3.C. Receive a presentation and discuss the City's organizational staffing, current vacancies, and future action plan to address open positions.

[3.C. Receive a presentation and discuss the City's organizational staffing, current vacancies, and future action plan to address open positions.]

AND RECEIVE A PRESENTATION TO DISCUSS THE CITY'S ORGANIZATIONAL STAFFING, CURRENT VACANCIES, AND FUTURE ACTION PLAN TO ADDRESS FUTURE POSITIONS.

>> GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, THIS IS GOING TO BE AN ADDITIONAL GOOD INFORMATION WE TALKED ABOUT LAST WEEK, WITH A LITTLE MORE EXPANDED BEYOND THE HR STANDPOINT.

THE REQUEST WAS MADE FOR US TO PROVIDE Y'ALL THE BREAKDOWN OF ALL THE CURRENT STAFFING WITHIN THE CITY, WITHIN THE DEPARTMENTS AS WELL AS VACANCIES. AND NOW THIS IS A MOVING TARGET AS VACANCIES GET FILLED AND CREATED ON A DAILY BASIS, BUT THIS IS AS OF JUNE 23RD, WE HAD 48 AND A HALF POSITIONS AT THAT TIME, A PART TIME POSITION, IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, VERSUS ALL THE OTHER FULL TIME POSITIONS.

NOW WE SENT Y'ALL THE -- >> 48 WHAT?

>> 48.5 VACANCIES. >> YOU SAID PART TIME.

>> THERE WAS A PART TIME POSITION.

>> A PART TIME POSITION ALONG WITH THE 48 FULL TIME POSITIONS AT THAT. WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR VACANCIES,

GO BACK ONE SECOND -- >> SURE.

>> THIS ONLY GOES FORWARD. >> THERE'S A BACKWARD BUTTON.

[01:15:06]

SO WHAT IS THE TOTAL BUDGETED HEAD COUNT.

>> THE TOTAL BUDGET IS I BELIEVE 476, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, AND 570 OVERALL. TOTAL FTES.

>> IF I ADD IT ALL -- >> THAT RIGHT THERE WOULD BE 500 AND -- WE HAVE 574.83. THAT'S THE TOTAL BUDGETED HEAD COUNT. FULL AND PART TIME.

THAT ALSO INCLUDES PART TIME SEASONAL AND TEMPORARY STAFF.

>> SO PARKS FOR PART TIME, THAT ARE ON BOARD.

>> AND 48 AND A HALF -- >> CURRENT VACANCIES.

>> YES. I'VE GOT THEM -- IS THAT ROUGHLY

9%. >> CLOSE, YES.

>> DO WE HAVE ANY TREND ON THAT, WHETHER THAT HIS GOOD, BAD.

>> IT'S GOING DOWN. OUR TREND WAS ROUGHLY UNDER PRIOR HISTORICAL TERMS, 10 ON AN AVERAGE PER MONTH, SINCE THE FIRST OF APRIL, IT'S GONE DOWN TO 7 AND A HALF, AND IS SLOWING DOWN AT THIS POINT. THE HIRING HAS BEEN DONE A LOT MORE METHODICALLY, A LOT MORE -- WE'RE FOCUSING ON HIGHER QUALITY TALENT AND TAKING TIME TO SCREEN THEM AND BRING ON PEOPLE WITH A BETTER SKILL SET AND TRYING TO FILL POSITIONS WITH THE QUALIFIED PEOPLE THAT WILL FIT THE ORGANIZATION, RATHER THAN JUST TRYING TO FILL A POSITION WITH A BODY.

WE'RE TAKING A MORE DETERMINED APPROACH TO THE HIRING, THROUGH THE RECRUITER, AND TRYING TO SLOW DOWN OUR NUMBERS SO THAT WE CAN GET OUR VACANCIES DOWN TO A MANAGEABLE --

>> IT'S STILL A QUESTION ILL HAVE, A TREND WITH OTHER MUNICIPALITIES ARE THEY LACKING THE SAME PERCENTAGE WE ARE WITH

VACANCIES. >> IT'S ALL OVER THE BOARD.

QUESTIONS OUT TO A LOT OF CITIES AROUND THE STATE, AND SOME OF THEM ARE IN THE SAME BOAT WE ARE, AND REALLY HIGH ON TURNOVER FOR A LOT OF DIFFERENT REASONS. SOME OF THEM ARE A LOT MORE STABLE, AGAIN FOR DIFFERENT REASONS, A LOT OF TIMES YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE NON-PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS, THE MORE LABOUR POSITIONS, THEY'RE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT PACE DISTANCE, THEIR TRAVELLING, AND WHAT BENEFITS DO THEY GET, HOW ARE THEY GOING TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR FAMILY.

THE PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS WILL LOOK AT THAT, BUT WILL ALSO LOOK AT CULTURE, HISTORY WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION, AND THE OVERALL STABILITY OF MANAGEMENT, BECAUSE THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE GOING INTO SOME PLACE, AND THEY HAVE A HIGHER SKILL SET, AND A HIRE WAGE, AND A LOT MORE INVOLVED IN THEIR CAREER, THAT THEY'RE GOING TO TRY AND FIND SYSTEM PLACE THEY FIT INTO AND THAT FITS THEM AS WELL. SO THEY ALL LOOK AT IT DIFFERENTLY, THE TREND, YOU WANT TO LOOK AT A TURNOVER RATE OF ABOUT 8 TO 10%. OUR LAST YEAR WAS IN THE UPPER 20S. SO, WE'RE TRYING TO UTILIZE THE TEMPORARY RECRUITER WE HAVE TO SHIFT IT BACK TO BETTER PEOPLE, BETTER SKILL SETS, AND PEOPLE THAT FIT THE ORGANIZATION, AND PEOPLE THAT WILL STAY FOR THE LONG HAUL.

>> JUST GO BACK TO THE STAFF REPORT, THERE'S A STATEMENT, THE CITY STAFFING HAS ENCOUNTERED A LARGE INCREASE IN OPEN POSITIONS LAST YEAR, AND PARTNERS ARE UNABLE TO KEEP UP WITH THE RECRUITMENT EFFORTS. IS THAT STILL THE CASE, OR ARE

YOU SAYING YOU'RE DOING BETTER? >> IT'S NOT THE CASE PER SE, ANYMORE, BECAUSE WE ARE ACTUALLY TAKING OVER A LOT OF RESPONSIBILITY THAT THE HIRING MANAGERS WERE TRYING TO DO, WE HAVE A LOT OF HIRING MANAGERS THAT HAVE NOT HAD THE EXPERIENCE IN SCREENING APPLICATIONS, KNOWING WHAT TO LOOK FOR ON AN APPLICATION, TO KNOW WHERE THAT'S VALID OR IF IT'S FLUFF, AND THEY HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO TALK TO THE CANDIDATES TO SEE IF THEY REALLY TRULY HAVE THE SKILL SET, WITHOUT COMING IN FOR AN INTERVIEW AND DIDN'T HAVE GOOD INTERVIEW SKILLS, SO THEY WOULD KIND OF GET PEOPLE NOT AS QUALIFIED AS THEY SHOULD, IF THEY WANT SOMEBODY IN HERE FOR THE LONG HAUL, OUR RECRUITER IS DOING A LOT OF THAT WORK, AND MY STAFF AND HR IS DOING A LOT OF THAT WORK, SO TAKING THAT ONUS OFF THE HIRING MANAGERS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENTS AND GIVING THEM ONLY THE HIGHEST QUALIFIED CANDIDATES THAT ARE APPLYING FOR OUR POSITIONS.

[01:20:03]

SO THE HIRING MANAGERS HAVE A LOT LESS TIME THAT THEY HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT RECRUITING. THEY JUST GO IN, AND LOOK AT THE APPLICATIONS THAT WE SEND THEM, WHICH ARE THE TOP CANDIDATES AND CHOOSE WHO THEY WANT TO INTERVIEW AND WE HELP THEM SCHEDULE THE INTERVIEWS, AND AT SOME POINTS, SOME OF OUR STAFF ACTUALLY GOES OUT THERE, THE RECRUITER WILL GO OUT AND SIT IN ON THE INTERVIEWS, SO WE MAKE SURE WE'RE ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS, AND NOT ASKING THE WRONG QUESTIONS AND GETTING PEOPLE IN HERE THAT ARE GOING TO BE A BETTER FIT FOR THE ORGANIZATION AND THAT WILL STAY IN THE LONG HAUL, SO THE TREND IS CHANGING, BUT IT'S BECAUSE WE'RE TAKING SOME OF THE GRUNT WORK, THE TECHNICAL WORK OFF THE HIRING MANAGER, WHICH THAT'S NOT THEIR JOB, THEIR JOB IS TO ACTUALLY GO OUT THERE AND DO ALL THE WORK ON THE PROJECTS AND THE THINGS THEY HAVE IN THE DEPARTMENT. OUR JOB IS TO SUPPORT THEM AND HELP THEM GET TO A POINT WHERE THEY GET A LITTLE BIT OF TIME, THEY COME IN, AND SET THEM UP FOR THE INTERVIEWS AND TELL US WHO THEY WANT TO HIRE, AND WE TAKE IT FROM THERE, AND WE BRING

THEM ON BOARD. >> WHEN I LOOK AT THIS, AND SEE 50% OF ALL THE OPENINGS IN PUBLIC WORKS THAT POINTS TO A PROBLEM AREA. WHAT'S THE TREND ON THAT, IS THAT NEW, IS THAT WHAT WE EXPECT, IS THAT GOOD?

