To: Board of Supervisors
From: Probation
Agenda Section: Consent
SUBJECT:
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Reclassification of Legal Office Assistant I/II to Senior Legal Office Assistant in Budget Unit 235
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RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Approve the deallocation of 1.0 FTE Legal Office Assistant I/II (0178) (salary range I: $1402-$17.99, II: $15.04-$19.30) in budget unit 235 (position 2350178B04)
2. Approve the allocation of 1.0 FTE Senior Legal Office Assistant (0168) (salary range $17.55-22.52) in budget unit 235
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SOURCE OF FUNDING:
Salary Savings in budget unit 235 due to both the reclassification of 1.0 FTE Senior Fiscal Assistant to 1.0 FTE Fiscal Assistant I/II and other vacancies in the budget unit.
DISCUSSION:
Humboldt County Probation anticipates a vacancy rate of 2/3rds in the Juvenile clerical unit in the 3rd and 4th quarters of Fiscal Year 2021-22. This anticipated loss of staff will leave the department lacking seasoned staff and institutional knowledge at a critical time when Juvenile Probation will be impacted by many legislative changes including but not limited to: Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) Realignment, and the Elevate Justice Act. With the anticipated retirement of the juvenile division’s only Senior Legal Office Assistant, as well as an experienced Legal Office Assistant (LOA) II, Probation is seeking the reclassification of one vacant LOA I/II positions to a Senior LOA position in order to hire a more experienced candidate who will have the skill set to lead the clerical unit through the changes to come. Having adequate staffing and training amongst the clerical support positions is critical to ensuring that Probation can continue providing services to the Humboldt County Superior Court as well as the families and youth of Humboldt County.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The reclassification from LOA I/II to Senior LOA will result in increased expenditure of approximately $10,615; $8,153 of which will be offset by the recent reallocation of 1.0 FTE Senior Fiscal assistant to 1.0 FTE Fiscal Assistant I/II. The remaining $2,462 will be easily absorbed by salary savings in budget unit 1100-235 due to the many current vacancies and the long background check required to hire staff into a Law Enforcement agency such Humboldt County Probation.
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK:
This action supports your Board’s Strategic Framework by providing community-appropriate levels of service
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
None.
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Board may opt not to approve the deallocation and reallocation of staff positions as requested here, however that is not recommended. Probation will be losing a large percentage of Senior LOAs in the next two years and is facing a critical shortage of staff with institutional knowledge. In addition to this concern, workloads in the Juvenile Division are expected to increase due to legislative changes. Approving this request would allow Probation to hire an experienced staff member and provide them with adequate training time to prepare them for taking on the lead role in their unit.
ATTACHMENTS:
None.
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Board Order No.: N/A
Meeting of: June 15, 2021
File No.: 21-752