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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 12021997 - D1 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS -_ CONTRA COSTA FROM: Phil Batchelor, County Administratorx c , ��• ���. COUNTY `'mss - DATE: December 2, 1997 r9�:C611 SUBJECT: County Administrator's Office Performance Report SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATIONS . ACCEPT the annual performance report of the County Administrator's Office. BACKGROUND/REASON(S) FOR RECOMMENDATION(S): Each year, the County Administrator's Office prepares a report for the Board of Supervisors which overviews the functions of its office, resources, past accomplishments and future challenges. This report follows the content and format guidelines for Board performance reports. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: _YES SIGNATURE: RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR—RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S): ACTION OF BOARD ON December 2, 1997 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS 1 HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A X UNANIMOUS(ABSENT Dist. III 1 TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF AN AYES: NOES: ACTION TAKEN AND ENTERED ABSENT: ABSTAIN: ON MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. Contact:Sara Hoffman,335-1090 ATTESTED December 2, 1997 TCHELOR,CLERK OF T OARD OF SUP O COU INI cc:CAO Christine ample OFFICE OF THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR : � - ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT 1997 OFFICE OF THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR PERFORMANCE REPORT TABLE OF CONTENTS Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Functions of County Administrator's Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Customer Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 1997 Performance Indicators . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Challenges & Future Directions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Appendix: Organization Chart OVERVIEW Under Title 2 of the Contra Costa County Ordinance Code, the County Administrator is charged with the effective administration of County government and with ensuring implementation of actions taken by the Board of Supervisors. Consistent with its legislative mandate, the Office of the County Administrator's mission is to: 0 preserve the fiscal integrity of the County 0 Increase organizational efficiency, effectiveness and. excellence 0 Increase intergovernmental cooperation and public access to government In 1997, the duties of the County Administrator's Office are performed by eight divisions: © Administrative Services © Clerk of the Board 0 Information Technology 0 Emergency Services' 0 Human Resources 0 Revenue Collections L0 Risk Management 0 Training Institute As the Administrative head of County government, the CAO is continually challenged to meet the ever-expanding range of citizen needs with limited resources and little local discretion. Pride in work well done, openness to change, and investment in the .organizational infrastructure, including our employees, has been the hallmark of the past, and continues to be the guide for the future. 'Note: The Office of Emergency Services(OES)will be transferred to the Sheriff-Coroner Agency on December 5, 1997. Past year statistics and achievements are included in this report. Functions of the County Administrator's Office Administrative Services ♦ Board of Supervisors Support - To staff the Board and Board committees and to oversee the implementation of Board directives. A Organizational Leadership & Oversight - To ensure that all County departments adhere to the high standards of organizational efficiency and excellence embodied in the County's mission statement, to oversee departmental operations and to stimulate positive change. County Budget - To prepare the County's Proposed, Recommended and Final Budget each year, as well as to administer and account for expenditures and revenues following prescribed rules in accordance with the State Budget Act. Quarterly monitoring of the budget has been built into this function with reports to the Board. ® Criminal Justice Agency - To provide justice system planning and coordination services to its constituent agencies (County and cities therein) and to make recommendations to federal and state agencies on distribution of anti-crime funds. ® Special Districts - To plan, organize and coordinate Special District activities and provide liaison among the County, the Districts, other governmental agencies and the public. Capital Resources Management- To manage existing capital resources and develop new resources to maximize cost effectiveness and to minimize building occupancy costs, while meeting programmatic needs. 0 CCTV/Cable TV Administration - To produce and televise quality programming on issues of countywide interest and to monitor and resolve citizen complaints regarding cable rates, customer service and technical standards in the unincorporated areas of the County. 2 Ln `' ♦ AprmativeAction - To continue efforts to make the County's workforce as a whole, and within each County department, representative of the County's diverse workforce. ♦ Intergovernmental Relations/Legislation - To work with County Departments, cities, school districts and other counties to foster interagency cooperation and concurrence in areas of mutual interest and to work with the County's legislative delegation to promote legislative action supportive of the County. ♦ Children and Family Services Policy/Programs - To support positive outcomes for children and families through development of comprehensive, collaborative, integrated, outcome-based service delivery systems that engage the community, private agencies, public agencies and the families themselves in effective partnerships. Clerk of the Board ♦ Board of Supervisors Support - To prepare and distribute weekly agenda materials and record minute orders of Board meetings. ♦ Assessment Appeals Support - To receive and process assessment appeal applications, prepare hearing notices and record minute orders of Appeals Board meetings. Information Technology ( ♦ Operations - To provide timely processing of all automated systems supported by the County's central computer operation. ♦ Desktop Computing and Network Services - To provide staff support related to office automated systems, including personal computer hardware and software. To evaluate and recommend personal computer hardware and software for County employees. To provide Local Area Network (LAN) and Wide Area Network (WAN) installation, training and support. To evaluate and recommend hardware and software used in LAN and WAN environments. 