Report 2011-131 Recommendation 7 Responses

Report 2011-131: City of Vernon: Although Reform Is Ongoing, Past Poor Decision Making Threatens Its Financial Stability (Release Date: June 2012)

Recommendation #7 To: Vernon, City of

To ensure that it develops complete and appropriate personnel policies and procedures, the new human resources director should ensure that the city's policies and procedures include, at a minimum, requirements for minimum qualifications, desirable qualifications, and job duties for all city executive positions.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From July 2014

On September 17, 2013, the City Council adopted Personnel Policy II-1: Classification Plan Administration. The purpose of the policy is to describe the Classification Plan and provide basic guidelines for plan administration and maintenance. The policy requires each class specification, including executive positions, to include the class title, a brief statement defining the essential duties and responsibilities of the class, the distinguishing characteristics of the class that differentiate it from other classes (if applicable), the supervision received and exercised, examples of duties performed, the typical working conditions (as applicable), the medical category designation, and the minimum qualifications required in terms of knowledge, skills, ability, experience, and education.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Fully Implemented

1-Year Agency Response

On November 20, 2012, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2012-231, creating a Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual to be completed and maintained by the HR Director. Under the Requesting and Recruiting for Personnel Policy (I-2), the HR Director is responsible for ensuring that all job bulletins, including those for executive positions, contain the essential job functions and duties of the position, the minimum qualifications required, and desirable qualifications. On May 13, 2013, through an open and competitive RFP process, the City engaged Public Sector Personnel Consultants (PSPC) to conduct a Citywide Classification and Compensation Study of all City positions and staff, including executives. The study will include a review of all current job duty statements for existing classifications and recommendations for new and revised job duty statements as needed.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Partially Implemented

6-Month Agency Response

The city includes this recommendation in its reform matrix (dated the end of January 2013) but did not address it.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: No Action Taken

60-Day Agency Response

Although the city indicated that its recently appointed human resources director will review and recommend improvements to personnel policies and procedures, the city did not specifically respond to our recommendations, elaborate on any plans to improve its policies and procedures, or give a time frame for completion. (See 2013-406, p. 191)

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

All Recommendations in 2011-131

Agency responses received after June 2013 are posted verbatim.