City of Fillmore

Included in the 2009-2010 budget the currently underway Class and Compensation study for the City of Fillmore began in spring of this year and is being conducted by Bryce Consulting of Sacramento. There appears to be no clear answer to where the idea of conducting the study came from. Mayor Pro-Tempore Gayle Washburn recalls that the Interim City Manager at the time, Larry Pennell suggested the study but Councilmember Steve Conaway commented “it seems illogical to me that a temporary city manager would put a line item in the budget without being guided to do so.” Mayor Patti Walker indicated this is the first time such a study has been done in Fillmore. Generally the idea behind such studies is to provide a clear picture of staffing needs so that employees have clearly defined roles, are paid equitably for the work they do, and that the City is able to hire and retain skilled employees.

Walker recalled that in the past the Council has “heard that Fillmore [employees] are paid less”. This seems to concur with a statement made by Conaway that in the past the Council understood that “Fillmore employees consistently are shown to be underpaid when reviewed properly.” Walker stated that one of the reasons for the study is “to make sure that [City] employees are compensated in a comparable way [to similar cities]”. She continued that the study will help ensure that Fillmore is able to hire and retain skilled employees as needed. Washburn explained that she feels the study “[will be] a useful tool to demonstrate [whether there is] a shortage of staff.” She went on to state that “historically [the city] has had a lot of department heads and workers but there seemed to be a gap in mid-level analyst and technical positions.” Washburn suggested that the study might reveal places where new positions can be created for “current and future employees” with the intention to use more “in house” staff instead of hiring consultants.

The Process: Early this year a five person “steering” committee was formed to oversee the bidding process for who would conduct the study. This committee was made up of City Manager Yvonne Quiring and several “unnamed” persons: a City Department Director, Mid-management Director, a Union Representative and an outside human resources representative. Quiring indicated that this was to ensure that all staff “groups” are represented in the process. Walker explained that these persons remain unknown to the City Council by design so that political influence is in no way involved in the bidding process. Quiring indicated that the committee selected Bryce Consulting and Walker reported Bryce submitted the lowest bid. According to Walker, “The cost to the City will not exceed $34,000.00.” As part of the study Bryce Consulting selected several cities: Santa Paula, Carpinteria, Port Hueneme and Ojai. According to information available on the City’s website, these “survey agencies” are selected because they “compete with Fillmore for talent”, and have aspects of their city organization that compare with Fillmore. According to Quiring part of the process was for the consultants to meet with every employee. She also suggested that since this is the first time this type of study has been done in Fillmore, many staff members might be wary of the process and potential outcome. “This is understandable… it can be scary” explained Quiring. This is why she feels the vote of no confidence could be connected to the study. “Sometimes a [job description] doesn’t match the title [so an employees classification] can be downgraded… [Which also means] a downgrade in pay… that can be difficult to accept.” She emphasized that no results from the study have been released yet, and so all discussions about potential results or actions are purely hypothetical at this point. But she does recognize that it is common for employees to be concerned that their position may be downgraded, resulting in a reduction in classification and pay, or the assignment of a “Y” rating on their position. In the instance of a recommended “downgrade” the Council would have some choices. Two options include downgrading an employee and reduce their pay or assign a “Y” rating, and essentially “freeze” that employee’s pay. With a “Y” rating the employee retains their current pay package, but with no increases over time until their classification is upgraded to match that pay bracket. Currently the consultants are working on the compensation portion of the study, and are surveying the comparable cities to examine the pay packages of their employees to compare with Fillmore staff in the same positions. Once the study is complete the consultant will review questions from the steering committee about the draft data and create “final recommendations” to present to the Council. According to the City’s website any changes or implementations made as a result of the Study will be “based on City Council direction and labor negotiations.”

When asked about any possible connection to the recent vote of no confidence for Quiring, Walker stated, “I have no idea what [the study] will show. [Therefore] I’m unable to comment on it [at this time].” She explained that the consultants are working directly with staff and that it would be inappropriate to put any politics into the process. Walker did mention that she had expected the study to be completed by now, and is looking into the cause of the “hang up.” In responding to the comments made by Quiring, Conaway stated, “I disagree with her [Quiring’s] assessment that the… [vote of no confidence] is tied to the study. The study has not been completed, the employees were pretty clear in their letters… that [it] has nothing to do with the study, labor negotiations or the possibility of employee reductions.” Conaway went on to explain, “The letters speak for themselves and stand alone as a beacon of warning to the community and Council”. He feels “every election year it seems someone jumps up on the soap box and points to public servants as over paid under qualified employees.”