PACKET: BoCC Special Meeting-Strategic Planning at Mon, May 22, 04:00 PM

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Jefferson County Strategic Planning Employee Survey Summary 2023

Topic Summary

The 2023 Jefferson County Strategic Planning Employee Survey gathered feedback on staff priorities for the County's next strategic plan, assessed current government performance, identified areas for improvement, and explored the biggest challenges expected in the next three to five years. The overwhelming themes emerging from the nearly 14 question survey are the critical impact of high cost of living/housing affordability on employee retention and community engagement, and the need for improved wages and internal efficiency within the County government.

Key Points

  • In prioritizing aspects for the next strategic plan (Question 1), employees ranked Public Safety (Sheriff and Fire) as the top priority (10.11 average score, with 12 being least important and 1 being most important where employees ranked 12 items), followed by Accessible, efficient, and effective government (9.03), and Criminal justice system (8.61).
  • The biggest challenges foreseen by employees over the next three to five years (Question 4) are High cost of living/housing affordability (89.88% check rate), Homelessness (72.62%), and the Economy (53.57%).
  • Areas the County "does well" (Question 2) according to employees include Public health (98), Public safety (Sheriff and Fire) (94), and Road and bridge maintenance (71).
  • Areas the County "could do better" (Question 3) most often checked by employees are Housing (109), Community development duties (permitting, inspections, etc.) (79), and Employee engagement (60).
  • Key staff feedback indicates that wages are low and not competitive with surrounding counties, leading to difficult staffing, high turnover, and many employees being unable to afford living in Jefferson County.
  • For improving the work environment (Question 6), employees ranked Cost of living adjustments, More staffing within my department, and Flexible work hours as likely to Greatly Improve their situation.
  • A significant contingent of comments (Question 10 and 12-multiple staff) attribute their low confidence in the County's future to the lack of action on housing and wages, stating that the County needs to "stop catering to the homeless and help the people of the community that work full time and are still struggling."
  • When asked what makes Jefferson County unique (Question 7), the most common responses related to its natural environment (beauty, mountains, salt water/ocean, forests).

Financials

  • An employee noted (Question 11) that in February 2023, the median sale price of property in Jefferson County was "just shy of $600,000," calculating a $2,800 monthly payment for a 30-year loan (5.27% rate, $100,000 down payment). The employee states their monthly net salary is around $3,900, leaving $1,100 to cover all other monthly expenses including taxes, insurance, utilities, car payments, and food.
  • Multiple employees emphasized (Question 3, 11, 12) the need for "BETTER PAY TO AFFORD THE ACTUAL COST OF LIVING HERE" and "Competitive pay for employees." One states a salary comparison showing Jefferson County wages are "30% or so lower than city wages" for what is often more challenging work (Question 11).

Alternatives

  • The primary alternative proposed to address staffing/wage issues is "Cost of living adjustments" (Question 6) and matching wages to that of nearby counties (Clallam, Kitsap, Mason) (Question 12).
  • Alternative approaches to improving the work environment also included implementing 4-day work week options or flexible work hours to help improve work/life balance (Question 3, 6, 12).
  • Alternatives proposed to housing issues include:
    • Allowing people to build in rural areas (e.g., more than one house on 5 acres, or additional ADUs) and relaxing building codes and zoning requirements (Question 10, 12).
    • Implementing rent control and permanently designated housing below market rates, in addition to government support for housing nonprofits or direct funding for housing (Source: DCD Planner comment, Question 10).
    • Limiting short-term rentals (AirBnB) (Question 10).
    • Allowing manufactured home housing communities (Question 12).

Community Input

  • DCD/Permitting Concerns: Multiple employees (Question 3, 8) stated DCD needs an "overhaul" and needs to streamline applications and permits; builders are reportedly "laying workers off because of a back log in permitting."
  • Focus on Homelessness/Crime: Several comments (Question 4, 10, 12, 8) suggest the County is "catering to the homeless" and spending too much money on the transient population, leading to increased crime, drugs, and public safety concerns. Respondents request more accountability for criminal behavior and less focus on services for transients at the expense of working families.
  • Youth Services: Respondents requested new resources for youth and young families, such as a YMCA facility, swimming lessons, music lessons, and all-weather compatible turf fields for sports (Question 8, 12).
  • Public Health/Safety: An employee noted that the County has a "renown Emergency Management Department" and an "exemplary Jefferson Search and Rescue (JSAR) team" (Question 2). In contrast, another stated that Public Health employees are not provided health insurance for the first three months of employment, but the cost is withdrawn from their first paycheck (Question 12).
  • Road Maintenance: Staff provided mixed views, generally noting that roads and bridges outside of the city limits are "maintained well," while roads within the City Limits need improvement (Question 2, 3). City roads were described as "dangerously torn up with lots of potholes" (Question 4).
  • County Government Operations: One long-form comment by a DCD planner highlighted a systemic lack of understanding of the Community Development Department's planning role, stating it is characterized only as a "permit department" because permit revenue is its primary income source, and that DCD planners are funded by "meager General Fund allocation" (Question 3). They also described a "tight chain-of-command" that prevents staff from contacting Commissioners or the County Administrator directly, despite invitations (Question 11).

Timeline

  • The employee survey results include a confidence ranking (Question 9) regarding the County being an "even better place to live five years from now." The confidence scores (out of 5) clustered toward the middle: 1 (Least Confident) – 14.29%; 2 – 24.40%; 3 – 30.95%; 4 – 23.81%; 5 (Most Confident) – 6.55%.
  • Projected challenges span "the next three years to five years" (Question 4).

Next Steps

  • The implicit next step identified by the respondents is for the County to implement changes to address the critical lack of affordable housing and wage competitiveness to ensure a stable workforce. Explicit organizational unmet needs include:
    • Hiring someone capable of successfully leading and fully supporting the Department of Community Development (DCD) (Question 12).
    • Restructuring the current contract system, which is described as "barely functioning" (Question 12).
    • Making more steps toward improving data and records management and going paperless across the organization (Question 12).

Sources

  • Jefferson County Board of Commissioners (BOCC) - Elected Officials
  • John Fishbach - Former County Administrator
  • Commissioner Brotherton - Referenced as being approachable at a County picnic (2021)
  • Joseph Tainter - Cited for thesis on collapse of societies due to increasing complexity (Question 4)
  • Department of Community Development (DCD) - Department whose responsibilities, staffing, and wages are heavily criticized in the survey
  • Jefferson Search and Rescue (JSAR) - Exemplary service noted
  • Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) - Department where low wages and restrictive health insurance enrollment were noted

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