CITY OF BURBANK MANAGEMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT STAFF REPORT. Betsy McClinton, Management Services Director By: David Lasher, Administrative Analyst II

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1 CITY OF BURBANK MANAGEMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT STAFF REPORT DATE: May 16, 2017 TO: FROM: SUBJECT: Ron Davis, City Manager Betsy McClinton, Management Services Director By: David Lasher, Administrative Analyst II ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SALARIES AND CONFLICT OF INTEREST CODE DESIGNATION FOR THE CLASSIFICATIONS OF CIVIL ENGINEER-BWP, ELECTRICAL ENGINEER, JUNIOR ENGINEERING AIDE-BWP, AND SENIOR ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER AND APPROVAL OF THE CITYWIDE SALARY SCHEDULE RECOMMENDATION 1. Adopt a resolution of the Council of the City of Burbank prescribing the salary and Conflict of Interest Code Designation for the classification of Civil Engineer-BWP (Exhibit A); 2. Adopt a resolution of the Council of the City of Burbank prescribing the salary and Conflict of Interest Code Designation for the classification of Electrical Engineer (Exhibit B); 3. Adopt a resolution of the Council of the City of Burbank prescribing the salary and Conflict of Interest Code Designation for the classification of Junior Engineering Aide-BWP (Exhibit C); 4. Adopt a resolution of the Council of the City of Burbank prescribing the salary and Conflict of Interest Code Designation for the classification of Senior Environmental Engineer (Exhibit D); and 5. Adopt a resolution of the Council of the City of Burbank Approving a Citywide Salary Schedule (Exhibit E). BACKGROUND The Electrical Services, Power Supply, and Water Engineering Divisions of Burbank Water and Power (BWP) are tasked with providing vital consumer electricity and the delivery of clean water to residences and businesses alike in a safe, consistent, and economical manner. All residential and commercial customers rely on BWP s engineers for critical water and electrical production with attention paid to concern for the environment and consideration to federal, state, and local environmental regulations. Over the years, BWP engineering has helped utility rates remain among the lowest in the Southland, even as they provide the most reliable electric service in California and meet state mandates to lower greenhouse gas emissions. At this time, BWP has identified fundamental gaps in the levels of responsibility in the engineering series that impact their operations. These deficiencies have a current and ongoing negative effect that BWP proposes to remedy with the creation of four titles. Two of the establishments are found in the Electrical Services Division, one is in the Power Supply Division, and the last establishment is for the Water Engineering Division of BWP.

2 BWP is balancing the need for long-term retention and employee development among the engineering series with a focused effort to keep long-term staffing costs low. As such, BWP will use existing higher paid positions and either under fill or replace them with these establishments, to maintain a zero increase in staffing and a net zero increase in budgeted salary dollars. DISCUSSION Constantly seeking improvement, BWP analyzed their engineering staff and structure both internally, and of equal importance, compared it to that of other regional utilities that BWP competes with for qualified employees. As a result, the Department has determined that crucial gaps exist in the levels of employee responsibility (especially when it comes to project management responsibilities and supervisory roles). As engineers progress on a career ladder, especially in the civil and electrical engineering positions at BWP, their responsibilities increase with a focus on the size of the projects they administer, both in terms of scale and dollar amount. For example, an Electrical Engineering Assistant would manage individual components of projects with an estimated value of up to $500,000. In comparison, a Senior Electrical Engineer would manage a project with a value of up to $15,000,000 associated with the design of a complete substation and manage all aspects of the project (and not just the parts of a substation that the Assistant would be responsible for). The position above Assistant in both the Water and Electrical Engineering Divisions of BWP is Engineering Associate (Civil Engineering Associate in the Water Engineering Division and Electrical Engineering Associate in the Electrical Engineering Division). The Associate position in both divisions is impacted by the aforementioned gap in the career ladder. In terms of supervisory roles, Associates do not supervise, wherein a Senior Engineer has a substantial role with regard to supervision. Currently, the engineering series lacks a transitional role from Associate to Senior Engineer, from a non-supervisor to a supervisor. This has a negative impact on the Associate and the Division as a whole, in essence, creating a missing rung in the career ladder as described herein. The new establishments eliminate these gaps, especially when compared to other regional utilities, and aid retention, succession planning needs, and departmental goals. The establishments also encompass the progressive and growing responsibilities inherent in a growing utility. Staff went before the Civil Service Board (Board) on February 1, 2017, to establish the title and job specification for Junior Engineering Aide-BWP, Electrical Engineer, Civil Engineer-BWP, and Senior Environmental Engineer. Pursuant to Civil Service Rule 1, Section 4, the Board unanimously voted 4-0 to approve the establishments. Therefore, staff is seeking Council approval of the salaries and Conflict of Interest Code Designation for the classifications of Civil Engineer-BWP, Electrical Engineer, Junior Engineering Aide-BWP, and Senior Environmental Engineer. Following is a summary regarding the establishments and also the corresponding proposed salary range. Water Engineering and Electrical Services Division Establishments (Exhibits F-G, H-I) o Civil Engineer-BWP (Exhibit A) and Electrical Engineer (Exhibit B): BWP believes the current water engineering and electrical engineering series create poor transitional opportunities for intermediate engineers progressing to levels with increased project management and supervisory responsibilities. Other regional utilities have an 2

