORE 183 NORTH MAIN STREET LAKE ELSINORE, CALIFORNIA TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2003 ........................................................................~ CALL TO ORDER The Special City Council Meeting was called to order by Mayor Brinley at 135 p.m. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Assistant City Manager Best. ROLL CALL PRESENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: BUCKLEY, HICKMAN, SCHIFFNER, BRINLEY ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: KELLEY Also present were: City Manager Watenpaugh, Assistant City Manager Best, Administrative Services Director Boone, Community Development Director Brady, Community Services Director Sapp, Finance Manager Magee, Building & Safety Manager Russell, Information/Communications Manager Dennis, Lake Operations Manager Kilroy, Public Works Manager Payne, Recreation/Tourism Manager Fazzio and City Clerk/Human Resources Director Kasad. BUSINESS ITEM A. Process AudiUClassification Report. (F:116.1) City Manager Watenpaugh provided an overview of the contract with L.B. Hayhurst and Associates, which was originally signed in August for three sepazate components. He explained that the first phase was back for City Council review, prior to going into the final stage of the Parity Study. He noted that Mr. Hayhurst was present to provide an overview, answer questions and receive direction from Council. Lonnie Hayhurst apologized for having the cancel the meeting planned for the prior month. He presented a letter for discussion in regard to the process audit PAGE TWO - CTTY COUNCIL MINUTES - FEBRUARY 18, 2003 and classification portion of the study. He explained that the process audit and the classification study had been performed simultaneously, including interviews with community members, and stafE He indicated that staff spoke openly and honestly about their work with a number of positive suggestions. He also indicated that he interviewed each Councilmember for input. He commented that their interviews had crossed a number of community lines to be sure they had a good concept of the processes and any concerns. He indicated that they had tried to incorporate those wncerns into the process audit, but noted that as Council was awaze, everyone had a different perspective on priorities and issues. He also noted that there were some strong consistencies in the process portion, some of which could be considered for change. Mr. Hayhurst indicated that structurally, the City tended toward contracting out, so the actual staff was relatively small. He clarified that there were a number of other issues associated with managing contracts, which did not reduce workloads. He commented that staff was trying to do a lot of automation upgrades to the systems; noting that tracking permits, plans, etc. were concems from staff and the Council. He indicated that in that azea, there were really no major surprises. Mr. Hayhurst noted the Executive Summary on Page 1 of the report, noting that it was broken out into individual departments with specific recommendations. He further noted that more detail was provided, starting on Page 9. He explained that they tried to maintain a consistent framewark with regazd to department mission, team struchxre, etc. Mr. Hayhurst addressed the City overall, noting that one of the issues that seemed to come up in discussions with staff, Council and the community, was that the City seemed to need to set a policy direction that was consistent for staffto have goals and directions to proceed and implement. He noted that the Council was very involved in the day to day issues, when they should be deciding on the priorities for the next five yeazs. He recommended that the City Council sit down as a body to establish priorities, and then hold staff much more accountable, rather than day to day, putting out fires. He stressed that it was difficult to hold staff accountable, when the tazget kept moving. He noted that many City Councils set policy and prioritize the work for the yeaz with individual tazgets; and while the priorities change, they are always geared to a five, ten or twenty yeaz plan. He stressed the importance of having a strategic plan. He addressed team structure and indicated that with very few exceptions, the City was soundly put together, in a straight-forward structure. He noted that communications came up in a vaziety of ways, throughout the City, starting with Finding a clear PAGE THREE - CITY COUNCIL MINUTES - FEBRUARY 18, 2003 definition of how top management communicates with the Council. He indicated that this had been addressed in a number of cities, but it requires that the Council communicate its desires for communication. He suggested that having five different ways to communication, put staff in a difficult position. He noted that there was also a need for increased communication with staff, from the department heads. He further noted that there was some concern that with the light staffmg level, many employees needed to be cross-trained to assist the community, but commented that training and development were generally limited by the size of the organization. He indicated that some areas should specifically look at customer service training. He further indicated that among the deparhnents, some continuing education requirements existed, but it was difficult to address with the cunent workload, so he suggested the use of