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11 - SCADA Technician Position ITEM NO. 11 Costa Mesa Sanitary District &an Independent Special District Memorandum To: Board of Directors From: Scott Carroll, General Manager Date: March 27, 2014 Subject:SCADA Technician/ Industrial Electrician Summary In late 2013, the District conducted an assessment update of the District’s safety program since its initial development in 2010. The assessment reviewed is being used to further improve the District’s safety program and provide a gap analysis of safety needs that require further attention. One of the safety needs identified by the gap analysis was the need to provide a twoperson team to perform pump station maintenance. Staff Recommendation That theBoardof Directors: 1. Approvethe SCADA Technician/ Industrial Electrician job classification; 2. Appropriate $115,020fromthe Liquid Waste Fund’s Unreserved Undesignated Retained Earnings to fund the position in Fiscal Year 2014-15;and 3. Direct staff to begin the recruitment process. Analysis In 2010, the District obtained the services of Lapidus Safety Consulting, a subcontractor for the Special District Risk Management Authority (SDRMA), to develop the District’s safety program. As part of the safety program development, an assessment of the District’s practices was conducted with various recommendations for improvements. In late 2013, the District asked Lapidus Safety Consulting to review the progress made by the District since the initial program development in 2010. The assessment update consisted of the following components performed by Lapidus Safety Consulting; they conducted interviews with Protecting our communitys health and the environment by providi www.cmsdca.gov Board of Directors March 27, 2014 Page 2 of 6 current management staff, reviewed program documentation, and performed a field survey of current practices. The gap analysisfrom the 2013 assessment update hasbeen analyzed by staff and iscurrently being addressed to further improve the program. One finding that has becomean urgent need to the Districtis the finding that our current field staff team is operating at a staffing deficit to operate safely. Lapidus Safety Consulting strongly recommends the field staff team add anotherfieldstaff person to ensure safe operations. Currently, the maintenancecrew consists of three workers and a supervisor. Two of the maintenance workers(Maintenance Worker III and Maintenance Worker I)are dedicated for the routine cleaning and hotspotmaintenance of the sewer mainline. The third maintenance worker (Maintenance Worker II)works independently and has the vital role of maintaining all twenty District-ownedpump stations. For one employee, the daily tasks can become overwhelming and unsafe. The hazards that are present while doing pump station visits can involve electrocution, succumbing to gases, traffic issues, falling intoan open well, etc. Staff believesacquiring a highly qualified, experiencedand technicalworker will improve Districtmaintenance capabilities while at the same time enhance the safety culture of the Maintenance Division. Fromthe Office of Water Programs at California State University Sacramento is a field study training program called,Operation and Maintenance of Wastewater Collection Series Volume II. In the booklet, with the same title,its states thefollowing: “One rule that should apply to all lift station visits is that for safety precautions there must alwaysbe two operators making the station visit.” In addition, staff surveyed nearby cities and special districts about staffing levels for maintaining pump stations. Most use a two person crew to maintain lift stations. Please see survey in Attachment A. Electrical knowledge plays a vital role at all the stations, but the electrical system istypically the most complicated andfrequently the least understood station equipment. A professional licensed electrician should routinely inspect pump stations to prevent damage caused by water, dust, heat, cold, humidity, corrosive atmospheres, and vibrations, which are allcommon pumpstation conditions that can affect the life and performance of the electrical system. Staff believes having a professional licensed electrician on staff will discover potential problems in advance afterroutine electrical inspections are addedtoour current daily stationvisits. By finding problems first, the maintenance division can be proactive rather than reactive to making repairs, thus avoiding downed stationsand a possible sanitary sewer overflow(SSO)that can result in finesand harming the environment. As you know, in a few months the District will be installing permanent by-pass pumps and generators at critical pump stations. With these added pieces of equipment comes extra maintenance and monthly testing and staff believes this additional workload will be overwhelming Board of Directors March 27, 2014 Page 3 of 6 for one maintenance worker. In addition, the new equipment will have electrical components that will need to be attended by a professional licensed electrician. Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), telemetry and instrumentation components are becoming more sophisticated every day. Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) has found the best method of designing, operating and maintaining SCADA, telemetry and instrumentation components is to have on-staff experts rather than relying on outside contractors. In fact, District staff survey several nearby jurisdictions (e.g. City of Newport Beach, OCSD, Irvine Ranch Water District, City of Santa Ana) and found most have an in-house Instrumentation/SCADA technician position on staff. SCADA is an important communication tool that informs staff when power outages occur and/or when wastewater is reaching critical high levels. If SCADA is not operating as it should, the District could risk an SSO. Having someone on staff that is knowledgeable to maintaining and repairing SCADA will ensure the system is always operating at optimum levels and has the ability to send important text messages to staff if stations are experiencing difficulties. Our current practiceis to wait for a contracted service provider to respond. Attachment Bis the job description for the proposed SCADA Technician/Industrial Electrician. This person can perform the important functions mentioned above while at the same time provide additional safety measures for the Maintenance Worker II. The top annual salary range and benefits will cost approximately $115,020. However, staff believes there will be some contract savings as result of this position. For instance, having a two man crew at pump stations and the new crane truck will allow the District to perform annual preventive maintenance, which is a savings of $35,000 a year.Additional contract savings could occur fromelectrical and SCADA services. In FY 2012-13, the District spent $75,675 on contract services for electrical and SCADA needs at pump stations and as to date, the District has spent $15,529 on the same kind of services in FY 2013-14. Alternatives Staff has evaluated the availability of other field staff members to assist with pump station maintenance by providingatwo personteam. However, the maintenanceteam consists of four members, oneof which is the Maintenance Supervisor, who is responsible for daily scheduling, contract management, and other administrative work as it relates to documenting maintenance activities. The other two members are assigned to sewer maintenance and requiretwo members to conduct traffic control and operatethe sewer combination truck safely. It is staff’s conclusion thatit is not feasible to provide atwo-person teamfor pump station maintenancewith the current staffing levels. Staff looked at having a contractor provide the support needed at pump stations. However, this alternative would be more expensive than hiring a full-time District employee. The cost to hiring a full time contractor to work forty hours a week for fifty-two weeks in a year is $270,400 (labor) to $353,600 (one technician). Labor rates from contractors are considered confidential, but staff will have available a labor rate sheet from a District contractor for Board viewing if desired. Board of Directors March 27, 2014 Page 4 of 6 The District could consider hiring a part-time worker. The cost for a part-time worker will be substantially less at $20,800 a year, but the worker canonly work twenty hours a week otherwise the District will have to pay for retirement cost if the person works more than 20 hours a week. Hiring a part-time worker will not be a skilled licensed electrician nor will this person have experience working SCADA systems. The part-time worker will improve safety conditions, but for only half of the time because of the limited hours the person can work. Strategic Plan Element & Goal This item complies with Strategic Plan Element 6.0, Personnel/ OrganizationalManagementand Goal No. .6.3Promote a safety culture within the organization. The strategy for this Strategic Elementis ”Safety culture is the way safety is perceived, valued and prioritized in an organization. It reflects the real commitment to safety at all levels of the organization.” Legal Review Not applicable at this time. Environmental Review The analysis of whether a new SCADA Technician is neededis an administrative action and is exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (Public Resources Code Section 21000 et. seq.). Section 15300.4 of CEQA allows an agency while establishing its own procedures “to list those specific activities which fall within each of the exempt classes”, and the District has adopted “CEQA Guidelines and Implementing Procedures” that state on page 6 “”Projects” does not include …. C. Continuing administrative or maintenance activities.” Financial