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Home My WebLink AboutRequest to Implement a Managed Hiring Process for Vacant Cit (2) 2000 Main Street, of Hzofl4o„a, ., Huntington Beach,CA City of Huntington Beach /1 /Co�ED4y�3 C FOQ Y 1, 4-Ln G/Z / 1 iiiSSi <FCUUNTV Ba-rD /- D ) File #: 23-051 MEETING DATE: 1/17/2023 Subject: Submitted by Mayor Pro Tern Van Der Mark - Request to Implement a Managed Hiring Process for Vacant City Staff Positions (with limited exceptions) Recommended Action: Direct the City Manager to take necessary measures to develop and implement a "managed hiring" process for City staff position vacancies that results in only necessary hiring for public safety (including Police and Fire Departments), building inspection and code enforcement, legal services (City Attorney's Office), infrastructure maintenance and operation, essential support services, meeting Charter and Municipal Code requirements, filling interim/permanent Department Head vacancies, etc. This "managed hiring" process is meant to be temporary and is designed to allow the City Manager to prepare and present a report for City Council at its regular meeting on February 21, 2023, about the state of the City's budget and financial health, as well as staffing levels, vacancies, the costs of filling vacancies, and any other aspect of citywide reorganization or planned increase in fiscal responsibility and economic efficiency. Attachment(s): 1. Memo City of Huntington Beach Page 1 of 1 Printed on 1/11/2023 powere244 LegistarTM FLOP CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH CITY COUNCIL MEETING—COUNCIL MEMBER ITEMS REPORT TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL FROM: GRACEY VAN DER MARK, MAYOR PRO TEM DATE: JANUARY 17, 2023 SUBJECT: REQUEST TO IMPLEMENT A MANAGED HIRING PROCESS FOR VACANT CITY STAFF POSITIONS(WITH LIMITED EXCEPTIONS) The newly formed City Council needs to get up to speed on the fiscal health of the City, which includes gaining a clear understanding of the City's staffing levels, their associated costs, and financial impacts. To that end, the City should implement a "managed hiring" for current vacant positions until the City Council gets a comprehensive education on what staffing is necessary. There is a sincere concern about the financial health of the City after the past couple of years of high spending by the previous City Council,the current deepening recession, recent CaIPERS return on investment and related Unfunded Accrued Liability, and worsening economic conditions. And as the budget is being prepared for the upcoming fiscal year, the newly formed City Council should be afforded this opportunity to make informed decisions about staffing and the impacts to the budget prior to the adoption of the FY 2023-24 budget by Council in June. RECOMMENDED ACTION Direct the City Manager to take necessary measures to develop and implement a "managed hiring" process for City staff position vacancies that results in only necessary hiring for public safety (including Police and Fire Departments), building inspection and code enforcement, legal services (City Attorney's Office), infrastructure maintenance and operation, essential support services, meeting Charter and Municipal Code requirements, filling interim/permanent Department Head vacancies, etc. This "managed hiring" process is meant to be temporary and is designed to allow the City Manager to prepare and present a report for City Council at its regular meeting on February 21, 2023, about the state of the City's budget and financial health, as well as staffing levels, vacancies, the costs of filling vacancies, and any other aspect of citywide reorganization or planned increase in fiscal responsibility and economic efficiency. 244 Switzer, Donna From: Fikes, Cathy Sent: Friday,January 13, 2023 2:54 PM To: Agenda Alerts Subject: FW: Huntington Beach Municipal Teamsters - 23-051 Attachments: City Council Item 23-051 1-13-23.pdf From: Carlos Rubio<crubio@teamsters911.com> Sent: Friday,January 13, 2023 2:01 PM To:CITY COUNCIL<city.council@surfcity-hb.org> Subject: Huntington Beach Municipal Teamsters-23-051 Please kindly distribute to the Honorable Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem and City Council. Confirm receipt. Thank you. Carlos I. Rubio President California Teamsters Local 911 Public, Professional & Medical Employees Union 9900 Flower Street Bellflower, CA 90706 T: (562) 595-4518 Ext: 111 F: (562)427-7298 E: crubio@teamsters911.com SUPPLEMENTAL COMMUNICATION Agenda Item No.; a y ('�3-o si� 1 \u'll>A�' CALIFORNIA TEAMSTERS LOCAL 911 I e� Imo`,j, PUBLIC,PROFESSIONAL&MEDICAL EMPLOYEES UNION,THE COUNTIES OF Los ANGELES, • ORANGE,RIVERSIDE,SAN DIEGO,IMPERIAL,SAN LUIS OBISPO,SAN BERNARDINO,SANTA BARBARA AND VENTURA F �. 