ITEM 8.1 Review of Office Assistant/Receptionist PositionF
Otkgo
MINNESOTA
DEPARTMENT INFORMATION
Request for
City Council Action
ORIGINATING DEPARTMENT
REQUESTOR:
MEETING DATE:
Administration
City Administrator/ Finance Director
Flaherty
June 12, 2017
PRESENTER(s)
REVIEWED BY:
ITEM #:
City Administrator/ Finance
Director Flaherty
HR Generalist / Deputy Clerk Grover
8.1
AGENDA ITEM DETAILS
RECOMMENDATION:
City staff would like to review the current vacancy within the Office Assistant / Receptionist position.
ARE YOU SEEKING APPROVAL OF A CONTRACT?
IS A PUBLIC HEARING REQUIRED?
No
No
BACKGROUND/JUSTIFICATION:
The position of Office Assistant / Receptionist has been vacant since May 26, 2017 due to a resignation
from the previous employee. City staff informed the City Council that the vacancy would not be
immediately advertised, which would allow for a review of the position and the City's needs.
City staff has been in discussions after the vacancy and have identified the following for discussion:
1] Consider Full Time
This position is located at the front desk of City Hall with the Administrative Assistant and Building Permit
Technician. Possibly the largest benefit to considering full time is the ability to provide reliable coverage for
City customers at all times. Having a third full-time employee would create much more flexibility for
coverage during lunch hours, during employee vacations, for staff training, and during meetings. Other
than a few temporary assignments, and since the part-time hiring in the fall of 2015, staffing has remained
stagnant in these high volume administrative support positions.
2] Consider Revised Job Description
In an effort to make this position more successful, City staff also determined that it would be beneficial to
modify the job description to include more duties that this employee can be assigned on a routine basis.
Having assigned work duties provides structure to an employee's day and encourages active participation
by the employee. Many of the added duties are prefaced with "assist" or "backup" which will allow
flexibility and analysis of strengths and weaknesses when assigning duties. City staff would recommend
that the points for this position be rescored for purposes of placement on the pay plan should the City
Council approve the revised job description.
3] Financial Costs
The impact of creating a full-time employee compared to a part-time employee can be costly. The 2017
budget for a part-time employee totals $22,147. With a conversion to full-time, that budget would have
been up to $52,377 assuming full benefits. That is an increase of $30,230 (136%). It should be noted that
due to the timing of the year, and current vacancy savings, the realized difference would be less.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
• Approved Job Description
• Draft - Revised Job Description
POSSIBLE MOTION
PLEASE WORD MOTION AS YOU WOULD LIKE ITTO APPEAR IN THE MINUTES:
Motion to authorize City staff to advertise for the vacancy in the Office Assistant / Receptionist position
with the (current or proposed) job description at (# of hours) per week.
BUDGET INFORMATION
FUNDING:
BUDGETED:
General Fund
101-42410-104
Yes
2017 budget includes 21.50 hours per week.
Y
CITY OF
se o
MINNESOTA
Position Description
Position: Receptionist Office Assistant
FLSA Status: Non-exempt
Pay Grade: 2
Approved: September 26, 2016
DESCRIPTION OF WORK
General Statement of Duties: Perform receptionist and customer service duties; file
documents for the Building Inspection department; provide administrative assistance to
other departments as requested.