an annual training plan, which can be tied to performance management or evaluarion plans. He also suggested tying this training requirement to the budget process, due to the limited funding issues. Mr. Hayhurst indicated that with regard to the Customer Service issue, it was an interesting process talking with the community. He commented that it seemed as though the vast majority believed there were some really good people working for the City, and when they talk to those people individually good services were received. He noted that the exception was with regard to the general process of processing permits, paying fees, etc.; and he reemphasized the need for cross- training and cross-support. He addressed internal customer services, noting that staff support issues included automation to assist with tracking of processes. He indicated that internal support should also include people to assist and support staff positions; and noted that the Senior Building Official had to take calls off the phone, which might not be the most efficient approach. Mr. Hayhurst indicated that with regard to project management tracking, one department was tracking them very tightly, which was appropriate; but in other azeas projects weren't tracked because the systems did not interrelate to each other. He reiterated that a close look at automation was needed. He indicated that on the overall City basis, two points were discussed on Page 13 of the report, one being the City closure every other Friday. He indicated that the use of this practice was regionaL He indicated that one recommendation, if staff is too small to vary it, the City could be kept open on a shifting basis. He noted that it was not unusual for a City to have such a process. He indicated that another issue, on which he had no recommendation related to the residence location of the City Manager and the Assistant City Manager. He indicated that some communities required specific response times for key staff, but it was not something he felt was appropriate to address from his standpoint. He noted that some issues oF PAGE FOUR - CITY COUNCIL MINiJTES - FEBRUARY 18, 2003 compensation and car allowances would be addressed with compensation. He indicated that the goals in the budget were consistent with what staff felt their goals were. He further indicated that the City Attorney had not been addressed by the study since the service is contracted out. He noted that on-site City Attorneys were generally used in larger cities. Councilman Buckley questioned what Attorney services cost in larger cides, and what the smallest City was with its own City Attorney staf£ Mr. Hayhurst indicated that he did not know specific dollar amounts for larger cities, but noted that in his experience even when they had a staff of 10 or 20 attorneys, they still contracted with outside Counsel for specific litigation. He further indicated that in his experience cities of 30,000 to 40,000 tend to have contract City Attomeys, and lazger cities contract specific City Attorney work out. He stressed that this varied by the City and the amount of litigation. Councilman Buckley inquired when the compensation survey was done, if it could include the amount spent on Contract Attorneys vs. someone on staff. Mr. Hayhurst indicated that was not a problem, if it was CounciPs d'uection. Mayor Pro Tem Schiffner commented that it would be difficult to establish a standard for the City's litigation. He stressed the considerable amount of litigation the City had, and noted that it would soon be minimized. He also noted that it was a question of "legitimate" litigation. Mr. Hayhurst concurred, but indicated they could obtain the information. Mayor Brinley questioned if this was an apples to oranges issues due to the lazge amount of litigation. Mr. Hayhurst indicated that the information would be difficult to interpret due to a number of contract questions. Mayor Brinley suggested keeping in mind the magnitude of the City's litigation. There was general discussion of appropriate comparisons. Mr. Hayhurst addressed the City Manager's area, and noted that the issue of Economic Development was handled a variety of ways in communities, depending on its mission in the organization. He noted that in Lake Elsinore, to a large extent the function was handled by the Assistant City Manager, and indicated tt~at when the function was in the City Manager's Office, it is generally a high priority for the community. He further noted the innovative nature of the Economic Gardening Program; and indicated that the feedback from the Chamber of Commerce indicated that the City Manger's Office was very user friendly and people could get answers very quickly. He indicated from a customer service standpoint the Program was a very big component in the City Manager's Office. He indicated that he heard very positive comments in that area, and noted that the City had some wonderful tools from a public relations standpoint. He commented that one problem in the azea was that the Assistant City Manager was PAGE FIVE - CITY COUNCIL MINUTES - FEBRUARY 18, 2003. the primary and sole contact for economic development, which took the position out of some of the day to day operations. He recommended that the Council activate the economic developmenUspecial project position; and explained that it would emphasize the program and allow the Assistant City Manager to be used in a broader capacity. Councilman