Discuss Immediate Administrative Services and Community Development Staffing Needs

The purpose of this discussion is to receive feedback from the City Council as to how to proceed with current staffing tasks as well as near term future needs. 

With the appointment of Brian Hagen this evening to City Administrator, the City currently has the following vacancies: 

1. Deputy City Administrator/Community Development Director
2. Assistant Finance Director (to be replaced by promotion followed by back filling the Accounting Clerk position)
3. Communications and Events Coordinator
4. Streets Maintenance Worker - no discussion needed
5. Building Inspector - no discussion needed
6. 7 Month PW Seasonal Employee - no discussion needed 
7. Summer and Fall Seasonal Employees - no discussion needed 
8. If the proposal to add a Human Resources Specialist is approved, there will be a Planning Division Administrative Assistant vacancy
9. Patrol Officer shortage(s) - Future status is unknown at this time

The above listed recruitments do not include recruitments in their final stages.

Proposed Short Term Solutions to Current Vacancies

1. Deputy City Administrator/Community Development Director
   1. Recommendation to begin recruiting for a full-time Community Development Director
   2. Exclude the Deputy City Administrator role
   3. Utilize recruitment profile from 2021
2. Assistant Finance Director (to be replaced by promotion and backfilling the Accounting Clerk position)
   1. A recruitment is already underway for a full-time Accounting Clerk 
3. Communications and Events Coordinator
   1. Recommendation to begin recruitment for a full-time Communications Coordinator 
   2. Drop events from this role
   3. Add possible support to the City Administrator
   4. Will need to address Happy Days functions - see Happy Days section below
4. Streets Maintenance Worker
   1. Begin a recruitment for a full-time Streets Maintenance Worker
5. Building Inspector
   1. Begin recruitment as soon as possible.
6. 7 Month PW Seasonal Employee
   1. Continue recruiting efforts.
7. Summer and Fall Seasonal Employees
   1. Continue recruiting efforts 
   2. Consider process improvements to the hiring process approvals as per the City Attorney's approval, including revisions to the background testing - to be discussed
8. If the proposal to add a Human Resources Specialist is approved, there will be a Planning Division Administrative Assistant vacancy
9. Patrol Officer shortage(s) - Future status is unknown at this time

Immediate Restructure Needs in Administrative Services
Currently, Colleen Lasher, the Administrative Services Director, serves as the City's Human Resources Director, City Clerk, and Head of Administrative Services.  Each role, especially that of Human Resources Director, wears many hats - an overview of the Administrative Services Director's role and responsibilities is attached.  When the City's former City Clerk retired, Ms. Lasher was asked to become the City Clerk.  At that time, Ms. Lasher expressed concerns that it may be too much for one person to take on.  At that time, the workload was less in all roles covered by Ms. Lasher.  However, it has become overwhelmingly clear that this structure is not sustainable due to the volume of work that has occurred over the last two-plus years, and is expected to increase beyond what is occurring at this time.  Ms. Lasher respectfully requests to have the City Clerk role eliminated from her responsibilities - see attached Administrative Services Director Summary page; Interim City Administrator Hagen supports this decision.  The City's Deputy City Clerk, Ms. Katie Schmidt, is fully trained and recommended for promotion to City Clerk.  It should be noted that the City Clerk position is a substantially lower-paid position than both a Human Resources Director and an Administrative Services Director role and therefore would not result in savings on wages.  If this change is supported, it will be brought forward at the next City Council meeting for adoption. 

Additionally, Human Resources is significantly understaffed.  The current employees (Colleen Lasher, Sue Hurd and assistance from Katie Schmidt) are stressed well beyond what is healthy.  It is impossible for staff to keep up with the volume of work, even by making reductions to certain tasks. Nearly every aspect of HR has become more labor-intensive.  HR staff are working extra hours and putting in time while on their vacation days, in the evening and on weekends.  The 2023 budget proposes a new Human Resources Specialist position.  Staff is requesting to have that position authorized for hire immediately.  Staff recommends promoting Ms. Nicole Laubach from her current role as part-time Planning Division Administrative Assistant (also covering some HR and Happy Days functions at this time, with an additional 20 hours per week) to Human Resources Specialist.  As the Council may recall, Ms. Labauch was the 2021 Happy Days intern.  She has a Bachelor's degree in Business Management/Human Resources Management.  Staff proposes that initially, Ms. Laubach would split her role to oversee Happy Days processes, supplemented by others (see Happy Days section below).  If this position is approved, it will be brought forward for approval at the next regular meeting.  Below is a draft of the anticipated HR duties this position would perform:

 

• Processes employee new hire, open enrollment and year-round benefits, including updates to carriers and the Finance Department, and the like upon employee separations
• Prepares and submits salary surveys, benefits reporting, EEO reporting, 1095 reporting, OSHA Accident and Injury Logs, Medicare Part D Credible Coverage Report, and files annual PCORI fees, etc.
• Coordinates and tracks staff training and development, including monitoring employees’ progression through the Career Ladder program
• Coordinates and schedules quarterly Labor Management Committee and the Safety Committee meetings, including tracking member terms, minute taking and posting to the employee intranet site and Laserfiche
• Coordinates employee recognition program, appreciation events, employee engagement and wellness initiatives, including promotion of the City’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and Live Well/Work Well programming
• Communicates employee satisfaction and retention concerns to the Administrative Services Director or their designee
• Ensures the employee intranet site is up-to-date, including posting of required notices
• Completes employment verifications
• Researches union contract trends and provides cost effective recommendations
• Maintains personnel records including scanning documents to the appropriate categories of the personnel files, retaining files per the MNGDPA, and maintaining pay records and job descriptions
• Tracks probationary periods, anniversary dates and pay increases
• Provides overflow services to Administrative Services support team, including, but not limited to performing backup duties for the receptionist and elections support
• Performs other related functions as apparent or delegated

Direction Needed Regarding the Happy Days Festival
Staff would like the City Council to be aware that during the Happy Days season, the Communications and Events Coordinator and the Happy Days intern would spend up to 80 hours a week (in total) on Happy Days.  Staff is seeking City Council feedback regarding staffing for the Happy Days festival and potential changes to the itinerary.  Potential staffing assistance may be provided by the following sources:

1. Nicole Laubach will be the lead worker in charge of Happy Days work and work coordination. 
2. The part-time receptionist/secretary assigned to assist with Happy Days has not been hired yet.  Staff will be conducting interviews this week. When that position is filled, the employee will assist with Happy days - approximately 15 hours per week.
3. Staff requests Ms. Marla Martinez-Flynn be increased from 29 hours per week to 40 hours per week until the end of the year.  Ms. Martinez-Flynn's position is slated to become full-time in January 2023 to continue her work as a Recreational Specialist.  The additional hours added at this time would be dedicated to Happy Days duties - approximately 11 hours per week.
4. Staff will utilize Kathy Schmitz in Administrative Services - approximately 10 hours per week on non-agenda weeks.
5. Staff requests discretion in finding creative ways to staff this function. This could include finding viable candidates from the current receptionist / secretary recruitment file or other options to work on a temporary basis. 
6. Consider outsourcing some functions to a third party consultant.

Staff will be prepared to discuss this matter Tuesday evening. 

 

Up to 45 minutes

The funding required is unknown at the time of this writing.  Staff will do our best to arrive at an approximate funding need and present the findings as soon as possible. 

Colleen Lasher, Administrative Services Director
Diana Lund, Finance Director
Brian Hagen, Interim City Administrator
 

Based on discussion.