Staff Report 6.1 Organizational and Staffing Assessment Study

Analysis

In part due to the retirement of Sonoma LAFCO’s former Deputy Executive Officer, the Commission authorized staff to seek a consultant to conduct an Organizational and Staffing Assessment Study to determine appropriate staffing levels and how best to allocate staff activities.

Koff & Associates has completed the report (Attachment 1), and staff is seeking the Commission’s input and direction with regard to the broad conclusions of the study.

Generally, for significant staffing changes that would impact Sonoma LAFCO’s budget, staff would seek counsel from the Budget Committee and then the Commission as a whole.  In this case, staff is not recommending staffing changes that would impact the current adopted budget.

Background

In part due to staffing changes, and to dovetail with the Commission’s strategic planning session held early this year, the Commission agreed with staff’s recommendation to seek a consultant to conduct a staffing and organizational study.

From staff’s perspective, the study’s primary goal was to determine what appropriate level of staffing is required to conduct Commission business, what staffing types/skill levels were needed, and what organizational adjustments should be undertaken to improve staff performance.

Koff & Associates has completed the study, incorporating extensive interviews with staff and evaluations of similar agencies (primarily LAFCO’s that have similar geographical territories).

The broad conclusions of the study include:

• Creation of LAFCO-specific job descriptions for four classifications.
• Increasing staffing to 3.7 Full Time Equivalents (“FTEs”).
• Expansion of Commission outreach activities to apportioned agencies (primarily cities and special districts).
• Establishment of an Outreach Committee to develop outreach strategies.
• Continuation of staff participation in CALAFCO training and networking activities.
• Assessment of opportunities for staff and Commissioners to participate in CALAFCO at a committee level.

Staff Recommendations

Job Descriptions

Staff concurs with the study recommendation that job descriptions for staff positions should be created, primarily as a means of designating work flows and responsibilities.

(Other than the Executive Officer, staff positions are currently “mapped” to rather generic descriptions used for County job classifications.  Specific descriptions would be used internally, as well as for hiring in the future.)

Staffing Levels

Staff believes that current conditions, which are being impacted by the health crisis (including impending impacts on client agency finances), and a slowing of fire and emergency service agency reorganization activity, warrants at least a short-term approach of maintaining current staffing levels.

The Commission staff is currently working with 2.9 Full Time Equivalent positions: a full-time Executive Officer, 0.9 FTE Analyst I/II, and 0.8 FTE Commission Clerk.

Staff believes that annexation proposals will remain relatively infrequent, that Outside Service Area Authorizations will remain at current levels, and that Municipal Service Review and Sphere of Influence amendment work will slow in the current fiscal year.

Staff is also acutely aware that agency clients, particularly the County and Cities, potentially face steep declines in revenue due to the economic impacts of the current health crisis, and that the Commission may consider it prudent to moderate expenditure increases or to lower costs in order to reduce agency apportionments.

Therefore staff is recommending that at least in the short term (the current fiscal year), the Commission authorize continued staffing at 2.9 FTEs. Staff will continue to monitor a work plan and proposal volumes, and will keep the Commission apprised of changes that might warrant staffing increases.

Commission and Staff Outreach Activities

At the Commission’s strategic planning workshop earlier this year, the opportunity to conduct more proactive outreach activities to client agencies and the general public was broached.

The Commission had a broad consensus that current levels of outreach were nominally appropriate, and tasked the Executive Officer with maintaining current activities and amending them as needed.

CALAFCO

The Commission has directed staff to continue to interact with CALAFCO on legislative affairs matters, transitioning those activities to the Executive Officer.
(The former Deputy Executive Officer was a long-time member of CALAFCO’s Legislative Committee.  While the Executive Officer cannot ensure that level of involvement – the Committee is an elected body – appropriate engagement will be undertaken.)

The Commission also indicated that Commissioner involvement in CALAFCO would be at individual Commissioner discretion.

Recommendation

Staff recommends that the Commission accept the Organizational and Staffing Assessment Study prepared by Koff & Associates.

Staff seeks input and direction from the Commission regarding both short- and long-term staffing and organizational priorities.

Alternate Recommendation 

None

Attachments 

1.  Organizational and Staffing Assessment Study prepared by Koff & Associates for the Sonoma Local Agency Formation Commission