TO: ADAM PIRRIE, CITY MANAGER
FROM: JAMIE EARL, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER
DATE: MAY 26, 2026
Reviewed by:
City Manager: AP
SUBJECT:
Title
PUBLIC HEARING ON CITY VACANCIES AND RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION EFFORTS AS REQUIRED BY ASSEMBLY BILL 2561 (FUNDING SOURCE: GENERAL FUND)
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SUMMARY
Assembly Bill 2561 (McKinnor), codified in California Government Code Section 3502.3, requires local public agencies to conduct an annual public hearing on staffing vacancies and recruitment and retention efforts prior to adoption of the agency’s final budget. The City conducts this hearing in accordance with the Procedures for the Public Hearing on City Vacancies and Recruitment and Retention Efforts adopted by the City Council on May 27, 2025 (Attachment).
At the hearing, the City must identify any policies, procedures, or recruitment activities that present obstacles to hiring. Recognized employee organizations are entitled to present at the hearing. If a recognized employee organization represents a bargaining unit with a vacancy rate of twenty percent (20%) or more and requests additional information, the agency must also present: total vacancies, number of applicants, average time-to-fill, and opportunities to improve compensation and working conditions.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommended Action
Staff recommends the City Council:
A. Open the public hearing to receive a report from City staff on workforce vacancies, recruitment and retention efforts, and provide recognized employee organizations the opportunity to make a presentation on these topics if they choose to do so; and
B. Receive and file the staff report on the City’s workforce vacancies and recruitment and retention efforts, in compliance with Government Code Section 3502.3.
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ALTERNATIVE TO RECOMMENDATION
In addition to the recommendation, there is the following alternative:
• Request additional information from staff.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
There is no direct fiscal impact associated with conducting the public hearing. However, addressing recruitment and retention issues may involve future budget and bargaining considerations, which will be presented to the City Council as necessary.
The staff cost to prepare this report is estimated at $2,789 and is included in the operating budget of the Administrative Services Department.
ANALYSIS
Findings of Report
The City's analysis of its vacancies is based on the most recent calendar year, concluding December 31, 2025. The data show the following for 2025 and excludes part-time unrepresented, City Council, and City Manager classifications:
Total Budgeted Authorized Full-Time Positions: 161
Total Vacancies: 32
Total Filled Vacancies: 29
Total Remaining Vacancies at end of CY: 3
Total Percentage of Vacancies: 1.86%
Positions by Bargaining Unit:
|
Unit |
# of Vacancies |
# of Filled Vacancies |
% of vacancies |
|
CATSEA |
7 |
7 |
0.00% |
|
CEA |
1 |
1 |
0.00% |
|
CPEA |
2 |
1 |
11.11% |
|
CMA |
1 |
1 |
0.00% |
|
CPOA |
16 |
14 |
4.44% |
|
CPMA |
5 |
5 |
0.00% |
|
Unrepresented |
0 |
0 |
0.00% |
|
Total |
32 |
29 |
1.86% |
Recruitment Information
Recruitment Statistics:
• Total # of Vacancies Filled During 2025 Calendar Year: 29
• # of Vacancies Filled by Existing Eligibility List/Ongoing Recruitment: 12
• Average # of Calendar Days to Fill Vacancies: 125.5
• # of Vacancies Filled by New External/Internal Recruitment: 10
• Average # of Calendar Days to Fill Vacancies: 90.4
• # of Vacancies Filled by New Internal Only Recruitment: 7
• Average # of Calendar Days to Fill Vacancies: 17.9
Retention Information
Retention Statistics:
• Total # of Vacancies Created During 2025 Calendar Year: 32
• # of Vacancies Created by Newly Budgeted Positions: 3
• % of Vacancies Resulting from Staffing Growth: 9%
• # of Vacancies Created by Internal Promotion: 7
• # of Vacancies Created by Internal Transfer: 2
• % of Vacancies Resulting from Internal Opportunity: 28%
• # of Vacancies Created by Retirement: 4
• # of Vacancies Created by Involuntary Separation: 3
• % of Vacancies Resulting from Attrition: 22%
• # of Vacancies Created by Voluntary Separation: 13
• % of Vacancies Resulting from Turnover: 41%
• Annual Staffing Turnover Rate: 8%
Ongoing Challenges
The City's review of applicable policies, procedures, and recruitment activities indicates that the primary obstacles identified in the prior year's hearing remain present. These challenges reflect broader statewide and national workforce trends that are not unique to Claremont and are not amenable to quick resolutions. The City continues to monitor labor market conditions and evaluate creative recruitment and retention strategies to address these obstacles as they evolve.
