GOOD MORNING.  HELLO. MY NAME IS BEN WEBER. CITY COUNCIL FOR DISTRICT SIX AND I AM THE CHAIR OF THE BOSTON CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON LABOR DESIGN, WORKFORCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. TODAY IS APRIL 9TH, 2024. THIS HEARING IS BEING RECORDED . IT IS ALSO BEING LIVE STREAMED AT BOSTON DARK OF CITY COUNCIL DESK TV AND BROADCAST ON CHANNEL EIGHT RCN CHANNEL 82 AND FIOS CHANNEL 964. WRITTEN COMMENTS MAY BE SENT TO THE COMMITTEE EMAIL AT C CC LABOR AT BOSTON DARK OF AND WILL BE MADE A PART OF THE RECORD AND AVAILABLE TO ALL COUNCILORS.  PUBLIC TESTIMONY WILL BE TAKEN AT THE END OF THIS HEARING. INDIVIDUAL WILL BE CALLED ON IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY SIGNED UP AND WILL HAVE 2 MINUTES TO TESTIFY. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN TESTIFYING IN PERSON PLEASE ADD YOUR NAME TO THE SIGN UP SHEET NEAR THE ENTRANCE OF THE CHAMBER. IF YOU ARE LOOKING TO TESTIFY VIRTUALLY PLEASE EMAIL OUR CENTRAL STAFF LIAISON KARISHMA CHUAN AT KARISHMA CHUAN AT K A R I S H M A DOT C H 0UH AND AT BOSTON DHAKA FOR THE LINK AND YOUR NAME WILL BE ADDED TO THE LIST. TODAY'S HEARING IS ON DOCKET NUMBER 0418. ORDER FOR A HEARING TO DISCUSS LONG TERM CITY JOB VACANCIES. THIS MATTER WAS SPONSORED BY COUNCILOR BRIAN WORRELL AND WAS REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON FEBRUARY 28, 2020 FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS HEARING IS TO DISCUSS THE CURRENT STATE OF VACANCIES ACROSS CITY AGENCIES AND DEPARTMENTS AND TO DETERMINE WHICH NEED WHICH NEED TO BE FILLED TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES OUR RESIDENTS NEED AND WHICH IF ANY POSITIONS CAN BE ELIMINATED WOULD ALLOW US TO IDENTIFY COST SAVINGS AND TO ADVOCATE TO USE THE MONEY ELSEWHERE.  WE'RE JOINED TODAY I'M JOINED BY MY COLLEAGUES IN ORDER OF ARRIVAL.  COUNCILOR FLYNN, COUNCILOR MURPHY.  COUNCIL PRESIDENT LOUIJEUNE. COUNCILOR PEPEN. COUNCILOR REL AND COUNCILOR FITZGERALD. I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE TODAY'S PANELISTS TESTIFYING ON BEHALF OF THE ADMINISTRATION. WE HAVE ASHLEY GRAFTON BURGER CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER ALEX LAWRENCE CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER.  WE'RE ALSO JOINED BY TUNISIA PEOPLES CHIEF OF THE CHIEF OF PEOPLE OFFICER FOR THE BOSS OF PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION.  OKAY CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER FOR THE BOSTON PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION AND FRANCIS CANTY,  CHIEF OF HUMAN CAPITAL WITH THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.  THANK YOU TO ALL THE PANELISTS. I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE SPONSOR BRIAN WORRELL AND UM AND WE WILL START WITH OPENING STATEMENTS FROM THE COUNCILORS WHO HAVE JOINED US HERE AND I'LL START WITH THE SPONSOR COUNCIL ROOM.  THANK YOU. CHAIR WEBER AND CONGRATULATIONS ON HOSTING YOUR FIRST COMMITTEE HEARING. THANK YOU. YEAH. BUCKLE YOUR SEATBELTS. IT'S GOING TO BE A BUMPY.  THANK YOU FOR JOINING US HERE TODAY TO DISCUSS VACANT JOBS WITHIN OUR CITY DEPARTMENT. I CALL FOR THIS HEARING AHEAD OF THE UPCOMING BUDGET PROCESS AND LAST YEAR'S BUDGET PROCESS. THE OFFICE OF BUDGET AND MANAGEMENT STATED THAT 24 LONG TERM VACANT JOBS WERE ELIMINATED DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS. CURRENTLY THE CITY EMPLOYS MORE THAN 18,000 WORKERS AND HAS MORE THAN 1000 VACANCIES. I'M LOOKING TO UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS BEHIND AND HOW THE CITY IDENTIFIES AND REMOVES POSITIONS. I WOULD LIKE TO GET THE DATA AROUND VACANT POSITIONS ACROSS ALL DEPARTMENTS.  HOW LONG IS POSITION HAS BEEN VACANT AND THE SALARY ASSOCIATED WITH THE POSITION? WE SENT OVER A SPREADSHEET ON THURSDAY THAT WE ASKED THE ADMINISTRATION TO FILL OUT AND RETURN TO US AND I WE DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION AS OF YET SO LOOKING FORWARD TO RECEIVING THAT INFORMATION AHEAD OF COURT OR SOMETIMES SOON. SO WE GATHER THAT INFORMATION TO REFER TO DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS.  BUT I WANT TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE IN ONE DEPARTMENT 47 JOBS MIGHT BE BUDGETED FOR 30 ARE FILLED AT TIME OF THE BUDGET. MAYBE TEN ARE FILLED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND SEVEN JOBS GO VACANT ALL YEAR.  WHAT HAPPENS TO THAT SALARY SAVINGS? DOES IT GO TO THE GENERAL FUND OR IS SPENT AT THE DEPARTMENT'S DISCRETION AND WE'RE JUST KIND OF GETTING AN UNDERSTANDING OF THIS POLICY WHAT HAPPENS AND I'M TRYING TO GET A HANDLE OF ANY JOBS UP OVER BUDGETED IN THE BUDGET. SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS CONVERSATION IN THIS DIALOG.  AND THANK YOU, CHAIR. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR FLYNN.  THANK YOU, MR CHAIR AND CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR FIRST HEARING. THANK YOU TO THE SPONSOR FOR THE IMPORTANT WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING AS WELL TO THE ADMINISTRATOR AND TEAM THAT IS HERE. THANK YOU.  I'M GOING TO WITHHOLD MY OPENING STATEMENT AND LISTEN TO THE TESTIMONY FROM THE EXPERTS AND I'LL DEVELOP MY QUESTIONS FROM THERE. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR. THANK YOU.  COUNCIL PRESIDENT LOUIJEUNE, THANK YOU SO MUCH.  I WANT TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS AND THAT SOUNDS GREAT.  CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR FIRST HEARING. AND I WANT TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO THIS. I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE SPONSOR. I SAID IT WHEN YOU FILE THIS I THINK THIS IS A REALLY SMART HEARING AND I ACTUALLY THINK THAT THIS IS A REALLY SMART HEARING FROM THE CHAIR OF WAYS AND MEANS AS WE ARE ABOUT TO ENTER BUDGET SEASON AND TOMORROW WHERE WE GET PRESENTED WITH A FULL PACKET A LOT OF OUR DECISIONS ABOUT WHERE WE ARE SUPPOSED TO, WHERE WE WANT TO ADD, WHERE WE WANT TO ADVOCATE REALLY DEPENDS ON A LOT OF THE VACANCIES BECAUSE OFTENTIMES IT'S LIKE OH WELL THIS MONEY HASN'T BEEN USED IN LAST YEAR'S LINE ITEM BUT WE'RE STILL PROTECTING IT AND WE STILL WANT IT. WELL HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN HERE? HOW LONG HAVE WE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FILL THIS POSITION? I THINK THIS IS AN EXCELLENT CONVERSATION TO HAVE AND I ALSO JUST WANT TO GIVE FLOWERS WERE THERE DO I KNOW CHIEF LAWRENCE ,YOU CAME INTO THIS POSITION AND A BIG GOAL OF YOURS WAS FILLING A LOT OF THOSE VACANCIES AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A THOUSAND AND I BELIEVE IT WAS MORE THAN DOUBLE THAT WHEN YOU STARTED IN YOUR ROLE. SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR HOW MUCH YOU'VE BEEN PAYING ATTENTION ESPECIALLY TO OUR UNIONS, OUR CITY WORKERS AND OUR UNIONS WHO ARE ALWAYS SAYING ABOUT HOW MUCH WORK THEY HAVE TO DO AND THEY NEED HELP CARRYING THAT LOAD.  AND I THINK IT'S SMART FOR US TO TO THINK ABOUT AND I KNOW THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS THROUGH COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS AND THROUGH CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE SALARY THAT WE WANT TO PAY OUR WORKERS. I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. I THINK THAT ACCOUNTS FOR A LOT OF THESE VACANCIES WHEN ON THE PRIVATE MARKET PEOPLE CAN BE GET CAN GET PAID MORE FOR THEIR WORK.  