The 2022 Internal Operations Committee (IOC) was composed by Supervisor Diane Burgis, who served as Chair, and Supervisor Candace Andersen, who served as Vice Chair. During 2022, the Internal Operations Committee (IOC) met ten times, worked on 15 referrals, made 13 reports to the Board, interviewed candidates and made recommendations to fill 27 seats for certain advisory bodies whose composition requirements must be monitored.
Our Committee appreciates the time and effort of County staff who prepared reports and analyses for Committee discussion, the valuable time and input of the many County residents who attended our meetings, and the efforts of the staff to the Board’s advisory bodies to recruit, screen, and nominate individuals to our Committee for approval and appointment by the Board. Their efforts in this regard allowed the IOC to focus more of its time on the following subjects:
- Small Business Enterprise (SBE) and Outreach Programs. The IOC accepted two reports from the new Purchasing Services Manager, together covering the period July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022, and reported out to the Board of Supervisors on April 26 and October 25, 2022. This is a standing referral. REFER
- County Financial Audit Program. Since 2000, the IOC reviews, each February, the annual schedule of audits and best practices studies proposed by the Auditor-Controller. The Auditor-Controller’s Office presented a report of its 2021 audit work and proposed 2022 Audit Schedule to the IOC on March 14, 2022, which the IOC accepted and approved, and reported to the Board on March 22, 2022. This is a standing referral. REFER
- Annual Report on Fleet Internal Service Fund and Disposition of Low Mileage Vehicles. Each year, the Public Works Department Fleet Manager analyzes the fleet and annual vehicle usage, and makes recommendations to the IOC on the budget year vehicle replacements and on the intra-County transfer of underutilized vehicles, in accordance with County policy. In FY 2008/09, following the establishment of an Internal Services Fund (ISF) for the County Fleet, to be administered by Public Works, the Board requested the IOC to review annually the Public Works department report on the fleet and on low-mileage vehicles. The IOC received the 2020/21 fleet report on March 14, 2022 and reported out to the Board of Supervisors on March 22, 2022. This is a standing referral. REFER
- Local Bid Preference Program. In 2005, the Board of Supervisors adopted the local bid preference ordinance to support small local businesses and stimulate the local economy, at no additional cost to the County. Under the program, if the low bid in a commodities purchase is not from a local vendor, any responsive local vendor who submitted a bid over $25,000 that was within 5% percent of the lowest bid has the option to submit a new bid. The local vendor will be awarded if the new bid is in an amount less than or equal to the lowest responsive bid, allowing the County to favor the local vendor but not at the expense of obtaining the lowest offered price. Since adoption of the ordinance, the IOC has continued to monitor the effects of the program through annual reports prepared and presented by the Purchasing Agent or designee. The IOC received two reports, together covering the period July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022, and reported out to the Board of Supervisors on April 26 and October 25, 2022. This is a standing referral. REFER
- Advisory Body Recruitment. On December 12, 2000, the Board of Supervisors approved a policy on the process for recruiting applicants for selected advisory bodies of the Board. This policy requires an open recruitment for all vacancies to At Large seats appointed by the Board. The IOC made a determination that it would conduct interviews for At Large seats on the following bodies: Retirement Board, Fire Advisory Commission, Integrated Pest Management Advisory Committee, Planning Commission, Treasury Oversight Committee, and the Fish & Wildlife Committee, as well as other advisory bodies as the need should arise; and that screening and nomination to fill At Large seats on all other eligible bodies would be delegated to each body or a subcommittee thereof.
In 2022, the IOC submitted recommendations to the Board of Supervisors to fill 27 vacant seats on various committees and commissions. The IOC interviewed individuals for seats on the Local Enforcement Agency Independent Hearing Panel, Retirement Board, Planning Commission, and the Advisory Fire Commission to the Contra Costa Fire Protection District, Ad Hoc Arts Council Steering Committee, Los Medanos Health Advisory Committee, and Integrated Pest Management Advisory Committee.
