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
Adopt a Resolution reflecting the recommendations of completed classification studies and other position allocation changes:
A) Adopt a Concurrent Resolution amending the Salary Resolution 95-0926, Salary Table Scales, to adjust the salaries for three intern classifications and to establish the new classification and salary for County Communications Manager, effective January 14, 2020.
B) Approve the use of $140,000 of General Fund Contingencies to finance the new County Communications Manager
C) Adopt a Resolution amending the Departmental Allocation List for the County Administrator’s Office and County Counsel, effective January 14, 2020.
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 your Board today Human Resources requests approval to implement classification, compensation, and program change requests in the County Administrator’s Office, County Counsel, and Human Resources Department.
Discussion:
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 your Board today Human Resources requests approval to implement classification, compensation, and program change requests in the County Administrator’s Office, County Counsel, and Human Resources Department.
Discussion:
County Administrator’s Office:
In 2019, the County Administrator engaged Full Court Press Communications (FCP) to review the organizational structure of departmental communications and offer recommendations for improvement on how the County communicates with various stakeholders. One of FCP’s recommendations was that the County move to a more centralized system of communication model overseen by a senior management level position. In response to this recommendation, Human Resources was tasked with the development of the single positon classification of County Communications Manager.
Working under general direction, the County Communications Manager will be responsible for developing, planning and directing Countywide communications efforts within the County Administrator’s Office; directing the implementation of a public information and relations program to link organizational goals with communication objectives and increase awareness of the County’s services, successes, and accomplishments; proactively establishing and maintaining productive relationships between the County and employees, community stakeholders, public agencies, the media, and private organizations, among others; and acting as the official channel of communication between the County and the public.
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 new County Communications Manager classification to be Bargaining Unit 0050-Administrative Management. This classification is 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 County Communications Manager should be set at $13,384 Monthly/I-Step. For on-going administration, the salary should be tied to (the same as) Deputy County Administrator.
Human Resources seeks approval to establish the new classification and salary of County Communications Manager. The County Administrator’s Office seeks approval to add 1.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) County Communications Manager allocation to its departmental allocation list.
The County’s Communications Manager FY 2019-20 estimated costs requires $140,000 in General Fund contingencies, which by established Board policy the request would need to be part of Mid-Year adjustments. However, given the 12/10/2019 Board direction to address the outside consultant’s Communications Assessment recommendation to consider establishing either a centralized or decentralized-enhanced Countywide Communications model, onboarding a Communications Manager as soon as possible is needed to execute the Board’s instructions. The ongoing costs will be included as part of the FY 20/21 departmental ongoing staffing costs.
County Counsel:
During the FY 19-20 budget hearings, County Counsel deleted a vacant 1.0 full-time equivalent Legal Assistant-Confidential allocation from their budget. The work was distributed amongst the existing legal support staff. Subsequent to that action, County Counsel found that the Office’s code enforcement attorneys require dedicated legal staff support to assist them with their cases beyond what the remaining legal assistants can absorb. Therefore, County Counsel requests the addition of a Legal Assistant-Confidential allocation to allow Code Enforcement Counsel to focus on their cases and maintain its current level of service to Permit Sonoma. Costs will be offset by the deletion of a vacant Senior Account Clerk-Confidential position.
County Counsel seeks approval to add 1.0 FTE Legal Assistant - Confidential allocation and to delete 1.0 FTE Senior Account Clerk - Confidential allocation to its departmental allocation list.
Human Resources:
California Senate Bill 3 (Leno, Chapter 4, Statues of 2016), which went into effect January 1, 2017, established a schedule in which the State minimum wage will increase from $10.50/hourly to $15.00/hourly by January 1, 2021, for employers with 26 employees or more. In accordance with the schedule, the minimum wage in the State of California increased to $13.00/hourly on January 1, 2020. One classification at the County is now under the minimum wage, Student Intern-High School Extra Help. Therefore, Human Resources recommends increasing the starting hourly wage for Student Intern-High School Extra Help to $13.00/hourly to meet the State requirement. Human Resources also recommends adjusting the starting wage of the Student Intern Undergraduate Extra Help and OSD Intern Undergraduate Extra Help classifications to $14.94/hourly to ensure appropriate differentials are maintained between the high school and undergraduate intern classification levels.
The California Minimum Wage is distinct from the County’s Living Wage Ordinance, which went into effect January 1, 2016. Internship classifications are specifically exempted from this Ordinance. Human Resources is not currently recommending adjustments for any other job classifications because, 1) there are no other classes below the new State minimum wage; and 2), language in the County’s labor agreements representing the classes with a base pay of less than $15.00/hour ensure the County is compliant with the Living Wage Ordinance.
Human Resources will continue to monitor the County’s classification plan and return to the Board annually requesting authority to amend the salaries of positions that are impacted by the increasing State minimum wage rate to ensure compliance with this law.
Human Resources seeks approval to amend the salaries of three intern classifications: Student Intern-High School Extra Help; Student Intern-Undergraduate Extra Help; and OSD Intern Undergraduate Extra Help.
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 19-20 Adopted |
FY20-21 Projected |
FY 21-22 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
CAO: $140,000 CNS: $1,963 |
CAO: $288,000 CNS: $11,312 |
CAO: $295,000 CNS: $12.234 |
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
$141,963 |
$299,312 |
$307,234 |
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
CAO: $288,000 |
CAO: $295,000 |
|
State/Federal |
|
|
|
|
Fees/Other |
CNS: $1,963 |
CNS: $11,312 |
CNS: $12.234 |
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
Contingencies |
CAO: $140,000 |
|
|
|
Total Sources |
$141,963 |
$299,312 |
$307,234 |
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
County Administrator’s Office: The County’s Communications Manager FY 2019-20 estimated costs requires General Fund contingencies. The ongoing costs will be included as part of the FY 20/21 departmental ongoing staffing costs.
County Counsel: The additional cost for replacing one Senior Account Clerk-Confidential with one Legal Assistant-Confidential position is $1,963 for FY 19-20, $11,312 for FY 20-21, and $12,234 for FY 21-22. The additional cost will be recovered through legal services billing.
Human Resources: There is no fiscal impact for adjusting the salary ranges for the internship classifications.
|
Staffing Impacts: |
|
|
|
|
Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
|
County Communications Manager |
$11,011-$13,384 |
1.0 |
|
|
Senior Account Clerk - Confidential |
$4,059-$4,936 |
|
(1.0) |
|
Legal Assistant - Confidential |
$4,562-$5,547 |
1.0 |
|
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
County Administrator’s Office: There are no staffing impacts as the new allocation will remain vacant until a recruitment has been conducted to fill the position.
County Counsel: There are no staffing impacts as the 1.0 FTE Senior Account Clerk - Confidential allocation is vacant.
Human Resources: There are no staffing impacts associated with changing the starting wage for these extra-help internship classifications.
Attachments:
Resolution 1: Concurrent Resolution amending Salary Resolution No. 95-0926
Resolution 1: Appendix A - Salary Tables
Resolution 2: Resolution amending the Departmental Allocation List for the County Administrator’s Office and County Counsel
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
Classification Study Report by Human Resources on the new job class of County Communications Manager