Emeryville reports 21 vacancies, 8.9% turnover in 2024; HR highlights recruiting gains
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Summary
City staff presented the Assembly Bill 2561‑required annual report on vacancies and recruitment: the city ended 2024 with 21 budgeted vacancies, recent hires reduced some openings, and HR said candidate volume and offer acceptance have improved after recent compensation adjustments.
Lily Bell, who presented the annual vacancies and recruitment report, told the council that the City of Emeryville began calendar year 2024 with 19 vacancies and ended with 21, producing an overall turnover rate of 8.9 percent for the year.
Bell said the city hired nine regular full‑time employees and had 11 separations in 2024. The proposed 2025–27 budget funds 174.61 full‑time equivalent positions across all funds, and Bell said recruitment activity by bargaining group varies: SEIU and CAMP showed vacancy rates near 16.7 percent, POA had a lower vacancy rate near 5.4 percent, and unrepresented positions had a 14.7 percent vacancy rate before recent hires.
Bell described active and pending recruitments for several classifications and said the city recently filled its finance director position, which will lower the unrepresented vacancy rate further once the new director starts in June. She credited recent negotiated wage increases (totaling 15 percent over three years for bargaining units) and market adjustments that moved many classifications to median pay for improving application volume and offer acceptance. She noted some recent recruitments drew hundreds of applications and that HR has increased targeted outreach on LinkedIn and social media.
Council members and staff discussed the city’s inspection and enforcement tools related to lead, asbestos and mold. Staff explained that for buildings constructed before 1978, visible flaking paint is presumed lead‑containing and the city can require abatement; visible mold is treated similarly for code enforcement. Asbestos issues typically arise in permitted demolition and renovation activity and are regulated in coordination with the Bay Area air district.
Councilmember Preyforce asked staff to work with her to clarify whether tenants can request independent testing and how test results become part of the public record; staff agreed to follow up. Separately, the council voted to refer an item on updating ordinances for substandard multifamily housing to the Budget and Governance Committee for further consideration.