Fiscal Note
The proposed resolution creates several personnel changes within Metro Transit and includes recreating a Graphics Technician from .6 FTE to 1.0 FTE, recreating an Assistant Schedule Planner to a Planner 2, recreating a Utility Worker position as a Building & Grounds Supervisor Transit Maintenance Supervisor, and deleting a part-time Customer Service Representative. The net result of these changes is a .2 FTE reduction in Metro's employee count. The proposed changes result in additional annual salary and benefit costs of $20,000. Metro will manage its salary savings to accommodate the expense in 2021.
Title
SUBSTITUTE: Recreating one .6 FTE Graphics Technician position (position control #2762) and one .6 FTE Customer Service Representative position (position control #2680, currently vacant) into one 1.0 FTE Graphics Technician position and place incumbent, M. Kim, in the position.) Recreating 1.0 FTE Assistant Schedule Planner (position #4353, currently vacant) as a 1.0 FTE Planner 2 position. Recreating 1.0 FTE Utility Worker (position control #3384) as a Building & Grounds Foreman Transit Maintenance Supervisor. Amending the 2021 Metro Transit Operating Budget to reflect these changes for a net change of 0.2 FTE.
Body
Metro's ridership has been increasingly getting their transit and schedule information by electronic means such as apps, so the call center staff is not as heavily utilized. As the city moves toward implementing Bus Rapid Transit, Metro's Marketing and Customer Service unit is called upon to provide more photography and art design content, so converting a part time Customer Service Representative position to make a part time Graphic Artist position full time is a better use of staff.
Metro has become increasingly reliant on technology such as real time bus arrival information, automatic vehicle location and automatic passenger counters. This technology can offer a wealth of valuable data that needs to be organized and presented in a format that makes it helpful for decision-making and reporting. Converting a vacant Assistant Schedule Planner position to a Planner 2 position will make better use of the position to maintain data systems, assist in implementing new systems and compiling data for use by staff and policy makers. The Planner 2 position would essentially be replacing a Planner position that was transferred from Metro to the City Transportation Department.
Metro Transit has entered into a number of major building projects, including a multi-year phased upgrade plan of the 1101 E. Washington garage and preparation and design study work for a satellite garage. In order to free up much needed garage space, Building & Grounds staff and equipment were relocated to another facility. The incumbent in the Building & Grounds Foreman position (position control #2678) was reclassed to a Maintenance General Supervisor position and took on much of the work of the building projects. Metro is now in need of a new direct supervisor for the Building & Grounds unit. There is a vacant Utility Worker position Metro would like to use for this purpose.
WHEREAS, Metro Transit has a greater need for a full time Graphic Artist than for a part time Customer Service representative due to service changes over the last year and the way customers access information; and
WHEREAS, Metro Transit has a greater need for a Transit Planner 2 than for an Assistant Schedule Planner due to technology changes over the last few years; and
WHEREAS, Metro Transit needs a supervisor position for the Building & Grounds unit and has a vacant Utility Worker position to use for this purpose; and
WHEREAS, in order to use our current personnel budget to best serve the community; and
WHEREAS, Metro Transit has positions it can recreate with minimal effect on the budget and no negative impact on current personnel;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that .6 FTE Customer Service Representative (position #2680) be deleted and .6 FTE Graphics Technician (position #2762) be recreated as a 1.0 FTE Graphics Technician position and place current incumbent M. Kim into that full time position. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that 1.0 FTE Assistant Schedule Planner (position #4353, currently vacant) be recreated as a new Planner 2 position and that a 1.0 Utility Worker (position #3384, currently vacant) be recreated as a new Building & Grounds supervisor Transit Maintenance Supervisor position.