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Page 1 of 3 Item #19 CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT June 3, 2025 Human Resources TITLE: HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING AND RECEIVE AN INFORMATIONAL REPORT ON THE CITY’S VACANCY RATE, RECRUITMENT, AND RETENTION EFFORTS, IN COMPLIANCE WITH ASSEMBLY BILL 2561/GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 3502.3 SUMMARY On September 22, 2024, Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2561 (AB 2561) which amended the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act (MMBA) and requires that all public agencies hold a public hearing each fiscal year to address the status of their vacancy rate, recruitment, and retention efforts. RECOMMENDATION Hold a public hearing and receive an informational report on the City’s vacancy rate, recruitment, and retention efforts, in compliance with Assembly Bill 2561/Government Code Section 3502.3. BACKGROUND Effective January 1, 2025, AB 2561 adds Government Code Section 3502.3 to the Meyers- Milias-Brown Act, requiring a presentation on the status of vacancies, recruitment, and retention efforts during a public hearing before the city council each fiscal year, and prior to the adoption of the final budget. This bill was introduced to address the issue of job vacancies in local government, which adversely affects the delivery of public services and employee workload. Among the requirements, the bill mandates that public agencies identify any changes to policies, procedures, and recruitment activities that may lead to obstacles in the hiring process. Additional reporting requirements are mandated if vacancy rates exceed 20 percent. Finally, each bargaining unit may make a presentation during the same public hearing at which the City makes its annual vacancies presentation. DISCUSSION At the time of this report, the percentage of vacancies for regular, full-time positions is 5 percent. To address vacancies, the City continuously evaluates policies, procedures, and recruitment activities to mitigate potential obstacles in the hiring process. For example, one obstacle previously identified was a protracted onboarding process; to address this concern, the CIty has streamlined the background process for non-public safety positions. Another obstacle identified was challenges related to recruiting for police positions due to a highly competitive environment; as a result, Human Resources and Police Department staff collaborated on identifying opportunities to streamline the hiring process, such as immediate outreach and implementation of monthly interviews with the Police command staff. In addition, Human Resources Department staff has identified an opportunity to further streamline the hiring process by transitioning to electronic workflows and reducing reliance on paper-based processes; this transition is planned to begin in the coming fiscal year. Page 219 of 226