HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 04281998 - D4 THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
Adopted this Carder on April 28, 1998, by the following vote:
AYES: Supervisors Uilkema, Gerber, DeSaulnier, Canciamilla and Rogers
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: done
SUBJECT: DEPARTLN/1ENT OF AGRICULTURE 1998 PERFORMANCE REPORT
IT IS BY THE BOARD ORDERED that the Contra Costa County
Department of Agriculture 1998 Department Performance Report be ACCEPTED.
I hereby certify that the foregoing 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:
Phil Batchelor, Clerk of the Board
of Supervisors and County Administrator
By
f
June L. McHuen, Deputy Clerk
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION I ® DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW 1
Department Responsibilities 1
1. Environmental Protection Programs 1
11. Consumer Protection Programs 3
111. Service Programs 5
Organizational Structure 8
Functional Chart 7
SECTION If - RESOURCES 8
Financial Resources 8
1. Department Budget 8
11. Type of Financing 8
Personnel Resources 10
Affirmative Action 11
Sick Leave 12
Staff Development 14
SECTION III - CUSTOMER SERVICES 16
Service Delivery System 1
Customer Profile 17
Customer Relationships 18
SECTION IV - ANNUAL PERFORMANCE 18
Performance Indicators 19
SECTION V - CHALLENGES AND NEW DIRECTIONS 22
Challenges 22
New Directions 25
SECTION l - DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW
Department Responsibilities
The Department serves the citizens of Contra Costa County through
effective and uniform enforcement of the California Food and
Agricultural Code and the provisions of the California Business and
Professions Code.
The provisions of the California Agricultural Code promote and protect
the agricultural industry of the state and provide for protection of the
public health, safety, and welfare. The California Food and Agricultural
Code along with the Business and Professions Code also facilitate
commerce and protect the consumer by ensuring equity prevails in the
commercial exchange of goods where value is determined by weight or
measure.
A description of the Department's responsibilities can be broken down
into three different areas: Environmental Protection, Consumer
Protection, and Service Programs.
1. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION PROGRAMS
Plant Pest Exclusion (Food & Agricultural Code Sections
2272-2276 & 51 p 1)
The Department inspects plants or appliances arriving in the
County for the presence of insects, nematodes, pest animals,
diseases, noxious weeds and seeds that are or might be
detrimental to the agricultural industry of the County.
State and federal quarantines are enforced. All diseased or
infested shipments are quarantined until they are properly treated,
certified, returned or destroyed.
A major component is certification of plants and agricultural
commodities for pest cleanliness or pest treatment when required
as a condition of movement, entry or export to other states or
countries.
1
Plant Pest Man agementfrad ication (Food & Agricultural Code
Sections 2272 & 5101)
The Department works to eradicate infestations of exotic plant
pests of limited distribution or not known to be established in
California.
The Department provides the public with information on control
options for minor pests. We encourage practices utilizing
biological control and issue burn permits for plants infested or
infected with specific pests.
Pest Detection Survey (Food & Agricultural Sections 2274 &
5101)
Under state contract the Department locates and maintains traps
in strategic locations to intercept new or serious insect pests.
Residential properties, commercial establishments, horticultural
plantings, and agricultural crops are inspected for pests and
diseases not generally established in the County.
Pesticide Use Enforcement (Food & Agricultural Code Section
11501 .5)
The Department issues permits for use of restricted materials and
enforces regulations on proper usage. Advice is given for proper
use and safety precautions relating to pesticides.
Aerial and ground applications of pesticides are monitored for
conformance to regulations. Complaints alleging misuse of
pesticides or their application are investigated. Records of pest
control operators, dealers and advisors are audited and evaluated
for compliance. Legal proceedings are initiated when necessary.
Worker safety regulations are enforced to ensure safe working
conditions for employees who may be exposed to pesticides.
Pesticide storage facilities and equipment are inspected for
compliance with safety and environmental requirements.
The Department registers pest control operators, pilots and pest
2
control advisors. We also assist operators, advisors and dealers
in understanding regulations on use of materials, dosages and
safety measures. The operator's work is monitored for proper
control of pests treated.
The Department tabulates and submits reports on materials used
and inspections performed. The 24 hour notices of intent to apply
restricted materials are received and pre-site evaluations are
performed to determine proper conditions.
Asia Inspection (Food & Agricultural Code Sections 29043,
29101 & 29201)
Apiaries are registered and inspected for disease and infestations.
