All right, we're going to get this meeting started at 2.04 p.m.

Clerk, please call the roll.

Thank you.

Council Member Kaplan will be absent this afternoon.

Council Member Dickinson.

Council Member Plekibohm.

Council Member Maple.

Here.

Mayor Pro Temguera will be absent this afternoon.

Council Member Jennings.

Here.

Council Member Vang.

Here.

Mayor McCarty will be absent this afternoon.

And Mayor Pro, excuse me, Vice Mayor Telemontes.

Here.

You have a quorum.

Thank you.

And Council Member Jennings, please leave us in the land acknowledgement.

Please rise for the opening acknowledgments in honor of Sacramento's indigenous people and tribal lands.

To the original people of this land, the Niseon people, the Southern Maidu, the Valley and Plains Miwok, and the Putnam Wintom peoples, and the people of the Wilton Rantaria, Sacramento's only federally recognized tribe.

May we acknowledge and honor the native people who came before us and still walk beside us today on these ancestral lands by choosing to gather together today in active practice and acknowledgement and appreciation for Sacramento's indigenous people's history, their contributions, and their lives.

Thank you.

Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Salute.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you so much.

All right.

Moving along to consent calendar.

Do we have any members that would like to pull anything or comment on anything?

Vice Mayor, I do have a read into the record.

Item number four is going to be withdrawn from this agenda, and we'll bring it back at a later date.

Okay.

Thank you.

Seeing no comments, questions, I need a motion and a second on the consent calendar.

Motion to move the consent calendar.

Aye.

All right.

We have a motion and a second.

Clerk, please call the roll.

Thank you.

That was a...

Is there any public comment on this?

There's no public comment on this.

We have a motion by Council Member Dennings and a second by Dickinson.

Did you want to do roll call or a voice vote?

Oh.

Voice vote is fine.

All in favor, say aye.

Aye.

Opposed?

Abstain?

That motion passes.

All right.

Moving along.

Public hearings, item number 13.

Thank you.

Welcome.

Good afternoon.

My name is Ebony Heaven, Human Resources Manager in the Employment, Classification, and Development Division, also known as ECD, of the Human Resources Department.

In accordance with Assembly Bill 2561, I am here to present on the City's recruitment, retention, and vacancy efforts for 2024.

I know that the date selected for this presentation is later than you would have liked.

In the future, we will bring vacancy reports earlier in the year.

Today's presentation will offer a comprehensive overview of the legislative requirements, a data-driven analysis of the City's vacancy trends,

and an in-depth look at our recruitment and retention strategies, and a discussion of key factors influencing our ability to attract and retain talent.

Assembly Bill 2561, signed into law in 2024, requires public agencies to present public agencies to publicly report on staffing vacancies, recruitment efforts, and retention strategies prior to the adoption of their annual budget.

The legislation aims to increase transparency and accountability in the public sector hiring.

If a bargaining unit's vacancy rate meets or exceeds 20% for full-time positions, the agency must, upon request from the employee organization, provide additional details,

such as the number of vacancies, applicant volume, hiring timelines, and steps taken to improve working conditions or compensation.

The law also ensures that employee organizations have the opportunity to present their perspectives during the public hearing, should they make a request to do so.

As such, upon conclusion of this presentation today, you will hear from one bargaining unit, Sacramento Area Firefighters, Local 522.

While I will provide data on the City's vacancies rate, it's equally important to understand why vacancies exist.

There are several legitimate reasons why positions remain vacant for extended periods.

In many cases, departments intentionally leave certain roles unfilled to generate vacancy savings.

These savings are often strategically redirected to support critical operational needs, such as equipment purchases, infrastructure improvements,

temporary staffing, and one-time project costs, without requiring additional budget allocations.

This practice allows departments to address pressing priorities while maintaining fiscal responsibility.

Additionally, ongoing recruitment challenges have significantly impacted the City's ability to fill certain positions.

Labor shortages across both the public and private sectors, especially for technical, specialized, and high-demand roles, have made it increasingly difficult to attract qualified candidates.

Despite repeated recruitment efforts, the applicant's pull may be limited or insufficient, particularly for competitive labor markets for positions requiring advanced certifications, licensing, or experience.

In some cases, the perception of long-term vacancies may be inflated due to internal administrative practices.

For example, departments often reuse the most recent vacant position number to hire staff into roles or functional areas, rather than reactivating or locating older, more appropriate position numbers.

This can create the impression that the position has been vacant for many years, even though the work is being done somewhere else or under a different functional area.

It's also important to emphasize that a vacant position does not equate to an unnecessary one.

In many instances, the duties associated with the unfilled role are temporarily distributed amongst existing staff, or the position is held open while the department reassesses its workforce needs.

Recruitment may be delayed as departments evaluate whether the classification is still appropriate, whether reorganization is warranted, or whether marking conditions may improve.

Recruitment may be delayed as a result of the requirement of the department's decision-making.

These are not signs of inefficiency or neglect, rather they reflect strategic decision-making tailored to current operational demands.

Vacant positions are also subject to routine review.

During the annual budget process and through internal evaluation, departments assess whether each vacancy remains relevant.

If a position is determined to no longer serve the needs of the department, it may be reclassified or eliminated during the budget process.

This ensures that staffing decisions are based on forward-thinking analysis of departmental needs, rather than on arbitrary timelines.

Typically, the vacancy report would not address sweeping of vacancies, but I know that's a consideration for council during this budget cycle.

Sweeping all positions could have serious unintended consequences.

These include diminished service levels, increased workload for remaining staff, loss of capacity to implement important initiatives, and a reduction in the city's ability to respond flexibly to evolving community needs.

Every vacancy has context, and each one is reviewed through the lens of current and future operational needs.

Lastly, long-term vacancies should not be viewed solely as budget liability.

Rather, they are often the result of careful strategic planning in response to resource constraints, market realities, and operational transitions.

Eliminating them without thorough evaluation could undermine departmental effectiveness and limit the city's ability to adapt to future challenges.

Vacancy by data bargaining unit is displayed for your review.

The final question is, IAMAW, Auto Marine and Specialty Painters Local 1176, and International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, IAMAW, were the only two bargaining units with a vacancy rate at or above 20% for 2024.

In accordance with AB2561, representatives of all bargaining units were both notified of today's public hearing on May 9, 2025.

A representative from IAMAW planned to attend today's presentation, however, the bargaining units representative notified me this morning they would be unable to attend due to an unexpected emergency.

Local 1176 responding, acknowledging receipt of the notice, but was unable to attend the meeting.

This chart represents vacancy data for part-time and unrepresented employees.

It's important to note that vacancy rates for local 39 part-time and non-career positions remain high, in part because many of these roles are seasonal and filled on an as-needed basis to support parks programs and convention and cultural services events.

This slide highlights the city's vacancy rates for 2024 across different employee groups.

