Council hires Matrix Consulting for organizational and staffing assessment at not-to-exceed $66,500

The council voted to authorize the city manager to execute a professional-services agreement with Matrix Consulting Group to conduct a two-phase organizational and staffing assessment, with a term ending no later than June 30, 2026, and a contract amount not to exceed $66,500.

City staff described a staffing vacancy rate of about 30 percent and said the assessment's two phases would identify core services, interview staff and provide staffing and workload recommendations that could be incorporated into the next fiscal-year budget. An ad hoc council subcommittee (Councilmembers Nagengast and Brownstone) reviewed proposals and recommended Matrix; Richard Brady, the firm's founder, participated remotely and outlined the firm's approach and prior experience working with coastal California communities.

Councilmembers said the scope and budget appeared appropriate, noting the work aims to support overburdened staff and provide prioritized recommendations that could be implemented within next-budget cycles. The motion to approve the resolution passed by unanimous roll call.

What happens next: city staff will finalize the agreement and Matrix will begin the assessment work with interviews and data gathering; staff intend to incorporate recommendations into budgeting and staffing decisions for the next fiscal year.