To: Board of Supervisors of the County of Sonoma, Board of Directors of the Sonoma County Water Agency, Board of Commissioners of the Community Development Commission, and the Board of Directors of the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District
Department or Agency Name(s): Human Resources Department
Staff Name and Phone Number: Janell Crane, 707-565-2885
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Miscellaneous Classification, Compensation, and Allocation Changes
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Adopt a Concurrent Resolution amending the Memorandum of Understanding between the County and the Western Council of Engineers to establish two new classifications and set the salaries, effective August 4, 2026.
B) Adopt a Concurrent Resolution amending Salary Resolution 95-0926 to revise the salary for the Information Systems Director and change the classification title to Chief Information Officer, effective August 4, 2026.
C) Adopt a Resolution amending the Department Allocation List for Sonoma Public Infrastructure, effective August 4, 2026.
D) Approve the revised Chief Information Officer classification specification.
end
Executive Summary:
The County’s Human Resources Department is responsible for managing the County‐wide classification and compensation structure. Components of this responsibility include ensuring employees are appropriately classified, administering the County’s Compensation Plan, and assisting departments with organizational changes when they involve classification reviews. Regularly, the department conducts classification and compensation analyses, develops reports, and presents recommendations to incumbents, unions, departments, and in many situations the Civil Service Commission. However, four agencies (Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District, Community Development Commission, Sonoma County Fair, and Sonoma County Water Agency) are not governed by the County’s Civil Service System, and the Board has sole authority to approve revisions to their classifications.
In this item before your Board today, Human Resources requests approval to implement recommendations resulting from classification and compensation studies for the Information Systems Department, Permit Sonoma, and Sonoma Public Infrastructure.
Discussion:
Information Systems Department (ISD)
Human Resources conducted a compensation analysis for the Information Systems Director classification. Compensation analysis ensures positions are compensated fairly for the work performed and that salaries are in alignment with the comparator labor market. A fair and competitive salary is a necessary component in ensuring the County can recruit and retain a well-qualified workforce to serve the needs of our community and affirms the County’s commitment to compensating its employees in a manner that reflects and furthers workforce equity, retention, diversity, and stability.
For the analysis, Human Resources evaluated the compensation of positions equivalent to the Information Systems Director at the eleven (11) agencies used as the County’s comparator labor market. Human Resources found that the Information Systems Director is compensated 8.04% below the market average. Based on these findings, Human Resources recommends revising to a salary range in alignment with the market average and be set at $24,694/top monthly step. Additionally, Human Resources recommends revising the title for the classification from Information Systems Director to Chief Information Officer to better reflect the role and level of responsibility and align with industry standards for the body of work performed.
Human Resources seeks the Board’s approval to amend Salary Resolution 95-0926 t revise the Information Systems Director salary and title to Chief Information Officer.
Permit Sonoma (PRD) and Sonoma Public Infrastructure (SPI)
Due to an agreement made with Western Council of Engineers, Human Resources conducted a study of positions in the Professional Geologist classification that is allocated to Permit Sonoma and Sonoma Public Infrastructure.
Human Resources evaluated the departments’ organizational structure and the County’s classification plan and determined that two unlicensed levels below the Professional Geologist classification would be beneficial in providing flexibility to hire staff who can assist with geology-related duties and gain experience to prepare to obtain licensure as a Professional Geologist. Human Resources titled the entry-level classification as Junior Geologist, and the second-level as Assistant Geologist, consistent with the naming convention of the equivalent levels in the Engineer series.
On March 21, 2024, the Civil Service Commission approved the creation of the Assistant Geologist classification. After further meeting and conferring with Western Council of Engineers, Human Resources made updates to the Assistant Geologist classification specification and created the Junior Geologist classification, which were both approved by the Civil Service Commission on April 16, 2026.
Bargaining Unit, Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), and Salary Determinations:
Pursuant to the County’s Employee Relations Policy, Human Resources conducted a Community of Interest review to determine the appropriate representation and bargaining unit for the new classifications of Assistant Geologist and Junior Geologist. The review determined representation by the Western Council of Engineers, Bargaining Unit 21, would be most appropriate and that the classification should be exempt, pursuant to the guidelines of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
As there was insufficient external market data for the classifications, Human Resources analyzed internal compensation factors and salary differentials to determine the salary for Assistant Geologist should be set at $11,764/top monthly step and ongoing salary administration for the classification should be set at 15% below the journey-level job classification of Professional Geologist. Based on internal equity considerations, Human Resources further determined that the salary for Junior Geologist should be set at $10,230/top monthly step and ongoing salary administration should be set 15% below Assistant Geologist. The Engineer classification will continue to be the benchmark classification with the salary range for Professional Geologist tied to that of Engineer.
