LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council on Tuesday began the year with actions that included approving an assistant city manager classification as part of succession planning efforts.
Administrative Services Director Kelly Buendia presented the classification along with a request for an updated master pay schedule to the council at its first meeting of the year.
The discussion begins at the 8:48 mark in the video above. The written report from Buendia begins on page 38 of the agenda packet published below.
The classification already is included in this year’s budget, with funding for half a year, totaling $85,000, also allocated. The proposed salary range is $8,466 to $10,290 per month, which Buendia said is comparable with the city of Clearlake.
Buendia said the opportunity for city department heads to pursue the opportunity has existed for a few years, and included having them be cross-trained in areas outside of their expertise.
She said the next step is to make the assistant city manager job a permanent position and move someone into it.
During the budget hearings in the summer, Buendia said City Manager Margaret Silveira had asked for funding for the job for half a year, which was approved. At that time, staff didn’t have a job classification and description, and said they would return with that information, along with a salary range, which was what Buendia presented on Tuesday.
Councilman Kenny Parlet moved to approve the classification, which Councilman Tim Barnes seconded and the council approved it 5-0.
Likewise, Parlet moved to approve rescinding the old master pay schedule and replacing it with a new one, which the council also unanimously approved.
After the meeting, Buendia told Lake County News that Community Development Director Kevin Ingram has been doing the assistant city manager job, and has been the only candidate to pursue it.
As for what’s next, she said she expected some action to be taken within the month. She said Silveira will decide whether to do an internal or external recruitment. The city’s structure also gives Silveira the authority to hire department heads.
In other business, Finance Director Nick Walker presented a resolution approving the revised administrative policy for utilities billing effective Feb. 1, with the council adopting a resolution approving the revised service deposits for new water accounts, also effective Feb. 1.
The updated resolution will allow the city to raise its service deposit from $75 to as much as $225 for customers with poor credit with the smallest residential hookup and from $1,155 to $3,465 for commercial customers with poor credit who have a 6-inch connection.
Walker said the changes are in response to state law which lengthens the time the city must wait to disconnect water services for nonpayment, thus increasing the city’s risk.
Also on Tuesday, the council approved committee appointments made by Mayor Spurr, received and filed a compliance and implementation plan for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act now that the city has passed a 50-employee threshold for large employers, and Spurr presented Walker with the Government Finance Officers Association Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting. The city has received the award for years 2014 to 2018 so far.
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010720 Lakeport City Council Agenda Packet by LakeCoNews on Scribd