HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 08111992 - 2.1 `.TO! BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Contra
FROM: Phil Batchelor, County Administrator
o . _ a5 Costa
County
DATE: August 11, 1992
SUBJECT: THE ROLE AND IMPORTANCE OF MANAGEMENT IN CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
GOVERNMENT
SPECIFIC REQUESTS)OR RECOMMENDATIONS)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATION:
Accept this report from the County Administrator, describing the
role, responsibilities and importance. of management and
unrepresented employees in Contra Costa County government.
Recognize the tremendous contribution provided by the County' s
management and unrepresented employees in serving the public.
BACKGROUND:
The role of management and unrepresented employees in Contra Costa
County takes many forms :
* Managers are leaders who demonstrate their leadership by
example, from the members of the Board of Supervisors to each
Department Head, Assistant, and unit supervisor.
* Managers help to identify and remove obstacles to the line
worker' s being able to get his or her job done.
* Managers are responsible for training, supporting, recognizing
and appreciating their employees .
* Managers are responsible for implementing and insuring the
continued adherence to policies adopted by the Board of
Supervisors and the multiple regional, state and federal
agencies, legislative bodies and courts to which we are
responsible for the expenditure of more than 1/2 a billion
dollars a year.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: X YES SIGNATURE: ( /�(�"�✓
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
APPROVE OTHER
SIGNATURE(S):
ACTION OF BOARD ON August 11 , 1992 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER
Jennifer Utt, Clerical Staff Manager, Assessor's Office, presented a letter on the role
of the County manager, particularly during this time of fiscal crises.
The Board approved the recommendations of the County Administrator
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
XX .UNANIMOUS(ABSENT ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTEh OF THE BOARD
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
CC: County Administrator ATTESTED August 11, 1992
Each County Department Heads PHIL BATCHELOR,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF
Members, Management Council SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
M382 (10/88) BY ���� DEPUTY
* Very few managers spent their full time "managing" , as that
term is generally defined. Nearly every manager also carried
either an official line workers workload or at least fills in
for workers who are sick or on vacation. Managers also pitch
in when the workload is unusually heavy and help out the line
worker to keep the work flowing. Often these line duties are
performed on top of an already excessive management workload.
* Managers frequently must deal with the most complex and irate
complaints from the public about service when .line workers
have been unable to resolve the problem and the person wants
to talk to "someone in charge" .
* Managers are generally former line workers whose excellence as
line workers was recognized and who were, therefore, promoted.
to supervisory and management roles . In many cases, law or
tradition require that the Department Head and Senior Managers
maintain the same professional qualifications and credentials
as their workers . This is particularly true with attorneys,
physicians, librarians, engineers, and law enforcement
personnel, all of whom must possess their staff ' s professional
credentials in addition to being professional managers .
* Managers are responsible for receiving requests for,
researching, and preparing reports on some 1000 requests
received from the Board of Supervisors annually.
* Managers, almost without exception, work far more than the
number of hours for which they are paid. Even though they
receive 40 hours a year of compensatory time, most managers
can easily put in 40 hours of overtime per month.
* As the number of management positions has been reduced, the
remaining managers have taken on the essential tasks of the
eliminated positions, generally without any additional
compensation.
* Managers are responsible for recommending and implementing
innovative ideas which will streamline government operations,
make government more efficient and more effective and make the
most of the available resources .
* Managers in Contra Costa County are responsible, as the third
largest employer in the County, for what is without question
the most complex and diverse operation, rivaling any of the
Fortune 500 companies in terms of the variety of activities
and services which are provided.
* Managers are frequently responsible, under the direction of
the Board of Supervisors, for much of the external
recognition, awards and grants the County has received from
other organizations .
Many of the above roles and responsibilities can be detailed with
real life examples almost endlessly. A few examples should suffice
to validate these statements :
* Managers are leaders who demonstrate their leadership by
example, from the members of the Board of Supervisors to each
Department Head, Assistant, and unit supervisor.
-- Many Department Heads and Senior Managers, including
members of the Board of Supervisors, have been active in
their statewide organizations and have held leadership
positions, including President of their statewide
organization in several instances .