>> THAT WAS A HIGH TURNOVER AREA BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T DOING -- WEREN'T ABLE TO DO A LOT OF THE SCREENING FOR SOME OF THE LABOUR POSITIONS AND PREVIOUSLY SOME OF THE POSITIONS WE HAD RIGHT NOW THAT WERE LABOUR INTENSIVE, WERE ACTUALLY FILLING THEM AT A HIGHER PACE THAN WE HAVE OVER RECRUITER ACTUALLY HAD A LABOUR MARKET THAT WE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT, AND WE'RE FILLING MAINTENANCE SPECIALIST 1, AND ON THE NEXT TWO SLIDES, WE'VE THE BACKGROUND OF ALL THE POSITIONS BASED ON PROFESSIONAL AND NON-PROFESSIONAL AND IT GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF WHERE THOSE POSITIONS ARE, BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF LABOUR POSITIONS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO FILL FOR ALL THE PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS THAT WE'VE GOT GOING ON. ANYTHING ELSE ON THIS SLIDE?

>> I WOULD JUST SAY KIND OF IN RESPONSE TO WHAT YOU SAID, JUST IN MY TIME HERE PUBLIC WORKS HAS BEEN A DIFFICULT JOB TO FILL POSITIONS FOR. YOU LOOK AT MANY OF THESE -- NOT MANY -- BUT A LOT OF PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS, AND YOU'RE SITTING IN AN OFFICE OR IN A BUILDING WORKING WITH FOLKS, AND THERE ARE A FEW JOBS IN THE CITY THAT ARE ESPECIALLY TOUGH, POLICE OFFICER IS ONE OF THEM, FIREFIGHTER IS ANOTHER, AND PUBLIC WORKS, THE GUYS WORKING IN TRENCHES THAT'S A HARD JOB, ANIMAL SHELTER STAFF, INCREDIBLY TOUGH JOB, BUT, YEAH.

>> THE LABOUR POSITIONS, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR PAY, AND LOOKING FOR THINGS, BENEFITS FOR THEIR FAMILY, BUT AGAIN, THERE'S A LOT

OF THEM. >> I DID HEAR FROM A CITY OF GARLAND EMPLOYEE THAT OUR FRONT LINE PUBLIC WORK STAFF ARE COMPENSATED SUBSTANTIALLY MORE THAN GARLAND'S FRONT LINE PUBLIC WORK STAFF, SO WE AT LEAST HAVE ONE OF THE RIGHT TOOLS IN PLACE

TO BE ABLE TO ATTRACT PEOPLE. >> WE HAVE POACHED FROM THEM RECENTLY. I HAVE NO ILL WILL AGAINST POACHING. ON THIS SLIDE RIGHT HERE, WE HAVE PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS CURRENTLY OPEN, WITH SOME POSITIONS BOLDED, AND THOSE REQUIRE SPECIAL DISCUSSIONS ON, BECAUSE THE POSITIONS WERE CREATED, AND NOT FILLED OR MAYBE BEING CONSIDERED TO BE RECLASSED INTO SOMETHING ELSE, OR MAYBE POSITION IS NOT NEEDED IN THE LONG RUN.

THE INTERNAL AUDITOR IS NORMALLY HOUSED UNDER THE CITY COUNCIL, AS AN INDEPENDENT INDIVIDUAL, AND THAT POSITION HAS NEVER BEEN FILLED, FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS AN ASSISTANT EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR THAT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, IS THAT POSITION REALLY NEEDED? GRADUATE ENGINEERS, WE HAVE TWO VACANCIES RIGHT NOW, WE USED TO HAVE ONE.

ONE GRADUATE ENGINEER GOT PROMOTED INTO A MORE FULL TIME POSITION, SO THAT OPENED UP ANOTHER GRADUATE ENGINEER, BUT, AND SOME OF THESE ARE THE DEPARTMENT HEADS, THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY RECRUITING FOR. AND DEPEND, THE CITY MANAGER AND ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER POSITIONS, PERMANENT POSITIONS

ARE STILL LISTED. >> ONE THING THAT AM COS UP OFTEN TIMES WHEN YOU SEE THE WORD AUDITOR, I WANT TO COVER THIS TOPIC REAL QUICK. THE CITY HAS TWO AUDIT FURNISHINGSES WE DO, ONE IS A FINANCIAL AUDIT, WHICH WE OUTSOURCE TO A FIRM, AND THAT FIRM HAS DONE OUR AUDIT SERVICE FOR MANY YEARS NOW, THEY WORK WITH THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, AND THEY WERE COMING TO MEET WITH THE FINANCE -- THE CITY COUNCIL'S FINANCE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, BUT THE INTERNAL AUDITOR IS A CHARTER ESTABLISHED POSITION, LIKE THE CITY MANAGER AND CITY ATTORNEY, MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGE, THAT IS A PERSON

[01:25:02]

THAT WOULD REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL.

BACK IN 2022, WE HAD SOME NEWLY ELECTED COUNCIL MEMBERS AT THAT POINT, BUT -- ADAMANT THAT WE GET AN INTERNAL AUDITOR, AND I WAS SUPPORTIVE AT THE TIME AND WE HAD ENOUGH COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WERE SUPPORTIVE, AND WE ADDED TO THE BUDGET AND STARTED RECRUITING PROCESS. UNFORTUNATELY THROUGH THE RECRUITING PROCESS, WE DISCOVERED THAT HIRING A STANDALONE AUDITOR TO COME AND WORK IN THE CITY, IS INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE AND NICHE SO WE LOOKED AT HIRING A FIRM, SIMILAR TO THE FINANCIAL AUDIT, AND THAT WAS DIFFICULT TO MANAGE AND SOMEWHAT EXPENSIVE, SO THE PLACE HOLDER THAT BE HAS BEEN THERE YEAR AFTER YEAR FOR THE COUNCIL TO HIRE A PERSON.

IT'S A CHARTER ESTABLISHED POSITION, SO WE HAVE RIGHT UNDER THE CHARTER, BUT NOT THE RESPONSIBILITY -- WE'RE NOT MANDATED TO DO IT, WE HAVE THE OPTION TO DO IT, TO BUYER AN INTERNAL AUDITOR AND WE'VE CHOSEN NOT TO AT THIS POINT.

IF THAT'S SOMETHING WE WANT TO REVISIT WE CAN FOR THE PURPOSES OF BUDGET CONVERSATION, THAT'S SOMETHING WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHETHER WE WANT TO ALLOCATE DOLLARS FOR THAT POSITION, OR

SUNSET THAT FOR THE TIME BEING. >> IT'S NOT A REQUIREMENT.

IT'S JUST AN OPTION, SO WE CAN ADD THAT IN THERE AS A FINANCIAL PLACE HOLDER IF WE WANT TO, BUT WE'RE NOT REQUIRED TO HIRE A

CITY AUDITOR. >> IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO AWAY

WITH IT -- >> OH, YES.

>> I WOULD HAVE TO DO SOME RESEARCH FOR NUMBERS FOR OUTSOURCING. WE WOULD PUT TOGETHER AN RFP AND PUT IT OUT. NOT A TRIVIAL AMOUNT OF WORK, BUT IF THE MAJORITY OF COUNCIL WANTS TO DO THAT, WE CAN TAKE

THAT RESOLUTION. >> THE CHARTER HAS ONE PARAGRAPH OF WHAT THIS PERSON FUNCTIONS AS.

I KIND OF VIEW IT AS A WATCHDOG FOR THE COUNCIL, SO I WOULD SAY IF THERE'S CONCERN ABOUT OPERATIONAL SHORTCOMINGS OR THINGS OF THAT NATURE, IT MIGHT BE WORTH HAVING THIS PERSON.

IT MIGHT CAUSE FRICTION WITH STAFF, BECAUSE YOU HAVE ANOTHER PERSON WITH CITY COUNCIL WHO HAS OVERSIGHT, BUT NOT GIVING

DIRECTION TO STAFF, SO -- >> ILL SUBMIT -- AND THAT'S WHY I LIKE TO SEE THE NUMBERS -- TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION, BUT, REGARDLESS OF HOW WE GOT THERE, PAST CHALLENGES, AND SOME CURRENT CHALLENGES IN PERCEPTION WHETHER IT BE TRUE OR NOT, IT MAY NOT BE A BAD TIME TO CONSIDER THIS, AND LOOK AT IT AS AN OPTION, TO HELP ESTABLISH TRUST.