The destruction of hives, combs, and honey infested with
American Foulbrood or other organisms of quarantine significance
is supervised.
Owners of apiaries are advised on best apiary practices and local
pesticide applications. Specimens are collected, prepared and
submitted to the state laboratory for diagnosis.
ll. CONSUMER PROTECTION PROGRAMS
Nursery Inspection (Food and Agricultural Code Sections 5903
and 53361)
Nursery stock is inspected in nurseries and commercial growing
grounds for pests, proper labeling, grades and standards.
Enforcement action is taken to insure compliance with regulations
and standards of cleanliness.
"California Nursery Stock Certificates" are issued to qualified
nurseries to assist in meeting shipping requirements to other
counties and states. Soil treatments are supervised for nematode
control as well as other soil pests. Regulatory requirements are
explained and pest control options are given.
3
Fruit-Vagetables, o In e i n (Food and
Agricultural Code Sections 42551, 29441, 27561 &
27551-55)
Fruit, nuts and vegetables are inspected for quality, maturity,
packing, container and marketing requirements. Also eggs and
honey are inspected for quality and marking requirements. When
violations are found non-compliance notices are issued and
reconditioning or destruction of sub-standard products is
documented.
S-eed lnsp ction Certification (Food and Agricultural Code Section
52282)
Agricultural and vegetable seed is inspected for compliance with
the State Seed Law and Federal Seed Act. Official seed samples
are taken for label verification.
Device Inspection(Business and Professions Code Section 12107
& California Code of Regulations Sections 4000-4029)
Commercially used scales and scanners in retail stores are
registered and inspected to verify they are correct. Inspections
are also performed on service station meters, vehicle and heavy
capacity industrial type scales and all other commercially used
weighing and measuring devices.
Sub-metered electric and water meters at apartments, marinas,
and mobile home parks are inspected to verify they are correct.
All consumer complaints relating to weighing and measuring
devices are investigated.
Qaplity Control (California Business & Professions Code Section
12211, Chapter 5 and California Code of Regulations Sections
4500-4857)
The Department verifies the net contents of commodities sold to
consumers. Package labels are also inspected to verify they are
in compliance with the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act. All
consumer complaints relating to net contents and labeling are
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investigated.
Sale -Qf Petroleum Products Enforcement (California Business &
Professions Code Chapter 14 & 15 and the California Code of
Regulations Sections 4400-4308)
Compliance with minimum quality standards for gasoline, diesel
fuel, motor oil, brake fluid, anti-freeze and automatic transmission
fluid is verified through samples and inspections. Inspections are
performed to enforce required labeling of petroleum products and
motor fuel dispensers. Consumer complaints regarding petroleum
products are investigated.
Weighmaster (California Business & Professions Code Chapter 7
and California Code of Regulations Sections 4400-4493)
Weighmasters are inspected to verify compliance with laws and
regulations.
Device Repairman (California Business and Professions Code
Chapter 5.5 and California Code of Regulations Sections 4080-
4084).
Device repairmen who install and repair weighing and measuring
devices in the County are registered and monitored for proper
compliance with state laws and regulations.
111. SERVICE PROGRAMS
Vertebrate Pest Management (Food and Agricultural Code
Sections 5421 & 6022)
Homeowners and growers are provided with advice on
identification and information on the control options for rodents
and other pest animals. A ground squirrel control program is
administered to protect agricultural lands, roadways, structures,
dams and levees. Poison bait is provided at cost for use in
agricultural/open space programs.
Weed Control (Food and Agricultural Cade Sections 2272-2276)
5
The Department provides advice as to identification and control of
weeds. Control and eradication efforts on certain noxious weeds
are performed on agricultural lands, open space, and park lands
to preserve existing plant species. Biological methods to control
weeds are encouraged and used when available. New serious
weed pests are quarantined and eradicated when intercepted.
Statistir,s (Food and Agricultural Code Section 2279)
The Department is required to compile an annual crop and
livestock report showing conditions, acreage, production and
value. In addition, special reports are developed when needed to
report crop and equipment damage for disaster relief purposes as
well as provide updates on local conditions for the news media.
Organizational Structure
The Department is divided into three Orgs. Org 3300 provides
administration and clerical support for both the Agricultural Division and
the Weights & Measures Division. Org 3305 is the Agricultural Division
and Org. 3315 is the Weights & Measures Division.
On the next page is a functional chart which lists the major program
responsibilities for each division.