3 o Systems and Programming - To provide system planning, design, implementation and ongoing maintenance in conformance with prudent and established system development life cycle methodologies. A Security Administration - To provide consulting and direction in the area of prudent risk assessment and security provisions for all Countywide automated systems, including local and wide area networks. Office of Emergency Services' o Disaster Preparedness Planning and Training- To develop and maintain a countywide up-to-date disaster response plan, written in conformance with state and federal guidelines and to hold disaster exercises to familiarize participants with the Emergency Operations Center environment and practice interagency coordination. ® Community Education - To give disaster preparedness presentations to community groups; to distribute information at neighborhood and community fairs; and to maintain a video library of materials that can be used by organizations in disaster preparedness training. ® Emergency Communications - To work with other emergency response agencies throughout the County to improve communication capabilities and, through the Public Safety Communications Advisory Board, to coordinate implementation of communication policies, procedures and equipment. Emergency Response - To staff around-the-clock notification systems and to maintain a state of readiness in staff and equipment. Disaster Recovery - To serve as the focal point for gathering of damage information, coordination of on-site inspection of damage sites and dissemination of available state and federal financial disaster assistance information. 'The Office of Emergency Services will be transferred to the Sheriff-Coroner Agency effective.December 5, 1997. 4 Human Resources ♦ Labor Relations - To facilitate equitable and effective labor-management relations in the County by representing and balancing interests of its employees, managers and governing bodies. ♦ Personnel - To develop and administer programs and policies to ensure that the County recruits, selects and retains a highly skilled and diversified workforce that is properly classified and is fairly and equitably compensated. 0 Employee Benefits - To formulate and implement policies for the administration of benefits programs and services that assist the County in maintaining a competitive compensation package and that contribute to the health and well-being of County employees and retirees. Office of Revenue Collections ♦ Billing - To maximize the efficient realization of revenues through a centralized County billing and collection service. The billing service includes parking citation billings to 31 public agencies in Contra Costa and Alameda County. 0 Collections- To provide collection services, varying from hospital patient accounts to public defender fees to welfare grant overpayments owed the County. Risk Management ement ♦ Risk Administration - To develop and manage funding strategies to protect the County's fiscal solvency through insurance, self-insurance and actuarial analysis. ♦ Liability - To provide quality, cost-effective liability claims service, to work with departments to reduce liability losses and to fund County exposures at the lowest possible cost and in the most fiscally responsible manner. 5 ♦ Workers' Compensation - To provide benefits to injured employees and information to departments, claimants and stakeholders. ♦ Safety - To advise departments on loss control methods and to provide them with valid data base products. Training Institute ♦ Employee Development - To provide high quality training programs for the development of important workplace knowledge and skills for employees of the County, cities and other public agencies. ♦ Management and Organizational Consulting - To provide client organizations, divisions and work-teams with interventions that address job performance improvement, quality improvement, work-group conflict, leadership development, teamwork and facilitations that address important issues and solve pressing problems. 1 6 -RESOURCES Financial Resources' The adopted 1997-98 budget for the County Administrator's Office totals $26.8 million, $20.0 million (75%) of which is revenue offset. By division, the budget is: d et Financing NCC Administrative Services $2,658,624 $1,450,413 $1,208,211 Clerk of the Board 381,657 99,763 281,984 Information Technology 9,962,399 91962,399 -0- Human Resources 4,975,010 35,499,313 1,475,697 Revenue Collections 1,791,346 1,791,346 -0- Risk Management 6,783,637 2,977,529 3,806,108 Training Institute 295,886 259,361 36,525 TOTAL $26,848,559 $20,040,034 $6,808,525 Personnel Resources' The County Administrator's Office has a total budgeted staff of 212. By division, authorized staff is: 1997-98 ud eted Administrative Services 26 Clerk of the Board 7 Information Technology 80 Human Resources 42 Revenue Collections 27 Risk Management 26 .Training Institute 4 TOTAL 212 'For OES, the 1997-98 budget is $414,090, $240,240 of which is revenue offset. Five positions are budgeted. 7 Affirmative Actin In 1997, the total number of minorities in the County Administrator's Office exceeded their labor force representation (29.5% compared to the goal of 27.6%). All individual minority groups, except Hispanic, are also above labor force representation goals, according to the latest survey report (June 30, 1997). The race/ethnic and gender percentages are: female 61.5% (goal 45.4%); African Americans 11.2% (goal 7.6%); Hispanics 6.2% (goal 10.5%); Asian/Pacific Islanders 11.2% (goal 8.9%); and American Indian/Alaskan Natives 1.2% (goal .6%). Female . .; American Indian Asian/Pacific islandersED Labor Force Hlspamc `- .�- El CAO African American 0% 50/6 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 350/6 40% 45% 50% 55% 60% 65% Sick Leave The CAO Divisions monitor sick leave carefully. In 1997, overall gross usage was 57.4% and adjusted usage was 53.3% . Gross Usage Adjusted Usage* Administrative Services 54.2% 43.7% Cleric of the Board 56.0% 56.0% Emergency Services 146.9% 16.7% Human Resources 54.2% 54.2% Information Technology 38.8% 38.8% Revenue Collection 90.3% 90.3% Risk Management 71.2% 71.2% Training Institute 63.7% 63.7% *Percent calculated after deleting sick leave figures for 3 employees absent more than 200 hours due to long term illness. 8 Staff Development It is the policy of the County Administrator's Office that every employee receives an annual, written performance evaluation. In addition, throughout the year, it is expected that every supervisor acknowledges excellent performance and provides guidance and support to help every employee achieve his/her potential. It is also the policy of the County Administrator's Office to encourage staff to attend workshops and training sessions and to participate in professional organizations in order to enhance job knowledge.and improve job performance. As a service to all County employees and departments, . the County Administrator's Office, through its Training Institute division, provides 25 training programs in the areas of: interpersonal skills; leadership and supervision; A quality in customer service; cultural diversity and harassment; and writing skills. Technology The County Administrator's Office provides leadership to all County departments in the expanded use of automation and technology. Information Technology evaluates new software and hardware as well as systems and system applications. Workshops and forums are held periodically to educate County employees on new trends in technology. In addition, through the Productivity Investment Fund, the County Administrator's Office provides financial support to departments to automate their operations and increase their operating efficiency. In its own operations, the County Administrator's Office utilizes automation to increase efficiency and improve its services. Examples of the use of automation include: 9 ` r1 Online budget system which gives departments direct input into the system and greatly enhances budget oversight capacity. Liability and workers' compensation claims data system that tracks claims by cost detail, department and exposure; allows the County to more accurately adjust claims; and supports our loss control program. Online collection system that manages accounts and account receivables, eliminating the need for paper records. In addition, the system's word processing capability customizes collection letters for individual accounts. Project management system in DoIT to increase cost predictability, resource management and project scheduling. Software that allows electronic transfer of reports to the State Office of Emergency Services Internet access to new laws and regulations in Affirmative Action as well as other public agency programs and contract opportunities. 