Sacramento County Municipal Code Ch. 2.58 Suggestion Award Program

Whenever in this chapter the following terms are used, they shall have the meaning respectively ascribed in this section:

1. "Board" means Board of Supervisors of the County;

2. "Certificate of award" means a document commending an employee for submitting a suggestion which has been adopted and placed in operation and for which a monetary award is paid;

3. "Certificate of commendation" means a document commending an employee for submitting a suggestion which has been adopted and placed in effect but has not or will not result in a net saving or net increase in revenue to the County sufficient to qualify for a monetary award;

4. "Committee" means the suggestion awards committee;

5. "Employee" means an officer or employee of the County;

6. "Net increase in revenue" means the estimated first year net increase in revenue production from a specific source resulting from the adoption and placing into effect of a suggestion, determined as provided herein and approved by the Board;

7. "Net saving" means that the estimated first year net cost reduction resulting from the adoption and placing into effect of a suggestion determined as provided herein and approved by the Board;

8. "Suggestion" means a written proposal by an employee that clearly suggests or indicates the manner, means or way of doing any job, task, system or procedure better, quicker, easier, safer, and at less cost; to handle additional workload with the same staff or equipment; or to produce a better operation with better control.

(Ord. 701 § 1, 1960)

There is hereby established a suggestion award program for the purpose of improving the efficiency and economical operation of County government.

(Ord. 701 § 2, 1960)

There is hereby established a suggestion award committee to be composed of five members selected and appointed as follows:

1. The chair of the Board of Supervisors or a board member designated by him or her;

2. County Executive;

3. Personnel Director;

4. The head of any department office, appointed by the Board of Supervisors;

5. Any employee appointed by the Board of Supervisors. The committee may adopt rules governing the conduct of the committee's business, provided such rules are not in conflict with the provisions of this chapter. Such rules shall be subject to the approval of the Board of Supervisors before becoming effective.

(Ord. 701 § 3, 1960)

Any three members of the committee shall constitute a quorum.

(Ord. 701 § 4, 1960)

The committee shall select a chairman from among its members. The personnel director shall be the ex officio secretary of the committee.

(Ord. 701 § 5, 1960)

All decisions of the committee shall be made by majority vote of the members thereof.

(Ord. 701 § 6, 1960)

Any employee shall be eligible to submit suggestions with the following exceptions:

1. Members of the Board of Supervisors or its appointive advisory boards or commissions;

2. Members of the suggestion awards committee, and any employee assigned to assist or work with the committee;

3. Heads of departments;

4. Employee assigned to positions for the purpose of conducting research and development, or assigned to a job requiring the solution of specific problems, if the suggestion submitted pertains to such research, development or problem;

5. The County Executive and members of his or her professional staff.

(Ord. 701 § 7, 1960)

Any employee who submits, in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, a suggestion which is placed in effect and which is determined will result in a net saving or net increase in revenue sufficient to qualify for a monetary award, is eligible to receive a monetary award.

(Ord. 701 § 8, 1960)

Any employee who submits a suggestion that is accepted by the committee but will not result in a net saving or net increase in revenue sufficient to qualify for a monetary award, shall receive a certificate of commendation.

(Ord. 701 § 9, 1960)

If the committee determines that a net savings or net increase in revenue will accrue to the County through adopting and placing the suggestion into operation, the committee shall recommend to the Board of Supervisors that a monetary award be paid to the employee who made the suggestion. The award shall be 10% of the estimated first year's net savings or net increase in revenue. At the end of 12 months from the date the suggestion was placed into operation the committee may reinvestigate the operation and reestimate the net savings or net increase in revenue. If the committee finds the reestimated net savings or net revenue in revenue for such twelve months period is larger than originally estimated, the committee shall recommend that the employee who made the suggestion be paid an additional award of 10% of the difference between the original estimate and the reestimated first year's net savings or net increase in revenues. Provided, however, in no event shall the total monetary award exceed a total sum of $1,000 for any one suggestion.

