REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
SITTING AS THE GOVERNING BOARD OF THE FOLLOWING:
THE COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO
THE BOARD GOVERNED COUNTY SERVICE AREAS
AND RECORD OF ACTION
REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OF THE FOLLOWING:
THE SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT
THE BIG BEAR VALLEY RECREATION AND PARK DISTRICT
BLOOMINGTON RECREATION AND PARK DISTRICT
AND RECORD OF ACTION
June 23, 2020
FROM
DIANE RUNDLES, Director, Human Resources Department
LUTHER SNOKE, Interim Director, Special Districts Department
DAN MUNSEY, Fire Chief, San Bernardino County Fire Protection District
SUBJECT
Title
Extension of Supplemental Military Leave Benefits
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Acting as the governing body of County of San Bernardino, approve extension of the Supplemental Military Leave/Pay program through June 18, 2021 for all employees.
2. Acting as the governing body of the Board Governed County Service Areas, approve extension of the Supplemental Military Leave/Pay program through June 18, 2021 for all employees.
3. Acting as the governing body of the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District, approve extension of the Supplemental Military Leave/Pay program through June 18, 2021 for all employees.
4. Acting as the governing body of the Big Bear Valley Recreation and Park District, approve extension of the Supplemental Military Leave/Pay program through June 18, 2021 for all employees.
5. Acting as the governing body of the Bloomington Recreation and Park District, approve extension of the Supplemental Military Leave/Pay program through June 18, 2021 for all employees.
(Presenter: Diane Rundles, Director, 387-5570)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Improve County Government Operations.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approving the extension of the Supplemental Military Leave/Pay Program (Program) will not result in the use of additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The Program offers pay differential benefits to military reservist employees who are involuntarily ordered to active duty, and placed on extended military leave. Currently, there are no employees on extended military leave. The estimated cost for fiscal year 2020-21 is approximately $102,000, which is based on the military orders from 2018-19. County departments with military reservist employees have sufficient appropriation included in their 2020-21 budget.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The recommended actions will extend the Program through June 18, 2021. Pursuant to California law (California Military and Veterans Code section 395 et. seq.), employees who are military reservists have a statutory right to be paid their regular salary during the first 30 days of military duty. The Program provides employees the difference between their base County pay and their base military pay with continuation of full benefits (i.e. health insurance contributions, retirement service credit and contributions, leave accruals, and other miscellaneous employment benefits) while on active duty, following exhaustion of their entitlement under the 30-day full pay program. Only military reservist employees who are involuntarily ordered to active duty (i.e., those employees ordered to active duty for the purposes of mobilization as opposed to active duty for training, military school, etc.), will be placed on extended military leave and receive the benefits of this Program.
In October 2001, following the terrorist attacks on the United States and activation of military reservists, the Board approved the establishment of a Supplemental Military Leave/Pay Program. Since the inception of the Program, approximately 361 employees have been placed on extended military leave and received the benefits of the Program. Currently, there are no employees on extended military leave. The extension of the Program is recommended to allow military reservist employees who qualify to continue to benefit from this program for an additional year.
The Program has been in effect continuously for County employees since October 2001 through a series of amendments to the various Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), the Exempt Compensation Ordinance, and Compensation Plans. On March 18, 2003 (Item No. 62), the Board approved amendments to the MOUs/Compensation Ordinance/Compensation Plans to extend the Program through the end of fiscal year 2003-04. This item also allowed the Board to unilaterally extend the Program further without negotiating with the employees associations and amending the MOUs, Exempt Compensation Ordinances, and Compensation Plans. Each subsequent year, the Board has extended the Program. On June 11, 2019 (Item No. 99), the Board approved the current extension of the Program, which is set to expire on June 19, 2020.
Due to the demands of urgent projects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the item was not able to be completed before the expiration date as planned, and this delay creates a 4-day gap between the two program years. However, there are no employees currently receiving this supplemental leave benefit; therefore, there is no impact on the funding and administration between the two program years.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Suzanne Bryant, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on May 22, 2020; Employee Relations (Victor Tordesillas, Employee Relations Chief, 387-5568) on May 22, 2020; Finance (Jessica Trillo, Administrative Analyst, 387-4222) on June 3, 2020; and County Finance and Administration (Robert Saldana, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on June 9, 2020.