2
* Managers help to identify and remove obstacles to the line
worker' s being able to get his or her job done.
-- In one Department, the Department Head defined the
manager' s role by saying that a manager's role is to
provide the resources and leadership needed by line staff
to carry out their functions . No one wants employees who
are direct service providers to be distracted from that
work in order to carry out the role of managers who
should be helping, training, and solving problems faced
by line workers .
-- Another Department reported that at one point its mail
had been several months behind and was stacked on tables
and rubber-banded by date. The responsible manager
solved the problem by organizing the mail by dividing the
various pleadings into special bins . That allowed the
Department to have one place to look for documents that
were the subject of inquiry and also allowed the
supervisor to assign specific bins to certain staff
members to insure that the work was being done in a
timely and organized manner. By organizing the bins and
making assignments, the work was caught up within two
weeks .
* Managers are responsible for training, supporting, recognizing
and appreciating their employees .
-- The Board of Supervisors directed the implementation of
an Awards of Excellence Program which has recognized the
contributions of many County employees . The Program is
entirely planned, directed and managed by one management
employee who took on this responsibility in addition to
an already full set of responsibilities .
-- When a Social Services building flooded and custodial
staff had to respond to an overtime request to do the
cleanup; the Custodial Supervisor worked side-by-side
with the employees. He then invited them to his house
and fixed a meal for them because he appreciated their
dedication. The workers received ;, overtime pay. The
supervisor, of course, did not.
* Managers are responsible for implementing and insuring the
continued adherence to policies adopted by the Board of
Supervisors and the multiple regional, state and federal
agencies, legislative bodies and courts .to which we are
responsible for the expenditure of more than 1/2 a billion
dollars a year.
-- Several Department Heads pointed out that managers are
responsible for insuring that the following programs are
in place in the department, often in addition to their
regular duties :
Affirmative Action
Sexual Harassment Training
Minority and Women Owned Business Contract
Compliance
VDT guidelines for training and equipment
Resource recovery and recycling programs
Americans with Disabilities Act
Fair Labor Standards Act
3
* Very few managers spent their full time "managing" , as that
term is generally defined. Nearly every manager also carried
either an official line workers workload or at least fills in
for workers who are sick or on vacation. Managers also pitch
in when the workload is unusually heavy and help out the line
worker to keep the work flowing. Often these line duties are
performed on top of an already excessive management workload.
-- One Department reported that it been backlogged filing
papers for as long as anyone from recent history could
remember. A new manager suggested that they take
everyone' s backlog away and put it on the file unit and
begin a new week current. The backlog would be the
responsibility of the new manager and a supervisory
employee. They worked Saturdays, after hours and during
the work day on this backlog until it was caught up.
This effort was the best morale booster staff could have
had and it has not been forgotten.
-- In the Public Defender' s Department, every attorney
carries cases and appears in court. Charlie James, the
Public Defender, even defended a homicide case recently.
* Managers frequently must deal with the most complex and irate
complaints from the public about service when line workers
have been unable to resolve the problem and the person wants
to talk to "someone in charge" .
-- Today's managers and supervisors are handling an
extremely heavy workload in an effort to make each
program effective. While directing and coordinating
programs, they are expected to address the day-to-day
problems of their staff in the fields . They relieve
their staff of a lot of their burdens and stress by
handling complaints and taking responsibility for "hot"
decisions which must be made in the field.
* Managers are generally former line workers whose excellence as
line workers was recognized and who were, therefore, promoted
to supervisory and management roles . In many cases, law or
tradition require that the Department Head and Senior Managers
maintain the same professional qualifications and credentials
as their workers . This is particularly true with attorneys,
physicians, librarians, engineers, fire suppression and law
enforcement personnel, all of whom must possess their staff' s
professional credentials in addition to being professional
managers .
* Managers are responsible for receiving requests for,
researching, and preparing reports on some 1000 requests
received from the Board of Supervisors annually.
-- Staff receive an average of 20 requests for information
or reports from the Board of Supervisors each week.
These must be catalogued, assigned to the proper
department and controlled to insure that an adequate and
timely response is forwarded to the Board of Supervisors .