Hiclanan inquired how other cities evaluate economic gazdening. Mr. Hayhurst indicated that most cities don't have a program, but evaluation would be based on priorities. He commented that the Economic Gazdening Program was very unique, and supplies information very posifively, rather than selling a location. He explained that Council's generally set tazgets and staff works on those targets. He indicated that expectations were higher in this area than they were three yeazs ago. Mayor Brinley concurred that this position had been discussed about a yeaz ago, and stressed the need to promote the City more heavily, to include business expos. Mr. Hayhurst concurred and noted that the cities of Victorville and Hesperia had six people doing economic development, with two dedicated to marketing. He explained that they were trying to draw the right kind of business to meet the growth priorities for the community. Mayor Pro Tem Schiffner noted the goal setting, mentioned earlier, and indicated that the primary goal of the City was to provide more and better public services; and the appropriate tool to do that was money gained through economic development. He suggested in this light, economic development was the City's most important task. Mayor Brinley concuned that economic development was the City's life's blood, and indicated that to provide a constant resource it was important to recruit it. She concurred that economic development should be a priority, and supported fiiling the position to free the Assistant City Manager to work on more day to day issues. She stressed that with a special Economic Development Department, they would be out promoting the City every day. Mr. Hayhurst clarified that the Economic Gazdening Program was working well, but it would be appropriate to have someone who could do the day to day analytical work. Mayor Pro Tem Schiffner noted that the Economic Gazdening Program was accepted extremely well nationwide. He concurred tUat the program was worthy of the additional personnel commitment. He indicated that he would like to see when all the recommendations have been presented, an answer from staff has to PAGE SIX - CITY COUNCIL MINUTES - FEBRUARY 18, 2003 how the recommendations could be implemented, including the financial limitations. He suggested then the Council could decide what it could afFard to do. Councilman Buckley indicated that the short answer on hiring another member of management staff was "no". He fixrther indicated that looking at some economic development programs was fine, but he did not want to pay another staff inember. He suggested looking back at what was gained from having one, and possibly consider someone full time, if it meant not having to pay the Chamber $50,000 per year for mazketing. Mayor Brinley stressed that there was no staff in place to handle economic development, and Assistant City Manager Best has been the closest to a dedicated person. She stressed that she brought in the program and now needed some form of assistance. Mayor Pro Tem Schiffner reiterated that he would like to hold any decision until staff reports back on how it could be implemented and the associated costs. Mr. Hayhurst reiterated that it would a11 be based on the priorities set by the City Council; and placed in a framework of how the Council sees the community moving. Mayor Brinley stressed the importance of economic development to draw necessary funds. Councilman Buckley clarified that his comments were not opposed to economic development. Mr. Hayhurst further addressed the City Manager's Office and noted the need for cross training and customer service training. He noted that the need to upgrade technology was a redundant issue, as everyone was aware of the need; and staff had prioritized upgrading the networks and equipment. Mayor Pro Tem Schiffner expressed appreciation for this information, which helped to bring things into focus and help the Council decide where money should be spent. Councilman Buckley supported upgrading, integrating and automating where necessary. Mr. Hayhurst stressed the need for a Council workshop in communications to identify ways to get information from the City Manager to Council in a consistent manner, and establish a project priority list. He noted that some cities assign specific dollars to projects other than capital projects, such as computer upgrades. He explained that as new items aze added to the list, consideration must be given to talcing something off the list; and noted that this was an easier way to hold people more accountable to the process. He suggested that it could be done by departments or for the City overall; and stressed that this would be in addition to the once a year budget discussion. Councilman Buckley suggested with a specific action list, success and failure standazds could be created. He suggested that this type of document was PAGE SEVEN - CITY COUNCIL MINUTES - FEBRUARY 18, 2003 political, and staff should have nothing to do with it. He indicated that he was talking about codifying policies. He suggested that the grand visioning concept was a little too close to the ever changing roles of elected office. Mr. Hayhurst responded that City Councils routinely determine policy for a city on a 3-2 vote. He noted that if the vote changes, the Council can always go back and change the policy based on the political issues. He stressed that all Councils set priorities, but