10 CUSTOMER SER'VIC'ES The County Administrator's Office serves four broad categories of clients: the Board of Supervisors; the citizens and businesses of Contra Costa; the Cities and Special Districts of Contra Costa; and the County government organization. Board of Supervisors Examples of services: 0 staffing Board meetings ♦ staffing Board committees 0 legislative advocacy to support the Board's positions ♦ coordination and follow-up of Board directives ♦ oversight of implementation of Board directives Citizens and Businesses Examples of services: .n Y ♦ coordination of code enforcement ♦ leadership on new service initiatives (Service Integration and SafeFutures) ♦ production of Contra Costa Television (CCTV) ♦ soliciting minority and women business enterprise proposals/bids on construction, purchasing and professional/personal services contracts on County projects ♦ responses to individual concerns and questions 0 committee participation and staffing, including the Ad Hoc Budget Committee, Business Leaders Alliance and Children's Policy Forum ♦ oversight of County services to ensure equal access ♦ advising and counseling citizens regarding County employment opportunities 11 Cities and Special Districts Examples of services: ♦ revenue collection 0 staff development/training 4 ' ♦ cooperative purchasing t ♦ liaison with City/County Relations Committee and Public Managers Association ♦ budget staff to Special Districts ♦ personnel support/consultation to Special Districts ♦ staff support on inter-District issues County Organization Examples of services: U ♦ budget development and oversight ♦ information technology development and _ f� t support ♦ oversight and review of departments P capital resources management ♦ maximizing General Fund resources ♦ resolving interdepartmental issues ♦ managing human resources, including equal employment opportunities ♦ negotiating labor contracts 0 managing risk liability ♦ monitoring compliance with federal, state and local civil rights laws and regulations, including the Americans with Disabilities Act ♦ staff development and training ♦ inspiring an organization dedicated to efficiency, effectiveness and excellence 12 1997 Performance Indicators PRESERVE THE FISCAL INTEGRITY OF CONTRA COSTA. COUNTY Indicators: • Credit Rating • Revenue Maximization • County Budget • Capital Resource Management • Risk Management INCREASE ORGANIZATIONAL AAATIONTAIL IEIFIFICIIIENTCIY, EFFECTIVENESS AND EXCELLENCE Indicators: • Organizational initiatives • Critical issue management • Staff development • Affirmative Action • Technology INCREASE INTERGOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION AND PUBLIC ACCESS TO GOVERNMENT Indicators: • Public outreach • Citizen and private sector involvement • Public agency collaboration 13 PRESERVE 71'H7E FISCAL INTEGRITY EGRITY O F CONTRA COSTA COUNTY Indicator: Credit Rating The County's credit rating impacts our cost of funds. The credit rating is a direct reflection of the investment community's perception of the fiscal management ability of the County. County staff maintains an open working relationship with rating agency staff, brokers, bankers, financial consultants and legal advisors in order to stay current with developments in the investment community and keep them informed of developments within the County. Measures of accomplishment include: �P Long term lease debt ratings of A 1 (Moody's) and A+ (Standard and Poors), the highest ratings of any California county. Short term ratings of MIG 1(Moody's) and SP 1 + (Standard and Poors), the highest possible short term ratings. �1 Sold tax and revenue anticipation notes at the most favorable rate in the state for the past three years. The high demand for our notes and low interest rate are evidence of the excellent reputation of the County within the investment community. Indicator: Revenue Maximization With the need to fund programs and services that reflect local priorities and concerns as well as the fiscal uncertainty stemming from welfare reform and managed care, it is critical that the County maximize its sources of revenue. Measures of accomplishment include: rf Recovered $202,556 in sales tax revenues incorrectly attributed to cities by the State Franchise Tax Board. �! Returned $1.75 million in workers' compensation dividends to 14 Revenue Maximization (cont'd) County departments in recognition of favorable loss experience. Successfully obtained an additional $1.4 million (a program total of $2.8 million) for the second year of a five year grant to support SafeFutures, which funds initiatives to reduce juvenile crime, including the Summit Center at Juvenile Hall. Secured $203,000 of funding from the Zellerbach Family Fund to support expanded, community wide employment services at the North Richmond and Bay Point Family Service Centers (Service Integration). Successfully supported SB 431 (Lee) which confirmed the County's position on Library contributions to the Educational Revenue Augmentation Fund (ERAF) and potentially saved the County $5 million in retroactive ERAF payments and $1 + million in future yearly payments. v/ Collected $7 million in gross revenues in FY 96-97, excluding the $1.9 million collected on behalf of parking agencies, through the Office of Revenue Collection. Successfully obtained a $112,000 award from the Productivity Investment Fund to install a computerized telephone dialing system to increase the efficiency of collections at the Office of Revenue Collections. Financed the production of 18 parenting programs for CCTV in partnership with the West Contra Costa Unified School District, who paid for $18,000 of staff costs. 15 With direction from the Finance Committee, renewed efforts at notifying and educating major industries in the unincorporated areas on reporting taxable sales on a situs basis on major plant upgrades and facility expansions. Indicator: County Budget Presenting and maintaining a balanced budget is a continuing challenge, due to the vagaries of state and federal funding and the County's increasing dependence on these revenue sources. Measures of accomplishment include: Presented the Proposed, Recommended and Final 1997-98 budgets to the Board of Supervisors, which balanced appropriations with revenues, responded to Boar_ d policy priorities and met statutory deadlines. Produced the Children and Family Services Budget, which divides County programs into functional areas to more clearly identify the range of support services for children and families. Periodically monitored the County Budget, identifying issues and concerns in quarterly reports to the Board of Supervisors. Conducted two budget workshops for the Board of Supervisors, including the budget process, schedules and major issues. r! Organized workshops for the Board of Supervisors on fiscal, policy and programmatic issues with Health Services, Social Service, the Library, GMEDA and the Fire Districts. 