Title
Amendments to Pay Ordinance S-45840 in Accordance with Human Resources Committee 609 Recommendations (Ordinance S-47460)
Description
As part of a classification and compensation study, the following amendments to the Pay Ordinance [S-45840] are recommended in accordance with the recommendation of Human Resources Committee 609, effective July 12, 2021. The amendments also require the City’s Classification Ordinance [S-5815] to be updated. Those will be processed under a separate ordinance.
Modify the classification of Police Comm Operator, Job Code 01830, Salary Plan 006, Benefit Category 003, Labor Unit Code 003, EEO-4 Category: Administrative Support, FLSA Status: Non-Exempt, from Grade 328 ($19.28 - $28.30/hourly) to Grade 331 ($22.28 - $32.73/hourly).
Modify the classification assignment of Police Comm Op*Radio/911, Job Code 01832, Salary Plan 006, Benefit Category 003, Labor Unit Code 003, EEO-4 Category: Administrative Support, FLSA Status: Non-Exempt, from Grade 329 ($20.23 - $29.66/hourly) to Grade 332 ($23.33 - $34.31/hourly).
Modify the classification assignment of Police Comm Op*Lead Radio/911, Job Code 01833, Salary Plan 006, Benefit Category 003, Labor Unit Code 003, EEO-4 Category: Administrative Support, FLSA Status: Non-Exempt, from Grade 330 ($21.23 - $31.21/hourly) to Grade 333 ($24.53 - $36.05/hourly).
Modify the classification of Police Communications Supv, Job Code 01870, Salary Plan 001, Benefit Category 007, Labor Unit Code 007, EEO-4 Category: Administrative Support, FLSA Status: Non-Exempt, from Grade 032 ($23.11 - $35.26/hourly) to Grade 034 ($25.61 - $38.97/hourly).
Modify the classification of Police Comm Shift Supervisor, Job Code 01800, Salary Plan 001, Benefit Category 007, Labor Unit Code 007, EEO-4 Category: Administrative Support, FLSA Status: Exempt, from Grade 034 ($53,268.80 - $81,057.60/annually) to Grade 036 ($58,905.60 - $59,544.00/annually).
Modify the classification assignment of Police Comm Shift Supv*Lead, Job Code 01801, Salary Plan 001, Benefit Category 007, Labor Unit Code 007, EEO-4 Category: Administrative Support, FLSA Status: Exempt, from Grade 035 ($55,931.20 - $85,176.00/annually) to Grade 037 ($61,859.20 - $94,203.20/annually).
Modify the classification of Emergency Dispatcher, Job Code 01860, Salary Plan 006, Benefit Category 003, Labor Unit Code 003, EEO-4 Category: Administrative Support, FLSA Status: Non-Exempt, from Grade 329 ($20.23 - $29.66/hourly) to Grade 332 ($23.33 - $34.31/hourly).
Modify the classification of Fire Emergency Dispatcher, Job Code 01820, Salary Plan 006, Benefit Category 003, Labor Unit Code 003, EEO-4 Category: Administrative Support, FLSA Status: Non-Exempt, from Grade 329 ($20.23 - $29.66/hourly) to Grade 332 ($23.33 - $34.31/hourly).
Modify the classification assignment of Fire Emergency Dispatcher*Lead, Job Code 01822, Salary Plan 006, Benefit Category 003, Labor Unit Code 003, EEO-4 Category: Administrative Support, FLSA Status: Non-Exempt, from Grade 330 ($21.23 - $31.21/hourly) to Grade 333 ($24.53 - $36.05/hourly).
Modify the classification of Fire Communications Supervisor, Job Code 01850, Salary Plan 001, Benefit Category 007, Labor Unit Code 007, EEO-4 Category: Administrative Support, FLSA Status: Non-Exempt, from Grade 032 ($23.11 - $35.26/hourly) to Grade 034 ($25.61 - $38.97/hourly).
Abolish the classification assignment of Fire Comm Supervisor*Telecom, Job Code 01851, Salary Plan 001, Benefit Category 007, Labor Unit Code 007, Grade 033 ($24.39 - $37.12/hourly), EEO-4 Category: Professionals, FLSA Status: Non-Exempt.
Abolish the classification assignment of Communications Dispatcher*Av, Job Code 01811, Salary Plan 006, Benefit Category 003, Labor Unit Code 003, Grade 326 ($17.69 - $25.67/hourly), EEO-4 Category: Service Maintenance, FLSA Status: Non-Exempt.
Abolish the classification assignment of Aviation Supv II*Comm, Job Code 25231, Salary Plan 001, Benefit Category 007, Labor Unit Code 007, Grade 032 ($48,069 - $73,341/annually), EEO-4 Category: Service Maintenance, FLSA Status: Exempt.
Abolish the classification assignment of Emergency Dispatcher*Lead (Assignment), Job Code 01861, Salary Plan 006, Benefit Category 003, Labor Unit Code 003, Grade 330 ($21.23 - $31.21/hourly), EEO-4 Category: Service Maintenance, FLSA Status: Non-Exempt.