they can be changed over a period of time. He concurred that this process was political, as set by a majority of the Council. He indicated that he would not agreed that staff should have nothing to do with it, as frequently staff has big ideas, but staff also provides the reality of the financial issues. He stressed that staff should be involved. Councilman Buckley clarified his intent, being that staff should carry out Council requests. Mr. Hayhurst addressed the Administrative Services Deparnnent, and noted particular concern with the pending retirement of the Administrative Services Director. He explained that he saw issues with Human Resources, as some of it was done in Administrative Services and some was with the City Clerk. He suggested moving the Risk Management function to Human Resources or moving Human Resources to Risk Management; noting that this was a good point at which to analyze how the City wants to proceed. He commented that it was unusual for a City of this size to haue this configuration. Mayor Brinley inquired where it was placed in other cities. Mr. Hayhurst indicated that it is a unique azea, as it was frequently in Administrative Services or with Risk Management. He also noted that the dual reporting relationship in this case was also unique. He indicated that from an Administrative Services standpoint this was a window of opportunity to look at the placement of these functions. He indicated that another area of concern was the lack of an Administrative Assistant to provide suppoR work such as filing. He noted that this would be particularly helpful when the Administrative Services Director was involved in bond work with Bond Counsel. He indicated that the limited clerical support was a recurring theme in other departments. He suggested in an organization this size, the lack of clerical support might not be the most efficient use of time. Mayor Brinley inquired if the need for clerical was a common issue. Mr. Hayhurst confumed, noting that everyone was moving away from hauing the one on one secretary relationship, but there was still a need for someone at a lower level to do finish work, which tends to be done by highly paid positions. Mayor Brinley questioned the functionality of a clerical pool. Mr. Hayhurst indicated that while it might function fairly well in a City this size, it general doesn't function well. He noted that it tends to become more of a"black hole" with work being delayed. He suggested in a City this size he would see one or more dedicated support people in each department to get the work done. Mayor Pro Tem Schiffner questioned the PAGE EIGHT - CITY COUNCIL MINUTES - FEBRUARY 18, 2003 functionality of a group which could be bonowed from other departments to fill this need. Mr. Hayhurst indicated that one issue was the lack of file clerks and support staff tends to have to bring with them sophisticated technical skills on processes they will work on; and shazing employees would not allow them to gain that level of expertise. Mayor Brinley inquired if this could be accomplished with cross training. Mr. Hayhurst confirmed, but noted that some of the technical knowledges could be more helpful. He further recommended the use of an Acwunting Assistant for business licenses, and suggested overlapping with cashiering work, to allow a more efficient use of tnne. He noted that the fmancial system was being reviewed for upgrade, but it falls back into the category of being not the most efficient integration of the system. Councilman Hickxnan questioned the lack of a Purck~asing Agent, and inquired if one was needed. Mr. Hayhurst noted that for most communities this size, it was a luxury which could not be afforded. He indicated that in Lake Elsinore it was only an issue to the extent that Public Works was doing some direct purchasing and the paperwork was going back and forth between them and Finance, which was very cumbersome. He suggested that while systems to track better, might be helpful, the City was just not big enough for a purchasing function. He noted that Accounts Payable was overseeing purchasing from an auditing standpoint. Mr. Hayhurst addressed the City Clerk/Human Resources office and noted some specific recommendations regarding automation of the Records Management System; and noted that the use of technology would prevent paper searches. He noted that a downside of this recommendation was the time, energy and money required to make the conversion; but without systems it was very difficult to track records. Mayor Brinley indicated that staff did well with what they had to work with. Mayor Pro Tem Schiffner inquired if there were pre-developed systems, which would not have to be specifically designed for this function. Mr. Hayhurst confirmed that there were a number of existing systems, as City records tend to be very standard. Mayor Brinley inquired if this type of system would allow for greater access to the azchives. Mr. Hayhurst indicated that it would up to the point money was spent to archive them. Mayar Pro Tem Schiffner inquired if the records could be scanned into the system. Mr. Hayhurst confirmed that the systems he was familiar with would require a very low skiiled and low paid person to do scanning, which allowed for a high level of accuracy. He noted that depending on the sophistication of the system, they could be more or less expensive. Mayor Pro Tem Schiffner noted that the more complicated