I DEFINITELY THINK THAT WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE FILL THESE VACANCIES TO HELP OUT OUR CITY WORKERS AND OUR UNIONS. AND I THINK THAT WE NEED TO TO LEARN FROM THE BEST PRACTICES THAT YOU'VE ALREADY THAT YOU'VE ALREADY ENGAGED IN. I WAS JUST ON A CALL WITH OUR BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS AND I'M SO HAPPY TO SEE BPC HERE BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WHILE WE HAVE HARD DECISIONS TO MAKE WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE WRAPPING OUR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH THE ADULTS THAT ARE GOING TO HELP THEM SUCCEED AND THRIVE AND BREAK EVERY BARRIER. SO I'M EXCITED THAT WE'RE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION THAT WE HAVE ALL THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM AS WE THINK ABOUT HOW WE FILL THESE VACANCIES AND WHERE THERE IS A VACANCY THAT DOESN'T NEED TO BE ON THE ROSTER, WE THINK ABOUT HOW ARE WE REINVESTING THAT MONEY INTO THE CITY. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.  OKAY, THANK YOU. COUNCILOR PEPEN.  THANK YOU CHAIR WEBER AND CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR FIRST HEARING. IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU UP THERE TOO. ADMINISTRATION THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING DOWN TODAY AND BEING PART OF THIS IMPORTANT CONVERSATION.  I'M REALLY HAPPY THAT COUNCILOR WORRELL INTRODUCES HEARING ORDER BECAUSE IT'S A TOPIC THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO MYSELF AS A CHAIR OF CITY SERVICES. I ALWAYS SEE THAT IN OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO IMPROVE AND EXPAND. SO I'M JUST VERY GLAD THAT I'M HERE TO BE PART OF THIS. YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE VACANCIES THESE VACANCIES NOT ONLY AFFECT OUR RESIDENTS BUT THEY ALSO AFFECT THE CURRENT CITY WORKERS. YOU KNOW, WHEN I TALK TO THE PARKING ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, OUR PUBLIC WORKS EMPLOYEES, OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, THEY DO AMAZING WORK BUT THEY SEE THAT THEY CAN BE DOING WAY MORE IF THEY HAD MORE MORE STAFF MEMBERS AND MORE EMPLOYEES ON THEIR TEAM. SO I JUST WANT TO BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION OF HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO EXPAND OUR TEAMS, HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO DO OUR OUTREACH? HOW CAN EITHER CITY COUNCILOR HELP PROMOTE JOB OPENINGS SO THAT OUR RESIDENTS CAN APPLY TO THEM AND JUST BE PART OF THAT SOLUTION? BUT AGAIN, AS COUNCILOR PRESIDENT LOUIJEUNE MENTIONED, YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB ALREADY OF MAKING SURE THAT OUR VACANCIES DO ARE LESS THAN HOW IT WAS A FEW YEARS AGO BUT I JUST WANT TO BE PART OF THAT SOLUTION. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.  OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR FITZGERALD IT'S A THANK YOU CHAIR IS THIS IS THIS YOUR FIRST ESPINOZA'S WOULD BE NICE IF I WASN'T SURE. CONGRATULATIONS, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU TO THE ADMINISTRATION FOR COMING OUT.  REALLY APPRECIATE YOU GUYS COMING OUT AS HAPPY TO CO-SPONSOR THIS BILL WITH THE COUNCIL . WE'RE ALL AS WE LOOK AT TO THE THE LONG TERM VACANCIES OF THE JOBS AND ALPHA GO ANY FURTHER OPENING STATEMENT AT THE MOMENT JUST THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. OKAY. WE'VE ALSO BEEN JOINED BY COUNCILOR BREADON.  WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE AN OPENING STATEMENT?  I'M SORRY FOR MY TARDINESS AT THE OTHER MEETINGS. I'M HAPPY JUST TO CATCH UP WITH EVERYONE. THANK YOU AS WELL. THANK YOU. AND SO I THANK YOU FOR TO THE SPONSORS COUNCILOR WEIR L AND COUNCILOR FITZGERALD YOU KNOW I THINK OUR UM YOU KNOW MANAGEMENT OF OF THE BUDGET AND OUR ROLE IN THAT IS IS OUR MOST IMPORTANT ROLE AS CITY COUNCILORS. AND SO YOU KNOW I THANK THEM FOR BRINGING THIS AND I THANK THE ADMINISTRATION FOR FOR SHOWING UP IN NUMBERS TODAY AND YOU KNOW ADDRESSING OUR QUESTIONS SO JUST TO TO GET THINGS MOVING I KNOW THERE'S A PRESENT DO YOU WANT TO START WITH THAT? UH, WHO WHO'S WHO WHO'S GOING TO GIVE IT? SURE. WELL, FIRST OF ALL, GOOD MORNING. I'M ASHA GRAFF, MARGARET CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER FOR THE CITY AND I'M ALEX LAWRENCE, CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER FOR THE CITY. SO YEAH, I GUESS I ALLOW THE OTHER TWO PANELISTS INTRODUCE THEMSELVES. OH, HI. GOOD MORNING. I'M TANISHA PEOPLES AND I'M THE CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER FOR THE BOSTON PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION. AND I'M FRANCIS CANTY. I'M CHIEF OF HUMAN CAPITAL FOR BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS. OKAY, SO YEAH, I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR A STATEMENT FROM EACH OF YOU BUT I THINK WE'LL START WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A SLIDE PRESENTATION THAT MIGHT HELP. SURE. SO WE WILL START ON THE CAN OF FINANCE AND PEOPLE UP SIDE HERE IN THE CITY. SO THANKS FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY AND AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR HEARING. JOIN THE CHORUS OF PRAISE.  SO I THINK THIS IS REALLY WELL TIMED AS SOME OF YOU MENTIONED AS WE'RE HEADING INTO BUDGET SEASON. SO THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT THIS REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT ISSUE . I THINK A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT SOME OF THE COUNCILORS RAISED IN THEIR OPENING STATEMENTS ARE EXACTLY WHAT WE ARE PLANNING TO TOUCH ON TODAY AND THAT THERE'S KIND OF TWO WAYS TO LOOK AT VACANCIES HERE IN THE CITY. THERE'S HOW WE THINK ABOUT THEM AND TRY TO ACCOUNT FOR THEM IN THE BUDGET AND THEN THERE'S HOW WE MANAGE THEM THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. SO MY TEAM AND ALEX'S TEAM WORK SUPER CLOSELY TOGETHER AS PART OF BUDGET AND ALL THROUGHOUT THE YEAR TO TRY AND GET THIS RIGHT.  BUT IT IS BOTH A POINTING POINT IN TIME AND A BIT OF A MOVING TARGET SO WE DO OUR BEST TO REFLECT IT BUT YOU KNOW WE ARE CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT THIS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR SO WE'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF AN OVERVIEW OF HOW WE MANAGE THAT SO TO START I CAN TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW WE BUDGET FOR POSITIONS HERE IN THE CITY. SO AS PART OF OUR ANNUAL BUDGET PROCESS OUR OBM OFFICE OF BUDGET AND MANAGEMENT REVIEWS ALL DEPARTMENTS POSITIONS AS THEY'RE PUTTING TOGETHER THE ANNUAL BUDGET TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH WE SHOULD INCLUDE IN THE BUDGET FOR SALARIES AS PART OF THE OPERATING PERSONNEL BUDGET THAT TOTAL OPERATING PERSONNEL BUDGET INCLUDES THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF SALARY FOR ALL POSITIONS AND THEN WE ACTUALLY OFFSET THAT NUMBER.  YOU'LL SEE IT'S ACTUALLY A NEGATIVE NUMBER THAT WE CAN PUT INTO THE BUDGET TO OFFSET AN AMOUNT OF ASSUMED SALARY SAVINGS.  