PURPOSE:

The purpose of this report is to request City Council approval of the establishment of the specification, title, and salary for the classification of Facility Technology Coordinator (CTC No. 0340).

BACKGROUND:

Presently, Burbank Water and Power (BWP) operates a Geographical Information System (GIS) which is a computer based technology system used for mapping electrical and water infrastructure.  In the last decade, GIS technology has become a standard tool for managing municipal and utility infrastructure and is necessary for safe and effective day to day operations of electric and water service to the citizens and businesses of Burbank.

Historically, Engineering Technician staff supported and managed BWP�s specialized  utility facility management and operating technology, including GIS, Computer Aided Database, and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition.  Staff on the implementation teams developed extensive computer programming and operating knowledge, and were able to take on the new technology administration and support duties of the projects, while retaining some of their traditional duties.  However, as utility information technology has become more complex and essential for day to day operations, it now requires specialized full-time support. 

ANALYSIS & CONCLUSION:

Staff is requesting the establishment of the title, specification, and salary for the classification of Facility Technology Coordinator, which will reflect the unique duties and requirements for operating and supporting technology platforms that are now essential to electric and water engineering and operations.  The Facility Technology Coordinator will report to the Principal Electrical Engineer and will oversee Engineering Technicians and Senior Engineering Technicians.  While some of the new skill requirements for operating and supporting utility technology overlap with traditional information technology analyst positions, the utility positions must also have extensive experience and knowledge of utility operations, engineering and facility management.  Therefore, the proposed specification for Facility Technology Coordinator describes the specialized duties and necessary requirements of this classification and also meets the current and ongoing needs of the Department.

The classification will be a Civil Service position, represented by the Burbank City Employees Association (BCEA), subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act, and will not be included in the City�s Conflict of Interest Code.  The BCEA has been advised of this establishment.  The General Manager � BWP concurs with this recommendation.  On July 12, 2007, the Civil Service Board (Board) approved the establishment of this classification with the recommendation of including �driving on City business� as an essential function.  However, it is the City Attorney�s opinion that �driving on City business� is not an essential function of this position.  This requirement falls within the legal definition of a marginal function because driving is only rarely, if at all, required, and the elimination of the requirement would not fundamentally change the nature of the position.  Therefore, staff has not made the change requested by the Board and is recommending that the City Council approve the establishment of this classification as it was initially presented to the Board.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The proposed salary range for the Facility Technology Coordinator was developed by reviewing internal relationships within BWP to maintain consistency among positions with similar responsibility levels.  The proposed salary range for this classification will be set at $6,155 to $7,687, which is 80% of the Senior Electrical Engineering classification.

There will be no fiscal impact for the establishment of this classification.  BWP plans to upgrade an Electrical Engineering Associate position to the Facility Technology Coordinator position.  The Department will use salary savings from vacant positions to cover the difference in salary between the two positions for Fiscal Year (FY) 2007-2008.  Any budget impacts beyond FY 2007-2008 will be included in the budget process.

RECOMMENDATION:

Staff recommends that the City Council approve the proposed establishment of the specification, title, and salary for the classification of Facility Technology Coordinator (CTC No. 0340).

Attachment

Exhibit A � Proposed specification for Facility Technology Coordinator