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Home My WebLink AboutC.1 - Staff Report - AB 2561 Vacancy Reporting 05.27.2025SCHEDULED ITEM C-1 TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL VIA: SERGIO GONZALES, CITY MANAGER FROM: TALIKA M. JOHNSON, DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DATE: MAY 27, 2025 SUBJECT: PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING AB-2561 LOCAL PUBLIC EMPLOYEES: VACANT POSITIONS BACKGROUND: On September 22, 2024, Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 2561 into law to amend the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act (MMBA) and create a new obligation for public agencies to publicly address the status of their vacancies and other related information. The new law adds Government Code Section 3502.3 to the MMBA, and the legal obligations thereunder took effect January 1, 2025. Under the new law, public agencies must present the following: •Status of the current vacancies. •Address the recruitment and retention efforts. •Identify any changes to policies, procedures, or recruitment activities that negatively impact and/or may present obstacles in the recruitment process. Additionally, if the number of vacancies exceeds 20 percent of the total number of authorized full-time positions in a particular bargaining unit, the public agency shall include the following information upon request: •The total number of job vacancies within a bargaining unit. •The total number of applicants for vacant positions within the bargaining unit. •The average number of days to complete the hiring process from when a position is posted. •Opportunities to improve compensation and other working conditions. The information must be presented at a public hearing before the agency’s governing body at least once per fiscal year and/or prior to the adoption of a final budget for the fiscal year if the agency adopts an annual or multiyear budget in that given year. Staff will review vacancy rates and statuses every February 1 of each year to ensure transparency and meet reporting requirements. Moreover, the recognized employee organization/bargaining unit shall be entitled to make a presentation during the public hearing concerning vacancies and recruitment and retention efforts. Received and Filed City Council May 27, 2025 Public Hearing Regarding AB-2561 Local Public Employees: Vacant Positions May 27, 2025 Page 2 RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff recommends the City Council take the following actions: 1) Open the public hearing, receive testimony and presentation regarding AB-2561 Local Public Employees: Vacant Positions; and 2) Receive and file the attached AB 2561 Public Hearing and Vacancy Reporting Policy ANALYSIS: The City has 325.00 budgeted full-time positions, of which 283.00 of those positions are represented by eight bargaining unit associations. As of March 31, 2025, the City’s overall vacancy rate for all represented positions was 8.83% and all of the bargaining units’ vacancies were below the 20 percent threshold for overall vacancies, with two bargaining units having no vacancies. As of March 31, 2025 Azusa City Employees Association (ACEA) Azusa Mid- Management Association (AMMA) Azusa Police Management Association (APMA) Azusa Police Executive Association (APEA) Azusa Police Officers Association (APOA) Service Employees International Union Local 721 (SEIU) Civilian Association of Police Personnel (CAPP) Local 18 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Budgeted Positions 67 33 12 2 49 27 25 68 Vacancies 5 1 0 0 5 5 1 8 Vacancy Rate 7.46% 3.03% 0.00% 0.00% 10.20% 18.52% 4.00% 11.76% On average, a normal recruitment cycle takes about four months from vacancy to onboarding. While the City has been proactive in filling its vacancies in a timely manner, there are some administrative recruitment processes governed by the City of Azusa Rules of the Civil Service System that prevent the City from moving forward recruitments as quickly as Staff would like. In light of the requirements of AB 2561, Staff will soon move forward with meet and confers regarding revisions to the Civil Service Rules in order make the recruitment process more efficient. On December 4, 2023, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2023-C73, authorizing the City Manager to administratively add, remove, or edit any policy within the City’s Employee Handbook. Attached for receive and file consideration is the AB 2561 Public Hearing and Vacancy Reporting Policy to be administratively added to the Employee Handbook. The City has met its meet and confer obligations with all eight bargaining units regarding the policy. FISCAL IMPACT: There is no fiscal impact for the recommended actions. However, addressing recruitment and retention issues along with other related obstacles to filling vacancies may involve future budget considerations, which will be presented to the City Council accordingly. Public Hearing Regarding AB-2561 Local Public Employees: Vacant Positions May 27, 2025 Page 3 Prepared by: Reviewed and Approved: Vu Nguyen Talika M. Johnson HR/Risk Management Analyst Director of Administrative Services Reviewed and Approved: Sergio Gonzalez City Manager Attachment: 1. AB 2561 Public Hearing and Vacancy Reporting Policy CITY OF AZUSA ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY