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ITEM: |
CONSENT CALENDAR |
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6. |
AUTHORIZE RAISE ($1/HR)
FOR LIMITED-TERM WATER RESOURCES ASSISTANT FY 2023-2024 |
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Meeting
Date: |
August 21,
2023 |
Budgeted: |
Yes |
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From: |
David J.
Stoldt, General
Manager |
Program/ |
Aquatic Resources Fisheries |
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Line Item No.: |
2-3-1 I, 2-3-2 B, C; 2-3-3 C, 2-3-4 C |
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Prepared
By: |
Suresh
Prasad |
Cost Estimate: |
Additional $1,089 to previously approved $19,602 for a total of $20,691 |
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General
Counsel Approval: N/A |
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Committee
Recommendation: The Finance and Administration
Committee reviewed this item on August 14, 2023 and
recommended approval. |
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CEQA Compliance: This action
does not constitute a project as defined by the California Environmental
Quality Act Guidelines Section 15378. |
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SUMMARY: The District has funded limited-term positions to assist District staff in the completion of field activities for many years. These positions are not on the District organization chart and these incumbents are not included in the District bargaining units. The schedules for these positions are part-time and largely seasonal in nature. Contracts are for six-month periods of time or less. However, limited-term employees may be offered subsequent contracts up to a total of 1,000 hours per year. Funding for these positions is included in the proposed 2023-2024 Fiscal Year (FY) budget.
Authorization is requested to adjust the hourly rate of the Water Resources Assistant (WRA) from $18.00 an hour to $19.00 an hour for a total of 990 hours and apply this retroactively to July 1, 2023, for the current WRA. The hours will be used for summer-fall juvenile fish rescues, fall population sampling, Sleepy Hollow Steelhead Rearing Facility maintenance, spring smolt rescues, vegetation management, irrigation system operation, and winter adult steelhead weir operations. This position is essential to staff crews led by permanent staff, as well as to prevent the accrual of excessive compensatory time and overtime for higher level regular full-time positions. If the Board approves this item, the WRA would be paid $19.00 per hour for a cost up to $20,691. The Board previously approved $18.00 per hour on June 12, 2023, for a cost of $19,602. Increasing the Water Resources Assistant pay would result in an additional cost of $1,089.
RECOMMENDATION: The Finance and Administration Committee recommends that the Board approve a $1 increase in the Water Resources Assistant hourly rate for up to a total of 990 hours of work.
IMPACTS TO STAFF/RESOURCES: The total cost of the limited-term WRA described above would not exceed $20,691. It should also be noted that limited-term employees receive no District benefits. In addition to their hourly wages, additional costs to the District are limited to legally mandated payroll taxes and workers compensation insurance premiums.
BACKGROUND:
A. Water Resources Assistants: This job classification was created in December 1998 to assist staff in the Water Resources Division with field and administrative tasks, including rescuing of juvenile steelhead in the lower Carmel River, surveying of steelhead populations and spawning habitat, and monitoring of groundwater and surface water resources within the Monterey Peninsula Water Resource System. It is needed to help ensure that tasks for the District’s Fisheries Mitigation Program are completed on schedule. Without the assistance of limited-term help, the ability to conduct these tasks would be compromised. Additionally, the Water Resources Assistants will support regular staff with vegetation management and irrigation system operation. This employee will work in the Environmental Resources Division and be supervised by the Environmental Resources Manager.
EXHIBIT
None
U:\staff\Boardpacket\2023\20230821\Consent
Calendar\06\Item-6.docx