the system, the more supervision would be needed. Mr. Hayhurst noted that this was an issue which could be addressed with the New Employee Orientation Program. He noted that the Program had been developed, but it needed to be implemented. He noted comments by a number of employees that they needed to understand the PAGE NINE - CITY COUNCIL MINUTES - FEBRUARY 18, 2003 connection between various services, as they had limited knowledge of the rest of the organization. He suggested that this would assist employees in feeling more a part of the organization and assist with customer service. Mayor Pro Tem Schiffner noted the need for a higher level of employee at the front counter than is customarily there. He expressed concern that the least knowledgeable employees tend to be used at the front counter, and indicated that he was in favor of increased training and using good employees. Mr. Hayhurst noted that a number of organizations focus on customer service, however in many cases a Junior Clerk was generally used at the counter. He suggested that anything that could be done to increase customer service would ultimately save a lot of time. Councilman Buckley addressed a comment in the report that the dual reporting relarionship was a potential for problems, but it had not been mentioned to the consultant: and clarified that he mentioned the issue. He stressed that the situation was very unique and questioned if Mr. Hayhurst had heard of such a dual reporting system. Mr. Hayhurst indicated had he had not heard of one, although he believed that Redlands had a dual reporting roles with the Council and general administrative support responsibiliries. Councilman Buckley noted that the situation was novel, because in theory the Human Resources Director could be fired, while the City Clerk was not, or vice versa. He questioned what would happen in that situation. Mr. Hayhurst indicated that in theory the City would have a City Clerk, that was not the Human Resources Director with a salary established by the Council for a City Clerk, and/or the opposite. He noted that he was aware of a situation in the bay area where the City Clerk was the elected City Clerk and held a regular City position. He indicated that they always point out the issue of dual reporting relationships, because Management 101 says that reporting relationships should not be split. He noted that they particulazly wanted to highlight the issue in light of the Administrative Services Director's retirement. Mayor Pro Tem Schiffner inquired if there were particular problems with this type of arrangement. Mr. Hayhurst indicated that in the ea~treme situation, the confidentiality could be an issue; however a dual reporting relationship can work very well, as long as both supervisors have a good relationship and priorities aze understood. Mayor Pro Tem Schiffner noted that when agencies have a 3-2 split it could cause a problem. Mr. Hayhurst concurred. Councilman Hiclanan inquired if this was an issue of one person serving two masters. Mr. Hayhurst concurred. Mr. Hayhurst addressed the Community Development Department, noting the findings with regard to the number of permits last yeaz and the preceding year. COUNCILMAN BUCKLEY LEFT THE MEETING AT 3:07 P.M. PAGE TEN - CITY COUNCIL NIINUTES - FEBRUARY 18, 2003 Mr. Hayhurst noted the impact of those number on the staff, and indicated that the CiTy was doing the right thing at the wrong time. He indicated that as an organization, they believed that contracting out services was a good thing, particularly with Building Inspectors or Planners, as the workload was driven by the actual growth. He explained the cycles for hiring and firing of Building Inspectors; and at some point it was necessary to call a halt to it and rethink it. He indicated that there was the potential that the current level of growth would be sustained; and explained that no matter how good the contractors were, the organization ended up with non-controllable workers at a core place, when public service meets the road. He suggested that in positions such as planners, building inspectors or engineers, when there had been contract people for a long time, those positions should be reviewed. He further suggested that the City would be better served by hauing those people on staff to have a little more control and accountability. He recommended that Community Development look at those issues. COUNCILMAN BUCKLEY RETURNED AT 3:10 P.M. Mr. Hayhurst indicated that some action had already occurred in this area; and noted that one of the bad parts about recruiting engineers was that they were hard to find, and contracting out may not draw the same quality that was desired. Mayor Pro Tem Schiffner questioned the comparison of costs for a City employee vs. a Contract Engineer, Inspector, etc. Mr. Hayhurst indicated that when an organization hires a Public Engineer from a Contractor, it requires paying the contractor's overhead and salary, and it might not draw the quality desired. He fiirther indicated that generally more was paid for the ability to have a person go away quickly, than they do paying for an on-site employee. He suggested that there was adequate sustained growth projections to suggested that stafFcould normally do better, with augmentation by contractors. Mayor Pro Tem Schiffner indicated that this was a case in which it was necessary to take a gamble. Mr. Hayhurst indicated that having people