Job Description

The Assistant Clerk of the Council assists the Clerk of the Council in the administration, management and coordination of the City Council’s office. Carries out the authority of the Clerk of the City Council in his or her absence. This position is responsible for providing full support to at least one standing committee. Provides legislative support services to the City Council including attending evening meetings, agenda preparation, recording minutes, recording votes and scheduling meetings and/or hearings. Provides support services to the Committees of the Council and their Chairs and works with City Department Heads, Lawyers, Residents, and other Committee Clerks. Oversees the creation of the Council’s Docket and Reports Docket. Issues licenses and permits governed by the City Council and oversees departmental data processing and file maintenance.

Essential Elements

• Supervise, organize, and coordinate the daily functions of the City Council’s Office and monitor the performance of office staff.
• Draft the bi-weekly docket including the assignment of docket numbers and proofing of the text. Provide guidance to Councilors and Committee Clerks in framing issues for the docket.
• Oversee the completion of the Reports Docket on a bi-weekly basis and coordinate the Committee Clerks to complete this task in a timely fashion.
• Provide clerk support to Council Committees including assisting in the drafting of committee agendas, reports, and meeting support material.
• Generate written communication for Council members requesting information from City Departments or outside agencies.
• Conduct research and archival retrieval for Council Committees.
• Exercise discretion in handling and monitoring confidential matters in executive session
• Provide Legislative Research in order for the Council to effectively carry out their duties.
• Maintain and update the City of Newton Ordinances as the City Council passes new ordinances. Make sure that the website reflects the most up to date ordinances. Lead the Ordinance recodification process every five years.
• Oversee the receipt of completed applications and the issuance of various licenses, certificates, permits and other legal papers. Works with the Law Department to make sure current state and local procedures are followed.
• Respond to inquiries both in person and via phone, e-mail or fax, and provide information to petitioners, lawyers, citizens, and department heads regarding procedures and actions of the City Council.
• Assist in the direction, instruction, training and oversight of staff. Perform any office function as directed by the Clerk of the Council.
• As required, organize, coordinate and assign work to staff according to priorities and schedules. Periodically check or inspect operations for conformance to standards.
• Maintain liaisons with Community groups and other City agencies.
• Maintain and update information on the Council’s webpage.
• Follow and adhere to department, City and other government rules, regulations, policies and procedures.
• Attend and participates in staff, department or other meetings.
• This position will need to work nights to attend Council Meetings and occasional civic events.

Secondary Elements

• Detects and reports improper operations(s), faulty equipment, defective materials and unusual conditions to Clerk. Ensures work area(s) and equipment are maintained in a clean, orderly and safe condition, that prescribed safety measures are followed, that established City and department policies, procedures, rules and regulations are adhered to.
• Performs other duties as required.

Supervisory Responsibilities

Supervises at least 3 Committee Clerks. Responsible for providing direction, planning and assigning work, coordinating, and training employees of the Clerk of the Council’s Office.

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s and three to five years of related experience and/or training or equivalent combination of education and experience. Knowledge of administrative office procedures and the operation of office equipment such as personal computers and computer software, data processing and/or word processing. Strong interpersonal skills, managerial skills and a sense of humor.

Company Description

THE CITY:

The City of Newton is a wonderful place to live and work. Newton has safe and attractive neighborhoods, an excellent public school system, an active community life, multiple transportation systems, proximity to Boston and a well-managed and financially strong City government. The City of Newton has a population of approximately 88,900, with 32,600 housing units and occupies a land area of 18.3 square miles. Newton is principally suburban-residential in character. Unlike many other communities that are established around a single Main Street or downtown, Newton is comprised of thirteen distinctive villages. Newton has a diversified economic base with approximately 4,700 establishments employing approximately 79,500 people. Newton is special in many ways. It is home to a variety of private secondary and post-secondary schools including a portion of Boston College, Lasell University, William James College, Hebrew College, and the UMass Amherst – Mount Ida Campus. The longest stretch of the Boston Marathon runs through the City, including the well-known Heartbreak Hill. Newton-Wellesley Hospital, part of the Mass General Brigham health care system, serves as an important partner to the City. In September 2018, Newton was again ranked #1 in Massachusetts as the best place to live and #12 in the U.S.

OUR GOVERNMENT:

Newton has what is known as a “strong Mayor” form of government with the Mayor having the executive and administrative powers of the City. The legislative branch is comprised of 24 City Councilors. Mayor Ruthanne Fuller was sworn in on January 1, 2018 after serving on the City Council. She ran on a platform of providing Newton’s children with a top-notch education in an inclusive environment where empty nesters, seniors, young families, and people of diverse incomes can live together in vibrant villages and neighborhoods. Mayor Fuller is committed to keeping Newton safe, improving the city’s infrastructure, addressing climate change, providing excellent and responsive city services, and fostering art, culture and community life. The first female Mayor of Newton, she is a tireless advocate for all the city’s residents and is committed to making sure the city is welcoming, inclusive and diverse. The City of Newton was evaluated by Moody’s Investors Services in February 2020 and assigned its highest rating of AAA. Newton was thus well-positioned to weather the pandemic and economic downturn.

AS AN EMPLOYER:

The City of Newton believes that its employees are its greatest asset. To that end, we are committed to supporting our employees by providing competitive wages and growth, a comprehensive benefits package which includes a defined municipal pension plan, quality health and dental insurance plans, generous paid leave benefits, paid holidays, and access to supplemental benefits such as deferred compensation, short term disability plans, flexible spending accounts, and other employee benefits. We also provide access to an Employee Assistance Program and access to employee training and professional development opportunities. We continuously work to review and expand upon our benefit offerings. We encourage you to visit our Human Resources Department website to learn more about our organization and benefits which are available to our employees. And as always, you are encouraged to reach out to our dynamic HR Team by emailing hr@newtonma.gov.

Human Resources Diversity Statement

We recognize our workforce is a source of strength that is vital to our ability to effectively serve the City of Newton’s diverse community. We will:

• Actively recruit, develop, and retain a diverse and talented workforce.
• Proactively address discrimination through education and in partnership with other departments and leaders.
• Serve as a role model to celebrate and nurture diversity.
• Foster inclusion by staying curious and clarifying assumptions.
• Evaluate and develop policies and practices that reflect the diverse nature of our workforce.
• Build and strengthen accountability at all levels to support diversity efforts.

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• 457 Deferred Compensation plans
• Metro Credit Union
• Verizon Wireless discount
• Employee Assistance Program
• Generous paid leave time benefits and paid holidays.
• City Retirement (Mandatory)
• Direct Deposit
• Opportunity to serve the public and join a dynamic team of dedicated employees