Mendocino County supervisors approve multiple HR classification changes, create crisis response roles
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Summary
The Mendocino County panel unanimously approved a package of human-resources classification updates — renaming an animal-services coordinator role, creating crisis intervention specialist positions to meet a state 24/7 mobile-crisis mandate, and establishing new payroll analyst classifications; incumbents were offered reclassification where applicable.
Mendocino County officials on a routine human-resources agenda approved several classification changes on a unanimous vote, including a title change for an animal-services coordinator and new crisis intervention roles designed to meet a state requirement for 24/7 mobile crisis response.
The board approved a modification to rename the “spay and neuter adoption coordinator” position to “adoption program coordinator” after Amy Campbell, Director of Animal Care Services, clarified that the department no longer schedules spay-and-neuter services for the caravan or clinic but continues to “monitor spay and neutering for shelter animals and animals who get adopted so they don't leave until they're spay and neutered.” That clarification resolved a commissioner’s concern about inconsistent draft language and the item passed on a roll call vote.
Human Resources presented broader classification updates across public health and behavioral-health positions. Brandy Dalzell, Human Resources manager, outlined revisions to the substance-use-disorder treatment classification series to modernize language and align minimum qualifications with California Code of Regulations, chapter 8, and certification requirements for alcohol-and-other-drug counselors. The commission approved the proposed updates.
The most substantive change approved was creation of two new crisis intervention classifications and the reclassification of incumbents into those roles. Giovanna Arguelles, HR analyst, and Dr. Janine Miller, Director of Health Services, told the commission the county is bringing more mobile-crisis response work in-house to comply with what Dr. Miller described as a state mandate that “every county offer 24/7 mobile crisis response.” Dr. Miller said the move reflects a statewide shift toward mobile mental-health response teams so that mental-health workers — not law enforcement — are primary responders in many crisis situations. Staff said some new hiring is required and incumbents who perform the work were offered reclassification into the crisis roles.
The commission also approved reclassifications prompted by state-level pay and job definitions. Dalzell said the client-services representative and integrated-services coordinator classifications — and the abolishment of several community-health-worker and eligibility-worker classes — stem from Senate Bill 525, described in the presentation as establishing minimum-wage requirements for defined health-care workers. Human Resources said the changes better align class descriptions with the work performed and are intended to ensure appropriate pay and classification pathways.
On payroll, Jennifer Cheek Payan, HR analyst, presented a study recommending three new payroll classifications (payroll analyst 1, payroll analyst 2, and senior payroll analyst) to reflect specialized countywide payroll administration that now sits in the executive office rather than the auditor-controller’s office. Tony Raikes, deputy CEO, confirmed one incumbent will be reclassified and that affected employees were notified; final position allocation must be approved by the Board of Supervisors.
Votes at a glance: - Item 6b — classification modification and title change ("spay and neuter adoption coordinator" → "adoption program coordinator"): moved by Speaker 5; seconded by Speaker 8; roll-call yes votes recorded for Mister Abiam, Mister Wiley, Mister Slater, Mister Weniger; motion carries unanimously. - Item 6c — SUDT classification revisions: mover Speaker 4; seconder Speaker 5; motion carries unanimously. - Item 6d — new crisis intervention specialist classifications and reclassifications: mover Speaker 8; seconder Speaker 5; motion carries unanimously. - Item 6e — client services/integrated services coordinator classifications and abolishment of several health-worker classes (SB 525): mover Speaker 4; seconder Speaker 8; motion carries unanimously. - Item 6f — payroll analyst classifications and one incumbent reclassification: mover Speaker 8; seconder Speaker 5; motion carries unanimously.
What happens next: several of the approved reclassifications require administrative follow-up — including position-allocation approval by the Board of Supervisors for at least one payroll reclassification and notifications to incumbents — and departments will proceed with recruitment or internal reclassification as described by staff. The meeting adjourned at 10:19 a.m.
