HomeMy WebLinkAbout04.a. Review draft Position Paper to approve canceling a vacant Utility Worker Position and adding a Lead Maintenance Crew Member PositionPage 1 of 2
Item 4.a.
DCENTRALSAN
MEETING DATE: MARCH 1, 2022
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
POSITION PAPER
DRAFT
SUBJECT: REVIEW DRAFT POSITION PAPER TO APPROVE CANCELING A VACANT
UTILITY WORKER POSITION (G-55, $2,901.60-$3,514.40 BI-WEEKLY)AND
ADDING A LEAD MAINTENANCE CREW MEMBER POSITION (G-67,
$3,866.40 - $4,678.40 BI-WEEKLY)
SUBMITTED BY:
JON NICOLAUS, OPERATIONS AND
MAINTENANCE SUPERINTENDENT
INITIATING DEPARTMENT:
OPERATIONS -MAINTENANCE
REVIEWED BY: NEIL MEYER, PLANT MAINTENANCE DIVISION MANAGER
STEVE MCDONALD, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
ISSUE
Board of Directors (Board) approval is needed when the addition and deletion of vacant positions results in
an increase in Central San's budgeted labor costs. If calculated at the maximum step of the salary range
and including the full benefit cost, this action may result in an increase in the labor costs, thus, falling
outside the purview of the General Manager's delegated authority related to personnel actions.
BACKGROUND
The Buildings and Grounds (B&G) Shop is requesting that an existing vacant Utility Worker position be
canceled and replaced with a second Lead Maintenance Crew Member position to assist the Shop
Supervisor and to efficiently execute the day-to-day operations of the Shop.
B&G is the second largest shop in the Maintenance Division. The B&G Shop completes approximately
2,000 work orders a year, or 38% of all work orders in the Plant. The Supervisor currently oversees 8 full-
time equivalent employees, and an additional 4 to 7 seasonal staff members in the summer months. This
does not include the service work done by outside contractors. In addition, the Supervisor manages the
delivery of numerous service contracts with varying levels of complexity of work.
The Utility Worker position is an entry level position at Central San, with many Utility Workers advancing in
to one of Central San's Trainee programs. A major function of the B&G Shop is to familiarize and to train
entry-level maintenance and operations staff. This high turnover creates gaps in knowledge, skills, and
abilities within the B&G Shop.
March 1, 2022 Regular ADMIN Committee Meeting Agenda Packet - Page 4 of 58
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The Lead Maintenance Crew Member will be the individual with intimate knowledge of the process
equipment and systems and will be responsible for maintaining critical assets to increase reliability and
mitigate single point of failure and catastrophic failure among our equipment and systems. This role is
essentially the key contact for many of the facilities related service contracts in the division. They oversee
and coordinate the work of the service providers.
The additional Lead Maintenance Crew Member will add stability to the work group and assist training new
hires on correct operational procedures. This will help in succession planning for the Maintenance Shops
and for the B&G Shop by keeping retention of institutional plant knowledge and assuring continuity of
operations.
Therefore, a second Lead Maintenance Crew Leader position is recommended to manage both internal
and external projects and work orders, and to improve skills training to assure smooth transition planning
and continued high levels of performance.
ALTERNATIVES/CONSIDERATIONS
Do not approve the add/cancel of these positions as proposed. This will result in a growing skills gap as
workers transfer through the Utility Worker position to one of the four Trainee opportunities. Not approving
this action would lead to less oversight for contracted services and Capital Improvement Plan support.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS
Approval of the second Lead Maintenance Crew Member in the Buildings and Grounds Shop may lead to
an increase in the Plant Maintenance Buildings and Grounds (4446) operating budget of $42,066.96
annually at the top step, including benefits.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Administration Committee reviewed this matter at its March 1, 2022 meeting and recommended
RECOMMENDED BOARD ACTION
Approve canceling a vacant Utility Worker position (G-55, $2,901.60 - $3,514.40 Bi-Weekly) and adding a
Lead Maintenance Crew Member position (G-67, $3,866.40 - $4,678.40 Bi-Weekly).
Strategic Plan Tie -In
GOAL FOUR: Workforce Development
Strategy 1— Proactively plan for future operational staffing needs
GOAL FIVE: Infrastructure Reliability
Strategy 1— Manage assets optimally to prolong their useful life
March 1, 2022 Regular ADMIN Committee Meeting Agenda Packet - Page 5 of 58