HomeMy WebLinkAboutFCS-13-053 - Conversion of Positions from Temporary Full-Time to Permanent Full-Time Status
REPORT TO:
Finance and Corporate Services Committee
DATE OF MEETING:
May 6, 2013
SUBMITTED BY:
Dan Chapman, DCAO, Finance & Corporate Services(519-
741-2200 ext. 7347)
Pauline Houston, DCAO, Infrastructure Services(519-2600
ext. 4646)
PREPARED BY:
Dan Murray, Interim Director, Information Technology(519-
741-2200 ext. 7825)
Barbara Robinson, Director, Engineering Services(519-741-
2200 ext. 7410)
Cynthia Fletcher, Director, Facilities Management(519-741-
2600 ext. 4424)
WARD(S) INVOLVED:
n/a
DATE OF REPORT:
April 30, 2013
REPORT NO.:
FCS-13-053
SUBJECT:
Conversion of Positions from TemporaryFull-Timeto
Permanent Full-Time Status
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT the two (2) Security and Custodial positions necessitated by the construction of
the Charles and Benton and Civic District Parking Garages be converted from temporary
status to permanent full-time status;
THAT one permanent full-time Stormwater Engineering Project Manager position be
approved to reduce reliance on external consultants; and further
THAT the two temporary Office/Network System Specialist positions within Information
Technology be converted from temporary to permanent full-time status as recommended
in the 2010 Corporate Technology Strategic Plan.
BACKGROUND:
The City of Kitchener has adopted a rigorous approach to vacancy management which ensures
permanent full-time staff positions) without prior Council approval. Operating management is
diligent when vacancies arise due to retirements, resignations or transfers to ensure that vacant
positions are optimized. As a result, there have been very few additions to the core
complement proposed by staff as part of recent budget cycles. This was underscored in the
2013 budget presentation which demonstrated that the employee headcount to city population
ratio has been falling steadily since 2007 in Kitchener.
From time to time, existing positions not included in the core complement warrant being made
permanent due to the permanent nature of the work. In these situations, staff have
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recommended to Council that these positions be converted from temporary status to permanent
full-time status. Staff last made a similar request to Council in the fall of 2011 at which time the
three positions recommended for conversion to permanent full-time status were approved by
Council.
no financial
Converting positions from temporary to permanent full-time status typically has
implication
to the City. It does however address three concerns: 1) It ensures that the City
some instances include provisions relating to the maximum allowable length of temporary
assignments, 2) it demonstrates an intent to treat all employees fairly and with the same level of
commitment on the part of the organization which fosters higher levels of employee
engagement and morale; and 3) it recognizes that Employment Standards make little distinction
between long-term temporary employees and permanent full-time employees as it relates to
notice and severance requirements.
REPORT:
Five positions in three divisions are recommended for either conversion from temporary to
permanent full-time status or in on case, conversion from use of consultants to use of
permanent full-time staff and the rationale for each of the recommendations is provided below:
Security and Custodial (2 Positions)
During the 2012 Budget Process, the need for additional and dedicated security andcustodial
resources and the necessary funding was approved based primarily on the addition of the
Charles and Benton and Civic District Parking Garages.Subsequent to that, as part of the 2013
budget process, Council directed staff to extend security services to the Kitchener Public Library
by utilizing Security staff who monitor the parking structure (Issue Paper BD03).
With the increase in the number of parking facilities (and associated square footage) and the
addition of service to KPL, the current compliment of permanent full-time staff is not adequate to
address the increased workload. Currently, these increased requirements are being provided
for through temporary staffing arrangements and the use of contracted services. The City will
realize efficiencies and a more acceptable level of service by dedicating permanent full-time
staff to these functions.The conversion of temporary to permanent full-time staff was delayed
until now to align with the completion of the Civic District Parking Garage.
Example of Security Services:
Provide customer service to patrons for parking during the daytime and after hours
o
Respond to panic alarms
o
Identify unsecured doors or non-activated alarm pads and rectify
o
Provide a presence to reducevandalism, break and enters, and creating a safer
o
environment in the community
Identify building deficiencies or areas of concern lights out, graffiti, issues of
o
inappropriate behaviorand usage
Respond to facility issuesandalarms and determine whether to engage on-call
o
overtime staff (after hours)
Assist police in afterhours matters as primary key holder and site representative
o
Examples of Custodial Services:
Care of recyclingandgarbage containers
o
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Clean stairwells, floor, windows, handrails, elevators,etc.
o
Cleanand re-stocksupplies in washroom facilities (where applicable)
o
Clean all parking deck levels on a daily basis
o
Identify and report building deficiencies or areas of concern
o
Stormwater Engineering Project Management (1 Position)
The Stormwater Utility is in the process of hiring a consultant for the Henry Sturm Greenway
Restoration (Filsinger Park - Upstream Victoria Park Lake) project to reduce sediment
movement into the lake and improve aquatic habitat (part of the Victoria Park Lake
improvements). The Utility is also managing the Resurrection Pond Retrofit and the annual
Stormwater Audit and Policy Review. In July, the Idlewood Creek Environmental Assessment
will be initiated to deal with flooding and erosion issues identified in this catchment. In addition,
the Utility is currently working on the development of a detailed and functional Asset
Management Plan for all stormwater related infrastructure including inspection processes and
data management. There are currently 123 stormwater-related capital improvement projects as
identified by the 2010 Stormwater Audit, and the Asset Management Plan will likely increase the
list. The highest priority projects will be identified in the capital forecast. It has become clear
based on the volume of work that the addition of a second permanent Project Manager is
essential to allow the City to continue to implement very necessary stormwater projects.Failing
to do so will cause the City to fall behind in the program of work and may also result in the need
to involve external consultants more and at a higher cost to the City.
