Onsite Employee Wellness program will start back up in February. Get ready to sweat at an Onsite Fitness Class, melt the stress away at a Relaxation and Meditation Session, discover more about health at Lunch and Learns, and fill up on fruits and vegetables at onsite Farmers Markets.
The County Employees’ Charitable Organization is seeking passionate and highly motivated individuals who want to volunteer their time, talent, and efforts to serve on the CECO Executive Committee as either an officer or as a member at large.
All self-nominations and candidacy statements must be submitted to sdceco@sdcounty.ca.gov no later than Monday, Feb. 12. The Board of Directors will vote the week of Feb. 19.
CECO raises funds from donations by County employees and gives the money to local non-profits and employees in crisis. Last year it distributed nearly $179,000.
Open Positions (must be a current County employee except where indicated):
President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer (2 positions available)
Member at Large (3 positions available)
Member at Large – Retiree (1 position available)
General Requirements:
Must be a member of CECO. Membership is obtained by contributing to CECO by way of a biweekly payroll deduction, retirement deduction, or one-time annual donation of at least $52. View membership instructions online.
Able to serve a two-year term in a volunteer capacity. The two-year term will commence on April 1, 2018 and conclude on March 31, 2020.
Able to fulfill the duties of the position in a volunteer capacity.
President – oversight and management of the organization; works closely with the Officers, Executive Committee and Committee Chairs to ensure that CECO accomplishes its mission and goals by leveraging volunteer resources, and County and community partners.
Vice President – works closely with the president in the oversight and management of the organization; assumes the duties and responsibilities of the President in the President’s absence or inability to function.
Secretary – provides administrative support to ensure that meeting minutes and other records and documents are properly recorded and maintained.
Treasurer – responsible for the proper accounting and reporting of CECO funds and ensuring compliance with U.S. Treasury Internal Revenue Service and the California State Franchise Tax Board tax exemption requirements to include preparing and submitting annual non-profit tax forms as required.
At-Large Members – assists the Officers as needed with operational activities; active participation in establishing policies, management, and direction of the affairs of CECO.
Also, board members generally serve on various committees throughout the year as needed.
For additional information about the positions, please see the CECO Bylaws.
Candidacy Statements:
Please include the following in your self-nomination candidacy statement:
Name
Department
Classification
Years of County Service
Candidacy Statement (1-3 paragraphs)
If you have any questions, please contact CECO President Mavette Sadile.
Hundreds of County employees started their Friday in the very early morning hours to participate in the annual Point-in-Time Count. Volunteers fanned out in assigned areas across the region to look for and tally people experiencing homelessness.
Among them were members of employee resource group CSDFEA, or County of San Diego Filipino-American Employees' Association. It's the group’s annual tradition.
"It's our way of supporting... not only the County, but the community," said Ardee Apostol, CSDFEA member and HHSA employee.
Follow along in the video above with three members of the group as they counted in the early morning.
The count gives a snapshot in time of the number of homeless people. The numbers help the region apply for federal funding and identify solutions on how to best serve this at-risk population.
Did you participate in the Point-in-Time-Count? Tell us about your experience in the comments below.
The new federal tax law passed last month may affect your paycheck. Changes from the new law have gone into effect at the County and you may notice a difference in your net pay starting on the Jan. 26 paycheck. The paystubs are online now and you should review yours in PeopleSoft Employee Self Service.
The County Auditor and Controller has prepared this 2018 Tax Law recap, including information about W-4 withholding. There is also information about additional 2018 Tax Changes. You may seek advice from your tax preparer or tax advisor about the impacts of the new law.
For more information, visit the IRS Withholding Tables FAQs.
Be on the lookout for important documents in your home mailbox. Central Payroll Administration will mail out 2017 W-2 forms by Jan. 31. You can also obtain a duplicate copy of your W-2 on PeopleSoft Employee Self Service starting Jan. 31.
If you have additional questions:
View the complete list of FAQs with answers here.
View a demo showing how to calculate W-2 totals here.
Visit Central Payroll’s InSite page for more information.
Crime Lab
County Buildings – Changes on the Horizon
A new year, a new beginning and the perfect time to see what new County buildings are on the horizon. General Services works year-round to improve and modernize our work and client spaces so we can provide better customer service.
Here’s a look at what we can expect in 2018:
Openings
Sheriff’s Crime Lab
Scheduled Completion: Summer 2018
Project: The exterior enclosure is almost complete and installation of the interior finishes has begun on the new 151,000-square-foot facility at the County Operations Center. The building will house the crime lab, space for Sheriff’s property and evidence materials, and administrative offices. The new project will move the Crime Lab close to the Medical Examiner’s office.
