Joint Special Council/BFPD
03/17/26 06:00 PM
City Manager Department
Kimberlie A. Turner
Public Hearing
Doc ID: 6326
AGENDA ITEM
AGENDA MATTER:
2025 ANNUAL EMPLOYEE VACANCY REPORT - ASSEMBLY BILL 2561 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Assembly Bill 2561 (AB 2561) which amended provisions of the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act (MMBA), became effective January 1, 2025. The legislation was adopted to address staffing shortages affecting public agencies throughout the state and to increase transparency regarding workforce vacancies.
Local governments across California have experienced significant recruitment challenges in recent years due to factors such as increased competition for qualified candidates, retirements, and competition with private industry wages, lengthy hiring processes and public sector compensation structures and geographically remote areas.
This Staff Report and Public Hearing are intended to serve as the City’s reporting requirements of position vacancies for calendar year 2025 and before the adoption of the next fiscal year budget, in compliance with the AB 2561. The purpose of this hearing is to provide information regarding vacancies, recruitment and retention efforts, and workforce challenges impacting service delivery. If vacancies exceed twenty percent (20%) within a bargaining unit, additional information may be presented including the number of applicants for vacant positions and the average time required to fill positions.
AB 2561 also provides employee organizations the opportunity to present information regarding vacancies and recruitments or retention issues during the same public hearing.
DISCUSSION:
AB 2561 requires public agencies to present the following information:
-The total number of authorized positions and vacancies within the agency -Recruitment and retention effort undertaken by the agency -Challenges affecting recruitment or hiring
-Any actions being considered to address staffing shortages The City of Barstow had 197 budgeted full-time positions for FY 2025-2026.
As of this reporting period, the City experienced 31 vacancies. Seven of these vacancies were the result of new positions added during calendar year 2025, resulting in an overall vacancy rate of 17%.
TOTAL VACANCIES BY UNIT AND DEPARTMENT
Unit 1- Teamsters Local 1932: 2
Unit 2- Teamsters Local 1932: 1
Unit 3- Barstow Police Officers' Association: 5
Joint Special Council/BFPD
03/17/26 06:00 PM
City Manager Department
Kimberlie A. Turner
Public Hearing
Doc ID: 6326
AGENDA ITEM
Unit 5- Barstow Professional Firefighters Association: 5 Unit 6- Barstow Management Employees' Association: 1
Unit 8-Barstow Police Department Management Association: 0 Unrepresented Employees: 1
VACANCY RATES BY UNIT
Unit 1- Teamsters Local 1932: 0.08%
Unit 2- Teamsters Local 1932: 0.02%
Unit 3- Barstow Police Officers' Association: 0.13%
Unit 5- Barstow Professional Firefighters Association: 0.17% Unit 6- Barstow Management Employees' Association: 0.05% Unit 8-Barstow Police Department Management Association: 0% Unrepresented Employees: 0.11%
RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION STRATEGIES
Recruitment and retention strategies have been emphasized to support workforce stability.
To address these challenges, staff have implemented a variety of recruitment and retention strategies.
These include expanded advertising on regional and national job platforms, participation in job fairs and professional conferences, and increased outreach to educational institutions and training programs. In addition, the City negotiated special pay and COLAs for our Safety Units only to address the recruitment challenges due to specialized skill requirements, certification or licensing requirements, and competition from other public agencies.
CHALLENGES IMPACTING RECRUITMENT OR HIRING
Some of the challenges impacting the City of Barstow is the limited qualified applicant pool. Several years ago the educational requirements were changed to include equivalency language to allow for a combination of education and work experience in lieu of a college degree.
Length of public service recruitment steps often involves multiple steps, including job postings, application screening, examinations, panel interviews, background checks and formal appointment procedures.
The City of Barstow faces several unique challenges that can affect its ability to recruit and hire qualified employees. These challenges are influenced by geographic location, regional labor market competition, and fiscal considerations.
Geographic Location and Regional Labor Market Barstow’s location along the Interstate 15 corridor between Southern California and Las Vegas can limit the available local workforce for certain specialized positions. While the City serves as an important regional hub, the local labor pool for certain professional and technical classifications may be limited. As a result, the City often recruits candidates from outside Joint Special Council/BFPD
03/17/26 06:00 PM
City Manager Department
Kimberlie A. Turner
Public Hearing
Doc ID: 6326
AGENDA ITEM
the immediate area, which can extend the recruitment timeline's and increase the difficulty of filling specialized roles.
Fiscal Constraints: As a smaller municipality, the City must carefully manage its financial resources.
Budget limitations can affect the City’s ability to offer salaries that are competitive with larger jurisdictions or private sector employers in certain high-demand fields. These fiscal considerations may also limit the number of positions that can be filled simultaneously and impact retention.
Commuting: Some prospective candidates may face commuting considerations when evaluating employment with the City. While Barstow is centrally located along major transportation corridors, potential employees living in other regions may consider commute distance, housing options, or relocation requirements when deciding whether to apply for or accept a position here at our City.
Despite these challenges, the city continues to pursue proactive recruitment and retention strategies to attract qualified candidates and maintain staffing levels necessary to provide essential services to our Barstow community.
FISCAL IMPACT:
No Fiscal Impact
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
It is recommended that the City Council take the following actions:
1. Conduct the public hearing required by Assembly Bill 2561 regarding the status of vacancies, recruitment, and retention efforts.
2. Receive and file the 2025 Annual Vacancy Report for the City of Barstow's seven bargaining units as requested by Government Code Section 3502.3.