AND WHAT SALARY SAVINGS ARE IS AN ESTIMATE OF HOW MUCH OF THE DEPARTMENT'S POSITIONS WILL REASONABLY REMAIN VACANT DURING THE FISCAL YEAR. SO WE'RE TRYING TO CAPTURE SOME OF THAT AND NOT BUDGET FOR ALL OF THE SALARIES IN THE BUDGET BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THERE IS TURNOVER AND VACANCIES THAT HAPPEN THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.  THE BUDGET OFFICE DETERMINES THAT AMOUNT OF SALARY SAVINGS FOR EACH DEPARTMENT BASED ON PRIOR YEAR PERFORMANCE AT FILLING POSITIONS YOU KNOW OTHER FACTORS YOU KNOW HOW HOW LONG POSITIONS HAVE BEEN VACANT THINGS LIKE THAT AND BUT ALSO TRY TO ASSUME ENOUGH ROOM SO THAT WE GIVE DEPARTMENTS THE ABILITY TO IMPROVE ON THEIR HIRING IF THAT'S THE CASE. SO I INCLUDED AN EXAMPLE HERE KIND OF JUST FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES ONLY USING A MOTOR EQUIPMENT OPERATIONS OPERATORS AND LABOR POSITION AND THE GOAL AS WE REFER TO IT. SO IN THIS EXAMPLE WE'RE SAYING YOU KNOW PUBLIC WORKS HAS AUTHORITY FOR 57 MANUAL POSITIONS BUT YOU KNOW ON AVERAGE ARE ONLY FILLING ABOUT 40 OF THOSE AT ANY GIVEN POINT DURING THE YEAR.  SO AS PART OF THEIR BUDGET WE WILL OFFSET THE TOTAL COST OF 57 MODELS BY AN AVERAGE OF EIGHT POSITIONS LEAVING THEM ENOUGH BUDGET TO FILL 49 SO THEY CAN KEEP THE 40 THEY TYPICALLY FILL AND THEN WE HAVE SOME AUTHORITY IN THERE SHOULD THEY IMPROVE THEIR HIRING PRACTICES TO GET CLOSER TO WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE DEPARTMENT HAVE SO IT'S A IT'S A IT'S A CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE . YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CAPTURING SOME OF THOSE SAVINGS BUT ALSO GIVING DEPARTMENTS MORE FLEXIBILITY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR . GREAT.  OH, I'M DOING THIS ONE. YEAH. SORRY . SORRY . OKAY. AND THEN HOW WE MANAGE DURING THE YEAR SO SO LIKE I SAID, THERE'S KIND OF LIKE WHAT WE PUT IN THE BUDGET AND THEN HOW WE DEAL WITH THAT DURING THE YEAR AND I THINK THAT ANNUAL EXAMPLE IS KIND OF A NICE EXAMPLE OF HOW WE KIND OF HAVE TO BE FLEXIBLE DURING THE YEAR. SO LIKE I SAID MY TEAM THE BUDGET TEAM ALEX'S SHOP OVER IN PEOPLE OPS ARE WORKING SUPER CLOSELY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AS DEPARTMENTS ARE SEEKING TO FILL AND HIRE FOR THOSE POSITIONS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THEIR OVERALL BUDGET.  BUT LIKE I SAID IN THE PREVIOUS EXAMPLE WHILE DEPARTMENT MIGHT HAVE ENOUGH BUDGET TO FILL 49 OF THOSE ANNUAL POSITIONS, THINGS HAPPEN THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, RIGHT? THERE MAY BE DIFFERENT OPERATIONAL NEEDS AND SO THE DEPARTMENT NEEDS TO BE FLEXIBLE IN HOW MANY OF THOSE POSITIONS ARE HIRING. WE ALSO HAVE LABOR CONSIDERATIONS AS WE'RE FILLING POSITIONS AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT ALEX'S TEAM HELPS WITH US. AND THEN THERE'S ALSO YOU KNOW ,NEW POSITIONS BECOME VACANT, AN ADDITIONAL SALARY SAVINGS COME UP SO WE ARE CONSTANTLY MANAGING SPENDING AND POSITIONS ALL THROUGHOUT THE YEAR IN CLOSE CONSULTATION WITH FINANCE AND PEOPLE OPS THANKS SO MUCH ACTUALLY SO I WANTED TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY LIKE BREAK WHAT ASHLEY SAID DOWN ANOTHER LAYER OF GRANULARITY AND TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW OUR DECENTRALIZED HIRING PROCESS WORKS IN PRACTICE. I'VE BEEN WITH THE CITY FOR ABOUT A DECADE AND I FEEL LIKE IT IT CAN SEEM REALLY LIKE IT CAN BE REALLY COMPLEX AND WONKY BUT SORT OF EVERY STEP IN THE PROCESS HAS A REALLY IMPORTANT REASON THAT ALLOWS OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS TO HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY THEY NEED WITH OUR CENTRAL DEPARTMENTS HAVING THE AMOUNT OF CONTROL THAT WE HAVE TO JUST REALLY BE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT HOW WE FILL POSITIONS AND ALSO CONTAINS COST THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. SO THERE IS SORT OF A PART OF THE PROCESS THAT WE REFER TO AS THIS HER WHOLE LIFE CYCLE IS BOTH HOW THE PROCESS IN WHICH WE POST A POSITION AND THE PROCESS IN WHICH WE FILL A POSITION AND SO MOST OF THE PROCESS IN POSTING A POSITION HAPPENS WITH CONTROL WITH OUR CENTRALIZED DEPARTMENTS AND DEPARTMENTS THEMSELVES ARE REALLY FOCUSED ON THE FILLING OF THE POSITION. SO LET ME GIVE A CONCRETE EXAMPLE BECAUSE IT CAN BE A LITTLE BIT CONFUSING IF YOU'RE NOT IN THE WEEDS OF THIS EVERY DAY. SO LET'S IMAGINE PICK ON PUBLIC WORKS AGAIN THEY HAVE A RECEPTIONIST POSITION AND THEY'VE HAD A RECEPTIONIST WHO'S BEEN THERE FOR ABOUT AN ASSISTANT ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE LET'S SAY THEY THEY'VE BEEN THERE FOR 30 YEARS. THEY'VE DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB BUT THEY'VE RETIRED AND THE DEPARTMENT SEES THAT THAT VACANCY THAT HAPPENS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR THEY DIDN'T NECESSARILY KNOW THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE THAT VACANCY. NOW THEY HAVE THAT VACANCY. SO THEY MIGHT SAY AS A DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE REALIZED THROUGHOUT COVID AND THROUGHOUT THE LAST FEW YEARS THAT OUR RECEPTIONISTS WHO ARE INCREDIBLY VALUABLE GREETERS TO OUR CONSTITUENTS ALSO REALLY HAVE THE CAPACITY TO TAKE ON DIFFERENT KIND OF WORK THAT WILL REALLY MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE USING THAT WE'RE GETTING THE BEST VALUE OUT OF THAT POSITION. AND SO THEY MIGHT THAT PUBLIC WORKS MIGHT SAY OKAY, WE WANT TO ACTUALLY HAVE THEM SUPPORT OUR PAYROLL FUNCTION AS WELL BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE AS MANY PEOPLE COMING IN PERSON ANYMORE. WE'VE PUT SOME OF OUR SERVICES ONLINE AND SO WE THINK THIS POSITION COULD BE USED VALUABLY TO ALSO BE COMBINED WITH A PAYROLL POSITION SO THEY MIGHT WRITE THE NEW JOB DESCRIPTION THAT THEY WANT TO HAVE FOR THIS SORT OF OFFICE MANAGER PAYROLL CLERK POSITION THAT'S SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT THE RECEPTIONIST POSITION WAS. THEY WOULD SUBMIT THAT TO OUR CLASS AND COMPENSATION FUNCTION AND IN THIS EXAMPLE LET'S SAY THE CLASS AND COMPENSATION FUNCTION SAYS OKAY, THIS JOB HAS BECOME MORE COMPLEX. WE ACTUALLY WANT THIS JOB TO BE GRADED HIGHER THAN IT WAS PREVIOUSLY. WE'D ALSO IN THIS EXAMPLE LET'S SAY THIS DEPARTMENT WAS IN A UNION WE'D WORK WITH LABOR RELATIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE IMPACT BARGAINING THE CHANGES THAT WERE WRITING TO THE JOB DESCRIPTION AND THEN IN THIS CASE BECAUSE THIS JOB WE'VE MADE IT MORE COMPLEX WE'RE ALSO GOING TO HAVE AN ASSOCIATED HIGHER WE'RE GOING TO PAY MORE FOR THIS PARTICULAR POSITION SO WE'VE EXPENDED MORE BUDGET IN THE CONCEPT OF THIS POSITION. THEY WOULD THEN AFTER THIS SORT OF JOB DESIGN FUNCTION HAPPENS WHERE YOU'VE DESIGNED THE JOB DESCRIPTION, YOU'VE WORKED THROUGH LABOR, THEY'VE TRACKED WITH BUDGET TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BUDGET CAN ABSORB THE ADDITIONAL COST. IT WILL THEN GO THROUGH OUR PERSONNEL REVIEW COMMITTEE AGAIN JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THE ASPECTS OF THE POSITION ARE CORRECT. WE'RE SORT OF LIKE WHEN WE EVENTUALLY HAVE A PERSON IN THIS POSITION WE'RE GOING TO PAY THEM RIGHT? IT'S GOING TO HAVE THE RIGHT BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH IT. WE'VE SORT OF DONE THE ADMINISTRATIVE WORK TO SET THIS POSITION UP FOR SUCCESS SO THAT WE'RE DOING THIS BEFORE THERE'S A CANDIDATE IN THE POSITION. THEN THE DEPARTMENT THEMSELVES PUBLIC WORKS IS NOW REALLY GOING TO DO THAT RECRUITING FUNCTION. THEY'RE GOING TO GO TO WHERE THEY THEY'RE GOING TO POST IT ON THE WEBSITE.  