ITEM:		CONSENT CALENDAR
11.	CONSIDER CONVERTING THE HYDROLOGY TECHNICIAN TO AN ASSISTANT HYDROLOGIST POSITION AT STEP 30
Meeting Date:			July 19, 2021	Budgeted:	No
From:			David J. Stoldt,	Program/	N/A
			General Manager	Line Item No.:
Prepared By:			David J. Stoldt	Cost Estimate:	$3,504 annually plus benefits
General Counsel Approval:  N/A
Committee Recommendation:  The Administrative Committee reviewed this item on July 12, 2021 and recommended approval.
CEQA Compliance:  This action does not constitute a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines Section 15378.

SUMMARY:  In September 2020, the District’s Hydrology Technician Position was vacated when the employee holding that position resigned from the District. Due to limitations related to the Pandemic, the position was not immediately rehired. Training a new employee to work in the Hydrology Program requires ride sharing and working in close proximity to coworkers and these activities were not appropriate with the health and safety restrictions. In order for the Water Resources Division (WRD) to function one employee down, the duties of the Hydrology Technician position were divided among the remaining Water Resources Division employees resulting large individual workloads. District business was accomplished but at the cost of shifting priorities, deferring maintenance, higher-level positions completing lower-level work, and pushing out project completion goals until the employee could be replaced.

Through the close coordination and task sharing, insight was gained into the WRD organization and the need for cross training was recognized. In the next 5 years, two of the current District employees holding high-level positions in the Hydrology Program will be of retirement age. Converting the Hydrology Technician Position to a Hydrologist Position will allow the new employee to complete the tasks previously assigned to the Hydrologist Technician and support higher-level positions when their programs are busy. This will provide the new employee cross training and experience in the higher-level functions of the District and create a transition blueprint for the Hydrology Program for the next 5 years.

Converting the position has an annual cost of $3,504 due to the difference in salary between the positions. However, hiring this position will allow the District to take advantage of the new positions skill set to offset costs elsewhere. For example, the WRD will be able to perform in Division GIS work and only use the GIS consultant for technical support and not work product. Currently the WRD relies on Lynx Technologies for GIS work product. A budget adjustment will not be necessary for this action because the previous position will have been funded and vacant for several months in FY 2021-2022 b y the time the new employee is hired.

RECOMMENDATION:  The Board will consider authorizing the General Manager to convert the Hydrology Technician Position to a Hydrologist Position at Range 30 on the MPWMD Salary Schedule.

BACKGROUND:  In September 2020 the employee holding the Hydrology Technician position resigned and the District has not rehired the position due to Covid-19 Pandemic restrictions on working in close proximity with co-workers. The Hydrology Program requires employees to ride around in trucks and work in close proximity when operating water resource projects and collecting hydrologic data. A new employee requires approximately 12 months of training before they have gained the knowledge and skill sets to work autonomously. Now that the restrictions have been lifted and the District is beginning the re-opening process, the Water Resources Division is seeking to replace this employee.

At the District, the Hydrologist position is a journey level position offering a career ladder and the Hydrologist Technician is not. The WRD is looking to attract a type of employee that is interested in a career track with the District that can be utilized in succession plans in the Hydrology Program.

EXHIBIT

11-A Assistant Hydrologist Job Description

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