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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 08132013 - SD.3RECOMMENDATION(S): CONSIDER waiving the 180 day "sit out” period for Robert Wangan, Retired Airport Operations Specialist; 1. FIND that the appointment of Mr. Wangan is necessary to fill a critically needed position; and 2. APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the hiring of county retiree Robert Wangan as a temporary County employee on a part-time basis, for the period August 14, 2013 through December 31, 2014, as recommended by the Public Works Director. 3. APPROVE OTHER RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE Action of Board On: 08/13/2013 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER Clerks Notes: VOTE OF SUPERVISORS AYE:John Gioia, District I Supervisor Candace Andersen, District II Supervisor Mary N. Piepho, District III Supervisor Karen Mitchoff, District IV Supervisor Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor Contact: S. Ruthrauff, (925) 313-2108 I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown. ATTESTED: August 13, 2013 David Twa, County Administrator and Clerk of the Board of Supervisors By: Chris Heck, Deputy cc: SD.3 To:Board of Supervisors From:Julia R. Bueren, Public Works Director/Chief Engineer Date:August 13, 2013 Contra Costa County Subject:Temporary Hire of County Retiree - Waiver of 180 day "sit out" period FISCAL IMPACT: Airport position funding comes exclusively from the Airport Enterprise Fund operating budget and is not affected by local and state budget challenges. The reduction in overtime costs will offset the cost of Mr. Wangan’s salary. BACKGROUND: The Public Employees' Pension Reform Act of 2013 requires that active members who retire on or after January 1, 2013 must wait 180 days after retirement to return to work. The Act also allows the Board, based on a finding that the appointment is necessary to fill a critically needed position, may waive the 180 day period. As such, we respectfully request such a waiver for Robert Wangan, Airport Operations Specialist for the following reasons. The Airports Division of the Public Works Department provides staffing for two county airports at Byron and Buchanan Field. Byron Airport is staffed 7 days per week, while Buchanan Field Airport has historically been staffed “24/7,” however, due to staffing changes and coverage issues over the past year, we temporarily suspended the night shift (11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.) at Buchanan Field. Effective July 1, 2013, for approximately 18 months, the coverage is 7 days per week from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Staffing challenges began with the departure of one Airport Operations Specialist (AOS), and retirements of an additional AOS and a Lead AOS in late 2012. This was significantly compounded with the retirement of Robert Wangan on March 29, 2013, followed by the unexpected resignation of another AOS on June 30, 3013. During the same time period, two (2) of the AOSs were promoted to Lead AOS, which created vacancies at the lower level. The division currently has four vacant AOS positions, which has created significant coverage challenges for our four (4) remaining operations staff. We are actively working with Human Resources to begin the recruitment process, and we intend to announce the Airport Operations Specialist (AOS) and Airport Operations Technician (AOT) vacancies as soon as possible. The AOS classification requires specialized skills, including Airport Rescue and Firefighting experience, making recruitment challenging. Therefore, recruitment will include a national search through the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Until we have hired and trained the new employees, maintaining continued coverage of both airports is critical. Mr. Wangan is prepared and willing to cover unfilled shifts until such time the new staff is fully trained and able to work independently. We anticipate a minimum of 12 months of training before they can fill a shift by themselves. CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION: Failure to implement the aforementioned actions will result in our department not being able to effectively staff and manage operations that are necessary at both airport sites. CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT: Not applicable.