THEY MIGHT HAVE CERTAIN NETWORKS THAT THEY PULL FROM. THEY'RE GOING TO MANAGE A HIRING PROCESS.  THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE AN INTERNAL INTERVIEW PROCESS. THEY'RE GOING TO SELECT THEIR CANDIDATE.  THEY'RE GOING TO BE BROADLY SPEAKING NEGOTIATE WITH THAT CANDIDATE FOR A SALARY THEY'RE GOING TO CHECK BACK AGAIN WITH THOSE CENTRAL FUNCTIONS TO ENSURE THAT THE SALARY IS WHAT WE APPROVED AND WITHIN BUDGET AND THEN THEY'LL BE ABLE TO HIRE THAT APPLICANT.  SO I REALIZE THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A LONG STORY BUT I THINK IT'S JUST A HELPFUL ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE TO SAY HOW ONE VACANCY CAN LOOK LIKE ONE THING AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR OR NOT EVEN BE REFLECTED IN OUR VACANCY NUMBERS BUT REALLY END UP BEING USED FOR A DIFFERENT PURPOSE THROUGHOUT THE CONTEXT OF THE YEAR AND SO SORT OF RECOGNIZING WHEN I TOOK THIS BRAND NEW ROLE ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO AS AS MANY OF YOU REFLECTED AS COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE HIGHLIGHTED, WE HAD, YOU KNOW, A VERY LARGE VACANCY RATE. I HAD COME FROM BEING THE HEAD OF A DEPARTMENT THE DEPARTMENT OF INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY WHERE WE HAD QUITE A NUMBER OF VACANCIES AND IT WAS JUST VERY CLEAR THAT WE NEEDED TO REALLY PUT ALL HANDS ON DECK AND FOCUS ON HOW WE RECRUIT AND RETAIN OUR WORKFORCE.  SO WE LAUNCHED WHAT WAS CALLED THE HIRING IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVE AND WHILE HIRING IS IN THE TITLE IT REALLY SPANS NOT JUST ABOUT HIRING BUT ALSO ABOUT HOW WE RETAIN OUR STAFF AND MAKE SURE THAT OUR POLICIES AND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING CONTRACTS REFLECT A TOP NOTCH WORKFORCE THAT WE CAN HAVE OUR WORKERS STAY AND HAVE AN AMAZING CAREER IN THE CITY. AND SO THIS IS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN PEOPLE, OPERATIONS, FINANCE AND DO IT AND OF COURSE ALL CITY DEPARTMENTS TO REALLY APPROVE OUR PROCESSES, OUR POLICIES, OUR SYSTEMS AND TOOLS THAT GOVERN HIRING. AND THE GOAL WAS REALLY TO REDUCE THAT TIME TO HIRE AND REDUCE THE NUMBER OF VACANCIES WHERE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SEE A LOT OF SUCCESS IN THAT PROCESS . AND SO THERE'S BEEN A TON OF DIFFERENT TOOLS THAT WE'VE USED ABOUT HOW WE WOULD WORK TO FILL VACANCIES. WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT OUR POSITIONS, WE'VE BEEN BEING CREATIVE WITH OUR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING CONTRACTS TO REALLY THINK ABOUT OUR WORKERS AND THEIR NEEDS AND HOW WE CAN MAKE THESE JOBS AS ATTRACTIVE AS POSSIBLE.  WE'VE BEEN FACILITATING A BUNCH OF COMPENSATION REVIEWS WORKING TO PART WITH DEPARTMENTS FOR REALLY TARGETED POSITIONS OR TARGETED STRATEGIES TO FILL PARTICULARLY HARD TO POSITIONS FILLED TWO POSITIONS WE'VE PIVOTED FROM WHAT PREVIOUSLY OFTEN TOOK THE FORM OF JOB FAIRS TO HIRING DAYS REALIZING THAT YOU KNOW, JUST SORT OF GOING INTO A BLACK BOX AND APPLYING TO A TON OF JOBS WAS NOT A REALLY SUCCESSFUL WAY FOR BOTH DEPARTMENTS TO FIND THE TALENT THEY NEED AND WAS NOT A GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE EXPERIENCE FOR OUR APPLICANTS. SO FINDING REALLY I WANT TO USE 911911 CALL TAKERS AN EXAMPLE TO ILLUSTRATE BOTH OUR SUCCESS OF HIGHER DAYS AND SOME OF THESE OTHER TARGETED IMPROVEMENTS WE'VE DONE SO AH I THINK OUR VACANCY RATE FOR 911 CALL TAKERS IN OCTOBER WENT AS HIGH AS 37% AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO DO A BUNCH OF WORK BOTH WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF A COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT WHICH ENABLED US TO UPGRADE PAY, MAKE SOME UPDATED JOB DESCRIPTIONS, SOME RETENTION BONUSES ETC. BUT THEN ALSO HAD A SPECIFIC HIRING DAY FOR 911 CALL TAKERS WERE ABLE TO MAKE 17 JOB OFFERS THAT RESULTED IN 11 HIRES AND NOW OUR VACANCY RATE FOR THAT PARTICULAR POSITION IS DOWN TO 16 AND I THINK ONCE WE ARE ABLE TO FULLY TRAIN FOLKS IT WILL GO DOWN EVEN LOWER. SO WE'VE REALLY BEEN FOCUSING ON THOSE TARGETED INTERVENTIONS FOR SPECIFIC PLACES WHERE WE KNOW WE HAVE A DIFFICULT ABILITY TO HIRE AND I USED THAT EXAMPLE REALLY TO ILLUSTRATE THAT IN SIX MONTHS WE CAN MEANINGFULLY MOVE THE NEEDLE IF WE'RE ABLE TO BE FOCUSED ON IT. IT'S JUST BEEN A LOT OF IT AT ONCE.  AND SO WITH THAT I WILL TURN IT BACK OVER TO ASHLEY.  OKAY. AND THEN JUST JUST CLOSING KIND OF BACK TO MY INITIAL POINT. WE HAVE SORT OF HOW WE DEVELOP THE BUDGET AND THE ASSUMPTIONS WE MAKE AROUND VACANCIES AS PART OF THE BUDGET THAT ARE REFLECTED IN THE FORM OF SALARY SAVINGS THAT WE FACTOR INTO THE BUDGET AND FLOW THROUGH TO THE BOTTOM LINE FOR DEPARTMENTS.  BUT VACANCIES ARE VERY FLUID AND ARE CHANGING CONSTANTLY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR BASED ON DEPARTMENT'S NEEDS AND PRIORITIES, DIFFERENT LABOR CONSIDERATIONS AND OTHER FACTORS INCLUDING AVAILABLE BUDGET AND AS ALEX HIGHLIGHTED THE CITY IS UNDERGOING MANY MANY TARGETED IMPROVEMENTS TO THE HIRING PROCESS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE MITIGATING THE NUMBER OF VACANCIES WE HAVE OVERALL I THINK THAT'S IT FROM US TOO. OKAY. JUST BEFORE BEFORE WE HEAR FROM THE OTHER TWO PANELISTS, WE HAVE BEEN JOINED BY COUNCILORS COLETTA AND COMMITTEE VICE-CHAIR MARIA. BUT I'LL GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE OPENING STATEMENTS IF YOU WANT BUT I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE OTHER PANELISTS FIRST. SO I GUESS CHIEF PEOPLES DO YOU HAVE SOME GOOD MORNING TO REMEMBER COUNCILOR WORRELL AND ESTEEMED COUNCILORS. MY NAME IS TANISHA PEEPLES AND I AM THE CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER AT THE BOSTON PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION. THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME TO JOIN YOU HERE TODAY AND TALK ABOUT OUR VACANCIES AND WHAT WE SEE AT THE BOSTON PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION AND HOW WE'RE TAKING ACTION TO CONFRONT RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION CHALLENGES THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC AMPLIFIED THE NEED TO TO SEARCH FOR HIGHLY SKILLED PUBLIC HEALTH WORKFORCE HERE IN BOSTON AS THE BOSTON PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION CONTINUES TO MEET TODAY'S CHALLENGES AND PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE PROMOTE STAFF WELLBEING,  INCREASE MORALE AND ENSURE A PIPELINE FOR FUTURE PUBLIC HEALTH LEADERSHIP. OUR STAFF ARE MOST IMPORTANT ASSET AND WE STRIVE TO BUILD A HEALTHIER BOSTON.  WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 150 VACANCIES ACROSS THE COMMISSION AND AS YOU CAN TELL FROM THESE NUMBERS THE BOSTON PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION IS CURRENTLY NAVIGATE THROUGH A SIGNIFICANT PHASE OF RECRUITMENT.  THE CHALLENGES THAT WE ARE FACING IN FILLING ROLES ARE MULTIPLE FACETED PARTICULARLY FOR SOME OF OUR FRONTLINE WORKERS AND OUR SPECIALIZED PUBLIC HEALTH ROLES WHICH REQUIRE NOT JUST QUALIFICATIONS BUT A DEEP COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC SERVICE AND RESILIENCE IN THE FACE OF PUBLIC HEALTH CHALLENGES.  