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
Staff Name and Phone Number: Jennifer Lelouarn, 707-565-2821
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Human Resources Classification, Compensation, and Allocation Changes
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Adopt a Concurrent Resolution amending Salary Resolution 95-0926, Salary Tables, to establish the new classification and salary for Water Agency - Emergency, Project, and Security Manager, effective December 12, 2023.
B) Adopt a Concurrent Resolution approving the reclassification of one Sonoma County Water Agency position, with the retention of affected incumbent; and amending the Department Allocation Lists of County Administrator’s Office, District Attorney’s Office, and Sonoma County Water Agency, effective December 12, 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, and 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 recommendations resulting from classification and compensation studies and organizational reviews for the County Administrator’s Office, District Attorney’s Office, and Sonoma County Water Agency.
Discussion:
County Administrator’s Office
On August 2, 2022, the Board approved a permanent consolidation of the General Services Department and Transportation and Public Works Department into the current Sonoma Public Infrastructure Department. As part of that consolidation process, the transfer 1.0 FTE Executive Secretary Confidential was transferred to the Board of Supervisors/County Administrator’s Office (BOS-CAO) in order to support current workload for various departments supported by the CAO, and retain the incumbent following the consolidation process. This position allocation, along with the associated salary and benefits, were added during Budget Supplementals, and approved as part of the FY23-24 BOS-CAO budget.
The position supports the Administrative Services functions of the BOS-CAO, Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO), Independent Office of Law Enforcement Review and Outreach (IOLERO), and the Office of Equity, and no longer reports to a department head. Human Resources has reviewed the current responsibilities of the position and determined that the correct classification is Administrative Aide - Confidential. Staff recommends deleting 1.0 FTE Executive Secretary - Confidential and adding 1.0 FTE Administrative Aide - Confidential, to correct the classification for this position. The allocation is filled, and the current incumbent will not be impacted by this action.
District Attorney’s Office
The incumbent requested the study of the Legal Assistant position in the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Environmental and Consumer Law Division. Human Resources agreed and through the classification study process, it became clear that the position’s responsibilities exceeded the scope of the Legal Assistant class. In reviewing other classifications within the County’s Classification Plan, Human Resources determined that the position’s duties are most appropriately encompassed by the Paralegal classification.
On September 21, 2023, the Civil Services Commission approved the reclassification of the position and the retention of the incumbent in accordance with Civil Service Rule 3.3B. As such, staff recommends a change in the department allocation to delete 1.0 FTE Legal Assistant and add 1.0 FTE Paralegal.
Sonoma County Water Agency
CPS Consulting Services (CPS) conducted a classification study of an Administrative Services Officer II (ASO II) in the Sonoma County Water Agency. The study identified that the preponderance of duties and the required knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform the duties of the position were outside the scope of the typical duties associated with the ASO II classification specification.
The position requires knowledge, skills, and experience related to emergency management and security operations of the Sonoma County Water Agency in addition to project management responsibilities. Therefore, CPS recommended the establishment of a new management class, Water Agency - Emergency, Project, and Security Manager and the reclassification of the ASO II, including the retention of the incumbent. To finalize the establishment of the new class, CPS performed a compensation study to determine the appropriate salary range and Human Resources completed a Community of Interest (COI).
Bargaining Unit and Fair Labor Standards Determinations
In accordance with the County’s Employee Relations Policy, Human Resources conducted a Community of Interest analysis to determine the appropriate representation and bargaining unit for the new classification of Water Agency - Emergency, Project, and Security Manager. The review determined representation by Sonoma County Administrative Management Council (SCAMC - 50) would be most appropriate, and that it should be exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Based on CPS’s evaluation of external market data and internal compensation alignment, Human Resources is recommending the salary for Water Agency - Emergency, Project, and Security Manager be set at $13,796/monthly I-step. For ongoing salary administration purposes, it is recommended that the new class be placed as a new benchmark classification.
Human Resources seeks approval to reclassify one ASO II position to the new classification of Water Agency - Emergency, Project, and Security Manager, retain its incumbent in accordance with the Sonoma County Water Agency Personnel Policies ‐ Article V., and amend the Department Allocation List to delete a 1.0 FTE ASO II and add a 1.0 FTE Water Agency - Emergency, Project, and Security 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 in order to be fully adopted and implemented.
