Title
Changes to the District Attorney Staffing Table.
Body
Recommended Action: Approve the requested changes to the District Attorney’s Office staffing table as outlined below.
(1) The District Attorney’s Office requests approval to add 1.0 FTE Administrative Assistant, Grade 120 position to the DA staffing table. This position is necessary to meet the demands and deadlines associated with creation of journal entries required in all felony criminal cases. Recent mandates have driven the need to expand the number of administrative assistant positions performing this task from 3 to 4. For slightly more than a year, one of the positions has been double filled to meet deadlines. This request is to add a permanent position to the staffing table.
The District Attorney’s Office is required to prepare and file all journal entries of judgments in felony criminal cases, with more than 5,500 prepared in 2018. A state-mandated form approved by the Kansas Sentencing Commission must be used. It is a complex, multiple-page document that must reflect items such as a defendant's demographic information, the various charges and disposition of those charges, jail credit calculations, conviction and sentences on each count, post-release supervision terms, probation requirements (if applicable), special rules that apply, offender registration requirements, restitution amounts, court costs and other unique sentencing provisions.
(2) The District Attorney’s Office requests approval to change the status of position number 20010328 from part-time (0.50 FTE) to a full-time benefited position (1.0 FTE). The new full-time position would be an Administrative Assistant, Grade 120 position. This new position would work within the Child in Need of Care (CINC) department, assisting with cases of abused/neglected children.
The CINC department has seen a dramatic rise in workload due to several factors, including a shifting of responsibilities from DCF and District Court to the District Attorney’s office.
|
Calendar Year |
Number of CINC Cases Filed |
Number of Hearings Attended |
|
2018 |
590 |
3,416 |
|
2017 |
578 |
2,891 |
|
2016 |
529 |
2,548 |
|
2015 |
521 |
1,469 |
|
2014 |
624 |
2,075 |
|
2013 |
525 |
1,426 |
|
2012 |
540 |
1,109 |
(3) The District Attorney’s Office requests approval to combine part-time positions 20009902 (0.50 FTE) and 20009903 (0.50 FTE) into one full-time benefited position (1.0 FTE). The new full-time position would be an Administrative Assistant, Grade 120 position. This new position would work in two specific areas of the office: Care and Treatment and Child in Need of Care (CINC). Due to the reasons stated above, additional support is needed within the CINC department. In addition, this position would provide administrative support for truancy cases, which are filed as a CINC petition for educational neglect as well as supporting the Care & Treatment functions handled by the office on behalf of the state.
Alternatives: Without the additional positions the ability to meet statutory obligations and rigid deadlines could be negatively impacted as well as processes in the judicial system will be delayed, (release or movement of inmates from jail to KDOC, release of patients from treatment facilities; failure to make timely notice in CINC cases).
Financial Considerations: Sufficient budget authority currently exists to fund the positions through use of salary savings, all three positions = $96,685 for the remainder of 2019.
Cost of each position for the remaining 2019 year:
(1) New Position - Journal Entry $41,920
(2) 20010328, CINC - $29,904
(3) 20009902/20009903 - Care & Treatment, $24,861
If approved, these staffing changes will be reflected in future 2020 budget documents.
Legal Considerations: N/A
Policy Considerations: N/A