16 Indicator: Capital Resources Management To minimize building occupancy costs, and to meet programmatic needs, the County manages existing capital resources and develops new ones to maximize cost effectiveness. Measures of accomplishment include: v,r Refinanced outstanding bonds for Contra Costa Regional Medical Center, lowering the interest rate from 6.8% to 5.6%. d' Refinanced previous bond issuance for lease/purchase of office buildings at a more favorable interest rate, saving approximately $1.9 million over the term of the bonds. Expanded the Martinez Animal Services office building with a 480 sq. ft. addition and remodeled the existing administrative/public service area to obtain greater efficiencies. d' Completed_ADA Improvements at the Central Library, including replacement of two sets of entrance doors with sliding doors, relocation of counters, relocation of parking spaces for disabled and construction of a ramp from parking area. Financing was obtained through CDBG, Library and general funds. Initiated remodeling and addition of 1800 sq. ft. at the Central Dispatch Center, including replacement and upgrading of the dispatch system with a digital system. Completed remodeling of Courthouse, 725 Court St., Martinez to consolidate criminal filings and records. Negotiated lease for 800 Ferry St., Martinez to consolidate Public Defender's offices, currently in various locations in Martinez and Concord. 17 Implemented plans for relocation of District Attorney from leased space in Concord to 10 Douglas Drive and 1111 Ward St. in Martinez. V Commenced the security improvement project for the Treasurer- Tax Collector, 625 Court St., Martinez. Held the dedication ceremony for the new Contra Costa Regional Medical Center on September 20, 1997, with occupancy scheduled for January. V Initiated a comprehensive master plan study for the capital needs of the courts over the next 20 years. Indicator: Disk Management The County minimizes its financial liabilities through prevention programs and careful oversight and management of claims. Measures of accomplishment include: V Received jury verdicts of no liability in all seven cases taken to trial: five in Superior Court and two in Federal Court. v/ Increased the County's efforts to mitigate repetitive strain injuries as well as providing ADA compliance through 1) training of employees, 2) workstation evaluations, and 3) a partnership with Health Services Rehabilitation Therapy. • Developed and implemented the workplace violence training program in conjunction with staff from Risk Management, Training Institute and Health Services. • Met with the largest departments in a joint effort to resolve claims and expedite employees' return to work. 18 Implemented a Drug and Alcohol Testing Program for employees whose Jobs involve driving in designated vehicle classes, through a joint Risk Management Human Resources effort. Provided assistance to departments in prevailing on Merit Board hearings and in resolving employment conflicts prior to the filing of a claim. INCREASE ORGANIZATIONAL IEIFIF.YCIIIENCY, IEIFIFIECTII ENESS AND EXCELLENCE Indicator: Organizational Initiatives Contra Costa County continually strives to improve its organization to better meet client needs, to be more "user friendly" to our clients and to wisely use taxpayer resources. Measures of accomplishment include: Worked with the Coordinated Trial Courts of Contra Costa County to analyze and begin implementation of the Lockyer-Isenberg Trial Court Funding Act of 1997 which consolidated all court funding at the State level and capped counties' financial obligation to the courts at the FY 1994-95 level. Implementation of the law will require the establishment of a non-County local court fund, involving the reassignment of staff, budget appropriations, furniture and other fixed assets from the County to the courts. �! Provided support to the Coordinated Trial Courts of Contra Costa County in identifying and resolving personnel issues arising from court consolidation, involving classification studies, creation of new classes and reassignment of current staff to new classes. Enhanced Revenue Collections' customer service orientation through implementation of specialized reports, in-person customer contacts and development of staff teams for each client department. 19 Organizational Initiatives (cont'd) Facilitated development of Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) programs in Information Technology, Revenue Collections and General Services through the Training Institute . Implemented Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) programs in all 6 business units of Information Technology and the collection process in Revenue Collections. Initiated a countywide information technology job classification/ salary survey to establish conformity in standards and compensation within the County. Received seven awards for cable programing excellence: two National Association of Officers and Advisors programing awards, one Hometown Award (National Alliance for Community Media), two Bay Area Cable Excellence awards and two Western Access Video Excellence awards. Received and processed 4,357 assessment appeal applications during the 1997 filing period. Supported departmental productivity projects which otherwise would have no source of funding through an ongoing, revolving fund. Established a cooperative task force effort between Human Resources and Social Service to address critical human resource issues resulting from welfare reform. Implemented a work planning system in Human Resources that incorporates monthly meetings with departmental managers to identify service needs and priorities. 20 a Facilitated development of staff Performance Review procedures and instruments for Community Services, Health Services- Environmental Health, Information Technology and the Moraga- Orinda Fire Protection District. Facilitated development of the 1997 Community Services Block Grant process. Obtained the first waiver in California under AB 1.741 to pilot a new welfare eligibility system at the County's Service Integration sites that reduces unnecessary and duplicative paperwork and redirects staff time to improve outcomes for children and families. Indicator: Critical Issue Management Both in its support role to the Board of Supervisors and as administrative head of the County organization, the County Administrator's Office works to facilitate resolution of issues of importance to the public, to the Board and to the functioning of the organization. Measures of accomplishment include: Successfully supported AB 180 which created a Tier III retirement plan option for County employees with at least five years of retirement service credit. Tier III will provide Tier I retirement benefits with Tier II disability benefits at no net county cost increase (paid by 1% salary increase which would have gone to all employees in 1997). Provided staff and technical support to the Moraga-Orinda Fire Protection District to facilitate its transition to independent status. Secured the second year federal grant for SafeFutures and extended the Continuum of Care grant, which provide employment oriented aftercare case management services for youth leaving our institutions; after school programs at three