In 2023, the IOC will need to recruit and interview for the County Connection Citizen Advisory Committee, the Retirement Board, the Integrated Pest Management Advisory Committee, and the Law Library Board of Trustees. This is a standing referral. REFER
- Process for Allocation of Propagation Funds by the Fish and Wildlife Committee. On November 22, 2010, the IOC received a status report from Department of Conservation and Development (DCD) regarding the allocation of propagation funds by the Fish and Wildlife Committee (FWC). The IOC accepted the report along with a recommendation that IOC conduct a preliminary review of annual FWC grant recommendations prior to Board of Supervisors review. On April 11, 2022, the IOC received a report from DCD proposing, on behalf of the FWC, the 2022 Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund Grant awards. The IOC approved the proposal and recommended grant awards for ten projects totaling $50,325, which the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved on April 26, 2022. This is a standing referral. REFER
- Advisory Body Triennial Review. Beginning in 2010 and concluding in 2011/2012, the Board of Supervisors conducted an extensive review of advisory body policies and composition, and passed Resolution Nos. 2011/497 and 2011/498, which revised and restated the Board’s governing principles for the bodies. The Resolutions dealt with all bodies, whether created by the BOS as discretionary or those that the BOS is mandated to create by state or federal rules, laws or regulations. The Resolutions directed the CAO/CoB’s Office to institute a method to conduct a rotating triennial review of each body and to report on the results of that review and any resulting staff recommendations to the Board, through the IOC, on a regular basis. The second phase report of the current Triennial Review Cycle was completed on May 9, 2022 and reported out to the Board on May 17, 2022. This is a standing referral. REFER
- Animal Benefit Fund Review.On May 12, 2015, the Board of Supervisors adopted the fiscal year 2015/16 budget, including a referral to the Internal Operations Committee to review the Animal Benefit Fund and, in March 2016, the Board directed that the review be made by the IOC annually to assess the impact of the Animal Benefit Fund on the community and families. On November 21, 2022, the IOC received the sixth annual report on the Animal Benefit Fund covering FY 2021/22 and reported to the Board on November 29, 2022. This is a standing referral. REFER
- Language Interpretation Services for Public Meetings. On March 26, 2019, the Board requested the IOC to develop a policy on language interpretation services at the Board of Supervisors meetings. The IOC considered this matter on September 9, 2019 and decided that the services could not practically be rolled out until staff relocates to the new Administration Building. The IOC gave staff direction to report back with additional information to assist the Committee in determining the best model for providing these services. The IOC received follow-up reports on December 9, 2019 and November 19, 2020, and directed staff to develop recommendations for a six-month pilot program providing limited interpretation and translation services, with the intention that the County would initiate a pilot process, promote it, and measure how extensively it is utilized. On March 8, 2021, the IOC received an extensive report from the Clerk of the Board on language interpretation and closed captioning services, and subsequently made to the Board related recommendations which, on March 23, 2021, the Board approved. On August 2, 2022, the Board received a follow-up report on language interpretation services at Board of Supervisors and Measure X Committee meetings and referred the matter to the Internal Operations Committee to gather additional information on the practices of other counties and issues surrounding equal access. The IOC took no action on this matter pending establishment of the Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice, which is expected to take this matter up once established in spring/summer 2023 for report back to the IOC. REFER
- Arts and Culture Commission (AC5) Dissolution. On March 14, 2022, the IOC received a report from the County Administrator’s Office recommending dissolution of the County’s Arts and Culture Commission and adoption of a path to create a new private Arts Council for Contra Costa County. It was envisioned that this Council would serve as a connector, investor, advocate and leader for the arts and culture in Contra Costa County and be supported by a number of people and organizations including state and local government, school districts, private and public foundations, businesses and community members; and would also provide input on an annual Measure X investment of $250,000 that was approved by the Board of Supervisors on November 16, 2021 to support the certain arts and culture programs for the County. On March 29, 2022, the Board of Supervisors dissolved the Arts and Culture Commission and directed County Administration staff to procure or establish a nonprofit public-private partnership Arts Council for the county. TERMINATE
