HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997-10-28; City Council; 14399; Reallocation of Positions in Planning DepartmentkTY OF CARLSBAD - C‘
REALLOCATION OF POSITIONS
IN PLANNING DEPARTMENT
DEPT. PLN </,-‘’
IN:
That the City Council ADOPT Resolution No. 93 - 6 51- approving a reallocation
within the Planning Department.
ITEM EXPLANATION:
Over the last year, the Planning Department has been doing a detailed asses!
organizational structure of the department. As a result of this assessment, the Plar
has proposed some adjustments to the existing organizational structure OF the dep:
purpose (goals) of the adjustments are: 1) to more adequately and efficiently
department’s functions and the services it provides to the City; 2) to more formally instii
work team structure of the department and thereby further flatten the structure of thc
and, 3) to make sure that the roles and responsibilities of all the positions within the dt
clearly defined based on functions and the team structure.
An attached memorandum to the City Manager explains the proposed organizational s
detail and includes organization structure charts comparing the existing structure with
structure. (Exhibits “A and “B” to the memorandum.)
In order to effectuate the proposed modifications to the Planning Department’s 1
structure, staff is requesting City Council approval1 of a reallocation of positior
department. No additional positions or staff are being requested but only a reallocati
personnel to accomplish the goals mentioned above. The following is a comparisc
allocated positions and those being proposed and requested for approval.
EXISTING NUnABER PROPOSED I
POSITION TITLE, ALLOCATED ALLOCA
Planning Director 1 1
Assistant Planning Director 1 1
Senior Management Ainalyst 1 1
Principal Planner 2 4
Senior Planner 4 4
Associate Planner 7 5
Assistant Planner 0 1
Planning Technician 3 2
Administrative Secretary 1 1
Senior Office Specialist 3 3
Hourly Full Time Equivalents 1 1
(Planning Aide)
Total Positions 24 24
iersonnel reallocations would consist of increasing the Prir
to 4 positions, reducing the Associate Planner position from 7
)ne of the Planning Technician positions with an Assistant PI2
affing is being requested, the inodified positions would be fille
,. ‘r, PAGE 2 OFAGEND Ab ILL NO. /yt 3 c) 4 0
competitive promotions. An incidental, but important, benefit of the proposed rt
positions is therefore the promotional opportunities that will result. The departmei
competent, talented and dedicated staff but very few promotional opportunities have b
for a long period of time.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Assuming that all reallocated positions were to be filled by promotion from the ne:
position, the total fiscal irnpact for the remainder of the fiscal year including any increa or benefits will be $12,427. On an annualized basis, the fiscal impact would be i
$16,500. Because of recent resignations and the time needed to refill the positions, th
has sufficient funds available in its budget to cover the cost of the reallocated positions
EXHl BITS:
1.
2.
City Council Resolution No. 9 ? - 65 1
Memorandum to City Manager, dated September 23, 1997.
d) 0
RESOLUTION NO. 97-651
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
c CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING A BUDGET
AMENDMENT REALLOCATING POSITIONS IN THE
PLANIWG DEPARTMENT.
WHERLEAS, the City Council of the City of Carlsbad, California, d
resolve as follows:
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Carlsbad, on the 28th
of October , l997., considered a proposal to reallocate the existing positions in t
WHEREAS, the reallocation is necessary to effechate chanl
organizational structure of the Planning Department; and
WHEFEAS, the reallocation of positions will allow the Planning Dc
adequately and effectively perform its functions and the services it provides to the (
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED BY THE Cip
the City of Carlsbad., California, as follows:
That the above recitations are true and correct.
2. That the City Council approves City Council Resolution No.
approving a budget amendment reallocating positions in tl
Department as shown on Exhibit “A” (attached).