>> I WOULD SAY MAYBE. I DON'T KNOW I'M INTERESTED IN

HAVING ANOTHER SIX-FIGURE PERSO- >> I'M TALKING ABOUT AN OUTSOURCED -- ALMOST LIKE WITH AN ATTORNEY WHEN NEEDED.

>> THIS IS DIFFERENT. >> I THINK HE SAID YOU CAN

OUTSOURCE IT. >> YOU CAN OUTSOURCE IT, OR AT LEAST WE DETERMINED THROUGH OUR PREVIOUS CITY ATTORNEY WE COULD OUTSOURCE IT. THE QUESTION WOULD BE OPERATIONALLY HOW DOES THAT WORK, BECAUSE ONE PERSON THAT REPORTS TO THIS BODY, NOT TO ANY ONE INDIVIDUAL.

>> KIND OF LIKE THE CITY ATTORNEY.

>> EXACTLY. >> SAME DIFFERENCE.

I WOULD POSE THE QUESTION WHY WOULD YOU NOT WANT TO DO IT

UNDER CURRENT SITUATIONS. >> FINANCES.

>> THAT'S WHY I'D LIKE TO SEE THE NUMBERS.

>> SO TO DO THAT, FIRST OFF, WE WOULD HAVE TO PUT TOGETHER AN RFP AND TAKE IT TO BID. SO THAT'S HOW LONG, 45 DAYS?

>> PROBABLY AT LEAST 60. >> WE HAVE TO DEVELOP THE DOCUMENT FIRST, AND A SCOPE OF WORK, AND FEEDBACK ABOUT SCOPE OF WORK, AND ACTUALLY PUT IT OUT ON THE STREET AND BRING IT BACK

TO SOME SORT OF VALUATION. >> OKAY.

IF THAT'S A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM REQUEST, THEN THAT CAN BE WORKED

OUT WITH STAFF. >> I PUT THAT FORWARD, SO --

>> I THINK WE'VE ALL -- RECONCILIATION, THERE'S ENOUGH THERE TO KIND OF THINK ABOUT HOW WE CAN RECONCILE ALL THAT, AND NOT JUST TELL OUR CITIZENS IT'S OKAY, IT'S ALL THERE, I THINK IT

MIGHT BE A WORTHWHILE PROJECT -- >> I WANT TO CLARIFY THE SCOPE, WHEN IT COMES TO FINANCIAL RESOURCES AND OF COURSE THAT'S THE AUDIT WE ALREADY HAVE, THIS WOULD BE MORE ABOUT OPERATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS, AND EFFICIENCY, BASICALLY HOW WE OPERATE, AS I

[01:30:02]

UNDERSTAND IT, NOT A FINANCIAL SIDE OF THE AUDITING.

>> ABOUT TEN OR 11 YEARS AGO IN ONE OF MY PRIOR CITIES, WE HAD AN INTERNAL AUDITOR AND HE SPENT THE BEST PART OF 8 MONTHS DOING HOT TAX AUDITS AND FOUND HOTELS AND MOTELS NOT KEEPING UP WITH PAYING THE CITY THE HOT TAX THEY WERE COLLECTING, AND HE SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THAT ONE TASK, BUT THE CITY RECOUPED A GOOD BIT OF MONEY FROM IT, BUT THAT WAS THEIR OPERATION AT THE TIME, FIND OUT WHAT IS GOING OBWITH THE HOTEL AND MOTEL TAXES, BECAUSE TOURISM WAS -- SO THAT IS, AGAIN, ONE EXAMPLE OF THE SCOPE OF WORK THAT THEY COULD BE DOING.

>> I STILL SAY, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING -- I THINK IT HELPS ESTABLISH TRUST WITH THE COMMUNITY.

>> I THOUGHT YOUR FIRST PRESENTATION OF WHAT THE CITY AUDITOR ENTAILS AND DOES, SO WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE GETTING INTO, BEFORE WE PUT AN RFP OUT, BECAUSE WE PUT ALL THESE PEOPLE THROUGH THE RINGER, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN WE SAY THANK YOU FOR APPLYING, BUT NEVER MIND, RIGHT, SO, I WOULD MUCH RATHER --

>> PROBABLY, IF WE -- IF THE REQUEST IS FOR A WORK SESSION, I WOULD SAY THAT WORK SESSION NEEDS TO DEFINE THE SCOPE, WHICH, IT'S THE CHARTER, AND ALL IT SAYS THAT CITY COUNCIL MAY APPOINT A SCANNED OR, DEFINE RESPONSIBILITY AND COMPENSATION AND AUTHORITY, IF WE HAVE AN ORDINANCE, WHICH VICTORIA IS MAYBE LOOKING AT, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE WE NEED TO FIND OUT IF WE HAVE AN ORDINANCE THAT DEFINES THE SCOPE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF A CITY AUDITOR, AND THEN FROM THERE, MAYBE SEE WHAT OTHER

CITIES HAVE OR DON'T HAVE. >> YEAH, A BASELINE.

AND THAT'S WHY I -- >> DIFFERENT CITIES --

>> DON'T GET INTO AN RFP -- >> -- YEAH.

SO WE'LL HAVE TO DO THAT AT A FUTURE WORK SESSION.

CAN'T MAKE THAT DECISION TODAY. >> BEFORE WE GO ON, I COUNT 16,

THIS IS 14, IS THIS 16 OF 48? >> THE TWO THAT ACTUALLY HAVE TWO, THERE ARE 16 POSITIONS -- YOU HAVE 16, BUT THERE ARE 14 DIFFERENT POSITIONS, THERE'S TWO POSITIONS THAT HAVE A VACANCY OF

TWO. >> SO THE 14 VACANCIES IS 14

POSITIONS -- >> 14 VACANT POSITIONS.

>> 16 POSITIONS. >> THAT IS PART OF THE 48.5?

>> YES, SIR. >> THE PLANNER II, HAS GOT TWO VACANCIES. LOOKING AT THE SUMMARY IT LOOKS LIKE, IF I'M LOOKING AT THIS CORRECTLY, THESE POSITIONS WERE

INCLUDED LAST YEAR? >> ON THE SUMMARY FOR THE PLANNER IIS, WE HAD ONE INITIALLY, AND THEN ONE THERE WAS A RECLASSIFICATION FOR THAT POSITION.

>> AND WE HAVE TO VACANCIES. >> WE HAVE TWO VACANCIES AT THIS TIME, YEAH, WE HAD ONE IN THE BUDGET THAT WAS REVISED, AND THE PLANNING -- PLANNER II POSITION WAS REVISED TO TWO, & BECAUSE WE RECLASSIFIED A POSITION, TO BE A PLANNER II, AND WE FOUND THAT OUR PLANNING AREA, WAS SORELY NEEDING HELP, SO, THE

ADDITION -- >> LET ME JUMP IN ON THIS ONE, SO WE HAVE PLANNERS AT DIFFERENT LEVELS, SO WE HAVE TWO PLANNER POSITIONS, SOMETIMES A PLANNER I, AND A PLANNER II, WE HAVE TWO PLANNER IIS, IT DEPENDS ON THE CAPABILITIES AND QUALIFICATIONS,

SO WE MOVE THOSE AROUND. >> WERE THEY CREATED IN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET, OR THE CURRENT BUDGET.

>> YES. >> I HAVE SOME MORE INFORMATION, BECAUSE I WAS INVOLVED IN THIS. IN PAST YEARS WE'VE HAD A PLANNING DIVISION THAT HAD A NEIGHBOURHOOD PLANNING SUPERVISOR POSITION THAT WAS MORE OF THE LONG RANGE PLANNING FUNCTION WHICH NO LONGER EXISTS, BUT THE POSITION WAS STILL ALIVE, SO WE WERE ABLE TO CONVERT THAT POSITION AND BEEF UP THE PLANNING DIVISION, AND THE CURRENT PLANNING FUNCTION, WHICH IS THESE TWO PLANNER II POSITIONS.

>> SO WE DIDN'T CREATE -- >> WE DIDN'T CREATE ANY NEW

POSITIONS, WE RECLASSIFIED. >> YET WE HAVE TWO VACANCIES, OF THE NEW CREATIONS, YES, AND WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF

[01:35:03]

INTERVIEWING. >> DID THEY COME IN THE LAST

>> ONE DID. WE HAD ONE, AND WE RECLASSIFIED THE NEIGHBOURHOOD PLANNING SUPERVISOR, DISSOLVED THAT ONE, AND MOVED IT INTO THE PLANNER II.

>> OKAY. >> WHAT IS GRADUATE ENGINEERING?