9900 FLOWER STREET• BELLFLOWER • CALIFORNIA • 90706 (562)595-4518 • fax(562)427-7298 • teamsters911.com �y� , '' An Affiliate of the International Brotherhood of Teanuters Raymond B. Whioner Secretary-Treasurer January 13, 2023 Honorable City Council: We are writing to you today on behalf of the Huntington Beach Municipal Teamsters. We are extremely concerned about item 23-051 as it relates to Mayor Pro Tern Van Der Mark's request to implement a managed hiring process for vacant city staff positions. The request is unclear as to the impacts to the existing workers and the current process of filling vacant positions. For this reason, we find it prudent for the Mayor to utilize the existing process in place until the Union has had a reasonable opportunity to review the proposal in its entirety and discuss the impacts through the meet and confer process. Our Union represents a large, if not the largest group, of employees in the City in the various work areas the request by the mayor identified. We firmly believe that this is a drastic change that can severely impact the current operations and delivery of quality-of-life service to the constituents. We are open to a dialogue that is collaborative and meaningful through the appropriate process. We consider this process to be a mandatory subject of bargaining and therefore we invite you to meet with us and confer. Please contact me at crubio(u7teamsters91 1.conmm if you have any questions. Sincerely, Carlos I. Rubio President Switzer, Donna From: Fikes, Cathy Sent: Tuesday, January 17, 2023 9:36 AM To: Agenda Alerts Subject: FW: NO vote on Councilmember Item #24 at the 1-17-23 council meeting SUPPLEMENTAL From: Dan Jamieson <danjamieson4@gmail.com> COMMUNICATION Sent: Monday,January 16, 2023 12:00 PM To: CITY COUNCIL<city.council@surfcity-hb.org> Date / f T-12,3 Subject: NO vote on Councilmember Item #24 at the 1-17-23 council meeting Meeting ' Agenda Item No.L aY(023 Dear HB Councilmembers: I urge a NO vote on Councilmember Item#24 at the 1-17-23 council meeting. The item would implement a "managed hiring" process for vacant city staff positions. The reason given is that new council members need to get up to speed on staffing levels and costs. The item also states that there is a "sincere concern about the financial health of the city after the past couple of years of high spending by the previous City Council [and] the current deepening recession," and that the new council should have an opportunity to make informed decisions about staffing in the upcoming 23/24 budget. It is unclear what a"managed hiring" process is or why it is needed. My understanding is that city management and the council already manage hiring,normally through a thoughtful budget process. Changes are made as conditions warrant. So it appears that the city uses a type of"managed hiring" process already. Perhaps the proposed item intends for the council to micromanage this process, but again,that is unclear. The item also fails to substantiate any financial concerns with the city budget. According to the city's Annual Comprehensive Financial Report Year Ending 2022, Huntington Beach is "experiencing sustained increases to its major revenue sources," with the highest property, sales and transient-occupancy tax revenues in 10 years (or more). The 22/23 budget is balanced. Spending did increase 25.3%from 21/22,but a "significant portion of the increase is due to added investment in essential infrastructure and equipment and the restoration of COVID-19 temporary cost saving measures, as well as use of the City's ARPA funds totaling $29.6 million for public safety personnel costs," the report says. Meanwhile,the overall economy, as reflected in the city budget, is doing well. The latest report from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis on Dec. 22, 2022, estimates that GDP grew 3.2%in the third quarter of 2022 vs. 2Q22. Meanwhile,unemployment just hit record lows in the U.S. and in California. (See https://www.gov.ca.gov/2022/10/21/california-matches-record-low-unemployment-rate/). This "managed hiring" item is not needed. A better approach would be for the new council members to, first, get up to speed on the city's finances and staffing. Then, if adjustments are needed,make them in a considered and transparent manner during the city's next budget cycle, at which time the new council--like all others before them--will have an opportunity to make informed decisions about staffing in the upcoming budget. i Sincerely, Dan Jamieson Huntington Beach 2