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12/15/2005: "Si Tells BOCC They Need a New Project Leader"

(Human Resources Manager Becky Rusnak and SJC Auditor Si Stephens address the BOCC)

Auditor Si Stephens has resigned his position as the Lead Manager for the implementation of the new software program the County is in the process of installing.

Stephens has been the lead manager for the EDEN project, which is a new program for the County that will provide a core financial and personnel software and Document Management program; a program that is intended to organize and managed the flow of digital information by capturing, distribution and archive records into electronic format.

If anyone has changed from one software program to another, they may have at least a hint of the magnitude of the job facing the County as it switches from a 20 year old software program, to a completely new program; and in the process moving all of the old data into the new program. Time consuming to say the least, and after coming to grips with what this extra time (including some weekends) Si came to the BOCC to request that he, and two of the non-union employees in his office, be given an 18 month temporary pay increase to cover the additional hours it will take to make the transition.

After Si's initial presentation, Commissioner Ranker asked Human Resources Manager Becky Rusnak to join Si in explaining to the Board if there would be a ripple effect if the Board granted Si's request. Rusnak told the Board that in her opinion there would be a "huge ripple". She told the Board that "we and others have had to work extra hours, and when we asked for additional pay, we were turned down. This (request) could result in the Board having some very unhappy workers on your hands."


Ranker told Si that "I think there are many people that are underpaid in County government. We need to go through the management evaluation process". Si responded that he thought "It is fine to do the management evaluation, but these jobs (the EDEN project) are in flux and we will not know for 18 months what the job descriptions are even going to be".

As the discussion continued without any indication the Board was going to meet the request, Si informed the Commission that if the request for extra funding for extra hours is not met, he would resign his position as the Lead Manager of the project, would pay his employees overtime for their normal work load, and then once that work was done, they would work on the EDEN project, under their current pay scale. As he got up leave the room, he suggested the Board move quickly to appoint a new Lead Manager

After a moments silence, Ranker schedule a meeting with Jon Shannon, Matt Zybas, Dave Zeretzke and Becky Rusnak to form a committee that would come up with a new person to be the new Lead Manager for EDEN. It is presumed that person will also expect to be paid.