City of Waterbury, CT - Annual Report

Annual Report

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I.             Recruitment and Selection
II.            Layoff
III.           Classification Plan
IV.          Grievances
V.           Meetings of the Civil Service Commission
VI.          Job Classification Audits
VII.         Training and Development
VIII.         Present Concerns
IX.          Acknowledgments


I. RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION

During the fiscal year the Civil Service Office established fifty-nine eligibility lists. In the process of establishing these lists, seventy-two separate examination phases were conducted. The specific open competitive and promotional lists which were established are provided below.

The Open Competitive lists are as follows:

1.              Inlands and Wetlands Coordinator
2.              Traffic Utility Person
3.              Assistant Director of Finance
4.              Billing and Collections Supervisor
5.              Manger of Accounting and Financial Reporting
6.              Network Manager
7.              Treasury Manager
8.              Custodian II
9.              Data Entry Clerk
10.          Accountant I
11.          Accountant II
12.          Library Page – Education and Library
13.          Accountant III
14.          Plant Maintenance Chief Mechanic
15.          Supervisor of Custodian Services – Days
16.          Supervisor of Custodian Services – Nights
17.          Pension and Benefits Clerk
18.          Sanitarian I
19.          Part Time Meter Aide
20.          Engineering Assistant V
21.          Librarian IV Head of Children Services
22.          Librarian IV Head of Reference Services
23.          Public Health Non-Professional Aide
24.          School Secretary
25.          Tree Trimmer
26.          Assistant Building Inspector
27.          Street MEO
28.          Landscape Architect
29.          City Planner
30.          Meter Reader
31.          Vehicle Utility Maintenance Person
32.          Director of Public Health Nursing
33.          Sanitarian II
34.          Librarian IV Head of Technical Services
35.          Public Health Director
36.          Water Pollution Control Operator

The Promotional lists are as follows:

1.              Librarian III
2.              Carpenter
3.              Account Clerk III
4.              Custodian II
5.              Payroll Clerk
6.              Traffic Utilityperson
7.              Elementary Teaching Vice Principal
8.              Accountant III
9.              Public Health Non-Professional Aide
10.          Police Sergeant
11.          Police Lieutenant
12.          Police Captain
13.          Pension and Benefits Clerk
14.          Meter Reader Foreperson
15.          Water Distribution Serviceperson
16.          School Secretary
17.          Water Maintenance Foreperson
18.          Account Clerk III
19.          Food Service Helper
20.          Engineering Assistant IV
21.          Weigher
22.          Supervisor of Custodian Service – Days
23.          Supervisor of Custodian Services – Nights

In addition, the following categories of jobs were filled (rate cards circulated):

Permanent Competitive:              243
New:                                         130
Promotions:                                 65
Demotions:                                  12
Rehire:                                        10
Transfer:                                      21
Part-time:                                      5
Seasonal                                    197
Temporary                                    69
TOTAL                                      509
Other                                          31
Substitutes                                125

II. LAYOFF

There were two (2) layoffs that occurred during the fiscal year.

III. CLASSIFICATION PLAN

During the fiscal year, twelve new job descriptions were developed:

            Index Clerk
            Director of Public Works
            Traffic Signal Technician
Deputy Director of Operations
Deputy Director of Services
Supervisor of Streets
Human Resources Assistant
Human Resources Generalist
Senior Human Resources Generalist
Certified Sign Language Interpreter
Waste Treatment Laboratory Director
Network Technician

Thirteen job descriptions in the classification plan were revised during the reporting period:

Director of Health
Water department Engineer
Director of Public Health Nursing
Director of Finance
Director of Human Resources
Reservoir and Watershed Operator
Supervisor of Refuse
Assistant Assessor
Assistant Fire Chief
Assistant Registrar of Vital Statistics
Water Department Business Manager
Sanitarian II
City Planner

IV. GRIEVANCES

The Director of Personnel is a step in the grievance procedure as provided in the Blue Collar and Police Union contracts. During the year, sixty-four grievances were received and ruled upon. The details are as follows:

Union

No.

Sustained

Denied

*Other

Pending

Blue Collar

48

6

8

31

3

Police

3

0

2

1

0

Totals

51

6

10

32

3

*Under this category, eighteen were pulled due to time limit being exhausted; five were settled before the Hearing Officer; four were settled prior to the grievance hearing; three were withdrawn; one went to mediation.

V. MEETINGS OF THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION

The Civil Service Commission convened twenty-four meetings during the fiscal year.

Thirty-six appeals were filed before the Civil Service Commission. Eight were sustained, twenty-four were denied, one was denied due to the appellant failing to attend the meeting in pursuit of his/her appeal, and three were withdrawn.

During this fiscal year, three department head contract renewals came before the Civil Service Commission. They were renewed for a three-year period.

VI. JOB CLASSIFICATION AUDITS

The Civil Service Office was called upon to conduct job classification audits. Four job audits were conducted. They are as follows:

Payroll Clerk – School Inspectors
Meter Reader Foreperson – Water Department
Index Clerk – Town Clerk
Mailroom Operator – Public Buildings

VII. TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

Sexual Harassment Training seminars regarding sexual harassment in the workplace were given to any newly hired or promoted persons within the City who work in a supervisory capacity. Several sessions of this training have been given in the past in order to educate every person in a supervisory classification with the City of Waterbury. The City instituted a new employee orientation program where all new employees are oriented on the city policies, directives, our expectations and receive a comprehensive briefing on their benefits.

VIII. PRESENT CONCERNS

The integration of the various functions formerly under benefits, risk management, personnel and labor relation into a single cohesive department is the single biggest challenge to the department. The most immediate need is to alleviate the backlog of vacancies as we continue to receive an unprecedented number of requests to test for various positions. We, as a department, and the City as a whole need to lead the effort to upgrade the skills of our employees to meet the challenges of new technology and the demand that we do more with less.

My hope is that additional commitment of resources in staff and money will allow the department to focus beyond recruiting of employees, to other value added activities such as staff development and employee accountability that I believe will ultimately benefit the public with better service.

IX. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

My thanks to Mayor Michael Jarjura, Chief of Staff Garrett Casey and the elected officials of the City of Waterbury for their support of the Civil Service system and their assistance in the creation of a new Human Resource Department. The commitment of additional resources and staff has enabled us to make great strides in moving the department forwarded

I would also like to extend my thanks to all of the staff for their continued hard work and dedication to public service. As interim director, their efforts and support have enabled me to feel welcome and allowed us to focus on the challenges at hand.

Thanks to the members of the Civil Service Commission who graciously volunteer their time to ensure that the Civil Service system operates according to its mission and within it's rules and regulations. It is obvious that they take their duties seriously. Their thoughtfulness to matters large and small as well as the kindness and respect shown to all that come before them should be a model for all other Boards and Commissions in this City.