Title
Human Resources Department recommending the Board approve the disbanding of the Health Plan Advisory Committee.
FUNDING: N/A
Body
DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDATION
Human Resources Department recommending the Board approve the disbanding of the Health Plan Advisory Committee (HPAC).
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
Although the origination of the current HPAC is not entirely clear, it appears the HPAC was formed in 2001 when the by-laws were filed with the Board of Supervisors. The purpose of HPAC was to provide for an “appropriately constituted forum to facilitate conferring with employee organizations on related [health benefit] issues”. At the time of its creation, the County only had three labor groups: El Dorado County Employee’s Association, Local 1; Operating Engineers, Local 3; and Deputy Sheriff’s Association. With the establishment of HPAC, each member was given voting rights. One vote was given to each of the labor groups (two to Local 1, given their representation size) as well as one vote to each of the mangers/directors which included the Risk Manager, Director of Human Resources, the County Counsel, and the Director of Public Health.
Around 2005, additional labor groups began to form within the County. These newly established labor groups were not offered a voting seat on the HPAC, despite the by-laws being updated in 2012 and 2014. Although HPAC was established for a useful purpose, the exclusion of five labor groups from having a voting status makes it functionally impossible for HPAC to fulfill its intended purpose which was to provide for an “appropriately constituted forum to facilitate conferring with employee organizations on related [health benefit] issues”.
At the regular meeting on December 14, 2017, the HPAC members voted to disband HPAC (instead of extending a voting status to the additional labor organizations) with the understanding that Human Resources would work with all labor groups to form an informal advisory group for the purposes of relaying changes to employee health benefit rates and vendor driven health plan design changes, as well as serve as a forum where all labor groups could discuss requests for changes in the health benefits.
Upon the approval of this item by the Board, Human Resources staff will begin contacting the labor organizations to develop a forum for discussion of the employee health benefit rates, vendor driven health plan design changes and other requests for changes to the health benefit structure.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board could choose to take no action and 1) Keep the HPAC in its current structure with the understanding that as currently constituted the HPAC would not be fulfilling its originally intended purpose, or 2) Direct Human Resources staff to work with the current HPAC members to modify the by-laws so as to allow all labor groups to have a vote.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
El Dorado County Public Employees Association, Local 1
Operating Engineers, Local 3
Deputy Sheriff’s Association
County Counsel
Health and Human Services Agency
Human Resources
CAO RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Board approve this item.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
None.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
None.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Good Governance
CONTACT
Tameka Usher, Director of Human Resources