>> IT'S A TRAINER -- >> THEY DO CERTAIN PROCESSES AND GET A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME UNDER A LICENSED ENGINEER, AND THEN THEY HAVE TO TAKE THEIR TEST, AND IT GOES FROM GRADUATE

ENGINEER TO PLANNING -- >> THEY'VE GONE THROUGH THE EM INDICATION, AND ARE WORKING ON ENGINEERING PROJECTS, UNDER THE

LEADERSHIP OF -- >> THEY DON'T HAVE THEIR --

>> YOU ONLY GET TO SEE THEM -- AT CERTAIN TIMES OF YEAR.

>> NO THEY GRADUATED, HENCE THE TITLE IS GRADUATE ENGINEER.

>> THE AUDITOR, THESE TWO THAT ARE BOLD, DO YOU SEE A NEED FOR

THESE? >> THE EMERGENCY COORDINATOR, NO, DISCUSSED THAT BEFORE, BUT I DON'T SEE THAT WE NEED THE GRADUATE ENGINEER, DEFINITELY, NOT SURE WHY THAT'S BOLD.

>> YOU SAID A WHILE AGO, SOME POSITIONS BASICALLY RECLASSIFY THEM INTO TWO POSITIONS OR SOMETHING, TO HELP MAKE A PROCESS BETTER FOR PEOPLE TRYING TO GO THROUGH MANNING OR

WHATEVER. >> CORRECT.

>> AND I CAN CONCUR WITH THAT. >> WE'VE ACTUALLY MOVED A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT POSITIONS AROUND IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT TEAM, TRYING TO FINDING THE RIGHT MIX OF CAPABILITIES AND STRENGTHS, AND ONE TIME WE HAD A PLANNING MANAGER AND A SENIOR PLANNER, AND A PLANNING EXAMINER, THERE'S ALOFT MOVEMENT IN THAT AREA, AS YOU TRY AND GRAB PEOPLE, AND OUR FIRST PRIORITY IS CURRENT PLANNING, WE'RE A LITTLE LIGHT ON LONG RANGE PLANNING.

>> Y'ALL STILL WORKING ON THAT, ON THE COMMUNITY SERVICES SIDE OF IT, BECAUSE THERE IS A LOT, AND MY TIME I HAD UNDER ME, I KNEW THAT THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT POSITION THAT YOU HAVE, THAT YOU WERE HAVING TO GO THROUGH CODE, AND PATROL, AND EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT, AND YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO WEAR EACH HAT EACH DAY AND FIND THAT RIGHT PERSON TO BE THE MANAGER, AND --

>> THE CHALLENGE OF COURSE IS WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT ZONING CODES, WE'RE TRYING TO FIX, AT THE PRESENT, TRYING TO FIX THAT FOR A WHILE AND TRY TO MOVE -- AND PART OF THE PROCESS, TRY TO MOVE TO ONE ZONING CODE, BUT RIGHT NOW YOU HAVE TO ADMINISTER TWO DIFFERENT ZONING CODES, WHICH IS UNUSUALLY COMPLEX.

>> RIGHT. >> I WANT TO BE SURE YOU GOT YOUR QUESTION ANSWERED ABOUT THE PLANNER I:

WAS THAT? >> I'M STILL PONDERING THE ANSWER. ALL THREE ANSWERS, AND STILL --

>> WE DIDN'T CREATE A POSITION. THE POSITION MAY HAVE CHANGED NAMES, BUT WE DID NOT CREATE A NEW POSITION.

>> I'M CURIOUS ON THE -- HOW LONG IT'S BEEN VACANT.

I SEE TWO, AND SEE 26, AND JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT CAN WE DO TO SPEED THAT UP, IT'S OBVIOUSLY NEEDED.

>> WE'RE DOING INTERVIEWS. HAD A HARD TIME FINDING QUALIFIED CANDIDATES, IT'S A COMPETITIVE POSITION REGIONALLY, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HAVING A HARD TIME WITH THE DIRECTOR

POSITION AS WELL. >> LOTS OF CITIES ARE HAVING AN

ISSUE. >> PLANNERS AND ENGINEERS ARE HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER, NOT ONLY BY THE PUBLIC SECTOR BUT THE PRIVATE SECTOR, AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR DANGLES A BIG CARROT OF MONEY TO WORK 80 HOURS OF MONEY, AND SOMETIMES THEY WANT THAT VERSUS LONG RANGE STABILITY AND A CAREER IN MUNICIPAL WORK, SO WE'RE HAVING TO FIGHT THAT BATTLE, BUT WE'RE -- WE HIT THE WEBSITES THAT ARE FOR THE PLANNING DIVISION, AND ANY OF THEIR ASSOCIATIONS, WE ADVERTISE ON THOSE, AND WE REACH OUT, EVERYTHING ELSE, AND THAT'S ANOTHER REASON WHY WE HAVE A REFERRAL PROGRAM, WITHIN OUR POLICIES.

IS DO YOU KNOW SOMEBODY -- DEPARTMENTS HAVE TO ASK FOR THAT TO BE FOR A CERTAIN HARD TO FILL POSITION, BUT IT'S OKAY, MAYOR, DO YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW ANYBODY PLANNERS THAT IS YOUR FIELD, I DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO ALL THOSE PEOPLE, DO YOU HAVE ANYBODY YOU% MIGHT RECOMMEND, AND BY DOING THE REFERRAL, THE EMPLOYEE -- BUT, TWO, YOU GET SOMEBODY THAT YOU KNOW, IS GOOD IN THAT FIELD, AND IT'S JUST AS GOOD AS POACHING FROM ANOTHER CITY, BUT YOU'RE USING BASICALLY THE PEOPLE THAT YOU KNOW IN YOUR FIELD TO BRING IN SOME ASSISTANCE TO THE ORGANIZATION THAT YOU WORK FOR, AND YOU'RE TRYING TO TAKE CARE OF, TO HELP

[01:40:01]

THEM BETTER IN THE OVERALL POSITION.

>> ARE THERE INTERNSHIP TUNINGS HERE?

>> THERE COULD BE, I THINK THE CHALLENGE WE HAVE HERE IS THERE'S NOT A DIRECTOR IN THIS AREA, IT HURTS US ON THE RECRUITMENT SIDE AND THE FLEXIBILITY REGARDING TRAINING SOMEBODY WHO IS AN INTERN, INTERNS ARE GREAT, BUT WE UNDERSTAND THEY'RE NOT FREE, THEY TAKE CARE AND FEEDING AND COMPENSATION, AND IT'S KIND OF HARD FOR US TO FIND THE CAPACITY TO DO THAT CARE AND FEEDING. BUT I THINK LONG TERM, THAT WOULD BE AN EXCELLENT STRATEGY TO TRY AND DEVELOP SOME INTERNAL

CANDIDATES. >> THE QUESTION IS, ARE WE COMPETITIVE, THESE POSITIONS? ARE WE NOT COMPETITIVE FINANCIAL, AND EVERYTHING ELSE, OR ARE WE JUST HAVE AN ISSUE

BECAUSE I GUESS WE'RE NOT -- >> A LOT OF IT IS -- THE PLANNERS AND ENGINEERS ARE NOTORIOUSLY FOR DECADES HAVE BEEN A HARD POSITION TO FILL BECAUSE THE PRIVATE SECTOR IS VERY ENTICING WITH THE MONEY, THEY HAVE TO WORK 80 HOURS A WEEK, BUT WE KEEP ON HITTING YOU'VES, AND WE HIT, AGAIN, PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, AND THEN --

>> FROM A SALARY SURVEY PERSPECTIVE, WE'RE COMPETITIVE,.

>> THANK YOU. >> THE CHALLENGES ARE MORE MARKETPLACE AS FAR AS AVAILABILITY.

>> DOES DALLAS COLLEGE HAVE A PROGRAM.

>> THIS IS MORE UNIVERSITY, IT'S A FOUR YEAR DEGREE FOR PLANNERS.

>> I DON'T THINK THEY HAVE THIS ONE.

>> MAYBE SOMETHING WE APPROACH THEM WITH,.

>> A KID LOCAL GOING IN THERE, TALKING ABOUT INTERNSHIP, MAKING CARE AND FEEDING THAT MUCH EASIER.

SOMETHING TO LOOK AT. >> THE NEXT SLIDE THAT WE'VE GOT IS THE STAFF SIDE, WHICH IS WHERE A LOT OF THE LABOUR SIDE IS THE HOURLY POSITIONS. WE DO HAVE THE ONE POSITION OUT OF THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE THAT IS HIGHLIGHTED AS A COORDINATOR, AND THAT POSITION WAS FILLED AT ONE POINT AND THEN AS OF 2023 WAS VACATED AND HAS NOT BEEN FILLED SINCE.

