How to resolve AdBlock issue? CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council last week approved an update to the city’s purchasing program and voted to support an updated management class plan and salary schedule that creates two new administrative jobs for current staff.
Finance Director Alan Flora presented to the council the first reading of the ordinance updating the city’s purchasing system, to include the interlocal purchasing program, which had been raised at the previous meeting.
He said staff wanted to come back to this meeting to provide clarity to the public on purchasing system, which was accepted in 2006 and has certain exceptions to bidding
Mayor Bruno Sabatier asked if it gives the county better rates on products. Flora said yes it should, that’s the idea and participating businesses are willing to provide a better rate.
City Attorney Ryan Jones clarified that the program is not a way to circumvent state law.
The council approved the item 5-0 and set a second reading of July 12.
City Manager Greg Folsom also presented the updated management class plan and salary schedule.
His written report for the meeting explained, “While the financial condition of the City is much improved, there is still a limited tax base and many needed community services. This requires city administration to take on additional responsibilities in order to achieve the goals of the City’s Strategic Plan.
He explained that there are three employee bargaining units, while management staff are unrepresented.
The consumer price index is 2.4 percent, Folsom said the update proposed a 2-percent increase for management staff.
He said they also are planning a management staff reorganization.
“We’ve historically had an elected city clerk,” he said, but after voters approved a change four years ago, the city intends to move forward with an appointed city clerk this fall.
He said the plan is to create a combined Administrative Services director/city clerk position that will have expanded responsibilities that cover areas including human resources, management, marketing, the city’s Community Development Block Grant program and city facility rentals.
That new position will have a monthly salary range of $6,633.14 on the A step to $8,062.62 on the E step. On an annual basis, those steps range from $79,597.68 to $96,751.48, based on the new salary schedule.
Folsom also recommended removing the Community Development Department director from the schedule, as he’s been covering that job and sees no need for a freestanding position any time soon.
That Community Development director’s job responsibilities are proposed to be placed under the authority of the assistant city manager’s position, the creation of which was part of the new plan, Folsom said.
Finance Director Alan Flora is slated to take on that assistant city manager role, and will continue his finance duties. Folsom noted that Flora has experience both in finance and urban planning, so he will take on overseeing planning commission meetings and economic development.
The assistant city manager’s job has a monthly range of $8,465.76 to $10,290.16, or $101,589.12 to $123,482.21 annually, based on city documents.
Folsom said the city wouldn’t appoint anyone to the Administrative Services director-city clerk position until November, as it remains an elected position until then. Melissa Swanson, the current city clerk, is expected to take on that role.
Councilwoman Joyce Overton said she was nervous about the pay ranges for the new positions, and was concerned about them being sustainable.
Folsom said they had forecast those positions in the new budget, and believed the city can sustain them.
During the discussion, Folsom also pointed out that new businesses are coming into the city – bringing with them sales tax and other revenue – along with new cannabis revenue, none of which are reflected in the new fiscal year budget.
Councilman Phil Harris asked if salary steps for all positions will automatically adjust due to a mandated minimum wage increase. Folsom said the city’s minimum steps will have to be at least minimum wage, but they won’t cascade up the ladder.
Councilman Russell Cremer questioned if the new jobs will lead to increased efficiencies. “What are we getting for our buck?”
Folsom said responsibility was being transferred from some staffers to others in an effort on increase capacity.
Sabatier said the city has a lot of projects right now that are stuck on Folsom’s desk because he can’t do everything. “We’re asking a lot from you.”
He said he was excited to see more of a focus on Community Development as well as the assistant city manager position.
“I’m less worried about the bottom half of this sheet of paper as I am about the top half,” he said, referring to jobs on the lower end of the pay scale, such as kennel technicians for the city’s animal control department.
The kennel tech job earns a monthly range of $1,994.57 to $2,2424.41, or $23,934.84 to $29,092.95 annually, based on the salary schedule.
Sabatier said that the city needs to pay better if it wants to improve its animal control department. “There’s a lot that comes along with that job,” he said, adding he wanted to look at increasing that job in the near future with new anticipated city revenues.
Cremer agreed with Sabatier, explaining the city was competing with vineyards paying $15 an hour and the cannabis industry paying $20 an hour.
Harris also had concerns about the low pay, “There’s an enormous disparity between the top and the bottom of this sheet, and that’s a problem for me,” he said, explaining that it should weigh heavily on the thought process as the council looks at a living wage.
Overton said she wanted to analyze the city’s salaries, and Folsom said it would be a good thing to do at the midyear budget review.
The council would ultimately give unanimous approval to three motions, among them, the adoption of two resolutions, one amending the management/confidential employees classification and benefit plan and the second approving the job description and salary level for the Administrative Services director/city clerk, and also approving the city’s updated salary schedule.
Jones said there was no reportable action taken in the council’s closed session to discuss the continuing police chief recruitment process.
Folsom confirmed to Lake County News in recent weeks that the city has narrowed the search to one candidate who is going through the background process and is expected to be announced next week.
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