on City staff, puts the Supervisor or Manager in a position where they can ensure the quality of the work . Councilman Buckley noted that customer service improvements and an evaluation system would be valuable in all department, but especially in Community Development. He noted that questions are being answered in a variety of ways at the public counter. He suggested updating and rationalizing every form and development informational brochures. He indicated that there were many standazd questions and the material should be available ahead of time. Mr. Hayhurst noted that the issue did come up with the community and staff and PAGE ELEVEN - CITY COUNCIL MINUTES - FEBRUARY 18, 2003 suggested that there were some existing standardized models which would be appropriate. He noted that the City had good standard answers available on the website, but concurred that brochures would be helpful to provide public information. He indicated that the more handouts, the more direct information could be dealt with. Mayor Brinley questioned who the intemal customers were. Mr. Hayhurst indicated that they were the employees, and there was a need to get more information out to staff. Mayor Pro Tem Schiffner addressed the forms issue, but noted that if a person didn't know what they wanted, they might never get the necessary information, leaving the citizen feeling very lost. He stressed the need for a more simplified way of communicating. Mr. Hayhurst confirmed that it almost needed to be a simplified cook book, particularly with Community Development issues. Mayor Pro Tem Schiffner reiterated that it was important to not have the lowest level of employee at the counter. Mr. Hayhurst addressed the Code Enforcement area and noted that staff had already considered this area. He indicated that Code Enforcement was doing Weed Abatement as were other communities, but they were also managing the clean-up operations. He recommended that the citation part remain with Code Enforcement, but the managing of the clean-up operations be shifted to Public Works.. He suggested that Code Enforcement was being asked to wear multiple hats, which required different skilllevels. Mayor Brinley noted the need for a Code Enforcement person to work on weekends, as most of the problems with vendors, illegal dumping, etc. occurred on the weekends. Mr. Hayhurst indicated that way a Council priority and a decision they could make on the use of the resources. He noted that this emphasis would provide fewer staff on the weekdays to facilitate the program. Councilman Buckley confirmed that weekends were very important to address the vendors and noted coverage was also needed on the closed Fridays. Mr. Hayhurst indicated that clerical support was also needed. Mr. Hayhurst addressed the Community Services Department noting that their structure was also unique, in that they have the Stadium, Lake Operations and a number of different practices. He noted that there was a lot going on in the Lake Operations azea. He addressed the Public Works Division structure and the number of contracts being managed. He stressed that managing contracts takes time to follow-up, which requires more management skills. He indicated that it was particularly exciting that Recreation & Tourism was in the same department. He indicated that this was another unique dual responsibility that was not often seen. He indicated that departmentally there were some minor recommendations PAGE TWELVE - CITY COUNCIL MINUTES - FEBRUARY 18, 2003 for cross training for overall service delivery. He noted that he had some problems with the Waste Management function being assigned to the Recreation & Tourism Manager; and recommended that the function be assigned to the Public Works Manager as he already manages a number of contracts. He advised that there were a number of service contracts which appeared to be functioning well; and noted that the service contracts are becoming more the norm in cities of this size. He suggested that they be reviewed periodically to address the length of the contract and evaluation of the services provided; possibly an annual review like everyone else. Mayor Brinley inquired if there were meetings with the various departments to see how the departments were operating. City Manager Watenpaugh indicated that meetings were held weekly and more often as needed. Councilman Buckley questioned the contract employees and the depth of services being provided. Mr. Hayhurst indicated that they looked at how information and processes were integrated with staff to see if there were any major holes in the processes and none were identified. He indicated that the Stadium Maintenance has some unique aspects with regard to responsibilities, which might cause conflict based on the arrangements with the Stadium. Councilman Buckley inquired if they checked billing on contracts. Mr. Hayhurst indicated they did not. Councilman Buckley indicated that an annual review of every contract at the Council level would be cruciaL He quesfioned if it would make more sense to have two stand alone departments. Mr. Hayhurst indicated that it was a unique situation, in that if there was a normal process, there would probably be more issues between the two unrelated functions; but because of the background in Recreation there was a unique overlap in expertise which pulled the programs together and allowed them to function appropriately. He indicated that if