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HomeMy WebLinkAboutORD-1999-019 Personnel ordinance Addition - Multi-Lingual Recruitment and Hiring 1 Orange County Board of Commissioners Action Agenda Item Abstract Meeting Date: November 3, 1999 Action Agenda Item No. Subject: Personnel Ordinance Addition — Multi-Lingual Recruitment and Hiring Department: Personnel Public Hearing: Yes No X Budget Amendment Needed: Yes No X Attachment(s): Information Contact: Elaine Holmes, Personnel Director Draft Addition to the Orange County Extension 2550 Personnel Ordinance —Article II, Telephone Number: Recruitment and Selection Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane 227-2031 Purpose: To consider adding a multi-lingual recruitment and hiring policy to the Orange County Personnel Ordinance. Background: As part of the 1999-00 goal setting process,the Board of Commissioners adopted an "Hispanic-Latino Relations" goal. Among other things, this provides for the "development of an affirmative multi-lingual hiring policy for Orange County employment. " Attached is a draft multi-lingual recruitment and hiring policy. The draft policy would cover positions that provide direct, critical services to client groups that regularly include Spanish-speaking clients. Examples of such positions could include certain Social Workers, Public Health Nurses, Paramedics, and receptionists for critical services and the like. For such positions the County would incorporate a stated preference for candidates with bi-lingual language skills in English and Spanish in the job announcement and employment advertising for the opening. The outcome sought is to increase the number of Spanish speaking employees in the work force as part of the broader effort to provide information and materials in Spanish for the rapidly growing Latino population in Orange County. In terms of affirmative recruitment for candidates with such skills, the County in its job recruitment has and will pursue additional outreach to the Hispanic-Latino community. These efforts include: ❑ Participation in the La Fiesta Del Pueblo job fair to promote awareness of Orange County as an area employer and attendance at other events as identified. 2 • Expansion of the standard employment advertising for such openings to include publications targeting the Hispanic-Latino community. • Expansion of the community resources mailing lists to whom notices of job openings are sent to include organizations and community groups that consist of, or serve, individuals from the Hispanic-Latino community. As to other efforts to increase the numbers of County employees with Spanish speaking skills, the County has done or plans the following: • For several years, the County has had a practice of incorporating a statement in job announcements and advertising encouraging candidates who are bi-lingual in English and Spanish to apply when the opening is one that provides direct, critical client services to Spanish-speaking clients. For 1998-99 and to date in 1999-00, recruitment for 17 openings has incorporated such a statement. These openings included Income Maintenance Caseworkers, Social Workers, Public Health Nurses, Family Nurse Practitioner, Civil Rights Specialists and Office Assistant openings. • Since 1993, the County has offered Spanish language training to employees during work time through Personnel's Training and Development Calendar. To date, there have been about 100 class participants. As planned, the County plans to expand its training in 1999-00 to offer more intensive Spanish language training such as immersion training for selected employees. ❑ The Human Rights and Relations Department plans to conduct a survey of employees during 1999-00 to identify languages spoken and employees who may be called on for translation services. Financial Impact: Additional employment advertising costs will be incurred for additional advertising in publications targeting the Hispanic-Latino community. During fiscal year 1999-00 such advertising will be completed to the extent funds are available in the Personnel advertising budget or the recruiting department can provide supplemental funding. In developing the proposed 2000-01 advertising budget, staff will evaluate the impact of such advertising and determine whether to propose additional advertising funds. Recommendation: The Manager recommends the Board adopt the attached Personnel Ordinance revision effective November 3, 1999. 3 Attachment Draft Addition to the Orange County Personnel Ordinance Article 11, Recruitment and Selection 3.12 Multi-Lingual Recruitment and Hiring For positions that provide direct, critical services to client groups that regularly include Spanish-speaking clients, Orange County incorporates a preference for candidates with bi-lingual language skills in English and Spanish in the job announcement and employment advertising for the opening. Note: To incorporate the added Personnel Ordinance provision: Revise the number for Article II, Item 3.12 "Temporary Position Openings" to 3.13 Revise the number for Article II, Item 3.13 "Elected Officials"to 3.14 -9i 4' CVX�D - 1449 — ca l r � -P g_ Amendment to Policy Governing Appointments to Boards and Commissions The Board approved amending the policy governing boards and commissions to allow citizens serving in two appointed positions to also serve on one short-term task force. h. Board of Commissioners Meeting Calendar for Year 2000 This item was removed and placed at the end of the consent agenda. I. Benefits for County Commissioners This item was removed and placed at the end of the consent agenda. L Change in Board of Commissioners Regular Meeting Schedule The Board amended its regular meeting schedule to add a joint meeting with the school boards December 13, 1999, 7:30 p.m. at the Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill. VOTE ON CONSENT AGENDA: UNANIMOUS ITEMS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA a. Budget Amendment#4 The Board considered budget ordinance amendments and capital and grant project ordinances for fiscal year 1999-2000 included herein by reference. Commissioner Jacobs asked about one of the Chapel Hill/Carrboro School Systems' capital projects, specifically the one regarding athletic facilities. He was unclear as to where this matter was left when it was discussed in the spring. He said that there were concerns about whether this project could be coordinated with the development of the facilities of the Smith Middle School. He asked for some more information. Bill Mullin said that the Smith Middle School project specifications and plans are out for bid at this time. He said that the project mentioned in budget amendment#4 is not as far along as the Smith Middle School project. He said that the timing of the two projects is not on the same track, so they could not be coordinated. Commissioner Jacobs asked if more efficiency was achieved by combining anything for the two sets of athletic facilities. Bill Mullin said that the two projects were operating on independent tracks. Commissioner Jacobs said that he would like to see what has changed in this project since the adoption of the budget in June. A motion was made by Commissioner Halkiotis, seconded by Commissioner Jacobs to approve budget amendment#4. VOTE: UNANIMOUS f. Personnel Ordinance Revision - Multilingual Recruitment and Hiring The Board considered adding a multilingual hiring policy to the Orange County Personnel Ordinance. Commissioner Jacobs made a correction to the Personnel Ordinance Revision. He said that it is repetitious to say, "bilingual language skills." He referred to item 3.12 and said that"language" should be deleted in the last sentence. A motion was made by Commissioner Jacobs, seconded by Commissioner Halkiotis to approve the multilingual hiring policy in the Orange County Personnel Ordinance with the above change. VOTE: UNANIMOUS Commissioner Jacobs would like a report from Elaine Holmes on how many applied at the booth at Fiesta del Pueblo. h. Board of Commissioners Meeting Calendar for Year 2000 The Board considered adopting its calendar of meetings for the 2000 calendar year. Commissioner Jacobs suggested postponing this item until Commissioner Carey is in attendance. He has problems with February 15th and March 1St Commissioner Halkiotis has a problem with April 4 th This item will be on the next agenda. I. Benefits for County Commissioners The Board considered adopting a policy providing that the County will make the same contributions for benefits for County Commissioners that it makes for permanent employees, effective July 1, 2000. 6