3 additional level to help transition intermediate engineers to the next level in the organization with markedly larger project management and supervisory responsibilities. Currently, there is not an intermediate level position at BWP where civil engineers and electrical engineers work independently in a professional capacity as project managers. In fact, since 2010, all Civil Engineers hired above the Associate level have been external hires due to this lack of a career progression ladder. The new classifications of Civil Engineer- BWP and Electrical Engineer, will expose engineers to added responsibility and valuable experience, and also allow engineers to develop skills necessary to manage projects and supervise others in an effective manner. These new positions will also have a positive impact on retention and succession planning. Transitional positions encompassing project management, together with design responsibilities, will make BWP competitive with other utilities where these gaps in progression do not exist. Conversely, the lack of exposure to advanced project management, supervisory experience, and hence a career progression increases the likelihood that Associates will leave the utility in search of intermediate roles at other utility providers that fill this career need. The absence of intermediate positions in the Water Engineering and Electrical Engineering divisions is therefore a detriment to the continued and future success of BWP. Staff is proposing the monthly salary range for the establishment of Civil Engineer-BWP be set at $7, to $9,380.35, which is 76% of the Principal Civil Engineer-BWP salary, thereby providing an efficient progression for the civil engineering-bwp series. Furthermore, the proposed monthly salary range for the establishment of Electrical Engineer is set at $7, to $10,001.39, which is 76% of the Principal Electrical Engineer and is in alignment with the existing salary ranges in the electrical engineering series. o Junior Engineering Aide-BWP (Exhibit C): Currently, the entry-level position in the engineering section of the Electrical Services Division is the Engineering Technician. While the Engineering Technician is currently viewed as an entry-level position, it still requires two years of college course work and two years of paraprofessional engineering experience. At this time, BWP desires to create a new, lower level entry position that would ideally be filled by an individual at the start of their career, studying mathematics, drafting, and related engineering studies. The current Engineering Technician performs their duties and also additional duties which are more commonly associated with entry Utility Aide positions found in regional utilities. For example, the Engineering Technician is expected to perform para-professional electrical engineering work, such as creating detailed design and construction drawings and specifications for material lists associated with adding to power system facilities. Despite these para-professional expectations and requirements, due to workload, they often have to spend time performing basic field checks for service, supporting field spotting of residential utility services, and meeting with contractors and homeowners to explain guidelines and regulations, which are all duties that are more appropriate for a non-professional entry-level Utility Aide s position. This new position would allow the Engineering Technician to focus on their primary responsibilities, while the Junior Engineering Aide-BWP would take on the truly entry level 3

