Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Workforce And Personnel topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
San Fernando holds first public hearing under AB 2561, cites 8.9% citywide vacancy rate
Summary
City staff presented San Fernando's first annual vacancy and recruitment report under Assembly Bill 2561; council held a public hearing, asked questions about field staffing, promotion-from‑within and recruitment timelines, and approved receipt of the report.
The City of San Fernando held its first public hearing under Assembly Bill 2561 on vacancies and recruitment, with Human Resources and Risk Manager Sergio Ibarra presenting the city's vacancy data and recruitment efforts and the council voting to receive the report.
Sergio Ibarra said, “Assembly Bill 2561 ... recognizes that vacancies can negatively affect the delivery of public services to the community and the workload and morale of our current employees,” and outlined the city’s recruitment channels, internship pipeline and retention steps. He told the council the city’s overall vacancy rate is 8.9 percent and that the police management unit shows a 50 percent vacancy because one of two positions is open.
Council members pressed staff on where shortages most affect services. Councilmember Victoria Garcia emphasized field staffing needs for graffiti abatement, restroom cleaning and patrols; Councilmember Joe Fajardo pressed on long‑term liabilities and asked that retirement health liabilities be balanced against near‑term hiring. Ibarra said entry‑level public works positions can be filled relatively quickly while specialized roles that require certifications (for example senior sewer maintenance) have taken longer and sometimes require internal certification or promotion pathways.
The city described recruitment and retention actions: posting to specialized job boards (including the Municipal Management Association and industry sites), an active paid intern program, a newly created police corporal classification to provide a career ladder, expanded training and employee assistance programming, alternative work schedules and an employee recognition event. Staff also noted a newly adopted police commander classification and a compensation package that includes cost‑of‑living increases for covered units.
No member of the public besides an earlier SEIU representative offered testimony on this item at the hearing. After questions and comments from councilmembers, the council voted unanimously to receive and file the vacancy and recruitment report for fiscal year 2024–25.
Councilmembers and staff said the report will be the basis for annual public hearings going forward and will be used to monitor units that exceed statutory thresholds for additional disclosure and engagement with labor organizations.
