Title
Approval of the Draft City Council Support Position Description
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a Committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to approve the draft City Council support position description.
Report
Issue:
Whether to approve the draft City Council support position description.
Staff Contact:
Manny Bosser, Director, Human Resources, 360-753-8309
Presenter(s):
Manny Bosser, Director, Human Resources
Background and Analysis:
In December 2024, the Olympia City Council adopted the City’s 2025 annual budget. Included in the budget is a 1.0 full-time equivalent Council support position to provide dedicated support for Council Members in the course of their work.
In February 2025, the Director of Human Resources gathered feedback from Council Members regarding key support needs and the special skills and abilities required of the position. Three councilmembers subsequently formed a work group and met with the Director of Human Resources to provide additional direction on developing and finalizing a job description for the position.
Identified Key Support Needs
The discussion thus far with Council has resulted in identifying the following key support needs including; managing calendars, managing email, coordinating event invites and attendance, scheduling meetings, supporting proclamations, supporting the drafting of talking points for public events or preparation for media interviews, policy support in the form of basic research, improving Council administrative and support processes, identifying efficiency tools, assisting Council with the distribution of work among Council members, helping to shepherd Council referrals through the process, supporting communication with stakeholders, collecting and tracking of project ideas and inquiries, ensuring the Council guidebook is up to date, and helping ensure compliance with public disclosure and public meeting requirements.
Special Skills and Abilities
The Council acknowledges that this new position is unique in that it’s intended to support seven Councilmembers. Staff and Council have collaborated to identify a number of desirable skills and abilities that will help ensure a candidate is successful in the position.
Those skills and abilities include, but are not limited to:
• Experience working with elected officials as an executive assistant or in a similar role.
• Knowledge of the City of Olympia and municipal and/or local government.
• Comfortable with layers of regulations.
• Experience in support policy consideration and decision-making processes.
• Embraces City values.
• Experience with process improvements as a change agent.
• Ability to anticipate Council member needs.
• Ability to take initiative and follow through on meeting commitments and due dates.
• Experience with conflict management.
• Ability to multitask while demonstrating accuracy in work.
• Willingness to be accessible, be adaptable, and work flexible schedules as needed.
Based on direction from Council, staff has developed a draft job description. The purpose of this agenda item is for Council to review, discuss and provide input to staff on the draft job description. That input will guide any needed updates, with a final review and guidance from the work group on April 23, 2025.
Climate Analysis:
The discussion of feedback on key support needs and special skills and abilities has no expected impact on climate.
Equity Analysis:
The City of Olympia is committed to considering and mitigating impacts to currently and historically marginalized groups of people during the development of job descriptions in order to provide an equitable opportunity for all interested candidates. The equity lens used during the feedback process included, determining desirable outcomes, conversations with key stakeholders, analyzing classification data, evaluating feedback information, and reporting back to stakeholders. Evaluation of outcomes will be determined following hiring.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
There is a broad community interest in how the City engages in decision making regarding the development of a Council support position.
Financial Impact:
The financial impact is expected to be approximately $160,000 (wages plus benefits) and these amounts are incorporated in the 2025 adopted budget.
Options:
1. Move to approve the draft City Council Support Position position description.
2. Do not move to approve the draft City Council Support position description.
3. Take other action.
Attachments:
Draft Position Description