BUT, AS WAS BROUGHT UP EARLIER, THE OPERATION SIDE OF PUBLIC WORKS HAS A LOT OF DIFFERENT POSITIONS AND A QUANTITY WITHIN A NUMBER OF THOSE POSITIONS OF VACANCIES BECAUSE OF ALL THE PROJECTS AND STUFF GOING ON. NOW I DO KNOW THAT SOME OF THOSE NUMBERS ARE GOING TO BE -- THE NUMBERS ARE NOT GOING TO BE ACCURATE AS OF TODAY, BECAUSE IT'S TWO WEEKS AFTER THE SLIDE WAS THE NUMBERS WERE CREATED, WE HAVE FILLED SOME POSITIONS, AND A COUPLE OF THE OTHER POSITIONS WE'VE FILLED, AND WE'RE BRINGING ON A POLICE OFFICER, SO THAT WE'LL HAVE ONE LESS THERE, SO WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP THIS AS CURRENT AS POSSIBLE, BUT LABOUR POSITIONS ARE HARD BECAUSE THESE GUYS ARE OUT THERE WORKING IN THE SURFACE OF THE SUN, AND THEY REALLY REALLY -- IT HAS TO BE A SPECIAL PERSON TO WANT TO GO OUT THERE AND DO ALL THAT.

THAT TO ME, NEXT TO A DISPATCHER, THIS IS ROUGH.

>> ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR A GRAND COORDINATOR.

>> RICK, WHEN WE TALKED AT THE BUDGET MEETING, YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE CONCRETE FINISHER POSITION.

HAVE WE FILLED ALL OF THOSE AT THAT POINT OR A COUPLE.

>> A COUPLE OF WHOM, THEY'RE STILL IN PLAY, DOING THE ON BOARDING, WE HAVE FOUR, DOWN TO TWO OR ONE, AND I'M GUESSING

WITHIN A WEEK. >> YOU MENTIONED, THAT POSITION IN PARTICULAR, BECAUSE WE HAD A NUMBER OF THEM AT THE TIME, AND WHEN I TALKED TO OUR RECRUITER, SHE SAID THERE ARE TWO THAT THEY'RE WORKING THROUGH THE ON BOARDING TO TRY TO GET THE POSITIONS FILLED BECAUSE WHEN I CAME ON BOARD, THERE WERE 10 TO 11 CONCRETE FINISHER POSITIONS, AS OF JUNE, AND WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT LABOUR MARKET TO ATTACK, TRYING TO STEAL THEM FROM GARLAND OR WHEREVER ELSE WE CAN, BUT PRIVATE CONTRACTORS -- GO DOWN ANY ROAD IN THIS STATE AND YOU'VE GOT SOMEBODY DOING CONSTRUCTION, LAYING CONCRETE, SO TRYING TO FIND CONCRETE FINISHERS TO WORK FOR A MUNICIPALITY, YOU JUST HAVE TO SHOW THEM WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD, BUT, THE RECRUITER ACTUALLY HAD A LABOUR MARKET THAT I WAS NOT AWARE OF, AND SHE'S BEEN ADVERTISING THROUGH THAT, AND WE'VE BEEN BRINGING IN CONCRETE FINISHERS AND A LOT OF THE OTHER MAINTENANCE POSITIONS, CANDIDATES FOR THOSE POSITIONS, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY DO, THEY DON'T HAVE THE SKILL SETS FOR MANAGEMENT OR OFFICE WORK, THIS IS WHAT THEY DO, THEY DO THE LABOUR WORK.

AND SO, A BUNCH OF THESE NUMBERS ARE GOING TO BE GOING DOWN BECAUSE OF THE WORK WE'VE GOT WITH THE RECRUITER.

[01:45:04]

>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS SLIDE?

NO. >> NEXT ONE IS QUESTIONS.

>> SO, I DON'T WANT TO SOUND LIKE A -- RICK TELL ME HOW LONG YOU'VE BEEN EMPLOYED WITH THE CITY.

>> SINCE JUNE 2 OF LAST YEAR. >> ASIDE FROM YOUR WELLNESS COORDINATOR, YOU'VE BEEN HERE A YEAR AND A MONTH.

ASIDE FROM THE WELLNESS COORDINATOR, YOU HAVE A STAFF OF

HOW MANY? >> A TOTAL OF SIX, WITH ALL OF

US, IT'S SIX. >> WITH ALL OF YOU, INCLUDING

THE WELLNESS COORDINATOR. >> ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, RISK MANAGER, THREE GENERALISTS, AND MYSELF.

>> HOW LONG HAVE YOUR GENNISTS LISTEN EMPLOYED.

>> EVERYBODY CAME ON IN JULY. >> JUST A YEAR.

>> YES,. >> AND YOUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

HIRED AT THE TIME. >> SO EVERYBODY PRETTY MUCH STARTED AROUND THE SAME TIME, ABOUT A YEAR UNDER THEIR BELT, EXCEPT FOR THE WELLNESS CORD NARROW.

>> ALL WITHIN A WEEK. >> SO WHEN YOU GOT HERE, THERE WAS -- I MEAN, TELL ME THE STATE OF THE DEPARTMENT, BECAUSE I KNOW THERE WAS A TON OF TURNOVER, NOT JUST? THE CITY, BUT SPECIFICALLY IN YOUR DEPARTMENT.

>> WHEN I GOT HERE, THE DIRECTOR HAD LEFT IN DECEMBER, AND THE GENERALIST AND SENIOR -- ONE GENERALIST AND ONE SENIOR GENERALIST, THEY WERE LEAVING THE 16TH OF MAY, AND I INTERVIEWED AND GOT THE JOB BEGINNING OF MAY, I HAD TO WORK MY TIME OUT AT RICHMOND HILLS, AND THE ADMINISTRATOR WHO WAS DOING RISK MANAGEMENT LIKE THE NUMBER 2, HE GOT ANOTHER JOB, AND HE LEFT, I CAME IN ON A MONDAY, AND HE LEFT ON A WEDNESDAY, THE LAST GENERALIST THAT WAS IN THE DEPARTMENT ACTUALLY PASSED AWAY ON THAT FRIDAY.

SO, IT WAS JUST MYSELF AND THE WELLNESS COORDINATOR.

WE HAD A COUPLE OF INTERNS, WE HAD AN INDIVIDUAL FROM THE LIBRARY, THAT WAS HELPING US OUT, SHE JUST GOT HER HR DEGREE, AND THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT HAD AN INDIVIDUAL WORKING FOR A WHILE, AND SHE KNEW THE SYSTEM, SO SHE WAS HELPING OUT PROCESSING APPLICATIONS FOR THE WET ZONE, DOING THE TRANSACTIONAL WORK, AND I HAD TO HIRE AND FILL POSITIONS WITHIN

30 DAYS. >> BECAUSE THAT WAS THE ASK AT THE TIME. HIRE VERY FAST.

>> HIRE VERY FAST, BUT -- LUCKILY I HAD THE POSITIONS WERE ALREADY POSED, I WAS GETTING APPLICATIONS IN, I GOT IN THERE AND LOOKED AT EVERYTHING, AND FOUND THE PEOPLE I WANTED BASED ON THE FIT. THEY ALL HAD SOME EXPERIENCE IN HR, BUT I KNEW THAT THEY WOULD FIT AS A TEAM.

AND THAT IS CRITICAL ESPECIALLY WITHIN HR, BECAUSE EVERYBODY HAS GOT TO BE HEAVY OF HELP -- HELPING EACH OTHER, IF SOMEBODY TAKES A VACATION DAY, SOMEBODY HAS TO FILL IN DOING EVERYTHING, AND THEY HAVE TO BE ABLE TO COME TOGETHER AND GROW AS A COHESIVE UNIT, I FOUND THEM AND BROUGHT THEM ON BOARD, AND GOT THEM INTO POSITIONS THAT WOULD BEST FIT THE HR DEPARTMENT AND WE STARTED GROWING THEN. SO, THAT'S THE TRANSITION, AND NOW WHEN I CAME ON BOARD, MY ID NUMBER ASSIGNED TO ME IN THE ROWLETT SEQUENCE, AS OF THE END OF MARCH, WE HAD HIRED 100 MORE PEOPLE THAN MY NUMBER WAS WHEN I CAME ON BOARD, AND THAT WAS 9 MONTHS, SO WE'RE TRYING TO SLOW THAT TREND DOWN, OUTSIDE OF SEASONALS, WE'RE TRYING TO SLOW THAT TREND DOWN.

>> I SAY ALL THAT TO KIND OF SAY TO EVERYBODY IN HERE, YOU GUYS ARE BUILDING THE SHIP AS YOU FLY IT, AND THAT'S PART OF THE PROBLEM, YOU'VE BEEN BUILDING PROCESSES FOR RECRUITING AND CHANGING THE WAY THAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING RECRUITING.

WE'VE NEVER HAD A RECRUITER BEFORE UNTIL I KNOW OF UNTIL RECENTLY BECAUSE OF NECESSITY, AND IN THAT TIME, YOU'VE TAKEN THE DAYS FROM FINDING SOMEBODY TO HIRING THEM --

>> IT WAS BETWEEN 100, TO 120 DOWN TO 83.