I'M GOING TO MENTION A NUMBER OF EXCITING INITIATIVES THAT ARE UNDERWAY TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN OUR STAFF BUT I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT THAT ALL OF THE WORK THAT IS ALIGNED THAT I'M SHARING TODAY IS UNDER OUR BOSTON PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION'S NEW 2024 TO 2027 STRATEGIC PLAN WHICH SETS WORKFORCE AND INFRASTRUCTURE AS OUR TOP PRIORITY IN THIS AREA AS A FIRST STEP TOWARDS IMPLEMENTING THESE PLANS IN JANUARY I WAS APPOINTED THE CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER TO LEAD THE WORK MOVING FROM MY PREVIOUS ROLE IN HUMAN RESOURCES.  A YEAR AGO WE WERE AWARDED $8.9 MILLION GRANT FROM THE CDC TO ADDRESS BOTH SHORT AND LONG TERM CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS.  WE'RE DEPLOYING THIS FUNDING TO STRENGTHEN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT AND QUALITY IMPROVEMENT AS WELL AS INFORMATICS AND DATA SYSTEMS AND EMPLOYEE BENEFITS AND WELLNESS. FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING UNDER THIS GRANT IS INITIATING A SALARY REVIEW OF ALL NON UNION PERSONNEL. THIS IS A VITAL STEP INVOLVED IN BRINGING WE HIRED A SENIOR COMPENSATION ANALYST INTO OUR TEAM JUST RECENTLY TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN REMAIN COMPETITIVE AND EQUITABLE. THIS GRANT WILL ALSO ADVANCE THE BOSTON PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION'S WORKFORCE INITIATIVE WORKFORCE IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVE. SO OUR WIN INITIATIVE A PROGRAM THAT IS MEANT TO CULTIVATE A STRONG AND SUPPORTIVE WORK ENVIRONMENT THAT CHAMPIONS EMPLOYEES NEEDS AND THEIR AMBITIONS.  IT OPERATES ON THE VALUES OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION AND IT HAS FIVE KEY PILLARS WELLNESS COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS SAFETY AND SECURITY, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND ENGAGEMENT AND APPRECIATIONS.  PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IS CRITICALLY A STRONG AREA FOR US. THE COMMISSION IS COMMITTED TO STRENGTHENING, APPRECIATING, DIVERSIFYING AND RETAINING OUR WORKFORCE.  IN RECENT YEARS WE'VE LAUNCHED SEVERAL COHORT PROGRAMS AIMED AT NURTURING FUTURE LEADERS FROM WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATION. FOR EXAMPLE OUR BIPOC EMERGING LEADERS COHORT AND OUR DIVERSE EMERGING LEADERS COHORT FOR WOMEN WAS INTRODUCED IN OUR WITH HARVARD IN 2022 AND HAVE SUCCESSFULLY BROUGHT TOGETHER 23 PROMISING INDIVIDUALS SIMILARLY, OUR TARGETED EFFORTS AT SIMMONS AND OUR BIPOC WOMEN COHORT THROUGH CLEARLY LEAD HIGHLIGHT OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION ENSURING THAT EVERY VOICE IS HEARD AND EVERY POTENTIAL LEADER IS NURTURED.  OVERALL 169 STAFF HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THESE COHORT PROGRAMS AND WE HAVE A HIGHER RETENTION RATES WITHIN THESE COHORTS WITH AT LEAST 80% OF OUR PARTICIPANTS REMAINING WITH US.  WE ALSO TRACK EMPLOYEES WHO PARTICIPATE IN OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TEAMS WE PROVIDE SUCH AS RESUMé WORKSHOPS, WRITING WORKSHOPS AND CAREER COACHING SESSIONS FOR OUR RESUMé WORKSHOPS.  WE ARE PARTICULARLY PROUD TO SHARE THAT ALL OUR PARTICIPANTS HAVE SUCCESSFULLY RETAINED AND ONE JUST RECENTLY WAS PROMOTED TO A DIRECTOR OF POSITION TO FURTHER ENHANCE OUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OFFERINGS AND TO ENSURE OUR STAFF HAS ACCESS TO CONTINUOUS LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES. WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF IMPLEMENTING A LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM THIS INNOVATIVE PLATFORM WILL STREAMLINE THE DELIVERY AND THE AND FOR EDUCATIONAL CONTENT MAKING IT EASIER FOR OUR EMPLOYEES TO ENGAGE IN LEARNING ACTIVITIES THAT ARE CRUCIAL TO THEIR DEVELOPMENT.  THE INTRODUCTION OF THIS IS A STRATEGIC ADDITION TO OUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK AIM TO PROVIDING OUR WORKFORCE WITH TOOLS AND RESOURCES NECESSARY FOR THEM TO THRIVE.  WE RECOGNIZE THAT IN ADDITION TO ATTRACTING AND RETAINING CANDIDATES BY MAKING THE BOSTON PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION A GREAT PLACE TO WORK, WE NEED TO IMPROVE OUR RECRUITMENT AND HIRING PROCESS.  TO THAT END, WE'VE RECENTLY LAUNCHED A HIRING EVALUATION INITIATIVE TO IMPROVE OUR EVALUATION PROCESS. WE'RE IDENTIFYING OUR CURRENT PRACTICES, ANALYZING OUR APPLICANT POOL AND THOSE HIRED OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS AND IDENTIFYING SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIES IN RECRUITING AND HIRING DIVERSE STAFF.  WE'VE ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCED OUR PRESENCE ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES.  THIS INITIATIVE INCLUDES ATTENDING CAREER FAIRS,  PARTICIPATING IN PANEL DISCUSSIONS AND COLLABORATING WITH ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS TO SHOW THE IMPACTFUL WORK THAT WE DO AND THE REVERSE CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IS AVAILABLE WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATION. WE'RE ALSO PARTNERING WITH THE DIVERSE DIRECTOR OF DIVERSITY WITHIN THE PEOPLE OPERATIONS TEAMS AT THE CITY OF BOSTON TO PARTICIPATE INTERVIEW DAY TO HELP ASSIST WITH OUR RECRUITING EFFORTS.  FURTHERMORE, WE RECOGNIZE THE VALUE OF FORMING STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS WITH RECRUITING RECRUITMENT AGENCIES THAT SPECIALIZES IN AREAS WHERE OUR VACANCIES ARE MOST PRONOUNCED IN ORDER TO ATTRACT INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE NOT ONLY HIGHLY SKILLED BUT ALSO DEEPLY ALIGNED WITH THE MISSION AND VALUES OF OUR ORGANIZATION.  FINALLY, I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE EFFORTS UNDERWAY AT THE BOSTON EMS WHICH AS YOU KNOW IS OUR BIGGEST BUREAU AT THE BOSTON PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION. BOSTON EMS IS WORKING TO ADVANCE ENHANCED STAFFING FILL VACANCIES AND BUILD OUT THE DEPARTMENT TO MEET THE RISING DEMAND FOR THEIR SERVICES.  IN THE LAST TWO YEARS THE CITY HAS STRENGTHENED BOSTON EMS WORKFORCE BY APPROVING 34 ADDITIONAL POSITIONS AT BOSTON EMS 29 A UNIFORMED FIVE OR NON-UNIFORMED EMS HAS BEEN WORKING IN A VERY TARGETED WAY TO FILL THESE NEW POSITIONS AS WELL AS ANY VACANCIES.  OVER THE LAST NINE MONTHS BOSTON EMS HAS SUCCESSFULLY HIRED MORE THAN 90 MEMBERS TO JOIN ITS TEAM OF NOW OF 428 UNIFORMED PERSONNEL.  FOR THE FIRST TIME IN TWO DECADES, BOSTON EMS HAS ESTABLISHED A CADET PROGRAM WHERE INDIVIDUALS ARE PAID BE TRAINED AS EMTS TO STREAMLINE THE CADET HIRING PROCESS. BOSTON EMS HAS EMPLOYED THE CITY'S EMPLOY THE CITY'S NEW HIRED IN A DAY CONCEPT. AND WE'RE PLEASED TO SHARE THAT THE FIRST COHORT OF 12 CADETS GRADUATED FROM THE PROGRAM AT THE END OF MARCH AND WILL BE MOVING ON TO THE RECRUIT ACADEMY.  ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE 40 EMS RECRUITS STARTING WITH US ON APRIL 22ND AND ANOTHER 22 CADETS BEGINNING ON APRIL 29TH AND 2023. BOSTON EMS START TO RECRUIT GRADUATIONS RECOGNIZING A TOTAL OF 26 INDIVIDUALS IN THEIR TRANSITION FROM RECRUIT TO BEST EMT. THEY ARE NOW IN AMBULANCES AND DISPATCH OPERATIONS.  ADDITIONALLY, THREE DEPARTMENT MEMBERS WERE PROMOTED TO THE RANK OF CAPTAIN IN AUGUST OF 2023 BOLSTERING BOSTON EMS ABILITY TO TRAIN AND TRAIN NEW AND CURRENT PERSONNEL.  