A full study of salaries and job descriptions will quickly get underway in Jefferson City with the expectation that recommendations will be ready for the 2017 budget.
At the Jefferson City Council meeting Monday, a bill was approved selecting Kansas-based Austin Peters Group Inc. to do a comprehensive classification and compensation study on city positions. Council members approved suspending the rules to allow the bill to be both introduced and approved in one meeting.
The firm will provide an "in-depth review of the city's classification and compensation plan and will provide new information to determine whether the organization's pay structure is appropriate or may need adjustments, including adjusted or new pay ranges, new job classes, mergers of existing classes or the re-titling of classes, review of compression, a review of all job descriptions and a review of the city's benefit plan including special pays."
The Austin Peters Group was the lowest of four bidders, coming in at just under $39,000 for the full contract, while the three other bidders ranged in cost from $67,500 to just under $84,000. Two internal city committees evaluated the bidders with both selecting the Austin Peters Group as the best option.
The council had previously budgeted $50,000 for the study, but that does not take into account the cost of implementing any of the final recommendations.
The city's last outside study of employee salaries, which was done in 2003, found they were compensated below the average of other state organizations and gave four different plans to address the issue. At the beginning of 2004, city officials adopted the plan with the least financial impact, which still had a cost of more than $350,000 to implement.
According to the contract, the firm would be required to submit final reports no later than Oct. 15, which is roughly two weeks before the city starts the 2017 fiscal year on Nov. 1.
The goal had been to use the firm's recommendations to help guide decisions during the next budget process, which for the council likely will start in July. Though the final report is not due back 'til mid-October, City Administrator Steve Crowell said he still anticipates being able to include that data for the 2017 budget, noting the firm is ready to begin quickly.
The contract also stipulates the firm will continue to provide "follow-up technical assistance" through April 15, 2017 at no extra cost, with the exception of any travel-related expenses. The firm also will provide recommendations to adjust the adopted plan annually for five years.
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