elementary schools; gang 21 Critical Issue Management (co prevention and intervention efforts; an intensive day treatment program for seriously, severely disturbed offenders at Juvenile Hall; and a mentoring program for girls. V Worked cooperatively with! the East Bay Safety Corridor Partnership to develop and implement anti-violence initiatives in the East Bay Corridor area. Led a joint county-state audit team that examined management and organizational issues within the Elections Division of the County Clerk's Office. • Provided oversight and support to the Health Services Environmental Health Division to implement the recommendations of the 1995 operational audit conducted by the County Administrator's Office. • Worked with department heads to resolve management issues and improve the administration of their departments. • Designed and conducted executive recruitment and selection processes to fill the critical positions of the Director of Building Inspection, Director of Airports, Director of Animal Services and Director of Community Services. Initiated the Wide Area Network (WAN) Infrastructure Support and Planned Growth Management Program, working with the County's Information Technology Steering Committee to formulate and market the program to all County departments. V Broadened the scope and responsibility of the County Wide Area Network Committee and implemented a Local Area Network 22 Strategy Committee, which includes most County departments. Identified the need for an overall security program for the County's technology resources and established a new position in Information Technology responsible.for developing a countywide system. Indicator: Staff Development The County's greatest resource is its employees. The County Administrator's Office supports professional staff development as well as employee understanding of issues facing the County and individuals' roles and responsibilities. Measures of accomplishment include: Conducted scheduled training programs for 1467 employees from all County departments to increase their work skills and abilities through the Training Institute. Executed a year-long comprehensive training program for approximately 30 Service Integration Program employees on a range of issues involving the delivery of multi-disciplinary team activities. Provided 27. customized in-house training programs to 18 County departments in preventing sexual harassment, managing stress, discrimination prevention, dealing with anger and violence in the workplace, coping with difficult people, developing interpersonal communication skills, dealing with hostile audiences, interview coaching and conducting performance review meetings. <1 Held monthly meetings for department heads to facilitate cooperation and understanding among departments and to discuss multi-departmental issues. 23 Developed a career development program in Human Resources to assist staff in skills development and preparation for upward mobility through completion of approved casework and accreditation programs. Utilized an innovative, fast-paced, collaborative large group process to produce a Public Works department-wide training plan that meets the Department's 5-Year Strategic Plan. Reinstituted and revised the Award of Excellence program which acknowledges and rewards 16 employees who, through their work, exemplify the principles of excellence and commitment that are expressed in the County Statement of Values. These awards will provide employees with the opportunity to be recognized for performance that is exceptional in the areas of excellence in leadership, customer service, creativity and innovation, inspiration, commitment and supervisorial/management achievement. Indicator: Affirmative Action The County's Affirmative Action Program supports equal employment opportunities for all applicants and employees. The County Administrator's Office continues its efforts to make the County's work force in every department representative of the diverse County labor force. Measures of accomplishment include: Exceeded labor force representation of the County's employees among females, African Americans and American Indian/Alaskan Natives (1996 statistics). rP Hired African-American, Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islanders above their labor force representation (1996 statistics). ,�. Promoted females, African-Americans and Hispanics above their 24 f labor force representation (1996 statistics). Provided persons with disabilities with accessibility to seven new facilities that were on the priority "A" list of facilities for retrofitting. �! Provided quarterly training for department staff on the procedures employees should follow when requesting reasonable accommodations. f Continued to assist departmental staff in identifying essential functions for each job classification, particularly when requesting examinations. V Conducted periodic meetings with department affirmative action coordinators; personnel and administrative services officers; and MBE/WBE liaisons. r! Provided staff support to the Advisory Council on Equal Employment Opportunities as they continued to monitor the Contra Costa Regional Medical Center project and the County Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Program. Q/ Reviewed and processed the Minority Business Enterprise/Women Business Enterprise and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise requirements for 22 construction projects. Indicator: Technology The County is continually searching for new ways to use technology to increase organizational efficiency and effectiveness. Measures of accomplishment include: 25 r! Provided information technology services, ranging from simple business and technical advice to contract negotiations, system integration planning, design, implementation, and maintenance, wiring and electronic standards development, developing and maintaining system applications, project management and disaster recovery services. Major projects during the past 12 months included: 4Superior/Municipal Court Consolidation Project 4Year 2000 Date Challenge Project County Wide Area Network Infrastructure Support and Growth Management Project Countywide Network Computer Roll-Out Project PeopleSoft HRMS/Payroll Project 4Land Information Systems Replacement System Project Countywide Security Administration Project County Internet Home Page Project 4DoI"T Intranet Home Page Pilot Project Statewide Automated Welfare System Statewide Automated Child Support System �rCase Management System/Child Welfare System OORC Accounts Receivable Replacement System Library Automation Project ?Operations' Robotic Tape System Project 4Citrix WinFrame Pilot and Operational Projects 4Central Data Center File Server Re-Location Project Central Data Center Wiring Retrofit Project 4Implementation of OC3 Fiber Optic Hub System Roll out of Central Martinez Fiber Optic Network 4Design Phase: Microwave Replacement Project 4-Hospital Infrastructure Design Project Provided direction and staff support for the new integrated Human Resources/Payroll system, including streamlining of business processes, development of training and user support systems and 26 Technology (cont'd) use of electronic forms for transmission of transactions and information. Installed software to allow electronic transmission of various reports to the state Office of Emergency Services and, currently, exploring the feasibility of adding cities to the system. �! Initiated an effort to install a network between Information Technology, Emergency Medical Services, Hazardous Materials Division of the Health Services Department, Emergency Services and the state Office of Emergency Services which will allow access to a common data base. Implemented the Wide Area Network strategy and identified the $1.34 million of necessary funding. r1 Maintained the high level of technological support services for County departments as evidenced by the 4.5 out of 5.0 rating on . Information Technology's annual customer satisfaction survey. t1 Introduced voice activated computers in Health Services and Social Service as a means of controlling carpal tunnel syndrome disabilities among at-risk County employees. Evaluated the Risk Management Information System and selected a new system which will provide improved processing efficiency as well as a data base for managing departmental risks. Increased accessability of the CCTV program guide to the-general public through the Internet WEB site, which received more than 400 "hits" in one month. 