Encore puts Henrico government retirees back to work

Free Press staff report

Henrico is launching a program to entice dozens of its retired county government employees to return to temporary, part-time positions to address critical staffing needs in public safety and mental health.

Under the Henrico County Encore Program, individuals who apply and are rehired in designated positions will be paid at the hourly rate they received at the time of their retirement, rather than a lower, prevailing market rate. Officials today announced the program and its tagline – “The Right Time for Part Time” — and posted on the county’s recruitment website five position classifications that qualify for the incentivized compensation:

• Police officer in School Services, also known as school resource officer

• 911 public safety dispatcher

• Mental Health and Developmental Services clinician

• Firefighter – C.A.R.E. Team, community risk reduction/public education, fire marshal’s office, training, professional standards and medical transport

• Sheriff’s deputy Officials said the Henrico County Encore Program represents a nimble response to a highly competitive job market, in which public and private sector employers are struggling to attract qualified candidates for vacant positions. Like other municipalities, Henrico’s staffing needs are particularly acute in the specialized areas of public safety. As a result of the challenges, agencies often are forced to pay overtime to full-time employees to maintain services.

“The Henrico County Encore Program is tailored to help us address immediate, critical staffing needs in our Police and Fire divisions, Emergency Communications Center, Sheriff’s Office and Henrico Area Mental Health and Developmental Services,” County Manager John A. Vithoulkas said. “We’re looking to tap a proven talent pool — our loyal, retired employees. They have the qualifications, experience and training to help us meet the service needs of our community.” abortion and even health care.

To qualify for the Henrico County Encore Program, applicants must have been retired from Henrico’s general government for at least six months and must have successfully completed their probationary period during their full-time employment. Individuals who are hired through the competitive process must have the flexibility to work various shifts and in different section areas depending on department needs. Employees will be classified as hourly or temporary employees and will be limited to a maximum average of 29 hours per week or 1,500 hours within a 12-month period.

Members are cheering substantial legislation that did get approved.

One area of agreement came on regulation of utilities. Both the Senate and House, with the support of Gov. Glenn A. Youngkin, agreed to end a deregulation experiment and restore the State Corporation Commission’s authority to regulate electricity rates for Dominion Energy and Apalachian Power.

Richmond state Sen. Jennifer L. McClellan, who is on her way to a Congressional seat, was among the patrons. She indicated that the legislation could lead to a reduction of $20 or more a month in most consumer bills, as it eliminates surcharges and allows the big utilities to take up to 10 years to be reimbursed for higher fuel costs to generate power.

The legislature also cracked down on previously unregulated edible hemp-based products to reduce the amount of THC, the chemical that gets people high, that can be included.

Also, the legislature for the first time directed the state Department of Corrections to ensure that prisoners in solitary confinement have at least four hours daily of contact with other individuals to reduce the mental health issues that such confinement can cause.

The House and Senate both agreed that companies should no longer be allowed to force employees to sign non-disclosure agreements to force them to keep silent about sexual harassment and other sexual misconduct claims, though language that would have largely ended the use of confidentiality agreements to bar employee disclosure of other misconduct was stripped out to the disappointment of advocates.

The General Assembly also approved legislation to make it easier for short-handed law enforcement agencies to bring back retirees. Legislation was approved that allows retirees to keep collecting their pension and still work full time if they wait just six months to rejoin the force.

The legislature also approved Richmond Delegate Delores L. McQuinn’s legislation aimed at protecting public transit driv- ers from passenger assaults. The legislation bars judges from completely suspending sentences in such cases and imposes a mandatory six-month jail term when someone is convicted.

Richmond Delegate Jeffrey M. Bourne, who is not seeking re-election, cited several pieces of his legislation that passed, including a bill extending the length of school zones a total of 1,500 feet to reduce speeding and another bill that will provide property owners up to six years to pay off back real estate taxes,

Continued from A1 which he said helped get “souls to the polls.”

According to the state Democratic Party, Delegate Bagby won 4,726 of the 6,525 votes cast at four polling places, receiving the majority at all four.

Ms. Rodgers, an organizer for the National Domestic Workers Alliance, finished with 1,375 votes and Delegate Adams received 424 votes, the party reported.

This victory is only temporary, and there could be a rematch in a June Democratic primary.

As a result of redistricting, the 9th Senate District has been reshaped and renumbered as the 14th Senate District, which includes a big chunk of Richmond and a smaller chunk of Henrico.

The new 14th changes the dynamics as the 9th has a majority of its voters in Henrico.

“I’m hoping the party will unite behind me,” Delegate Bagby said, though he is aware he may face another battle.

Neither Delegate Adams nor Ms. Rodgers has responded to queries as to whether they plan to run in the June Democratic primary for the 14th Senate District, though both hinted at doing so in messages they issued after losing to Delegate Bagby. The candidates have an April 6 filing deadline to participate in the Democratic primary.

Meanwhile, the likelihood that Delegate Bagby will soon be or double the current three years. Richmond Delegate Dawn M. Adams, who also is leaving the house, also had several bills, including one that imposes new labeling requirements on medicinal marijuana and allows a secondary party to pick up a prescription at a dispensary for a disabled adult. Her bill allowing vehicle owners to access and recover personal items from a towed vehicle without paying the towing fees also was approved.