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Organizational Structure
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
FUNCTIONAL CHART
Agricultural Commissioner
Director of Weights and Measures
Edward P. Meyer
Enforcement of CA Food
and Agricultural Code
Enforcement of CA Business
and Professions Code
Chief Deputy
Agricultural Commissioner/Sealer
Administrative
Support
Agricultural Weights & Measures
f
Division Division
Plant Quarantine & Fest Detection Weighing and
Nursery & Seed regulation Measuring Devices
Pesticide Use Enforcement
Insect & Disease Petroleum Products
Pest Management
Fruit, Vegetable & Quantity Control
Egg Quality Control
Vertebrate fest Management Device Repairman
Weed Control
Apiary Regulation Weighmaster Investigation
Crop Statistics
SECTION 11 - RESOURCES
Financial Resources
1. Department Budget
Bludgeted Esc nditures 97/08
Administration (Org 3300) $ 341,308
Agriculture Division (Org 3305) 1,134,343
Weights & Measures Division (Org 3315) —A4-9,130
Anticipated Revenue 97/98 $ 1,924,785
Administration (Org 3300) $ 47,823
Agriculture Division (Org 3305) 1,059,177
Weights & Measures Division (Org 3315) _ 15 000
$1,273,000
Net County Cost $ 051,785
11. Type of Financing
Financing for the Department is primarily derived from five different
sources; general state funding, government contracts to enforce
regulations or provide service, fees paid for service, fees paid by
industry to register, and the County general fund.
General State Funding
The Department receives a portion of the Unclaimed Agriculture
Gas Tax refund which is distributed to counties based on each
county's net cost of providing agricultural programs. Due to the
way this money is distributed, any cut in Net County Cost that the
Department receives would generally be followed by a cut in Gas
Tax refund revenue the following year. This funding source is
approximately $425,000 for the Department.
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A subvention of $5,600 is received from the state each year for
the Agricultural Commissioner position.
Approximately $130,000 of the Pesticide Mill Tax is distributed to
the Department each year partially based on hours and
inspections performed in pesticide enforcement.
Government Contracts
The Department contracts with the state each year to provide pest
detection trapping. The current contract is approximately
$385,000.
Various pesticide enforcement contracts including 100% reporting,
data entry, enforcement and residue sampling total an additional
$89,000.
Other miscellaneous state contracts for enforcement include
Nursery, Eggs, and Seed enforcement. These minor contract§
total approximately $4,000.
Weights & Measures division contracts are also minor. They
include funding for device Repairman, Weighmaster, and
Petroleum enforcement and total approximately $18,000.
Fees_ Paid for Service
The Department also receives some funding for services
provided. This would include funding from other county, city, and
public agencies for ground squirrel and artichoke thistle/
purplestar thistle control totaling approximately $50,000.
Additional funding from growers and the public total $9,000 for the
same programs.
Industw/ egistrat_ion_Fees
Device registration fees are collected each year by the Weights &
Measures Division amounting to $135,000.
9
The pest control industry registers with the Department each year
generating approximately $10,000 and growers/shippers of
agricultural commodities generally pay an additional $9,000 for
certification and trapping services.
Some reimbursement for expenses are derived from consumer
protection cases given to the County District Attorney's Office or
from administrative fines levied as a result of enforcement actions.
The amount received fluctuates each year.
Personnel Resources
Authorized Positions
The Department has a total of 40 authorized positions of which
25.6 are permanent full time equivalent and 14 are permanent
intermittent. Five positions are in Administration (Org 3300)
consisting of the department head, the assistant department head,
Executive Secretary, and two Clerks - Senior Level (one vacant
and unfunded) .
The Agricultural Division consists of 13.5 full time equivalent
positions and 14 permanent intermittent (contract) positions. This
represents an increase in staffing by .4 of a position over last year.
The increase is due to an employee, who had been working part-
time after taking maternity leave, returning to full time status.
The Weights & Measures Division consists of 7 full time positions.
Staif n-a rends
Historically our department has had a low turnover of staff,
however, we now have a large percentage of staff who have
reached retirement age. Four employees have retired in the last
two years. It is anticipated that this trend will continue for the next
few years as we have six other permanent staff who are currently
55 or older. This offers an on-going challenge for the Department
10
to provide the necessary staffing and training so that levels of
performance remain high.
