DATE: November 16, 2021
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: David Luchini, RN, PHN, Director, Department of Public Health
SUBJECT: Waiver of Extra-Help Weekly Maximum Hour Limitation
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Authorize a waiver of the 28 hours per week maximum limitation for the Extra-Help positions listed on Attachment A in the Department of Public Health, Org. 5620, pursuant to the provisions set forth in Salary Resolution, section 1100 and Personnel Rules 2040 and 4240.
REPORT
There is no additional Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. Approval of the recommended action will ensure the Department’s Environmental Health Division has adequate staffing to respond to the increased number of water-well permit applications and inspections of recreational health facilities. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
There is no viable alternative action due to the demand for well permit applications and recreational health facility inspections. Should your Board not approve this request, well permits will be delayed during this drought emergency and there will also be a delay in recreational health facility inspections.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues are included in the Department’s Org 5620 FY 2021-2022 Adopted Budget.
DISCUSSION:
On January 13, 2015 and June 7, 2016, your Board reiterated County policy that the use of Extra-Help employees should:
• be of limited duration;
• not be used as a first response to staffing requirements;
• not supplant work regularly performed by permanent employees; and
• only be used to meet the critical, seasonal, or temporary work needs of departments on a limited basis.
In July of this year, the Department received approval from the County Administrative Officer (CAO) to hire up to four (4) Extra-Help Environmental Health Aide (EHA) positions to perform evaluations and inspections to determine compliance with local, state and federal environmental laws and regulations for the protection of public health. The Department hired three applicants and pulled in staff from other programs. Due to the demand, the Department now requests a waiver of the 28 hours per week limitation to accommodate the increased number of well permit applications during this declared drought emergency and to assist staff with inspections of recreational health facilities.
The Department received 680 water-well permit requests from January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020. In the calendar year 2021, at the writing of the Agenda Item, 863 well permits have been requested, 366 of which were received in the months of July, August and September. The Environmental Health Division is on track to process approximately 1,200 water well permits through the end of the calendar year, an increase of approximately 43% over the previous calendar year.
In addition, there are approximately 2,264 inspections planned for recreational health facilities based on the number of pools and the required inspection frequency. Staff also routinely perform another 460 follow-up inspections to verify compliance of previously identified violations.
The Department anticipates that the Extra-Help staff will be needed until approximately March 18, 2022. Should the drought emergency continue, the Department may extend the utilization of extra help for the full calendar year. Sufficient appropriations will be included in future budgets for the additional cost
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #37 - June 7, 2016
BAI #19 - January 13, 2015
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Attachment A
CAO ANALYST:
Ron Alexander