Title
Adoption of Resolution Amending the Electric Utility Professionals of Alameda (EUPA) Salary Schedule to Add the Classifications of Supervisor-Customer Resources and Supervisor-Energy Resources Effective April 23, 2023, Amending the Alameda Municipal Power Unrepresented (AMPU) Management Employees Salary Schedule to Add the Classifications of Assistant General Manager-Customer and Energy Resources and Chief Utility Technology Officer Effective April 23, 2023, Add One Supervisor-Customer Resources, One Supervisor-Energy Resources, One Assistant General Manager-Customer and Energy Resources, and One Chief Utility Technology Officer to Alameda Municipal Power, and Delete One Assistant General Manager-Customer Resources, One Assistant General Manager-Energy Resources and One Utility Information Technology Manage and to Upgrade One Senior Energy Resources Analyst to Supervisor-Energy Resources, and One Utility Energy Analyst to Supervisor-Customer Resources, from Alameda Municipal Power. (Human Resources 10025060)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Jennifer Ott, City Manager
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In January of 2019 Alameda Municipal Power (AMP) adopted a five-year Strategic Plan (Strategic Plan) covering fiscal years (FY) 2020-21 - 2024-25. The Strategic Plan identified particular tactics and strategies to address identified issues. One such strategy included engaging in an organizational assessment to align AMP’s organizational structure with customer and market needs. In November 2020, AMP engaged Hometown Connections, Inc. (Hometown) to perform an organizational assessment of AMP and to make recommendations to align AMP with its Strategic Plan goals.
On November 15, 2021, Hometown presented findings of the organizational assessment to the Public Utilities Board (PUB). Hometown assessed AMP’s organizational structure relative to its capacity to achieve the Strategic Plan goals and further advised key findings about the organization and recommended changes to AMP’s organizational structure.
Since November 2021, AMP has made interim assignments with current staff to implement Hometown’s recommendations. Staff now seeks City Council approval to make these changes permanent.
BACKGROUND
The Strategic Plan includes recommendations that will enable AMP to meet its obligations as the City of Alameda’s (City) municipal electric provider while positioning the utility to adapt to the rapidly evolving energy sector. The Strategic Plan identified the need for an organizational assessment to align AMP’s organizational structure with customer and market needs. AMP engaged Hometown to conduct this assessment. Hometown is a national, non-profit utility services organization specializing in the unique challenges of community-owned utilities. Hometown provides utilities with specific assessments and recommendations on their existing structures and how they may be improved to meet the needs of an ever changing industry and client base.
In November 2021, Executive Consultant of Hometown, Phyllis Currie, presented Hometown’s findings and recommendations of the organizational assessment to the PUB. Hometown’s recommendations were as follows:
1. Reduce the number of Divisions and Assistant General Managers from four to three
2. Reassign the functions of the Customer Services Division to the Administration Division and a newly created Customer & Energy Resources Division
a. Customer Services functions reassigned to the Administration Division
b. Customer Programs, key accounts and the Senior Communications Specialist reassigned to the Customer & Energy Resources Division
c. Create two new positions 1) Supervisor- Customer Resources and 2) Supervisor - Energy Resources
3. Move Information Technology reporting from the Administration Division to the General Manager (General Manager) and upgrade the position to a Chief Utility Technology Officer
4. Develop succession plans for key positions
5. Develop a long-term plan for grid modernization
AMP has been actively working on implementing the recommendations made by Hometown since 2021, including changing the reporting structure for Customer Service and Customer Resources staff with employees serving in acting supervisor roles as well as an Acting Assistant General Manager - Customer & Energy Resources. Additionally, the Information Technology Manager is now directly reporting to the GM. These changes have been successful for AMP.
On January 4, 2023, the Civil Service Board approved four new classification specifications: Supervisor - Customer Resources, Supervisor - Energy Resources, Assistant General Manager - Customer & Energy Resource, and Chief Utility Technology Officer, and also approved a revised Assistant General Manager - Administration classification specification.
On January 23, 2023, the PUB recommended by resolution to amend the Electric Utility Professionals of Alameda (EUPA) Salary Schedule, amend the Alameda Municipal Power Unrepresented Management (AMPU)Salary Schedule, and approve workforce changes necessary to fully implement Hometown’s recommendations.
DISCUSSION
Staff recommends that City Council adopt a resolution to amend the EUPA salary schedule to establish the salary rates, salary ranges, salary steps, and benefits for the new classifications of Supervisor-Customer Programs and Supervisor-Energy Resources, and to amend the AMPU compensation plan to establish the salary rates, salary ranges, salary steps, and benefits for the new classifications of Assistant General Manager - Customer and Energy Resources and Chief Utility Technology Officer, and to approve workforce changes to allocate four new positions and to unallocate four existing positions.
