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Lake Stevens council adopts revised organizational chart after HR presents burnout survey
Summary
After HR presented results of a citywide burnout survey showing moderate work-related strain among exempt staff, the council approved a reorganized org chart and reclassifications intended to centralize capital project delivery and reallocate duties with minimal net budget impact.
The Lake Stevens City Council on April 21 approved updates to the municipal organizational chart following a presentation by HR Director Ana Warrington and subsequent budget analysis by Interim Finance Director Matthew Heist.
Warrington summarized a citywide burnout survey conducted March 19 using the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. She said 64% of employees participated (84 of 130), and that 43 respondents reported work‑related burnout scores above 50 on the CBI scale, which Warrington characterized as the threshold for moderate burnout. Warrington told council that exempt staff (supervisors and executives) report longer hours and higher rates of persistent work outside business hours.
Councilmembers pressed staff on implications for hiring and overtime. Heist reported that the city had paid roughly $111,000 in overtime in the prior four months (about 23% of the overtime budget to date), and that most overtime dollars were concentrated in the police department and public works. Heist said, however, that the city typically spends less than the fully budgeted salary lines because of ongoing vacancies.
Public works analyst Lori Ericson and others presented proposed reclassifications: converting a senior civil engineer role into a capital projects coordinator, creating three FTEs focused on capital delivery, and converting the city engineer position into a deputy public works director to reduce the director’s span of control. The administration also proposed creating a management analyst funded by abolishing a vacant revenue development specialist position in parks.
Heist presented a fully loaded fiscal analysis showing a net annual budget change of approximately $25,000 (net increase) if all reclassifications were fully staffed for a year; staff said many costs would be charged to targeted programs such as the transportation benefit program where appropriate. Council members debated prioritizing frontline vacancies — especially police hires — versus administrative realignments. After discussion, a motion to adopt the updated organizational chart passed (voice vote; one recorded nay). Council members asked staff to return with deeper departmental metrics and action plans related to burnout and to continue to prioritize police staffing.
