LAKEPORT, Calif. – Facing fiscal uncertainties resulting from the new state budget, the Lakeport City Council on Tuesday decided to hold off on lifting a hiring freeze that requires city staff to get direct approval from the council even when filling already budgeted positions.
Human Resources/Administrative Services Director Kelly Buendia had asked the council at a budget workshop last month if she could bring the matter back for formal consideration, and the council at that point indicated she could.
But since then the state Legislature has passed – and Gov. Jerry Brown has signed – a budget that calls for dramatic changes to redevelopment agencies, changes that could include loss of significant funding for the city unless the California Redevelopment Agency moves forward with it threat to sue the state.
Buendia said the city council imposed the hiring freeze in 2008.
Since then, many positions have been vacated and left unfilled, while administrative staff has been required to return to the council for permission even to recruit for positions that are budgeted and not set to be cut.
She said the city's administration consider the current staffing level to be at a minimum.
The goal of lifting the freeze, she said, was to be able to fill budgeted positions as they become available. She said that will save time, as each time one of the positions becomes vacant, staff must go to the council for approval to move forward on recruitment.
During the discussion Buendia also told the council that based on Lakeport's city manager ordinance, City Manager Margaret Silveira would need to get the council's approval to add any new positions or to conduct any staffing reorganizations.
Silveira said staff had included in its report to the council all of the budgeted positions that could be filled if they became vacant. The list included 51.18 full-time equivalents included in the 2011-12 budget – of which Buendia said about 48 are actual full-time jobs – which is down from the 57.85 full-time equivalent jobs in the 2010-11 budget.
Councilman Tom Engstrom asked if anything had changed due to the governor's signing of the new state budget last week.
Silveira said staff would bring back the redevelopment budget for adjustments in August, but she estimated that the city redevelopment agency could lose $311,000 to the state. She said that take, however, shouldn't affect budgeted positions.
Engstrom asked how many positions in the budget were open and would be recruited if the hiring freeze was lifted.
Buendia said there is one police officer and one public works maintenance officer position, both of which are not going to be hired right away.
Jobs that are set to be filled quickly are a water operator position and a department secretary that would be shared by community development and the utilities departments, she added.
Councilman Roy Parmentier said the water department has been running short on staff for two years, and he was surprised that the city hadn't gotten into trouble with the state because of it. He pointed out that the hiring freeze had resulted in serious delays in hiring at least one position.
Engstrom asked Silveira how much revenue the city would lose due to changes to the state vehicle license fee accepted in the state budget.
Silveira estimated the city would lose $21,000. However, Silveira had budgeted conservatively, anticipating a $30,000 take in booking fees which didn't happen, and she also didn't include the proceeds of a $100,000 police grant, meaning the city would come out about $108,000 to the good.
Engstrom said he wanted to keep the hiring freeze in place, and Mayor Suzanne Lyons agreed, saying she didn't think it was the best time to lift the freeze considering that city hall was still closed on Fridays as a cost-saving measure.
Councilman Bob Rumfelt suggested that leaving the freeze in place was another way of communicating to people that the city is watching its budget.
Mayor Pro Tem Stacey Mattina moved to bring the matter back at a future date, which Rumfelt seconded. The vote was 4-1, with Parmentier voting no.
Also on Tuesday, the council appointed Lyons as the voting delegate and Rumfelt as the alternate at the League of California Cities conference in September.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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