HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution No. 2023-16KENAI
CITY OF KENAI
RESOLUTION NO. 2023-16
Sponsored by: Administration
A RESOLUTION AMENDING THE EMPLOYEE CLASSIFICATION PLAN BY REMOVING THE DATA
ENTRY CLERK, CONSOLIDATING THE MEALS DRIVER AND DRIVER CLASSES, AND ADJUSTING
THE RANGES OF DRIVER, KITCHEN ASSISTANT, AND COOK POSITIONS AT THE KENAI SENIOR
CENTER.
WHEREAS, Ordinance 3269-2022 adopted the annual budget, salary schedule, and employee
classification plan for the City's Fiscal Year 2023; and,
WHEREAS, the FY2023 annual budget includes current employee classifications and ranges for multiple
positions at the Kenai Senior Center, including Driver, Meals Driver, Data Entry Clerk, Kitchen Assistant,
and Cook; and,
WHEREAS, consolidation of the Meals Driver and Driver positions into a single Driver class and
reallocation of the Data Entry Clerk to a Driver position provides for an additional Driver and improves
efficiency and organizational flexibility at the Kenai Senior Center; and,
WHEREAS, a position description was drafted to consolidate the Meals Driver, assigned at a range 1 in
the City's Classification Plan and Driver position, assigned at range 6, into a single Driver class; and,
WHEREAS, as part of the FY24 budget process, Human Resources reviewed requests for
reclassification of comparable positions at the Senior Center, including the Kitchen Assistant and Cook
classes to ensure appropriate compensation; and,
WHEREAS, to fairly reflect the differences in duties and responsibilities related to compensation for
comparable positions in other places of public employment, and to meet the City's objective to provide
an appropriate compensation structure to recruit and retain competent employees, an amendment to the
range for the combined Driver position from range 1 to range 4, the Kitchen Assistant from range 2 to
range 4, and the Cook from range 6 to range 8 is warranted; and,
WHEREAS, these proposed amendments will result in an increase to the FY23 budget of $4,950; and, if
a similar staffing allocation were approved through the FY24 budget process, would result in an estimated
increase of $14,300 in the Senior Citizens Fund beginning in FY24; and,
WHEREAS, due to an increase in grant funding at the Senior Center, supplemental funding is available
in the Senior Citizens Fund budget to cover the costs of the proposed amendments in FY23; and,
WHEREAS, this amendment ensures that the employee classifications and ranges for multiple Kenai
Senior Center positions accurately reflect the duties and responsibilities of the positions comparable to
other positions within the City and is adequate to recruit and retain qualified employees.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF KENAI, ALASKA:
Section 1. The Council amends the Employee Classification Plan by amending the titles and ranges
of Kenai Senior Center employee classes as follows:
(E) General Services
New Text Underlined; [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]
Resolution No. 2023-16
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502
503
504
505
506
508
509
511
[512
512
Assistant Parks & Recreation Director
19
Recreation Center Worker
3
Parks and Recreation Maintenance Technician
14
Parks and Recreation Laborer
6
Cook
[6]8
[MEALS] Driver
[6]4
Kitchen Assistant
[2]4
Janitor
3
DATA ENTRY CLERK
1
DRIVER
1]
Section 2. That this resolution takes effect immediately upon passage.
PASSED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF KENAI, ALASKA, THIS 1ST DAY OF MARCH, 2023.
ATTEST:
Michel n r, MMC, City Clerk
Approved by Finance / /
Brian Gabriel Sr., Mayor
New Text Underlined; [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]
KENAI
City of Kenai 1 210 Fidalgo Ave, Kenai, AK 99611-7794 1907.283.7535 1 www.kenaixity
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor Gabriel and Council Members
THROUGH: Terry Eubank, City Manager
FROM: Christine Cunningham, Acting Human Resources Director
Kathy Romain, Senior Center Director
DATE: February 14, 2023
SUBJECT: Resolution 2023-16 — Amending Senior Center Employee Classifications
This resolution requests that City Council amend the City's Classification Plan to make changes
to multiple positions at the Kenai Senior Center, including the removal of the Data Entry Clerk
position, which is currently vacant, consolidating two driving classes that have substantially similar
duties, and amending the ranges of these positions to allow the City to recruit two Driver positions.
The part-time (14-hour) Data Entry Clerk and one of the part-time (14-hour) Driver positions
became vacant in December 2022. Since that time, existing staff at the Senior Center have
performed the duties of these positions. The Senior Center is not able to utilize volunteers to do
the same type of work that would otherwise be performed by employees.
