Council receives comprehensive classification and compensation study; report to inform negotiations

The San Gabriel City Council received and filed a comprehensive classification, compensation and fringe-benefits study on May 20, a report city staff said was intended to inform upcoming labor negotiations and personnel planning.

Human Resources and Risk Management Director Edward Macias presented the study, prepared by consultant MGT. Macias said the consultant reviewed 84 full-time job classifications, surveyed comparator cities and interviewed staff to assess market positioning and classification accuracy. "The objectives of the study were to review and update the city's full-time position classification and compensation systems," Macias said during the presentation.

The study's classification findings include: - More than 85% of the city's full-time classifications were found to be accurately titled and described with no substantive updates required. - Three existing classifications were recommended for retitling to reflect current duties: senior code enforcement officer → code enforcement supervisor; permit center coordinator → permit center technician; playhouse production coordinator → playhouse technical coordinator. - One classification (fire division chief) had an outdated description and the study recommended an updated job description. - Six recently approved full-time positions lacked formal classification descriptions; the study recommended adopting descriptions for assistant director of community development, assistant director of community services, assistant director of public works, facility supervisor, GIS analyst and stage manager. - The consultant recommended adding two classifications to the authorized list — information technology analyst and property and evidence technician II — but the study did not recommend adding full-time positions (FTEs); these are classifications to provide options for current or future staffing.

On compensation, MGT benchmarked 42 positions representing about half of the city’s full-time classes. Findings included: - 16 of 42 benchmark positions (38%) are above market (more than 5% above the market midpoint); no market adjustment was recommended for those positions at this time. - 14 of 42 (33%) are at market (within ±5% of the market midpoint); no adjustment recommended. - 11 of 42 (26%) fall below market (more than 5% below midpoint) and should be considered for market adjustments; the shortfall ranged roughly from about 5.25% up to about 16.125% for some outliers. - One position could not be analyzed due to insufficient comparator data.

The fringe-benefits review identified gaps compared with comparator cities: employee contributions for family health coverage are roughly 23% below market for the cohort analyzed; longevity and differential pay for sworn and civilian groups appeared lower than some comparators; education, certification and professional-development incentives are limited in comparison; and annual leave accruals for some groups were below market ranges. The consultant recommended an internal review of fringe benefits to address internal equity, retention and succession planning.

Council members asked procedural and technical clarifying questions. Vice Mayor Eric L. Chan asked whether the recommended new classifications imply immediate hires; Macias and the consultant clarified that adding classifications does not create new FTEs. Council Member John Wu asked for more detail about how benchmarks and comparator cities were selected; the consultant said the team prioritized common positions that would yield confident comparator data and noted that one benchmark lacked sufficient comparators.

The city attorney reminded council that the report is informational and that council members should avoid deliberating on bargaining positions in public because labor negotiations are ongoing. Macias said staff will use the study to inform labor negotiations and internal decisions, but any action that affects bodies or compensation will be brought back to council for formal approval.

Jessica Ancona, an MGT consultant who worked on the study, praised city staff and employees for cooperation during the process: "All of your staff was absolutely wonderful to work with," she said.

The council did not vote to change salaries or adopt classifications at the May 20 meeting; the item was presented for information and next steps include internal staff review, departmental follow-up and use of the study in labor negotiations. Staff told council that changes that would add positions or alter pay scales would return to council for formal action.

The report is intended to improve internal classification accuracy and to provide bargaining teams and managers with data about market positioning and benefit practices across comparable cities. Macias and the consultant recommended periodic reviews and internal follow-up to address items identified in the study.