>> YOU'VE TAKEN THE ANNUAL TURNOVER, AS I CALCULATE IT, YOU SAID IT'S DOWN TO 7 AND A HALF PER MONTH, SO YOU WERE IN THE

UPPER 20S. >> YES, SIR.

>> DOWN 15 AND A HALF% OVER THE COURSE OF A YEAR, AND THAT'S POSITION, AND OPEN POSITIONS DOWN TO 48 AND A HALF, THE LOWEST IT'S BEEN IN A LONG TIME. SO TO ME THAT MEANS THAT YOU AND YOUR TEAM ARE DOING A REALLY GOOD JOB OF NOT ONLY RECRUITING, BUT HOPEFULLY RECRUITING THE RIGHT PEOPLE.

>> WE'RE TRYING. >> FILLING SOME DIFFICULT POSITIONS, AND WE HAVE SOME POSITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN OPEN AND UTILIZING AN OUTSIDE RECRUITER EVEN FOR THOSE POSITIONS, AND HAVING IMMENSE DIFFICULTY, CERTAINLY THE CULTURE OF THE CITY IS HAUNTING US RIGHT NOW, AND IT'S INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT TO FIND THOSE POSITIONS, AND THE ONUS IS ON ALL OF US TO SET WHAT THAT CULTURE LOOKS LIKE SO WE HAVE A PLACE THAT PEOPLE WANT TO WORK AND FEEL COMFORTABLE COMING TO WORK, AND PART OF IS CERTAINLY THAT WE DON'T HAVE A CITY

[01:50:04]

MANAGER TODAY, WE'RE ACTIVELY RECRUITING, THAT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE A PROBLEM, BECAUSE WE TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE REASONS THAT PROVES ARE COMING IN, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR A GOOD BOSS -- PEOPLE DON'T QUIT JOBS THEY QUIT THEIR BOSS, SO PEOPLE WANT TO HAVE SECURE CITY MANAGEMENT, THAT THEY KNOW THEY CAN COME IN AND NOT WORRY ABOUT% THIS CITY COUNCIL MAKING DECISION, AND HIRING AER THAT COMES IN -- CITY MANAGER THAT COMES IN AND GIVES THE HEAVE HO TO HALF THE PROFESSIONAL STAFF AROUND THE CITY. THANK YOU GUYS FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING. ARE THERE OTHER QUESTIONS, THAT

WAS MORE OF A -- >> ONE COMMENT -- LISTENING TO YOU, YOU'RE TRYING TO FLY THE SHIP WHILE BUILDING IT, AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT, ONE OF YOUR CHALLENGES IS YOU CAN GET THE BODIES, BUT YOU'RE HAVING CHALLENGES WITH -- ESPECIALLY IF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN IN A JOB FOR SIX MONTHS AND A YEAR, DOING AN INTERVIEW WHICH IS A SKILL SET BY ITSELF.

>> YES, SIR. >> MY QUESTION OR MY COMMENT IS IS IT POSSIBLE TO LEVERAGE ACROSS THE ENTIRE CITY, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND FIRE DEPARTMENT AND OTHERS WHO DO A LOT OF INTERVIEWS AND SEEING WHO HAS THAT SKILL SET AND PUT THEM PART OF A TEAM, A THREE PERSON TEAM ON INTERVIEWS, I WAS PUT ON A TEAM ON A REGULAR BASIS, AND YOU'RE ALSO -- EVERYONE LEARNS ALL PARTS OF THE CITY, BECAUSE, YEAH, YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A CONCRETE FINISHER, I CAN BE BROUGHT UP PRETTY QUICK ON CONCRETE FINISHER, AND I'M THROWING THAT OUT TO LEVERAGE PEOPLE OUT THERE, UNTIL YOU CAN GET -- AS A TEMPORARY HOLD TO

HELP -- >> WE DO THAT FOR PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS, BUT THE LABOUR POSITIONS, WE STICK WITH THE HIRING MANAGER AND MAYBE ONE MORE PERSON WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT, BUT WE WILL GO OUT AND SIT WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THEY DON'T ASK THE WRONG QUESTIONS AND GET US INTO ANOTHER LIABILITY ISSUE, BUT WE DO THAT FOR PROFESSIONAL

POSITIONS. >> TRYING TO GET A CONFIDENCE SCALE, BUT I STILL SEE, WE STILL HAVE, AND I KNOW THIS IS A BIG CONCERN FOR -- THE VACANCIES OF THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, AND PUBLIC WORKS WHICH ARE CRITICAL, AND CHIEF OF POLICE. SO WHERE ARE WE AT ON THOSE.

>> THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTORS, WE WENT THROUGH ONE ROUND, AND THE TWO APPLICANTS THAT WE INTERVIEWED WERE NOT -- THEY WOULD NOT HANDLE THE POSITION.

>> I HAVE AN INTERVIEW TOMORROW MORNING, THAT IS QUALIFIED, THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO COME HERE, SO MY JOB TOMORROW IS TO TRY TO

CONVINCE THEM. >> AND ONE OTHER THAT RECENTLY APPLIED THAT I KNEW FROM A DIFFERENT CITY, THAT I WANTED TO HAVE THE CITY MANAGER AND TAKE A LOOK AT, AND GET THEIR THOUGHTS ON IT, BUT PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, WE HAVE TWO CANDIDATES AT THE MOMENT FOR SURE COMING IN NEXT WEEK FOR INTERVIEWS, AND WE'RE TRYING TO SEE IF WE CAN GET A THIRD, BUT AGAIN, SAME ISSUE, AND HISTORICALLY, WE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WANT TO BE HERE. WE'RE TRYING TO GET EVERYBODY TO UNDERSTAND WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD SOMETHING HERE, AND WE NEED THEIR HELP TO BUILD THEIR PART OF THE WHOLE ORGANIZATION, AND GET SOMEBODY THAT IS EXCITED ABOUT THAT, THAT IS QUALIFIED, AND COMPETENT, AND HAS THE SKILL SET TO LEAD PEOPLE.

WE'RE TRYING OUR BEST TO NOT GET SOMEBODY IN THERE AND TOTAL CHAOS AND MOVE THINGS AROUND, TAKE THE TEAM WE'VE GOT AND BUILD WITH THEM, BE A LEADER WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT, AND NOT JUST A MANAGER. BECAUSE, IF YOU CAN LEAD PEOPLE, WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE THE TURNOVER.

TRULY. >> HOW ABOUT THAT --

>> THAT WAS A NEW ONE REQUESTED BY COUNCIL, WE HAVE SOME PEOPLE

THAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO -- >> WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS ONCE, AND HAD THREE CANDIDATES WE INTERVIEWED.

ONE OF THEM WAS FAIRLY STRONG, AND WE MADE HIM A JOB OFFER, AND TRIED TO NEGOTIATE, AND GOT SQUIRRELY, SO WE DIDN'T CONSUMMATE THAT OFFER, SO NOW WE'RE GOING BACK OUT FOR AN INTERIM, AND WE'VE GOT TWO CANDIDATES TO LOOK AT AS

INTERIM. >> JUST TALK ABOUT THE THOROUGHNESS OF THAT PROCESS, BECAUSE WE'VE HAD THAT

CONVERSATION. >> TALK THROUGH OUTSIDE RESOURCES YOU SAW IN INTERVIEWING FOR THAT POSITION.

>> WE BROUGHT IN CURRENT DEVELOPMENT DIRECTORS FROM TWO DIFFERENT CITIES TO BRING US AND HELP US WITH THE INTERVIEW AND EVALUATION PROCESS, AND INCLUDED IN THERE, BOTH INTERVIEW, A PRESENTATION, AND A WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT, AGAIN, I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU HAVE A DOCTORATE AGREE ON, MAKE SURE YOU CAN WRITE, SO

[01:55:05]

I TEST THOSE SKILLS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET -- THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO INTERVIEW WELL, BUT EVEN IF YOU INTERVIEW WELL, YOU DON'T NECESSARILY, THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY A GOOD JUDGE OF FUTURE PERFORMANCE, SO USE WHATEVER TOOLS WE CAN, SO THEY HELPED US EVALUATE AND IDENTIFY THE CANDIDATE THAT WE MADE THE OFFER TO, THEY ALSO RECOMMENDED THAT WE NOT MOVE FORWARD WITH ANOTHER RECRUITMENT UNTIL AFTER WE HAVE A CITY MANAGER.