The Senior Center Director worked with Human Resources to recommend a proposed change to
consolidate the Meals Driver and Driver positions into a single Driver class and reallocate the
Data Entry Clerk to a Driver position, with the duties of the Data Entry Clerk to be permanently
reassigned to Administrative Assistant II and Administrative Assistant III positions. This proposed
change would benefit the City by improving workload distribution and allowing for greater
opportunities for cross -training, replacement planning, and flexibility in staffing within the Senior
Center.
The Meals Driver's primary responsibility is delivering meals to client homes. The Driver's primary
responsibility is to transport clients. Both positions occasionally cover each other's duties and are
substantially similar in their essential duties and minimum requirements, except that the Meals
Driver position requires a certified food handler's card. The Senior Center is currently authorized
to staff one Data Entry Clerk and four part-time Driver positions as follows:
Data Entry Clerk (14-Hour) Range 1 (starting pay $13.30 per hour)
Meals Driver (14-Hour) Range 6 (starting pay $16.99 per hour)
Meals Driver (20-Hour) Range 6 (starting pay $16.99 per hour)
Driver (14-Hour) Range 1 (starting pay $13.30 per hour)
Driver (14-Hour) Range 1 (starting pay $13.30 per hour)
The proposed combined Driver position description was reviewed, scored, and placed alongside
comparable City positions. However, the City's job evaluation system is less effective for part-
time or lower -paid positions that key off minimum wage. The Driver position is similar to positions
in other communities, although comparable data is limited. Regional differences are not included
and comparison communities do not have a similar government structure. The City has
experienced unusual difficulty in recruitment of the lower -paid Driver position as compared to the
higher -paid Meals Driver position. To fairly reflect the differences in duties and responsibilities
within the City's Classification Plan related to compensation for comparable positions in other
places of public employment and to meet the City's objective to provide an appropriate
compensation structure to recruit and retain an adequate supply of competent employees,
classification of the consolidated Driver position at range 4 (starting pay $15.40 per hour) is
appropriate.
As part of the evaluation of the Driver positions, the Kitchen Assistant and Cook positions were
referenced as City positions that received comparable scoring; however, the Kitchen Assistant is
currently classified at a range below positions which received higher points in the job evaluation,
and the Cook position is classified at a range with positions that score substantially lower. If the
recommendation to consolidate and reclassify the Driver positions is approved, the disparity in
compensation with duties and responsibilities for these positions would further increase within the
City's Classification Plan. Both the City's current and proposed compensation structure and
related compensation for comparable positions in other places of public employment support a
reclassification of these positions to a higher range.
The following amendment to the Classification Plan is recommended (New Text Underlined;
[DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]):
(E) General Services
502
Assistant Parks & Recreation Director
19
503
Recreation Center Worker
3
504
Parks and Recreation Maintenance Technician
14
505
Parks and Recreation Laborer
6
506
Cook
[6]8
508
[MEALS] Driver
[6]4
509
Kitchen Assistant
[2]4
511
Janitor
3
1512
DATA ENTRY CLERK
1
512
DRIVER
1]
If approved, these changes would affect existing employees at the Senior Center. In recognition
of the experience and longevity of existing employees, it is recommended that employees who
are now at a higher range than the proposed range retain their current step and range (e.g., an
employee at 6E would stay at 6E and be eligible for step increases and longevity at their current
range), and if an existing employee is at a step lower than the proposed range, it is recommended
the employee would move to the proposed range and keep their current step (e.g., an employee
at 1B would move to 4B). Any new employee would be hired at the minimum step of the new
range.
The proposed changes represent a reclassification and not the creation of a new position nor the
removal of a classification of employees participating in PERS. The Data Entry Clerk position is
ineligible for benefits and is not eligible for participation in PERS. Only one of the Driver positions
is regularly scheduled to work more than 14 hours and is therefore eligible for benefits on a
proportional basis and PERS participation. The City may amend or enhance the duties of non-
participating positions but may not remove or terminate a participating class of employees, or it
would result in a termination study.
Typically, requests for reclassification are reviewed as part of the City's budget process and
become effective upon enactment by City Council of the ordinance adopting a budget for the
following fiscal year, but they may also be adopted by resolution. Based on the immediate need
for drivers at the Senior Center, the Senior Center Director worked with Human Resources and
Finance to identify funding to support reclassification in FY23. The proposed changes would result
in an increase to the FY23 budget of $4,950 and, due to an increase in grant funding at the Senior
Center, supplemental funding is available in the Senior Citizens Fund budget to cover the increase
in FY23. If similar staffing levels are approved as part of the FY24 budget, it would result in an
increase of $14,300 to the Senior Citizens Fund beginning in FY24.
If approved, the Senior Center can begin recruitment to fill two Driver positions immediately.
Your consideration is appreciated.
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