Madera County civil service panel sets SEIU hearing in April, adopts multiple job classifications

The Madera County Civil Service Commission on Tuesday set an April date for a hearing on a grievance filed by the Service Employees International Union and approved a series of classification changes for county positions, actions commissioners said will be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors for final salary approval.

The hearing-setting item concerns a grievance the commission has tried to schedule for nearly two years. Sabrina Mendez, Department of Human Resources, told the commission, "Both our counsel and the appellant's counsel have agreed to an April date," and asked commissioners to hold several days in April for the hearing. Courtney Hawkins, representing SEIU, urged the commission to keep the dates, saying the grievance involves an alleged contract violation with potential monetary consequences for employees: "We are the representatives for the impellets in this matter." The commission approved the proposed April dates by vote.

The commission also approved a slate of classification actions proposed by Human Resources, including creation of a Deputy Director, Clerk-Recorder Services classification and a Deputy Director, Election Services classification; addition of Office Assistant I and II classifications; creation of Staff Services Analyst III and Supervising Staff Services Analyst classifications; removal of POST requirements from the Probation Specialist specification; and a title revision from "Senior Civil Engineer" to "Supervising Civil Engineer." Sabrina Mendez said the changes reflect evolving departmental operations and alignment with comparable county classifications.

Why it matters: The hearing will resolve an SEIU grievance that union representatives said could carry financial consequences if the appellants prevail. The classification adoptions change how positions are titled and handled inside county departments and will influence pay and organizational structure once the Board of Supervisors reviews salary recommendations.

What the commission did: Commissioners voted to set the hearing and approved each classification and revision. Commissioners recorded their votes during roll calls; for the classification items and the hearing-setting motion the record shows unanimous approval. Commissioners and staff repeatedly noted that approval by the Civil Service Commission does not itself change pay; salary recommendations from the commission are forwarded to the Board of Supervisors, which determines fiscal impact and final approval.

Details and context: Human Resources said the Deputy Director classifications are intended to replace earlier manager-level titles and that incumbents in the existing manager allocations are expected to be eligible to apply for the new deputy director positions. For several items staff emphasized that the commission's action updates the classification plan or specification and that any fiscal impact will be evaluated and approved by the Board of Supervisors. In the case of the Probation Specialist specification, HR said POST (Peace Officer Standards and Training) requirements were removed because the position is not designated as a peace officer.

Votes at a glance: - Hearing-setting for SEIU grievance: motion to set multi-day hearing in April (specific calendar dates discussed by staff and counsel; transcript contains inconsistent rendered dates). Outcome: approved (unanimous roll call). - Adoption: Deputy Director, Clerk-Recorder Services (classification and salary recommendation forwarded to Board of Supervisors). Outcome: approved (unanimous roll call). - Adoption: Deputy Director, Election Services (classification and salary recommendation forwarded to Board of Supervisors). Outcome: approved (unanimous roll call). - Adoption: Office Assistant I and II (classification specifications and salary recommendations forwarded to Board of Supervisors). Outcome: approved (unanimous roll call). - Adoption: Staff Services Analyst III (classification and salary recommendation forwarded to Board of Supervisors). Outcome: approved (unanimous roll call). - Adoption: Supervising Staff Services Analyst (classification and salary recommendation forwarded to Board of Supervisors). Outcome: approved (unanimous roll call). - Amendment: Probation Specialist specification (removal of POST requirements). Outcome: approved (unanimous roll call). - Revision: Senior Civil Engineer retitled Supervising Civil Engineer (job title/specification update). Outcome: approved (unanimous roll call).

What’s next: The commission’s approvals amend the county classification plan and create or revise job specifications; the Board of Supervisors will consider any salary recommendations and determine fiscal impact. The SEIU hearing date will proceed in April as scheduled unless counsel or the parties notify the commission otherwise.

Ending note: Commissioners and staff urged parties to keep the reserved hearing dates and to coordinate witnesses and counsel to avoid another cancellation; Human Resources noted it had worked with departments to align job descriptions with operational needs.