REPORT TO SHASTA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

BOARD MEETING DATE:  March  28, 2023
CATEGORY:  Regular - General Government-9.

SUBJECT:

Adopt a resolution which: (1) Directs Support Services – Personnel staff to meet individually with County employees assigned to the Opportunity Center program in order to discuss job skills, qualifications and work experience and identify alternate County positions which the employee may qualify for; (2) suspends Sections 6.1, Recruitment Procedures; 6.2, Screening of Applications; 6.3, Written and Oral Examinations; 6.4, Eligible Lists; and 6.5, Continuous Recruitments of the Shasta County Personnel Rules in order to allow County employees assigned to the Opportunity Center program to be placed in vacant positions without having to compete for County positions if displaced as a result of the anticipated closure of the Opportunity Center program; (3) establishes a 6-month probationary period for County employees which are placed in vacant positions as a result of the waiver of the Personnel Rules provisions for employees who have reached permanent status in their current position at the Opportunity Center; and (4) confirms that nothing in the resolution shall require any County appointing authority to hire an employee currently assigned to the Opportunity Center program, or otherwise affect the lawful discretion of any County appointing authority in hiring decisions.

Supervisorial District No. :  All

DEPARTMENT CONTACT:  Shelley Forbes, Director of Support Services, (530) 225-5515

STAFF REPORT APPROVED BY:  Shelley Forbes, Director of Support Services

RECOMMENDATION

Adopt a resolution which: (1) Directs Support Services – Personnel staff to meet individually with County employees assigned to the Opportunity Center program in order to discuss job skills, qualifications and work experience and identify alternate County positions which the employee may qualify for; (2) suspends Sections 6.1, Recruitment Procedures; 6.2, Screening of Applications; 6.3, Written and Oral Examinations; 6.4, Eligible Lists; and 6.5, Continuous Recruitments of the Shasta County Personnel Rules in order to allow County employees assigned to the Opportunity Center program to be placed in vacant positions without having to compete for County positions if displaced as a result of the anticipated closure of the Opportunity Center program; (3) establishes a 6-month probationary period for County employees which are placed in vacant positions as a result of the waiver of the Personnel Rules provisions for employees who have reached permanent status in their current position at the Opportunity Center; and (4) confirms that nothing in the resolution shall require any County appointing authority to hire an employee currently assigned to the Opportunity Center program, or otherwise affect the lawful discretion of any County appointing authority in hiring decisions.

DISCUSSION

The Opportunity Center (OC) was formed in 1964 by a group of concerned parents of children with disabilities who wanted more employment opportunities to be available for their children. The OC’s mission is to develop productive and meaningful employment opportunities for adults with disabilities. The OC began as a program of the Shasta County Department of Social Services (DSS), and eventually became part of the Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA). As of pay period 20, there are 40 full-time OC County employees.

The OC is a vendor for Far Northern Regional Center (FNRC) and provides services to clients of FNRC and the California Department of Rehabilitation. In October 2022, the Board of Supervisors received a presentation from HHSA staff and provided direction to engage with stakeholders regarding the possible transition of the Opportunity Center to a private non-profit model under a new vendor. On February 28, 2023, the Board decided to close the Opportunity Center program. The estimated date for the anticipated closure of the program is June 30, 2023.

The closure of the Opportunity Center program will result in the displacement of County employees assigned to the OC program. The resolution, if adopted, would direct Support Services – Personnel staff to meet individually with each impacted employee in order to discuss job skills, qualifications, and work history with the goal of identifying alternate County positions the employee may qualify for with the end goal of placing these employees in vacant positions for which they are qualified. In order to accomplish this without requiring these employees to compete for County positions, the resolution waives sections of Chapter 6, Recruitments and Appointments, of the Shasta County Personnel Rules. If an employee elects not to accept placement in the proposed position(s), then the employee will be placed in a lay-off status in accordance with Chapter 17 of the Shasta County Personnel Rules.

The resolution would further establish a 6-month probationary period for any employee who has reached permanent status in their current position at the OC and who is placed in a vacant County position as a result of this action. Employees affected by this action who have not reached permanent status in their current position at the OC will serve a 12-month probationary period in accordance with Section 6.17 of the Personnel Rules.

The resolution also confirms that nothing in this Resolution shall require any County appointing authority to hire an employee currently assigned to the Opportunity Center program, or otherwise affect the lawful discretion of any County appointing authority in hiring decisions.

ALTERNATIVES

The Board may choose not to adopt this resolution and/or provide alternate direction to staff.

OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT

County Counsel has approved the resolution as to form. The County Administrative Office has reviewed this recommendation.

FISCAL IMPACT

There are no fiscal costs associated with this recommendation.

cc:

Mary E. Williams, Acting County Executive Officer

Laura Burch, HHSA Director

Christy Coleman, HHSA Assistant Director

Dwayne Green, HHSA Branch Director

Julie Hope, HHSA Deputy Branch Director

Monica Fugitt, Assistant Director of Support Services

Kari Kibler, Deputy Director of Support Services