COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Local Agency Formation Commission

(LAFCo)

DATE:

October 23, 2008

BOARD MEETING DATE:

November 18, 2008

SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:

None

VOTE REQUIRED:

Four-Fifths

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Martha Poyatos, Executive Director, LAFCo

David G. Holland, Director, Department of Parks

SUBJECT:

Local Agency Formation Commission/Parks Position – Administrative Secretary

RECOMMENDATION:

1.

Approve the attached salary ordinance authorizing the addition of one Administrative Secretary III position in the Parks Department and waiving the reading of the ordinance in its entirety.

2.

Approve an Appropriation Transfer Request transferring $30,000 from within the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) budget, recognizing unanticipated revenue from LAFCo and the Parks Acquisition and Development Fund of $36,410 in the Parks Department budget and appropriating $36,410 in various expenditure accounts in the Parks Department budget to cover the cost of the position for the remainder of FY 2008-09.

VISION ALIGNMENT:

Commitment: Responsive, effective and collaborative government.

Goal 20: Government decisions are based on careful consideration of future impact, rather than temporary relief or immediate gain. The addition of the position will provide for timelier and better communication with the public and other agencies and facilitate more effective public meetings.

BACKGROUND:

The mission of the Local Agency Formation Commission is to encourage orderly boundaries of cities and special districts; prevent premature conversion of agricultural and open space lands; review proposals for changes in the boundaries and organization of cities and special districts; and prepare municipal service and sphere of influence reviews of cities and special districts.

DISCUSSION:

Personnel levels are continually reviewed and adjustments are made in an effort to optimize staff in order to provide the best possible customer experience and meet long-term community and organizational needs. LAFCo currently has one full-time management staff member. Adding this position would provide LAFCo with clerical support for Commission meetings, public meetings, mailings, notices, scheduling, and other routine business functions.

Currently, there is no physical space to accommodate the much needed additional staff person in the LAFCo office. LAFCo and Parks entered into discussions to share the position and supply space in the Parks Department’s administrative office. This resulted in an agreement to share the position and costs: 70% LAFCo and 30% Parks Department.

Adding the Administrative Secretary position to the Parks Department would provide clerical support to four managers and two senior staff members who currently do not have direct clerical support. For the Parks Department, the position is anticipated to spend approximately 15% of the total time on grant projects and other special projects that will be reimbursable and offset some of the additional cost of the position for Parks.

FISCAL IMPACT:

LAFCo has $60,000 set aside in its adopted budget for this position. For FY 2008-09 the position would be filled for half of the year at a cost of $42,733 with $30,000 provided by LAFCo, $6,410 provided by the Parks Acquisition and Development Fund and $6,323 absorbed within the existing Parks Department budget. Beginning in FY 2009-10, the annualized cost of the position would total $85,465. The Cities fund 70% and the County funds 30% of the LAFCo budget. County funds would be provided by Parks Acquisition and Development and the Parks Department budgets, which will absorb these costs in the future without any Net County Cost adjustments.