that situation changed, he would consider recommending a split of the two deparhnents. Councilman Buckley addressed customer service and the situation if someone doesn't know who to ask or what to ask for, they would not receive good service. Mayor Pro Tem Schiffner indicated if someone knows the right question, they will find the right person, but staff needed enough knowledge to provide direction. Mr. Hayhurst concurred with that interpretation and indicated that the City had some really good people, who might need more cross training and customer service training, so they could refer the public appropriately. There was general discussion between the Council and Mr. Hayhwst concerning the impact of customer service. Mr. Hayhurst addressed Police and Fire Services, noting that it was a matter of getting what you pay for. He noted that issues were raised regazding response PAGE THIRTEEN - CITY COUNCIL MINUTES - FEBRUARY 18, 2003 tunes, but they did not look at response time records. He fiirther noted that there were issues bf Council being informed of situations in an appropriate and timely manner; and indicated that he heard both good and bad comments in that azea. He noted that the issue of the Police Station being closed at various times also came up, but indicated that many cities closed the Police Station at night. He clarified that the service was not analyzed because it was provided by contract. Mayor Pro Tem Schiffner commented that the arrangement with the Police Department was still better than in some smaller cities. He noted the constant level of contact with those on duty. Councilman Hickman commented that one had to pray to get through the phone system in Riverside. Mr. Hayhurst indicated that this completed his comments on the Process Audit portion of the study and suggested he next address the Classification Issues. Chris Hyland, 15191 Wavecrest Drive, indicated that she went to 75 cities and got their salary information for cities ranging from 25,000 to over 300,000 plus. She indicated that she investigated the 12 top management offices. She noted that very few cities have Community Services Directors and Managers; and a lot of cities had elected City Clerks. She indicated that the information she received was quite interesting and noted that she was not a novice with regard to personnel and community relations. She noted that cities which were more solvent were laying off, instead of hiring. Mr. Hayhurst indicated that some of the information was shazed with him when he interviewed Mrs. Hyland. Mrs. Hyland indicated that she would have more comments when the compensation comes back. Councilman Buckley noted that the classification material was, for the most part, boilerplate material. Mr. Hayhurst confirmed that it was fairly standard in the language, the reflection of the levels of the organization, and the federal government formatting requirements; however within that individual posidons was more directed. Mayor Pro Tem Schiffner noted the recommended changes in titles which were more standardized. Mr. Hayhurst confirmed and explained the changes in the industry; noting that they tried to stay in the middle of the titles being used, to stay consistent on the compensation side. Mayor Brinley si.iminazized that the issues in the study were the need for more customer service orientation, cross-training, review of economic development and the possibility of hiring someone for economic development and additional staff for Community Development. She noted that some changes had already been initiated. She commented that the intent would be to make walking into City Hall more user friendly with forms and permits available to the public. Mr. Hayhurst PAGE FOURTEEN - CITY COUNCIL MINUTES - FEBRUARY 18, 2003 confirmed and noted that his intent was to keep his recommendations for staffing at a minimum, and keep the recommendations cost effective. MOVED BY SCHIFFNER, SECONDED BY BRINLEY TO DIRECT STAFF TO GO THROUGH THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND GET BACK TO COUNCIL WITH THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPLEMENTATION AND COST FACTORS. Councilman Buckley indicated with regard to compensation, the 10 cities suggested seemed about right, but he was leery about using Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District. Mayor Pro Tem Schiffner clazified that his pending motion was not related to compensation. Councilman Hickman noted that the City had started to make some of the proposed changes, and questioned the need for the motion. Mayor Pro Tem Schiffner indicated that he needed to know staffls thinking on implementation of the recommendations. Councilman Hickman suggested that the City Council should discuss what they consider important. City Manager Watenpaugh noted that staff was in the process of prepazing responses to all of the recommendations, and indicated that some would come back with the mid-yeaz budget review, as most were a matter of dollars and cents. MAYOR PRO TEM SCHIFFNER CALLED FOR THE QUESTION. THE FOREGOING MOTION FAILED TO CARRY BY A VOTE OF 2 TO 2 WITH BUCKLEY AND HICKMAN CASTING THE DISSENTING VOTES. Councilman Hickman indicated that the motion was a waste of time. Councilman Buckley suggested that the motion was premature. There was general discussion of the motion. City Manager Watenpaugh clarified that the process was to outline the Process Audit and Classificadon Studies