To: Board of Supervisors
From: Monica Nino, County Administrator
Report Title: Appoint Warren Lai as Public Works Director
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPOINT Warren Lai as the Public Works Director of Contra Costa County at Step 3 of the salary range, including all benefits as provided in the current Management Resolution that apply to the position of Public Works Director, effective February 27, 2024.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The estimated annual County cost for the position of Public Works Director is $357,600 of which $88,000 is pension costs. All costs are budgeted in the General Fund and recovered through overhead charges to various county and special districts funds.
BACKGROUND:
The County began a recruitment process with an executive recruitment firm in October 2023. This garnered two applicants who were interviewed. Mr. Lai was one of the two applicants. At the Board meeting of February 6, 2024, the entire Board had an opportunity to interview Mr. Lai. Following the interview, Chair Glover announced that the Board planned to appoint Mr. Lai as Public Works Director at the Board’s next publicly scheduled meeting.
This action appoints Warren Lai to the position of Public Works Director, which includes the duties and positions specified in Ordinance Code section 24-22.008. The Department of Public Works includes Capital Projects, Facilities Maintenance, Engineering Services, Real Estate, Custodial Services, Fleet Services, Materials Management, Print and Mail, Purchasing, Buchanan Field and Byron Airports, Transportation Engineering, Environmental Services, Flood Control, Road and Drainage Maintenance, and the Clean Water Program. These program areas encompass 34 distinct County Funds and 72 distinct Special District Funds.
Mr. Lai began working for the Public Works Department in 1998 as an Engineer and was promoted to Associate Civil Engineer, Senior Civil Engineer and Supervising Civil Engineer over the following 13 years. In 2018, Mr. Lai was promoted to Deputy Public Works Director and oversaw various divisions in the department, including Capital Projects Management, Facilities Maintenance, Real Estate, Engineering Services, and the County’s Energy Management Program. Mr. Lai graduated from University of California at Davis with a bachelor of science in Civil Engineering and is a California Licensed Professional Engineer.
Mr. Lai will be evaluated by the Board of Supervisors twelve months after appointment.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
The Public Works Director position would remain vacant.