Committee reviews transfer portal, staffing numbers as layoff process moves forward

Committee Chair and city staff spent the meeting outlining how a citywide transfer process will be used to reduce potential layoffs and match employees to vacant positions across departments.

City officials said the transfer portal will identify vacant, funded positions and allow employees who may be affected by potential eliminations to apply or state their transfer preferences. That process, staff said, is intended to limit the number of layoffs by reassigning affected employees where feasible.

The agenda item drew detailed technical discussion from personnel, the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) and departmental representatives about which classifications can be filled via transfer and which are "unique" positions that require recruitment and training.

"Vamos a identificar cuáles son las posiciones cuyas tienen finanzas y están vacantes, y mientras que hacemos esto vamos a identificar los puestos cuyos se podrán eliminar y tendrán subautoridades," staff said, describing the portal and vacancy review process.

Why it matters: The city is entering a new fiscal year and staff said department budgets and vacancy lists will determine which positions stay funded. Officials said the transfer effort aims to preserve employment for people otherwise at risk of layoff and to reduce disruption to city services.

Key details and timeline

- Francisco, the CAO, reported numerical estimates used in planning: of 1,575 positions under review, 614 had been filled and the list under consideration stood at 595; staff said that number had been reduced to 19 potential layoffs as departments refined their lists. Francisco said, "Hemos reducido la cantidad de despidos a 19." (Transcript excerpt.)

- Personnel Department staff member Patricia Jiménez said the department had facilitated four vacancy fills through the accelerated transfer process. She said, "Tuvimos 4 vacancias llenadas," and described transfers both between departments and internal reassignments.

- Several departments highlighted classification issues: some positions are common across departments and therefore easier to fill via transfer (for example, accounting classifications); other positions are unique to a department (mechanic for helicopters, certain supervisory roles) and require targeted recruitment or emergency appointment procedures.

- Officials repeatedly emphasized timing constraints tied to the July 1 start of the fiscal year and payroll cycles; staff said some apparent vacancies reflected payroll timing (for example, 120-day rehiring windows) rather than immediate separations.

- The Committee directed staff to collect and present written reports from a subset of departments at the next two committee meetings listing vacancy counts, eligible transfer classifications and potential opportunities for affected employees. Departments named for follow-up included Housing, Planning and Building, Public Safety, Transportation, ITA, Contract Administration, Engineering, Public Works, Street Services, the Port and the Airport.

What staff said about employees and the transfer process

Personnel and department staff described an "open" approach for employees on layoff lists: employees who are on a list of potentially impacted positions may apply for or be considered for any compatible vacant classification. Staff said that if a transfer is made within a classification, it can create a new vacancy that the original incumbent may then fill; if multiple applicants compete for a vacancy, departments will make selections based on their processes and classification requirements.

Personnel staff acknowledged limitations: exempt positions and some unique classifications do not carry the same transfer protections and may require competitive recruitment or emergency appointment. The Personnel Department said it is working with the City Attorney's and Controller's offices to identify where emergency appointments or special procedures are appropriate.

Concerns and context raised by committee members

Committee members and staff asked about the large numbers of applications and the timeline for making offers. One member noted approximately 2,400 applications in the system and asked how staff will ensure transfers help city employees rather than simply shifting hires geographically across the city. Staff responded that matching qualifications to classifications and internal department flexibility are key, and that some decisions will take several weeks to complete as departments verify funding and candidate fit.

Next steps

No formal votes were taken. The Committee requested written reports to be submitted for the next two meetings from the departments listed above and asked Personnel to continue accelerating transfers where feasible. Staff said they expect to provide an updated, more refined list of potentially affected positions in the week following the meeting.

Ending

Committee members closed the item without a vote and agreed to continue monitoring the transfer portal work and vacancy reports at upcoming meetings, with the stated goal of reducing involuntary separations where funding and classification rules allow.