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Personnel Department: <br />• Human Resources Technician <br />Chair Jacobs said that it would pay for itself because of overtime. However, overtime is getting <br />bigger and bigger and he is confused now. He is not sure if he should be looking at it as saving <br />money to make a position that partially depends on reducing overtime funds. Jahn Link said <br />that he would not look at it from the standpoint of overtime. His recommendation is that it is <br />based entirely on the fact that the workload is tremendous for the Personnel Department and <br />they need another position. <br />Personnel Director Elaine Holmes said that this offsetting revenue is not tied to overtime, but <br />comes from reductions in contract personnel services and from temporary personnel services. <br />Chair Jacobs asked how much was in the Personnel Department budget for outside contracts <br />and temporary personnel and Elaine Holmes said $7,500 for contract services. <br />Discussion ensued regarding temporary staff. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis made reference to the total amount for overtime and verified that it was <br />over $300,000 this year. Most of it is from EMS and the Sheriff's Department. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis asked for a breakdown of departments using overtime. He wants to <br />know the issues that are prompting this. Overtime can become a crutch and that is a concern of <br />his. <br />John Link said that they would work with the Board on this. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis said "funding needed if position not approved" is puzzling because it <br />says that they will fall back on overtime if the position is not approved. Donna Dean said that it <br />would be temporary wages and contract services. Commissioner Halkiotis said that this <br />becomes a dangerous precedent. <br />John Link asked Elaine Holmes to walk through this step by step. Elaine Holmes said that there <br />is no overtime represented in the $19,000 -only contract services and temporary wages. This <br />is money that has been in the Personnel budget for five years or more to address workload. <br />This has not been a satisfactory solution because there is no knowledge and experience on an <br />ongoing basis to be productive. She is proposing converting these funds to provide a <br />permanent position. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis asked if this was directly related to training and development and Elaine <br />Holmes said that those funds are budgeted in individual operating departments for training and <br />development. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis asked what drives this increase in training and development. <br />Donna Dean said that one of the major driving forces is that Human Rights and Relations has <br />some mandated training. This training is totally offset by revenues. <br />Commissioner Carey said that they need to have the discussion about overtime and how this is <br />justified, but there has not been a new position in that department in 10 years. That means they <br />either had more positions than they needed 10 years ago, or the workload has increased too <br />much. He said that 10 years is a long time to wait to add a position with the growth in the work <br />farce. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis proposed holding this position in abeyance until they look at this further. <br />He wants some adequate explanation of the additional initiatives. <br />Commissioner Carey said that he does not want to short change employees and that this <br />money should be put in escrow. <br />Commissioner Brown said that she totally supports this position. <br />