27 r! Instituted Master Card and Visa payment capability for accounts in Revenue Collections, both for phone and counter payments. v/ Received Board approval for purchase of a computerized telephone dialing system in Revenue Collections, which increases the number of debtor contacts per collector by eliminating collector time in dialing, dialing errors, connect time, ring time, busy signals, no answers, disconnects and answering machines. ri Eliminated the need to type legal documents in Revenue Collections through implementation of templates available in the new collection software system. The templates reduce staff time and help expedite execution of legal actions. v/ Increased support to departments on computer trouble shooting through development of a single point of contact for the Help Desk. V Implemented the standardized project management system in Information Technology, which will better allow for outcome predictability in the areas of cost, resource management and scheduling of computer system implementations. IINCREASIE ILNT ERGOV1ERNM1ENTAIIL COOP ERA71IONA ND PiUBLIC ACCESS TO GOVERNMENT Indicator: Public Outreach Citizen understanding of County government is dependent upon citizen accessibility to government process, procedures and information. Measures of achievement include: V Distributed disaster preparedness information to County residents through participation in neighborhood and community fairs. 28 Public Outreach (cont'd) Increased citizen access to County job listings through the InfoNET, CCTV's interactive bulletin board. Produced the County's first Children's Report Card, which provided community level indicators of children and family well being. e/ Initiated an extensive community outreach program on the Children's Report Card to increase awareness of it and to generate expanded ownership of children and family issues. Aired over 8,000 hours of programs on CCTV, including Board meetings, Contra Costa Council speakers and programs. F! Aired weekly Board meetings on nine cable systems on CCTV. Initiated live audio broadcasting of the Board of Supervisors' meetings on CCTV. Increased public access to the Board of Supervisors weekly agenda by publishing it on the County's Web page on the Internet. Produced the County's Recommended Budget which includes a succinct description of each department, the staffing levels, gross expenditures, financing, net county cost and the Board of Supervisors level of discretion over the program. Indicator: Citizen and Private Industry Involvement The County continues to expand the forums available to citizens and private industry to learn more about County .government and to partner with the County in providing services and support to our citizens. Measures of accomplishment include: 29 Citizen and Private Industry Involvement ,cont'o V Provided staff support to the Internal Operations Committee, Family and Human Services Committee and Finance Committee in support of the Board's effort to examine critical issues and to provide an open forum for the public to debate these issues. V Participated in the Business Leaders Alliance, designed to involve business leaders in County issues and to elicit their understanding, support and ideas for more efficient and effective County government. V Conducted the Ad Hoc Budget Committee meetings to examine budget issues and alternatives. V Staffed the Children and Families Policy Forum to increase interagency collaboration and public involvement in children and family services. Worked with various Municipal Advisory Councils on the development of community action plans to address pressing issues in the areas of code compliance, employment, personal security, recreational opportunities, infrastructures and environmental health in the communities of North Richmond, Rodeo, Crockett, Tara Hills and Port Costa. V Established the Bay Point Works and North Richmond Employment Collaboratives, comprised of community members, community-based organizations and public agencies, with the goal of developing and implementing community-wide employment strategies in two highly distressed County neighborhoods. Secured first year funding from a private foundation to support the activities of the collaboratives. 30 �! Obtained night bus transportation for the community of North Richmond by facilitating an innovative partnership between the North Richmond Community and AC Transit. Engaged approximately 40 North Richmond families on an on- going basis in the North Richmond Family Service Center Community Garden (featured in the October 17, 1997 edition of the Contra Costa Times). Conducted earthquake preparedness presentations for schools, churches, businesses, service clubs and homeowner associations. Indicator: Public Agency Collaboration The County has made a concerted effort to work with other public agencies to leverage our mutual resources. Measures of achievement include: to/ Conducted 18 training programs through the Training Institute with more than 400 participants from 11 cities, special districts and other counties. Represented the County by providing presentations and seminars to the. California Agricultural Commissioners Association, the Government Technology Conference, the Los Angeles Tech Expo Conference, University of California HAAS Graduate School of Business, IBM's World-Wide Headquarters in New York, the Metropolitan Information Exchange, California State University- Hayward, University of Phoenix, and the California County Information Services Directors Association, on a variety of business, management and technology issues. Developed and hosted the Fall 1997 California County Information Services Directors Association Conference, which brought some 200 information technology professionals to Contra Costa County. 