Human Resources concluded the meet-and-confer process with the departments and the Western Council of Engineers in agreement with the recommended salary ranges, resulting in the attached Letter of Agreement between the parties. (Resolution 1, Attachment B)
Human Resources seeks approval to establish the classifications and set the salaries for Assistant Geologist and Junior Geologist.
Sonoma Public Infrastructure (SPI)
Sonoma County Public Infrastructure submitted a classification study request to Human Resources for review of an Assistant Facility Manager position assigned to the Facilities Operations Division. Human Resources agreed that the position needed to be evaluated for the appropriateness of classification and as a result of the study process, recommended the position be reclassified to Facility Manager. On June 18, 2026, the Civil Service Commission reviewed the report and approved the reclassification of the studied position.
Human Resources seeks approval to amend Sonoma Public Infrastructure’s Department Allocation List to delete a 1.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) Assistant Facility Manager and add a 1.0 FTE Facility Manager.
Strategic Plan:
N/A
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
Throughout the year, Human Resources submits several Miscellaneous Classification, Compensation, and Allocation Change Board Items that require Board approval to be fully adopted and implemented.
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY26-27 Adopted |
FY27-28 Projected |
FY28-29 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
ISD: $20,229 SPI: $9,587 |
ISD: $22,721 SPI: $10,772 |
ISD: $23,402 SPI: $11,095 |
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
$29,816 |
$33,493 |
$34,497 |
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
ISD: $20,229 SPI: $9,587 |
ISD: $22,721 SPI: $10,772 |
ISD: $23,402 SPI: $11,095 |
|
State/Federal |
|
|
|
|
Fees/Other |
|
|
|
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
General Fund Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
$29,816 |
$33,493 |
$34,497 |
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
Information Systems Department (ISD)
The cost impact above reflects the requested increase to the Information Systems Director (proposed revised title of Chief Information Officer) annual salary, which is prorated for 11 months for the fiscal year 26-27. A 3.0% cost of living adjustment has assumed for the full annual impacts for fiscal years 27-28 and 28-29. The cost impact does not include potential impact to benefits costs.
Permit Sonoma (PRD) and Sonoma Public Infrastructure (SPI)
There are no fiscal impacts to establishing the new Assistant Geologist and Junior Geologist classifications.
Sonoma Public Infrastructure (SPI)
The department currently employs 1.0 FTE Assistant Facility Manager in the Facilities Operations Division (21020400). The Division is primarily funded through annual General Fund appropriations. The estimated fiscal impact reflects the difference in salary and benefits between the existing Assistant Facility Manager position at Step I and the proposed Facilities Manager position at Step I. The Fiscal Year 2026-27 cost impact is prorated for 11 months. An additional 50 percent has been included to account for corresponding increases in pension, workers' compensation, and other salary-driven benefit costs. Sufficient appropriations are included in the Fiscal Year 2026-27 Adopted Budget for Facilities Operations to absorb the increased personnel costs associated with this reclassification.
|
Staffing Impacts: |
|
|
|
|
Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
|
Assistant Facility Manager |
$10,849.55 - $13,188.86 |
|
1.0 |
|
Facility Manager |
$11,327.84 - $13,769.77 |
1.0 |
|
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
Information Systems Department (ISD)
There are no staffing impacts associated with the requested changes.
Permit Sonoma (PRD) and Sonoma Public Infrastructure (SPI)
There are no staffing impacts to establishing the new Assistant Geologist and Junior Geologist classifications.
Sonoma Public Infrastructure (SPI)
There is no net change to the number of full-time equivalent positions. The incumbent in the studied Assistant Facility Manager classification will be retained in accordance with Civil Service Rule 3.3B.
Attachments:
1. Resolution 1: Concurrent Resolution amending the Memorandum of Understanding between the County and the Western Council of Engineers to establish two new classifications and set the salaries
2. Resolution 1: Attachment A - Appendix A
3. Resolution 1: Attachment B - Side Letter of Agreement
4. Resolution 2: Concurrent Resolution amending Salary Resolution 95-0926 to revise the salary for the Information Systems Director and change the classification title to Chief Information Officer
5. Resolution 2: Attachment A - Appendix A
6. Resolution 3: Resolution amending the Department Allocation List for Sonoma Public Infrastructure
7. Chief Information Officer class specification.
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
1. Classification Study Report and Memo - Junior and Assistant Geologist
2. Classification Study Report on Assistant Facility Manager position, Sonoma Public Infrastructure