While we see higher vacancy rates in part-time and unrepresented positions, as mentioned above, at 37% and 29% respectively, the citywide vacancy rate for all positions sits at 18%.

Notably, the vacancy rate for full-time represented positions is relatively low at 14%, reflecting strong staffing stability in our core workforce.

This slide provides citywide recruitment data as well as recruitment data for local 1176 and IAMAW.

This information is pulled from the city's applicant tracking system, NeoGov.

I'd like to point out that NeoGov's reporting capabilities are not as sophisticated as the reporting capabilities of our HRS system.

As such, much of the data provided required a manual effort to provide.

As you can see from the data provided, the average time to hire beginning from the first date of the job posting varies.

However, this number takes into account various factors, including lengthy performance examinations, included as part of the recruitment process,

postings that are open and continuous, meaning the posting continuously accepts applications until the vacancies are filled,

the time it takes for departments to identify who they would like to include in the interview process,

lengthy interview processes conducted by city personnel, the offer process, and the time that it takes for candidates to complete any pre-employment requirements for the position.

Please note that a candidate has approximately 30 days to complete any pre-employment requirements.

The traffic engineering unit represented by local 1176 is our smallest unit in the city.

The unit includes only 16 budgeted positions and four classifications, traffic worker trainee and traffic worker one, two, and three.

Ultimately, with small units, it is easy to meet or exceed 20% vacancy rate with just a few vacancies.

These classifications in these units are currently only used in a public works department and are often filled through flexible staffing practices.

Just as an FYI, flexible staffing allows current employees to promote within the series without going through the competitive recruitment process,

provided they meet the established policy requirements.

While the data presented reflects the status as of December 31st, 2024, as of today, May 27th, 2025,

there are only four current vacancies in this unit, making their current vacancy rate 25%, down from 44% in 2024.

There is currently one open job posting for the traffic worker two classification and no requisition submitted to human resources

for the other classifications in the city to initiate a recruitment to fill the remaining vacancies.

The automotive and equipment mechanics unit, represented by IAMAW, is our second smallest unit in the city with only 69 budgeted positions.

The unit consists of nine classifications used across multiple departments citywide.

Similarly, although the data provided is based on figures for 2024, as of today, there are 14 current vacancies in this unit,

making their vacancy rate down to 20%, down 9% from 2024.

There are no current job postings, no requisitions submitted to human resources to fill these positions either.

While it would be ideal to provide the most recent vacancy data for all units, the cutoff date was December 31st,

so that we could reconcile a full year's worth of vacancy data versus the data for recruitments.

Displayed, you'll see the full life cycle for the recruitment process to better understand the many complexities of the city's recruitment process,

and that the process can vary depending on the need for a civil service examination.

For 2024, the Employment Classification Development Division reviewed and processed 843 requisitions,

created and oversaw 514 job postings, processed 41,895 applications,

created 843 eligible lists to send to city departments to fill vacancies,

and processed 2,587 hire-rehire promotions and transfer personal actions for full-time and part-time positions.

Now, let's take a look at the other side of retention and explore departures as well.

The data presented reflects a breakdown of these 1,640 employee departures from city positions in 2024.

Internal promotions and transfers resulted in 34% of the total departures,

illustrating strong internal mobility within the organization,

a strong commitment to career growth, and continued service within our organization.

Voluntary separations accounted for 886 departures, of which 703 were for part-time non-career positions,

which, as discussed earlier, are hired for seasonal needs, followed by 143 retirements.

This snapshot offers an insight into the various reasons for workforce transition

and highlights the importance of retention efforts as part of the city's overall workforce strategy.

The city's retention rate for 2024 was 92%.

This metric helps us to assess our ability to retain staff over time

and can be a useful indicator for workforce stability, employee engagement, and overall organizational health.

The city's retention rate as of today, beginning January 1, 2025, is 98%.

Since 2018, Human Resources has made significant policy improvements

and developed a robust set of resources to support city departments,

and it has both the applicant and employee experience.

This includes, but is not limited to, the creation of recruitment, selection, and hiring manual,

which sets forth guidelines for hiring authorities to provide a fair and consistent approach

to the recruitment, selection, and hiring process.

The internal and external recruitment and hiring policy,

which establishes guidelines for filling vacancies,

and a vast number of resources provided on the employment and applicant resources page

for the general public and on Nexus, the city's internet site for departmental use.

While DEI may not be the primary focus of today's presentation,

it's important to acknowledge that diversity, equity, and inclusion

must remain foundational to all workforce practices,

particularly as we work to attract and retain top talent.

Significant changes in the labor market have reshaped how individuals engage with work,

and employees now have more options than ever before.

In this environment, our ability to remain competitive depends on creating a workplace culture

where people feel a sense of belonging, opportunity, and purpose.

As the city expands its reach through flexible work arrangements and modernized recruitment efforts,

embedding DEI into our hiring, onboarding, and retention strategies

is not just a value statement, but it's business imperative.

Cultivating an inclusive culture is essential to sustaining a dynamic, high-performing workforce

that reflects and serves our diverse community.

Significant changes in the labor market have noticeably influenced the number of applicants,

hires, and employer retention within our organization.

This competitive labor market has also heightened the challenges of retaining diverse talent

as employees now have more options and are more likely to leave

if they feel their inclusion and advancement needs are not met.

To remain competitive and retain a diverse workforce,

you must continue to adapt by fostering an inclusive culture

and offering growth opportunities that align with the evolving expectations of a dynamic workforce.

The following highlights the specific areas we've made to recruit and retain top talent

in an effort to mitigate some of the challenges faced in the hiring process.

Incentivizing the hiring process by strategically working with our labor union partners

to offer recruitment and retention initiatives for hard-to-fill positions,

such as parking enforcement officer, parking lot attendant, and tree pruner 2,

and proactively highlighting these incentives on the respective job postings.

We've utilized many strategic approaches to create a more streamlined and inclusive recruitment approach.

Some of these items include implementing the blind application process

and incorporating diversity-related questions into interviews to promote an inclusive selection process.

Through the blind applications process, personal identification information is removed from the candidate's application.

Thus, candidates are selected for interviews based on the experience, training, and educational background included in their application.

Worked proactively to remove gender-specific language and derogatory terminology from classification specifications

and city civil service examinations.

Created a general intern classification intended to provide a pathway to help develop our local workforce

and build a pipeline of workers for city employment.

This is an entry-level classification designed to provide access to workforce services

and employment opportunities and requires no experience or education to qualify.

Sourced and procured vendor contracts that departments can leverage to conduct national recruitment searches

for hard-to-fill positions as spending access to qualified talent pools.

Implemented adjustments to the application screening process for minimum qualifications

to remove barriers for applicants in the recruitment process,

such as requiring proof of education, certification, licensing at time of appointment rather than time of application.

Allowing consideration of unpaid experience, such as internships and volunteer experience,

to meet the qualification standards of the job posting.

