New Town Center, library, arts center means more employees on Yorba Linda's municipal payroll

Several new full- and part-time employees will be joining Yorba Linda's municipal workforce during the next two fiscal years, mainly to fill positions associated with Town Center and the library and arts center complex now under construction.

Added during the fiscal year beginning July 1 will be 5.09 full-time equivalent positions, with another 6.8 full-time equivalents hired the next year. Authorized city positions will be 159.02 full-time equivalents by the end of June 2021, up from 147.13 as of May 21.

Town Center construction is nearing completion, and the 45,000-square-foot, two-story library and 13,500-square-foot arts center on Lakeview Avenue just north of Yorba Linda Boulevard are on schedule to open by summer 2020.

Among the full-time positions to be added is a deputy sheriff to work a swing shift, covering the later part of the afternoon and evening hours, “with a focus on supporting the existing patrol deputies,” noted a report to the City Council by Finance Director Scott Catlett.

“This will include regular patrols of the Town Center to maintain a family-focused and safe environment, support of traffic and DUI enforcement and assistance with routine calls for service during the higher volume times of the week,” Catlett stated.

Expenditure for the city will be $360,000 for fiscal 2020, which includes start-up costs for a vehicle and equipment. Ongoing costs in the city's contract with the county Sheriff's Department for the deputy position in fiscal 2021 will be $309,000.

Also added will be a park maintenance supervisor to replace a lower-level worker. The supervisor will focus on park upkeep, allowing the parks and facilities manager time to oversee the Town Center parking structure, library and cultural arts facilities and the Trueblood house.

Another full-time post will be a human resources manager “to ensure...all applicable laws and regulations are adhered to and monitored for updates, policies and procedures are regularly reviewed and updated, recruitments are posted and completed...and employee benefits are reviewed on a regular basis for cost-savings opportunities,” Catlett stated.

The manager will be the first-ever for the city, since human resources duties have been handled on a part-time basis by two assistants to the city manager. Catlett added that a “strong human resources function is critical to the city's long-term success.”

Additional positions to staff the library and cultural arts center are largely part-time. Planned for the library over a two-year period are 1,092 library assistant hours and 2,200 library page hours, with the two facilities sharing a custodian.

A recreation supervisor will manage the arts center, eventually aided by a recreation specialist. Also, 3,515 senior recreation leader and 3,220 recreation leader hours are planned for the center.

Other new part-time positions include office assistants, landscape inspectors and interns.