Cost savings. The costs of appointing Mr. Howell as a temporary county employee are offset by the reduction in costs from Mr. Howell vacating his previous full-time, permanent position.

The Public Employees' Pension Reform Act of 2013 requires that active members who retire on or after January 1, 2013 must wait 180 days after retirement to return to work. The Act also allows the Board, based on a finding that the appointment is necessary to fill a critically needed position, may waive the 180 day period. Glenn Howell retired as the Animal Services Director on January 31, 2015. As the Animal Services Director, Mr. Howell was the department head for the Animal Services Department managing two facility locations and a FY 2014/15 operating budget of close to $11 million with 78 FTE employees.   
  
A recruitment has been conducted to find a qualified candidate to fill the vacancy that resulted from Mr. Howell's retirement. The County Administrator's Office and Human Resources Department are reviewing eligible candidates and conducting interviews for a new Animal Services Director. It is critical in the interim to have an experienced professional running the department. For these reasons, we are recommending the appointment of Mr. Howell as a temporary county employee for a period no later than August 31, 2015. In the case that successor candidate is appointed prior to August 31, 2015, the County Administrator will discontinue Mr. Howell's temporary appointment.

Failure to receive Board approval will result in the Animal Services Department having no management oversight.

Not applicable.