Establish the classification of Aviation Dispatcher, Job Code 24100, Salary Plan 006, Benefit Category 003, Labor Unit Code 003, Grade 329 ($20.23 - $29.66/hourly), EEO-4 Category: Service Maintenance, FLSA Status: Non-Exempt.
Establish the classification of Aviation Dispatch Supervisor I, Job Code 24110, Salary Plan 001, Benefit Category 007, Labor Unit Code 007, Grade 031 ($22.09 - $33.52/hourly), EEO-4 Category: Service Maintenance, FLSA Status: Non-Exempt.
Establish the classification of Aviation Dispatch Supervisor II, Job Code 24120, Salary Plan 001, Benefit Category 007, Labor Unit Code 007, Grade 034 ($53,269 - $81,058/annually), EEO-4 Category: Service Maintenance, FLSA Status: Exempt.
Report
Summary
BACKGROUND
Concerns about the high number of vacancies among classifications responsible for public safety dispatch operations prompted a market review of salaries for classifications with these responsibilities. At this same time, the Aviation Department brought forward concerns about its classification and pay structure for the dispatch operations at Sky Harbor Airport.
FINDINGS
A survey of the salaries for journey-level Police Communications Dispatchers for the local agencies of Avondale, Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale, Mesa, Peoria, Scottsdale, Surprise, and Tempe as well as Austin, Houston, Philadelphia, San Antonio, and San Diego nationally revealed the City of Phoenix’s starting salary is the lowest of all the cities in the Valley. In fact, of all the cities surveyed, only San Diego, Austin and Houston reported a lower starting salary.
Agency Classification title Starting Hourly Rate
Gilbert Dispatcher II $23.76
Tempe Communications Dispatcher II $23.27
Mesa Police Dispatcher $22.54
Scottsdale Police Communications Dispatch $22.23
Avondale Police Communications Dispatcher $22.11
Peoria Communications Specialist $22.08
Surprise Police Dispatcher $22.03
Chandler Dispatcher $21.83
Philadelphia Police Communication Dispatcher (B) $20.56
Glendale Police Communications Specialist $20.54
San Antonio Police Communications Dispatcher $20.43
Phoenix Police Communications Operator*Radio/911 $20.23
San Diego Dispatcher II $20.16
Austin 911 Call Taker $18.25
Houston Senior 9-1-1 Telecommunicator $18.00
Currently, the vacancy rate at the entry and journey levels in the Police Department is over 17%. Additionally, when analyzing turnover data from last year for the Police Communications Operator and the Police Communications Operator*Radio/911 positions, 87.5% of those who voluntarily resigned were being paid below the median of the range and had been in their jobs for three years or less.
In reviewing the structure of the Communications Center in Aviation, it currently consists of two Aviation Supervisor II*Communication Center (assignment), six Aviation Supervisor I (no assignment) and 24 Communication Dispatcher*Aviation (assignment). It is notable that the Aviation Supervisor I is the only classification in the Communications Center that is not an assignment position. In addition, the Aviation Supervisor I classification is used in a variety of different contexts within the Aviation Department with no means to delineate and differentiate those within the Communications Center. There is a compression issue between the dispatcher and the first line supervisor, with a median differential of only 4%.
CONCLUSION
The grade changes recommended are necessary to achieve a pay range appropriate to attract and retain staff who will be serving the largest municipal population in the state. The changes to the other grades maintain the appropriate relationship among the various classification levels as well.
The assignment positions in the Aviation Communications Center are very distinct and vary greatly from their base classifications due to the required level of technical knowledge of communications equipment. To mitigate compression, and to recognize the distinction of these classifications, we recommend abolishing the assignment classifications, and creating in their place regular (non-assignment) classifications of Aviation Dispatcher, Aviation Dispatch Supervisor I and Aviation Dispatch Supervisor II. Creating the recommended classifications in Aviation would create consistency within the Aviation dispatch center, as the primary and sole function of each classification would be Aviation Dispatch Center duties. The recommended salary grades would relieve the current compression between the dispatcher and first-line supervisor, moving from a 4% differential to a more appropriate supervisor/employee differential of 11%. Additionally, the midpoint differential between the first- and second-line supervisors (Aviation Dispatch Supervisor I and Aviation Dispatch Supervisor II) would move from 22% to a more reasonable 16%.
In 2020, the Police Communications Bureau received over 2 million calls of which nearly 1.2 million were 911 calls. All calls come in to 911 at Police and are then sent, as appropriate to Fire where their alarm room handled nearly 500,000 calls last year. In Aviation, nearly 141,000 of the roughly 322,000 calls they handled were emergency related. The higher percentage of emergency calls through Police/Fire accounts for the grade differential between the Police/Fire and Aviation classifications. These grade changes would maintain the current grade relativity to the classifications in Aviation, Police, and Fire Emergency Dispatch consistent with the other recommendations made in this report.
Financial Impact
The estimated costs of these actions for a full fiscal year, including benefits, is approximately $608,027. Funding is available in the Police, Fire, and Aviation Departments.
Concurrence/Previous Council Action
This action was reviewed and recommended for approval by Human Resources Committee 609 on Feb. 26, 2021.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Toni Maccarone and the Human Resources Department.