Office/Network System Specialists (2 Positions)
In 2008, two temporary positions within Information Technology (Client Services) were approved
to help clear a backlog of Client Services projects by freeing up some of the operational tasks of
the Network Systems Specialist staff, enabling them to spend more time on projects rather than
performing direct client support and maintenance of existing systems.The two positions were
Office/Network Systems Specialists and they were funded from the Computer Reserve Fund
and Telephone Reserve Fund. The plan worked well and Client Services was able to complete
a number of projects, however resource demand continued to outstrip supply.
As an outcome of the Corporate Technology Strategic Plan in 2010, it was confirmed that I.T.
resources were not meeting the organizations requirements andthe Plan recommended
converting the two temporary positions to permanent full-time status. No action was taken at
that time by staff to implement the recommendation and the temporary positions have continued
in place since that time. The workload driving the initial need for the contract positions has
increased and the positions are required to sustain operations as a result of the increasingly
pervasive use of technology, which is why the recommendation is being brought forward at this
time.Appendix A provides examples of the work these positions have performed.
ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN:
Conversion of these positions in the Facilities Management, Engineering Services and
Information Technology divisions to full time status supports the foundation of Effective and
Efficient Government, as contained within th
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FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
There are no financial implications associated with the recommendations. The following
outlines the funding sources for the positions proposed to be converted form temporary to
permanent full-time status:
Security and Custodial (2 Positions)
The cost of the Security position is fully funded through the Parking Enterprise and the Facilities
Management Division (for the Kitchener Public Library portion). The cost of the Custodial
position is fully funded through the Parking Enterprise.
Stormwater Engineering Project Management (1 Position)
The cost for this position will continue to be funded through the Capital Budget for the
associated works, supported by the Stormwater Utility.
Office/Network System Specialists (2 Positions)
Funding for these positions is included in the long term forecast from the respective computer
and telephony reserve funds, and can be sustained permanently.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
This is an operational and administrative initiative and does not require community engagement.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY:
Dan Chapman, Deputy CAOFinance and Corporate Services
Pauline Houston, Deputy CAO Infrastructure Services
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Appendix A Duties performed by Client Services Contract Positions
Major Projects - directly supported
Cityworks Rollout (2008)
SAP Rollout (2008)
Cityworks Upgrade Projects (CityWorks Server 2010 and Pending Upgrade 2012/2013)
Amanda 5 Upgrade
WPS Parking System Upgrades, Installs and PCI Compliance
Windows 7 / Office 2010 Rollout Planning and Application Testing
Desktop PC Rollout Image Development and Maintenance
Windows Deployment Services Implementation
Windows 7 / Office 2010 Rollout to City Staff
KOF staff relocations and planning
KOF VoIP phone system rollout
City Hall and Remote Site VoIP Telecommunications and Network Upgrade
Annual Desktop PC Specification Development and Testing of Proposed Hardware
Various Annual Software Upgrade Projects (Testing and Deployment) for GIS ESRI Software,
Laserfiche, AutoCAD, Class, Internet Explorer
New Location (or major renovation) IT Planning and Provisioning - Kingsdale Community Centre
andBridgeport Community Centre
Daily Operational Support - IT Service Desk
Desktop and Server Patching Operations and QA
o
Antivirus Incident Response Desktops and Servers
o
Telecommunications Support Second Level Response
o
Server Hardware Second Level Response
o
Server Applications Second Level Response
o
Network and Telecommunications Second Level Response
o
Email Security Gateway System Client Support, Reporting, Quarantine Management
o
Blackberry Unit Troubleshooting, Setup and Upgrades
o
Laptop Support and Troubleshooting
o
Network Systems Alert & Response
o
VPN Site Support & Response
o
File Server Maintenance and Moves
o
Print Servers Printer Install, Troubleshooting and Maintenance
o
Client Relocations (Office Moves, Renovations, etc.)
o
IT Infrastructure Projects Directly Supported
Desktop and Server Patch and Security Maintenance Ongoing
o
Antivirus Protection Planning Desktops and Servers
o
IT Infrastructure Projects either assisted or freed other staff to perform
Active Directory upgrades (2010/2011)
o
Citrix Upgrades (2010/2011)
o
Email System Upgrade (2010 and in 2013)
o
Enterprise Backup Systems Upgrade CommVault (2011)
o
CMF Site Technology Planning and Installation (2008 2011)
o
PCI Project (2011-2013)
o
Unified Access Gateway Implementation (2011-2012)
o
Corporate Firewall Upgrade (2012)
o
Email Security Gateway Upgrades (2012)
o
Laserfiche System Upgrade (2012)
o
Public Key Infrastructure Planning and Implementation
o
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