Calaveras HHSA proposes new supervisory hires after Evergreen review; net near‑term cost about $385,000, director says

Marcos Muñoz, director of Calaveras County Health & Human Services Agency, returned to the Board of Supervisors on Aug. 12 to present follow‑up actions and budget implications after an Evergreen Solutions organizational review earlier in 2025. The review recommended stronger midlevel management, clearer spans of control and a leadership training program.

Muñoz summarized Evergreen’s findings and described steps the agency has already taken: a vacant business administrator position was repurposed to create a compliance officer and compliance division that now reports to the director. Muñoz said that the Evergreen consultants initially proposed up to 10 positions at about $1.2 million, with an adjusted five‑position starter package near $700,000.

Muñoz told the board he was requesting three specific positions now: a supervising case manager in behavioral health, an eligibility specialist supervisor in human services, and a business administrator position. In the public presentation Muñoz stated a figure that appeared on the slide — “the cost of those is $3,373,000” — and immediately acknowledged a typo in a reclassification line. He clarified that, when the reclassification savings are applied, “the actual amount of the change is $385,000.” Muñoz also said much of the new supervisory work is eligible for state and federal reimbursement and that the county will build those salary dollars into grant claims where appropriate.

On structural changes, Muñoz recommended moving fiscal and administrative staff back into departmental units (behavioral health, public health and social services) to reduce barriers to information, allow administrative costs to be included in grant budgets and reduce unnecessary cross‑unit handoffs created when fiscal functions had been centralized. He said he will defer Evergreen’s recommendation to add an additional assistant director (creating separate health and human‑services departments) because of the current fiscal climate and because the county can address some recommendations now through reclassifications and targeted hires.

Board members present expressed support for Muñoz’s approach and asked that any requested positions and reclassifications be incorporated in the September budget process. Muñoz said he would return with specific ordinance or resolution language for board action at a future meeting after budget adjustments.

Ending: The board accepted the informational presentation and directed staff to bring formal budgeted position changes back for approval in the next budget cycle.