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY23-24 Adopted |
FY24-25 Projected |
FY25-26 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
CAO: $4,091 DAO: $7,555 WTR: $23,241 |
CAO: $7,254 DAO: $7,895 WTR: $48,341 |
CAO: $7,544 DAO: $8,211 WTR: $50,275 |
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
$34,887 |
$63,490 |
$66,030 |
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
CAO: $4,091 DAO: $7,555 WTR: $23,241 |
CAO: $7,254 DAO: $7,895 WTR: $48,341 |
CAO: $7,544 DAO: $8,211 WTR: $50,275 |
|
State/Federal |
|
|
|
|
Fees/Other |
|
|
|
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
$34,887 |
$63,490 |
$66,030 |
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
County Administrator’s Office
The FY 2023/2024 adopted salary and benefits cost for the Executive Secretary Confidential was $144,000. The projected salary and benefits cost to correct the classification is $148,091. The additional $4,091 will be absorbed within the approved CAO budget for FY 2023/2024.
District Attorney’s Office
Increased salary expense of $7,555 for the reclassified position in FY 2023/2024 will be paid with salary savings in the current approved budget.
Sonoma County Water Agency
Sonoma County Water Agency (Sonoma Water) salary and benefits are budgeted in the General Fund which is funded through property tax revenue and grants. The General Fund is reimbursed by enterprise funds through the overhead rate using project costing. Sonoma Water’s cost accounting system allocates labor costs to Sonoma Water projects specific to its enterprise funds.
Adding a 1.0 FTE Water Agency - Emergency, Security, Project Manager and deleting a 1.0 FTE Administrative Services Officer II represents a total net increase in labor costs of $23,241 in the second half of FY 2023/2024. For FY 2024/2025 the net increase for salary and benefits will be $48,341, and $50,275 for FY 2023/2024 assuming a 4% COLA each year. The budget adjustment for FY 2023/2024 can be absorbed in the existing budget. FY 2024/2025 and FY 2025/2026 appropriations will be budgeted in these fiscal years.
|
Staffing Impacts: |
|
|
|
|
Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
|
Executive Secretary - Confidential |
$5,720.00 - $6,952.00 |
|
(1.0) |
|
Administrative Aide - Confidential |
$5,966.00 - $7,253.00 |
1.0 |
|
|
Legal Assistant |
$5,600.44 - $6,805.75 |
|
(1.0) |
|
Paralegal |
$6,115.26 - $7,435.37 |
1.0 |
|
|
Administrative Services Officer II |
$9,463.35 - $11,503.51 |
|
(1.0) |
|
Water Agency - Emergency, Project, and Security Manager |
$11,349.00 - $13,796.00 |
1.0 |
|
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
County Administrator’s Office
There is no net change to the number of FTEs for the department. The current incumbent will not be impacted by this action.
District Attorney’s Office
There is no net change to the number of FTEs. The incumbent in the studied Legal Assistant position will be retained in the Paralegal position, in accordance with Civil Service Rule 3.3B.
Sonoma County Water Agency
The incumbent in the studied Administrative Services Officer II position will be retained in the Water Agency - Emergency, Project, and Security Manager position, pursuant to Water Agency Personnel Policy, Article V. Reclassification.
Attachments:
1. Resolution 1: Concurrent Resolution amending Salary Resolution 95-0926, Salary Tables, to establish the new classification and salary for Water Agency - Emergency, Project, and Security Manager.
2. Resolution 2: Attachment A ‐ Appendix A ‐ Salary Tables
3. Resolution 2: Concurrent Resolution approving the reclassification of one Sonoma County Water Agency position, with the retention of affected incumbent; and amending the Department Allocation Lists of County Administrator’s Office, District Attorney’s Office, and Sonoma County Water Agency.
4. Classification Study Report by CPS HR Consulting Services on Administrative Services Officer II
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
Classification Study Report by Human Resources on Legal Assistant in the District Attorney’s Office