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MEMORANDUM
TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Carol J. Huchingson, County Administrative Officer
DATE: January 15, 2019
SUBJECT: Adopt a Resolution Delegating Authority to the County Administrative Officer to Update Inaccurate, Outdated, or Obsolete Terminology in County Policy, When Such Update Does Not Alter the Approved Policy’s Intent and/or Effect
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
As your Board is aware, County Policies are in place for years, sometimes decades, without the need to change the policies’ intent and/or effect. During that time, however, certain terminology contained in those policies may no longer be accurate or appropriate. Staff offers the following as examples:
• The County has not had a Personnel Director since 2007. Rather, the County has a Human Resources Director. Many County policies still reference the Personnel Director.
• The term “handicapped” is generally considered offensive to persons with disabilities, yet some County policies still refer to the disabled as handicapped.
• Computer software usage changes over time, and County policy may reference a software program that is no longer used at the County.
• Some policies reference a person by name, rather than by their position title, and that person no longer works for the County.
Staff recommends that updating outdated terminology to current terminology should be routine and should not require Board approval. Therefore, staff requests that your Board delegate authority to the County Administrative Officer to change outdated terminology to current terminology, so long as that change does not alter the approved policy’s intent and/or effect.
FISCAL IMPACT: _X_ None __Budgeted __Non-Budgeted
Estimated Cost:
Amount Budgeted:
Additional Requested:
Annual Cost (if planned for future years):
FISCAL IMPACT (Narrative): None
STAFFING IMPACT (if applicable): None
Recommended Action
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Adopt a Resolution delegating authority to the County Administrative Officer to update inaccurate, outdated, or obsolete terminology in County policy, when such update does not alter the approved policy’s intent and/or effect.