Luzerne County officials have mulled getting out of the state civil service hiring system for more than four years, but they’re now laying the necessary groundwork in case they decide to pull the plug, the county manager said this week.
The administration is finalizing new personnel procedures, which would be the first step if the county starts handling recruitment and selection of Children and Youth caseworkers and other county human service positions now filtered through civil service, county Manager C. David Pedri told council members.
The Pennsylvania State Civil Service Commission develops and administers job-specific tests and creates listings of qualified candidates for agencies to use in hiring candidates. The state established the civil service system in 1939 to encourage merit selection in public sector hiring.
The commission’s employment system is used by 38 state agencies and more than 200 county and local government offices, according to the state website.
Pedri told council some counties have switched to their own systems. He described the civil service process as “outdated” and unappealing to fresh college graduates.
“I truly believe that when people are looking for jobs today, they’re not going to take a test in Harrisburg. They’re doing this online and looking for the instant gratification of filling out an application and getting a response,” Pedri said.
Leaving civil service also could speed up the filling of positions and allow more flexibility, county officials have said since the idea was first suggested by the administration here in January 2013.
The issue is timely because a new state Auditor General’s Office “State of the Child” report heavily blames the continued death of children statewide on difficulties recruiting qualified Children and Youth caseworkers, which has contributed to staffing shortages, heavy caseloads and high turnover rates.
State Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Lehman Township, who chairs the Senate’s Health and Human Services Committee, has said she will look into what civil service changes might be needed.
Changes already are underway, according to the civil service commission. Its latest annual report says new state legislation will allow more conformation with private-sector hiring practices, such as the posting of specific job vacancies instead of blanket job classifications to attract applicants.
Pedri said he plans to present updated personnel procedures to council in October. Under the county’s home rule charter, council must approve changes to the personnel code.
The administration also will assess the pros and cons of a civil service departure and present a recommendation to council, although a target date for that briefing was not set, the manager said.
Before switching to an in-house system, the county would have to prove employees will be selected and promoted through merit and open competition and receive adequate compensation and training opportunities, officials have said.
Other updates
The briefing on personnel policy revisions came up during Pedri’s status report on goals accomplished in various departments.
Among the other developments:
• Staffers have been providing feedback to Kansas-based CivicPlus for its design of a new county website that is expected to go live in early 2018. The company will publicly update council on the site layout in January.
• The prison is wrapping up development of a new online database that will provide public access to information about inmates lodged in the county correctional system, including inmate photographs and their housing assignment, criminal charges and bail amounts.
The database can’t be activated until the solicitor’s office finishes a legal review, Pedri said. Many other counties have implemented online inmate search tools to reduce staff time spent processing telephone inquiries, he said.
“It’s not put out there to embarrass anyone. It’s solely to address the needs of the public,” he said.
• The installation of signs directing courthouse visitors to various offices and services is scheduled to begin next week.
• The state Game Commission has agreed to transfer ownership of a Shickshinny-area communications tower to 911 at no cost so the county agency can enhance emergency radio reception in that area. Council will vote on the transfer next month.
• Children and Youth has worked with the courts and school districts to implement a truancy court program. Truancy often is a sign of other family problems that can be addressed through the new program, Pedri said.
