To: Board of Supervisors
From: District Attorney
Agenda Section: Consent
SUBJECT:
title
Advanced Salary Step Request for Administrative Services Officer and Administrative Analyst Positions and Deallocation of Legal Office Business Manager Position (4/5 Vote Required)
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RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Approve a step increase for Administrative Services Officer, Betty Resendez (class 0776, position 2, salary range 453) from Step 1A to Step B, effective as of October 3, 2022, pursuant to Section 7 of the Humboldt County Salary Resolution (4/5 vote required) and;
2. Approve a step increase for Administrative Analyst I, Rikki Hayes (class 0626, position 2, salary range 415) from Step B to Step E, effective as of December 20, 2022, pursuant to Section 7 of the Humboldt County Salary Resolution (4/5 vote required) and;
3. Approve a step increase for Administrative Analyst I, Katrina Horton (class 0626, position 3, salary range 415) from Step A to Step D, effective as of December 20, 2022, pursuant to Section 7 of the Humboldt County Salary Resolution (4/5 vote required) and;
4. Approve a step increase for Administrative Analyst I, Shayla Burris (class 0626, position 6, salary range 415) from Step A to Step D, effective as of October 31, 2022, pursuant to Section 7 of the Humboldt County Salary Resolution (4/5 vote required) and;
5. Approve the deallocation of 1.0 FTE Legal Office Business Manager (Class 0134) in budget unit 1100-205 effective as of December 20, 2022.
Body
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
General Fund 1100 205, District Attorney
DISCUSSION:
The District Attorney’s Office has experienced 9 seasoned employee retirements and 12 various vacancies covering multiple areas of support staff duties throughout the 2020 through 2022 calendar. The transitions and work needs were covered by employees who quickly adapted and learned the skills necessary to fill the gaps in knowledge which allowed a continuity of services.
Betty Resendez joined the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office in August of 2015 as a Legal Office Assistant and was promoted to Administrative Analyst on May 2, 2022. On October 3, 2022, Ms. Resendez was selected as the Administrative Services Officer (class 0776, salary range 453, step 1A).
Ms. Resendez has continually demonstrated exceptional initiative in all assigned and unassigned tasks and supports and assists fellow co-workers and subordinates in tasks. Ms. Resendez came to Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office with over thirty (30) years’ experience in accounting, staff supervision and Spanish bilingual translation services. Ms. Resendez currently assists multiple staff members as well as providing Spanish speaking translation services which have assisted greatly in multiple serious criminal matters in court.
The request for this step increase is to acknowledge that Ms. Resendez started this current position having seven (7) years of professional administrative and legal experience in a law enforcement setting in the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office, but also over thirty (30) years of office management and financial responsibility outside of county employment. This increase is to fairly compensate Ms. Resendez for her experience, vast knowledge and for the level of work she has very successfully taken on and has continually accomplished during her years of employment with the County of Humboldt.
Rikki Hayes joined the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office in February of 2016 as an Office Assistant, was promoted to Legal Office Assistant in September of 2018 and in July of 2021 was promoted to Legal Secretary. On May 2, 2022, Ms. Hayes was selected for Administrative Analyst I (class 0626, salary range 415, step B).
Throughout her employment, Ms. Hayes has continually shown above average knowledge and skill in each position. Ms. Hayes has also shown exceptional initiative in all assigned and unassigned tasks and a consistent willingness to support and assist fellow co-workers in tasks. Ms. Hayes was also enrolled in college and has graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management on December 14, 2022, and in May of 2020 received a paralegal degree. While serving in all of these positions she not only accomplished all her assigned duties, but also willingly applied and utilized analyst skills, training and knowledge for a growing departmental need of legal analyst work. Ms. Hayes currently assists multiple attorneys in providing legal assistance and analytical information to support investigators, attorneys and managers. She has also assisted in the prosecution of multiple serious criminal matters in court.
The request to move Ms. Hayes to step E in the Administrative Analyst I salary range is being made because Ms. Hayes started this current position having six (6) years of professional administrative and legal analytic experience in a law enforcement setting while at the same time earning her bachelor’s degree this December. This effort is to fairly compensate Ms. Hayes for her experience, skill and knowledge and for the level of work she has very successfully taken on and has continually accomplished during her years of employment with the County of Humboldt.
Katrina Horton joined the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office in February of 2016 as an Office Assistant, was promoted to Legal Office Assistant assigned to the Child Abuse Services Team (“CAST”) in September of 2018. On May 2, 2022, Ms. Horton was selected for Administrative Analyst I (class 0626, salary range 415, step A).
Ms. Horton started her position with the Humboldt County District Attorney’s office with a bachelor’s degree in Theology. Ms. Horton has shown skill in each position by helping to create and ensure smooth workflow processes. She coordinates with a wide variety of agencies to schedule all CAST meetings and interviews. Ms. Horton is an exceptional employee who always shows a willingness to support and assist fellow co-workers in all tasks and continually demonstrates her ability to effectively coordinate and communicate with multiple agencies to achieve program goals. She also currently assists multiple attorneys in providing statical data, and legal document development and filing to support investigations, attorneys and managers. Ms. Horton has also gained knowledge and training that applies in furthering automation workflow processes.
