Report on City vacancies, recruitment and retention efforts
On May 20, City Manager Jennifer Ott will present an informational report on the City’s workforce vacancies, recruitment and retention efforts, and any barriers to hiring as required by Assembly Bill 2561. The law mandates that cities annually present this data at a public hearing and allow union presentations if a 20% vacancy threshold is met. The Alameda Police Officers Association (APOA) has a 24.4% vacancy rate, and at the request of APOA, will include additional recruitment and retention information.
The City had 601 authorized full-time positions at the end of 2024. The average monthly vacancy rate for 2024 was 10.3%, dropping to 7.72% if excluding police positions. APOA had 22 vacant positions in 2024. Despite a $75,000 hiring bonus launched in 2023 and successful lateral hiring, retention remains a challenge, particularly among officers with five to 10 years of experience. APOA and the City continue to explore improvements to compensation and working conditions.
How to participate
The meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 20, at 7 p.m. at the City Council Chambers on the third floor of City Hall, 2263 Santa Clara Avenue.
Members of the public may participate in person or over Zoom and may comment on the Non-Agenda, Consent Calendar, and Regular Agenda portions of the Meeting Agenda (link downloads document).
The Non-Agenda portion of the meeting provides a chance to address the Council regarding any matter not on the agenda over which the Council has jurisdiction. The Consent Calendar is intended for routine items approved by a single motion. The Regular Agenda is the central portion of the meeting, where each issue receives a presentation and time for Council discussion and public comment.
Make requests for reasonable accommodations by completing an online form.
For Zoom registration, click here. The Zoom phone number for telephone participants is 669-900-9128, and the Meeting ID is 895 9365 2452.
Information to assist with remote participation is available online in the Public Comment and City Council Meeting Guide. The meeting can also be viewed on the City of Alameda’s Facebook page. Note that comments posted there are not monitored.
For each issue, public speakers will have three minutes to speak if there are fewer than five speakers or two minutes to speak if there are five or more speakers.
Community members may also email Council Members on issues of interest before meetings.
Contributing writer Karin K. Jensen covers boards and commissions for the Alameda Post. Contact her via [email protected]. Her writing is collected at https://linktr.ee/karinkjensen and https://alamedapost.com/Karin-K-Jensen.
