ITEM:		CONSENT CALENDAR
10.	AUTHORIZE FUNDS TO CONTRACT FOR LIMITED-TERM FIELD POSITIONS DURING FY 2024-2025
Meeting Date:			May 20, 2024	Budgeted:	Yes
From:			David J. Stoldt, General Manager	Program/	Aquatic Resources Fisheries
Prepared By:			Nishil Bali	Cost Estimate:	Up to $79,629
General Counsel Approval: N/A
Committee Recommendation: The Finance and Administration Committee reviewed this item on May 13, 2024 and recommended approval.
CEQA Compliance: This action does not constitute a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines Section 15378.

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 not to exceed 1,000 hours per year. Funding for these positions will be included in the proposed 2024-2025 Fiscal Year (FY) budget.

Authorization is requested to hire one part-time limited-term Water Resources Assistant for a total of 990 hours. 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, and winter adult steelhead weir operations (new additional work). These positions are 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. The Water Resources Assistant would be paid $21.00 per hour and cost up to $20,790.

Authorization is also requested to hire several part-time limited-term Fisheries Aides for up to a total of 2,580 hours of work during FY 2024-2025. These individuals will assist staff with basic labor tasks in the intensive rescues of steelhead juveniles and smolts in the lower Carmel River, as well as fall population sampling, spring smolt rescues, and winter adult steelhead weir operations. Fisheries aids also help with vegetation management activities along the Carmel River. The Fisheries Aides would be paid $20.00 per hour and cost up to $51,600.

RECOMMENDATION: The Finance and Administration Committee recommends that the Board approve the limited-term Water Resources Assistant for up to a total of 990 hours of work and several Fisheries Aides for up to 2,580 hours of work. The approval of this item is contingent upon the adoption of FY 2024-2025 budget by the Board.

IMPACTS TO STAFF/RESOURCES: The total cost of the limited-term contracts described above would not exceed $79,629 which includes the 10% overhead of the hourly rate. 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. They have also been integral in conducting the California Stream Bioassessment Procedure (CSBP), developed by the Department of Fish and Game as a rapid bioassessment protocol and method to track overall stream health. 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, lagoon water quality monitoring, well production, and groundwater quality historical data compilation. These employees will work in the Environmental Resources Division and be supervised by the Environmental Resources Manager.

B. Fisheries Aides: Over the past two decades, District staff has initiated rescues when streamflow receded below ten cubic feet per second at Highway One. This has occurred anytime between March and September. The District will be rescuing and transporting three groups of steelhead, including smolts, kelts (spawned-out adults), and juveniles. The smolts and kelts will be transported downstream to the lagoon or ocean, while juveniles will be transported upstream to permanent habitats above the Narrows. Additional help is needed to successfully perform this critical function. If staff attempted to conduct rescues with fewer workers, more fish would be lost because a smaller crew cannot effectively keep up with the number needing rescue and cannot work fast enough to keep up with the retreating riverfront. It would also increase the risk of on-the-job injuries for people working too strenuously as they attempt to complete two critical jobs in the same period of time. The incumbents of this position will work in the Environmental Resources Division and be supervised by the Environmental Resources Manager.

EXHIBIT

None

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