Budget director outlines Personnel Improvement Plan proposing 11.5 new positions; council signals HR and IT priorities

Arianna Beckman, director of budget, presented Copperas Cove's Personnel Improvement Plan (PIP) during the March 4 workshop portion of the council meeting, proposing 11.5 new positions for the next fiscal year and several reclassifications across funds. Beckman said the total financial impact for the proposed PIP additions and reclassifications is a little over $1 million; the city currently budgets about 318.5 full-time equivalents and the proposal would increase that count.

Beckman described the process: departments submit staffing requests; directors prioritize them through the PIP committee; council reviews and ultimately the positions are included in the budget based on available resources. She said the general fund requests included public safety, municipal court reclassification to assistant court administrator, two police officers, two communications operator positions, a full-time kennel assistant conversion in animal control, parks and rec admin moving a part-time role to full time, a human-resources charge generalist, an IT network technician, and an administrative assistant for code compliance. The listed general-fund personnel changes accounted for $802,591 in salary and operating costs, Beckman said.

Beckman noted the water and sewer fund requests consisted of reclassifications for wastewater operations totaling about $16,200. The solid waste fund requested two new positions (a recycling supervisor at $78,775 and a lead laborer at $60,000) totaling $138,950. The drainage fund proposed a new labor position at about $49,911. She said the total of non-prioritized positions submitted across all funds equated to roughly $4 million.

Council members discussed prioritization. One council member asked for HR and IT positions to be prioritized when staff packages the budget, citing the city's need for increased personnel capacity in those areas. Beckman reminded council that the PIP is adopted in August as part of the overall budget ordinance and that amendments may come to council later.

Beckman and staff said the proposed financial impacts include not only salary and benefits but also other operating costs for new positions (computers, vehicles, equipment) and that final placements depend on the budget committee's and council's prioritization during the budget process.

No formal vote was taken on the PIP at the meeting; staff requested direction and said they will include prioritized positions in upcoming budget documents for council consideration.