- Ad Hoc Arts Council Steering Committee Formation. On March 29, 2022, the Board of Supervisors dissolved the Arts and Culture Commission and directed County Administration staff to procure or establish a nonprofit public-private partnership Arts Council for the county. Arts Orange County was selected to provide project management for this effort and on August 2, 2022, the Board referred to the Internal Operations Committee the establishment of an Ad Hoc Arts Council Steering Committee. On September 12, 2022, the IOC received a report from the County Administrator’s Office recommending the composition of the Steering Committee and on November 21, the IOC approved recommendations for appointment to the Steering Committee, which the Board approved on November 29. TERMINATE
- Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Advisory Fire Commission Mission and Bylaws. On May 9, 2022, the IOC received a report from the County Administrator recommending redesignation of one of the At Large seats to represent specifically the area that was formerly the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District, and that the delegation of advisory fire commissioner duties be updated to reflect the Board of Supervisors current, higher level of District oversight than was the case in 1995. The IOC reported its recommendations to the Board of Supervisors on July 12, 2022. The Commission Bylaws were further refined by the Board of Directors at the recommendation of the County Administrator on November 8, 2022. TERMINATE
- Contra Costa Library Foundation Formation (Measure X). On June 16, 2022, the IOC received a report from the County Librarian on the Measure X funded effort to create an independent County Library Foundation. As the County Library’s fundraising arm, the Foundation will seek private support for projects that are not or cannot be funded through existing Library funding sources. The Foundation will work closely with the County Librarian to identify funding priorities. The IOC reported its recommendations to the Board of Supervisors on August 2, 2022 at which the Board provided input on the size and composition of the future foundation. The County Administrator’s Office reports quarterly to the Board of Supervisors on the status of all Measure X projects. TERMINATE
- Racial Justice Oversight Body Dysfunction. On July 11, 2022, the IOC received a report from the County Probation Department regarding operational problems of the RJOB. The Public Protection Committee has previously received a report from a consulting firm engaged by the Office of Reentry & Justice (ORJ) at the Probation Department to provide technical assistance and meeting facilitation services for the RJOB. During the update, the Burns Institute highlighted several emerging issues hindering the RJOB’s future work to include: changes in leadership and membership resulting in challenges with maintaining quorum, specifically at the Subcommittee levels; ambitious Task Force recommendations that are beyond the capacity and scope of the membership; and limited staffing resources to support the membership’s requests for data collection, management, and analyses necessary to implement the recommendations of the RJOB. The County Administrator’s Office identified additional issues: (1) the existing RJOB charge is vague; (2) staff support is insufficient to the RJOB's needs; (3) RJOB subcommittees are self-forming and, therefore, not always balanced; and (4) there is high interest in participation and no term limits. Following discussion of these issues, it was decided that CAO would work with the Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice, once fully established, and bring recommendations for changes to the RJOB bylaws back to the IOC at a future date. REFER
- Options to Expedite Staff Recruitment. During the April 26, 2022 Board of Supervisors meeting, the Board requested the Human Resources Director to identify and report to the Internal Operations Committee options for replacing retired County employees more quickly. The referral came about in the context of waiving the 180-day separation before rehiring a retiree. The Board acknowledged that a person could retire with little or no advance notice to the County. On July 11, 2022, the IOC received a presentation from the Human Resources Director on strategies being employed by HR to expedite the filling of vacancies including establishment of a Professional and Organizational Development Team, development of a new Countywide onboarding process, pre-boarding process and off-boarding (exit survey) process, and workflow automation software. TERMINATE
Should the Board elect not to approve the recommendations, the Internal Operations Committee will not have clear direction on the disposition of prior year referrals for discussion in calendar year 2023.