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 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: Spencer Keywood, 707-565-3568
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 Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Local 1021, Salary Table Scales, to revise and retitle four job classifications; revise two classifications; abolish one classification; and establish four new classifications and their salaries, effective May 2, 2023.
B) Adopt a Resolution amending the Department Allocation List of the Community Development Commission, effective May 2, 2023.
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.
In resolutions before your Board today, Human Resources requests approval to implement the final recommendations resulting from a classification and compensation study for the Community Development Commission.
Discussion:
Classification is a method for categorizing jobs based on duties, responsibilities, and a variety of other factors. A classification plan contains all the classifications in the agency and forms the basis for setting job expectations, consistent and fair job entrance requirements, and equitable compensation, and plays an important role in the budget. Human Resources is responsible for managing the County’s classification plan by evaluating job descriptions for vacant, filled, and new positions to ensure that they are assigned to the appropriate classifications. Positions are assigned, or allocated, to departments based on Human Resources’ determination of the appropriate classification.
The majority of the County’s positions/classifications are in the County’s Civil Service System. Therefore, most classification changes and new classifications are first reviewed and approved by the Civil Service Commission, and then the Board has final approval authority prior to the implementation of any classification changes. However, four agencies (i.e., 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 for the related classification and compensation issues. As part of this effort, and at the request of the Community Development Commission, Human Resources is seeking approval for the following changes in classifications and allocations.
In 2017, a consultant, Ralph Andersen & Associates, was retained by Sonoma County to conduct a classification study of all SEIU-represented classifications in the Community Development Commission (CDC). In September 2019, the consultant’s recommendations were released. The results of the study recommended title changes and updates to existing CDC classification specifications as well as the reclassification of Community Development Specialist positions, in the Housing Authority Division of the CDC, to a new Occupancy Specialist job classification series. The results of the study are as follows:
Title Changes and Specification Updates
• Community Development Specialist I retitled to Community Development Program Technician I
• Community Development Specialist II retitled to Community Development Program Technician II
• Senior Community Development Specialist retitled to Community Development Program Specialist
• Community Development Associate retitled to Community Development Program Coordinator
Specification Updates
• Employment Housing Counselor
• Housing Rehabilitation Specialist
New Classifications
• Occupancy Specialist I
• Occupancy Specialist II
• Lead Occupancy Specialist
• Housing Authority Compliance Coordinator
As a result of the creation of the Housing Authority Compliance Coordinator classification and the reclassification of the incumbent Supervising Community Development Specialist to Housing Authority Compliance Coordinator, the CDC no longer has a need for the Supervising Community Development Specialist classification. Therefore, as part of today’s action, Human Resources is also seeking approval to abolish the classification of Supervising Community Development Specialist.
New Classification Bargaining Unit, Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), and Salary Determination
Pursuant to the County’s Employee Relations Policy, Human Resources determined the appropriate bargaining unit for the following new classifications are:
Bargaining Unit 0005 - SEIU/Service & Technical Support, Non-Supervisory
• Occupancy Specialist I
• Occupancy Specialist II
• Lead Occupancy Specialist
Bargaining Unit 0095 - SEIU/General Supervisory
• Housing Authority Compliance Coordinator
These classifications are non-exempt, pursuant to the guidelines of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Based on an evaluation of both market data and internal equity factors, Human Resources has determined that the salary for Occupancy Specialist II be set laterally at the same level as Community Development Specialist II ($5,796.98/monthly I-step) and that the classifications be tied for ongoing salary administration purposes. In order to maintain internal equity, ensure consistency between levels in the class series, and minimize the impact on incumbents, Human Resources recommends that the differentials between the levels in the Occupancy Specialist series mirror those of the Community Development series with the Occupancy Specialist I at 14% Below Occupancy Specialist II (the same differential that exists between Community Development Specialist I and II) and the Lead Occupancy Specialist at 20% Above Occupancy Specialist II (the same differential that exists between Community Development Specialist II and the Senior level).