Affirmative Action
The Department compares very favorably with the county workforce as
a whale:
Centra Costa department
County Workforce
Workforce Calendar Year
Race (1990 Census) 1997
White (non Hispanic) 72.11 78.94
Hispanics 10.56 10.52
Black 7.63 2.63
Am. Indian, Eskimo, 0.61 0
Aleutian
Asian & Pacific Isle. 8.98 7.89
Other (unspecified) 0.12 0
Male 54.5 60.5
Female 45.5 39.5
The Department continues to work towards recruiting minority and
women candidates for all positions. These recruitment efforts include
opening all positions to statewide recruitments, attending local job
fain, participating in career days at schools, and providing study
materials, guidance and even tutoring for those individuals who have
shown an interest in obtaining the licensing necessary to work in our
programs. Since it generally takes two to three years to train new
employees and get them licensed in enough areas to allow them to
work independently in the field, we take the recruitment process very
seriously.
In 1997 the Department, as a whole, had no changes in diversity.
However, we were successful in addressing specific positions in
11
which women have been under represented. Due to retirements we
were able to fill a management position, Deputy Agricultural
Commissioner, by promoting a highly deserving woman candidate.
Also due to retirement, we were successful in recruiting and hiring a
very talented woman candidate for the position of Weights and
Measures Inspector.
We are currently interviewing for two open positions. We hope to
continue to improve the diversity of our workforce while continuing to
select the strongest candidates.
Sick Leave
Being a small department we go through extreme swings in sick leave
usage each year. These swings in usage generally reflect special
circumstances such as major surgery, family illness or death, and
maternity leave. The Department tracks sick leave usage of all staff
members and includes discussion of sick leave in annual evaluations.
The last four years of permanent full time employee sick leave usage
is illustrated below:
Permanent Fulltime Staff Sick Leave Usage
2000
1800
1600
1400
1200
0 i
9000
0
800
600
400
200
0
1994 1995 1996 1997
Year
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When taking into account the extreme swings in sick leave usage
created by special circumstances, the Department's sick leave
numbers level off. The chart below illustrates the average number of
sick leave hours used each year per staff member for the last four
years. This average has ranged from a low of 48.5 hours to a high of
75.6 hours. The line on the chart illustrates what this average is per
employee when not counting usage due to special circumstances.
This average only ranges from 48.3 to 53:0 hours per employee.
Permanent Full Time Employees Average Moura
per Year
80 T
7° T
60 '
50
40
36
20
d 1°
0 —
1994 1995 Year 1996 1997
Average sick leave used per employee
Average sick leave used per employee (minus special uses)
In 1994 there were no special sick leave uses.
In1995 we had a staff member go on maternity leave, a staff member
was off two months due to surgery, and two staff members affected
by the illness and death of a parent.
In 1996 one staff member was affected by illness of a parent and
another with heart problems.
In 1997 three staff members were affected by the death of a parent or
grandchild. Two staff members required hospitalisation, three had a
parent, husband or child hospitalized and one had the Firth of a son.
In addition, three were dealing with issues revolving around providing
24 hour care for aging parents.
13
Staff Development
Performance Evaluations
All staff within the Department are given performance evaluations on
at least an annual basis. Those who are in a probationary status are
given evaluations every two months. Staff are encouraged to
comment about their evaluations. Sick leave usage is discussed as a
part of the process.
State personnel are encouraged to work in the field with Department
staff to evaluate effectiveness of enforcement programs. Reports are
submitted to the Commissioner/Sealer. All enforcement programs
which have been evaluated have met state requirements.
Staff Deye-f pment
Department staff have broad areas of responsibility and are required
to keep up on changing regulations, standards and issues. We
provide the opportunity to take classes and encourage the entire staff
to pursue the necessary training to receive licensing for all aspects of
the job. We believe our commitment to staff development leads to a
better quality of service for both the public and industry.
As an indication of our success in staff development, each Biologist
and Weights & Measures Inspector is currently licensed in all work
categories for their respective divisions. In addition, we are proud
that 7 out of our 11 Biologists were licensed to compete for an open
Deputy Agricultural Commissioner position last year. Having this
many employees who have taken career development to such high
levels is extremely unusual. For comparison, the Alameda County
Department of Agriculture has 12 Biologist positions with only one
being licensed as eligible for Deputy Agricultural Commissioner.
For the Agricultural Division staff we provide annual training in the
safe handling of pesticides. Other safety training provided to staff
members includes safe vehicle driving, forklift operation, CPR., First
Aid and proper use of self contained breathing apparatus for use
when entering a potentially dangerous environment.