L 0
PASSED AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the City Council (
, 1997, by the followin of Carlsbad, California, on the 28th day of October
_-
AYES:
NOES: None
Council Members Lewis, Finnila, Nygaard, Kulchin,
2
EXHIBIT
4 0 Ib
PEIRSONNEL ALLOCATIONS
FOFL PLANNING DEPARTMENT
_-
1997-1998
Plannirig Director 1
Assistant Planning Director 1
Senior Management Analyst . 1
Principl Planner 4
Seniolr Planner 4
Associiate Planner 5
Assistant Planner 1
Planning; Technician 2
Administrative Secretary 1
Senior Office Specialist 3
Hourly Full Time Equivalents - 1
(Plmhg Aide)
Total 24
0 0
SEPTEMBER 23,1997
TO: MANAGER
VIA: munity Development Director
FROM: Planning Director
PROPOSED CHANGES) TO PLANNING DEPARTMENT ORGANIZATIC
STRUCTURE
Over the past year, a considerable amount of time and effort has been spent in assessii
organizational structure of the Planning Department. The purposes of this memo are to i
you of the results of our assessment and to request your review of the changes that are
proposed to the structure. If you concur, your support with the City Council in approvii
proposed reallocation of departmental positions is also being requested.
The purpose and goals of the organization assessment and proposed structure changes are:
more adequately and efficiently address the department’s fimctions and the services it provi
the city; 2) to more formally institutionalize the work team structure of the departmer
thereby continue to flatten the structure and streamline decision-making; and 3) to make SUI
the roles and responsibilities of all the positions within the department are clearly defined
on our functions and the team structure.
Our assessment began by doing a comprehensive inventory of all the functions the Ple
Department performs and the services that we provide to the city and to our internal and ex
customers. The functions were then grouped into the following four, major service aree
Current Planning; 2) Customer Service and Assistance; 3) Advanced Planning; and 4) S
Projects Planning. Current Planning encompasses all of the activities to process develo
applications for consideration by the Planning Commission and the City Council. Cus
Service and Assistance includes the public counter operation. It is proposed that this are
include all administrative permits (e.g. Planned Industrial Permits, Administrative Varianc
well as assistance to our internal customers such as Economic Development. Advanced Pls
consists of all long range planning efforts including implementation and maintenance
General Plan. The S
Projects service area will include addressing all City Council and management initiated s
projects examples being tasks such as the Carlsbad Boulevard Realignment Study, the
Hedionda Land Use Study and the Carlsbad Ranch Overlay Zone. This area would also ii
primary back-up to Current Planning.
As you are aware, development activity has increased significantly over the past year. TI-
resulted in increases in certain functions performed by the Planning Department. Exam1
these increases include a 51% increase in planning permit applications over the past I
This area will also include the Growth Management function.
., PROPOSED CHANGES 4hLAmmG DEPT oRGAmmo~A * STRUCTURE - M
SEPTEMBER 23,1997
PAGE 2
month period, a 42% increase in plan check activity and a 35% increase in overall cc
activity (public contact). A.t the same time, the number of non-development related tad
special projects assigned to the Planning Department has also increased. Examples ir
assuming responsibilities for portions of the Growth Management Program and severa
planning studies initiated by the City Council. Planning staff is also currently working (
large task of providing consistency between the General Plan, zoning and the Local C
Program. Next year, we need to devote considerable Planning staff resources to pre]
revised and updated Housing Element. The goal for our organizational assessment was ho
we better organize the department, without increasing staffing level, and adequate1
efficiently address all of the functions and services the department provides.
The review of our organizational structure also took into consideration the goal of retainir
further institutionalizing the existing work team structure of the department. In 199
organizational structure of tlhe Planning Department was modified primarily as a result of
from our internal and external customers. A team structure was established in the depai
whereby Planners were assigned to teams to provide support for project processing and
resolution. The concept was to “flatten” the organizational structure of the departme
empowering the members of the teams. If an issue could not be resolved at the team le
went directly to upper management thereby avoiding a position-by-position review of the is
In 1995, an internal assessment of the effectiveness of the organizational structure (
department was conducted TyYith the assistance of an outside consulting firm, Systemics.
was obtained from all members of staff as well as staff from outside the department.
assessment indicated that there was overwhelming support for the team structure (
organization. The team stiructure has yielded important benefits that we wish to retai
enhance. The team provides a synergy that more often results in a better product for thi
then would have come from an individual effort. There is a blending of ideas and of apprc
to resolving project issues. The structure also allows the tasks for large and complex projc
be shared. In addition, the structure creates a back-up with team members that the are fa
with a particular project when the project planner is unavailable. The only major issue th
arisen with the team structure is the supervisory level and responsibility of the team leader.
issue has been addressed as ]part of the organizational adjustments proposed for the departm
In order to accomplish the goals outlined previously and as a result of the detailed asses
that was conducted, the department is proposing to establish the organizational structure 1
on Exhibit “A” to this memorandum. The existing structure is shown on Exhibit “B”.
structure would retain the existing four work teams. Although it may be necessary at this t
assign some current projects to all four of the teams given the present workload rela
development activity, each team will have a “service area focus” corresponding to tht
fmctional areas discussed previously.
