New contract will be negotiated with Stanislaus County CEO Stan Risen

Stanislaus County supervisors are pleased with the performance of Chief Executive Officer Stan Risen and authorized the county counsel Tuesday to negotiate a new employment contract with the executive.

Supervisors discussed Risen’s future with the county in closed session. Risen has served as CEO since November 2013 under an agreement that expires Dec. 31. Risen told supervisors at a workshop earlier this year to plan on discussing his future with the county this month.

In a report on Tuesday’s closed session, County Counsel John Doering said supervisors indicated they want Risen to keep working as long as he’s willing. Risen, 59, has said he is considering retirement plans but is willing to continue as CEO, though possibly not under a long-term contract.

Risen was promoted in 2013 to replace former CEO Monica Nino, who took a job as San Joaquin County's top administrator. Risen’s current salary is $257,816 a year.

In another action Tuesday, supervisors unanimously approved a $1.12 billion budget that will add 72 allocated employee positions.

Board Chairman Dick Monteith was irked by Public Works Director Matt Machado’s request for $876,000 in contingency funds. Machado was the only department manager allowed to make a request for funds at the budget meeting.

Monteith upbraided the director for not taking his proposal to every supervisor before Tuesday’s meeting. “The board should be informed fully,” Monteith said, noting that Machado had not followed a standard process.

The request for the $876,000 was approved on a 4-1 vote, with Monteith opposed. Machado said the local funds will be leveraged to secure $5.5 million in federal money for certain road and bridge projects.

Supervisor Vito Chiesa was among supervisors who supported the one-time request, saying the county should not pass on the opportunity for the federal dollars.

The county’s road maintenance program suffered from a $3.4 million drop in state gasoline tax revenue this year and faces a $1 million decline in the coming year.

Without the use of contingency funds, the Public Works Department’s fund balance would fall below $1 million, Machado said. The $5.5 million in federal funds is needed for 11 projects, such as the Seventh Street Bridge in south Modesto; a new signal on Claribel Road near the Burlington Northern Sante Fe Railroad tracks; a study on replacing the Las Palmas Avenue bridge near Patterson; the Hickman Road bridge project; and signal improvements at Keyes Road and Faith Home Road.

Supervisors approved a budget that continues with the restoration of public safety services that were gutted during the economic crisis five years ago. The board also approved 72 new staff positions spread among Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, Probation, Sheriff’s Office, Health Services and other departments. The additions will give the county a total of 4,243 allocated staff positions.

This story was originally published June 14, 2016 at 6:16 PM with the headline "New contract will be negotiated with Stanislaus County CEO Stan Risen."