CITY OF PACIFICA
COUNCIL AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT
8/24/2026
1 SUBJECT:
Authorization to Lift the Temporary Hiring Freeze for One Firefighter Engineer position.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Adopt a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to lift the temporary six-month hiring freeze for a vacant, budgeted Firefighter Engineer position and proceed with recruitment and hiring within the existing FY 2026-27 Adopted Budget.
STAFF CONTACT:
Zach Harris, Human Resources Manager
650-339-3461
[email protected]
Marisol Gómez, Director of Finance and Administrative Services 650-501-0257
[email protected]
Yulia Carter, Assistant City Manager
650-501-6004
[email protected]
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION:
As part of the Adopted FY 2026-27 Adopted Budget, one vacant Firefighter Engineer position was placed under a six-month hiring freeze as a budget-balancing measure. The position remains an authorized position within the City’s position control and staffing plan and is partially funded in the adopted budget. However, Council authorization is required to lift the temporary hiring restriction before the six-month period expires.
Since the adoption of the budget, the Fire Department has experienced personnel vacancies and periods of leave without pay, generating salary savings sufficient to absorb the cost of filling this position earlier than anticipated. As a result, lifting the hiring freeze and filling the position for the remainder of the fiscal year can be accomplished within the Fire Department’s existing personnel budget and does not require an additional budget appropriation.
The timing of this recruitment is also an important consideration. The process of recruiting and selecting a Firefighter/Engineer from the initial recruitment and selection process through background review, pre-employment requirements, academy and departmental training, and ultimately bringing a new employee fully onboard, can take approximately one year. Delaying the hiring process until expiration of the six-month freeze would therefore extend the operational impact of the vacancy well beyond the freeze itself.
The current recruitment has also produced a strong candidate pool with several highly qualified candidates who would be valuable additions to the Fire Department. Moving forward now would allow the City to take advantage of the current recruitment and extend an offer to a qualified Pacifica City Council 2
August 24, 2026
candidate rather than risk losing strong applicants and having to restart a lengthy and costly recruitment and training process at a later date.
RELATION TO CITY COUNCIL GOALS AND WORK PLAN:
Authorizing the hiring of the Firefighter Engineer position supports the City’s goal of Enhancing Organizational and Fiscal Stability, as this action supports adequate staffing within the Fire Department, and maintaining effective and responsive public safety and emergency response services.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no impact to the FY 2026-27 Adopted Budget associated with this action. The Firefighter Engineer position is an existing budgeted position that is currently subject to a temporary six-month hiring freeze. Salary savings already realized from other Fire Department vacancies and employees on leave without pay, are sufficient to offset the personnel costs associated with filling the position three months earlier than anticipated. Therefore, no budget amendment is required at this time.
ORIGINATED BY:
Human Resources
ATTACHMENT LIST:
Pacifica City Council 3
August 24, 2026
RESOLUTION NO. __________
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PACIFICA AUTHORIZING THE
FILLING OF ONE CURRENTLY FROZEN FIREFIGHTER ENGINEER POSITION USING
EXISTING BUDGETED FUNDS AND SALARY SAVINGS
WHEREAS, the City Council adopted a budget that includes funding for a Firefighter Engineer position within the Fire Department; and
WHEREAS, the Firefighter Engineer position is an existing authorized position within the City’s staffing plan that is currently frozen; and
WHEREAS, the Fire Department has experienced personnel vacancies and periods of leave without pay during the current fiscal year, resulting in salary savings within the adopted budget; and
WHEREAS, salary savings already realized from vacancies and employees on leave without pay are sufficient to offset the anticipated personnel costs associated with filling the Firefighter Engineer position for the remainder of the fiscal year; and WHEREAS, filling the Firefighter Engineer position will support appropriate staffing levels within the Fire Department and the continued delivery of effective and responsive public safety services; and
Whereas, filling the position does not require the creation of a new position or an increase to the City’s adopted budget.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Pacifica does hereby authorize staff to fill one currently frozen Firefighter Engineer position using existing budgeted funds and salary savings generated from vacancies and employees currently on leave without pay.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City Manager, or designee, is authorized to take all necessary administrative actions to implement this Resolution consistent with the City’s adopted budget and personnel policies.
• • • • •
PASSED AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Pacifica, California, held on the 24th day of August 2026, by the following vote:
AYES, Councilmembers:
NOES, Councilmembers:
ABSENT, Councilmembers:
ABSTAIN, Councilmembers:
_________________________
Christine Boles, Mayor
Pacifica City Council 4
August 24, 2026
ATTEST: APPROVED AS TO FORM:
_________________________ _________________________
Sarah Coffey, City Clerk Michelle Kenyon, City Attorney