Numerous staff members are active in state or regional professional
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groups which provide input and training on new regulations as well as
the latest information on subjects such as biological controls,
integrated pest management, worker protection standards,
environmental protection, and standards for weights & measures. At
least seven staff" members have served as chair for one or more
regional or state groups.
Automation
The Department has been faced with enforcing regulations which
seem to continually grow in number and complexity. Along with the
increasing workload of enforcing these regulations we have been
challenged with maintaining a growing volume of records; reports,
and data. To keep up with this workload, the Department has
gradually been converting reports, forms and data to computers.
Invoices for contracts and services, inventory, reportsand budget
plans are currently developed on the computer.
Our Weights & Measures Division is one of just a few in the Mate to
download data for the Mate monthly report directly to the Department
of Measurement Standards in Sacramento. For some of our
programs, the Weights & Measures Division is also automatically
downloading field inspection data directly to our office computer
system as well as downloading to the database in Sacramento,
Cour Agricultural Division electronically transfers one of ten State
monthly reports and is actively pursuing the electronic transfer of the
other reports with the California Department of Food and Agriculture
as well as the Department of Pesticide Regulation. This division is
also transferring Quarantine Dejection Notices directly to the state.
All of these procedures have resulted in saving time for our staff.
As part of our efforts to improve productivity and automate the
transfer of data with various State and Federal agencies, the
Department has transferred funds to the Department of Information
Technology for installation, testing and maintenance of both Internet
and County WAN connections to the Department We hope to have
these connections completed by the end of the 97/98 fiscal year.
The Department is currently examining other automated field
inspection programs for both Divisions. Programs which have been
15
developed for Phytosanitary Certification and Scanner inspection are
showing a greet deal of promise as time saving improvements we can
implement.
SECTION III - CUSTOMER SERVICES
Service Delivery System
Being an enforcement agency our primary service is providing a fair
and uniform enforcement of state and county regulations.
Enforcement guidelines are generally dictated by the state along with
mandates to provide the enforcement. At the local level we can set
enforcement priorities to a certain degree, however, funding is often
tied to enforcement levels and impacts many of the decisions.
Complaints referred to us by the public receive priority on all
enforcement programs.
Beyond enforcement there are other services the Department
provides. As part of our Worker Safety and Pesticide Enforcement
programs, staff members are asked to give classes and talks to
growers and businesses to help them understand and keep up with
regulatory changes. Staff have also been involved in job fairs and
career days at local schools. In 1997, staff members gave talks to 17
different groups, reaching an estimated audience of 7034 people, A
sampling of the organizations we gave presentations to would
include. the East Bay Regional Park Ecology Committee, Citizens
Advisory Committees for Dupont & Dow Chemical, the Bay Paint Job
Fair, the Public Works/Flood Control Seminar, Caltrans and the
California Association of Pest Control Advisors.
In addition to the presentations already mentioned, in January 1998
Department staff provided two continuing education seminars for
agricultural users of pesticides. These seminars were to help the
local industry comply with new continuing education requirements.
Over 144 growers/applicators attended these seminars in Brentwood.
Staff members also work with public and private groups to develop
Integrated Pest Management plans and Biological Controls. Over 28
biological weed control sites have been developed by staff members
on public and private lands to control noxious weeds within the county
while reducing the need for pesticide use.
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The Department works to control high ground squirrel populations
and noxious weeds such as artichoke thistle and purplestar thistle on
both public and private lands. These programs protect our local
agriculture, roads, levees, and dams from these pests while ensuring
that control efforts are made in an environmentally sound manner.
Other incidental services include pest/disease identification for the
public, cultural advice, and compiling statistical information on Contra
Costa County agricultural production.
Customer Profile
The Department serves all citizens of the county. Typical issues we
encounter include;
Agricultural businesses, growers, and private citizens looking for
information on regulatory issues involving nurseries, seed, eggs,
fruits, vegetables, pesticides, agricultural quarantines, importing and
exporting of commodities, apiaries, weeds and vertebrate pests.
Parents trying to determine if a plant their child ate was poisonous.
Homeowners trying to identify a specific insect or pantry pest.
Homeowners trying to determine the cause, extent, and control of
structural or plant damage due to insect, vertebrate or disease pests.
Growers, homeowners, and brokers requesting information and
certification inspections to ship items to other states or countries.
Consumers, brokers or retailers who feel they were shorted on
materials they purchased.