AB 2561 PUBLIC HEARING AND VACANCY REPORTING POLICY I.PURPOSE This policy establishes the framework and requirements for holding public hearings and reporting on City of Azusa (City)'s workforce vacancies, recruitment, and retention efforts in compliance with Assembly Bill (“AB”) 2561. (Gov. Code § 3502.3.) The purpose is to ensure transparency, accountability, and responsiveness to community needs regarding the City's staffing and employment practices. II.POLICY SCOPE This policy applies to the City, the City’s management team, and the City Council. III.DEFINITIONS A.Public Hearing: A formal meeting that is open to the public, where the City’s representatives present information and accept public comments on specific topics, as required by law. B.Vacancies: Unfilled positions within the City’s workforce that require recruitment efforts to be adequately staffed. C.Recruitment: The process of attracting, screening, and selecting qualified candidates for employment with the City. D.Retention: Efforts to maintain a stable and satisfied workforce by addressing the factors that contribute to stability in the workforce. PUBLIC HEARING AND VACANCY REPORTING POLICY PAGE 2 of 4 IV. POLICY STATEMENT In accordance with AB 2561 (Gov. Code § 3502.3), the City is committed to holding a public hearing on its vacancies, the City’s recruitment, and retention efforts and any issues with the City’s policies, procedures, and recruitment activities that may lead to obstacles in the hiring process. The City will hold a public hearing at least once each fiscal year and provide reports on vacancies, recruitment, and retention efforts. V. POLICY PROVISIONS 1. Public Hearing Requirements The City shall conduct public hearings at least on an annual basis (once each fiscal year), prior to the annual budget adoption, to present information on vacancies, recruitment and retention efforts and issues with the policies, procedures, and recruitment activities that may lead to obstacles in the hiring process. Public hearings shall be announced in advance and provide an opportunity for members of the public to make comments. Recognized employee organizations shall have the right to present information, concerns, and recommendations at the public hearing. Separate public hearings may be scheduled to address individual bargaining units or bargaining unit groupings. The City Council shall ensure that each public hearing is adequately documented, with minutes and recordings made publicly available within a reasonable timeframe, typically within 45-60 days of the hearing (in accordance with the normal schedule for approving City Council Meeting Minutes). 2. Reporting Requirements The City shall present information on the following at the public hearing : 1) The status of vacancies at the City, including vacancy rates as of February 1 of each year. 2) Information on the City's recruitment and retention efforts. . 3) Identification of any obstacles in the City's policies, procedures, and recruitment activities that may create challenges in the hiring process. PUBLIC HEARING AND VACANCY REPORTING POLICY PAGE 3 of 4 If the City prepares a report that includes the information described above, the City may elect to make the report available to the public via the City's official website or in print form prior to each public hearing. 3. Special Reporting Requirements for High Vacancy Rates If the number of job vacancies within a single bargaining unit meets or exceeds 20% of the total number of authorized (budgeted) full-time positions (measured as of February 1 of each year), the City shall, upon request of the recognized employee organization, include the following information during the public hearing: 1) The total number of job vacancies within the bargaining unit. 2) The total number of applicants for vacant positions within the bargaining unit. 3) The average number of days to complete the hiring process from when a position is posted. 4) Opportunities to improve compensation and other working conditions. 4. Responsibilities City Council: The City Council is responsible for overseeing compliance with this policy and ensuring public hearings and reports meet the requirements outlined in AB 2561. The City’s Management Team: The City’s Management Team shall coordinate with the Human Resources department to gather the necessary data and ensure accurate reporting. Human Resources: Human Resources is responsible for compiling vacancy, recruitment, and retention data, and preparing reports in collaboration with the City’s Management Team. 5. Monitoring and Review The City Council shall review the effectiveness of this policy on an annual basis and make revisions as necessary to ensure ongoing compliance with AB 2561 and alignment with best practices in public transparency. 6. Compliance and Enforcement The City will maintain records of all public hearings, reports, and related documents for a minimum of the current year plus two years, in compliance with the City’s public records retention requirements. REQUEST FOR INFORMATION REGARDING AB 2561 *TO BE FILLED OUT BY UNION REPRESENTATIVES NAME OF EMPLOYEE ORGANIZATION/UNION NAME OF REPRESENTATIVE DATE OF REQUESTED CITY COUNCIL MEETING WORK TELEPHONE NUMBER/EMAIL ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REQUESTED (PLEASE SEE ATTACHED FOR EXAMPLES): SIGNATURE DATE