ITEM:		CONSENT CALENDAR
10.	AUTHORIZE A CHANGE TO THE ORGANIZATION CHART REPLACING ONE CONSERVATION REPRESENTATIVE I/II POSITION WITH A CONSERVATION ANALYST POSITION
Meeting Date:			April 20, 2009	Budgeted:	NO
From:			Darby Fuerst,	Program:	N/A
			General Manager	Line Item No.:
Prepared By:			Cynthia Schmidlin	Cost Estimate:	$15,122
General Counsel Approval: N/A
Committee Recommendation: The Administrative Committee reviewed this item on April 14, 2009 and recommended approval.
CEQA Compliance: N/A

SUMMARY: The organization chart for the Water Demand Division includes the Water Demand Manager, one Conservation Technician II and three Conservation Representative I/II positions. One of the Conservation Representative I/II positions is currently vacant. Conservation Representative I/II (Exhibit 10-A) is a developmental job classification. Incumbents start as a Conservation Representative I at Range 20 on the District’s salary chart and develop over a period of several years to Conservation Representative II at Range 24. Conservation Representatives assist the public in understanding District regulations related to permit requirements and provides information on how to meet conservation requirements on specific properties. Their duties include property inspections, water credit calculations, compliance enforcement, landscape auditing, and water permitting. Conservation Representatives use basic mathematics to analyze water use as it relates to permit applications, water use credit applications, and appeals/special circumstances. However, they do not prepare and present complex analytical reports utilizing general consumption data.

Rather than fill the Conservation Representative vacancy, it has been determined that there is a greater need for a higher level position. The Water Demand Manager requires the support of an individual skilled in statistical analysis and report writing to gather and analyze data and information related to water use and conservation efficiency. This approach is being used in a growing number of water agencies in California and other states, as the need for water conservation accounting becomes more recognized. Similar work is performed by the Water Conservation Administrator at East Bay Municipal Water District in Oakland, the Water Resources Specialist at San Diego County Water Authority, as well as by positions in smaller agencies.

A new District classification of Conservation Analyst, placed in Range 30 on the District’s salary chart (Exhibit 10-B), could evaluate water use by industry, commercial customers, irrigators, developers, and public agencies. The incumbent of this position could manage large data sets to analyze the success of our conservation program, verifying savings and putting them into context. Data analyses by a Conservation Analyst could assist greatly in water demand projections and program development. The District is in the process of implementing its sophisticated new data base project and acquiring a large amount of consumption data. Analysis of this wealth of data would provide valuable information for the Water Demand Manager in the preparation of testimony for Public Utilities Commission and California State Water Control Board hearings and comments to the State Assembly on pending legislature. A Conservation Analyst would also be able to work with the Chief Technology Officer to develop reports on water demand and conservation issues, as the Water Resources and Planning and Engineering Divisions produce regular reports on the condition of the Peninsula aquifers and the Carmel River.

RECOMMENDATION: Authorize a change to the District’s organization chart (Exhibit 10-C) replacing one Conservation Representative I/II position with a Conservation Analyst position, effective July 1, 2009. (Exhibit 10-D)

IMPACTS TO STAFF/RESOURCES: Replacement of one Conservation Representative I/II position with a Conservation Analyst position would cost approximately $15,122 over the next fiscal year period. The funds for this change will be included in the proposed 2009-2010 budget.

BACKGROUND: The Board added a third Conservation Representative I/II to the organization chart for FY 2007-2008. The cost of one Conservation Representative I/II position is currently reimbursed by California American Water.

EXHIBITS

10-A Job Description for Conservation Representative I/II

10-B Job Description for Conservation Analyst

10-C Current MPWMD Organization Chart

10-D Proposed MPWMD Organization Chart

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