Review Staff surveyed every city and special district in Orange County and found the following agencies have similar positions within their organizations. The salary rangefor these positions are as follows: Board of Directors March 27, 2014 Page 5 of 6 OrganizationPosition TitleHourly MinimumHourly MaximumAnnual MinimumAnnual Maximum City of Santa AnaInstrument Technician$ 25.15$ 33.73$ 52,320$ 70,164 Supervisory Control & SCADA City of Huntington Beach$ 28.02$ 34.72$ 58,282$ 72,218 Technician City of Newport BeachUtilities SCADA Technician$ 26.55$ 37.39$ 55,224$ 77,771 Yorba Linda Water DistrictInstrument Technician$ 30.71$ 37.42$ 63,878$ 77,829 Santa Margarita Water DistrictSCADA Technician$ 27.26$ 37.58$ 56,700$ 78,166 OC Sanitation DistrictElectrical Technician$ 30.98$ 37.65$ 64,438$ 78,312 Electrical/Instrumentation $ 29.79$ 38.14$ 61,965$ 79,320 Moultan Niguel Water DistrictTechnician Irvine Ranch Water DistrictAutomation Technician$ 27.80$ 39.57$ 57,824$ 82,305 Irvine Ranch Water DistrictElectrical Technician$ 27.80$ 39.57$ 57,824$ 82,305 City of Santa Ana$ 30.60$ 41.00$ 63,648$ 85,284 Sr Electrical Systems Specialist City of San ClementeSCADA Technician$ 34.48$ 41.91$ 71,718$ 87,173 OC Sanitation DistrictElectrical Technician II$ 35.91$ 43.65$ 74,701$ 90,792 SCADA Controls/Instrumentation South Coast Water District$ 32.34$ 46.20$ 67,262$ 96,088 Technician Average$ 29.80$ 39.12$ 61,983.38$ 81,363.62 Based on these results, staff recommends Step 1 hourly rate for theproposed position would be $29.80 per hour or $61,983annually. The District’s current salary schedule includes 7 steps, each being a5% variance. Step 7 for this position would calculate out to $39.93per hour or $83,064 annually. The proposed salary is a five percent decrease from the salary range proposed to the th Board on March 18, 2014. On March 18the proposed salary range was $65,233 to $87,418. Additionally, the position would be eligible to participate in the District’s certification enhancement program in which if they earned their California Water Environment Association (CWEA) certifications, they would be eligible for a 1.5% increase in their base pay. Total burdened cost is estimated below in the following table: Salary PERS 2%@60 Medicare Cafeteria Workers' Comp Total Burdened Cost Cost perHour Step 1 61,983.38 5,392.55 898.7614,388.00 6,818.17 89,480.86 43.02 Step 2 65,082.55 5,662.18 943.7014,388.00 7,159.08 93,235.51 44.82 Step 3 68,336.68 5,945.29 990.8814,388.00 7,517.03 97,177.88 46.72 Step 4 71,753.51 6,242.56 1,040.4314,388.00 7,892.89 101,317.38 48.71 Step 5 75,341.19 6,554.68 1,092.4514,388.00 8,287.53 105,663.85 50.80 Step 6 79,108.25 6,882.42 1,147.0714,388.00 8,701.91 110,227.64 52.99 Step 7 83,063.66 7,226.54 1,204.4214,388.00 9,137.00 115,019.62 55.30 The District does not currently have funding appropriated for this position. If the Board approves recruitment for this position, funds in the amount of $115,020would need to be appropriated for the next Fiscal Year, 2014-15. The recommended funding amount is a decrease from the amount th originally proposed on March 18when the total compensation was $120,295. Public Notice Process Copies of this report are on file and will be included with the entire agenda packet for the March 18, 2014Board of Directors study sessionat District Headquarters and on District website. Board of Directors March 27, 2014 Page 6 of 6 Alternative Actions 1.Refer the matter back to staff for additional information. 2.Direct staff to hire a contractor to perform support services at pump stations. 3.Direct staff to hire a part-time maintenance worker to perform support services at pump stations. 4.Do nothing and remain status quo. Attachment A:Survey B:Draft SCADA Technician/ Industrial Electrician job description C:Organization Chart Reviewed by: Interim Finance Manager Wendy Davis Attachment B Costa Mesa Sanitary DistrictCLASS CODE: 400 SCADA TECHNICIAN/INDUSTRIAL ELECTRICIAN Salary Range $29.80 –$39.93Hourly $5,165.33-$6,921.20Monthly $61,984-$83,063.66Annual JOB SUMMARY Under general supervision in a team environment, performs journey-level work involvinginstallation, troubleshooting, maintenance, and repair of industrial electrical motor controls and electrical equipment, instrumentation, analyzers, SCADA, and related equipmentused in wastewater pump stations and transport systems.This position must provide preventive, predictive, corrective electrical maintenance, installations and repair of circuits, and motors for use in waste water collection systems. CLASS CHARACTERISTICS Thispositionrequires a skilled journeyperson electrician with industrial electrical and control experience. This position is responsible for all aspects of overseeing operations, maintenance, repairs of the collection system pump stations, related SCADA communications network.Work is reviewed by superiors while in progress and upon completion. ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS Inspect, install, repair, maintain, calibrate, test, and troubleshoot electrical systems to include circuits, switchgear, distribution equipment,motor control centers, VFD’s electric motors, switches, power generating equipment and emergency backup systems. Inspect, install, repair, maintain, calibrate, test, and troubleshoot instrumentation components to include transducers, valve actuators,sensors, cathodic protection systems. Inspect, install, repair, maintain, calibrate, test, and troubleshoot SCADA/PLC systems to include PLC hardware and software. Diagnose equipment and hardware problems by logical tracing of the failed function from its source to its final destination and determine needed repairs or modifications. Perform reverse-engineering of circuits and create basic diagrams. Perform emergency field repairs which may occur at night and/or in inclement weather. Read and interpret electrical and electronic schematics, mechanical and instruction drawings, wiring diagrams, instrument loop diagrams, and construction drawings necessary to install, service, and repair equipment in accordance with related regulations and vendor OEM specifications. Operate forklift trucks, crane trucks, hoists, and other equipment as required in the course of performing maintenance and repairs. Costa Mesa Sanitary DistrictCLASS CODE: 400 Assist in maintainingan inventory of materials, tools, and supplies. Performs all work in accordance with established safety policies and procedures, including Cal-OSHA regulations relating to confined space entry and working around dangerous gases. Operate standard office equipment, including job-related computer hardware and software applications. Performs related work as required. QUALIFICATIONS GUIDELINES A typical way to obtain the requisite knowledge and abilities to perform the duties and responsibilities of this classification is as follows: Education, Training and/or Experience Graduation from high school or its equivalentand a minimum of four (4) years of journey level experience in electrical systems and electronic instrumentation installation, maintenance, and repair including at least one (1) year of experiencewith programmable logic controllers (PLCs). Additional Requirements : Prior to employment, prospective candidate must successfully complete a thoroughbackground review, including fingerprinting. Incumbents of this classification may be required to work shifts, weekends, unusual hours in emergency situations and to be available on an “on call” basis. Incumbents of this classification may be subject to drug and/or alcohol testing as mandated by federal regulations. Incumbent will be cross trained on the operational use of the District’s combination sewer cleaning truck (Vac-Con) to providecoverage for cleaning sewer system, when necessary. Disaster Service Worker: In accordance with Government Code Section 3100, Costa Mesa Sanitary District Employees, in the event of a disaster, are considered disaster service workers and may be asked to respond accordingly. Licenseand/or Certificate C 10 electrical contractor’s licenseor two (2) years of journey level experience in electrical systems and electronic Trade School graduation and instrumentation installation, maintenance and repair including at least one (1) year ofexperience with programmable logic controllers (PLCs) Possession or the ability to obtain a valid California Driver's License, Class Bor higher, within one year of hiredate.Revocation of license during employment may result in disciplinary action or reassignment. Costa Mesa Sanitary DistrictCLASS CODE: 400 Requisite Knowledge and Skill Levels Knowledge of standard terms, practices, procedures, and modern methods common to the electrical trade. Knowledge in the NationalElectrical Code and the industry standard electrical safety requirements specifiedby the NationalFire Protection Association. Knowledge ofoperational characteristics of mechanical equipment and tools used in the area of work assignedstandard tools, methods, and practices. Principles and procedures of record keeping Basic math principles Knowledge of hazards and safety precautions of the job. Requisite Abilities Ability to understand and follow oral and written instructions. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others. Sewer Collection Systems Certification The District desires field crew members to earn certification through the California Water Environment Association (CWEA) for sewer collection systems.CWEA certification is awarded after passing a Technical Certification Exam for Levels 1 through 4. CMSD personnel are awarded a 1 1/2% salary increase for each of the four levels of certification obtained.New SCADA Technician/ Industrial Electricianhiresare required toobtain aCWEA electrical/instrumentationgrade IIcertification within their first two (2) yearsof employment with the District.