City Council Agenda Report
Meeting Date: June 2, 2026
From: Su Tan, Director of Human Resources
Department: Human Resources
Submitted by: Lisette Grizzelle, Human Resources Manager Subject
City of Vernon Vacancies and Recruitment and Retention Efforts Recommendation
A. Conduct a Public Hearing; and
B. Receive and file an informational report and presentation on the City of Vernon vacancies, and recruitment and retention efforts pursuant to Assembly Bill 2561/Government Code Section 3502.3.
Background
Assembly Bill 2561 (AB 2561), codified in Government Code Section 3502.3, passed on September 22, 2024, amended the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act (MMBA), and requires public agencies to hold a public hearing to address the status of job vacancies prior to the adoption of the upcoming fiscal year budget. During this public hearing, the City must present information on the status of vacancies and the City’s recruitment and retention efforts. If necessary, the City will identify necessary changes to policies, procedures, and/or recruitment activities that may lead to obstacles in the hiring process to help mitigate the challenges. To ensure compliance, on May 18, 2026, Human Resources (HR) staff shared the Notice of Public Hearing (Attachment 3) with Bargaining Unions and Associations, and extended an invitation to participate in the public hearing via email pursuant to AB 2561 statutory requirements.
Required Information
Staff will present the following required information at the public hearing:
1. The status of position vacancies at the City of Vernon
2. Information on the City of Vernon’s recruitment and retention efforts
3. Obstacles in the City’s policies, procedures, and recruitment activities that may create challenges in the hiring process
4. Recommended policy and procedure revisions
If the number of position vacancies within a single bargaining unit meets or exceeds 20% of the total number of authorized full-time positions, the staff presentation is also required to include the following information:
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
4. Opportunities to improve compensation and other working conditions As of May 13, 2026, there are no bargaining units with a full-time vacancy rate exceeding 20%.
Bargaining Unit Vacancy
Rate
Number of Vacancies
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
(IBEW)
5.7% 2
Teamsters Local 986 5% 4
Vernon Police Management Association (VPMA) 0% 0
Vernon Police Officer’s Benefit Association (VPOBA) 0% 0 Non-Represented Full – Time Positions 4.07% 3
Total Full-Time Positions = 231.75
Existing Policy and Recommendations
The HR Department recruitment and retention efforts are guided by the City’s Personnel Policies & Procedures Manual related to the policies listed below:
• I-1 Terms of Employment
• I-2 Requesting & Recruiting Personnel
• I-3 Testing Certification and Eligibility List
• I-9 Pre-Employment Medical and Drug Screen Examinations • I-12 Reference-Background Checks
• I-13 Criminal Background Check and Live Scan
In an effort to improve and help expedite the hiring process, HR staff has reviewed the policies listed above and made revisions to Policy I-1 Terms of Employment. The revisions reflect legal updates and revised classification titles and designations. HR staff has collaborated with City Administration, Department Directors and Bargaining Unit representatives on language changes to maintain competitiveness, and provide consistency and uniformity across various forms, reports and policies. A clean version (Attachment 1) and redlined version (Attachment 2) of Policy I-1 Terms of Employment are provided for reference.
Recruitment Procedures, Improvements, and Recommendations The HR Department proactively reviews and enhances recruitment and selection processes by:
• Partnering with hiring departments to leverage new or specialized advertising options for job postings
• Conducting more frequent reviews of policies and procedures to ensure legal requirements and market trends are identified and incorporated into City policies and procedures
• Updating the City’s online job application to ensure compliance with legal requirements • Conducting ongoing reviews of recruitment and testing processes with a goal of streamlining and expediting time to hire
• Creating a comprehensive onboarding process to improve employee retention, strengthen employee engagement, and build cultural fit.
Fiscal Impact
There is no fiscal impact associated with this report. This public hearing is for informational purposes.
Attachments
1. I-1 Terms of Employment Policy
2. I-1 Terms of Employment Policy Redline
3. Notice of Public Hearing