Authorization to Approve a Restructure in Administrative Services

The purpose of this case is to seek City Council approval to restructure the Administrative Services Department by promoting (appointing) the Deputy City Clerk to City Clerk and the Planning Division Administrative Assistant to the new position of Human Resources Specialist. 

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 became the City Clerk.  At that time, Ms. Lasher expressed concerns that it may be too much for one person to take on.  However, at that time, the workload was less in all roles covered by Ms. Lasher.  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 continue.

Ms. Lasher respectfully requests to have the City Clerk role eliminated from her responsibilities - see attached Administrative Services Director Summary page; City Administrator Hagen supports this request.  The City's Deputy City Clerk, Ms. Katie Schmidt, is fully trained and recommended for promotion (appointment) to City Clerk.  

Additionally, Human Resources is significantly understaffed.  The current employees (Colleen Lasher, Sue Hurd and some HR 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 vacation, in the evening and on weekends.  The 2023 budget proposed 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, train in her replacement and start her work as the new Human Resources Specialist.  The Human Resources Specialist role will perform the following duties: 

• 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

The 2022 funding required to promote (appoint) the Deputy City Clerk to City Clerk is $8,275.  The funding required to promote the part-time Planning Division Administrative Assistant to full-time Human Resources Specialist is $34,644.  The funding will come from the savings incurred from two vacancies, the former City Administrator and the former Zoning Code Enforcement Officer.

To promote (appoint) Katie Schmidt from Deputy City Clerk to City Clerk and to promote Nicole Laubach from part-time Planning Division Administrative Assistant to full-time Human Resources Specialist, both effective July 1, 2022.  

Motion to remove City Clerk role from the Administrative Services Director position, promote (appoint) Katie Schmidt from Deputy City Clerk to City Clerk at step one of the 2022 wage scale which is $38.02 and to promote Nicole Laubach from part-time Planning Division Administrative Assistant to full-time Human Resources Specialist at step one of the 2022 wage scale, which is $26.50, effective July 1, 2022.