Based on Hometown’s organizational assessment and recommendations, staff recommends City Council approve and make the following workforce changes:
1. Remove the Assistant General Manager - Energy Resources Planning position as this function will be re-assigned to the new Assistant General Manager - Customer and Energy Resources position
2. Remove the Assistant General Manager - Customer Resources position as the customer service function has been re-assigned to the Assistant General Manager - Administration position, and the customer programs function will be assigned to the new Assistant General Manager - Customer and Energy Resources position
3. Add one new Assistant General Manager - Customer and Energy Resources position
4. Remove the Utility Information Technology Manager position
5. Add one new Chief Utility Technology Officer position
6. Upgrade a Senior Energy Resources Analyst position to the new Supervisor -Energy Resources position
7. Upgrade the Utility Energy Analyst to a new Supervisor - Customer Program position.
The Supervisor - Customer Resources and Supervisor - Energy Resources will be Fair Labor Standard Act (FLSA) exempt positions represented by EUPA. The salary ranges for these positions are listed below and are based on a 36 hour work week. EUPA is supportive of the approved classification specifications, proposed salary ranges, and AMP reorganization.
|
Classification |
Annual Salary Range |
|
|
Step 1 |
Step 2 |
Step 3 |
Step 4 |
Step 5 |
|
Supervisor-Customer Resources (7640) |
$125,343 |
$131,610 |
$138,190 |
$145,100 |
$152,355 |
|
Supervisor-Energy Resources (7071) |
$135,622 |
$142,403 |
$149,523 |
$156,999 |
$164,849 |
The Assistant General Manager - Customer & Energy Resources and Chief Utility Technology Officer will be Fair Labor Standard Act exempt positions and part of AMPU. The salary ranges at the 36 hour per week level are listed below.
|
Classification |
Annual Salary Range |
|
|
Step 1 |
Step 2 |
Step 3 |
Step 4 |
Step 5 |
|
Assistant General Manager-Customer & Energy Resources (7058) |
$174,136 |
$182,843 |
$191,984 |
$201,583 |
$211,663 |
|
Chief Utility Technology Officer (7070) |
$150,070 |
$157,753 |
$165,452 |
$173,725 |
$182,411 |
ALTERNATIVES
• Approve amendment to the EUPA salary schedule to add the classifications of Supervisor-Customer Resources and Supervisor-Energy Resources effective February 12, 2023; approve amendment to the AMPU Salary Schedule to add the classifications of Assistant General Manager-Customer & Energy Resources and Chief Utility Technology Officer; add one Supervisor-Customer Resources, one Supervisor-Energy Resources, one Assistant General Manager-Customer & Energy Resources, and one Chief Utility Technology Officer to Alameda Municipal Power, and delete one Assistant General Manager-Customer Resources, and in the future delete one Senior Energy Resources Analyst, one Utility Energy Analyst, and one Utility Information Technology Manager.
• Do not approve amending the EUPA Salary Schedule, AMPU Salary Schedule, or workforce changes.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no financial impact from the recommended action as it is cost neutral. The increased cost of creating two supervisor positions is offset by the reduction of the number of Assistant General Managers and these changes are within AMP’s FY2023 budget.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
This action is in conformance with the Alameda Municipal Code.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This action does not constitute a “project” as defined in California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15378 and therefore no further CEQA analysis is required.
CLIMATE IMPACTS
There are no identifiable climate impacts or climate action opportunities associated with the subject of this report.
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt a resolution amending the EUPA Salary Schedule to add the classifications of Supervisor - Customer Resources and Supervisor - Energy Resources effective April 23, 2023, amending the AMPU Salary Schedule to add the classifications of Assistant General Manager - Customer & Energy Resources and Chief Utility Technology Officer effective April 23, 2023, add one Supervisor - Customer Resources, one Supervisor - Energy Resources, one Assistant General Manager -Customer & Energy Resources, and one Chief Utility Technology Officer to Alameda Municipal Power, and delete one Assistant General Manager - Customer Resources, one Assistant General Manager - Energy Resources and one Utility Information Technology Manage and to upgrade one Senior Energy Resources Analyst to Supervisor - Energy Resources, and one Utility Energy Analyst to Supervisor - Customer Resources, from Alameda Municipal Power.
Respectfully submitted,
Jessica R. Romeo, Human Resources Director
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Margaret O’Brien, Finance Director
Exhibits:
1. AMPU Salary Schedule
2. EUPA Salary Schedule
3. Supervisor - Customer Resources Classification Specification
4. Supervisor - Energy Resources Classification Specification
5. Assistant General Manager - Customer & Energy Resources Classification Specification
6. Chief Utility Technology Officer Classification Specification
7. Assistant General Manager - Administration Classification Specification
8. PUB Resolution Recommending Approval From January 23, 2023