>> THERE WAS A CONCEPT IN BUSINESS THAT YOU CAN GET SOMETHING GOOD FASTER CHEAP, BUT NOT ALL THREE, GET TWO OF THOSE TYPICALLY. SO WE CAN HIRE SOMEBODY THAT'S GOOD, WE CAN HIRE THEM PRETTY FAST, BUT THEY'RE LIKELY TO BE A CONSULTANT, AND SURE AREN'T GOING TO BE AFFORDABLE, AND I KNOW THERE'S ANGST AMONGST THE COMMUNITY THAT WE WANT PEOPLE IN THESE ROLES, AND I GET THAT, I FEEL IT, BUT WE HAVE TO GET THE RIGHT PERSON, BECAUSE OTHERWISE WE'RE GOING TO FIND OURSELVES IN A SIMILAR POSITION THAT WE'VE BEEN IN.

>> I APPRECIATE YOU BEING METHODICAL, THAN MAKING QUICK

IRON, BECAUSE THAT'S -- >> AND MY THINKING, CERTAINLY FOR COMMENT IF YOU SEE IT DIFFERENTLY, ON THE INTERIM VERY MANY DIRECTOR, FOR THE -- WE WERE LOOKING FOR SOMEBODY TO CREATE RELATIONSHIPS. I'M GOING TO DEEMPHASIZE THAT TO SOME EXTENT WHEN TALKING ABOUT INTERIM, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE HERE VERY LONG TO CREATE RELATIONSHIPS, SO I'M FOCUSING MORE ON THE SIDE OF STRATEGIC EXPERTISE SO THEY CAN GIVE US SOME GOOD STRATEGIC GUIDANCE AS WE WORK TOWARDS THE PERMANENT CANDIDATE, WHO IS SOMEBODY WITH STRONGER COMMUNICATION AND PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT SKILLS.

THAT'S KIND OF THE STRATEGY WE'RE AIMING FOR RIGHT NOW.

>> I WOULD ONLY COUNTER WITH THAT THEY WOULD SHOULD HAVE THE RELATIONSHIPS, THEY'RE IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THEY

SHOULD HAVE THE RELATIONSHIPS. >> THAT'S --

>> THAT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU CREATE, AND SAY I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PERSON, I'M GOING TO CREATE, THEY SHOULD COME IN WITH THOSE.

>> AND THEREIN LIES PART OF THE PROBLEM, THE FOLKS THAT ARE ALREADY REALLY GOOD WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ALREADY HAVE A SOLID GOAL, OR ARE RECRUITED INTO A ROLE WHERE THEY HAVE MORE TOOLS IN THEIR TOOL BET THAN THEY DO IN ROWLETT, AND A MORE STABLE LASTING CULTURE, THAT MAKES IT A CHALLENGE FOR US TO FIND THAT SUPERSTAR. I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU, I AM HOPEFUL WE CAN FIND THAT PERSON. BUT IT'S A LOT MORE DIFFICULT

THAN IT SOUNDS. >> WE'RE NOT THE MOST ATTRACTIVE LOCATION FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT RIGHT NOW.

>> HAVE THOSE -- >> YEAH.

>> I WANT TO COMMENT ON YOUR -- THIS WAS NOT A QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER HR WAS DOING A GOOD JOB OR NOT, I DON'T THINK YOU HAVE TO DEFEND THEM. I THINK IT'S MUCH LIKE THE TRAFFIC LIGHTS, WELL DIDN'T HAVE A BASE.

WE HAD NO BASE POINT TO SAY, ARE WE DOING GOOD OR NOT GOING GOOD, SO WE'VE ESTABLISHED A BASE, 48.5, AND WE'LL TRACK THAT, AND SEE THIS FROM TIME TO TIME, AND THE RESULTS WILL BE THERE.

SO I THINK IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION, FOR THE PUBLIC, AND FOR US, AND AS WE MOVE FORWARD, SO, VERY HAPPY TO SEE THE DATA NOW, AND WE'LL GO FROM HERE.

THANK YOU. >> AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHY I WANT TO SAY, IT'S FOR THE BENEFIT OF THIS PUBLIC, THEY MIGHT SEE THIS MEETING, AND THINK, OH, MY GOSH, ALL THE VACANCIES AND HOLES IN MY STAFF, YOU HAVE AN HR STAFF, THEY'RE LITERALLY TODDLERS RIGHT NOW, THEY JUST LEARNED TO WALK IN THEIR RESPECTIVE ROLES AND THAT MAKES IT SO DIFFICULT -- I DON'T MEAN THAT TO BE ABRASIVE.

>> THEY'RE GREEN. >> THERE YOU GO.

AND A LOT OF PEOPLE THEY WANT TO BE HIRED IN POSITION WHERE THERE'S STABILITY AND PROS, AND THEY CAN COME IN AND CARRY THE WATER, MAKES THIS EASIER, IN ALMOST EVERY POSITION IN THE CITY WE'RE ASKING PEOPLE TO COME IN AND NOT JUST DO THAT, BUT GO ABOVE AND BEYOND AND BUILD PROCESSES, AND AS YOU SAID, BUILD SOMETHING SPECIAL AND MAKE IT THEIR OWN, AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO COME IN AND TAKE OWNERSHIP, AND THAT REQUIRES A HIGHER CALIBRE PERSON.

>> AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR JUST A SECOND, AND A LIGHTER POINT, I THINK WE HAVE TO BE CREATIVE, CERTAINLY IN THIS MARKET, AND YOU KNOW, AS I WAS EXITING MY CAREER, AND MY JOB, SOMEONE CAME TO ME AND SAID I'M LOOKING -- THEY'RE A GRADUATE IN REAL ESTATE AND THEY AN INTERN POSITION, AND I HIRED THEM ON AS AN INTERN KNOWING I WAS GOING TO RETIRE, THEY TOOK MY JOB, AND IT WAS A GREAT REWARD FOR ME, A REWARD EXPERIENCE TO TRY AND -- THE -- TRAIN THE PERSON WHO TOOK MY JOB, THEY'RE DOING AN EXCELLENT JOB AND IT'S A CREATIVE

[02:00:05]

APPROACH, AND I KNOW TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION HAS TRAINED TRAINING IN ROAD CONSTRUCTION, AND BECAUSE THEY KNOW ALL THE ROAD PROJECTS AND ALL THE THINGS ACROSS THE STATE, SO I ASK US TO LOOK OUTSIDE OF THE TRADITIONAL MODELS, AND THINK CREATIVELY AS

WE LOOK AT ALL THESE POSITIONS. >> I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH TWO DEPARTMENTS RECENTLY TO TRY AND CREATE SUCCESSION PLANS AND TRY AND BRING IN SOMEBODY AT A LOWER SKILL SET AND A LOWER PAY TO LEARN AND BRING AND GROW THEM INTO THE POSITION, SO WE'RE

WORKING ON A COUPLE -- >> AND SIMILAR TO THAT, ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS WE HAVE IN PUBLIC WORKSES, WE DON'T JUST NEED A DIRECTOR, BOTH ASSISTANT DIRECTORS ARE MISSING TOO.

WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT UNDER HIRING, WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL, IF WE DO, THAT BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE ANYBODY TO TRAIN THEM, TO BE HONEST. SO WE ARE LOOKING AT POTENTIALLY, MAYBE BRINGING IN SOMEBODY WHO DOESN'T MEET OUR EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS UP FRONT, AND HIRE THEM AT A LOWER

PAY SKILL UNTIL -- >> CREATE A NEW POSITION FOR THAT. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW TO DO THAT IN A WAY THAT DOESN'T CREATE RISK TO THE ORGANIZATION BUT GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING SOME RESOURCE IN, BECAUSE WE HAVE THE -- THE GAP IS TOO LARGE.

IS MY FEAR, IT'S TOO LARGE, I'M NOT SURE WE CAN GO OUT AND FIND THREE HIGHLY QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS TO STEP IN AND ACTUALLY MEET THAT DEPARTMENT -- LEAD THAT DEPARTMENT

EFFECTIVELY. >> ANY OTHER THOUGHTS?

>> ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU RICK, APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. AND YOU GUYS WERE THE ONES, I THINK, THAT HAD ASKED FOR THE ORG CHARTS, DOES THIS KIND OF SATISFY THAT REQUEST, OR ARE YOU LOOKING FOR MORE.

>> I THINK THERE ARE ALOFT HOLES, I DON'T THINK --

>> HOLES NOT JUST VACANCIES. >> MISSING DATA, SO I WOULD SAY IT'S NOT COMPLETE, SO IT'S SOMETHING TO WORK FROM, BUT I

WOULD ASK THAT IT BE -- >> WE'RE WORKING ON A MORE

COHESIVE -- >> IT NEEDS SOME HELP.

>> THE POLICE ONE, WHERE IT HAS SHIFTS, PLUS THE NUMBER OF EACH SHIFT, SPOTS LIKE THAT. ARE THEY RIGHT OR NOT.

