HomeMy WebLinkAbout06.a.,b.,c. (Handout)6. a , b., c...
REMOVED
To: Board of Directors, Central Contra Costa Sanitary Vstrict JUL., 12011
From: Rick Hernandez, Vice - President, CCCSDEA sEMrzT � 9 °a OW71VT
Subject: Board Agenda, July 21, 2011, Items 6 — A, B &C
The first issue with Items 6 -- A, B, & C is that for some reason they circumvented the
Board of Directors Standing Committee on Human Resources. Instead, these actions
were handled by the Ad Hoc 2011 -2012 Succession Planning Committee. This
Committee being an ad hoc committee did not post Agenda or Minutes of the meetings
and therefore the proper dialogue regarding these HR actions was omitted. Although
Ad Hoc committees are not required to post agendas or minutes, the other Ad Hoc
committees have been posting on the District's website for the public to view. It almost
appears as if these actions are being rushed to avoid the proper discussionlreview they
deserve.
An alternative /consideration to all three Papers should be to create these positions, if
needed, and openly recruit for these according to District Code 4.16. Open and fair
recruitments are closer to meeting the Policy of the District to "evaluate and select
employees on the basis of merit and to determine individual merit through performance
and competitive examinations" (District Code 4.04.090 — Declaration of Policy).
Additionally, open recruitments instead of the customary appointments of provisional,
overfilling and underfilling of positions that has apparently become common place at the
District is also closer to meeting the District's policy of Equal Employment Opportunity
(District Code 4.08.010). Past appointments of provisional, overfilling and underfilling
positions has actually been detrimental to succession planning.
Although the District's code provides for provisional appointments, the proposed HR
actions stray too far from the Districts recruitment policy and opens the door for the
appointment or grooming of favorite employees without regard to merit. The position of
Senior Engineer is critical to the operations of the District and this position is one step
below management level positions. Future managers will likely come from these
positions. Therefore, the filling of these positions should occur openly, fairly, and in a
manner that will ensure the District is getting the best candidate.
I request the Board reject these three personnel actions and instead direct management
to follow a procedure that is closer to the letter and spirit of the District's code for
recruitments and promotions. The District's code /policy for creating a personnel
plan /budget, including recruitments and promotions, has built in checks and balances
for a reason.
We have been discussing succession planning circa 2004 when it was first identified as
a top priority for the District. Unfortunately, the so called "succession planning" is now a
failed campaign. Given the advance warning of succession planning problems together
with the generous training budget at the District there really is no excuse for the current
situation the District finds itself in. The District at this point does not even have a
permanent Manager of Human Resources, a permanent Director of the Collection
Systems Department and the position of Plant Operations was vacant for quite some
time. There are vacant, underfilled or overfilled positions across the current org chart.
This request before you is too little too late with regards to succession planning. It is
reasonable to assume that the District is in the middle of a rebuilding phase. Perhaps
the administration that failed with succession planning should not be the administration
to rebuild Central San.
RH
CC: E. Boehme