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Supes brace for budget, staffing talks |
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Tuesday, 11 August 2009 |
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By Mike Gervais
Register Staff
8-8-2009 It’s time once again for county officials to buckle down and begin preparing for next year’s budget.
The Board of Supervisors will hold a special meeting beginning at 8:30 a.m. Monday in the County Administrative Center in Independence to convene a workshop with various county department heads to discuss the 2009-10 budget, and receive preliminary information about what certain departments are anticipating in light of state budget woes.
If it runs long, the workshop may be continued to 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.
The board will convene for its regular meeting at 9 a.m. Tuesday.
The board is scheduled to discuss a request from local law enforcement to waive the countywide hiring freeze, and a request from the Water Department to approve a contract with a biologist’s services for the next seven months.
According to Sheriff Bill Lutze, a position for a correctional officer recently opened, and he hopes to fill it using General Fund monies.
“The department currently has two frozen correctional officer positions due to the extraordinary budget control policy,” a staff report from the Sheriff’s Department states, referring to measures the Board of Supervisors took earlier this year to make up for a lack of state financing.
“The department needs to fill this new vacancy to continue to provide adequate staffing in the jail,” Lutze said.
There is one applicant ready to take the necessary physical and psychological exams necessary to work in the jail in Independence. If that individual passes those exams, he or she will be eligible to attend Correctional Officer Academy later this month and could begin work before the end of the year.
“Riverside Sheriff’s Department is starting a correctional officer academy Aug. 25, and due to budget restraints will not have another academy until 2010,” the staff report states. “In order to be able to attend the Aug. 25 academy, the department needs to move forward with the hiring process at this time. Doing so will result in maintaining two vacant correctional officer positions.”
Lutze is asking to hire the applicant with a salary between $3,590 and $4,363 a month. The position is budgeted in the sheriff’s jail general budget in the General Fund. County Administrator Kevin Carunchio and Auditor-Controller Leslie Chapman concur that there are sufficient funds to justify the hire.
Following the discussion with Lutze, Water Director Bob Harrington will be asking to hire Amy Henderson for professional biologist services in an amount not to exceed $30,080.
According to Harrington, the department needs Henderson to analyze vegetation data related to the Inyo-Los Angeles Long-Term Water Agreement.
“Ms. Henderson is a qualified biologist with a breadth of experience in both the private sector and government,” a staff report states. “Ms. Henderson’s experience and training qualifies her to perform specialized analysis of vegetation data, and her present availability allows that she can provide analysis that is critical and timely for completion of the water department’s annual report.”
Harringtonsaid Henderson’s salary has been budgeted for in the Water Department’s budget.
The board meeting is open to the public and there will be an opportunity for public comments before and after the meeting.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 29 September 2009 )
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