Memorandum
City of Lawrence
City Manager’s Office
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TO: |
Diane Stoddard, Interim City Manager |
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CC: |
Brandon McGuire, Assistant to the City Manager |
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FROM: |
Casey Toomay, Assistant City Manager |
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DATE: |
June 15, 2015 |
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RE: |
Additional Staffing Requests for 2016 Budget – General Fund |
Resource limitations in recent years have resulted in vacant positions being eliminated or department restricting. As a result, there are staffing needs in many departments. The following requests were included in the department’s General Operating Fund requests for 2016. Funding for these positions has not be added to the 2016 budget however.
· Informational Technology
GIS Analyst. Since 2007, the City support for GIS has gone from six FTEs to two. GIS work has been absorbed by the City’s GIS Coordinator. Departments have eliminated their GIS positions due to lack of resources, however, the number of departments relying on use of GIS data has increased. It is becoming difficult to keep hundreds of layers of data up to date. This position was also included in the Public Works budget request. The estimated cost of this additional technical position (including benefits) in 2016 is $61,100.
Administrative Support III Position. The department lacks administrative support, resulting in more costly management resources being utilized on administrative tasks. The estimated cost of this administrative position (including benefits) in 2016 is $44,230.
Telecommunications/ VoIP Specialist. This position was eliminated due to revenue constraints in 2008. The responsibilities of this position are now split between three other IT positions, reducing their productivity as business systems analysts. The estimated cost of this technical position (including benefits) is $76,630 in 2016.
· City Attorney’s Office
Municipal Court Prosecutor. Staffing levels in the prosecutor’s office, of two prosecutors and two legal assistants, has remained the same since 2000 despite increased workload. The number of sworn officers has increased by nine since 2012. The prosecutors have also made an increased effort to keep victims apprised of case updates and accommodated an expanded docket schedule. Additional staff would help the prosecutors handle the high caseload, maintain a high level of customer serve and commit more time to trial preparation. The estimated cost for the first year of this position (including benefits) is $76,625 in 2016.
Administrative Support III Position. As mentioned above, the administrative support for the prosecutor’s office has remained unchanged since 2000. Even without an additional prosecutor, an additional support position would help with the increased workload in the office. If an additional prosecutor is added, an administrative position is critical. The estimated cost of this administrative position (including benefits) in 2016 is $44,230.
· Fire Medical
Firefighters. Currently, the department is not adequately staffed to assemble enough firefighters at two simultaneous structure fires to provide interior search and fire suppression. In addition, it is frequently necessary to pay overtime to provide sufficient staffing levels on any given shift. Three additional FTEs would provide an additional firefighter per shift. The estimated cost of these positions (including benefits) is $125,086 in 2016.
· Police
Investigations. The staffing levels in the Investigations division have remained flat for the past decade despite the increased complexity of the workload of detectives. Additional staff would create an evening shift for Investigations, which would greatly increase the Department’s ability to continue to work complex cases and to do so more effectively during the hours that many occur. In addition, the detectives could begin to work in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Unit to take on proactive investigations of known violent crime offenders. The total estimated cost for the first year (including wages, benefits, and equipment) is $1,220,649 in 2016 as follows:
1 sergeant x $132,092/ position (salary, benefits, and outfitting)
6 detectives x $119,007/position (salary, benefits, and outfitting)
2 officers x $73,429/ position (salary, benefits, and outfitting)
1 administrative support position x $58,737/ position (salary, benefits, and outfitting)
5 vehicles x $33,700 (vehicle, radio, lights/siren)
· Public Works
GIS Analyst. As mentioned above, the City support for GIS has gone from six FTEs to two. GIS work has been absorbed by the City’s GIS Coordinator. Departments have eliminated their GIS positions due to lack of resources, however, the number of departments relying on use of GIS data has increased. It is becoming difficult to keep hundreds of layers of data up to date. This position was also included in the Information Technology budget request. The estimated cost of this additional technical position (including benefits) in 2016 is $61,100.
Fiber Tech/ R/W Manager. Currently, the City has limited resources to maintain its fiber infrastructure requiring most duties to be contracted out. With a growing fiber infrastructure system the need for a Fiber Tech is necessary to keep up with maintenance of existing and installation of new fiber infrastructure. The estimated cost of this position (including benefits and additional equipment) in 2016 would be $95,000.
· Parks and Recreation
Forestry. In 2016 it is anticipated that we will begin to see the effects of the Emerald Ash Borer. This insect will kill approximately 2,500 ash trees in Lawrence over the next 3-4 years. The Forestry crew needs to grow from 3 to 4 positions to allow us two crews on the street to remove and prune trees. The estimated cost of the first year of this position (including benefits) is $45,000 in 2016.
Parks Maintenance. Seven full-time maintenance positions have been eliminated since 2007. Reinstating two of these positions would allow the department to better keep up with increased maintenance responsibilities (new round-a-bouts, parkways, trails, and landscaped medians, Lawrence VenturePark.) The estimated first year cost of these positions (including benefits) would be $90,000 in 2016.
· City Manager’s Office.
Communications Specialist. In early 2015, the City Manager authorized two part-time, temporary positions as Communications Specialists. This additional staff has immensely increased the city’s ability to communicate with the public and vastly expand our digital and social media resources for public information and promotion of city services, programs and events. Making one of these part-time positions a full-time position would allow for even more services in these areas. The city is also considering options for the Convention and Visitors Bureau and additional resources for that operation could be utilized partially for city needs and CVB needs. The position could be funded in part with TGT funds based on job roles and responsibilities. The estimated cost of this position (including benefits) would be $53,900 in 2016.
Management Analyst in Human Resources. The Human Resources division is restricting their existing staffing. An additional .25 FTE would increase the division’s capacity for software administration and implementation related to payroll, job applications, and employee communication list serves. The estimated cost for this position is $21,680 in 2016.
Human Resources Specialist. Currently, departments are responsible for the initial screening of job applications for job openings. An additional position in HR would allow for centralization of the City’s application screening process, which would be more efficient. Additionally, this position would be responsible for the recruitment of parks and recreation seasonal positions. The estimated cost of this position is $61,000 in 2016.
In addition to general fund staffing requests, departments also requested the following staffing funded from other sources.
· Water and Wastewater
Utility Operators. To ensure operational readiness for the new Wakarusa River Wastewater Treatment Plant (Wakarusa WWTP) two Utility Operator positions are needed. The estimated cost of these positions (including benefits and related costs such as computers, uniforms, training and equipment) would be $120,000 in 2016.
· Parking
Parking Maintenance. With the opening of a third parking garage an additional entry level maintenance worker is needed to keep up with trash collection, painting, and maintenance in the three parking structures. The estimated cost of this position (including benefits) would be $43,290 in 2016.