Additionally, for the new supervisory level classification of Housing Authority Compliance Coordinator, Human Resources also recommends that the salary be set and tied to the CDC’s other program supervisor classification, Community Development Associate ($8,743.29/monthly I-step). This will ensure internal equity is maintained within the department and achieves the County’s goal of a 10% differential, or greater, between supervisorial and subordinate positions as stated in SEIU MOU Article 19.5, Compensation Compaction Between Supervisory and Subordinate.
Human Resources, CDC Management, and SEIU participated in multiple meet and confer sessions regarding the consultants’ recommendation and the County’s new classification salary recommendation, which resulted in a Letter of Agreement between the parties.
Human Resources seeks approval of the revised classification specifications of Community Development Program Technician I, Community Development Program Technician II, Community Development Program Specialist, Community Development Program Coordinator, Employment Housing Counselor, and Housing Rehabilitation Specialist; to establish the new classifications and salaries of the Occupancy Specialist I, Occupancy Specialist II, Lead Occupancy Specialist, and Housing Authority Compliance Coordinator; to abolish the Supervising Community Development Specialist classification specification; and adjust the Community Development Commission Department Allocation List to reflect the new classifications, and reclassify 11.0 FTE allocations and retain the incumbents pursuant to the Community Development Commission Personnel Policy, Article VI - Job Classifications.
Strategic Plan:
N/A
Prior Board Actions:
Throughout the year, Human Resources submits several Miscellaneous Classification, Compensation, and Allocation Change Board Items that require Board approval in order to be fully adopted and implemented.
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY 22-23 Adopted |
FY23-24 Projected |
FY 24-25 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
$2,716 |
$16,785 |
$17,289 |
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
$2,716 |
$16,785 |
$17,289 |
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
$2,716 |
$16,785 |
$17,289 |
|
Fees/Other |
|
|
|
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
$2,716 |
$16,785 |
$17,289 |
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
Reclassification of the 11.0 FTE allocations will have minimal impact to the Community Development Commission. Funding for the increase in Salary and Benefits will come from the Rental Assistance Voucher Programs which includes the Housing Choice, Mainstream and Emergency Housing Voucher Programs. Appropriations for the subsequent fiscal years will be included in the recommended budget process. In addition, subsequent fiscal years include an annual 3% inflation factor.
|
Staffing Impacts: |
|
|
|
|
Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
|
Community Development Specialist II |
$4,769.07 - $5,796.98 |
|
(9.0) |
|
Occupancy Specialist II |
$4,769.07 - $5,796.98 |
9.0 |
|
|
Senior Community Development Specialist |
$5,729.14 - $6,965.76 |
|
(1.0) |
|
Lead Occupancy Specialist |
$5,729.14 - $6,965.76 |
1.0 |
|
|
Supervising Community Development Specialist |
$6,075.26 - $7,384.93 |
|
(1.0) |
|
|
|
|
|
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
There are no staffing impacts or net changes to the number of allocated positions in the Department Allocation List. Pursuant to the Community Development Commission Personnel Policy, Article VI - Job Classifications:
• 11.0 FTE allocations in the Housing Authority Division of the CDC in the Community Development Specialist I/II and Senior Community Development Specialist classifications will be reclassified and incumbents retained in the new Occupancy Specialist I/II and Lead Occupancy Specialist classifications.
• Incumbent in the Supervising Community Development Specialist allocation will be reclassified and retained in the new Housing Authority Compliance Coordinator.
Attachments:
1. Resolution 1: Concurrent Resolution amending the Memorandum of Understanding between the County and Service Employees International Union, Local 1021, Salary Table Scales, to revise and retitle four job classifications; revise two classifications; abolish one classification; and establish four new classifications and their salaries.
2. Resolution 1: Attachment A ‐ Appendix A ‐ Salary Tables
3. Resolution 1: Attachment B ‐ Side Letter Agreement
4. Resolution 2: Resolution amending the Department Allocation List for Community Development Commission
5. Final Classification Report and Attachments for the classification study of SEIU-represented positions at the Community Development Commission
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None