Agenda Index City of Vancouver

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

TO:

Standing Committee of Council on City Services & Budgets

FROM:

General Manager of Engineering Services

SUBJECT:

Information Services Staffing

 

RECOMMENDATION

GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS

The General Manager of Engineering Services RECOMMENDS approval of the foregoing.

COUNCIL POLICY

Increases in expenditures related to the addition of new programs or staffing should be offset, where possible, by matching expenditure reductions or revenue increases.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this report is to seek Council's approval to make permanent an exempt temporary computer support position at Engineering works facilities through a reallocation of Engineering operating funds.

BACKGROUND

In July, 2001, Council approved an administrative report recommending the conversion of 53 existing temporary full-time CUPE 15 positions to regular full-time status, in part in response to a CUPE 15 policy grievance. The report also noted that there may be some additional situations amongst exempt staff or other bargaining unit positions which wouldbe reported to Council at a later date. Engineering Services has identified a temporary full-time exempt systems analyst position which falls into this category.

DISCUSSION

A temporary Systems Analyst position has been funded for the past five years in Engineering Services. This position is part of a three person team that provides technology support at Engineering works facilities. The other 2 team members have been made permanent under the aforementioned July 16, 2001 administrative report.

The Systems Analyst position supports local computer systems used by utility operations staff. This position is needed to continue this support, and to migrate those systems to an enterprise platform which meets Departmental operational needs. Examples of work undertaken by this position:

To Date

Future

· Evaluating business procedures and issues for all Engineering operating areas.

· Developing business cases and programming specifications for sign off by the operations Superintendents.

· Project managing the implementation of approved projects, including system testing, contract administration and vendor relationships.

Sample systems:

· Transfer Station Weigh Scale System responsible for transactions of $ 17 million per year.

· Water and Sewer Dispatch Systems managing around 18,000 calls from the public per year.

· Street Cut Repair System managing the coordination and administration of $ 5 million of street repair work per year.

· Evaluate, detail, and project manage new systems to continue to meet the requirements of Engineering operations areas.

· Develop a strategic technical plan to make operational data widely available across works groups to better coordinate work efforts.

Sample systems:

· Optimize the Kent Yard weigh scale system to audit contract haulers and reduce administration.

· Analyse water and sewer connection data to better predict complaints on private property.

· Enhance the Driver Training and Safety Data Base used to help meet legal requirements regarding driver qualifications and performance.

PERSONNEL IMPLICATIONS

The incumbent has held this position for the past five years and will immediately be converted to regular full time staff.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

There are no budget issues or costs with this report since costs are to be funded from transfers from various operating budgets. Fifty percent of the funding for this position is currently provided from utilities overhead; the remainder from savings from operating accounts.

CONCLUSION

The report recommends that a temporary exempt computer support position be made permanent to complete the making permanent of a three person computer support group required to service the Engineering works facilities. The other two CUPE 15 positions were made permanent in the July 16, 2001 administrative report.

* * * * *

cs011004.htm

Comments or questions? You can send us email.
[City Homepage] [Get In Touch]

(c) 1998 City of Vancouver