We are in the process of implementing the use of the mandatory use of the offered step

in the city's online hiring system, which is what departments use to manage their interview processes.

This enhancement will allow us to collect valuable data on applicant decisions

to better understand the reasons candidates decline job offers.

To address workforce transitions and strengthen our talent pipeline,

the city continues to enhance its outreach strategies and employer branding efforts.

Some of the ways we have done that are by ramping up recruitment efforts

by attending and recruiting at both public and private career fairs and colleges

with an emphasis on recruiting and community spaces reflective of the community we serve.

We partner with Sacramento County Department of Human Assistance Benefits to provide community-based job talks

where HR personnel can speak and educate the community about city of Sacramento job openings,

the selection process, and provide helpful recommendations and resources related to becoming a city employee.

Human Resources strategically utilizes our new social media pages on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook

to highlight city job posting by leveraging recruitment data to identify and highlight hard-to-fill positions citywide.

Additionally, we advertise city postings through industry-related organizations, government job boards,

and state networks such as Government Alliance on Race and Equity, Urban League Job Fair, Sacramento Pride events,

and resource events organized by city council members.

To maximize outreach within the local workforce,

the city also shares jobs with Sacramento community partners,

which may include California Black Chamber of Commerce,

Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce,

California Asian Chamber of Commerce,

and Sacramento Promise Zone Network to distribute job announcements

through social equity networks and to careholders.

I am also excited to announce the development of a new onboarding tool through NeoGov,

the city's applicant tracking system.

We will be using to enhance our hiring process.

This tool is designed to bridge the gap between the moment an offer is made and accepted

and the employee's official first start date,

ensuring a smooth and engaging transition into our workforce.

Employees will also be able to maintain access to the onboarding tool

throughout their tenure with the city of Sacramento.

In today's competitive job market,

it's crucial that we position the city of Sacramento as a preferred employer.

This new onboarding tool will help us achieve that

by delivering a personalized and consistent experience for new hires

and will showcase our commitment to innovation and employee satisfaction,

reinforcing our reputation as an organization that values and invests in its people.

It is important to note that human resources are limited

and city hiring departments are responsible for directly advertising their vacancies

to support recruitment efforts.

In addition to attracting top talent,

the city remains focused on reshaping a supportive and inclusive work environment

that fosters employee engagement and long-term retention.

That includes working with executive recruitment firms

who support city DEI initiatives to reach underrepresented individuals

and women to fill executive level positions.

HR implemented the mandatory hiring,

uncovering unconscious bias and hiring an interview,

training that all city staff who sit on interview panels are required to complete.

The training is designed to help interview panel members recognize

and address personal hidden biases that may interfere with hiring decisions

and can potentially lead to illegal discriminatory behavior.

Interview panels are required to be diverse in terms of gender, ethnicity,

professional history, and background,

aiming to bring varied perspectives to the evaluation process.

HR provides training and resources to panel members

on recognizing and mitigating biases,

emphasizing the importance of fair assessment based on qualifications and skills.

We have also developed the citywide comprehensive resources and guidelines

aimed at ensuring that our interview procedures are structured

to mitigate biases and promote equity.

We leverage exit interviews as a crucial tool

to enhance the EI standards within the city.

By systematically gathering feedback from separating employees,

HR gains valuable insights

into the separating employees' experiences.

This feedback is meticulously analyzed to identify recurrent themes

and potential errors for improvement

and is shared with departments when it's appropriate.

HR uses this data to inform strategic initiatives aimed at addressing

any identified gaps

and fostering a more inclusive workplace culture.

The city is committed to creating a culture of balance and flexibility

by offering supportive work options

such as flexible schedules and remote work arrangements.

Additionally, employees have access to the city's employee person,

I'm sorry, the city's employee assistance program,

concern, which provides confidential resources

to support their personal and professional well-being.

Investing in employee development is essential

to building a skilled workforce and engaged workforce,

and the city supports this by providing thousands

of on-demand training opportunity

through its learning management system, Acumen.

This is a strategic investment in human capital with a goal

of creating a more skilled, adaptable,

and motivated workforce capable of meeting the evolving needs

of the public.

Equally important is the implementation

of an enforcement of compliance-based training,

which ensures employees are equipped with the knowledge

of the workforce and tools to meet legal, regulatory,

and organizational standards.

As we move forward, our commitment to DEI must remain

at the heart of our workforce strategy.

The city's ongoing efforts to create inclusive recruitment practices,

reduce barriers to access, and foster equitable growth opportunities,

reflect our recognition that diversity drives innovation,

engagement, and service excellence.

From revamping job classifications and application processes

to launching a new onboarding tool experience

and engaging with community-based organizations,

our initiatives are intentional and data-informed.

But DEI is not a destination.

It is a continuous process that requires diligence, adaptation,

and investment.

By prioritizing equity and hiring and creating a workforce

where all employees feel valued and supported,

we not only strengthen our ability to retain a high-performing workforce,

but we also reinforce our role as a forward-thinking,

public employer that mirrors and serves the diverse community we represent.

In closing, AB 2561 reinforces the importance of transparency,

accountability, and collaboration in addressing workforce challenges.

By analyzing our data, identifying obstacles,

and implementing targeted strategies, the city remains committed

to building a strong, sustainable workforce that can continue

to meet the needs of our community.

Next, I'll introduce our labor partner, Ryan Henry,

Vice President for Sacramento Area Firefighters Local 522.

And I'm happy to answer any questions you may have before

or after the presentation for my labor partner.

Thank you so much for your presentation.

Welcome, Ryan.

Ryan Henry.

Thank you very much, Eboni.

Good afternoon.

My name is Ryan Henry.

I'm a fire captain with the Sacramento Fire Department,

a 22-year city employee,

and the city vice president for Sacramento Area Firefighters Local 522.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak on this important topic.

I'd like to start by saying this presentation was created in collaboration

with the fire chief and his executive team.

So any questions you may have can be directed to myself or the fire chief and his staff.

Vacancies within the fire department are unique

because the fire department responds to emergencies 24 hours a day,

seven days a week, 365 days a year.

If a vacancy goes unfilled,

the ability of the fire company to perform its job is reduced.

We fill vacancies in three ways.

By hiring new firefighters,

a process that takes up to 13 months.

We use a detailed pool of firefighters,

then voluntary overtime,

and finally, mandatory overtime,

which is forcing firefighters to work under the potential threat of discipline.

We have two types of vacancies in the fire department.

Vacant FTEs, which are ongoing,

and all currently in the active recruitment process.

These are caused by retirement, separation, and promotion.

We also have daily vacancies,

caused by vacation, sick leave, and injury.

Regardless of the type and duration of the vacancy,

it has to be filled every day.

A quick review of fire department staffing.

Each fire engine or truck is staffed with four personnel.

We have 34 fire companies operating out of 24 stations,

and 18 ambulances staffed with two firefighters.