The request to move Ms. Horton to step D of the Administrative Analyst I salary range is being made because Ms. Horton started this current position with a degree and has six (6) years of professional administrative work while gaining legal experience in a law enforcement setting. This step increase will fairly compensate Ms. Horton for her experience, skill and knowledge and for the level of work she takes on very successfully and continues to accomplish during her years of employment with the County of Humboldt.
Shayla Burris joined the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office in October 2022 as an Administrative Analyst I (class 0626, salary range 415, step A). Ms. Burris started her position with the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office in an extra-help capacity in March of 2012 with the victim witness division. She also graduated from College of the Redwoods Police Academy. Ms. Burris began employment with Humboldt Superior Court in May 2013 and in June 2022 was hired by the County of Humboldt. Ms. Burris has ten (10) years of governmental job experience in a legal setting drafting, analyzing, researching, preparing and calendaring for cases. She previously has coordinated with a wide variety of agencies to schedule meetings and client appointments while creating departmental efficiency.
The request to move Ms. Burris to step D of the Administrative Analyst I salary range is in recognition of Ms. Burris’ many years’ experience in governmental and law enforcement offices. This effort is to fairly compensate Ms. Burris for her experience, skill and knowledge for the level of work she accomplishes during her employment with Humboldt County.
During an evaluation of support staff roles in the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office and the inability to fill vacant positions the department concluded that a reorganization and classification changes were necessary to align with actual work assignments and the needs of the department. This reorganization of staffing better serves the department’s clients, public and the County of Humboldt. The Criminal Division currently has a vacant 1.0 Full-Time Equivalent Legal Office Business Manager position and request this be deallocated to complete the reorganization of the department.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Ms. Resendez is classified as an Administrative Services Officer Step 1A (class 0776, position 2, salary range 453) within budget unit 205. She is currently receiving Two Thousand Three Hundred Twelve Dollars ($2,312.00) per pay period. The increase to Step B is an additional Two Hundred Forty-Two Dollars and Forty Cents ($242.40) per pay period. In total, the increase for the remainder of fiscal year 2022-2023 is approximately Three Thousand One Hundred Fifty-One Dollars and Twenty Cents ($3,151.20).
Ms. Hayes is classified as an Administrative Analyst Step B (class 0626, position 2, salary range 415) within budget unit 205. She is currently receiving Two Thousand One Hundred Thirteen Dollars and Sixty Cents ($2,113.60) per pay period. The increase to Step E is an additional Three Hundred Forty Dollars and Eighty-Four Cents ($340.84) per pay period. In total, the increase for the remainder of fiscal year 2022-2023 is approximately Four Thousand Four Hundred Thirty Dollars and Ninety-Two Cents ($4,430.92).
Ms. Horton is classified as an Administrative Analyst Step A (class 0626, position 3, salary range 415) within budget unit 205. She is currently receiving Two Thousand Ten Dollars and Forty Cents ($2,010.40) per pay period. The increase to Step D is an additional Three Hundred Twenty-Four Dollars and Eighty Cents ($324.80) per pay period. In total, the increase for the remainder of fiscal year 2022-2023 is approximately Four Thousand Two Hundred Twenty-Two Dollars and Forty Cents ($4,222.40).
Ms. Burris is classified as an Administrative Analyst Step A (class 0626, position 6, salary range 415) within budget unit 205. She is currently receiving Two Thousand Ten Dollars and Forty Cents ($2,010.40) per pay period. The increase to Step D is an additional Three Hundred Twenty-Four Dollars and Eighty Cents ($324.80) per pay period. In total, the increase for the remainder of fiscal year 2022-2023 is approximately Four Thousand Two Hundred Twenty-Two Dollars and Forty Cents ($4,222.40).
The approved 2022-23 FY budget included salary costs for 1.0 FTE Legal Office Business Manager position, Step E (class 0134, position 1, salary range 491). The total cost for the remainder of fiscal year 2022-2023 for the Legal Office Business Manager position would be approximately Forty-Six Thousand Six Hundred Twenty-Three Dollars and Twenty Cents ($46,623.20). While anticipated increases total approximately Sixteen Thousand Twenty-Seven Dollars ($16,027.00) there is a significant cost savings of approximately Thirty Thousand Five Hundred Ninety-Six Dollars ($30,596.00) in the District Attorney budget (1100-205).
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK:
The recommended actions support the Board of Supervisors’ Strategic Framework by protecting vulnerable populations, providing community-appropriate levels of service, managing resources to ensure sustainability of services and investing in County employees.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
None
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Board may choose to decline the recommended position modifications, either in whole or in part. However, this alternative is not recommended as it would leave the District Attorney’s Office with reduced employee resources that could negatively impact its ability to provide required services to citizens due to the current hiring and employee retention practices. Although these step increases are not common practice, they are provided for in the Salary Resolution (Section 7) to allow retention of experienced, vital employees. The District Attorney’s Office currently has 11 administrative analysts, and these increased steps only pertain to 3 positions.
NOTE: The County Administrative Office and the Human Resources Department do not customarily support advanced step increases as outlined in this staff report; however, after conferring with the District Attorney’s Office, it was determined that to maintain critical operations and to not create inequities within the department it would be in the public interest to approve the advanced step increases outlined in this report.
ATTACHMENTS:
None
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Board Order No.: N/A
Meeting of: N/A
File No.: N/A