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, Local 1021, Salary Table Scales, to adjust the salaries of four classifications as a result of the increased living wage, effective February 8, 2022.
B) Adopt a Concurrent Resolution amending the Salary Resolution 95-0926, Salary Tables, to adjust the salaries of six classifications as a result of the increased living wage, effective February 8, 2022.
C) Adopt a Resolution amending the Department Allocation List of the County Administrator’s Office, effective February 8, 2022.
D) Approve the revised classification specification of Executive Director, Economic Development Board, effective February 8, 2022.
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, and develops reports and presents recommendations to incumbents, unions, departments, and in many situations the Civil Service Commission. Ensuring employees are appropriately classified and having a sound classification plan results in the County’s ability to attract and retain a highly qualified, engaged workforce charged with providing the most efficient services possible for our community.
In resolutions before you today, Human Resources seeks approval to revise the specification of Executive Director, Economic Development Board (Executive Director of EDB) in preparation for upcoming recruitment efforts, to implement amendments to the Memorandum of Understanding between the County and Service Employees International Union, Local 1021, Salary Table Scales and the Salary Resolution 95-0926, Salary Tables, and to amend the Department Allocation List of the County Administrator’s Office.
Discussion:
Classification is a method for categorizing jobs based on duties, responsibilities, and a variety of other factors. A classification plan contains all of the classifications in the agency and forms the basis for setting job expectations, consistent and fair job entrance requirements, 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 reviewed and approved by the Civil Service Commission, and 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.
Executive Director, Economic Development Board
The County is preparing to recruit for this position. The job classification has not been updated since 1985. In preparation for the recruitment, Human Resources reviewed the classification and found that many edits needed to be made to modernize the description and better reflect the current position. Edits have been made that update the responsibilities, the at-will status of the position, the competencies and qualifications needed to be successful in the position, and current nomenclature and specification best practices.
The classification is used as a “base” for the recruitment, which is why these amendments are recommended. When preparing for the upcoming recruitment for this position and the development of job announcement, Human Resources will have a collaborative process and seek input from other stakeholders. More elements of the position, department and priorities will be added to provide a comprehensive picture for prospective applicants in that job announcement.
Human Resources seeks the Board’s approval to revise the specification as presented.
Human Resources
On December 14, 2021, the Board adopted a resolution to increase the living wage rate in Sonoma County to $16.75 per hour, effective January 1, 2022. As a result of this action, Human Resources reviewed the rates of pay for all job classifications in use at the County and found that eight classifications have a starting salary below the new living wage threshold.
|
Job Classification |
Current A-Step |
|
Service Employees International Union, Local 1021 |
|
Animal Care Assistant |
$16.27 |
|
Event Services Aide |
$16.26 |
|
Park Aide |
$16.26 |
|
Public Health Aide I |
$16.27 |
|
Salary Resolution 95-0926 |
|
|
Intern Work Experience |
$15.70 |
|
OSD Intern Under Graduate Extra-Help |
$15.70 |
|
Student Intern High School Extra-Help |
$13.66 |
|
Student Intern Under Graduate Extra-Help |
$15.70 |
After reviewing the salary administration for the eight classifications, Human Resources recommends the following actions be taken to be in alignment with the living wage:
• Increase the starting hourly wage for seven of the classifications, Animal Care Assistant, Event Services Aide, Park Aide, Public Health Aide I, Intern Work Experience, OSD Intern Undergraduate Extra-Help, and Student Intern Undergraduate Extra-Help to $16.75/hourly.
• To avoid disrupting the pay scales and differentials between internship levels, Human Resources further recommends:
o Increasing the starting wage for Student Intern High School Extra-Help from $13.66 to $15.85. The Living Wage Ordinance does not apply to interns who are receiving academic credit, other non-monetary job training benefits, or are actively enrolled in school. However, this adjustment will ensure high school interns are compensated in alignment with the new $15.85 minimum wage that went into effect for the City of Santa Rosa on January 1, 2022.
o Increasing the starting wage for OSD Intern Graduate Extra-Help and Student Intern Graduate Extra-Help from $17.90 to $18.42.
Human Resources and Service Employees International Union (SEIU) participated in a meet and confer session regarding the salary adjustments for the four classifications represented by SEIU. The meeting resulted in a Letter of Agreement between the parties (Resolution 1; Attachment B).
Human Resources seeks the Board’s approval to amend the Memorandum of Understanding between the County and Service Employees International Union, Local 1021, Salary Table Scales and the Salary Resolution 95-0926, Salary Tables due to the living wage increases.
County Administrator’s Office
On January 25, 2022, the Board approved converting a time-limited Department Analyst allocation in the County Administrator’s Office to a permanent Administrative Analyst allocation. This position will be dedicated to both Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) project lead/ombudsperson tasks and climate resiliency support projects within the CAO’s Climate Action and Resiliency Division, including water quality and recycle resiliency efforts. Today, the Board’s approval is being sought to amend the County Administrator’s Office Department Allocation List to reflect the deletion of 1.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) time-limited Department Analyst and the addition of 1.0 FTE Administrative Analyst III allocation to implement this change.
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.
January 25, 2022 - The CAO received approved to convert the time-limited Department Analyst allocation to an Administrative Analyst allocation as part of the Total Maximum Daily Load Requirements Implementation Resources item.
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY 21-22 Adopted |
FY22-23 Projected |
FY 23-24 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
$29,000 |
$72,100 |
$74,263 |
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
$29,000 |
$72,100 |
$74,263 |
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
$29,000 |
$72,100 |
$74,263 |
|
State/Federal |
|
|
|
|
Fees/Other |
|
|
|
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
$29,000 |
$72,100 |
$74,263 |
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
Economic Development Board
There are no fiscal impacts.
Human Resources
The estimated cost associated with adjusting the salary scales for the identified job classifications in accordance with the increased living wage is $29,000 for the remainder of FY 21-22. Assuming a 3% COLA for each of the next two fiscal years, the increased costs will be approximately $72,100 and $74,263, respectively. These costs will be built into the departments’ budgets who utilize the classifications.
County Administrator’s Office
The fiscal impacts associated with the change of allocation were addressed in the January 25, 2022, Total Maximum Daily Load Requirements Implementation Resources board item.
|
Staffing Impacts: |
|
|
|
|
Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
|
Department Analyst |
$6,083.95 - $7,397.10 |
|
(1.0) |
|
Administrative Analyst III |
$8,247.60 - $10,023.39 |
1.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
County Administrator’s Office
The County Administrator’s Office will work with the Human Resources Department to fill the Administrative Analyst allocation.
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 adjust salaries as a result of the increased living wage.
2. Resolution 1: Attachment A - Appendix A - Salary Table Scales
3. Resolution 1: Attachment B - Side Letter Agreement
4. Resolution 2: Concurrent Resolution amending the Salary Resolution 95-0926, Salary Tables to adjust salaries as a result of the increased living wage.
5. Resolution 2: Attachment A - Appendix A - Salary Tables
6. Resolution 3: Resolution amending the Department Allocation List for the County Administrator’s Office
7. Executive Director, Economic Development Board Class Specification
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None