Council receives report on staffing vacancies and recruitment under Government Code 3502.3

The council held a required public hearing on May 22 to present its staffing status and recruitment and retention efforts under Government Code section 3502.3.

The assistant city attorney opened the item by explaining the hearing is required under recent state law tied to budget adoption, describing it as a “receive and file” opportunity for staff, unions and the public to provide information before adoption of the budget. Finance Director Chanel Zamora presented the staff report, saying the city has 20 authorized full‑time positions and one vacancy — the associate planner position — for an overall vacancy rate of about 5 percent.

Zamora outlined recruitment and retention actions the city currently uses, such as advertising on social and city platforms, offering remote work flexibility where appropriate, providing incentive pay for certifications, bilingual pay, and continuing education. She also listed factors the city sees as barriers to recruitment: compensation that is below market median for key classifications, the city’s small geographic location and limited candidate pool, and high local housing costs that make recruiting from outside the area difficult.

Zamora noted the city has no recognized employee organization to present under the statute. The public hearing record was opened and no members of the public or employees spoke on the item. The council took no further action and staff recorded that the report was received and filed in compliance with Government Code section 3502.3.

The report and discussion were informational; any changes to compensation or staffing levels would require separate council action in subsequent agenda items.