-- The County Administrator's Office is currently
coordinating with the appropriate departments,
researching and preparing reports to the Board of
Supervisors on some 62 assignments which came out of two
days of budget hearings on the Phase I reductions .
4
* Managers and unrepresented employees, almost without
exception, work far more than the number of hours for which
they are paid. Even though they receive 40 hours a year of
compensatory time, most managers can easily put in 40 hours of
overtime per month.
-- Project planners are required to attend evening planning
commission meetings which remain in session until 11 :00
P.M. or even 1 : 00 A.M. Evening planning commission
meetings begin after a project planner has completed a
full day of work in the office. They are also expected
to be back in the office the next morning at 8 : 00 A.M.
-- Budget staff in the County Administrator' s Office worked
over one entire weekend, beyond 1 :00 A.M. three nights in
a row, to complete work on the adjustments to the 1992-93
Budget which were presented to the Board of Supervisors
last month.
-- The Architectural Services Division, which is primarily
composed of management and unrepresented employees,
averages an extra 50 hours of unpaid overtime every week.
-- During the six month period when the County was without
a Purchasing Manager, the Deputy Director for Management
and Operations worked an additional 20 hours each week to
keep Purchasing running as well as handling all of her
other responsibilities .
* As the number of management positions has been reduced, the
remaining managers have taken on the essential tasks of the
eliminated positions, generally without any additional
compensation.
-- As just one example ,of the reductions which have taken
place in the past few years, in the Social Services
Department, since 1986, there has been a 40 .4% reduction
in management and administrative positions ( from 100 .7
positions to 60 . 0 positions) . During the same period of
time, the number of line workers has increased 16 . 7%
( from 693 . 9 positions to 809 . 9 positions) .
-- Dr. William Walker has the following titles and
responsibilities : County Health Officer, Director of
Environmental Health, Contra Costa Health Plan Medical
Director, Emergency Medical Services Medical Director.
With the cancellation of a Deputy Director, Hazardous
Materials position he now assumes that role as well . In
addition, he sees patients in two clinics a week in
Family Practice. He also fills in in the Geriatrics
Clinic when there is a physician shortage. He recently
became Board Certified in Geriatrics, which indicates his
continued commitment to participating in direct patient
care.
-- Dr. Wendel Brunner, Director of the Public Health
Division, has also filled in in Geriatrics and STD
clinics when needed. He will now function as the
Maternal and Child Health Chief in addition to his other
responsibilities .
-- The Administrative Services Officer (ASO) in the
Community Development Department was asked to take over
similar duties in the Building Inspection Department with
the retirement of the ASO from Building Inspection.
-- The new Substance Abuse Director will continue with the
responsibilities of his former position as Drug Program
Chief .
5
* Managers are responsible for recommending and implementing
innovative ideas which will streamline government operations,
make government more efficient and more effective and make the
most of the available resources.
-- The Productivity Investment Fund concept was originally
established by the Board of Supervisors in 1986 as a
method to cut costs and stimulate creativity and
innovation.
-- Management in the Superior Court received a grant from
the Productivity Investment Fund to purchase a video
recording system in one Family Law Department,
eliminating delays in preparing formal orders based on
the Court' s ruling.
-- The Productivity Investment Fund also initiated the
Sheriff 's concept for an inmate baking program which has
resulted in cost savings and providing marketable job
skills to inmates .
-- It was management which prepared the analysis and carried
forth the proposal to consolidate the two fleet service
centers, resulting in a net savings to the County and
increased hours of service to customer departments .
-- It was management which proposed a mail presort program
which now saves the County approximately $60,000 a year.
-- It was management which developed creative financing for
the lease and purchase of County buildings, including
those on Douglas Drive.
-- It was management which develop the concept of prepaying
the County telephone charges for ten years, thereby
savings millions of dollars .
-- Management in the Agriculture Department were
instrumental, in coordination with state personnel, in
causing major grocery chains to implement a. much-needed
training program in the packaging and labeling of deli
and bakery products .
-- The Animal Services Department' s staff ranked highest
among seven counties in the number of calls handled per
officer.
-- The Assessor reports that the number of property tax roll
units processed per employee ranked second highest among
nine counties .
