CA Review JRT
Meeting Date: March 18, 2025
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Geoff Patnoe, City Manager
Staff Contact: Judy von Kalinowski, Human Resources Director [email protected], 760-473-4670
Subject: City Employee vacancies, recruitment and retention efforts Districts: All
Reco
mmended Action
Receive a presentation on the status of the city’s employee vacancies and recruitment and retention efforts.
Executive Summary
Assembly Bill 2561 was recently signed into law and became effective on January 1, 2025. The law, which added Section 3502.3 to the Government Code, requires the city to present at the City Council meeting the status of vacancies, and recruitment and retention efforts on an annual basis.
Local government agencies are required to:
• Provide a yearly update to City Council on employee vacancies, recruitment and retention efforts and any obstacles in the hiring process • Present additional information regarding vacancies upon request by an employee organization if the vacancy rate within a bargaining unit is at least 20% • Allow employee organizations to make a presentation to City Council Explanation & Analysis
The current vacancy rates are:
• City-wide (includes unrepresented and unclassified): 3.9% • Carlsbad City Employees’ Association: 4.3%
• Carlsbad Police Officers’ Association: 2.5%
• Carlsbad Police Management Association: 0.0%
• Carlsbad Firefighters’ Association, Inc.: 2.2%
They city’s recruitment and retention efforts include:
• Utilize various platforms (Indeed, LinkedIn, specialty/industry job boards) and social media outreach to attract a wider candidate pool
March 18, 2025
Item #8 Page 1 of 2
• Attend multiple high school, college, military and community events and career fairs • Review salary structures on a regular basis to remain market-competitive • Internship program, SkillBridge program and California State University San Marcos’ Senior Experience Program
Fiscal Analysis
This item has no fiscal impact.
Next Steps
The Human Resources Department will continuously monitor vacancy rates on a monthly basis for each employee association and will notify the association’s president if their respective vacancy rate reaches 20%. The city will continue to make a presentation at a public hearing annually to comply with Assembly Bill 2561.
Environmental Evaluation
The proposed action is not a “project” as defined by California Environmental Quality Act Section 21065 and CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(2) & (5) and does not require environmental review under CEQA Guidelines Section 15060(c)(3) as it is a government organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment.
Exhibits
None.
March 18, 2025
Item #8 Page 2 of 2
City Employee Vacancies,
Recruitment and Retention Efforts
March 18, 2025
1 { City of
Carlsbad
TODAY’S AGENDA
• New state law, Assembly Bill 2561
• Law’s intent and requirements
• Next steps
2 ASSEMBLY BILL 2561
• Local public employees: vacant positions
• Effective Jan. 1, 2025
• City must report annually on status of:
ITEM 8: VACANCIES REPORT
o Vacancies
o Recruitment
o Retention efforts
3 LAW’S INTENT
High job vacancies impact public
services
Heavier workloads leads to fatigue
and increased turnover, making
staffing problems worse
Appropriate staffing improves
retention
ITEM 8: VACANCIES REPORT
4 AB 2561 REQUIREMENTS
• Provide annual update to City Council on:
o Employee vacancies, recruitment and retention efforts and any obstacles in the hiring process
o Additional information regarding vacancies upon request by employee organization if its vacancy rate is 20% or more
o Notify employee organizations to make presentation to City Council 5 CURRENT VACANCY STATUS
6 100.0%
'90.0 %
80.0 %
70.0 %
60.0 %
50.0 %
40.0 %
30.0 %
20.0 %
10.0 % 3.9%
0 .. 0%
-City-wide
4.3%
-Carlsbad City Emp loyees'
Assoc iation (CCEA)
%, Vacancy Rates
2.5%
Carlsbad Police Offiicern'
Association (C POA)
0.0%
/
Carlsbad Police Ma1nagemen t
Association (CPM!A)
2.2%
/
Carlsbad IF1i refighters'
Associatio n, Inc. (CFA)
RECRUITMENT & RETENTION EFFORTS
• Use online job boards/platforms and social media to attract wider candidate pool
• Attend high school, college, military, community events, career fairs • Review salary structures to remain market-competitive • Maintain competitive benefits
• Develop talent with training/development
• City internships, Cal State San Marcos’ Senior Experience Program, SkillBridge program
• Internal promotions (PT & FT)
7 NEXT STEPS
• Continue to monitor vacancy rates on monthly basis for each employee association
• Notify individual employee association(s) if their respective vacancy rate reaches 20%
• Continue to make annual presentation at City Council meeting to comply with AB 2561
8