Our total daily staffing needs for suppression and ambulance companies

is 171 personnel.

On any given day,

a fire company can experience one or more vacancies for a variety of reasons.

Vacation, retirement, injury, and sick leave

all create an open seat on the fire company that must be filled

in order for the company to perform at the expected level of service.

We can only force a firefighter to work so much

before the threat of discipline is outweighed by the need for rest

or to spend time with their family.

Working 72 hours straight in a system as busy as we are

takes its toll on a firefighter's mind and body.

Often, vacancies go unfilled, resulting in company closures called brownouts.

In 2024, we had to close companies 152 times.

As many as four fire companies in a single day have been closed,

resulting in a significant decrease in the fire department's response capability.

When you consider that six companies are dispatched

on a first-alarm residential fire,

it becomes clear the detrimental effects of these brownouts.

The mandatory callback of firefighters is a longstanding industry practice

to ensure adequate staffing in times of disaster or extenuating circumstances.

This practice has never been designed to be utilized as an ongoing staffing model.

Over the past 10 years, you can see the significant rise in mandatory overtime hours

as our detail pool has shrunk to unacceptable levels.

When you factor in the call volume increase the fire department has experienced

in the same time period, it's no surprise that the fire department,

roughly 10% of the city's workforce,

accounts for 34% of the city's work comp injuries.

Before overtime is used to fill vacancies,

the fire department utilizes a detail pool of firefighters

who are on regular duty and moved around the city daily

where open spots occur.

These are additional firefighter FTEs above the daily staffing requirements.

The detail pool fills daily and ongoing vacancies without using overtime.

Currently, the fire department averages 23 vacancies per day,

and we only have 12 detail pool firefighters per shift

for a total of 37 across all three shifts.

The total number of firefighters it would take to significantly reduce

or eliminate mandatory overtime in the detail pool is 102.

So what's the solution?

Obviously, given the current budget situation,

adding FTE firefighters is not feasible.

The continued expansion of the single-role ambulance program

will allow firefighters to move back onto fire engines,

support filling vacancies,

and create an adequate detail pool.

Local 522 is also in support of exploring the potential

to expand the public-private partnership for ambulance transport.

This will allow the city to meet its EMS transportation demand

and help accelerate the process of bolstering the suppression detail pool.

We must also reinstate the longstanding practice

of holding two fire academies per year.

Most of the fire department's ongoing vacancies are due to retirements

and occur at the end of a calendar year.

Holding only one academy per year creates a significant peaks and valleys

in the amount of open spots.

By adding a second academy each year,

these peaks and valleys will smooth out,

further reducing mandatory overtime.

With only one academy per year currently,

the spring and early summer is our most difficult time

to staff the fire department.

As an example, last Saturday, May 24th,

we had 30 vacancies for that day.

This resulted in 10 personnel being mandatory

and the closure of truck 5 at 8th and Broadway.

Our current staffing model is unsustainable.

That concludes my presentation.

Thank you very much.

Thank you so much for your presentation.

Now we will do council comments.

Is there any members of the,

actually not council comments,

but any members of the public line up to speak?

I have one speaker on this item, Barbara Ram.

Hello.

Didn't know I was going to be talking about this today,

but just can't be quiet about it.

So that was an impressive presentation by Ebony

and very detailed.

I think we need to go one step further

in that if it's a blind application process,

maybe it should be a blind interview process as well

because, well, the best person for the job

doesn't always get it regardless.

The most experienced person,

the best person for the job,

doesn't always get it

because people bring their own biases

and whatever they think,

the other person is the best person.

So we need to go more blind.

If you have, you know,

so that's my two cents on that.

The fire department,

well, so there's four firefighters per truck.

Make it three.

See if we can live with three.

Right off the bat.

Just do three.

Or if it's an ambulance call

and there is actually no fire,

how about no fire truck go?

And then see how it works.

Like, give it six months.

Give it three months, six months,

and just see what we can do.

Anyway, that's just my thinking on that.

Thank you.

No one else?

Sorry, I have no more speakers.

Okay.

Council Member Dickinson.

Thanks, Vice Mayor.

I very much appreciate the presentation.

And I certainly agree

that it's very hard to generalize across the city

on this issue.

I think that Ryan Henry's presentation illustrates the point pretty vividly

that the planning department or building or other departments

are different than the fire department.

And so you have to, I think, look at each case,

at least within the context of the department or the function,

if not even in a further level of detail.

But I think it is important that we are starting to talk about this subject.

And it's one where averages don't necessarily serve us very well.

So, for example, in your presentation, Ebony,

you noted that it's 141 days on average time to fill a position.

Well, you know, if I recall,

Barry Bonds hit 762 home runs during his major league career,

and Dwayne Kuyper hit one.

Together, they averaged 381.5 home runs in their careers.

Not very helpful.

And so it really depends on looking at the distribution of vacancies

and the reason for the vacancies,

which you were speaking to somewhat.

But it doesn't obviate the need to do that examination,

particularly in the context of the budget challenges we have.

So I hope what this presentation today does,

we've perhaps started this conversation a little bit

in the context of talking about our budget,

but I hope what it does is it gives us a platform

from which we can take a deeper and more refined look

at our vacancies across the city.

I mean, one of the other things that I didn't quite follow

was the calculation of the retention rate at 99%.

If that was based on the numbers you gave us,

if you took out the promotions and the transfers,

you had about 1,100 separations for one reason or another.

And if you take, if we've got 600 vacancies,

you take that from 5,000 roughly city employees,

that's a retention rate of about 75%.

So maybe your math was a little bit different than mine,

but that suggests a different kind of consideration as well.

Bottom line, I think,

is what you outlined as steps for recruitment and retention.

And I think that those were all on target.

I think that what Mr. Henry had to say

about two fire academies is something

we ought to be considering,

but we, I think, clearly need to have, again,

an in-depth discussion of what we do

to recruit employees to the city,

because we need to provide a level of service

that we believe the community deserves.

And what do we do to retain those employees

once they're here?

So this, I think, is useful if we make use of it.

Otherwise, we've just had a pleasant little interlude

in our agenda.

Thanks.

I agree.

And, Council Member Dickinson,

do you want Ebony to come up

and explain this retention slide again?

Because I know you have the 99%,

and you mentioned the 75%,

and I think we just said 99% for this year.

I think you said the comments.

Yes.

So to calculate the city's retention rate,

we began by identifying the total number

of regular full-time employees

that were employed on January 1st, 2024,

which was 3,873.

And then we determined how many of those same employees

were still employed with the city

as of December 31st, 2024.

And then we identified the retention rate

by calculating, or by dividing the number of employees

who remained employed throughout the year

in that time frame by the total number of employees

at the beginning of the year.

So it's not just looking at the total number

of employees in the city.

It's looking at a point in time from January 1st

of those full-time employees,

how many of them are still employed

as of December 31st of 2024.