WE ARE GRATEFUL TO SEE THE MAYOR'S RECOMMENDED BUDGET INCLUDES 12 NEW POSITIONS FOR EMS AND WE ARE HOPEFUL COUNCIL WILL APPROVE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AND THIS FRIDAY WE HAVE ANOTHER COHORT OF RECRUITS WHO WILL BE GRADUATING FROM THE ACADEMY AND WE'LL BE CELEBRATING THIS GRADUATION AND OTHER PROMOTIONS ALONG AMONG THE RANKS AT THE CEREMONY ON FRIDAY AT 11 AND WE HOPE YOU ALL CAN JOIN US AGAIN.  THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN TODAY'S HEARING AND I LOOK FORWARD TO ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS.  THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CHIEF PEEPLES, I WENT TO THE OPENING OF THE EMS FACILITY IN WEST ROXBURY.  IT'S IMPRESSIVE THE TRAINING FACILITIES THERE IN THE NEW GARAGE. SO CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU. TROUBLE DOWN THERE, CHIEF. CHIEF CANTY. GOOD MORNING, TEAM COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS FRANCIS CANTY.  I'M THE CHIEF OF HUMAN CAPITAL FOR BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU WE HAVE A GOOD STORY TO TELL ABOUT BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS WERE AS YOU KNOW, EXTREMELY DIFFICULT.  WE HAD A WE HAD A WE HAD A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF PEOPLE LEAVE THE PROFESSION AND AS A RESULT IT WAS COVID FOUND THEM A VERY HARD TIME TRYING TO FIND EDUCATORS TO STAY IN THE DISTRICT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT.  WE YOU KNOW, WE FACED A LOT OF VACANCIES AND WE HAD TO PIVOT AND WE HAD TO MAKE REALLY TOUGH DECISIONS ON HOW WE EDUCATE OUR T OUR STUDENTS THIS YEAR.  AS OF RIGHT NOW WE ONLY HAVE 50 VACANCY AND THAT'S A THAT'S A THAT'S A LOT FOR US TO SAY THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE 50 VACANCIES OF EDUCATORS. AND THOSE ARE USUALLY OUR HARDER THINGS TO FILL AND THEY CAN BE YOUR SCIENCE TEACHERS.  ANOTHER QUESTION OF VACANCIES WE GENERALLY HAVE IS MADISON. MADISON IS A SCHOOL YOU HAVE TO BE A VERY YOU HAVE TO BE TECHNICALLY THE LICENSURE TOO FOR THOSE FOR THAT SCHOOL IT'S VERY TECHNICAL. IT'S EXTREMELY HARD TO GET.  SO THAT USUALLY IS ONE OF THE PLACES WHERE WE HAVE THE HIGHEST AMOUNT OF VACANCIES. BUT EVERY YEAR WE YOU KNOW, WE PUT UP WE DO OUR BEST TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE POSITIONS CAN IN FACT BE FILLED.  AND WE HAVE MADE EVERY EFFORT TO TRY TO RECRUIT INSTEAD OF HAVING PEOPLE COME TO US. OUR RECRUITMENT TEAM AS IS OFTEN GOING OUT TO THE PUBLIC TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN OFFER POSITIONS AND JOBS TO PEOPLE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY WHO ARE WHO ARE PILLARS OF THE COMMUNITY HAVE THEM WORK IN BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL.  WE ARE WE ARE OF COURSE AS YOU GUYS KNOW, THIS YEAR WAS WE HAD TO MAKE A LOT OF TOUGH DECISIONS AND YOU PROBABLY HAVE HEARD YOUR DIFFERENT CONSTITUENTS CALLED BECAUSE THE MONEY THAT DPS HAD WHICH IS CALLED THE ESSER DOLLARS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS ENDED THOSE FUNDS. THOSE FUNDS ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE FOR THE 2425 SCHOOL YEAR. SO AS A RESULT HAS HAD TO MAKE A LOT OF HARD DECISIONS.  SO OUR VACANCIES ARE ARE INTERESTING BECAUSE VACANCIES OFTEN FOR GPS MEANS THAT WE HAVE AN EDUCATOR WHO IS PROBABLY NOT LICENSED.  SO FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO LIKE TO TEACH AND FOR US TO GET A LICENSE FOR THEM WE HAVE TO IN FACT POSTER JOBS.  AND THEN THAT EDUCATOR WILL BE HIRED AGAIN BUT WE HAVE TO POST A JOB SELECT WHILE IT MAY LOOK LIKE BP'S HAVE VACANCIES, CAN'T WE IDEALLY DON'T BECAUSE LIKE WE HAVE TO GO WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF POSTING A JOB. THE JOB HAS TO GO. IT HAS TO BE POSTED AND THEN THAT'S HOW WE CAN GET A A TEMPORARY LICENSE FOR THAT INDIVIDUAL.  ANOTHER THING THAT'S GOING TO BE REALLY HELPFUL FOR US THIS YEAR IS THE MASSACHUSETTS D.C. MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF SECONDARY EDUCATION HAS IN FACT EXTENDED A TEMPORARY LICENSE FOR EDUCATORS SO EDUCATORS WILL BE ABLE TO RECEIVE AN EXTENSION ON THE EMERGENCY LICENSE WHICH WILL BE VERY BENEFICIAL FOR THE DISTRICT WILL BE IT WILL BE ABLE TO HIRE INDIVIDUALS WHO WHO RIGHT NOW ARE WORKING ON THEIR LICENSE. BUT THERE ARE ON THIS TEMPORARY LICENSURE.  WE ALSO WE WE DID A LOT OF CONCERTED EFFORTS OF OUR BUS DRIVERS FOR A LONG TIME WE COULD NOT FIND LICENSED BUS DRIVERS BUT NOT OFFER THE ABILITY FOR YOU TO GET YOUR CDL THROUGH BEEPS. WE COULD NOT GET BUS MONITORS AGAIN.  WE WE'RE GOING TO THE COMMUNITY IN MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN GET WE CAN GET THOSE PEOPLE TO WORK FOR US.  OF COURSE AS YOU GO THROUGH THIS BUDGET, YOU KNOW WE'RE HAVING A HUGE BUDGET SHORTFALL . WE HAVE QUITE A FEW YOU WANT TO GIVE US A MORE OF ANYTHING WE'LL BEEPS.  WE'LL NEVER SAY NO.  WE WILL NEVER SAY NO.  BUT WE DO HAVE A GOOD STORY TO TELL THIS YEAR. WE YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE'RE CONSTANTLY WORKING ON OUR VACANCY NUMBERS. IT HASN'T BEEN EASY ESPECIALLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS THAT THAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US AND WE ARE WORKING TIRELESSLY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN GET EDUCATORS LICENSE. THAT'S WHY BEEPS OFFER IN TALK COURSES. WE EVEN GIVE IT AT A DISCOUNTED RATE. WE HAVE WE'VE ESTABLISHED MANY PROGRAMS SO THAT WE CAN GET EDUCATORS ON THE RIGHT PATH TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR LICENSE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME THIS MORNING.  OKAY. THANK YOU SO I'LL OFFER COUNSELORS COLETTA HERE. YOU CAN MAKE AN OPENING STATEMENT NOW OR I CAN JUST I CAN ADD ON A LITTLE TIME WHEN YOU ASK QUESTIONS. OKAY. COUNSELOR MEJIA.  OKAY. OPTION TWO SO WE'LL START IT'S GOING TO BE 5 MINUTES IN THE FIRST ROUND AND IT'S GOING TO BE A CUT OFF AT 5 MINUTES AND TO LEAVE OUR OTHER COUNSELORS SPACE TO ASK QUESTIONS.  THERE WILL BE SECOND THIRD ROUNDS IF NECESSARY.  SO I'M JUST GOING TO HAND IT OVER TO THE ORIGINAL SPONSOR COUNCILOR , WE'RE UP.  SORRY . THANK YOU CHAIR AND THANK YOU TO THE PANEL FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK. I KNOW THAT ACROSS THE COUNTRY YOU KNOW WE'RE EXPERIENCING CHALLENGES AND IT'S A TESTAMENT TO HEARING ALL THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING.  CHIEF LAWRENCE, YOU MENTIONED THE HIRING IMPROVEMENT IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVE WAS STARTED IN MARCH 2023. AT THAT POINT IN TIME HOW MANY VACANT POSITIONS WERE ON THE BOOKS AND CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE PROGRESS THAT'S BEEN MADE UP UNTIL NOW?  YEAH. SO I DON'T I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBER OF BUDGETED VACANCIES AT THAT TIME TO COMPARE TO NOW BUT I WILL CERTAINLY GET THAT FOR YOU. BUT SPECIFICALLY ONE OF THE PIECES HAS REALLY BEEN ABOUT IMPROVING THOSE THE PROCESS TIMES EARLY ON I DIDN'T FULLY SORT OF HIGHLIGHT ALL OF THE PROGRESS WE'VE MADE SO SPECIFICALLY WE STREAMLINED PART OF THAT HIRING PROCESS.  WE WERE ABLE TO SORT OF PILOT AN INTERVENTION WHERE WE REMOVED THREE CONTROLLED STEPS IN THE PROCESS TO ENSURE THAT WE COULD STILL DO SO IN A WAY THAT WAS SUFFICIENTLY CONTROLLED AND WE FOUND THAT AS A RESULT BASICALLY SKIPPING THOSE STEPS AND HAVING PARTS OF THOSE REVIEWS HAPPEN AT DIFFERENT TIMES WE WERE ABLE TO SHAVE DOWN FOUR DAYS, FOUR BUSINESS DAYS IN SORT OF SOME OF THAT ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESSING THERE.  