North Coastal Regional Center:
Scheduled Completion: Summer 2018
Project: Construction is underway for a new 36,000-square-foot facility in Oceanside. The building is going up where the Regional Center/Public Health Center was located. The center will consolidate behavioral health, public health and administration in one place. In the meantime, HHSA staff is working from a leased space at 3609 Ocean Ranch Blvd. in Oceanside. A site search is underway for a larger north coastal Family Resource Center as well.
Pine Valley Fire Station:
Scheduled Completion: December 2018
Project: A groundbreaking ceremony kicked off construction for a new Pine Valley Fire Station last month. The 13,000-square-foot station will be double the size of the old building. The two-story facility will feature sleeping quarters for up to 15 people and four bays for emergency vehicles.
Borrego Springs Library, Park and Sheriff’s Office:
Scheduled Completion: Fall/Winter 2018
Project: Officials broke ground in October for a new approximately 14,000-square-foot library branch that will be six times the size of the current leased facility. The project includes a Sheriff’s office and a 16-acre community park across the street. Plans for the park include play structures, court sports and picnic areas.
Borrego Springs Library Construction
Borrego Springs Library, Park and Sheriff’s Office Site Plan
Boulevard 24/7 Library To Go Kiosk:
Scheduled Completion: March 2018
Project: A fully automated library kiosk with an overhead canopy and wind screen will provide 24/7 access to popular movies and books for the local community, where access to a traditional branch library may not be available. Anyone with a valid County Library card may use the new kiosk. This kiosk will be the fourth for the San Diego County Library.
New Beginnings
Lakeside Library: The County has purchased a site for a new approximately 15,000-square-foot library which would triple the size of the current branch built in 1962. The new zero-net energy facility will include children and teen spaces, plus a community room.
Casa de Oro Library: A site search is underway for a place to build a new approximately 15,000 square-foot library to replace the current branch located at a strip mall. The new facility will include for the first time a community room as well as specific areas for teens and children.
Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk East County Operations and Archive: Construction is expected to start in 2018 on a new 23,900-square foot facility in Santee. The current El Cajon facility is located inside a converted bank that was built in 1957. The new structure will include modern archival storage and maintenance of significant historical documents. Completion is scheduled for mid-2019.
ARCC East County
Cedar/Kettner Development Property: Negotiations are underway for development of the vacant land adjoining the Cedar/Kettner parking structure site for a private residential and commercial project. Construction could start in late 2019/early 2020.
Major Renovations and Remodeling
San Diego Juvenile Justice Campus: Master planning is underway for redevelopment of the Kearny Mesa facility. The existing site will be renovated and redeveloped to include an urban camp setting, new community supervision services, housing and support facilities.
County Administration Center: Procurement ofthe design and construction teamfor the major systems upgrade will begin this quarter. The mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire/life safety systems are past their useful life and will be replaced in phases.
Planning Stages
Southeastern Live Well Center: Site acquisition is proceeding for a Live Well Center that will consolidate the Southeast Family Resource Center, Public Health and Mental Health in one place. The facility will also house Probation staff and offer meeting spaces to community groups.
Health Services Complex Replacement: Planning is underway toredevelop the Health Services Complex in the Midway District. The project would replace the Rosecransfacility, consolidate associated HHSA functions in the new building and provide a parking structure.
Bonita-Sunnyside Branch Library Expansion: Design-Build procurement will begin this quarter for the expansion of the Bonita-Sunnyside Branch Library. Plans include a new children’s area, an expanded teen’s area, and various interior improvements to the existing library.
Ohio Street Probation Office: Thecurrent officein North Park has closed and is being demolished. A new facility designed to help rehabilitation and treatment will be built in its place.
Emergency Vehicle Operations Course: Planning is underway and a design-build team will be hired in late 2018 so design can begin. Construction will begin after the property closes escrow in 2019. Completion is anticipated in 2020.
Palomar Mountain Fire Station Living Quarters: The project, located next to the existing fire house, will provide approximately 1,900 square feet of living space for six personnel, renovate an existing office in the fire house, and other site improvements.
Santa Ysabel Nature Center: The 6,000-square-foot nature center will include interpretive and educational exhibits, a conference room for up to 100 people, an outdoor patio, an information area, restrooms and staff offices. The center will be located next to Highways 78 and 79 in Santa Ysabel. Construction could be completed in fall 2019.
For more information on planned and proposed constructions projects, see General Services’ Current Capital Projects List.
The San Diego County Sheriff's Department, District Attorney's Office, Probation and the African American Association of County Employees (AAACE), an Employee Resource Group, honored Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by marching in the 38th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade Sunday.
