The 2020 Internal Operations Committee (IOC) was composed by Supervisor Candace Andersen, who served as Chair, and Supervisor Diane Burgis, who served as Vice Chair. During 2020, the Internal Operations Committee (IOC) received nine referrals from the Board of Supervisors, made 6 reports to the Board, interviewed 14 candidates and made recommendations to fill 23 seats for certain advisory bodies whose composition requirements must be monitored. The 2020 meeting schedule was interrupted by the COVID-19 Shelter in Place health order. The IOC did not meet from April through June 2020, during which time the County Administrator's Office made recommendations to the Board of Supervisors on IOC referrals requiring Board action. Such actions are noted in the following summary.
Our Committee appreciates the time and effort taken by 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:
1. Small Business Enterprise (SBE) and Outreach Programs. The IOC accepted two reports from the new Purchasing Services Manager, together covering the period July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020, and reported out to the Board of Supervisors on July 20 and October 20, 2020. This is a standing referral. REFER
2. 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 their 2019 audit work and proposed 2020 Audit Schedule to the IOC on February 10, 2020, which the IOC accepted and approved. This is a standing referral. REFER
3. 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 2018/19 fleet report on March 11, 2020 and reported out to the Board of Supervisors on March 31, 2020. This is a standing referral. REFER
4. 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, 2019 through June 30, 2020, and reported out to the Board of Supervisors on July 20 and October 20, 2020. This is a standing referral. REFER
5. 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 Board, 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 2020, the IOC submitted recommendations to the Board of Supervisors to fill 23 vacant seats on various committees and commissions. The IOC interviewed 14 individuals for seats on the County Planning Commission, Integrated Pest Management Advisory Committee, and the Fish and Wildlife Committee.
In 2021, the IOC will need to recruit and interview for the County Connection Citizens Advisory Committee, Affordable Housing Finance Committee, Law Library Board of Trustees, and the Contra Costa Fire Protection District Advisory Fire Commission. This is a standing referral. REFER
6. 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. In May 2020, the County Administrator (CAO) received a report from DCD proposing, on behalf of the FWC, the 2020 Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund Grant awards. The CAO approved the proposal and recommended grant awards for ten projects totaling $85,891, which the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved on May 12, 2020. The Board on July 28, 2020 approved, at the recommendation of the IOC, an out of cycle allocation totaling $27,023 from the Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund for two additional projects. This is a standing referral. REFER
7. 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 April 8, 2019 and reported out to the Board on April 16, 2019. The third phase report was completed on March 9, 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted work on the next triennial review cycle. Work on the review will recommence in 2021. This is a standing referral. REFER
8. 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 October 12, 2020, the IOC received the fourth annual report on the Animal Benefit Fund covering FY 2019/20 and approved recommendations for program modification. Recommendations will be proffered to the Board of Supervisors later this month. This is a standing referral. REFER
9. 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. The IOC agreed to propose this as a discussion topic for the Board's annual retreat on January 26, 2021. REFER
10. Cut the Commute Challenge. On November 3, 2020, the Board referred to the IOC the Bay Area Air Quality Management District’s (BAAQMD) challenge to Contra Costa County employers to “Cut the Commute”, to identify issues and determine the feasibility of accepting the Challenge. Employers that accept the BAAQMD Challenge must commit to actively study and determine what strategies will work best for their particular workforce to facilitate remote work opportunities. The BAAQMD has challenged employers to extend remote work options by at least 25 percent (or 1-2 days a week) for employees whose work requirements allow for that flexibility. The County is currently engaged in negotiations with the Labor Coalition on a Remote Work Policy, which would need to be in place before the County could consider further remote work strategies. Consequently, the 2020 IOC did not take up this referral. REFER
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 2021.