Public Hearing: YES ☐ NO ☒ Department: District Attorney
SUBJECT:
Title
Commission District(s): all
Creation of a Director and Deputy Director of Operations and Special Projects in the District Attorney’s Office
Body
Information Contact: Sherry Boston or Roz Harris
Phone Number: 770-294-0369
PURPOSE:
To consider the creation of two Operations and Special Projects positions in the District Attorney’s Office; and
To authorize the Chief Executive Officer to execute any necessary documents.
NEED/IMPACT:
On March 14, 2020, Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Harold Melton issued his first Statewide Judicial Emergency in response to the spread of COVID 19, which eliminated all in-person hearings, jury trials, and the empaneling of a Grand Jury. It further required that all essential functions be conducted remotely through video conferencing or some other mechanism. To comply with the order and to protect her entire staff, the District Attorney immediately moved to fully remote operations, a massive task which became the responsibility of a Deputy Chief Investigator to facilitate. As the Judicial Emergency was extended, the Investigator’s workload again expanded to include the responsibility of establishing automated processes to allow essential court functions to continue, which required constant and specialized coordination with the Court, Superior Court Clerk’s Office, DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, DeKalb County DoIT, and outside vendors, allowing for hearings and to occur, and in a manner that ensured the safety of the employees of the District Attorney’s Office and the citizens of DeKalb County.
Prior to the pandemic, the Investigator, in addition to working up complicated cases, was already tasked with special projects oversight, specifically the day to day management of Odyssey, the court management system, as well as the supervision of a twenty-seven employee administrative team. It has become clear that the demand to work remotely and to shift other processes and functions to electronic or automated formats will not cease after the Judicial Emergency that necessitated them expires, and it is expected that remote demand will exponentially increase. The D.A. is committed to continuing to streamline and automate processes to ensure that justice is delivered to the citizens of DeKalb County in the most efficient and effective manner. Equally, the District Attorney’s Office is committed to business practices that consider the safety of her employees, the larger Courthouse community, and the public to implementing business practices that align with that commitment to public health and safety.
It is being requested that the positions of a dedicated Director and Deputy Director of Operations and Special Projects be created (Job Code: 99553/33020). Combined, the two new positions would focus on the strategic planning and collaboration with business partners necessary to meet the growing demands of a new electronic delivery system for services within the court system, the day to day management of associated tasks and the supervision of administrative staff, and the continued oversight of all court management technological systems.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The annualized cost for the addition in 2021 is $203,501.00. This amount includes salary and associated benefits, effective February 1, 2021
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommended Action
Create two Operations and Special Projects positions in the District Attorney’s Office; and Authorize the Chief Executive Officer to execute any necessary documents.