31 Public Agency Collaboration (cont'd) -- rf Represented the County by providing expert testimony before the California State Senate on the subject of the Year 2000 Date Challenge on State and Local Government. Continued to work with the City of Pittsburg on the addition of a new fire station in the City to be constructed and operated with District and City funds (Development Fee and Redevelopment revenues). Planned and conducted the first state and western region wide government users group attended by representatives of agencies using, implementing or considering purchasing PeopleSoft for their Human Resources/Payroll system. Provided training to utility companies, CalTrans, Highway Patrol, Red Cross and amateur radio operators on Emergency Operations Center roles and responsibilities. Sponsored emergency management courses given by the California Specialized Training Institute for County departments and cities. rl Sponsored training on the new standardized emergency management system for staff of County departments, cities and special districts. Worked closely with County departments, cities and special districts to develop emergency response plans which maximize the use of their resources and the coordination of their response to activities in case of emergency. r1 Chaired the Public Safety Communications Advisory Board, which brings together emergency response agencies to coordinate the implementation of emergency communication policies, procedures 32 Public Agency Collaboration (cont'd) and equipment. �P Conducted a disaster exercise wherein a disaster event was simulated and the "players" assumed their emergency operation center roles. Chaired the Contra Costa County.Abandoned Vehicle Abatement Service Authority, which allocated $696,000 in during FY 96-97 to 18 cities and the unincorporated area for the removal of abandoned vehicles. The Authority abated 1,342 cars in incorporated areas and 292 in the unincorporated areas. Chaired the statewide Abandoned Vehicle Service Authority Legislative Overview Committee with committee members of the counties of Sacramento, Orange, Riverside, Napa, El Dorado, Lake and the California Highway Patrol. The Committee took a leadership role in the passage of SB 112, which give local jurisdictions greater flexibility in the allocation of revenues for vehicle abatement. e/ Processed parking citations for 31 public agencies in Contra Costa and Alameda counties. r! Hosted the first annual parking issuing agency meeting for the 31 public agencies working with ORC, in order to promote communication and encourage collaboration. rl Provided image processing services for cities, the Sheriff and District Attorney for use as evidence in court trials through CCTV. Cooperatively developed a draft telecommunications plan for TCI renewal negotiations with the cities of Walnut Creek, Concord and Richmond. The plan is currently under review by the cities of 33 Public Agency Collaboration (cont'd) Walnut Creek, Concord, Hercules, Moraga, Martinez. and Richmond. Hosted network and information meetings for the Northern California Telecommunications Administrators. v/ Acted as liaison between staff from Public Works, Community Development, Building Inspection, General Services, the Sheriff's Department, Fire Districts and Environmental Health Division to coordinate and resolve code compliance and property maintenance issues and violations. Bimonthly meetings involved agencies to help set policy and provide direction on multi jurisdictional violations. e1 Served on the Board of Directors of various public agency associations in workers' compensation, liability, safety and risk management. e1 Aired .distance learning programs for California State Hayward, Contra Costa College and Mt. .Diablo Adult Education programs. Entered a joint powers agreement with the Contra Costa Community College district and Contra Costa Municipal Risk Management Authority on the administration of a driver training simulator system. The simulators will enhance accident avoidance skills of police officers and drivers of fire protection, city and county vehicles and reduce potentially costly driving exposures. Represented the County through membership on the State of California Statewide Automated Welfare System, Welfare Rules Change Committee, California County Information Services Directors Association Executive Committee, Government Technology Executive Committee, Los Angeles Tech Expo 34 Public Agency Collaboration(cont'd) Executive Committee, California County Information Services Directors Technical Advisory Group; Bay Area Chief Information Officers Roundtable, Contra Costa Council Welfare to Work Committee and the Contra Costa Council Technology Subcommittee. Represented the County through membership in the Public Managers Association, California State Association of Counties and the County Administrators Association of California. 35 CHALLENGES AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS The. seven divisions of the County Administrator's Office provide leadership and support to the public, to individual County departments and to the organization as a whole, consistent with the Office's mission to: 0 Preserve the fiscal integrity of Contra Costa County; 0 Increase organizational efficiency, effectiveness and excellence; and. 0 ]Increase intergovernmental cooperation and public access to government. Fiscal Integ_rii Ensuring that the County has a timely, balanced budget each year is a primary responsibility of the County Administrator's Office. Prudent fiscal management requires not only careful monitoring of our budgetary status, but also maximizing revenues and minimizing costs. For 1998, fiscal challenges for the County Administrator's Office include: Balanced Budget Each year the County Administrator's Office presents a Recommended Budget to the Board of Supervisors which balances appropriations with revenues. The budget is periodically monitored throughout the year and quarterly reports are made to the Board with recommendations for corrective actions as necessary to maintain the balanced budget. In 1998, the County will need to deal with the increased financial risks stemming from implementation of Managed Care, the fiscal uncertainties associated with CalWorks and the financial consequences of supporting juvenile justice initiatives. In addition, there is continuing need to sustain organizational efficiency through enhancement of our technological infrastructure. 36 Credit .Rating The County enjoys the highest possible short term credit ratings from the investment community and has had the most favorable sales of any County in the state for short term notes for the past three years. This reflects the County's fiscal prudence and management ability as well as our positive working relationship with the investment community. In 1998, the senior staff responsible for the investment programs will be retiring. The challenge for the County Administrator's Office will be to ensure continuity of our relationship with the investment community and their continued understanding of the fiscal strength of our organization. Grantsmanship Capacity Many of the innovative programs and service delivery strategies in the County are supported by grant funding. Currently, there is a wide disparity in the administrative capacity of the departments to develop and prepare successful grant proposals. In addition, we have found that there is no centralized repository for the standard socioeconomic and demographic information often required for proposals. In 1998, the County Administrator's Office will be initiating a new program to provide support to departments in grant making and to increase their capacity to successfully maximize this source of revenue. Loss Control Prudent fiscal management includes the management of risks to reduce and minimize losses. In 1997, Risk Management identified the need for a new risk management information system that would increase information to the departments on open claims and loss trends. In conjunction with the implementation of this new information system, Risk Management will be reconfiguring its interaction with departments to provide a comprehensive, proactive approach to claims resolution and litigation. In 1998, the largest departments (Health Services, Sheriff, General Services, Public Works, Probation and Animal Services) will be targeted for a comprehensive review of loss control, claims control and loss trends. 