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Community Development Services, Department of Transportation and Human Resources, recommending the Board adopt and authorize the Chair to sign Resolution 026-2018, amending the Authorized Personnel Allocation Resolution 109-2017, thereby deleting one vacant Sr. Engineering Technician allocation, one vacant Engineering Technician allocation, and one vacant Assistant in Civil Engineering (Limited Term) allocation and adding two Department Analyst I/II allocations and one Associate Civil Engineer allocation to the personnel allocations for the Department of Transportation, effective March 6, 2018.
FUNDING: Various Department of Transportation funding streams. (Non-General Fund)
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DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDATION
Community Development Services, Department of Transportation and Human Resources, recommending the Board adopt and authorize the Chair to sign Resolution 026-2018, amending the Authorized Personnel Allocation Resolution (#109-2017), thereby deleting one vacant Sr. Engineering Technician allocation, one vacant Engineering Technician allocation, and one vacant Assistant in Civil Engineering (Limited Term) allocation and adding two Department Analyst I/II allocations and one Associate Civil Engineer allocation to the personnel allocations for the Department of Transportation, effective March 6, 2018.
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
Transportation has been updating its staffing plan to place a strong emphasis on staff and service integration. The staff and service integration objective includes moving toward a more efficient organizational structure. It is projected that assigning multi-skilled staff, along with advancements in information technology, will lead to less staff allocations, lower overhead expenses, continuous quality improvement, and efficiency in project delivery.
Fairlane and Headington Engineering Divisions
In 2014, the Transportation staffing structure changed to operate more efficiently and effectively. Transportation engineering and administrative staff took on a more diverse range of skills and responsibilities. A prime example of the staff restructuring includes project managers and support staff teams now overseeing their projects all the way through planning, environmental, design and construction. Prior to the restructure, design and construction were covered by separate staff divisions. Engineers, technicians, and administrative support staff have received cross-training allowing them to multifunction and perform tasks such as inspection, lab analysis, surveying, and contract administration work. Administrative staff has taken on more responsibility working on department and division budgets, consultant contracts, construction contracts, labor compliance, equipment purchasing, and invoice and grant processing. This cross-training and increased skill level has demonstrated improved service quality and efficiency. Transportation Engineering has been able to reduce the number of budgeted staff positions through this integration.
The Transportation Fairlane and Headington Engineering Divisions have not filled two vacancies, an Engineering Technician position and a Sr. Engineering Tech position, for over six months and have found that the intended assignments for these positions could be shared by existing higher level Technicians and the new proposed higher level administrative staff position. This new proposed staffing structure will allow the existing engineering technician staff to take on more design and construction duties and the administrative staff to take on more consultant and construction contract administrative management.
Development, Right of Way, and Environmental (DRE) Division
Transportation’s DRE Division would like to add one (1) Associate Civil Engineer position in order to create a career track and promotional opportunity for professional engineers, similar to what is currently available in Transportation’s two Engineering Divisions. The professional engineer classifications at the County are Assistant Engineer, Associate Civil Engineer, and Senior Civil Engineer. When Assistant Engineers obtain their professional registration they become eligible to promote to an Associate Civil Engineer. Currently, the DRE Land Development Unit is allocated two full-time Assistant Engineers, one Assistant Engineer (LT), and a Senior Civil Engineer, which does not provide a promotional opportunity for staff as they gain the training, experience, and skills to promote up and take on greater responsibilities and challenges. In addition, creation of this Associate Civil Engineer position would allow any of the Associate Engineers working on capital projects to transfer into the Land Development Unit and learn the land development side of engineering.
The Associate Civil Engineer position will be responsible for tracking projects as they proceed through plan check, preparation and execution of agreements, inspection of improvements as they’re being constructed, and close out of the agreements once construction is complete. These duties are currently allocated to other staff, a Senior Civil Engineer, Assistant Engineer, and Principal Engineering Tech, and consolidating these duties into one position will provide one point of contact for the public and allow a higher level of accountability. As this position is highly technical and requires extensive training, it will facilitate retention of staff with institutional knowledge and corresponding increased work efficiency.
To fund this change, the DRE Division is proposing to delete one (1) vacant Assistant in Civil Engineering (LT) and add one (1) Associate Civil Engineer.
Summary
Transportation is requesting the addition of three (3) full-time staffing allocations: two (2) Department Analyst I/II and one (1) Associate Civil Engineer; and the deletion of three (3) vacant full-time staffing allocations: one (1) Sr. Engineering Technician, one (1) Engineering Technician and one (1) Assistant in Civil Engineering (LT), which will provide a professional administrative level of service for Transportation needs. If approved, Transportation will work with Human Resources to conduct the recruitments to fill these positions.
The fiscal result of these staffing allocation changes represents an approximate annual reduction of $59,073. Transportation will continue to look for ways to provide more efficient services while still trying to reduce costs and may return to the Board in the future with further information.
ALTERNATIVES
1) The Board could choose to direct Transportation to update its Personnel Allocations during the next budget cycle, Fiscal Year 2018/19.
2) The Board could decline to adopt the attached Personnel Allocation Resolutions and maintain Transportation’s current personnel structure.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
County Human Resources
CAO RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Board approve this item.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no increase to Net County Cost associated with this item. The Transportation staffing budget would see an approximate $59,073 annual reduction from this change.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
1) Clerk of the Board to obtain the Chair’s signature on the original Resolution.
2) Clerk of the Board will provide one (1) copy of the signed Resolution to Human Resources and one (1) copy to Transportation, attention of Rafael Martinez.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Infrastructure, Good Governance
CONTACT
Rafael Martinez, Director
Community Development Services, Department of Transportation
Tameka Usher, Director
Human Resources