Title
Adopt a resolution to:
a. Amend the Housing and Community Development Department (HCD) Budget Unit Administration, 001-3100-8543-HCD002 to reallocate one Management Analyst II to one Principal Planner and to reallocate one Civil Engineer to one Building Plans Examiner as indicated in Attachment A;
b. Authorize the Auditor-Controller and County Administrative Office to incorporate the position changes in the FY 2024-25 HCD Adopted Budget, 001-3100-8543-HCD002; and
c. Direct Human Resources to implement the changes in the Advantage HRM system.
Body
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors adopt a resolution to:
a. Amend the Housing and Community Development Department (HCD) Budget Unit Administration, 001-3100-8543-HCD002 to reallocate one Management Analyst II to one Principal Planner and to reallocate one Civil Engineer to one Building Plans Examiner as indicated in Attachment A;
b. Authorize the Auditor-Controller and County Administrative Office to incorporate the position changes in the FY 2024-25 HCD Adopted Budget, 001-3100-8543-HCD002; and
c. Direct Human Resources to implement the changes in the Advantage HRM system.
SUMMARY:
HCD requests to reallocate two vacant full-time positions to address current bottlenecks in operations and improve services by reducing permit times. The two requested reallocations are:
- Reallocate a vacant Management Analysis II position to a Principal Planner; and
- Reallocate a vacant Civil Engineer position to a Building Plans Examiners position.
The financial impact of the requested reclassifications on the Department’s adopted budget for Fiscal Year 2024/25 is approximately $3,500 (partial budget year - March through July) and a total of $10,655 annually thereafter with current salaries and benefits.
DISCUSSION:
One of the primary functions of HCD is to process discretionary permits (planning entitlements) and ministerial permits (building permits) for new development in the unincorporated areas, assuring protection of health, life, safety and the standard of living we strive to protect and improve in Monterey County. The complexity of regulations, costs of permits, and timelines associated with processing development permits, combined with limitations on staffing resources, have led to declining levels of service to the public and difficulties in meeting state mandated processing timelines. Key impacted areas in the permit process are: 1) A single Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) position for management of all planning entitlement processing (a Principal Planner), and 2) Four FTEs who are tasked with reviewing more than 3,500 building permits annually for compliance with the California Building Code (Building Plans Examiners). This request is intended to improve operations, reduce permitting timelines, and provide for greater resiliency to staff turnover and absences, by reallocating vacant positions with indirect roles in permitting to positions that have a direct role in permitting.
HCD has a vacant full time Management Analyst II (MAII) position that would be extinguished and replaced with a full time Principal Planner position. The MAII position to be extinguished was assigned duties that included: providing administrative support to the Planning division; assisting with Successor Agency functions; and assisting with special projects as assigned. While this position has been vacant (approximately 6 months), the MAII duties have been successfully absorbed by existing staff (primarily by a Management Analyst III position and the Chief of Planning). The MAII position would be reclassified to a Principal Planner position. Principal Planner functions include overseeing, supervising, reviewing and evaluating the day-to-day activities of the current planning team within HCD; Planning, organizing, scheduling, assigning and managing work of staff to ensure timely development and implementation of a variety of specific programs or special projects; and overseeing and directing the work of contract staff.
The MAII annual salary and benefits is budgeted at $184,083 and the Principal Planner annual salary and benefits is budgeted at $229,320 leaving a net impact from this reclassification of $45,237 annually. For the current Fiscal year, a new Principal Planner recruitment is not anticipated to be filled until March 2025 so the partial current year budget impacts would be one third of this amount - $14,930.
HCD also has a vacant full time Civil Engineer position that would be extinguished and replaced with a full time Building Plans Examiner. The Civil Engineer position within HCD works directly under the supervision of a Senior Civil Engineer to review development proposals for consistency with traffic and circulation policies, road impacts, assessment of traffic fees on new development, review applications for encroachment on County roads, addresses assignment, and review subdivision maps and subdivision improvement plans and agreements. This position has been vacant for over 3 years and the duties have been absorbed within the Department by the Senior Civil Engineer, Assistant Engineers, and Engineering Aides. The Civil Engineer position would be reclassified to a Building Plans Examiner position. Building Plans Examiner duties include reviewing, analyzing and interpreting building plans and specifications for conformance with adopted codes, ordinances and laws; preparing technical plan review reports that clearly outline identified deficiencies; answering technical and procedural questions about the plan review process, and working out reasonable, safe solutions to code enforcement and design problems in compliance with codes.
The Civil Engineer annual salary and benefits is budgeted at $220,441 annually and the Building Plans Examiner annual salary and benefits is budgeted at $185,859 annually, leaving a net savings from this reclassification of ($34,582) annually. For the current Fiscal year, a new Building Plans Examiner recruitment is not anticipated to be filled until March 2025 so the partial current year budget savings would be one third of this amount - ($11,410) annually.
The two requests together result in a net annual budget impact from salaries and benefits of $10,655 annually ($45,237 - $34,582) and a partial year impact of $3,520 ($14,930 - $11,410).
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The Human Resources Department has reviewed and approved the Request to Classify and supports the recommendations.
FINANCING:
The position of Principal Planner will replace the Management Analyst II position that is currently vacant and the position of Building Plans Examiner will replace the Civil Engineer position that is currently vacant. All positions are full-time positions. The MAII reclassification to a Principal Planner will result in an annualized General Fund cost of $45,237 and the Civil Engineer reclassification to a Building Plans examiner will result in an annualized savings to the General Fund of $34,582. The net impact of both reclassifications is an annualized impact to the General Fund of $10,655 based on current salaries and benefits.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS STRATEGIC INITIATIVES:
The request supports the Board of Supervisors’ Administration Initiatives by facilitating the clear and efficient use of staff time and allocation of staff salary budget.
__ Economic Development
X Administration
__ Health & Human Services
__ Infrastructure
__ Public Safety
Prepared by: Craig Spencer, Director, HCD, 755-5233
The following attachments are on file with the Clerk of the Board:
Attachment A - Reallocate Position
Attachment B - Draft Resolution