To: Board of Supervisors
From: Public Defender
Agenda Section: Consent
SUBJECT:
title
Extension of Extra Help Hours - Conflict Counsel Budget Unit 1100246 (4/5 Vote Required)
end
RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Extend Ronald Smith, Legal Office Assistant, extra-help employment hours to a maximum of 1450 hours for fiscal year (FY) 2020-21 pursuant to Section 7 of the Humboldt County Salary Resolution (4/5 vote required).
Body
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
General Fund Conflict Counsel Budget Unit 1100-246.
DISCUSSION:
Ronald Smith has been working as an extra-help legal office assistant during the current fiscal year specifically assigned to a special project related to processing closed files. Due to staff shortages over the last several years as a result of vacancies and extended leave of absences, a large backlog of closed files needing processed accumulated. Conflict Counsel is requesting an extension of extra-help hours for the remainder of FY 2020-21 in order for Mr. Smith to finish processing the backlog of closed files.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There are adequate funds allocated in the Salary and Benefits category of the Conflict Counsel budget 1100-246 to absorb the entire projected increase in extra-help hours. The projected maximum salary and benefit costs as a result of extending the extra-help hours is estimated at $4,500. There will be no additional impact to the General Fund.
All extra help employees working beyond the 960 hours are subject to paying into the California Public Employee Retirement System (PERS). The additional cost for PERS is included in the above refenced projected salary and benefit costs.
Effective January 2015, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) required large employers with fifty (50) or more full-time employees to offer health coverage to all full-time employees. A full-time employee is defined as a person who is employed for an average of thirty or more hours per week. The Public Defender is aware of the 2015 federal provisions that impact extra-help employment and is also aware of the county standard measurement period of employee hours will occur over the course of a fifty-two (52) week period. If employed full-time through June 30, 2021, Ronald Smith will not fall under the guidelines of the requirement to provide health insurance for the current fiscal year. The additional cost for health insurance coverage is not included in the above-referenced projected salary and benefit costs.
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 of supervisors could choose not to approve the proposed extension of extra-help hours; however, the alternative is not recommended. Hiring another extra-help employee to complete the project would require training the new employee resulting in additional cost to complete the project.
ATTACHMENTS:
None.
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Board Order No.: n/a
Meeting of: n/a
File No.: n/a