Title
Environmental Management Department recommending the Board adopt and authorize the Chair to sign Resolution 136-2019 to amend the Authorized Personnel Allocation, adding one Sr. Vector Control Technician - Limited Term position in the Environmental Management Department.
FUNDING: Non-General Fund, County Service Area No. 3 - Vector Control funds.
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
During the Fiscal Year 2019-20 budget development process, the Environmental Management Department (Environmental Management) submitted a supplemental budget request to reclassify 2.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) Limited Term Vector Control Technician I/II positions to the classification of Sr. Vector Control Technician. Due to unanticipated complications and delays involved with this request, the change was not addressed during the Board’s adoption of the Fiscal Year 2019-20 Recommended Budget.
The Human Resources Department (Human Resources) conducted an analysis to potentially reclassify the two (2) current Vector Control Technician I/II positions to Sr. Vector Control Technicians, and ultimately provided a recommendation to Environmental Management to request one (1) Sr. Vector Control Technician - Limited Term allocation which would be assigned to the South Lake Tahoe Vector Control Program. Human Resources recommended that a competitive process to fill the new allocation take place, rather than reclassifying both existing positions. As such, Environmental Management is seeking the Board’s consideration at this time for the addition of 1.0 FTE Sr. Vector Control Technician - Limited Tem position which will provide for an additional lead position under the South Lake Tahoe Vector Control Program.
The 1.0 FTE Sr. Limited Term Vector Control Technician - Limited Term will spend a preponderant amount of time functioning as a lead (over five staff), take on the most complex and specialized vector control and maintenance duties, provide technical training for new field staff on the use and maintenance of program specific software applications used for vector control, and will act as the lead for public outreach, presentations, and education to the public and other agencies regarding current vector control issues.
Upon the Board’s approval of this item, Environmental Management will work with Human Resources to run a recruitment to fill this position. It should be noted that there are internal candidates in Environmental Management who will likely be interested in this position. If a candidate who is currently holding an allocated position within Environmental Management is selected, staff will return to the Board with a follow-up item and resolution to delete the existing position.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board may choose not to approve this personnel change. There is a potential increase to the allotted allocations for Environmental Management should an external candidate be selected; however, any changes will not be known until a competitive recruitment has been conducted. This change will result in expanded service levels with minimal increases to the associated costs; however, there would not be a decrease in current service levels should this change not be approved.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
N/A
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
Human Resources
CAO RECOMMENDATION / COMMENTS
It is recommended that the Board approve this item.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
If the Sr. Vector Control Technician - Limited Term position is filled by a current Environmental Management employee, there will be a slight increase in costs, directly attributable to an increase in the hourly rate, associated with the Sr. Vector Control Technician classification. If an outside candidate is selected to fill this position, and upon the Board’s approval of this item, Environmental Management will have one (1) additional FTE allocation for this program estimated at approximately $30,000 per season, and Environmental Management will evaluate the feasibility of the potential increase during the Fiscal Year 2020-21 budget preparation. For both scenarios, there is sufficient vector control funding in the County Service Area No. 3 budget to cover the increased costs. Subsequent years’ budgets will also include funding for the increase in costs associated with either change.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
Upon Board adoption and approval, please provide a fully executed Resolution to Katie Lee in Human Resources.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Healthy Communities, Good Governance
CONTACT
Greg Stanton, REHS, Director
Environmental Management Department