Consumers, brokers or retailers who feel they are getting
defective/inferior gas or petroleum products.
Citizen requests for information on pesticide safety and use.
Business complaints on unfair business practices by other firms.
17
Customer Relationships
The relationship of the Department with businesses and growers is
primarily on a regulatory basis. Growers who need Restricted Materials
Permits make appointments each year to meet with staff as they need
to be updated on new regulations and requirements. Likewise, pest
control businesses make appointments to meet with staff to register with
the County and receive necessary permits. Commercial businesses
who need to register their weighing and measuring devices are handled
primarily by mail.
Regulatory inspections on growers and businesses to insure compliance
are generally made without warning. Other types of inspections such as
quarantine or certification inspections are handled by regularly
scheduled inspections or special appointments.
Services of identifying pests and giving cultural advice are generally
handled by phone or by customers bringing samples into the office for
identification. Pest management services for ground squirrels or
artichoke thistlelpurplestar thistle are generally arranged through direct
contact with individuals controlling property where a problem has been
identified.
Since the Department is primarily a regulatory agency there has been
no formal survey for customer satisfaction. Feedback is received from
both the public and industry through department representation at
various public and special interest meetings.
SECTION IV - ANNUAL PERFORMANCE
It is difficult to establish indicators for a department that is essentially
enforcement oriented. The Department takes pride in providing efficient
programs which are focused on criteria specific to the needs of the
County. Based on the estimated county population of 879,200 and our
budgeted Net County Cost for 97198, the Department protects and
promotes agriculture while it benefits all citizens by providing programs
in both consumer protection and environmental protection for a net per
capita cost of 74 cents per resident.
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Performance Indicators
Weights & Measures
The Weights & Measures programs are completely based on consumer
protection. A higher percentage of their programs are funded through
county general funds. As a result, a great deal of emphasis is placed on
efficient delivery of services.
This Division inspects weighing and measuring devices which are used
for commercial purposes. They also respond to consumer complaints.
The chart below compares the number of weighing devices inspected
against the number of inspection hours:
Weighing Device inspection Efficiency
1
9000--
8000-
7000
6000
0
_x
5008
4000
3000
2000
1000
0 1993 1894 7996 1997
==Weighing Devices inspected Weighing Device inspecflon Hcsurs
The trend for the last five years has been a gradual increase in the
number of devices inspected while the hours to do the inspections have
gradually decreased. In 1997, the number of inspections suddenly
decreased while the comparative number of hours required to perform
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inspections increased. This is the direct impact of the Department
losing 29% of its experienced Weights and Measures Inspectors. These
losses were the result of a retirement and an employee returning to her
former employer due to our Tier 11 retirement system. The new
employees hired to fill these positions show a great deal of promise.
Nevertheless, additional time is required to provide training and develop
skills which will maximize their productivity. We are proud of the fact
that these new employees have already been successful in obtaining all
required licenses.
Aarigulture
The Department places emphasis on physically being present to monitor
pesticide use in the field and on previewing applications for safety and
environmental factors. This provides workers and residents with
additional assurances that the conditions and practices used were
proper and safe.
The chart below illustrates the level of work maintained on pesticide
enforcement in comparison to the state average and the Say Area
county* average for the FY 1996/97 (based on draft State figures).
96197 Pssitic€de Enforcement Activity Levels
92.00% -
9..69°,
i
8.00%
Ja 6.60%
5M%
6.00%
C
m
a
4.00%
2.90%
i
2.00%
1.10%
0.50°l°
0.00% S#ate Average Bay Area Average Contra Costa Average
C!i€Pre-appll-tion€nspections EAppiication inspections
20
_. .... ......... _......_.......... _
...... .............................................. ....... _ _ _ _
*Bay area average is the average of work done (% of applications
inspected) by Contra Costa, Alameda, Marin, San Francisco, San
Mateo, Santa Clara, and Solano counties.
The Department also places emphasis on pest exclusion by inspecting
quarantine commodities to reduce the risk of a new exotic pest
becoming established in the County. The need for this emphasis is
made evident by the fact that Contra Costs► County residents were
impacted by two pest eradication programs during the 1980's.
Today's mobile society increases the chance of new pest introductions.
