Introduction and Scope:
Effective January 1, 2025, Government Code section 3502.3 requires the City of Fort Bragg to present information on the status of vacancies at the City of Fort Bragg and the City of Fort Bragg’s recruitment and retention efforts at a public hearing before the City of Fort Bragg’s City Council at least once per fiscal year.
Government Code section 3502.3 also requires City of Fort Bragg to identify during the public hearing any necessary changes to City of Fort Bragg policies, procedures, and recruitment activities that may contribute to obstacles in the City of Fort Bragg’s hiring process.
At the public hearing, a recognized employee organization for a bargaining unit is entitled to make a presentation to the City of Fort Bragg’s City Council addressing the status of vacancies and recruitment and retention efforts for positions within that bargaining unit.
The purpose of these procedures is to establish protocol for the City of Fort Bragg’s public hearings on vacancies in order to ensure a fair, orderly and efficient hearing process.
The agency should reserve the right to schedule separate public hearings for different bargaining units, and is not limited to one Public Hearing to address all vacancies and recruitment and retention efforts within the entire agency.
Notice Requirements:
The City of Fort Bragg will notify in writing each recognized employee organization that represents City of Fort Bragg employees that the City of Fort Bragg’s City Council will hold a one-hour public hearing pursuant to the obligations set forth under Government Code section 3502.3 (Assembly Bill 2561). The notice will provide each recognized employee organization the opportunity to identify any negotiable impacts/effects regarding the agency’s compliance with Government Code section 3502.3.
The City of Fort Bragg will notify in writing each recognized employee organization that represents City of Fort Bragg employees of the date, time, and place of the hearing at least ten (10) working days in advance of the hearing.
In the notice, the City of Fort Bragg will inquire whether the employee organization intends to make a presentation to the City of Fort Bragg’s City Council at the public hearing. The City of Fort Bragg will request that, for planning purposes, the employee organization provide written notice to the Human Resources Department at least five (5) working days in advance of the public hearing indicating whether the employee organization intends to make a presentation at the public hearing.
In the event the vacancy rate for the bargaining unit is at least 20% of the total number of authorized full-time positions in the bargaining unit, an employee organization may request that the City of Fort Bragg present “additional information” related to the vacancies as permitted by Government Code section 3502.3. The City of Fort Bragg will request that the employee organization provide a written request for the presentation of such information to the Human Resources Department at least five (5) working days in advance of the public hearing. The “additional information” includes the following: (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; and (4) opportunities to improve compensation and other working conditions.
Notice of the hearing to the public will be provided in accordance with the Ralph M. Brown Act. (Gov. Code §§ 54950-54963.) A City of Fort Bragg staff report regarding vacancies, recruitment, and retention efforts may be published as part of the agenda packet for the meeting.
The City of Fort Bragg and recognized employee organizations may agree to exchange presentation materials in advance of the public hearing.
Order of the Hearing:
The public hearing will proceed in the following order:
City of Fort Bragg Presentation: The City of Fort Bragg presentation will allow time for each bargaining unit that it represents. The City of Fort Bragg may choose to present on all bargaining units at once, or to present data for each bargaining unit separately, followed by each applicable employee organization presentation.
Employee Organization Presentation: Following the agency presentation, each employee organization will have the opportunity to make a presentation for each of the bargaining units that the employee organization represents. For each bargaining unit, the employee organization presentation should not contain bargaining proposals to the City of Fort Bragg on matters that have not been presented in bargaining.
Governing Body Questions and Discussion: The City of Fort Bragg’s City Council may ask questions of the City of Fort Bragg and the employee organization presenters.
Final City of Fort Bragg Comments: Final City of Fort Bragg comments will be allowed for each bargaining unit.
Final Employee Organization Comments: Final employee organization comments will be allowed for each bargaining unit.
Public Comment: Public comment regarding the AB 2561 hearing will be limited to three (3) minutes per person.
Standards of Discourse:
The City of Fort Bragg’s City Council should recognize that engaging with diverse perspectives is vital for effective governance and a vibrant community. To ensure full expression of such diverse perspectives, The City of Fort Bragg’s City Council should ensure that participants follow the principles of respectful and civil discourse. 12662950.7 LC025-003
12662950.7 LC025-003
CITY OF FORT BRAGG
PROCEDURES FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING AB 2561