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Property of Fullerton Public Library, Local History Room *3* CT> <Ti FULLERTON OBSRVR FULLERTON Fullerton Observer PLEASE RETURN TO MAIN DESK FULLERTON PUBLIC LIBRARY 353 W. COMMONWEALTH AVE. f MAY 2 5 1994 FULLERTON, CA 92632 FULLcntfOiS KUd. Lid . Fullerton’s Only Local Independent Newspaper (printed on recycled paper) No.2379 June 1,1994 New Salary Survey Shows City Salaries Competitive League of California Cities Study Shows City Compensation Levels Comparable to Private and Public Salaries in Orange County 5. Only 25% of private employers sur­ By Ralph A. Kennedy veyed have employees represented by a While there are marked differences be­ union; within these employers, union em­ tween the pay structures and practices of ployees are typically less than 20% of the public vs. private employers in Orange work force. Most employees of public agen­ County, there seem to be little grounds for cies are represented by a union. the alarms being sounded by Fullerton Re­ 6. The private employers surveyed had calls officials regarding allegedly overpaid increased their pay plans an average of 5% in city employees, judging from the findings of 1990, declining to an anticipated 3.5% in a recently published report by the League of 1994. While no data was available for Or­ California Cities, Orange County Division. ange County public agencies, this trend ap­ An Observer analysis of seven City of pears to be consistent with public sector pay Fullerton positions, whose job titles/job de­ trends, as well as trends identified by the scriptions matched corresponding positions American Compensation Association in its documented in the League report and for annual survey of wage trends. which actual Fullerton salaries were known, Comparable Fullerton figures show a revealed a mixed bag. 5.5% increase in 1991 and zero increases On four of the seven positions, the private since then. actual median base salaries were higher than 7. Over 90% of the private employers the City of Fullerton salaries, and on the surveyed determine pay increases using per­ other three, the city salaries were higher. formance-based criteria. In contrast, very Furthermore, comparisons of City of Ful­ few public agencies utilize performance- lerton employee salary levels with those of based pay programs, and most provide an­ other Orange County cities of comparable nual cost-of-living adjustments. Fullerton Mayor Buck Catlin is explaining how city government works to population has shown (Table I p. 8) that- BENEFITS a group of “Youth in Government Day” young people. Catlin used a City Fullerton salaries fall in the middle. 1. Benefits represent an average of 30% of of Fullerton Functional Organization Chart he had developed to demon­ The Orange County Private/Public Com­ payroll for all survey emplojwrs. strate how the various departments and officials related to each other. pensation Comparison Survey was con­ 2. The average cost of health insurance for “Youth in Government Day,” May 17,1994, began with this luncheon at the ducted by Ralph Anderson & Associates, the employer and employee is consistent Fullerton Elks Lodge, where we learned that the Elks had been sponsoring and its published report of findings is the first among private and public employers ana- Youth in Government Day for 36 years. of planned annual surveys designed to Continued on p. 8 assist local government agencies in better understanding the pay practices of private employers throughout Orange County. The report, containing private and public Fullerton School District Opts Out of sector compensation data for 1994, repre­ sents 52 private sector employers, 27 bench­ mark jobs and almost 7,000 positions. Rep­ resented industries include manufacturing, CL AS Tests for 1993-94 School Year service, finance/insurance, wholesale trade, By Ralph A. Kennedy Jones moved. Trustee Marjorie Pogue sec­ Ironically, the majority of speakers sup­ and utility organizations. The jobs contained onded, and the Board unanimously voted to ported the Trustees’ action, but for reasons in the published report represent those jobs In a late breaking action, Fullerton School reaffirm their decision made at their May 10 different than those cited by Trustees and by which are common in local government District Board President Bob Fisler called a meeting not to administer the CLAS test for Dr. Johnson in his letter to Dawson. agencies. special meeting of the Board Tuesday May the 1993-94 school year for the reasons set The Superintendent recommended and the Some of the differences between private 17 to consider what action to take if any in forth in Dr. Johnson’s letter to Acting State Board of Trustees voted 5 to 0 not to admin­ and public pay practices revealed in this response to notification by the California Superintendent of Public Instruction and ister the tests this year because of problems study are: Department of Education (CDOE) that they Director of Education William D. Dawson, which would have occurred in its administra­ OVERALL COMPENSATION “will take all action necessary, including and further to direct FSD legal counsel tion due to: “the lateness of arrival of the 1. 