Immediate Supervisor: Finance Director
Supervises: None
Provides Work Direction to: None
MAJOR JOB FUNCTIONS
1. Receptionist and Customer Service:
a. Answer main phone lines, direct calls, take messages, and assist callers
b. Greet and assist public at reception counter
c. Provide outstanding customer service
2. Office Assistant
a. Assist with filing of building permit files both hard copy and electronically
b. Issue burning permits
c. Accept payments and issue receipts
d. Prepare and copy documents, reports, and typed material as requested
e. File and retrieve documents, both hard copy and electronic
f. Maintain spreadsheets and reports as assigned
g. Perform clerical duties for various departments as assigned
h. Assist with outgoing and incoming mail
3. General
a. Treat fellow employees with respect and integrity
b. Promote a positive and motivating environment
c. Provide exceptional customer service to residents, developers, city officials,
and the general public
d. Confer with supervisor, peers, and employees to discuss and resolve issues
e. Make decisions that are always in the best interest of the City
f. Perform other duties and projects as assigned
g. Follow all safety policies and procedures
h. Follow all City policies and procedures
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES
• Demonstrable experience in answering multiple phone lines, directing calls, and
responding to callers
• Demonstrable experience in providing exceptional customer service both in person,
electronically, and on the telephone
• Demonstrable experience in administrative office functions
• Knowledge of and experience in word processing, database, and spreadsheet
programs necessary to provide administrative support
• Ability to communicate clearly, professionally, effectively, and precisely both
verbally and in writing
• Ability to calculate fees, determine accuracy of payments, and process payments
• Ability to diffuse conflict and tense situations with public in person or over the
phone
• Ability to plan, prioritize, and organize your work
• Strong sense of honesty, integrity, and credibility
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
1. High school diploma or equivalent
2. One year of receptionist and administrative support experience or completion of an
administrative assistant or comparable certificate or degree
3. Proficiency in office computer systems
4. Customer service experience
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
1. Municipal or county government experience
2. Experience in a building, development, or real estate related office environment
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
The physical requirements checked on the attached sheet are representative of those that
must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable
accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the
essential functions.
Note: This job description does not constitute a contract or employment agreement.
CITY OF
Se 0
MINNESOTA
Position Description
Position: Receptionist Office Assistant
FLSA Status: Non-exempt
Pay Grade: 2 (Rescoring this position would be warranted)
Approved: Proposed to City Council — June 12, 2017
DESCRIPTION OF WORK
General Statement of Duties: Perform receptionist and customer service duties; perform
MAJOR JOB FUNCTIONS
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1. Receptionist and Customer Service:
a. Answer main phone lines, direct calls, take messages, and assist callers
b. Greet and assist public at reception counter
c. Accept payments and issue receipts
2. Office Assistant
a. Open and distribute incoming mail and provide assistance on outgoing mail
b. Assist with the maintenance, storage and retrieval of City documents
c. Prepare and copy documents, reports, and typed material as requested
d. Assist with the issuance of administrative licenses and permits (i.e. burning,
fence, solicitors, etc.)
3. Assistance to the Building Department:
a. Maintain and schedule inspections conducted by building inspectors
b. Assist with the maintenance, storage and retrieval of property files
c. Accept applications, calculate fees and issue generic flat rate permits
d. Assist in the monitoring of builders escrow accounts
4. Planning Commission:
a. Coordinate and preparation of Planning Commission agendas and packets
b. Distribution of packets to Planning Commissioners
c. Attend and record minutes of Planning Commission meetings
S. Other:
a. Serve as backup to Utility Billing Department
b. Serve as backup to Building Permit Technician
c. Serve as backup to Administrative Assistant
d. Provide backup for recording minutes of various City meetings
e. Perform clerical duties for various departments as assigned
f. Assist the City Clerk during election cycles
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h. Follow all City policies and procedures
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KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES
• Demonstrable experience in answering multiple phone lines, directing calls, and
responding to callers
• Demonstrable experience in providing exceptional customer service both in person,
electronically, and on the telephone
• Demonstrable experience in administrative office functions
• Experience and proficiency in Microsoft Office word processing, data base,
spreadsheet, presentation, and other office software programs necessary to provide
administrative support
• Ability to communicate clearly, professionally, effectively, and precisely both
verbally and in writing
• Ability to calculate fees, determine accuracy of payments, and process payments
• Ability to diffuse conflict and tense situations with public in person or over the
phone
• Ability to plan, prioritize, and organize your work
• Strong sense of honesty, integrity, and credibility
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
1. Municipal or county government experience
2. Administrative support training or certification
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
The physical requirements checked on the attached sheet are representative of those that
must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable
accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the
essential functions.
Note: This job description does not constitute a contract or employment agreement.