In addition to structuring the department to make sure that the functions that the depai
provides are adequately addressed, we have looked at the roles and responsibilities 0:
PROPOSED CHANGES 4hAmING DEPT ORGANIZATIO I!!k STRUCTURE - M
SEPTEMBER 23,1997
PAGE 3
position in the department to make sure that they are clearly defined from a functional anc
structure standpoint. Each team would be led by a Principal Planner whose pr
responsibility would be to supervise the team members in their completion of assigned
This clearly designates the responsibility of the team leader in terms of supervision and fro1
management of the team. Each Principal Planner would assign, monitor and serve as c
control for the work of the team. Furthermore, the Principal Planners would meet regular1
the Assistant Planning Director to address common issues in order to provide consii
between the teams. Each team would include a Senior Planner, who by virtue of expe
would be assigned the more complex and/or controversial projects being completed by the
The remainder of the team would be composed of project planners ranging in experience an
from Technician to Associate. The objective is to have each team have equal resources in
of ability and experience to accomplish its fbnctional, service area focus.
Exhibit “C” to this memorandum is a more detailed organizational chart which shows
team’s area of focus (along the bottom of chart) and a generalized summary of the distingu
roles and responsibilities for each position (along the right side of the chart).
In order to effectuate the proposed modifications to the Planning Department’s organiza
structure, staff is requesting a reallocation of positions within the department which will rl
City Council approval. No additional positions or staff are being requested but o
reallocation of existing personnel to accomplish the previously explained goals. The follou
a comparison of existing allocated positions and those being proposed and request€
approval :
EXISTING NUMBER PROPOSED NUME
POSITION TITLE ALLOCATED ALLOCATED
Planning Director 1 1
Assistant Planning Director 1 1
Senior Management Analyst 1 1
Principal Planner 2 4
Senior Planner 4 4
Associate Planner 7 5
Assistant Planner 0 1
Planning Technician 3 2
Administrative Secretary 1 1
Senior Office Specialist 3 3
Hourly Full Time Equivalents, 1 1
(Planning Aide)
Total Positions 24 24
As shown above, the personnel reallocations would consist of increasing the Principal P
position from 2 positions to 4 positions, reducing the Associate Planner position from 7 PO
to 5 positions and replacing one of the Planning Technician positions with an Assistant P
position. Because no additional staffing is being requested, the modified positions WOI
.. PROPOSED CHANGES AhAmmG DEPT ORGANIZATIO & STRUCTURE - M
SEPTEMBER 23,1997
PAGE 4
filled by in-house, competitive promotions. An incidental, but important, benefit of the pro
reallocation of positions is therefore the promotional opportunities that will result.
department has highly competent, talented and dedicated staff but very few prom(
opportunities have been available for a long period of time. Assuming that all reallc
positions were filled by the! next lower level position, the potential promotional opporti
would then be as follows:
2 Senior Planners to 2 Principals Planners
2 Associate Planners to 2 Seniors Planners
1 Technician to 1 Assistant Planner.
Assuming, again, that the positions were filled by the next level position, the fiscal impact
promotions including overhead would be $1 2,427 for the remaining fiscal yea1
approximately $1 6,500 on a annualized basis.
I have presented these pyoposed organizational structure changes to the entire PI:
Department staff for input aind comment. Individual meetings were also held with the e:
Senior Planners and Principal Planners. In addition, I have met with the Comr
Development Director, the Human Resource Director and the Assistant City Manager. I k
they are all supportive of the changes being proposed.
In conclusion, your review and support of the changes to the organization structure ar
reallocation of positions within the Planning Department is requested. If you havi
questions or if 1 can provide additional information, please let me know.
Respectfully Submitted,
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