07-02-2019 - Item 04 - Consideration of Appointment of Police ChiefAGENDA ITEM NO. 4
AGENDA STAFF REPORT
City of West Covina | Office of the City Manager
DATE:July 2, 2019
TO:Mayor and City Council
FROM:David Carmany
Interim City Manager
SUBJECT:CONSIDERATION OF APPOINTMENT OF POLICE CHIEF WITH
ADJUSTMENT TO SALARY RANGE OF THE POLICE CHIEF
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council confirm the appointment of Acting Chief Richard Bell to
the position of Police Chief and approve the following resolution:
RESOLUTION NO. 2019-54 – A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF WEST COVINA, CALIFORNIA, REVISING THE SALARY RANGE OF
THE POLICE CHIEF
BACKGROUND:
The City of West Covina Police Department has been without a permanent Chief since May 2019.
The Human Resources & Risk Management (HR) Department conducted a salary study for the
Police Chief classification and concurrently, the HR Department concluded a recruitment for the
vacant Police Chief position. Pursuant to Ordinance No. 2454, the City Council must confirm the
City Manager's appointment of Department Heads.
DISCUSSION:
Using data from NeoGov (Governmentjobs.com), and collecting data from various city government
websites, staff obtained data for 17 Cities, including local Cities (within 25 miles radius, including
Covina, Pomona and Azusa), and other Cities from Orange, San Bernardino and Los Angeles
Counties (including Orange, Rialto and Pasadena) – See Attachment No. 2.
Staff concluded that the current compensation range falls short from both the applicable mean and
median levels. This placed the City of West Covina below the market, so bringing up the salary
range keeps the position competitive in the market.
Currently, Captain Richard Bell is serving as the Acting Chief of Police, and with his current acting
pay assignment per the City’s Personnel Rules he is entitled to a 5% Acting Pay increase to his
salary. As such, his current pay of $17,622/month puts him at the top of the range for the current
Police Chief salary range. The proposed range allows a margin for future merit increases for the
position.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed and approved the staff report and the resolution as to form.
OPTIONS:
The City Council has the following options:
1.Approve staff's recommendation; or
2.Provide alternative direction.
Prepared by: Nikole Bresciani, Assistant City Manager/Public Services Director
Fiscal Impact
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is sufficient funding in the Police Department budget to cover the Fiscal Year 2019-20
personnel costs.
Attachments
Attachment No. 1 - Resolution No. 2019-54
Attachment No. 2 - Police Chief Salary Survey Data
CITY COUNCIL GOALS & OBJECTIVES: Enhance the City Image and Effectiveness
Enhance Public Safety