FROM: Robert Thompson, General Manager
Originator: Laura Maravilla, Director of Human Resources
SUBJECT:
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PROPOSED POSITION CHANGES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026-27
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GENERAL MANAGER'S RECOMMENDATION
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RECOMMENDATION: Recommend to the Board of Directors to:
Approve the addition of one (1) new position, the upgrade of one (1) position, and the downgrade of one (1) position for FY 2026-2027 as follows:
A. Add one (1) Safety Inspector (Salary Grade OCE78);
B. Upgrade one (1) Staff Analyst (Salary Grade PRO70) to Senior Staff Analyst (Salary Grade PRO76); and
C. Downgrade one (1) Maintenance Manager (Salary Grade EM16) to Maintenance Superintendent (Salary Grade SUP90).
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BACKGROUND
Since adoption of the Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget, the Orange County Sanitation District (OC San) identified position changes that are needed to support operational requirements that include one additional position, one upgrade, and one downgrade.
Specifically, staff recommends:
• The addition of one (1) Safety Inspector position to provide dedicated construction safety oversight, ensure contractor compliance, and align safety resources with current operational demands in support of the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) projects and maintenance construction activities.
• The upgrade of one (1) Staff Analyst position to Senior Staff Analyst. In accordance with OC San policy, employees may periodically request a classification study to evaluate whether their assigned duties and responsibilities are appropriately classified. A recent study determined that the current duties and responsibilities of this position are most appropriately assigned at the Senior Staff Analyst level as the scope and complexity of work assigned have evolved requiring increased capacity and higher-level analytical support.
• The downgrade of one (1) vacant Maintenance Manager position to Maintenance Superintendent. Following a recent reorganization and the incorporation of the Civil Facilities Maintenance and Fleet Services divisions into the Operations & Maintenance Department, the organization, structure, and oversight needs have changed. A dedicated Manager-level position is no longer warranted, and the functions can be appropriately overseen at the Maintenance Superintendent level.
The proposed position requests would change the approved full-time equivalent (FTE) total from 699.5 to 700.5 for Fiscal Year 2026-27.
RELEVANT STANDARDS
• Ensure the public’s money is wisely spent
• Maintain a culture of improving efficiency to reduce the cost to provide the current service level or standard
PROBLEM
Organizational and operational staffing needs have arisen that were not anticipated during preparation of the adopted FY 2026-27 budget.
PROPOSED SOLUTION
Approve the proposed FY 2026-27 position requests, including the addition of (1) position, the upgrade of one (1) position, and the downgrade of one (1) position, effective immediately.
TIMING CONCERNS
Staff recommend approval during the current fiscal year to timely address identified operational and organizational staffing needs.
RAMIFICATIONS OF NOT TAKING ACTION
Deferring action would limit OC San’s ability to provide appropriate resources to support operational and business needs.
PRIOR COMMITTEE/BOARD ACTIONS
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
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CEQA
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FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS
The FY 2026-27 Budget provides sufficient funding for the recommended action, with the associated costs of $143,270.40 to be offset by savings generated from positions that may remain unfilled through normal attrition.
ATTACHMENT
The following attachment(s) may be viewed on-line at the OC San website (www.ocsan.gov) with the complete agenda package:
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