-- The Community Development Department established the
Contra Costa Resource Development Corporation, a
nonprofit, economic development corporation designed to
be an entrepreneurial arm of the County in facilitating
economic development and job generation.
-- The Community Services Department applied for and
received, with the assistance of representatives from the
Community College District and the Child Care Council, an
annual grant of $750,000 . from the State which will serve
332 low-income children countywide.
6
-- The Data Processing" Division of the County
Administrator' s Office redesigned the printed reports of
a half-dozen major County systems to fit 8 1/2 X 11 inch
cut sheet paper instead of continuous forms . The cut
sheet paper is much less expensive, easier to read and
less bulky to store than the continuous forms . The total
number of pages were reduced by printing on both sides of
the paper and printing multiple pages on each side, where
possible.
-- The Risk Management Division of the County
Administrator' s Office reduced annual workers '
compensation claims handling costs by $500,000 and
reduced annual liability claims adjusting costs by
$150,000 .
-- The County Clerk - Elections Division implemented the
Signature Verification System which reduced the temporary
labor force needed to conduct a major election, even
though the workload increased.
-- The District Attorney reports the second highest total of
drug asset forfeiture collections among the six Bay Area
counties .
-- The General Services . Department opened a new 24-hour
automated fueling station in Martinez which will save the
County 20 to 24 cents per gallon compared to commercial
service stations .
-- The General Services Department also purchased a self-
contained parts washer which uses biodegradable soap and
water, which is better for the environment, instead of
petroleum-based solvents. This also saves the County
$3,000 in solvent costs .
-- The Health Services Department delivered over 150 babies
as a result of a joint venture established with the West
Contra Costa Hospital District (Brookside) last year.
The program allows women who are seen in the prenatal
Health Start program at the Richmond Health Center the
option of delivery at either Brookside or Merrithew
Memorial Hospitals .
-- The Health Services Department also implemented a
Preventive Health Services for Children Treatment Program
funded through the AB 75 Tobacco Tax which has provided
1,302 dental and medical appointments for children who
otherwise would not have received care.
-- The County Library assisted the City of Clayton in the
preparation of a successful grant application for $2 . 9
million in state bond funds to build a library in
Clayton. The contract between the County and the City of
Clayton requires, for the first time, that the City share
the cost of providing the basic level of library service.
-- The County Library also negotiated a contract with the
City of San Ramon which provides for an additional 16
hours per week of library services, paid for by the City
of San Ramon.
-- The Sheriff reports that his Department implemented
"Project Pride" in North Richmond, in collaboration with
the Housing Authority, using funds from a federal grant.
The project resulted in 123 arrests, 88 hours of D.A.R.E .
Programs in North Richmond classrooms, and 792 hours of
foot patrol/inspection of County housing units .
7
-- The Social Services Department, as a result of
legislation sponsored by the Board of Supervisors,
implemented the Family Preservation Program in West and
Central County, which serves to strengthen families and
reduce out-of-home placements of children. The Program
had previously been implemented in East County.
-- The Social Services Department also reported that it had
the second lowest AFDC payment error rate out of the 13
largest counties in California.
-- The Superior Court noted that it ranked the highest out
of 15 counties in the total number of dispositions per
judicial position equivalent.
-- The Treasurer-Tax Collector reported that his Department
successfully implemented the Business. License Tax Program
without increasing staff. As of April, 1992, $428,000
from 3,800 accounts had been collected.
-- The Veterans Service Officer reported that his Department
generated more than $4 million in new VA benefits for
Contra Costa County veterans .
-- Management in many departments report on the extent of
their involvement in grant writing to secure alternative
funding sources .
* Managers in Contra Costa County are responsible, as the third
largest employer in the County, for what is without question
the most complex and diverse operation, rivaling any of the
Fortune 500 companies in terms of the variety of activities
and services which are provided.
-- Contra Costa County provides more services to the
residents of cities than do their own cities .
-- County management operate three jails, a hospital, a
juvenile hall, an airport, and either directly or through
contracts with community-based organizations numerous
outpatient clinics, alcohol and drug rehabilitation
facilities, mental health residential facilities .
