San Rafael council approves temporary rehiring of retired communications dispatcher

The San Rafael City Council on July 21 adopted a resolution authorizing the temporary rehiring of a recently retired communications dispatcher to address critical staffing shortages in the Police Department's 24/7 communications center. The motion passed 4-0.

Human Resources Director Marissa Sanchez presented the item as a required public-hearing certification under California Government Code section 7522.56, explaining that rehiring a retiree within 180 days of retirement requires council action. Police Chief Spiller said the communications center, which staffs the city's 911 answering point, is currently short two line-level positions and a lead dispatcher position among 10 funded positions, and that staff turnover, protected leaves and vacations have compounded staffing strain.

Chief Spiller recommended the council authorize a contingent rehire of the retired employee identified in the staff report. The staff report named the former employee as Andorra Lee and described her as bringing decades of public-safety dispatch experience. Chief Spiller and council members said the limited-term appointment would provide immediate shift relief, preserve institutional knowledge and reduce overtime burdens. The proposed appointment is capped at 960 hours per fiscal year and, according to staff, would be paid from funds already budgeted for per-diem/hourly coverage.

Council member Kurtz moved to adopt the resolution authorizing the temporary appointment, citing the unique circumstances and the difficulty of training communications staff. Council member Hill seconded; roll-call votes were aye from Vice Mayor Bushey, Council members Hill and Kurtz, and Mayor Kate, resulting in a 4-0 approval.

Nut graf: The action allows the city to temporarily reemploy a retired dispatcher without a service gap, using an established statutory exception, and limits the appointment to a specific hourly cap. Staff said the appointment will not create an unbudgeted fiscal impact because the funds are within the police department's existing budget for per-diem coverage.

Discussion and constraints: Staff emphasized the limited length and hours of the rehiring (not to exceed 960 hours per fiscal year) and said that other candidates with longer breaks in service can be rehired without council approval. The city attorney and staff noted the rehiring process followed the requirements of the California Government Code and that personnel and operational details would be handled administratively.

Taper: The resolution passed unanimously. Staff indicated the appointment is intended to provide short-term operational relief while ongoing recruitment continues.