So we did that same exercise for 2025

from January 1st, 2025 to today's date.

Got it.

Okay.

Thank you so much.

That's helpful,

because I know we hear from a lot that,

I mean, SMUD or other agencies continue

to take our employees,

because other agencies can offer more money.

And so this retention is really important.

Absolutely.

Is there anything else,

Council Member Dickinson,

on your questions for her?

Are you good now?

Good.

Okay.

All right.

Council Member Pluckibon.

Thank you.

Thank you.

One of the advantages that we have

when we're doing this now

is we're going to start building a data set over time.

So if there are things that we can look at,

not just in our own data,

but indexing against other cities,

I'd love to see an analysis that,

not this year, next year,

looks at, you know,

sort of what our retention rate is

against other cities in various categories,

and then what are they doing different?

I think a discussion amongst us,

not today,

some other time about sort of what our goals are.

You know, maybe it's, you know,

99% retention sounds good,

but maybe that's not actually a good goal.

Maybe we actually want to see more

turnover in some positions

to get, you know,

move up opportunities for people

and different things,

you know,

to, you know,

create some sort of liquidity

in our employment inventory.

Those are the wrong words,

but I'm going to get the gist.

If there are any recommendations

that come out of this analysis

that we can look at

to improve,

like, average speed to hire

or just recruitment in general,

particularly things that don't cost money

because we don't have any of that,

but the, you know,

the stuff like, you know,

remote work

or if we can remove degree requirements

or licensure requirements

that are either unnecessary

or prohibitive

to attracting,

entertaining,

qualified individuals,

you know,

those are things

that I think

are certainly worth looking at.

I really appreciate

the comments about unfilled

doesn't necessarily mean unneeded.

I think there's been

a discussion largely

in the press

that's conflated

those two facts

that sometimes positions

go unfilled

and that doesn't necessarily mean

there isn't work

that needs to be done

in that space.

So thank you

for making that point.

I really appreciate this.

I know this is just a first pass

and I look forward

to seeing how this builds over time.

Thank you so much.

Council Member Vang.

Thanks, Vice Mayor.

Ebony just really wanted

to take this moment

to say thank you

for your presentation

and really appreciate

the high-level overview

of vacancies.

And I do agree

with Council Member Dickinson

that I think this is really

the beginning

of the conversation

around vacancies

and for us having

to just dive

a little bit deeper

in terms of the level

of service.

I just,

a few questions.

One, definitely wanted

to just center

and highlight

the 34% internal promotion

and transfer.

I think for me

that's a good signal

that we're having

some upward mobility

for staff internally

so I think that's great.

I'm just curious

to know in 2024

on your slide

you had listed

886 voluntary separation

which is about

54% of vacancies.

do we usually conduct

a separation survey

when that happens

and is it possible

that we can,

that I can have access

to that survey

or just curious

to know if we do that.

Great question.

We do conduct

an exit survey

for every separating employee.

That survey is distributed

by the city departments.

It's available online

on our public facing website.

We also send

an automated email

once the transaction

for termination

is processed

to that employee's

personal and city email address.

So it's distributed

multiple ways

as well as text messaging

in the future.

So we're working

on that piece as well.

So we are constantly

shooting out

that exit survey

trying to solicit

that feedback

because it's imperative

to be able to assess

our processes.

Okay, great.

Thank you.

And then I had

another question

and Councilmember

Pugetbaum

touched upon this

in terms of vacancies.

So even though

we have,

for example,

even if we have

an unfilled vacancy,

it may not necessarily

mean that we need

that job

because of the complexity

of the department.

So I'm just curious

because I don't work in HR,

but wanting to know,

let's say that

that's a scenario

where we have

a vacant position,

but it's vacant

because maybe we don't

see the need for it

and that resource

is used for something else.

Why would we then

not change it,

I guess,

and say,

hey,

this vacancy

is not really relevant

to the department anymore.

Why do we hold

a vacancy

as still a vacant position?

And so I'm just curious

about that

so that it's reflective

of the need

of the department

or even like mayor

and council.

I saw a big vacancy,

right?

But I know

that some of those dollars

may be directed

to pay for a staff

and so if it's not reflective,

if the duties

are no longer reflective

of that department,

why is it not reflected

in the budget?

Like why can't we change it?

The departments

go through that exercise

twice a year

during mid-year

and fiscal year processes

where they're responsible

for assessing

their departmental needs

and determining

whether or not

the positions

that are allocated

to the department

still meets their needs.

So it's at the department's

discretion to do

that assessment

at that time

to determine

whether or not

they still need

that position.

It should be reallocated

or it should be eliminated

in its entirety.

Throughout the year,

we work with city departments

to assess those needs

as well.

So I get various requests

from the departments

on I would say

probably a daily

to a weekly basis

where departments

are saying,

hey,

I need this position

to do this.

Help me figure out

a solution for it.

So we're working

with departments

throughout the years

to assess what those needs are

and then they're supposed

to be making those

official recommendations

during the budget process.

Okay.

Yeah, I'm just sitting

on that and reflecting

about that

and just wondering

like who determines that?

The departments

ultimately

with collaboration

with human resources.

So if they are putting

forth a recommendation

to make a change,

human resources

does assess

what that organizational need

is in collaboration

and I'm sorry

in respect

to what the classification

specification says

to make sure

it's an appropriate

allocation

for that particular position.

I see.

Are there...

Ebony,

the city manager

wants to answer that question.

Oh, okay.

That's okay.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ebony.

Ebony's right.

We are constantly

evaluating positions

and it is maybe

for the most part

I think

as I mentioned last week,

every department

will tell you

they need more,

not less.

So what they're trying

to figure out

is what is the right position

to deliver

a particular program

and service

and so they're working

with HR

to figure out

the right classification

and we'll be honest too,

departments are saying

maybe I don't need

that vacancy

and I know

I'm going to get asked

for permanent

and ongoing reductions

in the next fiscal year

and so I'm going to save

that vacancy

as part of my next

reduction drill.

So it's a balancing

depending on when it happens,

what's happening,

but generally

every department

will tell you

they need every single vacancy,

they just might not

have the right vacancies

at that moment

to deliver it

the right way

because programs

and challenges

change and come up

all the time

and we need to make sure

we have the right people

in the right place

and that is a very

subjective evaluative process

that we go through

all year with our departments

to get the right people

in the right place.

Thanks.

Thanks,

interim city manager.

I appreciate that.

...as practices

around doing that piece

because for me

in particular

just figuring out

how do we

and I get

that it's the conversation

between the departments

and HR

but I just wonder

if there is a best practice

standard for that

in particular.

I'm just curious.

I don't work in HR

so I don't know

but I just wonder

if there's like a best practice

in terms of

how we use those vacancies

and I'm just posing

that question

and that's all.

So okay,

so just next question

I had.

