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HomeMy WebLinkAboutEmail from Dennis Schmidt - PW Response to 2017-18 Grand Jury Report Menchaca, Clarissa From: Schmidt, Dennis Sent: Tuesday, August 21, 2018 7:15 AM To: BOS Cc: Hatcher, Casey; Clerk of the Board; McCracken, Shari Subject: Public Works Response to 2017/2018 Grand Jury Report Attachments: Final as delivered to Butte County Superior Court 8_21_18.pdf; Public Works Response to 2017_2018 Grand Jury Report - Final.pdf Good morning, Please find attached my response to the 2017/2018 Grand Jury Report. Director of Public Works Butte County Department of Public Works 7 County Center Drive, Oroville, CA 95965 (1) (530) 538-7681 I L (530) 538-7171 C>l< dschmidt©buttecounty.net CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This email and any attachment thereto may contain private, confidential, and privileged material for the sole use of the intended recipient Any review, copying, or distribution of this email (or any attachments thereto) by other than the County of Butte or the intended recipient is strictly prohibited.. If you are NOT the intended recipient, please contact the sender immediately and permanently delete the original and any copies of this email and any attachments thereto. Department of Public Works Dennis Schmidt, Director ftatiV Radley Ott, Assistant Director 7 County Center Drive 1: 530.538.7681 Butte County nty.net/publicworks www.buttecount y p PUBLIC WORKS Oroville, California 95965 I F: 530.538.7171 August 21, 2018 Honorable Tamara L. Mosbarger, Presiding Judge c/o Court Administration Superior Court of California, County of Butte One Court Street, Oroville, CA 95965 RE: Response to the 2017-2018 Butte County Grand Jury Report Dear Judge Mosbarger: In accordance with Penal Code Sections 933 and 933.05, the Butte County Director of Public Works submits the following response to the findings and recommendations of the Grand Jury's Final Report for FY 2017-2018 pertaining to the Department of Public Works. On behalf of the Department of Public Works, I express my sincere appreciation to the grand jurors for their professionalism and commitment of many hours of efforts to better understand the intricacies of the County roadway maintenance system. Public Works — Road Maintenance Division Finding: F1. "Online complaint form is user friendly but is not consistently updated". Response: The respondent agrees with this finding. F2. "Proper calculation of employee overtime is unclear in certain scenarios". Response: The respondent partially agrees with this finding. Overtime pay is calculated in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act and the provisions of the various employee Memorandum of Understandings (MOU's). There have been occasions when the employee works an alternate shift, that questions have developed about the overtime provisions. F3. "Low compensation package contributes to increased turnover for entry level positions". Response: The respondent partially agrees with this finding. Although compensation is a component of retention, salaries and benefits are the subject of bargaining and the County is bound by the terms of the MOU negotiated by each employee's respective bargaining unit. F4. "Assessing hazards can put employees in danger". Response: The respondent partially agrees with this finding. Many times Public Works field crews are the first on scene at roadway emergencies and natural disasters. All Public Works Field employees receive regular training on how to be safe when dealing with routine emergency situations. This training is also documented in the Butte County "Code of Safe Practices" manual that is provided to all field employees. Additionally, the County has a Safety Officer who maintains and monitors the Illness Injury Prevention Program, and assists our Department when dealing with specialized situations such as fall prevention/arrest systems. F5. "Appropriate mapping applications are used to determine City vs. County jurisdiction". Response: The respondent agrees with this finding. Grand Jury Recommendations: R1. Effective Immediately, RMC Supervisors must update the complaint log upon completion of a job. Response: The Respondent agrees with this recommendation and this has been implemented. R2. County must address recruitment and employee retention policies by October 31, 2018. Response: The recommendation will not be implemented because employee recruitment and retention are not addressed by policies. The department must consider the recruitment or retention needs for specific positions or groups of positions and address the specific needs and constraints for each situation, in accordance with the civil services hiring processes and the Butte County Personnel Rules. R3. Investigate the use and implementation of drone technology by December 31, 2018. Response: The Respondent agrees with this recommendation and will investigate the use and implementation of drone technology by December 31, 2018. Sinc: - / Deni Sc mi• Director of Public Works Cc: Board of Supervisors Shari McCracken, Chief Administrative Officer