HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Packets - 1999/07/26 (2)Items Discussed
Per Consensus
1. Review of Assistant to City Administrator Options
2. Special Work Session regarding Year 2000 Budget Priorities.
C:\JOANB\AGENDAS\7-26-99.WS
Item No.
Type of Business: WK
WK: Work Session; PH: Public Hearing,
CA: Consent Agenda; CB: Council Business
City of Mounds View Staff Report
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Chuck Whiting
Item Title/Subject: Hiring Alternatives
Date of Report: July 22, 1999
At the direction of the City Council, the City Administrator and Department Heads met to
discuss various options to fill the Assistant to the City Administrator position. The attached
pages list some of the current duties of the position. After analyzing the duties and
responsibilities, the following top three suggestions were raised at this meeting:
1. Assistant to the City Administrator
This option would entail hiring the exact position that is now in place. The duties would
remain the same, as would the salary schedule. This position would not be at department head
level, and would report directly to the City Administrator. All aspects of the position would
remain the same.
2. Administrative Services Specialist
This option would entail re -titling the position to something along the lines of
"Administrative Services Specialist." Some concern was expressed that the title of "Assistant to
the Administrator" or "Assistant Administrator" would draw applicants that would more likely
be using the position as a stepping stone-- to get to the position of Administrator. The title of
Administrative Services Specialist may draw a different group of individuals. The
responsibilities would remain largely the same, with a few duties given to other current
employees (phone system, Y2K etc.)
3. Re -delegating of Duties
An option that builds off the first two would be elevating a current staff person to the
position of assistant and then fill the new vacated position. I would prefer to go through an
interview process regardless for the assistant position, but if a current employee's skills can be
utilized and follows their career interest, this could be a viable option. It may also be possible
when viewing the vacated position as to the skill level and pay needed to refill that position.
4. Assistant City Administrator
This option made sense to me when it was proposed to the Council in March due to the
people I had at that time. The staffing levels and administrative work that existed to me
warranted the consideration, however, I do not rank this as a high priority at this time. I am more
comfortable finding either an individual motivated to develop their career path that would
provide me with capable administrative support, or someone that may view this as a culmination
of a career that is equally capable and may stay. My perspective is that the person must be viable
for the position and provide a suitable cost return for the city. Again, I still feel that return was
there three months ago. Not knowing who will be available to fill the position now makes me
less inclined to bankroll the position. In other words, if an assistant to the administrator is found
to be capable, the choice can always be made to advance the individual. If the hire turns out to
be less than that, the option is not created, or if the ACA position is determined to be necessary
regardless, the assistant at that time can compete for the position.
5. Internships
Having interned twice early in my own career, I am in favor of utilizing them, but I do
not see this as practical for this position. I expect to be able to find individuals with practical
experience that would be helpful and that I can rely on. While interns can be very good, I do not
consider myself to be in an environment that allows time for the development I would expect an
intern to need to be of help to me. The last intern that worked here was paid roughly $20,000 a
year. For that money, twice as much for someone with more experience would be a better buy.
For less than that, I would expect longevity in terms of months rather than years considering the
job environment that exists.
In conclusion, the Council may simply want to give more consideration to just what it wants
from the city administrator position. I propose the first option only because the work load
expectations seem generally to have been met with the existing formula. While typically there
seems to be more that either is expected, or more that can be done, my own effectiveness has to
be part of the equation. I do not believe that issue has been concluded necessarily by the
Council, which still has much discussion left to determine your own direction for city
government. In the over three years I have been here, the direction to reduce personnel or seek
efficiencies that result in those reductions have been brought before the Council with the
accompanying requests for direction staff feels will correspond to service levels. This is again
the case here, only this time I intend to be far more pressing about getting an answer if my job
performance is to be tied to this decision.
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