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HomeMy WebLinkAbout5/18/2005 - STAFF REPORTS (25) CITY COUNCIL May 18, 2005 NEW BUSINESS Subject: Contract Services Agreement with Mathis & Associates to Provide Executive Recruitment Services Initiated by: City Manager's Office SUMMARY: The City requires the services of an experienced executive recruiter to help fill the position of Director of Planning Services. In addition to this position, staff is recommending that a recruiter be used to find a qualified and experienced candidate to fill the newly created position of Assistant City Manager/Development Services. RECOMMENDATION: 1. Approve a Minute Order authorizing the City Attorney to prepare a Contract Services Agreement with Mathis & Associates to provide executive recruitment services in an amount not-to-exceed $29,000. 2. Adopt Resolution No. "A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA AMENDING THE BUDGET FOR THE 2004-05 FISCAL YEAR." 3. Authorize the City Manager to execute all documents necessary to effectuate the agreement. STAFF ANALYSIS: As you know, the City's Director of Planning Services, Kathryn Lottes, resigned in December 2004. Following Ms. Lottes' resignation staff initiated a comprehensive executive search to find a new Director. Unfortunately, this search did not produce a viable candidate for the position. The current level of development activity throughout Southern California has made the job market for experienced planners, especially at the higher level positions, really tight. As a result, public agencies are finding that it is becoming increasingly difficult to recruit competent staff to fill vacant positions within their building, planning and engineering departments. It has been especially difficult for cities here in the Coachella Valley due to our geographical location and the increasing cost of housing. ITEM NO. Since the City's prior executive search did not produce a viable candidate for the Director's position, staff now believes that an executive recruiter should be retained to help in the placement of this position. Executive recruiters provide strict confidentiality, an extensive network of contacts, objectivity in candidate evaluation, and negotiation experience and expertise. The benefit of using an executive search firm can be weighed against the cost of preparing and executing an advertisement/recruitment campaign, screening and qualifying candidates, operating without a needed employee for an extended length of time, compared to the relative insurance of getting the right person for the job. The use of executive recruiters is an investment in improving the quality of managerial might. Although there are several firms that provide executive recruitment services, staff contacted Dr. Bill Mathis who recently conducted the City Manager recruitment for the City of Indio. Dr. Mathis is the founder of Mathis & Associates. The firm has provided both general management and clinical consulting services to both public and private sector clients for the past 34 years. Dr. Mathis holds a Ph.D. in Clinical/Industrial Psychology from the University of North Dakota at Grand Forks, a Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Portland and a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry/Biology and Psychology from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington. Dr. Mathis is a well-known writer and lecturer. He has worked for numerous state, county and local agencies over the years and recently completed recruitments for the cities of Beverly Hills, Fresno, Yorba Linda, Sierra Madre, and San Mateo County. Staff has met with Dr. Mathis to discuss the Director of Planning Services position and how to best proceed with an executive recruitment. Dr Mathis has indicated that the existing salary range for the Director's position is considerably lower than what is typically found in other public agencies. He believes that unless the City increases the salary range, the City will not be able to attract the best candidate for this critical position. Staff concurs with Dr. Mathis' assessment and recommends that the existing salary range for the Director of Planning Services be changed from a Range 71 ($89,304 - $108,804) to a Range 75 ($98,580 - $120,096). This range is more in line with the other cities in the Coachella Valley. In addition to increasing the salary range for the Director's position, Dr. Mathis has suggested that the City consider creating a second Assistant City Manager position to handle development services. This position, which would free up the current Assistant City Manager to handle more of the administrative functions of the organization, would be responsible for coordinating the development service function for the City, as well as serving as the chief negotiator on development opportunities that come before the City. The proposed salary range for this position is $126,180 - $153,564. This range is comparable to the annual salaries of the two former Assistant City Managers who were paid approximately $146,000 and $150,000 respectively. This salary will be partially offset through the elimination of the vacant Director of Strategic Planning position. In addition, staff is recommending a 2 redistribution of both Assistant City Manager salaries along different funds to further off- set the impact to the General Fund, Dr. Mathis has submitted a proposal to perform both recruitments. The cost to conduct these recruitments is $29,000. Dr. Mathis has indicated that he should be able to present several qualified candidates to the City within the next 30 days. FISCAL IMPACT: This is not a budgeted expense. If the City Council approves this item a budget resolution amending the current year budget will be necessary. The cost of this contract is more than off-set by the budget savings the City has accrued from the vacancies in both Planning and Strategic Planning Services. �,Tr�y �� L. ButzI s�istant City Manager David H. Ready, City M �n r Attachment: 1. Minute Order 2. Budget Resolution 3 MINUTE ORDER NO. AUTHORIZING THE CITY ATTORNEY TO PREPARE A CONTRACT SERVICES AGREEMENT NO. A5102 WITH MATHIS & ASSOCIATES TO PROVIDE EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT SERVICES IN AN AMOUNT NOT-TO-EXCEED $29,000.00 A05102 I, James Thompson, City Clerk of the City of Palm Springs, California, hereby certify that this Minute Order authorizes the City Attorney to prepare a contract services Agreement No. A5102 with Mathis & Associates to provide executive recruitment services in an amount not-to-exceed $29,000.00, was adopted by the City Council of the City of Palm Springs, California, in a meeting thereof held on the 18th day of May, 2005. James Thompson, City Clerk RESOLUTION NO. OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITYOF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA,AMENDING THE BUDGET FOR THE 2004-05 FISCAL YEAR. WHEREAS Resolution 20973 approving the budget for the fiscal year 2004-05 was adopted on June 9, 2004; and WHEREAS the City Manager has recommended, and the City Council desires to approve, certain amendments to said budget; NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Director of Finance is authorized to record inter-fund cash transfers as required in accordance with this Resolution,and that Resolution 20973, adopting the budget for the 2004-05 fiscal year is hereby amended as follows: SECTION 1. ADDITIONS Fund Activity Account Amount 001 Contractual Services 1100-43200 $29,000 Purpose SECTION 2. SOURCE Fund Activity Account Amount 001 Fund Balance ($29,000) Adopted this day of 12005. AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ATTEST: CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA By City Clerk City Manager REVIEWED AND APPROVED