As one example, in 1997 staff intercepted Zebra Mussel on a sailboat
from Chicago, Illinois. This aquatic pest was first reported in North
America in 1988. By 1990 it infested all of the Great lakes. Densities
of adult zebra mussels have been reported up to 700,000 per square
meter in lake Erie. Colonies build up to a thickness of 5 feet! As a
result of this interception the boat's hull was steam cleaned before
placing it in the water.
Alameda County detected Gypsy Math in 1993, 1994 and 1995. They
also detected Japanese Beetle and Oriental Fruit Fly in 1996 and 1997.
Our staff detected a single Oriental Fruit Fly in the City of Concord in
1995 and last year we intercepted one Gypsy Moth in Orinda. Also in
1997 we had our first introduction of Africanized honey Bees in
Crockett. Fortunately, it appears that no infestations of these exotic
pests have become established as a result of these introductions.
The quality of the work performed by our staff is represented by the
chart on the next page. This chart illustrates 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996
and 1997 Gypsy Moth inspection data. During this period the County
inspected 3-5% of the shipments which came into the State from
infested Gypsy Moth areas. Staff has consistently intercepted a higher
percentage of infested shipments than would be anticipated by their
workload. These interceptions have maintained a range of 8-30%, of
interceptions made for the entire State.
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Quality of Work Performed
s
40
.= vs 30
p
C 20
Oto) 10
01093 1994 1995 1996 1997
Year
■ % of State Gypsy [doth Interceptions
% of State Gypsy Moth Inspections
SECTION V - CHALLENGES AND NEW DIRECTIONS
Challenges
As a Department, staffing is currently our number one issue. We have
been fairly successful in absorbing increasing workloads by trying to
maintain highly trained professionals, by computerizing records and
inspection forms and by providing time-saving equipment. While we
have been successful in these efforts, we are now faced with new
challenges created by having an experienced but aging staff. These
challenges come from four areas;
1. The loss of experienced staff due to retirement has already been
discussed. While we are in a period of transition, additional time will be
required for training new individuals. This time will have an impact on
the efficiency of certain programs as illustrated by the number of
weighing devices we were able to inspect in 1997. This transition to
new staff is expected to be an issue in various programs for another
three to five years.
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2. Nearly 60% of our staff have over fifteen years of service with the
county and over 40% have more than twenty years of service. These
individuals are now earning four to seven weeks of vacation per year.
With such a high percentage of people in these categories, we have the
added challenge of constantly redistributing our workforce to provide
adequate coverage for programs when people are on vacation.
I With young professionals there is the challenge of dealing with
maternity leave and sick leave usage to take care of sick children.
While these are certainly a drain on staff time, they don't generally have
the added impact of leaving emotional trauma. We are finding that with
an older workforce, more of the sick leave usage is directed at dealing
with aging parents, adult children in crisis or assisting with
grandchildren. Many of these uses are truly 'emergencies" in nature and
involve life threatening illnesses, operations or difficult decisions in
providing 24 hour care. There is a lingering emotional trauma which
accompanies some of these emergencies which can impact the work
environment.
4. Cour success in developing dedicated professionals has the
unexpected side effect of adding stress to these individuals when they
see the three challenges listed above impacting the productivity of their
programs. We are pleased with the dedication and team approach of
our staff in meeting these challenges, but need to explore ways to
relieve pressures. We are currently trying to bring in temporary
employees to handle some of the work which doesn't require a special
license.
At the same time that we are facing these staffing challenges we are
watching an ever increasing list of issues and potential workloads
developing at the State and Federal levels for both agricultural and
weights and measures programs. A sampling of these would include:
Weights and Measures
1 . The State has adopted the inspection procedures as outlined in
Handbook 44. This was done in an effort to provide national uniformity.
Unfortunately in the case of large capacity/vehicle scale inspections,
these procedures have the impact of requiring expensive, new
inspection equipment or modifications to existing equipment. Even
worse, they are estimated to double the time required to perform an
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inspection of one of these scales.
It is our opinion that these new procedures do not increase protection for
either the public or industry. Our Department currently has a staff
member serving on a subcommittee which is reviewing this segment of
the procedures. We hope to develop an acceptable alternative to this
change in workload and equipment.
2. The deregulation of the power industry by the PUC has the California
Agricultural Commissioners and Sealer's Association carefully
monitoring the process. Currently our staff is responsible for inspecting
meters and handling complaints when energy is sub-metered to
customers (such as a trailer park charging for use of electricity to their
renters). If P.G. & E. provides the power directly to the customer, the
PUC is currently responsible for handling any complaints. We are
obviously concerned over who will handle complaints following
deregulation.
