SR 05:323 - Laserfiche WebLink

Council and staff an opportunity to discuss the City's pay and compensation structure in a meaningful and constructive manner, raise concerns, and receive public comment (pro and con). Staff would also highlight the strengths and weakness of potential statewide reform initiatives currently under consideration. Given the Council's existing workload, the earliest timeframe for hosting such a workshop would be in late-January or early- February. The meeting would be televised on ClV-30 and ample publiC notification would be provided. . Provide the Council with a Report Outlining the Structure and Process Used to Set Employee Salaries - The City's compensation system is somewhat complex involving contracts with three employee groups and a compensation plan for management and confidential employees. While the three labor contracts and the City salary structure are available on the City web site for public review, to better inform the public about compensation issues, staff could prepare a report outlining the process used for each of these employees groups and the management and confidential employees. The report would include information on the compensation and benefit process, salary schedule information and a summary of benefits provided to City employees. This information would be available to the public on the City web site or at a Council meeting. . Public/Private Sector Compensation Survey -- At the November 1 meeting, the Council heard a request to compare City salaries with the private sector to evaluate comparability. Currently, the City's Human Resources Department conducts benchmarks surveys annually with surrounding jurisdictions of comparable size and responsibility (e.g. library, police fire, etc) to determine salary and benefit placement. This process, which is fairly standard in the public and private sector, is effective and appropriate because it compares salaries within a particular industry and a similar "market." As an example, it is most appropriate to compare a Pleasanton public work's director position with comparable sized cities in the Bay Area rather than smaller or larger sized cities outside of this geographical region. Further, most public agencies have similar economic and employee classification structures, which lend themselves to similar compensation packages. Private sector compensation often includes elements such as incentives pay, commissions, stock options, and alternative modified retirement systems that are not available in the public sector. Further, there are often considerable differences between publicly held and privately controlled businesses and the many various sectors of the market that make comparisons difficult. Nevertheless, in an effort to address the public request, staff could conduct a comparison of City and private sector compensation. Due to the complexity of such a study, staff anticipates the need for specialized consulting services estimated at a cost of approximately $25,000. If the Council authorizes the study, staff recommends the Council authorize project funding at this time and authorize the City Manager to enter into an agreement to conduct the study. Staff has offered the aforementioned concepts in an effort to address concerns regarding public sector pay and compensation. The City Council may wish pursue just some or all of the strategies listed above. 05:323 3 ,