Title
Human Resources Department and Public Defender’s Office recommending the Board:
Adopt and authorize the Chair to sign Resolution 020-2026 to:
1) Approve, due to an upward reclassification, the deletion of 1.0 FTE Investigative Assistant I/II allocation and the addition of 1.0 FTE Investigator (Public Defender) (JCN 5613) allocation in the Public Defender’s office;
2) Waive the competitive examination and appointment requirements and directly appoint the incumbent (position 4714) to Investigator (Public Defender) in accordance with Personnel Rule 507.1.2 (Upward Reclassification); and
3) Add 0.1 FTE Sr. Office Assistant allocation in the Public Defender’s office to allow a vacant 0.9 FTE to be recruited and appointed at the 1.0 FTE level.
FUNDING: General Fund.
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
At the request of the Public Defender’s Office, Human Resources completed a classification study of a position currently allocated as Investigative Assistant II. The study reviewed the Position Description Questionnaire (PDQ), supervisory/management input, and applicable class specifications. HR’s analysis found the preponderance of ongoing duties align with full-scope investigative work at the journey level, including planning and conducting criminal and civil investigations, analyzing discovery and evidentiary records, preparing and serving subpoenas, producing written investigative reports, and testifying in court, which are duties consistent with Investigator (Public Defender) rather than the technical support scope of the Investigative Assistant series.
Applying Personnel Rule 506.2, HR determined that the position’s significant and permanent changes in responsibility, complexity (e.g., digital/body-worn camera evidence, specialized hearings), organizational impact/consequence of error, independence of judgment, required knowledge/abilities, and the percentage of workload devoted to full-scope investigations collectively warrant upward reclassification to Investigator (Public Defender).
Under Personnel Rule 507.1 (Upward Reclassification), an incumbent may be retained and appointed to the higher class when (1) the duties have continually evolved for at least 26 pay periods, (2) the incumbent meets the minimum qualifications, and (3) the Board waives the competitive recruitment and selection process. HR confirms these conditions are met, and recommends the Board waive competitive testing and directly appoint the incumbent to Investigator (Public Defender) per Rule 507.1.2.
Upon Board approval, salary administration will follow Personnel Rule 612.2 (Salary on Reclassification - Upward), which applies Rule 608 (Salary on Promotion) to determine step placement effective the first pay period following adoption.
Additionally, the Public Defender’s Office currently has a vacant Sr. Office Assistant position allocated at 0.9 FTE, which limits recruitment to part-time candidates. Increasing the allocation to 1.0 FTE will allow the department to recruit and fill a regular full-time position, improving operational coverage and retention.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board could choose not to approve the recommendations and direct Human Resources to make revisions or conduct additional analysis.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
N/A
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
El Dorado County Employees' Association, Local 1
County Counsel
CAO RECOMMENDATION
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There are general fund savings within the Public Defender’s office to absorb the additional expenses from these position allocation changes for FY 2025-26, estimated as a fully burdened increase of $15,000. Future year costs, estimated as $37,400 for FY 2026-27, will be budgeted and covered by the general fund and/or offset with allocations from AB 109 from the Community Corrections Partnership (CCP) or the District Attorney/Public Defender Sub-Account as needed.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
Upon Board adoption and approval, please provide a copy of the executed Resolution to Heather Andersen in Human Resources.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
N/A
CONTACT
Joseph Carruesco, Director of Human Resources