I know that this

is now a requirement

because AB2561

just curious to know

are there other timelines

or deadlines

that we need to be

that we need to meet

for compliance

of AB2561

is it just

this presentation?

It's just a presentation

and it has to take place

prior to the adaption

of the budget

each fiscal year.

Okay,

and are there any penalties

for noncompliance?

I would defer to

the city attorney

for that one.

Thanks,

Ebony.

It's fairly,

it's new

and so I don't see

any, you know,

thing that's set out

in the statute

that says what happens

if we don't do it.

Okay.

So it's just basically

a presentation

before we adopt

the budget, correct?

Council Member,

I could add though

as part of this presentation

you were wondering

what best practices

you could look

at implementing

next year

when this comes forward

having perhaps

some analysis done

or something

for the departments

to look at

whether or not

the vacancies

are,

should be changed

or adjusted,

you know.

Or the ways

in which we operate.

Yeah,

that could be something

you implement

for next year.

Great,

thank you so much.

Appreciate it.

Those are all my questions.

I'd like to just proffer

that one of the things

we're going to be bringing back

as part of next week's

presentation to budget

and audit is just that.

Okay.

I plan to look at vacancies

as part of the budget

development process.

Okay.

Thank you so much.

Thank you,

Ebony.

Appreciate it.

Awesome.

Okay.

And I just,

I think that this is a

great law that has been

put in place September

of 2024

to allow for more

communication

and transparency

in government

on our unfilled positions

and the full picture

of what's going on.

Because us here,

we hire our

chartered officers

to implement

the day-to-day activities

of the city

of Sacramento

and we don't see

the back-end work

of that interview

and then that exit interview

and the summary

of what took place

during that person's

employment

at the city of Sacramento.

So I think that

this new law

that we now have

at our disposal

to have every year

can help us

as policy decision makers

to really understand

full picture

what's going on here.

And I like the retention

rate for this year.

And so now it's going

to be something

that we can use

as a measurement

for our success here

in HR and recruiting.

So I know you mentioned

that in your presentation

that you work

with the different

ethnic chambers

to promote,

you know,

open positions.

I think that

whether you're buying

something at a store,

trying a new restaurant

or looking for your

next employment opportunity,

you always ask a friend

or a family member.

So using that as a tool,

I think in like in HR,

I think would be

incredibly helpful

like a referral bonus

or something of that sort

for employees here

at the city of Sacramento

because you always want to go

somewhere where it's

a good place to work

and that's where

the best talent comes from.

Passive candidates

that are sometimes

not looking,

but passively looking

and, you know,

get a recommendation

from someone.

We do collect

some of that information

on the application.

There is a question

that identifies

how they heard

about the job opportunity

and we can absolutely

expand some of those options.

However,

in order to implement

something like that,

we have to consider

the city's budget deficit

but also negotiation

with our union partners

as well.

So I would definitely

take that feedback back

and look at ways

that we could implement

it in HR.

Okay, wonderful.

Sounds good.

I see no other members

punched up to speak.

So we are good to go.

I think we need to open

and close the public hearing

again.

We need a motion.

We need somebody to open

and close the public hearing

and move this item.

Okay.

Second.

Second.

Got it first and a second.

Everyone, please say aye.

Aye.

Wonderful.

That was unanimous.

Thank you, clerk.

And now moving along,

discussion calendar.

Southside Pool,

District 4.

Come on down, Jason.

Time to shine.

Good afternoon,

Councilmembers.

Jason Wiseman,

Park Planning and Development

Manager in the Department

of Youth Parks

and Community Enrichment.

The item there,

the discussion item,

Southside Pool

appropriation of the funding

is just a financial move

to move some funding,

some grant funding

so we can seek reimbursement.

It's not new funding.

It's money that was earmarked

by Assembly Member McCarty

and it just has taken a while

to get through the city

or the state system

for us to seek reimbursement.

So this action is needed

so we can reimburse the funds

that are currently there

and the pool is now scheduled

to open on June 14th.

Yay, about time.

All right, sounds good.

That's about it.

And city clerk,

is there any members up to speak?

I have no speaks on this item.

Okay, and I see Council Member Pelleybaum.

Thank you.

Thank you, Jason.

This is particularly timely

as it's getting hot

if only it were open this weekend.

I just wanted to acknowledge

the work that Assembly Member McCarty did

before he was our mayor,

securing that $500,000

that helped bridge the gap

in our funding for this pool.

And I wanted to acknowledge

Council Member Valenzuela

and all the neighborhood leaders

and constituents

who kept this as a priority.

I know everyone's looking forward

to getting back into the pool.

But I want to thank in particular

Mayor McCarty

for his leadership on this project.

You know, all the work

that you and Parks

and the rest of the city staff have done.

It's been a tremendous effort.

So thank you.

We all look forward

to cannonballs together.

And with that,

I'll move the item.

Second.

Wonderful.

We have a motion and a second.

All in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Okay.

Moving along to item 15,

audit of the Sacramento Ethics Commission.

All right.

So good afternoon,

Vice Mayor Talamantes

and members of the city council.

I'm Farishtar Arari,

the city auditor.

The recommendation

that is before you

is to approve the audit

of the Sacramento Ethics Commission.

The city created

the Ethics Commission in 2018

as part of an effort

to increase transparency

and trust

by establishing

the good governance framework.

The program consisted

of four parts.

First, the Sunshine Ordinance

aimed at enhancing

the public's participation

and transparency in government.

Second, the Code of Ethics

for city officials,

appointed officers,

and city employees

to promote open government,

transparency, ethics,

and accountability.

Third, establishing the Office

of Ethics and Compliance

to be embedded

within the city clerk's office

to provide training

and education component

for the ethics program.

And fourth,

the establishment

of an ethics commission

to review, investigate,

and consider complaints

alleging violations

of various city ethics laws.

The overall goal

of the good governance program

is to achieve

the greatest level

of compliance

to city codes and policies

as well as applicable

state law

by elected officials

and all city employees

through training

and compliance monitoring.

The ethics commission

was established

to provide the enforcement

component of the framework.

The commission

was authorized

to review, investigate,

and consider complaints.

And the bodies of law

the commission

has jurisdiction over

include governing future employment,

regulating campaign practices,

and campaign financing

and spending,

lobbyists' registration

and reporting,

transparency, ethics,

and conflicts of interest,

and the city council

rules of procedure.

It's important to note

that the body

was designed

as complaint-based,

so they don't initiate

their own independent investigations.

The commission

was provided

a limited jurisdiction

over elected officials,

candidates for elected office,

lobbyists,

city council-appointed officers

like the city attorney,

clerk, and myself,

and commissioners

on city advisory boards

and commissions.

The commission

was empowered

to design

and implement procedures

for investigation,

adjudication,

and fine setting

for individuals

found to have

violated codes and laws

under its purview.

And the city provided

the ethics commission

investigative staff support

through contracting

with an independent evaluator

to conduct investigations

and make recommendations

on culpability and levies.

