To: Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Board of Supervisors, County Administrator’s office
Staff Name and Phone Number: Natalie Brunamonte565-2241
Vote Requirement: 4/5th
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Board of Supervisors/County Administrator’s Office Department Allocation List
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Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Adopt Resolution amending the department’s position allocation to add 1.0 FTE Principal Administrative Analyst to the Board of Supervisors Clerk of the Board subsection of the Board of Supervisors/County Administrator’s Office. (4/5th Vote Required)
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Executive Summary:
Staff recommends adding 1.0 FTE Principal Administrative Analyst position to the Board of Supervisors Clerk of the Board unit to provide higher-level management capacity.
The initial salary and benefits cost to add the position at the I Step is $257,050 annually. The costs for this position will be covered by a combination of expected salary savings from at least two (2) vacant positions within the same unit, and through reimbursements from non-general fund departments that are billed quarterly for services performed by the Clerk of the Board Office. Additional ongoing General Fund support is not needed to establish this position.
Discussion:
Since FY17-18, the staffing and responsibilities of the Board of Supervisors/County Administrator’s Office Department has changed substantially. During this 6-year period, total staffing for the department increased by almost 70%; from 42.6 FTEs in FY17-18 to 71.7 FTEs in FY22-23. These changes were in response to Board direction to support several key initiatives. The following new programmatic divisions were added to the department, including:
• A Central Communications team to the office to promote and strengthen discussion with the community;
• A Climate Division, charged with tackling major issues to mitigate climate change impacts - and is a clear response to the many climate-related disasters the County has faced;
• A Policy, Grants and Special Projects unit to forward specific strategic priorities of the Board;
• A Cannabis Coordination program to specifically foster the development of that program; and
• A Legislative Affairs unit to proactively advocate for Sonoma County interests at the state and national level.
The direction of the Board to expand programmatic responsibilities within the Board of Supervisors/County Administrator’s Office reflects that way in which the 2017 fires and the seven declared disasters that occurred over this 6-year period including the Covid pandemic fundamentally changed the nature of how the public interacts with County government. In addition, the policy and operational modifications due to COVID-19 have permanently changed the way the organization conducts business.
Part of the outcome of these changes was an increase in the span of control for leadership positions in the County Administrator’s Division, specifically for Deputy County Administrators and the Assistant County Administrator. In addition, expectations associated with communication and responsiveness to the public have increased substantially on top of now delivering hybrid format board meetings, and as a result, the office has realized that there is a deficiency in how the Clerk of the Board function is organizationally structured.
The Clerk of the Board unit is managed by a Chief Deputy Clerk of the Board (“Chief Deputy COB”). Prior to the changes described above, the Chief Deputy COB report directly to the Assistant County Administrator, who provided substantial leadership support. The Chief Deputy COB functions at a high level of independence but was not expected to be the primary decision maker for the operational policies of the unit. However, as the span of control has increased for the Assistant County Administrator with the addition of the new program areas, the leadership expectations of the Chief Deputy COB have evolved considerably.
As a reaction to the increased need for connection between community and local government described above, the Board has expressed its expectations regarding accessibility of public meetings and information, including frequency of meetings, platforms in which meetings are supported, holding workshops, etc. Regular disasters have caused a surge of emergency meetings, urgent items, special meetings, and other immediate needs to become a common occurrence. These frequent disruptions to the day-to-day operations of the Clerk of the Board requires more advanced organization and operational skills and the ability to make immediate, independent decisions to ensure that all mandated responsibilities are executed. The combination of increased independent leadership in this unit, along with significantly increased expectations of performance have re-shaped the autonomy with which this unit currently functions.
In addition, in response to the Shelter-in-Place order caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, various legislation, and amendments to the Brown Act, the County’s hybrid meeting format was developed to maintain safe public participation in local government meetings. The hybrid meeting format has become a permanent process for the County as an acknowledgement by the Board of Supervisors that this format has yielded an increase in public participation. However, the operational complexities of the hybrid meeting format have transformed a single clerk process, into a multi-faceted production requiring a strong sense of technological systems, and the coordination of multiple staff and vendors, to direct and execute the immediate correction of technological errors, to pivot and allow business to continue as quickly as possible. Coordination for translation services, accessibility, and changes in security protocols have also been incorporated into the meeting process, requiring the coordination of 10-15 staff and vendors during each meeting. Furthermore, anticipated updates and revisions to the Brown Act through the remainder of 2023 and beyond will prolong the need to continually develop new protocols to adapt to a rapidly changing legislative environment and increased public expectations. It is the responsibility of the lead of the Clerk of the Board to remain up to date on legislation and requirements related to the Clerk of the Board and establish and execute the policies and procedures necessary to remain in compliance.
The Clerk of the Board unit must perform the duties as mandated in California Government Code Sections 25100 - 25105.5, and the responsibilities of the unit carry a high consequence of error. Working with significant autonomy and independent judgement, the leader of the Clerk of the Board unit is expected to develop, present, and implement recommendations and manage the full scope of activities within this unit.
The County Administrator has identified the need for this unit to be led by a higher-level position that can function with significant autonomy. Staff has reviewed numerous job specifications to determine which classification best represents the level of autonomy, the expectations, and the direct impact this position has on the public and internal partners. As a result of this analysis, the County Administrator is recommending that a Principal Administrative Analyst be added to the Clerk of the Board position allocations to act as the lead of this unit.
Strategic Plan:
N/A
Prior Board Actions:
None
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY 22-23 Adopted |
FY23-24 Projected |
FY 24-25 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
$10,582 |
$257,050 |
$267,332 |
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
$10,582 |
$257,050 |
$267,332 |
|
Funding Sources |
$10,582 |
$257,050 |
$267,332 |
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
|
|
|
|
Fees/Other |
|
|
|
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
$10,582 |
$257,050 |
$267,332 |
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts: The FY22-23 cost reflects the fact that this position will likely be filled via an internal recruitment late in the fiscal year. For FY23-24 and beyond, the addition of this allocation will be covered by a combination of anticipated salary savings as well as reimbursements from non-general fund departments for prior year services performed by the Clerk of the Board Office. No Additional General fund is requested for this adjustment to be needed.
|
Staffing Impacts: |
|
|
|
|
Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
|
Principal Administrative Analyst |
$10,098.19 - $12,274.00 |
1.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
See table above
Attachments:
Resolution Amending the Position Allocation
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None