To: Sonoma County Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Human Resources
Staff Name and Phone Number: Spencer Keywood 565-3568
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Civil Service Ordinance Updates
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Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Introduce the Ordinance placing the County Equity Officer in the Unclassified Service in the County’s Civil Service System. (First Reading)
B) Amend the Ordinance to remove the Director of Fire Services/Emergency Program Manager.
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Executive Summary:
The County’s Civil Service Ordinance allows the Board of Supervisors to add newly established department head positions into the Unclassified Service of the Civil Service Ordinance. This item is the administrative action to amend the Ordinance to add the newly established County Equity Officer into the Civil Service Ordinance and Unclassified Service, and delete the Director of Fire Services/Emergency Program Manager because of the dissolution of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. Keeping the Civil Service Ordinance current with the list of positions that are unclassified ensures employees in those positions and the County are using the appropriate set of administrative procedures specific to positions in the unclassified service of the County’s Civil Service System.
Discussion:
In November 1994, the voters approved changes to the Civil Service Ordinance that allow the Board of Supervisors to place new department head positions in the Unclassified Service in the Civil Service System. In order to establish the proposed position as a department head and unclassified, the Civil Service Ordinance must be amended. This involves a two-part process in which there is a first reading and the introduction of the ordinance (Attachment 1) on October 6, 2020 and at the Board’s next meeting, the Ordinance will be officially approved. Technically, the effective date of the ordinance change will be 30 days from the date of the Board’s final approval.
In 2018, the County established the Office of Emergency Management. Subsequently, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services was dissolved. When the new Office was established, the County adopted the new position of Director of Emergency Management. The Civil Service Ordinance was appropriately amended around this time to add this new position to the list of unclassified positions. As the County no longer has a Department of Fire and Emergency Services and no longer utilizes the position and classification of the Director of Fire Services/Emergency Program Manager (Director of Fire and Emergency Services), the County needed to take steps to remove this position from the Civil Service System. On August 11, 2020, the Board approved the abolishment of the Director of Fire and Emergency Services class specification. The next step would include deleting this position from the list of positions in the Unclassified Service.
In July 2020, the Board of Supervisors affirmed their commitment to racial equity and social justice and gave direction to staff to take steps to establish a new department and related positions. On August 18, 2020, the Board officially established the Office of Equity and approved the job classification of County Equity Officer, which will serve as the department head to the Office of Equity. This position needs to be added to the list of Unclassified Service in the Civil Service Ordinance. Having the position appropriately designated ensures the appropriate administrative procedures are used.
Approval of today’s action will serve as the first reading to amend the Civil Service Ordinance on these two referenced matters.
Prior Board Actions:
August 1994, Board of Supervisors approved a Civil Service Ordinance revision, which allows for the exemption of department head positions from the Civil Service System.
August 11, 2020: Board of Supervisors abolished the Director of Fire Services/Emergency Program Manager position.
August 18, 2020: Board of Supervisors approved the establishment of a new Office of Equity Department and County Equity Officer position.
Fiscal Summary
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FY 22-23 Projected |
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Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
None.
Attachments:
Attachment A: Ordinance Exempting the County Equity Officer from the Civil Service System, and deleting the Director of Fire Services/Emergency Program Manager
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None.