-- County management insure that the majority of residents
in the County, both inside of cities as well as in the
unincorporated area of the County, receive prompt and
professional fire protection and emergency medical care.
-- County management oversee the preparation and serving of
thousands of meals every day to jail and juvenile hall
inmates, hospital patients, and senior citizens .
-- County management are responsible for assessing the value
of every parcel of real property in the County,
determining the taxes due on each parcel, billing the
proper owner for those taxes, collecting and then
distributing those taxes to some 200 taxing jurisdictions
throughout the County.
-- County management are responsible for seeing that staff
properly determine eligibility for numerous welfare
programs, insure that each individual and family receives
the amount of money, medical care and food stamps to
which they are eligible and that those who are not
eligible do not receive funds .
8
-- County management are also responsible for overseeing:
building and repairing roads
inspecting swimming pools and restaurants
licensing dogs
licensing businesses
protecting agriculture from pests
protecting the public from communicable diseases
processing parking tickets
prosecuting murderers, rapists and child abusers
caring for innocent children who cannot live with their
parents
caring for dogs and cats who are unwanted
issuing permits to those who want to build a home
issuing marriage licenses and performing marriages
issuing passports
recording and issuing birth certificates
conducting elections throughout the County
collecting child support payments from absent parents
* Managers are frequently responsible, under the direction of
the Board of Supervisors, for much . of the external
recognition, awards and grants the County has received from
other organizations .
-- CSAC Grand Prize Winner in the Administration of Justice
category for the Municipal Court Auto-Cite Program -
1990 .
-- CSAC Grand Prize Winner in the Government Finance and
Operation category for the Productivity Investment Fund -
1990 .
-- CSAC Special Recognition Award in the Housing, Land Use
and Transportation category for the Growth Management
Plan - 1990 .
-- CSAC Special Recognition Award in the Administration of
Justice category for the Custody Alternative Bureau' s
Diversion and Custody Alternative Programs — 1991 .
-- CSAC Special Recognition Award in the Housing, Land Use
and Transportation category for the County General Plan -
1991 .
-- The Executive Director of the Contra Costa Health Plan
has gained national recognition for his expertise in
manager care systems and has been asked by Congressman
Henry Waxman to testify before his Congressional
Committee.
-- Write up in national publications regarding the
implementation . of the bar-coding in the Treasurer-Tax
Collector's Office.
-- National Association of County Information Officers '
(NACIO) 1992 ' "Superior" award for the Auditor-
Controller' s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report.
-- Government Finance Officers of America' s (GFOA)
Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial
Reporting for the Auditor-Controller' s Comprehensive
Annual Financial Report.
-- Public Risk Management Association (PRIMA) awarded the
County a Risk Management Achievement Award Honorable
Mention for the County' s Inter-Public Agency Litigation
Cost Containment Program.
9
-- California/Nevada Community Action Agencies ' Public
Private Partnership Venture Award for the State Preschool
Service Program operated by the Community Services
Department.
-- Awarded a state grant for the "Options for Recovery"
program in the Health Services Department, a model effort
to break the intergenerational cycle of alcohol and drug
abuse by providing intensive treatment, case management
and specialized foster care services (when necessary) to
pregnant and parenting women - one of only two counties
in the State chosen for such a grant.
-- The County continues to be visited by law enforcement
officials from around the world to see the Main Detention
Facility and emulate the direct supervision model which
was implemented in this County by the Sheriff and his
management staff.
Most -of this recognition would not have happened without the
creativity, dedication, and professional expertise of the
County' s management and unrepresented .employees .
We are pleased to commend to the Board of Supervisors each and
every one of the management and unrepresented employees of this
County who have participated in achieving this truly remarkable and
outstanding record.
10
August 11, 1992
Contra Costa County
Board of Supervisors
651 Pine Street
Martinez, California 94553
As a member of the County's management community, who has been working with other management staff in
my department to find the least damaging ways to deal with a devastating budget crisis,I feel compelled to speak
out on a situation that seems to be only fueling the problems our County faces: I am speaking of the
unreasonable demands made by the Labor Coalition, presented in the guise of suggestions for mitigating the
current budget crisis.