Obstacle #1- Workforce Market Conditions
The City continues to recruit from a regional labor market in which public and private sector employers are competing for the same candidate pool. Market surveys indicate that compensation and benefits packages across sectors continue to evolve, creating ongoing competition for qualified applicants at all levels.
Solutions: The City expanded its employee benefits this year through an Education Partnership program offering discounted tuition at local colleges for employees and eligible spouses, covering both formal degree programs and professional certificates. Beyond compensation and traditional benefits, the City has invested in better articulating what it means to work in Claremont beyond a salary figure. Employees here gain hands-on, well-rounded experience across disciplines in a collaborative small-agency environment that many larger organizations simply cannot offer. To illustrate this, the City has revamped its job postings and expanded its digital presence to actively showcase workplace culture, the employee experience, and the unique professional opportunities that come with serving an engaged and supportive community. Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) summary sheets for each association have been developed to clearly highlight key benefits, making it easy to present the City's full compensation picture to prospective candidates at every stage of recruitment. These efforts reflect the City's commitment to competing not just on compensation, but on the overall value of a career in Claremont.
Obstacle #2- Limited Supply of Qualified Candidates
Certain occupational categories continue to experience a shortage of qualified candidates statewide, independent of any individual agency's recruitment efforts. Contributing factors include an aging workforce, declining enrollment in vocational and technical training programs, and a growing gap between employer requirements and the qualifications of available candidates. These are statewide conditions affecting public and private employers alike.
Solutions: The City continues to build long-term candidate pipelines through active internship programs that expose students and early career professionals to public service, creating a pathway toward future full-time employment. This approach extends to the City's part-time workforce as well by intentionally including part-time employees in training opportunities and employee experience events, which cultivates a ready pool of candidates who are already familiar with City operations and organizational culture when full-time careers become available. The Education Partnership program, promoted through on-site lunch and learn events, offers employees discounted tuition at local colleges for formal degrees and professional certificates directly addressing skills gaps by investing in the development of the City's existing workforce. Human Resources continues to work with departments to review job classifications with each vacancy to ensure minimum qualifications reflect current operational needs and do not create unnecessary barriers to entry.
Obstacle #3- Public Safety Recruitment
Municipal law enforcement agencies across California continue to face a constrained candidate pool for sworn officer positions. Regional competition among agencies for a limited number of qualified candidates driven, in part, by a wave of retirements among officers now reaching eligibility has intensified competition for both new recruits and lateral hires statewide.
Solutions: Human Resources has established regular recurring meetings with Police Department command staff dedicated to recruitment and vacancy planning, creating a structured forum to continuously evaluate, streamline, and improve the hiring process. Through this collaboration, the City is exploring alternative testing options and conducting more frequent testing cycles to keep candidate pipelines active and reduce time-to-hire. The partnership also focuses on proactive workforce forecasting mapping out anticipated vacancies and recruitment timelines across the calendar year. This will assist with streamlining the process as well as giving candidates more time to prepare (and be available) for each step. Human Resources further supports the Department's own creative advertising initiatives, working together to identify new and targeted outreach strategies to reach qualified candidates where they are. These efforts reflect a shift from reactive to proactive recruitment planning in the City's public safety staffing approach.
RELATIONSHIP TO CITY PLANNING DOCUMENTS
Staff has evaluated the agenda item in relationship to the City’s strategic and visioning documents and finds that it applies to the following City Planning documents: City Council Priorities and the 2024-26 Budget.
CEQA REVIEW
This item is not subject to environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
PUBLIC NOTICE PROCESS
The agenda and staff report for this item have been posted on the City website and distributed to interested parties. If you desire a copy, please contact the City Clerk’s Office.
Submitted by: Prepared by:
Jamie Earl Christi Giannone
Assistant City Manager Human Resources Manager
Attachment:
Procedures For the Public Hearing on City Vacancies and Recruitment and Retention Efforts