The code also contemplates

the city may enter

into a contract

with the FPPC

for investigative

and enforcement

of campaign finance laws.

And finally,

the city provides

staff support

through the clerk's office.

As I mentioned,

the city code provides

the ethics commission

in consultation

with the city attorney's office

to establish procedures

guiding the complaint

intake, investigation,

and adjudication

of complaints.

The procedures

establish the contents

that must be present

in a complaint

for consideration

by the commission.

First,

the complaint should be

on a form prepared

by the city clerk's office,

which is available

on the website.

The clerk, however,

can accept complaints

not filed on the form

if the complaint

includes enough information

to engage in initial review.

Second,

the complaint must provide

as much detail as possible,

including, if known,

each provision

of the ethics law

to have been violated,

the facts constituting

each alleged violation,

the name and address

of each respondent,

and the name and address

of any potential witnesses.

And then finally,

a complaint should identify

the complainant.

However,

the clerk can accept

anonymous complaints

if enough information

is available

for the clerk

to conduct

an initial review.

The procedures

also provide the process

for intake, review,

and investigation

of the complaints.

The first set

of procedures

are passed

in October 2018,

establish the initial

procedures.

The commission

has made

some substantive changes

to the procedures

in February 2021

that establish the backbone

of the complaint

disposition process.

There have been

a series of updates

to the procedures

in September 2022

and September 2024.

And the current

procedures establish

three main steps

in the process.

First,

the initial review

is completed

by the Office

of the City Clerk.

Here,

the clerk reviews

the complaint

and does one

of the following.

Either refer the complaint

to the independent evaluator

for a preliminary evaluation,

refer the complaint

to another city department,

the FPPC,

or another governmental agency

with jurisdiction,

or dismiss the complaint

for lack of jurisdiction.

For the cases

that are referred

to the independent evaluator,

the evaluator conducts

a preliminary evaluation

where the evaluator

determines

that sufficient cause

to warrant

a full investigation exists,

and then they proceed

with the investigation.

If the independent evaluator

does not find cause

to proceed,

a no cause report

is presented

to the commission

as an agenda item

for discussion

in a public meeting.

And then the commission

may accept

the evaluator's recommendation

not to investigate further

or they may still

direct the evaluator

to conduct

the investigation.

And then when

the independent evaluator

conducts an investigation,

they provide

the commission

or report

that includes

a narrative summary

of the information gathered,

determination

whether each ethics law

in the allegation

was violated,

recommended action

or recommendation

that the evaluator

conduct further investigation

and report back

to the commission,

or a recommendation

to refer the complaint

to FPPC

or another governmental agency.

So this audit report

identified five findings

and makes 11 recommendations

aimed at improving

the city's good governance

program

and the ethics commission.

We found that opportunities

exist for the city

to strengthen

its internal control environment

over the agencies charged

with operating

the good governance program.

In the first finding,

we found the city

should consider conducting

strategic planning

to document objectives,

design action plans

or monitor activities

over the development

and delivery

of outreach

and training programs

and over the good governance program.

The process typically includes

initiating the strategic planning process,

stating goals

and objectives,

creating an action plan

and developing

a monitoring plan.

As a result,

the city can more efficiently

provide direction,

monitor the activities,

or measure the effectiveness

of the ethics commission

and the office of the clerk's stewardship

of the good governance program.

Our second finding

is focused on providing

greater resources

for training and advice

that would benefit

both commissioners

seeking to enforce

and individuals seeking

to comply

with the city's ethics laws.

We found that

the ethics commissioners

would benefit

from additional training

or education

concerning the laws

and regulations

under their purview.

They, in the past,

have not been provided

robust onboarding

and training

on the rules

and regulations.

And as you all probably know,

many ethics

and campaign experts

stress that these laws

are very complex

and that the laws

governing campaign contribution

and finance

and specifically,

without adequate training,

the commissioners

may not be,

may not have

a complete understanding

of the ethics laws

and programs

that are under their purview.

And so we recommend

the mayor and council

in consultation

with the attorney's office

and other careholders

determine the training curriculum

for the commission.

And then we also found

that those seeking

to comply with the city's ethics laws

would benefit from

the city providing

greater resources

to clarify

and advise on the laws.

The city has created

the ethics commission

to establish

an oversight function

to enforce the laws.

However,

the good governance program

as it is today

doesn't have

any support

available to,

by the city

to help individuals

seeking to comply

with those laws.

We found in our benchmark

of other cities

that they provide

different sources

and methods

to support individuals.

And these include

the production

of support materials

like frequently asked questions

and videos

guiding through issues.

Additionally,

we found that

other cities,

they provide advice

informally

and in some cases

formal advice

to individuals

seeking assistance.

And so we recommend

that the city council

direct staff

to create a collection

of information

providing the guidance.

and to consider

directing staff

to evaluate

the cost of a function

to provide some level

of advice.

Our third finding

focuses on improvements

to the commission's

complaint intake

and reporting procedures.

We found that

the review of complaints

can be improved

by automating

the complaint intake process.

We found during

the audit work,

there was a complaint

that was filed

that as best

as we could ascertain

did meet the standards

of information included

to qualify as a complaint

but it was not included

on the complaint log.

And so we determined

that this was a risk

to the commission's ability

to fulfill its city code duty

to review and consider complaints.

And we think

that a reasonable control

would be utilizing

an automated complaint system.

This would provide

consistency

through the complaint

receipt process

while also providing

a greater assurance

that complaints

that are submitted

are reported

to the commission.

Second,

the commission procedures

state that information

about the identity

of the complainant

and respondents

shouldn't be included

on the complaint log

that's distributed

to the commissioners,

commission

at each meeting.

We found numerous instances

where the names

of the respondents

and complaints

were included.

And so we recommend

that there is

a more thorough review process

to ensure that

the identity

of the individuals

is protected.

And third,

we found that

robust disclosure

of the rationale

for complaint dismissal

can help inform

complaint review

and discussion

by the ethics commission.

The complaint,

the commission exists

largely,

as I mentioned,

adjudicatory body

leaving administrative duties

to the city clerk staff

those duties include

the intake

and processing

of the complaints.

And so,

as I previously mentioned,

the city clerk

can process the complaints

by either referring

to the independent evaluator

to another city department,

FPPC,

or another agency,

or dismiss the complaint

for a lack of jurisdiction.

There's several different reasons

that a complaint

can be dismissed

for a lack of jurisdiction,

including time limitations,

the complaint

is alleging facts

not subject

to the ethics law

or the respondent

is not under

the purview

of the commission.

But we found

that in the original procedures

approved by the commission

in 2018,

a dismissal

for a lack of jurisdiction

was presented

to the commission

in a memorandum

with the rationale explained.

But currently,

the information

that's provided

to the commission

is a simple statement

on the complaint log

that said

dismiss for a lack

of jurisdiction.

