Title
Approval of the Job Description for the Assistant to the City Council Position
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Move to approve the job description for the Assistant to the City Council position as proposed by a City Council subcommittee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to approve the job description for the Assistant to the City Council position.
Report
Issue:
Whether to approve the job description for the Assistant to the City Council position.
Staff Contact:
Manny Bosser, Human Resources Director 360.753.8309
Presenter(s):
Manny Bosser, Human Resources Director
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 Assistant to the City Council 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 Councilmembers regarding key support needs and the special skills and abilities required of the proposed 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.
In April and May 2025, the job description was refined by the Department of Human Resources and the draft is ready to finalize.
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 City Council administrative and support processes, identifying efficiency tools, assisting the City Council with the distribution of work among Councilmembers, helping to shepherd City 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 City Council acknowledges that this new position is unique in that it’s intended to support seven Councilmembers. Staff and Councilmembers 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.
• Experience in support policy consideration and decision-making processes.
• Embraces City values.
• Experience with process improvements as a change agent.
• Ability to anticipate Councilmember 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 Councilmembers, staff has developed and finalized a job description. The purpose of this agenda item is for Council to review, discuss, and approve the job description.
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 an Assistant to the City Council 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 Assistant to the City Council job description.
2. Do not move to approve the Assistant to the City Council job description.
3. Take other action.
Attachments:
Job description