News Summary
On March 18, 2025, the Fullerton City Council convened to appoint Miss Megan Fleenor to the Planning Commission, crucial for the city’s future development. They also tackled significant staffing challenges, revealing improvements in recruitment and retention strategies despite ongoing difficulties in hiring for specialized roles. Mayor Fred Jung and Councilmembers acknowledged both progress and areas needing further attention as the city navigates post-pandemic challenges.
Fullerton City Council Takes Steps to Fill Planning Commission Position and Tackle Staffing Challenges
In an exciting move for the city of Fullerton, the City Council gathered on March 18, 2025, for an important session where they made some key decisions that will impact the community. The atmosphere was positive as the council voted unanimously to approve their appointments and consent calendar, showcasing a sense of unity and purpose among the members.
Appointment to the Planning Commission
One of the main highlights of the meeting was the nomination of Miss Megan Fleenor for the Planning Commission by Councilmember Dr. Ahmad Zahra. This appointment is crucial for guiding Fullerton’s future development and planning strategy. However, not everything went smoothly; Councilmember Valencia raised some eyebrows with concerns about Fleenor’s qualifications, and even requested to review her resume. Unfortunately, due to some pesky technical difficulties accessing the document, Valencia ultimately voted in favor of the nomination without having all the information at his fingertips. Despite this hiccup, the motion passed seamlessly, and, interestingly enough, none from the public asked to weigh in on it.
Tackling Staffing Woes
With the appointment wrapped up, the Council shifted their focus to a pressing issue facing the city: recruitment and retention challenges. Human Resources Director Manfro presented a comprehensive report detailing staff shortages, a situation exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The numbers were startling, with a vacancy rate of nearly 25% recorded in 2022 due to what was described as an “unattractive compensation package.”
But here’s the good news! By March 1, 2025, the city had budgeted for 614 full-time positions, of which only 65 remained vacant—leading to a much improved vacancy rate of approximately 11%. This marked a noticeable improvement from the past two years, where the city consistently operated with a vacancy rate hovering around 9% to 10%.
The implementation of new multi-year labor agreements has significantly boosted the city’s compensation offerings, facilitating a 30% increase in the number of successful candidates on the eligible hire list. Even the turnover rate saw some positive changes, dropping from 16% in the 2021-2022 fiscal year to only 6% in the current year, which shows progress in retaining talent.
Specialized Roles Still Pose Challenges
However, not all is smooth sailing. The council acknowledged that recruiting for specialized positions remains a tough nut to crack. For example, police dispatchers are in high demand and currently have vacancy rates that reflect a nationwide shortage. To tackle this, the city has established 36 eligible lists for various job roles and is utilizing platforms like governmentjobs.com, Indeed, and Google to spread the word. There are also plans to enhance recruitment strategies through social media collaborations with the city manager’s office.
During the discussions, Councilmember Dr. Ahmad Zahra made a request for more detailed vacancy information for each department to consider in future reports. Public comments included observations about emphasizing absolute vacancy numbers alongside percentages to paint a clearer picture of the staffing situation.
Ongoing Efforts for Improvement
Mayor Fred Jung acknowledged the challenges surrounding the recruitment of the long-vacant Economic Development Manager position, which has been open for close to two years now. The efforts to fill this position are active, with an eligible list established from recent interviews. Meanwhile, Chief of Police Jon Radus underscored the difficulties in finding dispatchers, reiterating the broader trend of labor shortages in that area.
Councilmember Dr. Shana Charles lauded the hard work of the Human Resources Department while also noting that the city’s compensation packages still lag behind those offered by neighboring cities. Strategies to attract candidates for specialized and technical roles were discussed, including the potential use of LinkedIn for recruiting.
As the meeting concluded, the council recognized the importance of maintaining momentum in recruitment and retention strategies as Fullerton continues to navigate the complexities brought on by the pandemic.
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Additional Resources
- Fullerton Observer: City Council Agenda for March 18, 2025
- OC Register: Fullerton Council Appoints Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem
- Daily Titan: Fullerton Officials at Odds Over Budget Deficit
- Wikipedia: Fullerton, California
- Google Search: Fullerton City Council