Recent rhetoric from union leaders perpetuates several myths about management staff:
1. All management staff receives exorbitant salaries.
Only a cursory glance at the Salary Schedule for this County will dispel this myth. There are
management classes whose salaries are equivalent to an experienced or senior level clerk,and there are
classes represented by unions receiving salaries in excess of most management people. Management
classes and union represented classes can each be found at all but the few highest salaries. Those few
people at the top salaries are those you've chosen to compensate with top salaries, because they have
the skill and experience to manage large, complex departments regulated by layers of state and federal
law.
2. Management gets many special "perks", that they should give up to save the County budget.
In truth I do not receive any benefits which are not also received by members of local 512, and probably
by other represented employees although I'm not familiar with their MOU's. I have so far not heard
anyone from the Labor Coalition offer to give up the same benefits for their members. They strongly
hold the position that those who continue to work for the County should be adequately compensated.
Why shouldn't this apply equally,to management staff?
3. There is a lot of"fat" in the management ranks, and that management doesn't carry it's share of the
load.
I've worked in 3 departments during the 18+ years I've worked for the County. In each department
line supervisors, whether they were union or management, have been expected to be "working
supervisors". They review and sign off the work of subordinates, often handle the most difficult cases,
and almost always are the ones to work the uncovered caseloads.
Since I became a management employee 4 years ago, and a member of my department's administrative
staff, I've learned that managers at this level routinely pick up additional projects and duties that serve
the functioning of the entire department, whether or not they fall under their own areas of expertise.
Job descriptions basically become anything you have the skills to do that needs to be done. This is not
a complaint - I love my job and the opportunities to expand my abilities and knowledge - it is just the
reality.
I started working for the County as an Intermediate Typist Clerk. I have always given my best to the
position I held. I've educated myself to be prepared to take on greater responsibilities, and I've always
tried to look beyond the assignment I was performing,to understand what would best benefit the whole
organization. I worked my way up to the management position I now-hold. :Nothing changed when I
crossed over that line between being a union represented employee and.management, except that I am
able to make a greater contribution to the operation of my current department and my responsibilities
are much greater. A great number_of managers have a similar history with the County. We do carry
our share of the load!
I am very much concerned with the position taken by the Labor Coalition because it is divisive and punitive
toward managers, painting management staff as the "bad guys" in this whole budget crisis. We know that the
real problems are a poor economy with reduced revenues and a group of stubborn,uncompromising gentlemen
in Sacramento who have greatly escalated the budget problems of the State by not being able to make timely
decisions.
In times of crisis as devastating as these, we should be redoubling our efforts to work as a team,not pitting one
group of employees against another,which is exactly what union leaders are asking you to do. Those of us who
are left after the devastation of cutting over 500 positions and laying off over 300 people, are going to have a
very difficult job to do. It's going to take all of us doing our best work, to keep this County providing service
to it's residents.
I am also very much concerned by the amount of credence given to "management to subordinate" ratios
proposed by Union leaders. In reality, the most effective ratio varies from department to department and from
function to function. It also depends on who,is designated as "management". People performing similar
functions may be designated as management in some departments and not in others.
Obviously we must look beneath the rhetoric and examine,department by department,what ratios are necessary
to do the best possible job for the citizens of our county. Administrative staff in each department, and your
County Administrator and his staff, are much better informed and better trained to make these administrative
decisions, than are Business Agents of unions. This is not to denigrate union leaders, it is only to point out that
there expertise lies elsewhere.
The bottom line is that when the budget dust settles,the job has to get done. We should keep or cut positions
based on optimum effectiveness, not arbitrary ratios. All employees should be treated equally, and respected
for their contributions. Teamwork should continue to be encouraged. Classes of employees whose most serious
sin appears to be that they do not pay union dues, should not be treated punitively.
I don't envy you the job you have to do, but I'm very appreciative that I'm working in one of the few counties
that has taken early and very positive steps to control as much as possible the damage that will be done once
the State finally passes a budget! I ask that you continue to make decisions based on effectiveness of position
allocations and fairness to all County employees, whether or not they are represented by a union.
Sincerely,
l� Jennifer:U t
Clerical Staff Manager
Assessor's Office