In addition, San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk Ernest J. Dronenburg and Treasurer-Tax Collector Dan McAllister attended the YMCA MLK Jr. Human Dignity Breakfast with ARCC team members on Friday, Jan. 12. The event at the Jackie Robinson YMCA honored Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for the Public Safety Group Ron Lane hosted a lunchtime viewing of TED Talks. The theme of the videos was "Great Leaders are Great Decision-Makers: Leading without fear of being wrong."
Throughout the year, the General Managers will host similar lunchtime viewings of TED Talks with various themes. Look out for them on InSite under Employee Messages.
Extra Resources:
Video #1 demonstrates an example of a bad decision Challenger: The Untold Story Part 7 of 10 (min 0:00 through 4:47)
Video #2 is a TED Talk by Julia Galef -Why you think you’re right – even if you’re wrong (11:37). This video discusses why and how our beliefs and biases influence our decision making.
Speaker: Julia Galef, Writer
Julia Galef investigates how and why people change their minds.
Summary: Perspective is everything, especially when it comes to examining your beliefs. Are you a soldier, prone to defending your viewpoint at all costs -- or a scout, spurred by curiosity? Julia Galef examines the motivations behind these two mindsets and how they shape the way we interpret information, interweaved with a compelling history lesson from 19th-century France. When your steadfast opinions are tested, Galef asks: "What do you most yearn for? Do you yearn to defend your own beliefs or do you yearn to see the world as clearly as you possibly can?"
Video #3 – USS Vessel in Irish Sea
Video #4 is a TED Talk by Kathryn Schulz on Being Wrong (17:44)
Speaker: Kathryn Schulz, Wrongologist
Kathryn Schulz is a staff writer for the New Yorker and is the author of "Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error."
Summary: Most of us will do anything to avoid being wrong. But what if we're wrong about that? "Wrongologist" Kathryn Schulz makes a compelling case for not just admitting but embracing our fallibility.
The mountains are calling. If you’re going, save.
Before hitting the slopes, get discounted lift tickets from PerkSpot to Southern California’s biggest ski and snowboarding resorts, including Big Bear Mountain, Mountain High, Mammoth Mountain and Snow Summit. You could save more than 35 percent.
PerkSpot offers benefits and discounts through more than 400 service providers and retailers, from movie theaters to florists and jewelers. Go to SDCounty.PerkSpot.com and shop. If you are new, click on “Create an Account” to register.
Each month, one of the most popular PerkSpot deals will be highlighted on InSite.
Please note: some footage in this video may be disturbing.
As County employee Hank Ramirez participated in a three-hour active shooter training last September with the Purchasing & Contracting department, he never imagined that within weeks he would use the lessons.
Ramirez was in the casino of Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas when a gunman opened fire from the hotel’s upper floor on nearby concertgoers in October. He, his husband and a friend were evacuated to the nearby Excalibur Hotel where everyone remained on lockdown for hours. With no official information reaching them, some people speculated wildly at times that perhaps the gunman was in the casino on lockdown with them.
“It really was very scary,” Ramirez said, until he began to remember the active shooter training. “Recalling it helped calm me down. It helped give me a solid foundation to stand on and know what to do. It was extremely valuable.”
County Human Resources offers training videos and other resources on violence prevention including the Run, Hide, Fight response to an active shooter on the County’s Learning Management System (LMS). Additionally, classroom training classes were offered last year to employees at various locations, and departments could sign up for site-specific trainings that involve hands-on scenarios.
Starting in February, monthly class presentations will again be offered at various County locations and can be accessed through LMS.
Ramirez said he participated in a classroom training on his lunch hour last year, then his department head signed his office up for a three-hour interactive training. In the department training, they practiced looking for exits, hiding and staying quiet, and devising a plan to fight if that was the only option.
While they were on lockdown in Las Vegas, Ramirez said he used those learned skills: trying to find exits in the casino in case a gunman burst in; finding scaffolding with covering around a pillar under renovation and positioning chairs around it to deflect bullets if necessary; and gathering potential weapons such as a fire extinguisher, ashtrays and empty glasses to use against the shooter if needed.
“It kept me calm because it gave me something to focus on. I remembered the things he told us in the class and I looked around and tried to implement them in that situation,” Ramirez said.
The training is offered jointly by the County’s Site Security Initiative program. Sheriff’s Lt. Damon Blankenbaker, who is one of the instructors for the courses, teaches employees how to react better in such a situation and even prepare for an incident like this that includes trying to de-escalate a volatile situation and recognizing a threat of violence before it ramps up.
Ramirez said when he returned to work, he immediately called Lt. Blankenbaker to tell him how the training had helped him. He said Blankenbaker told him he’d be right over and talked to him for more than an hour about his experience. Ramirez said he wants other employees to know how crucial this kind of training is and how it can help you protect yourself and your loved ones in a similar emergency.