I'LL GET BACK TO YOU ON THE OVERALL REDUCTION IN VACANCY. YEAH, WE'D LOVE TO KIND OF UNDERSTAND THE PROGRESS AND THE OUTCOMES FROM THAT INITIATIVE AND ALSO KIND OF SPEAK IT TO THE POINT THAT YOU JUST MADE WHAT IS LIKE THE TYPICAL TIMELINE FOR A DEPARTMENT TO GO THROUGH POSTING THE POSITION TO HIRING AND I'M SURE THAT YOU KNOW, SCHEDULING PLAYS A ROLE INTO IT BUT JUST TYPICALLY YEAH SO IT'S IT'S SUCH AN ANNOYING ANSWER OF THAT WHICH IS LIKE THAT IT COMPLETELY DEPENDS IT DEPENDS A LOT ON ONE IF YOU'RE GOING THROUGH SOME OF THOSE STEPS THAT I DESCRIBED OF LIKE REPURPOSE ING OR RETHINKING WHAT THE POSITION LOOKS LIKE CERTAINLY YOU KNOW WELL OUR UNIONS ARE INCREDIBLE PARTNERS IN MAKING THIS WORK HAPPEN IF IT'S A COLLECTIVE BARGAINING UNIT THAT JUST LINKS THEM LENGTHENS THE AMOUNT OF TIME BECAUSE THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE INVOLVED AND THERE'S A SORT OF NEGOTIATION THAT'S INVOLVED . IT'S LIKE FASTEST TIME LIKE A MONTH. SO I WOULD SAY LIKE A YEAR I WOULD SAY A MONTH WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO GO FROM LIKE I HAVE A VACANCY TO I FILLED IT. ONE DISTINCTION I DO WANT TO MAKE THOUGH IS SPECIFICALLY IN RESPONSE TO YOUR QUESTION ABOUT HOW LONG INDIVIDUAL POSITIONS HAVE BEEN OPEN IS WE HAVE A LOT OF POSITIONS THAT WE BASICALLY REFER TO AS EVERGREEN SO YOU'LL BASICALLY ALWAYS SEE THEM POSTED SO THAT POST DATE IS ACTUALLY NOT AS HELPFUL AS YOU MIGHT THINK AS A TOOL BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY ROLES LIKE AS DESCRIBED EMMY DOLLS WE'RE ALWAYS HIRING FOR EMMY OLES SO YOU'RE BASICALLY ALWAYS GOING TO SEE THAT AS A POSTED POSITION. SO IT'S A REALLY HARD LIKE IT'S HARD TO EXPLAIN HOW LONG THAT VACANCY HAS BEEN OPEN BECAUSE WE'RE JUST BASICALLY LIKE SHIFTING WHICH POSITION NUMBERS HAVE INDIVIDUALS IN IT SO SPEAK IT TO THAT POINT. HOW MANY VACANCIES DOES THE CITY OF BOSTON HAVE? SO AGAIN IT DEPENDS ON HOW YOU MEASURE VACANCY. SO CURRENTLY WE HAVE ABOUT 600 POSTED POSITIONS FOR OUR 6000. I WOULD SAY THAT THAT INCLUDES TWO 200 OF THOSE ARE YOUTH SUMMER JOBS. SO LIKE YOU COULD VIEW THAT AS A VACANCY OR YOU COULD VIEW IT AS WE CYCLICALLY HIRE THOSE 200 PEOPLE EVERY YEAR AND SO IT'S NOT REALLY A VACANCY DEPENDING ON HOW YOU THINK ABOUT IT. SO HAVE I THINK 385 POSTED POSITIONS ON THE CAREER CENTER IF YOU EXCLUDE ESSENTIALLY YOUTH SUMMER JOBS OR SEASONAL EMPLOYEES LIKE SOMETHING LIKE THE PARKS DEPARTMENT WHERE WE'RE WE'RE ALWAYS GOING TO HIRE THEM AROUND THIS TIME. AND SO AGAIN IT'S NOT REALLY NECESSARILY THE SAME WAY THAT YOU MIGHT THINK OF IT AS AS A VACANCY. WHERE ARE YOU SEEING THE LARGEST VACANCIES LIKE IS THERE ANY DEPARTMENT THAT HAS WELL WHAT DEPARTMENTS HAS THE MOST VACANCIES?  YOU KNOW, I CAN'T SPEAK TO EXACTLY WHICH NUMBER HAS THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF BUDGETED VACANCIES AND AGAIN IT SORT OF THERE ARE LIKE DIFFERENT POCKETS OF PLACES WHERE WE HAVE CERTAIN KINDS OF POSITIONS THAT ARE REALLY HARD TO FILL SO YOU KNOW, LIFEGUARDS YOU'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT. RIGHT. BUT IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU GUYS COULD TARGET? YES, WE CAN. WE CAN TELL YOU LIKE WHAT BY DEPARTMENT THE NUMBER OF POSTED POSITIONS AND I KNOW I'M RUNNING LOW ON TIME AND CAN YOU TALK TO THE POLICY AROUND RESIDENCY RESIDENCY WAIVERS WHEN OF THOSE BEING USED HOW MANY RESIDENCY WAIVERS HAVE BEEN GRANTED THIS YEAR OR THIS FISCAL YEAR? YEAH, I'LL HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THE EXACT NUMBER. IT'S A FAIRLY SMALL NUMBER IN THE I I'D HAVE TO GO BACK TO LOOK AT THE EXACT NUMBER BUT BETWEEN TEN AND 20 I THINK IN TERMS OF THE KINDS OF POSITIONS WE'VE EXEMPTED WE REALLY THOSE FOR A VERY DISCRETE SET OF CRITERIA. SO REALLY THEY'RE ONES WHERE WE'VE HAD A DEMONSTRATED AND SUSTAINED CHALLENGE OF RECRUITING THESE LIKE YEARS OF THE JOB BEING POSTED OR IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN YEARS BECAUSE AGAIN SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE LIKE THERE'S LIKE SOME SORT OF NATIONAL REASON WHY THIS MIGHT BE A BIG CHALLENGE. SO ARBORISTS MIGHT BE A REALLY GOOD EXAMPLE LIKE PEOPLE WHO BECOME IT'S AN INCREDIBLY SPECIALIZED SKILL AND LIKE SORT OF DEFINITIONALLY YOU'RE AN ARBORIST. THERE MIGHT BE GREAT PLACES TO LIVE IN THE CITY BUT YOU MIGHT REASONABLY ASSUME THAT ARBORISTS MIGHT NOT WANT TO LIVE IN AN URBAN SETTING JUST BASED ON THEIR CHOSEN PROFESSION. SO I THINK THAT WAS JUST A HELPFUL EXAMPLE OR LIFEGUARDS WHERE YOU SEE LIKE TRULY NATIONWIDE SHORTAGES. WE REALLY LIKE WHERE EVERYONE IN THE WORLD IS SORT OF GOING THROUGH THIS PROBLEM AND SO WE'VE BEEN WE'VE REALLY PURSUED THOSE AS A TEMPORARY MEASURE WHILE WE WORK ON OUR LONG TERM STRATEGIES. SO I THINK LIFEGUARDS IS A REALLY GREAT EXAMPLE WHERE WE'VE REALIZED THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO HIRE OUR WAY OUT OF THIS CRISIS AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO WE DON'T WANT TO GO INTO A PERIOD WHERE IT'S JUST US COMPETING WITH THE STATE FOR THE SAME POOL. WE'RE REALLY GOING TO HAVE TO BUILD THIS WORKFORCE OURSELF AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS. SO REALLY SEEING IT AS A TEMPORARY RELIEF MEASURE FOR US TO GET THROUGH WHAT WE KNOW IS A SORT OF BLOCK IN THE HIRING IN THE PIPELINE AND PROCESS WHILE WE WORK AND DEVELOP OUR OWN STRATEGIES TO BUILD A PIPELINE.  THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR COUNSELOR FLYNN THANK YOU, MR CHAIRMAN.  THANK YOU TO THE PANELISTS.  YES, ALEX, COULD I UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE MANY VACANCIES THE POLICE CRIME LAB UNIT SOME OF THEM ARE DNA ANALYSTS THAT REVIEW EVIDENCE OBTAINED AT A AT A CRIME SCENE.  I ALSO UNDERSTAND TO DNA LEFT RECENTLY RESIGNED RECENTLY WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE CRIME LAB IS THIS SOMETHING THE CITY COUNCIL CAN DO TO BE HELPFUL BUT TALK A LITTLE ABOUT THE HUMAN RESOURCES AND THE CHALLENGES OF RECRUITING DNA ANALYST AT THE CRIME LAB AND DO WE HAVE ENOUGH PERSONNEL THERE? SO UNFORTUNATELY I CAN'T SPEAK TO THAT. IT'S THAT UNIT SPECIFICALLY. I DEFINITELY THINK WOULD BE A GREAT THING TO BRING UP IN THE POLICE HEARING. I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE THINK A LOT ABOUT IS THIS REALLY IS IS OUR DECENTRALIZED MODEL HERE AND I DEEPLY BELIEVE THAT THE FOLKS IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ARE THE ONES WHO REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW TO RECRUIT THE KINDS OF ROLES THAT THEY SPECIFICALLY NEED AND BY IMPROVING OUR SORT OF CENTRALIZED OVERALL FUNCTIONS THAT WE CAN LIKE IF WE MAKE OUR PART EASY, THEY CAN FOCUS ON ON THEIR SPECIFIC PART. SO I THINK WE CAN GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT BUT I CAN'T SPEAK TO THAT SPECIFIC AND DO WE KNOW HOW MANY POSITIONS ARE VACANT IN THE CRIME LAB DEPARTMENT?  I DON'T KNOW THAT OFFHAND BUT I CAN GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT ACTUALLY DO DO YOU KNOW THAT?  NO. I'M SORRY , SIR.  