Date: September 20, 2017
To: Members of the Ethics Commission
From: LeeAnn Pelham, Executive Director
Subject: AGENDA ITEM 7 – Executive Director’s Report for the September 25, 2017 Commission Meeting
Summary
This report provides various programmatic and operational highlights to date since the last monthly Executive Director’s Report.
Action Requested
No action is required by the Commission, as this item is for informational purposes only.
Outreach and Engagement
As noted in both our Policy Report and Enforcement Reports this month, Staff held two Interested Persons meetings to solicit public comment on the proposed 2017 Anti-Corruption and Accountability Ordinance and two on proposed changes to the Commission’s enforcement regulations.
Electronic Disclosure & Data Analyst Steven Massey and I participated in interviews this month with consultants working on behalf of the CA Secretary of State (SOS) on the CAL-Access Replacement System (CARS) project. CAL-Access is the system used by committees operating at the state level to file campaign finance statements. Senate Bill 1349 requires the SOS to replace the CAL-Access system by February 1, 2019. The SOS consultants are conducting a series of local campaign filing office interviews to assess the potential for local integration or sharing of data with CARS.
Organizational and Staffing Updates
On September 7 and 15, we welcomed Commissioner Lee to the office for two introductory meetings to meet Staff and provide information about our programs and operations.
Gayathri Thaikkendiyil’s first day as our new Chief Programs Officer was September 11. In this new role, Gayathri will be leading the work of our Engagement & Compliance Division with day to day management responsibility for compliance assistance, public engagement and outreach, digital content, program innovation, and performance reporting. She joins our current E&C team of Pat Petersen, Johnny Hosey, and Jackie Hickey, and will be hiring for two additional positions that will further expand our engagement and compliance work. We look forward to updating you further at your October meeting on two new position postings in the Division: a principal administrative analyst (1824) and a senior administrative analyst (1823).
Table 1 below provides an update on other vacancies at the Commission.
Table 1 -Status of Ethics Commission Positions in Recruitment
| Working Title and Division | Status | Type | Job Class Title/No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auditor(Audits) | Application period closed 8/15. Exam/rating process underway. | Vacancy/non-exempt | Admin. Analyst, 1822 |
| IS Business Analyst (El. Discl & Data Analysis) | Application period open. | Vacancy/Exempt | IS Business Analyst, 1052 |
| Senior Auditor (Audits) | Application period open. | Vacancy/non-exempt | Sr. Admin. Analyst (1823) |
| Senior Investigative/Legal Analyst (Enfct) | Application period open. | Vacancy/non-exempt | Sr. Admin. Analyst (1823) |
| Electronic Disclosure & Data Analyst Programs Manager (El. Discl & Data Analysis) | Request to Fill (RTF) submitted. | Reclassification of existing non-exempt 1053 position | Princ. IS Business Analyst (1054) |
| Principal Admin. Analyst (Engt/Compliance) | RTF pending | Vacancy/non-exempt | Princ. Admin Analyst (1824) |
| Sr. Admin. Analyst (Engt/Compliance) | RTF pending | New/non-exempt | Sr. Admin. Analyst (1823) |
| Sr. IS Business Analyst (El. Discl & Data Analysis) | RTF pending | Vacancy/non-exempt | Sr. IS Business Analyst (1053) |
Revenues Report
Table 2 shows the revenues received by the Commission during the fiscal year that began on July 1, 2017, as of September 14, 2017.
Table 2- Summary of FY 2017-18 Revenues as of September 14, 2017
| Source | Budgeted Amount | FY 17-18 Receipts as of September 14, 2017 |
|---|---|---|
| Lobbyist Registration Fees | $85,000 | $3,000 |
| Lobbyists Fines | $500 | $850 |
| Campaign Consultants Fees | $7,000 | $1350 |
| Contact Lobbyist and Other e.g., copies made by public | $2,450 | |
| Statement of Economic Interests Filings-Late Fees | $1,250 | $12 |
| Campaign Consultant Fines | $1,000 | |
| Campaign Finance Fines (includes late fees and forfeitures) | $23,000 | $8,632 |
| Ethics, Other/ Administrative Fines Levied by the Commission | $7,500 | |
| Total | $127,700 | $14,544 |