Agenda Item No: L.1
AGENDA REPORT
DATE: June 3, 2025
TO: Mayor and Council
FROM: David Gassaway, City Manager
SUBJECT: HR Public Hearing Regarding Vacancies for Calendar Year 2024
Recruitment and Retention Efforts for Calendar Year 2024 as Required Under Assembly Bill 2561/Government Code Section 3502.3 Regarding Vacancies
Funding Source: N/A
Contact: Angela Broaddus, (707) 428-7396
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Receive report and hold public hearing.
STATEMENT OF ISSUE
Assembly Bill (AB) 2561 requires public agencies, including the City, to conduct at least one public hearing per fiscal year to report on staffing vacancies , recruitment, and retention efforts. This communication, along with the accompanying presentation, satisfies the City’s legal obligations under the new law, which took effect on January 1, 2025. The presentation is informational in nature and provides an update on the status of the City’s vacancies, recruitment initiatives, and employee retention strategies for calendar year 2024.
DISCUSSION
AB 2561 was enacted to address the growing challenge of job vacancies in local government, which can hinder the delivery of public services and increase employee workload. The legislation requires public agencies to hold a public hearing before their governing body at least once per fiscal year, prior to adopting the next fiscal year’s budget. During this hearing, agencies must present information on current vacancies, recruitment and retention efforts, and identify potential changes to policies, procedures, or recruitment practices that may create barriers in the recruitment and selection process. AB 2561 was signed into law and codified as Government Code section 3502.3, effective January 1, 2025. To comply with these new l egal requirements, the City must:
1. Report on vacancies by holding a Public Hearing: For calendar year 2024, the City’s average annual vacancy rate for regular full -time equivalent positions is 6.4%. The table below provides a month -by-month breakdown of va cancy rates for regular full -time equivalent positions:
2024 Jan Feb Mar Apr May June
# of Vacancies
Beginning of the
Month
10 10 3 8 10 8
# of Vacancies Filled 6 14 3 16 8 13
# of Budgeted FTEs 606 606 606 606 606 606
% of Vacancies 8.4% 7.8% 7.8% 6.4% 6.8% 6.1%
2024 July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
# of Vacancies
Beginning of the
Month
9 11 5 8 12 8
# of Vacancies Filled 13 5 12 8 12 7
# of Budgeted FTEs 595 595 595 597 597 597
% of Vacancies 5.5% 6.6% 5.4% 5.4% 5.2% 5.4%
2. Allow employee organization participation: The City must permit each recognized employee association representing a City bargaining unit to provide input during the public hearing regarding vacancies and efforts related to recruitment and retention. In accordance with Gov ernment Code § 3502.3(b), the Human Resources Department notified six represented bargaining units of the opportunity to participate in the hearing.
The Fairfield Part -Time Employees Association (FPTEA) bargaining unit does not include any regular full -time equivalent positions, as the members in this unit are employed in part-time/temporary/as-needed capacities.
3. Provide additional reporting for high vacancy rates: If vacancies within a single bargaining unit reach or exceed 20% of the authorized full -time positions for that unit, the City is required, upon request from the recognized employee organization representing that unit, to provide additional information during the public hearing. This information must include:
1) the total number of vacancies in the bargaining unit; 2) the number of applicants;
3) the average time to fill positions; and
4) potential opportunities to enhance compensation and working conditions for employees within the unit, in accordance with Government Code § 3502.3(c).
For calendar year 2024, all City bargaining units represented by recognized employee organizations maintained vacancy rates below 20%, as summarized in the table below:
2024 Annual Average Vacancy Rate
Bargaining Unit Percentage
Fairfield Employees’ Association (FEA) 6.1%
Fairfield General Management Association (FGMA) 6.1%
Fairfield Police Officers’ Association (FPOA) 7.4%
Fairfield Police Management Association (FPMA) 0%
Fairfield Professional Firefighters’ Association (FPFA) 0% Fairfield Fire Managers’ Association (FFMA) 0%
While not re quired for purposes of AB 2561, the vacancy rates for the City’s unrepresented groups are included below:
Unrepresented Unit Percentage
Non-Management Confidential 14.3%
Confidential Management 7.7%
Executive 0%
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no direct fiscal impact associated with conducting the public hearing required under Government Code section 3205.3.
PUBLIC CONTACT/ADVISORY BODY RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council receive the presentation for information purposes during the public hearing , at which the City will report on workforce vacancies, recruitment, and retention efforts.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION
Staff has not identified any viable alternatives to the recommended action.
COORDINATED WITH
N/A
STAFF CONTACT
Angela Broaddus, Human Resources Manager
(707) 428-7396
[email protected]
ATTACHMENTS
N/A