DATE: August 23, 2016
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Margaret Mims, Sheriff-Coroner
SUBJECT: Retroactive Waiver of Extra-Help Maximum Hours Limitation
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Retroactively authorize a waiver of the 28 hours per week/960 hours per calendar year maximum hours limitation for the Extra-Help positions listed on Attachment A in the Sheriff-Coroner’s Office, pursuant to the provisions set forth in the Salary Resolution, section 1100 and Personnel Rules 2040 and 4240.
REPORT
There is no additional Net County Cost associated with this action. Approval of the recommended action allows the Sheriff-Coroner’s Office to address operational needs seven days a week and to be in compliance with third party funded grant obligations.
On June 7, 2016, the waiver process was approved by your Board. The Department of Human Resources and the County Administrative Office developed a waiver template which was released mid-August 2016. The Extra-Help positions listed on Attachment A include employees that exceeded the maximum hours limitation during the template development process; the remainder are expected to exceed the maximum hours limitations during Calendar Year 2016.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
There is no viable alternative to approval of the waiver due to the need to operate and maintain the best efficiency possible and to stay in compliance with third party funded grant obligations.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues for the appointments and for any additional cost which could be assessed under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are included in the FY 2016-17 Sheriff-Coroner’s Org 3111 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.
On June 7, 2016, your Board approved Salary Resolution Amendments that provided departments with the requested flexibility, while limiting the use of most Extra-Help employees. As provided in those Amendments, the Sheriff-Coroner’s Office is recommending a waiver of the 28 hours per week and/or 960 hours per calendar year limitation for the positions listed on Attachment A due to the following:
Reserve Officers JCN 9766
The Extra-Help Reserve Officers are utilized within various Sheriff-Coroner Units including but not limited to the units identified below:
Boating Unit - On October 13, 2015, your Board approved the FY 2016-17 Boating Safety Program which funds Reserve Officers to work 40+ hours a week during the boating season from May through Labor Day. The Reserve Officers undergo significant training in water rescues and boat operations, and the Sheriff-Coroner’s Office relies heavily on them to act as a second to cover Deputies on each of the patrol boats; each Reserve Officer is paired with a full-time Deputy Sheriff throughout the boating season.
Prisoner Transportation Unit - On June 7, 2016, your Board approved a Memorandum of Understanding with Fresno County Cities to fund Reserve Officers to provide Prisoner Transportation for rural areas of Fresno County with funding the City of Fresno receives (as the lead agency) from the California Board State and Community Corrections. Reserve Officers are used on an as needed basis to transport prisoners in the rural areas.
Forensic Autopsy Technicians JCN 1530
The Extra-Help Forensic Technicians assist the Forensic Pathologists in performing single and multiple autopsies. The Forensic Technician plays a vital role in supporting the overall efforts of the doctors and deputy coroners to keep pace with the number of past, current and new death investigations that vary and are unpredictable. The Extra-Help positions allow the Coroner’s Unit to operate seven days a week by providing back up to the one full-time Forensic Autopsy Technician due to heavy workloads, and for coverage during annual leave, sick leave and emergencies.
Sheriff’s Forensic Laboratory Technician JCN 9725
On November 17, 2015, your Board approved the 2015 DNA Backlog Grant which funds one Extra-Help Sheriff’s Forensic Laboratory Technician to work 29 hours a week to perform intake, inventory, and preservation of DNA samples from January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2017. This assists investigators and the District Attorney’s Office in the timely adjudication of cases.
Your Board’s approval of the recommended action will allow the positions listed in Attachment A in the Sheriff-Coroner’s Office to exceed the maximum hours limitation for Calendar Year 2016.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #37, June 7, 2016
BAI #19, January 13, 2015
BAI #23, October 13, 2015
BAI #22, June 7, 2016
BAI #28, November 17, 2015
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Attachment A
CAO ANALYST:
Jeannie Z. Figueroa