Brent Miller, Hollister’s administrative services manager, came before the city council on Feb. 21 to request that it authorize the addition of three permanent support services assistant positions to fill temporary positions at city hall, the recreation department and code enforcement. After he said the problem the city has with temporary employees is that once they receive training they leave and then another person must be hired, and the process repeats itself, the council approved the resolution unanimously.
“We’re trying to improve the efficiency and, in one department, revenues have dropped off because they didn’t have anybody to oversee revenue questions,” Miller said. “We’ve had the unions questioning some of our very long-term temporary positions.”
Councilwoman Mickie Luna asked if the positions would go through the normal hiring process and whether they would become union members. Miller affirmed that the three individuals would be required to do both.
Councilman Roy Sims, who has since resigned his position because he is moving out of the district, said the fiscal impact of the three hires for 2016-17 would be under $75,000 and asked if that figure was based on the remainder of 2017. Miller said it was and that the figure would double the following fiscal year.
Mayor Ignacio Velazquez asked if the three people were already temporary staff members. Miller said they were and that if they should become full-time, the main difference would be that they would receive better medical benefits, along with paid vacations.
“Right now, we just give them bare bones if they’ve been here more than a year,” Miller said.
Councilman Karson Klauer asked Miller for the definition of “temporary,” as it related to these employees. Miller said they don’t receive paid vacations or holidays and can be terminated at any time.
“What would you consider a temporary amount of time for someone to be a temporary employee?” Klauer asked.
Miller said it is normally six months, but the three employees being considered had been with the city longer than a year. Velazquez commented that he did not have an issue with an employee transitioning from temporary to permanent, but he did think the issue should have been brought up at a budget hearing rather than at the regular meeting.
“What difference would it be if they go permanent; what are we looking to accomplish in their departments?” he quizzed. “Rather than just saying, ‘this person by being in this position will make a difference,’ what does that mean?”
Klauer asked if the permanent positions could be considered recent additions or had they existed for some time. He wondered if it was the person who was temporary rather than the position. Miller said the positions have been temporary for a number of years with people filling them then leaving. Klauer wondered if a conscious decision was being made to take a temporary position and make it permanent because it’s hurting the city to keep it temporary. Miller agreed, stating again that it is a matter of efficiency and loss of revenue.
City Manager Bill Avera added that if it is clear the positions are not going away, there is no reason to keep them temporary. He added that the union has been, “…good to deal with because they know for the last several years there’s been ups and downs and they understand that, but at some point they don’t want us taking advantage of employees that really need to be here.”
Hollister Fire Chief Bob Martin Del Campo said that the code enforcement administrative assistant provides support, relieving the code enforcement officers from having to stay inside the office to complete reports rather than being on the streets or in the courts.
“The administrative code enforcement support services person is in the office formulating graphs and looking at different ways of recovering fees, and it’s not something you can go to school for and be good at,” he said. “It’s something you start at and grows. It’s what we call ‘mission creep.’ If you lose these people and their institutional knowledge without having it being memorialized, we have to start from square one again.”
The mayor said he agreed with Avera that it was not right to keep people in a temporary status when the position is needed on a permanent basis.
“For me, to just hear we need more staff, OK, but let’s lay it out,” he said.
Luna said it’s not a matter of, “…more staff, but staff we already have…they’ve been doing the job. The chief had a good point in regard to the communication of these part-time employees with the public. With the population that we serve, a bilingual staff is extremely important. I realize these are temporary, part-time employees who probably give their all to the city. What do they get in salary and benefits, where if they go to a permanent position, they are actually getting retirement and other benefits?”
Miller told Luna that even temporary employees receive Social Security benefits when they’ve been with the city long enough. He said if they should become permanent employees, there is little difference in the cost of a portion of their benefits. He said the big difference would be paid vacation and sick leave.