To: Board of Directors of Sonoma County Water Agency
Department or Agency Name(s): Sonoma County Water Agency
Staff Name and Phone Number: Kent Gylfe (707) 529-4177
Vote Requirement: 4/5th
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Sonoma County Water Agency (Sonoma Water) Appointment of Retiree Extra-Help
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Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Pursuant to Government Code §7522.56 approve the appointment of Jay Jasperse as a Water Agency Chief Engineer, in order to fill a critically needed position within 180 days of his retirement, with an appointment date as early as September 13, 2022.
B) Adopt a Resolution Authorizing Adjustment to the Board Adopted Budget for Fiscal Year 2022/2023 for the Sonoma Water General Fund in the amount of $108,662 for the Sonoma County Water Agency (Sonoma Water) Appointment of Retiree Extra-Help. (4/5th Vote Require)
end
Executive Summary:
Pursuant to the California Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act (PEPRA), Government Code §7522.56, an exception can be made to reappoint a retiree as extra-help provided the governing body certifies that the appointment is necessary to fill a critically needed position, in those circumstances where 180 days from the date of retirement has not yet passed. This approval must be in a noticed public meeting and not on a consent calendar. PEPRA includes other requirements in order for a retiree to be eligible for an Extra-Help appointment, such as not having accepted a retirement incentive and not having accepted unemployment arising out of prior public appointment. The individual and delegated agency staff have completed the Retiree Extra-Help Compliance Form certifying the appropriateness of the appointment
Discussion:
Jay Jasperse retired on July 12, 2022 from the position of Water Agency (WA) Chief Engineer and Director of Groundwater Management. He entered Sonoma Water service on May 11, 1998, as a Civil Engineer, followed by promotions to WA Principal Engineer of the Water Resource Planning Division on July 25, 2000, WA Deputy Chief Engineer on March 19, 2002, WA Chief Engineer on March 9, 2010, and WA Chief Engineer and Director of Groundwater Management on October 21, 2014, thereby serving the region for over 24 years.
At the time of his retirement, Mr. Jasperse was serving as Chief Engineer and Director of Groundwater Management with broad oversight responsibility for Sonoma Water’s Engineering and Resource Planning Division. In this role Mr. Jasperse was responsible for managing numerous workgroups, including Resource Planning, Groundwater Resources, Water Use Efficiency, Energy Resources, Operations Engineering, Design Engineering, Construction Management, Technical Writing, Surveying/Right-of-Way, Drafting/GIS. For more than 20 years Mr. Jasperse provided critical leadership for this wide array of disciplines related to Sonoma Water’s role in regional water supply, wastewater management, and flood control.
The value of Mr. Jasperse’s expertise and leadership was perhaps no more evident and essential for Sonoma Water than in the areas of water resource planning, groundwater management, implementation of emerging technologies, and collaborative stakeholder engagement. Within this arena of work, Mr. Jasperse spearheaded numerous efforts to advance the resiliency of local and regional water supplies. Some of the activities for which Mr. Jasperse was providing an active leading role on behalf of Sonoma Water - and there remains a significant need to continue - include:
1) Working in coordination with Sonoma Water’s water contractors to address natural hazard (e.g. drought, fire, flood, earthquake, etc.) and climate-enhanced vulnerabilities of regional water supplies by identifying cooperative strategies to increase system reliability. There is continuing need for Mr. Jasperse to fill a key role in working with the water contractors and consultants to identify, evaluate feasibility, and negotiate implementation of conjunctive water use, local supply utilization, infrastructure improvement, and other hazard mitigation and climate-adaptive strategies to enhance the resilience of regional water supply systems. Advancement of aquifer storage and recovery practices and development of a groundwater banking program is one such potential strategy for which Mr. Jasperse’s knowledge of local groundwater and infrastructure systems, familiarization with partnering entities, and experience structuring programmatic frameworks would be immensely beneficial. His experience evaluating technical feasibility, equitable rate structures, governance/management alternatives, and other elements of a programmatic framework, coupled with his uniquely qualified role in coordinating with local groundwater sustainability agencies (GSA) will best serve Sonoma Water’s efforts to evaluate feasibility of conjunctive water use and groundwater banking strategies to maximize the beneficial use of available winter water.
2) Working in coordination with Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) to provide technical and strategic support to implement Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSP). Mr. Jasperse’s former roles as Sonoma Water’s Director of Groundwater Management and Plan Manager on behalf of the local GSA’s uniquely qualifies him to continue providing essential support to implement new GSP’s and assist local GSA’s, as-needed, to comply with the regulatory requirements of California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).
3) Working in coordination with the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes (CW3E) at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and other cooperating partner entities to develop and implement Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO) at Lake Mendocino. This work also included participating as a member of the FIRO steering committee. Under this initiative, current efforts are now advancing to implement FIRO-based operations at Lake Sonoma, for which Mr. Jasperse’s continuing participation is essential to optimizing the success of this program based on his water resource management expertise specific to Lake Sonoma and the Russian River system.
