Assembly Quality, Municipal Services, Effects & Elections Committee Meeting - November 26, 2025

The Assembly Quality, Municipal Services, Effects and Elections Committee convened on November 26, 2025, at 12:01 PM in City Hall, Room 155. The meeting focused on three primary agenda items: an update on the downtown library project's design and cost status, a comprehensive Human Resources report on recruitment and retention trends within the Municipality, and a vendor update regarding election equipment following a corporate acquisition. Following these presentations, the committee heard public testimony regarding ballot errors and the challenges of the absentee ballot curing process.

Consent Calendar

• No specific consent calendar items were listed or discussed in the transcript.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Katie Nolan (Chair of the Election Commission): Expressed strong concern over the rejection of nearly 1,000 ballots per election due to specific rule violations. She stated that while in-person voting has resolved ID and machine errors, mail-in ballots suffer from signature inconsistencies and marking errors that prevent counting. She emphasized the need for public education to eliminate these errors. She also offered the Election Commission's assistance to the committee in interpreting election laws.
• Anne Courtney (Election Commission Member): Expressed appreciation for the committee's inclusion of the Election Commission in communications. She noted a missed opportunity for collaboration between the two entities and emphasized that joint efforts are necessary to solve election-related issues moving forward. She acknowledged recent meeting cancellations as a reason for the lack of recent coordination.
• Member Broley (Council Member): Questioned the effectiveness of the ballot curing process, specifically noting logistical barriers such as the inability to reach voters on cell phones during business hours, lack of dedicated caller ID, and delays that often occur after election results are decided. She expressed frustration that cured errors often remain unresolved for future elections.

Discussion Items

• Downtown Library Project:

  • Staff reported incorporating public input into the 65% design plan, with a focus on expanding youth/children's services and lounge spaces. The project sponsor noted a slight increase in total square footage for patrons.
  • Positions on Cost: Staff acknowledged that cost estimates have come in high, primarily due to costs per square foot being higher than expected. Staff expressed a position that value engineering is necessary to ensure the final project remains affordable. In response to committee questions regarding the source of costs, staff clarified that the primary driver is not historic preservation materials but rather the overall design costs. When questioned about the specific building's historic designation or material costs, staff stated the design avoids the most historic portions of the building.
  • Timeline Status: The team aims to submit 65% drawings by mid-December, 95% by mid-February, secure Historic Preservation Commission approval in February, and complete permitting by early April.
  • Member Questioning: Member Robin inquired about whether public comments drastically altered the design (answer: not drastically, but adjustments were made for children's areas) and the specific drivers of cost increases (answer: primarily materials and overall sq. ft. costs, not historic constraints).

• HR Recruitment and Retention Update:

  • Recruitment: Ron Kamahaley (HR Services) reported that hiring rates have been increasing consistently for four years, averaging 30 hires per month as of October 2025. He expressed a position that recruiting and hiring efforts are "very strong" with no apparent problems in acquiring new talent.
  • Retention: Despite strong hiring, the report highlighted a critical retention crisis. Separations average 27 per month, which nullifies 90% of hiring activity. Data from the 25-month period (Oct 2023–Oct 2025) shows 676 separations, with a mean Years of Service (YOSS) of 2.96 years. 80% of separations were voluntary.
  • Positions on Trends: Staff identified Health Department (specifically nurses), Police Department, and Public Transportation (specifically bus operators) as having the highest churn. Staff members expressed that while they are providing data to decision-makers, substantive plans to address the specific causes of churn in these high-turnover departments are still being developed.
  • Member Questioning:
    • Member Volvend: Requested clarification on whether retirement counts as voluntary separation (affirmed) and asked for demographic data on separations and exit interview trends. He also questioned if the separation data included long-term employees; staff clarified the data focused on early-career separations, as retirements typically occur after 20+ years. Staff noted exit interview participation is mixed (approx. 33%) and trends are not yet statistically clear.
    • Member Martinez: Asked if new hires are primarily first-time workers or mid-career professionals. Staff stated the mix varies by job advertisement but that "very few" are true entry-level roles, and most candidates already possess experience.
    • Member Bradley: Queried the average time to fill a position. Staff noted police/fire roles take up to six months, while standard positions average 60 days (+/- 10). Bradley expressed concern about outliers and areas for improvement to support headcount growth.

• Election Equipment Vendor Update:

  • Election Administrator Liz Leverg provided an update on Dominion Voting Systems, which was acquired by Liberty Vote (a new, 100% American-owned entity) in October 2025.
  • Positions on Continuity: Staff expressed confidence that there will be no service disruption, confirming that the technical support and customer service teams remain unchanged. They stated they will continue to watch the company's actions closely but expect the existing relationship to continue.
  • Member Questioning: Member Brock asked about the current contract status and the availability of vendor alternatives. Staff confirmed the current equipment has been in place since 2018 but noted they needed to verify the exact recall/renewal dates and that any vendor change would require a full RFP process.

Key Outcomes

• No formal votes or decisions were recorded in the transcript for the agenda items; all items were for informational updates and discussion.
• Directives:
  • HR Services is tasked with providing granular demographic data regarding voluntary separations and analyzing exit interview responses to identify trends.
  • HR Services will email presentation slides to remote members (Johnson and Martinez) following the meeting to ensure access to data.
  • Election Administrator to confirm the specific status of the current contract with the election vendor.
  • The committee acknowledged the value of the Election Commission's expertise and agreed to improve future communication and collaboration between the two entities.
• Next Steps: HR and the Election Commission will follow up with specific data and collaborative strategies to address the identified retention and ballot rejection issues.