Councilmember asks for proactive notice on city job openings as departments report vacancies

During the Safety & Health committee report, Councilmember Royal Mayo urged the city to establish a direct-notification process whenever a city job opens so he can share opportunities with residents in his constituency. "Every time the job opens, I would like a call saying, hey Royal we got an opening in the street department," Mayo said, arguing that hiring often spreads by word of mouth and can exclude people in his community.

City Manager Jim Mavromatis and Finance Director Dave Lewis responded that the city provides a monthly snapshot of vacancies in the council packet and that some positions are actively being filled while others remain unfunded. Mavromatis noted that the police department has been short "four to five people for the last year and a half," a staffing issue the administration continues to address. Councilmembers discussed background checks and the challenge of candidates failing vetting exams or checks.