Agriculture
1. There is growing concern whether regulations and oversight on the
disposal of sludge and ash on agricultural lands are adequate. These
concerns come from a number of issues. One being a question whether
bacterial food safety issues have been properly considered. A second
being concern over long term impacts on land use and productivity. The
third being concerns over the potential impact on exports to foreign
countries.
Recent draft policy statements by State agencies have suggested
placing local Agricultural Commissioners in a position which would
require them to determine suitable agricultural use, However, criteria
and mechanisms to make this determination have not been established.
2. Environmental issues involving endangered species, water quality,
air quality and habitat preservation are continually being worked on by
other State, Federal and County agencies. Decisions made on these
issues can have a direct impact on staff workload for pesticide use
enforcement. Often, we have staff involved in meetings concerning
environmental issues. They are asked to give input on industry
standards and the enforceability of proposed regulations.
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• Conflicts at the-Ag/Urban Interface continue to create a major challenge.
Complaints by new homeowners of noises, slow-moving equipment,
dust, pesticides, and smell due to agricultural operations are not new.
However, with an urban growth rate in agricultural areas which has
averaged over 10% per year over the last 14 years, we are constantly
dealing with educating new residents about these issues. Growers, who
suddenly find themselves next to a housing development also need help
in learning how to co-exist with their new neighbors. The Department
is constantly challenged to meet expectations of both the public and
growers in helping to address their issues.
• Preserving a healthy agricultural industry is also a challenge. In early
1997 the Board approved the formation of an independent Agricultural
Land Preservation Trust for Contra Costa County. With the formation
of this trust, the Agricultural Commissioner was placed on the trust
Board of Directors as one of its founding members. During the last year
there has been a great deal of effort put into.trying to create a structure
that will truly serve to protect agriculture in this county.
[Many of the issues the trust is trying to address are quite complicated.
These include funding, property rights, priorities, representation, conflict
of interest, public access, fiscal management and setting clear goals.
There is both a sense of frustration and urgency in 'trying to work
through all of these issues. However, the time being invested to
customize a trust which responds to local needs should prove to be a
sound investment.
New Directions
As part of our attempts to improve services, our entire staff participated
in a meeting where each was asked to present one idea for each of
three questions. blow can we improve existing programs? What new
service could we provide to assist the public or industry? What can
management do to improve employee job satisfaction? 'After listing all
of the ideas, staff were allowed to indicate their top five priorities for
each question. One consistent theme was to provide more staffing for
existing programs. Other new services which were suggested would
require more staffing to implement. However, there were some top
choices which we felt we could try to implement. These include:
increase public awareness of weights & measures programs, provide
laptops for field input of data, automate some information services for
25
the public, and increase job diversification.
There are a couple current pieces of legislation which may help us
address staffing issues by providing additional funding. AB2283 is
currently a committee spot bill which has been introduced as a result of
the study required by SB 20362 (Rogers) in 1996. Among other things,
this study identified the need to adequately fund and supplement the
county costs of providing pest exclusion activities. The recommendation
of the study was to increase funding to counties by approximately $14
million. This increase would help in the recovery of existing county costs
plus provide for improvements in the exclusion program. To meet these
improvements we would be expected to provide staffing at times when
industry sorts commodities for delivery. This legislation currently has
broad support from industry and CSAC. The other piece of legislation,
SB 369, may provide funding for weights and measures scanner
inspections. Industry is still discussing funding mechanisms.
The Department is continuing to take an increasing role in Biological
control efforts by working with the University and other agencies to
develop, distribute and promote their use. We hope to address pest
problems threatening Contra Costa residents and local agriculture by
finding environmentally safe and economically viable alternatives. We
have already increased our involvement in Biological control programs
by helping to establish release sites on public and private lands.
Cour efforts to help develop Integrated Fest Management (IPM)
programs in schools were hampered last year as a result of our staffing
shortages. Interest in this area still exists as illustrated by two pieces of
legislation introduced this year. These bills would require pesticide
management or reduction programs at schools. We already have staff
who have the knowledge and skills necessary to implement these types
of programs. We are currently trying to dedicate the time necessary to
design an effective program by utilizing temporary help in the
Artichoke/Purplestar control program.
The Department will continue to look forward to meeting future
challenges by working pro-actively with the public, industry, and other
government agencies.
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CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
Department of Agriculture
1998
DEPARTMENT PERFORMANCE REP'C RT
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