And so,

we found that statement

on many of the complaints

that we reviewed.

And some of these cases,

they were frivolous

in that they were not,

they were clearly not related

to the jurisdiction

of the commission.

However,

some did require

some more sophisticated analysis

that included involvement

of the city attorney's office.

And so,

while all of that

was proper

and contemplated

under the procedures,

we believe that

providing a little more information

on the rationale

for the dismissal

for lack of jurisdiction

could improve those processes.

And then,

recent changes

to the operations

of the city's boards

and commissions

through the council's

P&PE committee

highlight some opportunities

for the city

to update policies

to clarify expectations

and consistency

in seeking staff support

and providing recommendations.

First,

we found that the city

can establish a process

for the ethics commission

to formalize requests

for staff support.

During our audit,

the council approved

a series of legislative changes

to the city code

and council rules

of procedures

to streamline the operations

of the city's boards

and commissions.

And under the new rubric,

the staffing

for most boards

and commissions

are borne

by the city clerk's office.

The new legislation

requires the commission

to submit

to the city council

P&PE committee

as part of their annual report

a work plan

for items

the commission plans

to focus on

in the coming years.

And we believe

that the work plan

should also include

estimated staffing needed

to complete the work

for P&PE

to make more informed decisions

on the work plan

submitted by the city's boards

and commissions.

And then as part

of the legislation,

the city council

provide the commission

with the power

and duty

to report

to the city council

recommendations

regarding subjects

under its purview.

The commission

has issued

a series

of annual reports

that include

recommendations.

And during the process

of presenting

these recommendations

to various

legislative bodies,

council members

at committees

and at council

have provided

some direction.

However,

the recommendations

were not memorialized

in any way.

And as a result,

the recommendations

have remained unchanged.

So we believe

the city could benefit

from establishing a form

for the presentation

of recommendations

and identify

the exact types

of information

that should be included

for the city council

to make more informed decisions

as those recommendations

come to the full council.

And then our last finding

addresses the contracts

with the California

Fair Political Practices Commission

or the FPPC.

The city entered

into a contract

with the FPPC

in February 2018

to assist

in the administration,

implementation,

and enforcement

of campaign laws.

The contract stated

the FPPC

would provide campaign

law enforcement

and interpretation

including auditing,

enforcement,

advice, education,

training,

and legal review.

Prior to the contract

expiration

in December 2019,

the city clerk

indicated that she

and the attorney's office

were in negotiations

with the FPPC

to extend

or renew the contract.

However,

the contract

was not renewed

following the negotiations

due to an impasse

related to a $55,000

floor amount

that was included

in the contract

and the FPPC's

desire to not include

a do not exceed amount

in the contract.

And the city clerk

stated that this information

was communicated

to the chair

of the ethics commission

at the time.

But notably,

the FPPC contract

expired just before

the city began grappling

with the COVID-19 pandemic.

As such,

the commission

did not hold

any public meetings

for about eight months

during that time,

making disclosure

related to the FPPC

in a public meeting

very difficult.

Some commissioners,

they have requested

to discuss renewal

of the FPPC contract.

However,

as the contract

has been expired

for many years now,

the clerk stated

that the commission's

review of the contract

is not necessary

and the services

that were provided

by the FPPC

are now being provided

by the city clerk's office

and the city's

independent evaluator.

And meanwhile,

the commissioners believe

they should still

get an opportunity

to discuss

the potential renewal

of the contract.

And so as a result,

we believe that

the city council

would benefit

from a discussion

about clarifying

the commission's

powers and duties

to review

and make recommendations

to the contracts

with the FPPC.

So this concludes

my presentation.

I'd like to thank

the city clerk's office,

the ethics commission,

the city attorney's office

for their assistance

and collaboration

during this audit.

A management response

from the city clerk's office

and the ethics commission

are included

as part of this audit.

And I'm available

to answer any questions

you might have.

Thank you so much.

Are there any public comments

for this item?

I have no public comments

on this item.

Okay.

Any questions, concerns?

No one?

Council Member Dickinson?

Only to say that

when we were discussing

this audit

at the budget

and audit committee,

the chair and vice chair

of the ethics commission

spoke together

and reinforced

what they expressed

in their response

to the audit

about the independence

of the commission.

They recognized

that the structure

that has developed

over time

doesn't necessarily

embrace

an independent commission.

It's in this

relationship

with the city clerk's office

and the city attorney's office

and others

that they pointed out

a lot of the commissions

that have been established

have their own staffing

and their own resources.

I think they recognize

that budgetary considerations

don't make that possible

in the moment

but it might be something

as this audit

gets implemented

hopefully

in terms of response

to the recommendations

that it's something

that doesn't get lost sight of

in the long term

because credibility

of the commission

may be affected

by the extent

to which it's perceived of

and acts independently.

So I think that's just

maybe that's a footnote

to this audit

in a way

but I think one

that we certainly discussed

at the committee

and I wanted to share that

with the other members

of the council.

Thanks.

Thank you so much

for your comments

and like Roche just said

the city clerk's office

concurs with a lot

of the responses

and recommendations

made by the city auditor's office

minus what Councilman Dickinson

just explained.

So I'm looking for a motion

and a second on this item.

Do you want to make a motion?

Whatever motion you need.

All right.

Second.

All right, second.

We got a motion

and a second

to approve the city auditor's work plan

for the Sacramento Ethics Commission.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

All right.

Thank you.

And are there any council comments

AB1234 reports?

Seeing none.

Okay.

Clerk, is there anybody

lined up to speak?

I have one speaker

for matters not on the agenda.

Barbara Ram.

Hello.

So I missed the 11 o'clock meeting

which was the military equipment report.

Just bummed about that.

But I just wanted to comment on it.

I also commented on the Board of Supervisors

and the County Sheriff's military equipment use report

which was so lacking,

like incredibly lacking

compared to the SAC PD.

And thank you, Farista,

and Kevin Christensen at the city auditors.

They did an amazing audit of that report.

I was stunned.

I didn't think it was going to be that good.

And it was really good.

So I just wanted to say, like,

kudos for SAC PD stepping up,

actually providing information

that is required by law

as opposed to some,

like the county sheriffs,

which don't.

But I did want to point out

the reason for military equipment use

is like search for a warrant subject,

high-risk search warrant,

scene assessment.

It just seems like a bearcat,

which is sort of like urban assault vehicle,

for just kind of basic things

doesn't seem really necessary.

And in fact,

when I looked at one of the documents,

it said that one of the reasons

they use it the most

is for arrest for a felony firearm,

felony domestic violence.

Like these women are living with these men

suffering domestic violence,

and our police officers

have to use two bearcats

and whatever else

just to get this one person.

It seems like overkill.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comments.

Vice Mayor, I have no more speakers.

Okay.

We're adjourned at 3.20.

Or should we open for the closed session?

Okay.

Just kidding.

I'm in the back.

Okay.

We're