Public Works Compliance Officer I - Salinas, United States - City of Salinas, CA

Description

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS:

All applicants must provide proof of the required education at the time of application or submit to the Human Resources Department by the filing date.

Applicants with foreign degrees/transcripts must provide U.S. degree equivalency by submitting a credential evaluation report. Applications are incomplete without the required documents and will be disqualified. Applicants are responsible for ensuring all documents are received by the deadline.

Summary of Duties:

Under supervision, processes, reviews and monitors City of Salinas construction and maintenance contracts and development agreements to insure compliance with insurance, wage, labor, and apprenticeship laws; fair employment practices; Davis Bacon prevailing wage programs for federally funded projects; monitors, investigates and reports on the labor practices of contractors and subcontractors; local hire and State and Federal Public Works contracting, bonding and performance requirements.

Distinguishing Characteristics:

The Public Works Compliance Officer is a journey-level class in which the incumbent processes and monitors construction contracts and agreements, processes substitution of security and bonds, assesses fees for agreement administration, and conducts preliminary investigations to ensure compliance, review payroll records and maintain compliance with contract requirements.

The incumbent has overall responsibility for managing the City's Minority Business Enterprise Program and focuses primarily upon compliance with federal, state, and local labor laws, fair employment practices and apprenticeship program.

Supervision Received and Exercised:
Receives supervision and general direction from the Administrative Supervisor, Department Director or other high-level administrative personnel.

• Processes, administers and monitors the City of Salinas construction and maintenance contracts and development agreements to ensure compliance with wage, labor and apprenticeship laws and fair employment practices, and bond, insurance and performance requirements
• Ensures compliance with the various requirements of contracts and agreements by initiating correspondence, tracking agreement time schedules, construction job-site interviews, payroll record reviews, processing bonding and security status reports, coordinating with various City departments, divisions and governmental agencies, processing covenants, liens, preliminary stop notices, notices of pending legal action, and various other contract documents
• Interprets Federal, State and Local laws, rules and regulations as they relate to contract policies and procedures and evaluates these requirements and recommends changes in departmental programs as needed
• Reviews the Apprenticeship Programs Minority Business Enterprise, equal employment local hire and any other governmental programs pertaining to Public Works construction contracts
• Develops procedures to ensure compliance with all contract provisions, which promote equal opportunity employment
• Monitors the contract compliance program to insure that objectives/goals are achieved; investigates complaints alleging violations of equal employment objectives/goals
• Reviews minority monthly utilization reports from contractors and keeps an updated file of the percentage of disadvantaged minority and female goals on projects
• Prepares and maintains a variety of records, reports and updated listing of Federal and State prevailing wage rates; maintains a central filing system; prepares corresponding contractor/vendor files and ensures incoming documents are filed appropriately
• Conducts wage and benefit surveys for the purpose of establishing prevailing wage rates to be paid for certain City of Salinas services not covered by the California Department of Industrial Relations
• Tracks Davis Bacon prevailing wage requirements on construction projects
• Responds to inquiries and/or complaints regarding prevailing wage issues
• Monitors and analyzes contractor/vendor payroll documentation; reviews wage and benefit payments based on staff determination of proper work classifications
• Performs non-compliance preliminary investigations and non-compliance follow-up investigations
• Attends pre-construction meetings and reviews insurance, bonding, labor compliance requirements, and performance requirements with contractors
• Monitors the contract compliance program to ensure that objectives/goals are achieved; investigates complaints alleging violations
• Drafts correspondence to contractors and any interested parties or agencies regarding contracts and agreement compliance and/or compliance problems
• May calculate fees, fines and penalties; provides assistance to prospective contractors; evaluates, clarifies and standardizes contract terminology and procedures
• Responsible for the City's centralized MBE/WBE/DBE certification, labor and affirmative action compliance monitoring; and special studies and investigations related to regulations governing contract program requirements including State and Federal legislation
• Maintains a large relational database system by inputting data such as incoming notice of intent-to-contract data, final contract award data and compliance document submittals
• Ensures the database is current, accurate and maintained in a timely manner for use by other staff
• Conducts audits and field investigations to verify that proper wage is being paid and responds to worker complaint or underpayment on major service contracts
• Responds to information request from outside agencies; conducts enforcement of contractor compliance with restitution payments, liquidated damages, or recommending debament when applicable
• Represents the City in discussions with federal, state and other local governmental agencies, residents, businesses, legal, union and other organizations regarding matters of wage and benefit compliance
• Maintains an information system of public and private organizations, which are available to aid businesses, owned by minorities and/or females
• Maintains liaison with City departments and divisions for contract compliance purposes
• Maintains a statistical information system for the City's Minority Business Enterprise or Labor Compliance Programs
• Prepares and presents oral and written reports and responds to requests for information
• Attends contract compliance meetings and seminars as assigned
• Promotes and maintains safe work practices in the workplace
• Performs related duties as assigned

Knowledge of:

• Government bidding practices; federal and state contract and labor laws and requirements for public works projects; equal employment concepts and the local, state and federal laws and regulations for compliance
• Principles, practices, methods and techniques of public administration, management, organization, budgeting/financial and personnel administration
• Accounting procedures used for public construction projects, insurance and bonding requirements on public projects and development agreements

Skill in:

• Word processing, spreadsheet and database usage
• Utilizing a variety of software applications including but not limited to Microsoft Word and Excel
• Accounting procedures used for public construction projects
• Insurance and bonding requirements on public projects and development agreements

Ability to:

• Prepare and present clear and concise oral and written reports
• Develop and maintain good working relationship with outside agencies, contractors, private developers, City staff and the public
• Analyze problems and apply sound judgment
• Make programming and layout changes to large database systems in order to input and update information

Education:
High school diploma/GED


Experience:
Two (2) years of increasingly responsible work experience performing comparable duties.

Licenses and Certifications:
A valid California Driver's License.

Physical Demands and Working Conditions:

Physical, mental and emotional stamina to perform the duties and responsibilities of the position; manual dexterity sufficient to write, use telephone, computers, business machines and related equipment; vision sufficient to read printed materials, visual display terminals, fine detailed plans and distinguish between different colors; hearing sufficient to conduct in-person and telephone conversations; speaking ability in an understandable voice with sufficient volume to be heard in a normal conversational distance, on the telephone and in addressing groups; physical agility to push/pull, squat, twist, turn, bend, stoop and reach overhead; physical mobility sufficient to move about the work environment; physical strength to lift up to 20 lbs.; physical stamina sufficient to sit for prolonged periods of time; mental acuity to collect and interpret data, evaluate, reason, define problems, establish facts, draw valid conclusions, make valid judgments and decisions.

Business office working environment subject to sitting at a desk, standing at a counter for long periods of time bending, crouching, or kneeling at files, pushing/pulling of file drawers and supplies, reaching in all directions and prolonged periods of time working at a computer terminal.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed and are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills which may be required.

For questions, please contact Patricia Peñaloza, Human Resources Manager, at or