4 tasks. Such tasks include, but are not limited to, field spotting residential utility services, helping customers identify and address (residential and commercial) equipment issues affecting service, assisting with load and power assessments, and using computer aided technology to create new maps and drawings. Staff is proposing the monthly salary range for the establishment of Junior Engineering Aide- BWP be set at $3, to $5, This salary range is reflective of entry level responsibilities within the Electrical Services Division and is in alignment with industry standards. Power Supply Division Establishment (Exhibits J-K) o Senior Environmental Engineer (Exhibit D): There is presently one Environmental and Safety Manager position in the Power Supply Division of BWP. This position was created in 2007 with the intent to manage environmental regulations affecting the utility, address safety concerns and procedures, and manage the nexus of these two areas of focus. For example, the development of Best Management Practices for the safe storage of chemicals used by BWP was the responsibility of the Environmental and Safety Manager, as it impacted both environmental and safety regulations. Since 2011, this manager s role has focused on the increasingly complex array of environmental regulations affecting all businesses and industries, but especially utilities. BWP operates four power plants on site within a 24/7 schedule which requires exacting compliance with a myriad of environmental regulations including air emissions, water, noise, chemical and material handling. Given the current atmosphere for environmental regulation and regulatory compliance, that of growing state and federal regulations, BWP identified the need to establish the new position of Senior Environmental Engineer. This new position differentiates itself from the Environmental and Safety Manager position by requiring a technically oriented engineering background with a more focused proactive stance towards the regulatory environment. This creates the opportunity for the engineer to work with those of a similar background in the regulatory agencies in advance of new regulations, as opposed to simply complying with them. The complexities associated with implementation of these regulations and the fact that those who represent the regulatory agencies are themselves of a technical background necessitates that this position be one of an engineer. Staff is proposing the monthly salary range for the establishment of Senior Environmental Engineer be set at $9, to $11, This salary range is reflective of industry standards and is in alignment with the new environmental engineering series. For the establishments referenced in this report, the Civil Service, Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), City s Conflict of Interest Code, and bargaining group representation status are outlined on the chart below: Classification Civil Service FLSA Conflict of Bargaining Interest Code Group Junior Engineering Aide-BWP Non-Exempt Non-Exempt No BCEA Electrical Engineer Non-Exempt Exempt Yes BMA Civil Engineer-BWP Non-Exempt Exempt Yes BMA Senior Environmental Engineer Non-Exempt Exempt Yes BMA BMA Burbank Management Association, BCEA Burbank City Employees Association 4

5 Finally, in accordance with Government Code Section and California Code of Regulations Section 570.5, the California Public Employee s Retirement System (CalPERS) requires public agencies to post a publicly available salary schedule that is approved by the City Council at a public meeting in order for CalPERS to determine earnable compensation. Therefore, staff is requesting the City Council adopt an updated salary schedule which includes the proposed salary for Junior Engineering Aide-BWP, Electrical Engineer, Civil Engineer-BWP, and Senior Environmental Engineer. FISCAL IMPACT As previously mentioned staff will use existing higher paid positions and either under fill or replace them with these establishments, creating a net zero increase in staffed positions and a zero increase in budget salary dollars. Therefore, there is no fiscal impact to the General Fund or BWP enterprise funds associated with the adoption of these resolutions. CONCLUSION The proposed establishment of the salaries for the classifications of Civil Engineer-BWP, Electrical Engineer, Junior Engineering Aide-BWP, and Senior Environmental Engineer meet the current and ongoing needs of the Department. Furthermore, these positions will have a positive impact on the community of businesses and residences that BWP serves, improve environmental and safety compliance citywide, and otherwise improve BWP s overall operations. Therefore, staff recommends the City Council adopt the resolutions attached to this report. EXHIBITS A. Resolution for the classification of Civil Engineer-BWP B. Resolution for the classification of Electrical Engineer C. Resolution for the classification of Junior Engineering Aide-BWP D. Resolution for the classification of Senior Environmental Engineer E. Resolution approving the Citywide Salary Schedule F. Current Organization Chart for the Water Engineering Division G. Proposed Organization Chart for the Water Engineering Division H. Current Organization Chart for the Electrical Services Division I. Proposed Organization Chart for the Electrical Services Division J. Current Organization Chart for the Power Supply Division K. Proposed Organization Chart for the Power Supply Division 5