AgdaPkt 2002-07-01 - Laserfiche WebLink

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certified at hig er evels, the Public Works Services Department management team has developed an incentive program which has been reviewed by the City employees union, SEIU Local 715, after a series of discussions about certification incentive opportunities. The program is comprised of two levels of incentives as follows: Incentives Part One - Accelerate Certifications Required as of Jan. 1. 2005 One-time, cash incentives, based on sliding scale percentage of base salary in effect at time of acquisition of certificate. CERT CLASSIFICATIONS BY 12/31/2003 BY 12/31/2004 (24 months) (36 months) D4 PW Supts / PW Supvs / Snr Engineer 9.00% 3.00% D3 Ut. Specialists / CSS Spec. / Assoc. En~t. 8.50% 2.85% D2 Lead PWMW / Maint. Elec. / PWMW III 8.00% 2.65% D1 PWMW I / PWMW II / Ut. Locator / CST 7.50% 2.50% Incentives Part Two - Reward Higher Levels of Certification One-time, cash incentives, of 5.0% of annual base salary in effect at time of acquisition of certificate, for each level of certification acquired above Jan. 1,2005 requirement level. The State mandated certification of water system operators will benefit the City of Redwood City by assuring that the water system that provides drinking water to residents will be operated by qualified operators that have the knowledge and skills to maintain and operate the system in e ~rofessional and optimum way. The employee certification pre- examination requirements are extensiv~ requiring many hours of preparatory classes and book study, covering subjects such as, Water Distribution Mathematics, Distribution System Operation, Water Quality Regulations and Utility Management. This incentive program will provide the employees with the recognition they deserve for their personal efforts. Alternatives 1. The Council could choose not to approve the incentive program and make a decision to rely on the employees self motivation. This may result in delayed certification and the possibility of non-complia nce with state law at the end of three- year interim period. 2. The Council could choose to approve a higher or lower level of incentive, by increasing or decreasing the percentages proposed. Fiscal Impact There is currently no budget for this program in the Water Fund operating budgets. Since the activity period spans the next three fiscal years (beginning July 1,2002), and because this state mandate and the recommended incentives is a one-time program cost, staff recommends that an account be established in the Water Fund Capital Improvement Program, under the category "Special Policy / Regulatory / Demand Management Initiatives". Staff recommends that the City Council initially appropriate funds in the amount of $100,000, from existing unallocated Water Fund balance. Such an appropriation will have no affect on consumer water rates or customer utility bills. At the Page 2 of 3