To: Sonoma County Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): County Clerk-Recorder-Assessor
Staff Name and Phone Number: Deva Marie Proto, (707) 565-1877
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): All
Title:
Title
Registrar of Voters Public Office Hours Modification
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Adopt a resolution to change the Registrar of Voter’s regular office hours to close the office to the public for the transaction of business on Wednesdays at 4:00 p.m.; public hours for the Registrar of Voters would be Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Wednesdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
end
Executive Summary:
The Sonoma County Clerk-Recorder-Assessor (CRA) department is composed of four divisions:
• County Clerk
• Recorder
• Assessor
• Registrar of Voters (ROV)
The ROV Office is currently open to the public Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., excepting County holidays. In contrast, the other three CRA divisions close to the public one hour early on Wednesdays (4:00 p.m. instead of 5:00 p.m.). This item would change ROV’S office hours to be consistent with those of the other CRA divisions. This would give ROV staff a reliable block of time to attend all-staff meetings, briefings, trainings, etc., without the prospect of being interrupted by phone calls or walk-ins. It would also enable enhanced team building and collaboration across CRA divisions. The Board of Supervisors may change the regular hours of county operation by resolution pursuant to County Code section 2-2.1.
Discussion:
In 2016, management in the County Clerk, Recorder, and Assessor divisions determined it would be in the best interest of their employees if they closed their offices to the public one hour early on Wednesdays (i.e., close at 4:00 p.m. instead of 5:00 p.m.). Up until that point, each division’s office hours had been Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (except County holidays).
While there were a variety of motivations driving this change, two of the most important were:
• To provide CRA staff with uninterrupted time to attend meetings, participate in trainings, take courses, and engage in team-building exercises; and
• To create a more unified CRA department with increased communication and cross-training opportunities across divisions.
The change in hours has been in place in the Clerk-Recorder and Assessor divisions for over seven years and has been widely judged by staff as an operational benefit. CRA management would now like to extend the same hours and benefits to the ROV division, which is located in a separate building. Importantly, the change in hours would have minimal impact on customers because the office would stay open until 5:00 p.m. (or later as required) during critical election periods, such as (but not limited to) signatures-in-lieu, candidate nominations, and days when Vote Centers are open. The change would become effective January 3, 2024 (the first Wednesday of the year). This would give ROV time to announce the change via press releases, signage, and outreach to frequent customers.
This change would benefit the operations of ROV and the overall department in several ways. First, given that the ROV division is located in a different building than the rest of the CRA department, it has remained fairly siloed. Having time for staff to regroup, catch up on tasks, attend trainings, communicate clearly, and collaborate with other CRA Department staff is critical in the fast-paced and constantly evolving world of elections. For example, currently, when ROV management hold trainings or meetings to discuss important changes in laws, regulations, and processes, key participants in the meetings often have to leave for significant periods of time to assist customers.
Over the years, ROV management has employed several workarounds to address these issues. One has been to utilize extra-help temporary staff. However, this is costly and these staff frequently lack the expertise to answer more complicated customer questions. Another is for one full-time employee to stay behind in the main office, but this raises safety issues and denies that employee the ability to receive the same training and information as their colleagues. Lastly, management has had employees stay after hours, but the resulting overtime pay is costly.
Strategic Plan:
Strategic Plan Alignment Goal 2: Organizational Excellence
Investing in our employees, with communication, team building and strategic planning will improve the department in the future. Improved staff morale, process improvements and increased customer service delivery will be beneficial to the public.
This item directly supports the County’s Five-year Strategic Plan and is aligned with the following pillar, goal, and objective.
Pillar: Organizational Excellence
Goal: Goal 2: Increase information sharing and transparency and improve County and community engagement
Objective: Objective 5: Develop strategies that improve information and knowledge sharing within and between County departments.
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
On May 17, 2016, the Board of Supervisors approved Agenda Item #4, approving a modification of the public office hours in the County Clerk, Recorder, and Assessor divisions of the CRA department (excluding the Registrar of Voters).
Fiscal Summary
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
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Attachments:
Resolution
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
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