>> I WAS STARTING WITH HOW MANY VACANCIES, WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT DATA, AND WHAT ARE THE POSITIONS, AND HOW DOES THAT FIT IN, AND HOW DOES THAT FIT IN THE BUDGET, SO SORT OF A HOLISTIC LOOK, DRILLED DOWN TO, I'M OVER AT HR FOR A SECOND, AND I CAN ALTHOUGH AND SAY WE'RE MITTING THIS -- MISSING THIS SLOT, HERE IS THE SLOT, I DON'T THINK I CAN DO THAT WE HAVE THE DATA WE HAVE

HERE. >> NOR DO I REALLY WANT TO DO THAT, BUT AS WE GET THROUGH THE BUDGETS, AND LOOK AT POSITIONS, IT'S VERY HELPFUL TO HAVE THE DATA.

>> YEAH, AND THIS DATA WILL BE IMPORTANT WHEN WE'RE DOING THE CITY MANAGER SEARCH AND TALKING TO APPLICANTS, AND INTERVIEWING, THIS IS THE REALITY OF IT, YOU'RE GOING TO WALK IN WITH SOMEWHERE BETWEEN MAYBE 30 AND 50 POSITIONS THAT SIT VACANT,% AND YOU'RE GOING TO BE AT LEAST PARTIALLY RESPONSIBLE TO GET FILLED, AS QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE.

>> AND I THINK THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF THE REQUEST, TO REALLY UNDERSTAND. IT'S A TOUGH DISCUSSION, AND WE'RE NOTE EVEN DONE. AND I HAVE A MUCH BETTER UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATION, AND WHAT I DO HEAR, AT SOME POINT I HEAR A PLAN, AND I HEAR LOTS OF PIECES OF THE PLAN.

AND I LOVE THE IDEA TO BECOME PART OF SOMETHING NEW, AND REBUILDING THE CITY. AND GET ON THE GROUND FLOOR, THE PLAN OF HOW WE'RE GOING TO ACHIEVE THIS, SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO WORK TOWARDS, SO I HEAR A LOT OF GOOT ALMOST LIKE SILOS, BECAUSE WE'RE BASICALLY PUTTING OUT FIRES.

>> I'M APPRECIATIVE, BECAUSE NOW WE KNOW, AND IT'S HARD TO PULL

TOGETHER, AND PULL TOGETHER, AN- >> THE PERSONNEL SUMMARY SHEET I SENT HAS ALL THE VACANCIES BY POSITION, WITHIN EACH BUDGETED FUND, SO YOU CAN KIND OF TRACK THAT AS YOUR BASE, AND AS WE START FILLING THESE POSITIONS, AND WE CAN BRING -- YOU DATE% YOUR INFORMATION FROM TIME TO TIME AS YOU REQUEST, AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE HOW WE'RE MOVING AND FILLING THOSE POSITIONS, AND THEN ANY NEW ONES THAT COME OPEN FOR WHATEVER REASON.

>> PERSONALLY I LIKE -- GO WITH EACH PERSON HAD THEIR ORGANIZATIONAL CHART, AND PUT NUMBERS WITH THOSE, I CAN SEE A VISUAL OF WHAT IS MISSING, AND YOU KNOW WHAT'S NOT THERE, WHAT'S ALLOTTED AND WHAT IS MISSING.

>> MOST OF VERY MANY ARE VACANT IN THE SLOTS --

>> THE POLICE ONE, THE NUMBER 111, DIDN'T HAVE NUMBERS IN IT.

[02:05:03]

>> OH, OKAY. >> ONE POSITION OPEN, I GUESS RIGHT NOW, ALMOST NOTHING, THREE.

>> WE DO NEED CONSISTENT -- CAN'T TELL, IT'S A START, I THINK IT'S GOOD. THAT WAS A WIG ASK.

>> WE'LL DO WHAT WE CAN TO GET YOU THE INFORMATION.

THANK YOU. >> WITH THAT, THANK YOU RICK.

APPRECIATE IT. WE WILL TAKE A BRIEF RECESS, AND BE BACK IN ABOUT FIVE, TEN MINU

[3.D. Receive a presentation regarding proposed amendments to the Rowlett Development Code (RDC) and Form Based Code (FBC) regarding requirements for a Special Use Permit for Data Centers.]

>> WE ARE BACK. WE ARE ON ITEM 3D, IT'S 8:16 P.M., RECEIVE A PRESENTATION REGARDING PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE DEVELOPMENT CODE, AND FORM BASED CODE REGARDING SPECIAL USE

PERMITS FOR DATA CENTRES. >> GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL.

>> RE.GOOD EVENING. >> THE PURPOSE OF TONIGHT'S DISCUSSION IS TO DISCUSS THE PROCESS FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR DATA CENTRES WITHIN SPECIFIC, USUALLY THE RISE OR INCREASE IN THIS LAND USE IN AND AROUND THE AREA.

I DO OWE YOU AN APOLOGY IN ADVANCE, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF TYPOS IN ONE OF THE DRAFT ORDINANCES, AND POSSIBLY THROUGH THERE, FORGIVE US, WE WERE IN A HURRY TO MAKE SURE WE INCLUDED THOSE ORDINANCES, AND SO WE WILL TIDY THAT UP SHOULD YOU DECIDE TO PROCEED FORWARD. IT WAS A TEMPLATE WE USED FOR THIS. SO, THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT A FILLER SLIDE, PLEASE DON'T THINK THAT'S WHAT IT IS, BUT THIS IS A VISUAL REPRESENTATION THAT I WANTED TO BROUGHT TO YOUR ATTENTION BEFORE WE DOVE INTO THE ACTUAL ASPECT OF THIS LAND USE. I'M NOT GOING TO READ VERBATIM WHAT IS ON THE SLIDE, BUT YOU CAN SEE -- THE CLUSTER MAP YOU SEE ON THE RIGHT OF THE SCREEN, I WANT TO PREFACE THERE ARE DIFFERENT TYPES OF DATA CENTRES, THEY OFFER DIFFERENT USES, SO THAT BEING SAID, THAT WAS THE INTENT AND PURPOSE OF THIS SLIDE, IT IS AN INCREASE IN LAND USE THAT WE SEE IN AND AROUND THE AREA, AND THEY DO OFFER DIFFERENT MODELS, AND USES.

SO BY WAY OF BACKGROUND, OUR DEVELOPMENT CODES DON'T OFFER A DEFINITION OF THIS LAND USE, AND AS YOU'RE AWARE, AS USES CHANGE, AND BECOME REFINED SHOULD THE COUNCIL WANT TO MOVE FORWARD, DATA CENTRES BE CODIFIED IN THE FORM BASED CODE AND ONLY BE PERMITTED WITH THE APPROVAL OF A SPECIAL USE PERMIT.

WE DID RESEARCH IN AND AROUND THE AREA, THIS IS IN YOUR PACT AS WELL, ONCE AGAIN, I WILL NOT READ THIS VERBATIM, BUT GIVES YOU AN IDEA THAT CITIES WHO CURRENTLY HAVE SIMILAR USES OR ABOUT TO HAVE USES HOW THEY'RE TACKLING THIS LAST USE AND WHAT WITH THIS LACKED USE, SO WE LOOKED AT GARLAND AND IRVING, LOUISVILLE, DENTON, AND THERE IS ANOTHER CITY, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY FORMALIZED THEIR ORDINANCE ADOPTION, BUT THERE ARE CITIES THAT ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH THESE MODELS, AND ARE LOOKING AT WHAT THEIR SURROUNDING PARTNERS ARE DOING TO IDENTIFY HOW THEY WANT TO DEFINE THAT SCOPE WITHIN THAT CODE.

THE STAFF REPORT IS IN DEPTH, AND WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO -- RECEIVE IT HERE AND I WANT TO GO THROUGH SOME KEY ELEMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH POSSIBLE AMENDMENTS, PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE DEVELOPMENT CODE IF YOU CHOOSE TO INCORPORATE THIS USE.

SO FIRST AND FOREMOST WE WILL READ FOR THE DEFINITION.

THIS I WILL READ SO WE ALL UNDERSTAND THE LAND USE.

DATA CENTER IS A FACILITY, BUILDING, CAMPUS, PORTION OF TH% BUILDING OR GROUP OF BUILDINGS USED PRIMARILY TO HOUSE, OPERATE, MANAGE, PROCESS, OR TRANSMIT, MIND, SUPPORT OR MAINTAIN COMPUTER SERVICE, DIGITAL DATA SYSTEMS, CLOUD COMPUTING SURGERIES ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, COMPUTING SYSTEMS, TELECOM EQUIPMENT, BLOCKCHAIN SYSTEMS, CRYPTOCURRENCY MINING SYSTEMS, CO-LOCATION SYSTEMS, OR SIMILAR DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE.

IF YOU RECALL, AT THE ONSET OF OUR CONVERSATION THIS EVENING, I MENTIONED THAT DATA CENTER IS IN SUPPORT USE AND NOT JUST ONE SPECIFIC THING BUT NOT JUST MINING, IT IS NOT JUST CRYPTO.

THERE ARE DIFFERENT COMPONENTS AND OTHER THINGS.