(Ord. 701 § 10, 1960; Ord. 715 § 1, 1960)

All suggestions shall be mailed or personally delivered to the office of the personnel director, as secretary of the committee.

(Ord. 701 § 11, 1960)

The secretary shall, upon receipt of a suggestion, place on it the date and time it was received and assign it an identification number.

(Ord. 701 § 12, 1960)

Immediately upon receipt of a suggestion the secretary shall transmit to the employee making the suggestion a letter acknowledging its receipt and informing him or her of its identification number.

(Ord. 701 § 13, 1960)

Upon receipt of a suggestion the secretary shall remove therefrom the name and address of the employee and any other marks or information which might reveal the employee's name, and thereafter the suggestion shall be known only by its identification number. The secretary shall not reveal the name of the employee to anyone until the committee has reached a decision as to its recommendation to the Board. An employee, by written request, may remain anonymous if no award is granted.

(Ord. 701 § 14, 1960)

The secretary shall maintain a file of all matters pertaining to each suggestion and a record showing the current status and final disposition of each suggestion.

(Ord. 701 § 15, 1960)

The secretary and the committee shall process suggestions in the order received.

(Ord. 701 § 16, 1960)

The Committee shall make a report to the Board on all submitted suggestions within six months of the date of filing the suggestion with the secretary.

(Ord. 701 § 17, 1960)

Each suggestion submitted to the secretary in accordance with this chapter shall be presented to the committee at its next regular meeting for preliminary analysis and evaluation or for referral to a committee of qualified persons for technical study; provided, however, if the secretary considers a suggestion incomplete, unclear or unusually technical, he may refer the suggestion to a committee of qualified persons for preliminary study and report prior to presenting it to the committee.

(Ord. 701 § 18, 1960)

The committee shall analyze and investigate each suggestion and shall estimate the net savings or net increase in revenue for the first twelve months of operation of the suggestion and thereafter shall make its recommendation to the Board; provided that no monetary award may be paid unless the suggestion has been placed into operation.

(Ord. 701 § 19, 1960; Ord. 715 § 2, 1960)

Upon finding that a net savings or net increase in revenue will accrue to the County through adopting and placing the suggestion into operation and also finding that there is unusual difficulty in computing such net savings or net increase in revenue, the committee may recommend to the Board that the employee who made the suggestion be paid a preliminary award of not to exceed five percent of the preliminary estimate of the first year's net savings or net increase in revenue or $100, whichever is the lesser amount, and that the operation of the suggestion be reevaluated after it has been in operation for not to exceed 12 months. If, after reevaluating the operation of the suggestion and reestimating the first year's net savings or net increase in revenue, the committee finds that on the basis of the reestimate of net savings or net increase in revenue for the first year's operation a larger award than the preliminary award should be paid to the employee who made the suggestion, the committee shall recommend that the employee be paid an additional award of 10% of the reestablished first year's net savings or net increase in revenue less the amount of the preliminary award. Provided, however, in no event shall the total monetary award exceed an aggregate total of $1,000.

(Ord. 701 § 20, 1960)

When a monetary award is paid, the employee who made the suggestion shall be given a certificate of award as permanent evidence of his or her contribution. A copy of the certificate of award shall be made a part of the permanent file of the employee.

(Ord. 701 § 21, 1960)

Upon finding that the adoption of a suggestion will not result in a net saving or net increase in revenue to the County but will be of intangible value or benefit to the County, the committee shall recommend to the Board that the employee who made the suggestion be given a certificate of commendation.

(Ord. 701 § 22, 1960)

Upon receiving a recommendation from the committee, the Board of Supervisors shall consider it, and if the Board determines that the recommendation is meritorious, shall approve the recommendations and direct the County Executive to place the suggestion in operation.

(Ord. 701 § 23, 1960)