37 Organizational Efficiency, Effectiveness and Excellence County government has a public duty to use taxpayer resources as efficiently and effectively as possible. We also have a commitment to organizational excellence, to valuing our employees and to utilizing technology to expand our service capacity. Operational Audits Over the past several years, the County Administrator's Office has conducted operational audits of the Environmental Health Division of Health Services, the Human Resources Department, the Community Services Department and the Elections Office. In all cases, the audit identified areas for organizational improvement with consequent changes in service delivery systems and/or organizational structures. In 1998, the County Administrator's Office will be institutionalizing this function with an audit of the General Services Department. Awards ®�f'lExcellence Employees are widely acknowledged to be the County's most important resource. The County's expectations for our employees are embodied in the County's Statement of Values. Many employees demonstrate these principles in their daily actions, yet may not be recognized for their efforts. The new Awards of Excellence program in 1998 is part of the continuing effort of the County Administrator's Office to appreciate our employees. The awards will recognize exceptional performance in the areas of leadership, customer service, creativity and innovation, inspiration, commitment and supervisorial/management achievement In,formation Teehnolokv Staffing There is a critical shortage of information technology professionals in the Bay Area with demand exceeding supply by 30%. The County's information technology department has experienced a high turnover in its professional staff in the last year and, currently, is short by 14 positions. Four of these positions 38 are in the wide area network infrastructure support arena, which is critical to the County's effort to transition our local area networks into wide area networks and metropolitan networks. Many professionals are working in .excess of 65 to 70 hours per week and staff burn-out is evident. Many staff are also working on four to five critical projects simultaneously, which is not a prudent practice. In 1998, a major challenge for Information Technology will be to restore the staffing capacity of the office. Information Technology Security As the County moves from main frame systems into personal computing and network systems, we become increasingly vulnerable to breaches of security. In 1997, the County Administrator's Office established a new position responsible for IT security. In 1998, we will begin implementing a new countywide security program strategy and policy as well as new Internet/computer use security agreements with the departments. Year 2000 Challenge The Year 2000 project is reprogramming computers in the County system to allow them to calculate dates beyond January 1, 2000. The challenge for our Information Technology division will be to complete, test and certify year 2000 compliance for all of our County data systems. Trial Court Funding The Lockyer-Isenberg Trial Court Funding Act of 1997 redefined the fiscal and budgetary relationships between the County and the Coordinated Trial Courts. The County Administrator's Office has begun the process of working with the Auditor-Controller and the Courts to implement the budgetary, fiscal and accounting changes that may be required as a result of the legislation. Some of the transitional issues which need resolution include: creation of a new trial court operations fund outside the County general fund; creation of new budgetary accounting and control systems between the Auditor-Controller and the Courts; resolution on use of County administrative policies and ordinance in the courts; assignment of the current long-term debt of court operations; 39 transfer of equipment to the courts; and creation of policy on processing of court payment requests. Secession Planning The County's workforce is aging. Over the next few years, the County will be losing key staff in many of our departments to retirement. In 1998, Human Resources will be piloting a new effort to work with the departments to ensure that our future staffing needs are met. Through secession planning, departments will work with Human Resources to analyze their key positions, analyze the potential for future turnover, assess the required skill sets for future program goals and determine the market availability of these skills so that appropriate staff recruitment occurs in a timely manner. Intergovernmental Cooperation and Public Access The County is continually striving to strengthen our partnerships with cities, education and the community in order to better serve the residents and businesses of Contra Costa County. Public.Agency Collaboration The County, cities and education have the common goal of ensuring a high quality of life within Contra Costa County. The challenge has been, and will continue to be, to promote understanding and cooperation between the County and other agencies. In 1998, this will be facilitated through participation in the Mayors Conference, City-County Relations Committee, Public Managers Association, Executive Committee of the Children's Policy Forum as well as through individual meetings with city managers and others. Community Collaboration In order to promote the well-being of our citizens and communities, our challenge is to expand ownership of social issues, including those involving children and families, and to help provide indicators of how the community is 40 doing. Over the next year, we will be working to engage the community and the private sector through the Children's Policy Forum, the Business Leaders Alliance, the Contra Costa Economic Partnership, the Contra Costa Council and the Contra Costa Workforce Development Advisory Panel. Children's Report Card In 1997, the County produced the first Children's Report Card which reported on the status of children in Contra Costa County. In 1998, the challenge will be to use the report card as a vehicle for increasing awareness of children and family issues and to engage others in individual and collective activities to support children and families. In 1998, we will also be producing the second annual Children's Report Card following extensive input and feedback on the first edition. Legislative Advocacy In 1997, the state legislature passed AB 1542 which established California's welfare reform plan, CaIWORK.S. This legislative action needs to be regarded as a first step towards revitalizing our welfare system. In 1998 and beyond, Contra Costa County will be challenged by the need to support further state legislation which provides for welfare eligibility simplification, for increased flexibility to provide integrated services to multi-problem families and for better supports the transportation challenges of our welfare-to-work families, among other issues. 41 i 9 W a;,��RN ' U ,.£ S its yamoil' Ila N rr F f O _ CCS � 4