Council Updates Salaries for Two Positions as part of Monday’s Consent Calendar

As part of the consent calendar, the Pasadena City Council on Monday established new classifications for some employees and updated salaries for some employee classifications.

“My philosophy is we need to recognize our employees for the work they are doing and compensate them with a rate that is consistent with the marketplace,” said City Manager Steve Mermell.

As part of a recent review, Human Resources recommended establishing two new classifications to meet the changing operational needs of the Fleet Maintenance Division in the Public Works Department and the Planning and Community Development Department, as well as updating existing salaries for two employees in the City Manager’s office and the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services.

The sweep motion established a $139,940 annual salary control rate for the Public Information Officer position. Monday’s sweep motion does not guarantee a raise for the current PIO.

According to a compensation survey, the city is currently paying below the market average compared to similar positions with the same scope of authority and responsibility.

“Increasing the control rate provides market-based compensation and improved retention for this critical role,” according to the staff report.

The annual salary for a Parks, Recreation and Community Services Administrator was set at $151,690.

Increasing the salary of this position, according to the report, creates internal alignment with the Parks Administrator, a position that has a similar scope of responsibility, supervision and required qualifications. This classification is part of the Pasadena Management Association (PMA).

Two new employee classifications were also created, one of them calling for a senior equipment mechanic, (SEM), responsible for the inspection, diagnosis, repair, and testing of a variety of specialized light, medium and heavy-duty fire and emergency medical services vehicles, as well as other equipment in the city fleet. The position includes an $84,500 annual salary.

“None of the current mechanic classifications in the city require experience and expertise related to fire apparatus. As a result, it has been difficult to recruit and retain qualified technicians to maintain the city’s emergency vehicle fleet,” according to a staff report contained in Monday’s City Council agenda.

Maintenance and repair of the city’s fire vehicles are currently outsourced to vendors under contract lengthening the time it takes to complete repairs and return vehicles to service.

The council also created a new classification for a Neighborhood and Business Services Administrator. The position carries an annual $170,000 salary and reports directly to the director of planning and community development, David Reyes. The administrator would manage the customer-facing functions of code compliance and permitting in the newly established Neighborhood and Business Services Division.

“This position will oversee approximately 23 employees,” the report reads. “This senior-level manager will be responsible for managing the city’s built environment through the administration of a variety of federal, state and local neighborhood preservation and improvement programs, vacant lot and property abatement, housing and zoning code enforcement, and property-based complaint tracking and resolution.

Other items on Monday’s consent calendar included a review of the city’s annual financial report and its quarterly investment report.