City of San José

LEGISLATIVE SECRETARY (8042)

CLASS PURPOSE
   Under direction, performs work of considerable difficulty related to meetings of the City Council. Performs specialized work in the review, handling, coordination and storage of Council documents. Prepares agendas, synopses, minutes or legislative history of Council proceedings. Maintains a complex and specialized filing system which contains the legislative history of the City.

TYPICAL DUTIES AND RESULTS (Any one position may not include all the duties listed, nor do the examples cover all the duties which may be performed.)

• Prepares agendas for City Council meetings in accordance with direction from the City Clerk, the City Manager and the City Council Rules Committee.
• Attends afternoon and evening City Council meetings and prepares and edits a draft of the meeting synopsis. Composes the final Council minutes by selectively condensing and paraphrasing Council discussion, exercising care to include relevant material and accurately report the course of Council proceedings in accordance with actions taken.
• Reviews all documents on which Council action has been taken to ensure that documentation is complete and that the vote is accurately recorded on ordinances and resolutions.
• Responds to inquiries from City Council offices, City employees, the news media, various public agencies and the general public concerning City Council actions.
• Supervises the maintenance of a filing system for City Council documents; ensures retrievability of filed information.
• Maintains a legislative history of Council actions by accurately and consistently indexing Council proceedings, as well as indexing contracts awarded by the City Manager, plans and specifications for City projects and other relevant documents required to be filed with the City Council or the City Clerk.
• Maintains Council meeting tape library and processes requests for Council tape reference and recordings.
• Coordinates with a wide variety of departments and employees in work relating to City Council business.
• Schedules and monitors the work assignments of lower level staff.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
   Employees in this class are responsible for preparing the agendas, synopses, minutes and legislative history of the City Council. Accurate recordation of Council proceedings and the filing, indexing, storage and retrieval of Council documents are unique to this class. Incumbents report to the City Clerk and/or the Assistant City Clerk.

QUALIFICATIONS
   Minimum Knowledges, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of standard office practices and procedures.
• Knowledge of composition, grammar, spelling and punctuation.
• Knowledge of standard word processing and data base software.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.
• Ability to analyze, categorize and condense information, notes and documentation.
• Ability to exercise judgment in handling legislative documents and composing entries on complex and sensitive issues.
• Ability to maintain discretion when handling confidential information.
• Ability to type at a net rate of 50 words per minute may be required.
• Ability to take dictation of 100 words per minute and transcribe it accurately may be required.

• Knowledge of Robert’s Rules of Order in order to write correct and legal minutes of Council meetings.
• Knowledge of the Brown Act as it relates to preparation of Council agendas, synopses and minutes.
• Knowledge of the Public Records Act to ensure compliance.
• Ability to understand and interpret terminology used in a wide variety of documents and proceedings before the City Council.

TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE
   Any combination of training and experience equivalent to successful completion of high school and six years of secretarial work including two years at a level comparable to that of Secretary with the City of San Jose, or completion of two years of undergraduate course work from an accredited college or university and one year experience at the level of Senior Office Specialist or higher.

8042s001.doc