50% of the private employers provide litigation, to enforce the statutory require­ Parker, Covert and Chidester to defend the materials, the inadequacy of training for lump-sum payments in addition to base sal­ ment that school districts, including Fuller­ District in any legal action which may be staff, and the lack of clarity from the SDOE ary for exempt employees. ton Elementary, give the CLAS test for filed against the District on this issue. on what tests would be given,” Johnson’s 2. Private employers have lower starting school year 1993-94. Should such litigation occur, all costs of letter stated. salaries and higher earning potentials than The notification by the CDOE’s general defending the District against the non-com­ Johnson went on to provide the State with public employers. counsel Joseph Symkowick was in response pliance with the SDOE directive would 3. Private employers utilize pay ranges a detailed chronology of apparent contradic­ to the FSD action of May 10 (see article in come out of the District’s already overtaxed tions, delays, and other snafus relating to the with 50% or higher range spreads compared this Observer for complete account of that general Fund. to 20-30% by public employers. State’s directives to the FSD regarding meeting) not to participate in this year’s Before going into closed session May 17, which tests to administer when and with 4. Most employees in private employment administration of the State CLAS Tests. will be at a salary below the range maximum; the Trustees heard from several local parents which materials. while a majority of public employees is at The FSD Board of Trustees met in closed and teachers on their decision not to admin­ While most of those who testified May 10 session May 17 where Trustee Elena Reyes- ister the CLAS tests this year. Continued on p. 13 MORE INSIDE H Lincoln/Douglas Valencia Mesa Homeowners Hostile to Proposed Bicycle Trail Page 2 Navigating the Recall Ballot Should Be Easy, Right? Wrong! Page 17 Debate Fullerton iM % . Local Youth Medal in 1st International Karate Championship Page 18 Recalls g p f & Page 17 Fullerton Housing Advocate Is YWCA Volunteer of the Year Page 20 Bulk Rate Commentary Page 3 CAR-RT Sort Council Doings Page 4 FULLERTON OBSERVER U.S. Postage PAID About Fullerton Page 6 POST OFFICE BOX 7051 Permit No. 1577 Classifieds Page 15 FULLERTON, CA. 92634 Fullerton, Ca. Obituaries Page 16 Property of Fullerton Public Library, Local History Room Page 2 FULLERTON OBSERVER NEWS June 1,1994 Valencia Mesa Homeowners Hostile to Planned Bicycle Trail By Ralph A. Kennedy been designated as a Type III Bicycle Route. This means it will be signed only. This des­ About 50 irate homeowners from ignation is used sparingly city wide primarily Valencia Mesa Drive in north Fullerton re­ to connect two or more stretches of Type II sponded to an invitation from the City’s Routes. Engineering Department to attend a meeting The striped lane will provide a visual sig­ at the Fullerton Senior Center to voice their nal to motorists and bicyclists to avoid in­ opinions on the installation of a Type II fringing on each other’s routes. It is consid­ (striped and signed) Bicycle Route on their ered by bicyclists to afford them an addi- street. Three engineers used maps and drawings to describe exactly what was planned for Valencia Mesa Drive, and perhaps more im­ portantly what was not, as rumors and other misinformation had raised specters of street- widening and hordes of bicyclists speeding past their homes in the minds of many of the Homeowners gather round the detailed drawings, provided by City of Fuller­ residents. ton engineers, of proposed bicycle route installation on Valencia Mesa Drive, Despite about two hours of assurances that to see how it will affect their individual properties. the planned bicycle route would cause mini­ mal disruption and might actually enhance now be removed, and there is no extra room we don’t need the lanes because hardly any the much-coveted rural ambience of the for a bicycle lane.) bicyclists now use the street is to create a Drive, most attendees remained suspicious Valencia Mesa is already too busy and “Catch-22” situation. Bicyclists believe that and hostile to the City’s plan. unsafe for the children, seniors, and resi­ if we build it, just like the “Field of Dreams”, Valencia Mesa has been for many years dents trying to exit their driveways; we don’t they will come. been shown in the City’s General Plan as a tional measure of safety. need a 100-200 bicycle commuters running Have the fascists at AQMD required cities two-lane residential street without curbs or When sufficient stripings are imple­ around.

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