Proposal:

Approve Compensation Package for Appointee to Designated Deputy Position

Synopsis:

The recruitment for Director of Planning & Policy has been completed and Melvin D. Zeldin has been selected. This action is to approve the compensation package for this Designated Deputy position.

Committee:

Administrative, September 20, 1996, Recommended for Approval

Recommended Action:

Approve the compensation package for Designated Deputy Melvin D. Zeldin, effective October 11, 1996, and authorize the Executive Officer to execute an Executive Management Agreement with Melvin D. Zeldin, for a term from October 11, 1996, through January 31, 2000.

James M. Lents, Ph.D.
Executive Officer

Background:

Senior management appointees within the classification of Designated Deputy serve at the pleasure of the Executive Officer under an Executive Management contract. The designated deputy position of Director of Planning & Policy became vacant in May 1996 when Dr. Chung Liu was appointed as Assistant Deputy Executive Officer for Technology Advancement. In keeping with our general hiring freeze, I authorized
recruitment to fill the Director of Planning & Policy position only on an internal, promotional basis. I have approved Barry Wallerstein’s appointment of our PM₁₀ Manager, Melvin D. Zeldin to this position, effective October 11, 1996, at an annual salary of $91,000.

Melvin Zeldin has over 25 years of experience in air quality analysis and management, beginning in 1971 with the San Bernardino County APCD, and is a leading national expert on PM₁₀ issues. He has broad scientific and technical experience in both the public and private sectors, and is the author of over 35 published articles and technical reports. Since 1988 he has been an appointed member to CARB’s Research Screening Committee. He also is: a selected member of the US EPA’s ongoing FACA [ Federal Advisory Committee Act] Subcommittee Working Group for ozone, particulates, and regional haze; the chair of the BACM [ Best Available Control Measures] Working Group since its inception in 1993; a member of the WESTAR [ Western States Air Resources Council] PM₁₀ Committee; and a participant in the STAPPA/-ALAPCO [ State & Territorial Air Pollution Program Administrators/Association of Local Air Pollution Control Officers] PM₁₀ Committee. Mr. Zeldin has also had the overall project management responsibility for the development and implementation of the AQMD’s Rule 403 and the Coachella Valley PM₁₀ Plans for 1991, 1994 and 1997, and the 1997 AQMP.

In his capacity as Director of Planning & Policy, Melvin Zeldin will supervise 57 staff members with the responsibility of managing four key program functions: Air Quality Modeling and Mobile Source Strategies; Emissions Inventory Analysis; PM₁₀ Strategies and Air Quality Analysis; and Socioeconomic Environmental Analysis. A major responsibility of Planning and Policy is to develop and analyze the impacts of proposed strategies for attaining state and federal air quality standards, which are included in the periodic revisions of the AQMP. Other significant responsibilities of this division are the assessment of potential socioeconomic impacts of rules, programs and air quality plans and the implementation of CEQA.

Proposal:

Approve the compensation package for Melvin Zeldin as Director of Planning &
Policy, effective October 11, 1996.

Resource Impacts:

There are sufficient funds in the FY 1996-97 Budget.