4) Working in coordination with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and participating Bay Area agencies to implement the Bay Area Advanced Quantitative Precipitation Information (AQPI) system. This initiative includes oversight of Sonoma Water’s leading role in the implementation and administration of a $19.8 million Department of Water Resources grant and Mr. Jasperse’s participation on the oversight committee and technical support team. The benefit of his continuing participation with this program to provide his experience with atmospheric research and expert understanding of atmospheric river influences on local hydrology and regional water resource management is highly beneficial to Sonoma Water and this program.
5) Providing technical and strategic support to Sonoma Water’s collaborative efforts to conduct studies, evaluate alternatives, and forge partnerships for maintaining reliable water supplies in the Upper Russian River and protect fisheries in the Eel and Russian rivers in the face of Pacific Gas & Electric’s (PG&E) actions to pursue surrender of the Potter Valley Project.
6) Providing a leading role on behalf of Sonoma Water for the State of California’s transition of the 945 acre Sonoma Developmental Center and the County’s planning efforts associated therewith. Permit Sonoma’s development of a Specific Plan for the site will set a vision that includes, among several elements, consideration of the site’s natural resources. Mr. Jasperse’s background with the site’s water resources and familiarity with strategic alternatives for the potential conservation and beneficial uses of those resources brings immense value to the planning and implementation process for the site.
Due to the time-critical nature of implementing water supply reliability measures in the face of the current drought, the ever-present risks of other natural hazards and system vulnerabilities that threaten water supply reliability, the need to maintain continuity of coordination and trust in representation with partner entities, and applicable grant funding and regulatory time schedules, it is paramount that Mr. Jasperse continue to provide timely support as may be required for the success of these efforts.
On June 14, 2022, Sonoma Water hired Kent Gylfe to fill the full time Chief Engineer position vacated with Mr. Jasperse’s retirement. While Sonoma Water has endeavored to replace Mr. Jasperse’s considerable expertise and capabilities through his successor, there is no replacement for his extensive experience and familiarity with certain initiatives, negotiations and counterparts involved in the efforts described herein. It is therefore respectfully requested that consideration be given to appointment of Jay Jasperse as Retiree Extra-Help to continue this time sensitive and important work to keep these important efforts on track.
Sonoma Water has consulted with the Human Resources Department which is supportive of the recommended action.
In accordance with Government Code section 7522.56, Sonoma Water management is asking the Board certify as follows:
• Jay Jasperse’s appointment to Chief Engineer, Retiree Extra-Help is necessary to fill a critically needed position within 180 days of his retirement date;
• Jay Jasperse did not accept retirement incentives upon his retirement; and
• Jay Jasperse’s appointment shall not exceed 960 hours per year.
• Per Internal Revenue Code section 401(a)(36), Jay Jasperse meets the requirement of being of normal retirement age.
If the Board of Directors makes the foregoing certifications, Jay Jasperse will be hired as of September 13, 2022, as Chief Engineer, Retiree Extra-Help.
County of Sonoma Strategic Plan Alignment: N/A
Sonoma Water Strategic Plan Alignment:
The Water Agency Strategic Plan: Organizational Goal 1; Increase organizational efficiency, effectiveness, and resilience to natural disasters.
Prior Board Actions:
None
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY 22-23 Adopted |
FY23-24 Projected |
FY 24-25 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
|
$108,662 |
$108,662 |
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
$108,662 |
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
$108,662 |
$108,662 |
$108,662 |
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
$108,662 |
$108,662 |
|
State/Federal |
|
|
|
|
Fees/Other |
|
|
|
|
Use of Fund Balance |
$108,662 |
|
|
|
Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
$108,662 |
$108,662 |
$108,662 |
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
The cost of the extra help retiree position is approximately $108,662 assuming usage of 960 extra help hours at $113.19/hour. It is projected that 960 hours will be expended in all three fiscal years. FY 2022/2023 additional appropriations in the amount of $108,662 from the Sonoma Water’s General Fund are required. A budgetary resolution has been submitted with this item. Expenses for FY 2023/2024 and FY 2024/2025 will be budgeted in those fiscal years.
Salary and benefits are budgeted in the General Fund which is funded through property tax revenue and grants. The General Fund is reimbursed by our enterprise funds through project costing. Sonoma Water’s cost accounting system allocates labor costs to Sonoma Water projects specific to its enterprise funds.
|
Staffing Impacts: |
|
|
|
|
Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
|
1019 Chief Engineer and Director of Groundwater |
$16,639.56 - $20,224.19 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
This is a Retiree Extra-Help appointment; no permanent allocations are being added or changed.
Attachments:
Resolution
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None