for review, and following that the Council could agree or change the materials. Mayor Pro Tem Schiffner commented that he does not know the costs or difficulty for implementation for them. He indicated that he would like to see staff plan to accomplish most of those goals. City Manager Watenpaugh indicated that staff could provide that information, but Mr. Hayhurst was requesting direction to proceed to the next step. PAGE FIFTEEN - CITY COUNCIL MINUTES - FEBRUARY 18, 2003 Mr. Hayhurst indicated that from the CounciPs standpoint, the Process Audit gave some recommendations that he would not expect to be implemented immediately, as it impacted some azeas fairly heavily. He indicated that if the Council had any concerns with the Classification Plan, he would like to lrnow those issues because the next phase is where they gather data from the labor market, so they want to be sure they aze not just comparing titles. He further indicated that from a Classification standpoint, they had interviewed the employees, reviewed the information with management and believe they have presented the final classification plan. Mayor Pro Tem Schiffner noted that he had some difficulty in making a determination based on what might or might not be done. Mr. Hayhurst indicated that the information was not dependent on the changes included in the report, as they had allowed for growth if the City wanted to do so, and the classifications aze not contingent on the proposals. Councilman Buckley addressed the use of EVMWD information and the compensation elements; and questioned if the demographics and pay of the City should not be included. Mr. Hayhurst indicated that there were two components to the compensation system., one being an understanding of the labor mazket and demographics. He further indicated that it was also an issue of the general area which might draw employees, and from that standpoint it was impossible to ignore EVMWD or Murrieta. He explained that the second portion was one of policy direcrion for the community, which deternunes what was an appropriate place for the community to be in the labor market. Councilman Buckley noted the position of the staff in compazison to other living inthe community. Mr. Hayhurst indicated that would be based on the Council decision about where to place itself in light of the labor market. He clarified that if a community was in the low income bracket, they could say that they couldn't pay at the median or the mean of the community; but in a high end community, they might say they want to be in the top quartile to bring the highest quality employees. He indicated that it was also a determination of what was appropriate for the community. Councilman Buckley addressed ongoing discussion about staffing theory, with one side being to pay more to keep people longer, vs. grabbing younger employees who will move on. Mr. Hayhurst indicated he would never use younger as it was an age based decision, but that was a decision for the Council to make. He noted that he had a community as a client that decided to keep staffing low and salary high and they set their guideline at 30% above the market, with the understanding that it limits recruitment and increases turnover. There was general discussion of hiring and recruitment theories. MOVED BY BUCKLEY, SECONDED BY ffiCKMAN TO RECEIVE AND FILE THE REPORT AND MOVE ON WITH COMPLETION OF THE STUDY BASED PAGE SIXTEEN - CITY COUNCIL MINUTES - FEBRUARY 18, 2003 ON THE EXISTING CLASSIFICATION PLAN AND PROPOSED CITIES, WITH THE ADDITION OF INFORMATION ON THE CITY ATTORNEY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MANAGER; AND DIRECTING STAFF TO PULL OUT THE FINDINGS, AND RETURN WITH MORE INFORMATION FOR POSSIBLE ACTION. Mr. Hayhurst indicated that the Economic Development Manager was already recommended and would be included in the study. City Manager Watenpaugh indicated that Mr. Hayhurst was still looking for direction on cities to survey and the range in which to place the City for this survey. Mr. Hayhurst indicated that at this point, he was not interest in Council's direction on where it fits, as more discussion was needed and there would be more latitude when he brings the information back. There was general discussion on the possible ranges. THE FOREGOING MOTION CARRIED BY A VOTE OF 3 TO 1, WITH SCHIFFNER CASTING THE DISSENTING VOTE. Mayor Pro Tem Schiffner indicated that he was primarily interested in finding out what the City would haue to pay to hire employees in the needed classifications. He indicated that he didn't believe it was just t he local azea, but an appropriate mazket azea: He indicated that the Water District was relevant to review, as they have some of the same classifications, and the City has to compete with them. He expressed concem with the misunderstanding that because it is a smaller City, we should pay less; and indicated that he was interested in seeing what it takes to hire qualified people for those levels. Mr. Hayhurst thanked Council for their attention and comments. He indicated that they would move forward with information gathering, which had already been started due to the meeting setback. ADJOURNMENT THE SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING WAS ADJOURNED AT 4:10 P.M. ATTEST: ~~~-tJl VICHI KASAD, CMC, CITY CLERK/ HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR CITY OF LAKE ELSINORE ., ~AMELi1 B~LEY;MAYOR CITY OF LA ELSINORE ~