THAT WAS THE FOCUS OF MY QUESTION IS A MAJOR DEPARTMENT SUCH AS BOSTON POLICE AND I WANTED TO TRY GET SOME ANSWERS ON THE CRIME LAB ISSUE SO I'LL MOVE ON I GUESS THE BOSTON THE BOSTON PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION A WE SHORT FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE DOING OUTREACH AND IN THE MASS AND CHAOS AREA IN TERMS OF HELPING PEOPLE IN RECOVERY HELPING PEOPLE WITH PUBLIC HEALTH RELATED ISSUES HOW MANY JOBS WE NEED TO FILL AND AS IT RELATES TO HELPING THE HOMELESS COMMUNITY IN BOSTON OR THOSE WITH SUBSTANCE USE CHALLENGES, THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. I DON'T HAVE THAT ANSWER QUITE WITH ME YET.  HOWEVER, AS YOU ARE AWARE THAT IS A PART OF ALL OUR JOBS ARE QUITE PIVOTAL BUT I CAN GET BACK TO YOU TO SEE WHERE THOSE CHALLENGES OR WHERE THOSE AMOUNTS ARE AND THEN CIRCLE BACK TO YOU.  ARE WE DOING DO WE HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE THAT ARE HELPING PEOPLE WITH HIV OR TUBERCULOSIS? DO WE HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE QUALIFIED SO THAT THEY CAN PROVIDE THAT COMPASSIONATE SERVICE TO OUR RESIDENTS?  WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR THOSE THOSE FOLKS THOSE PEOPLE WHO CAN COME AND WORK FROM A CERTIFICATION. WE ARE WORKING EXTENSIVELY WITH THE STAFF AND WHICH WE DO HAVE. WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR MORE TO ADD TO OUR TEAM AND SO I WOULD SAY THAT WHETHER WE HAVE ENOUGH WOULD BE WE NEVER HAVE ENOUGH. WE NEED MORE AND MORE PEOPLE TO WORK IN OUR IN OUR OFFICES. OKAY.  THANK YOU. AND MY FINAL QUESTION IS I KNOW THERE WERE SOME POTENTIAL LAYOFFS THAT BEEPS FOR TEACHERS. MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE OF FEDERAL FUNDS RUNNING OUT BUT THOSE TEACHERS ARE LAID OFF. ARE THEY ABLE TO BE MOVED TO ANOTHER SCHOOL SO THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE THEIR EMPLOYMENT WITH US?  SO THE WAY IT WORKS, IT'S GOVERNED BY THEIR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT AND SO WE HAVE SOMETHING CALLED MUTUAL CONSENT HIRING WHICH MEANS THAT WE DON'T NECESSARILY MOVE YOU TO ANOTHER SCHOOL.  WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT WE OPEN THE POSITIONS LIKE THERE ARE TEACHERS LIKE WE CALL OUR EDUCATORS ARE PERMANENT EDUCATORS THAT WE OWN. SO WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WE WE DO OUR BEST TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE INDIVIDUALS DO IN FACT GET A POSITION IN THE DISTRICT. BUT WE HAVE SOMETHING CALLED MUTUAL CONSENT HIRING WHICH IS A IN AGREEMENT WITH THE BOSTON TEACHERS UNION THAT YOU HAVE TO APPLY FOR THAT POSITION.  WE DON'T NECESSARILY PLACE ANYONE BUT WE DO WE DO HAVE WE HELP OUR EDUCATORS GET HIRED INTO ANOTHER POSITION.  OKAY.  IS IS BP'S RECEIVING ENOUGH MONEY IN THIS UPCOMING BUDGET TO ENSURE THAT TEACHERS ARE NOT OFF?  WE ALWAYS WANT MORE MONEY.  WE ALWAYS WANT MORE MONEY BECAUSE WE YOU KNOW, WITH THE FEDERAL WITH ESSER ENDING ESSER SHOULD BE ASKED HOW FUNDING WOULD LOOK LIKE IF A SCHOOL GOT EVERYTHING THAT THEY NEEDED AND WITH THAT ESSER DOLLARS ENDING WHAT ENDED UP WHAT HAPPENED IS NOW YOU DO HAVE PROGRAMS THAT WE INVESTED IN DOING. ESSER THE EXTRA DOLLARS THAT ARE IN FACT ARE GOING AWAY BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THOSE INVESTMENTS ANYMORE.  THANK YOU COUNSELOR FLYNN SO I APOLOGIZE.  COUNSELOR MURPHY I BREACHED ETIQUETTE HERE. THAT'S OKAY. WHAT YOU'RE THE CHAIR. HOWEVER YOU WERE COUNSELOR FITZGERALD IS THE CO-SPONSOR. SO THAT'S FINE.  I APPRECIATE THAT. OKAY. SO COUNSELOR MURPHY, THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.  I WILL SHIFT A LITTLE BECAUSE OF WHERE COUNSELOR FLYNN AND I'M ENDED LIKE I'M AWARE THAT IS IT LIKE THE FIRST DAY OF YOUR FOURTH YEAR WHERE NOW PRINCIPALS HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE YOU PERMANENT WHICH THEN WE DO OWN YOU?  I GUESS IT'S NOT A NICE WAY TO SAY IT BUT YOU YOU ARE GUARANTEED A JOB IN THE SYSTEM AS LONG AS WE CONTINUE TO BE ABLE TO FULLY FUND. BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT THE SCHOOL BUDGET YOU KNOW WE ARE SPENDING OVER 30,000 PER STUDENT SO WE ARE FULLY FUNDED THAT WAY. BUT THERE WAS OR DOLLARS AT MOST SCHOOLS DID NOT USE TO HIRE PERSONNEL AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE RED FLAGS AND THAT CLIFF SPENDING WE HAD CONVERSATIONS THE LAST TWO YEARS HERE ON THE COUNCIL AND I'VE HAD INDIVIDUAL CONVERSATIONS WITH YOU KNOW TEACHERS WHO ARE HAPPY TO GET A JOB OFFER BUT KNEW THAT IT WAS A TEMPORARY POSITION AND IF YOU'RE A TEMPORARY EMPLOYEE AND WE YOU'RE NOT GUARANTEED A JOB . SO I GUESS THE QUESTION WOULD BE SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE I KNOW THERE WERE WITH THE ESSER FUNDING ENDING A MAJORITY OF THAT WAS SPENT ON PROGRAMING NOT SPECIFIC YOU KNOW, HUMAN CAPITAL JOBS BUT HOW MANY POSITIONS WERE FILLED THAT WILL BE CUT, HOW MANY JOBS, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE LOSING THEIR JOB THIS COMING INTO THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.  SO AGAIN THE NUMBERS FOR IT'S IT'S REALLY TRICKY FOR US TO GIVE YOU A PRECISE NUMBER BECAUSE IT DEPENDS ON AS KNOW WHAT LICENSE THINGS LIKE WE WE HAVE THE PULSE POSITION AND THERE'S THE POSSIBILITY THAT YOU WILL YOU MIGHT GET A JOB BACK SO LIKE THERE IS THE DATA IT'S REALLY IT'S REALLY HARD TO PINPOINT HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ARE LOSING THAT ARE POTENTIALLY LOSING THEIR JOB BECAUSE WELL SORRY JUST BECAUSE I KNOW I'LL GET I'LL RUN OUT OF TIME.  WHAT IS THE NUMBER? BECAUSE WE DO KNOW EXACTLY HOW MANY SCHOOL AND PRINCIPALS THERE'S NOT THAT MANY HIRED PERSONNEL WITH ESSER FUNDING HOW MANY JOBS WERE CREATED AND FILLED WITH PERSONNEL WITH ESSER FUNDING ALONE I CAN DEFINITELY GET THAT THAT WOULD BE IN FROM THAT NUMBER. SOME OF THEM ARE CERTIFIED AND SOME OF THEM MAY HAVE TAKEN AN ESSER FUNDED POSITION AND ARE PERMANENT. SO I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT LEVELS BUT IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT FOR ME TO KNOW HOW MANY OF THOSE ESSER FUNDED POSITIONS WERE FILLED BY TEMPORARY PERSONNEL THAT NOW WE'RE OUT OF A JOB WE WILL DEFINITELY GET YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE GOOD TO KNOW AND ONE OTHER SO WE TALK ABOUT LONG TERM JOB VACANCIES. THIS IS THE FOCUS OF THIS OBVIOUSLY AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION TO HAVE.  BUT THEN WHEN I SPEAK TO YOU KNOW, ME AND OTHER UNIONS WE TALK ABOUT YOU KNOW, AND WHEN THEY COME IN FRONT OF US AND WE'LL JUST PASS SOME OF THEIR CONTRACTS THE YOU KNOW, 400 OPEN POSITIONS HERE OR 200 IN THIS DEPARTMENT AND PERSONNEL LOW IN EACH DEPARTMENT WHICH I WOULDN'T PUT ON A LONG TERM JOB VACANT THAT MAYBE IT'S A NEW POSITION HIRED SOME OF US WHO'VE GONE THROUGH THIS BUDGET PROCESS BEFORE ARE FOUND IN THE NEXT CYCLE OF BUDGET. IT'S LIKE OKAY, LAST YEAR WE INCREASED YOUR BUDGET WE GAVE YOU MAYBE IT WAS FIVE MORE PERSONNEL AND THEY STILL HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FILL IT SO IT'S OBVIOUSLY THE STRUGGLE THAT YOU ALL HAVE ALSO WITH SHORTAGE OF STAFFING MONEY WE HAVE HAD BUT NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT THE FUTURE OF MAYBE HAVING TO BACK IN WHAT WILL BE CUT FIRST. WILL IT BE THESE OPEN VACANCIES ARE EVAPORATED? IS IT THAT CURRENT CITY WORKERS GET LAID OFF? AND THAT'S WHERE MY CONCERN AND FOCUS WOULD BE AND IF YOU HAVE ANY INSIGHT ON THAT THAT OUT BECAUSE I CAN TAKE A SHOT SO YOU'RE RIGHT IT'S WE THE BUDGETING PROCESS WE TRY TO STRIKE THAT BALANCE OF MAKING SURE DEPARTMENTS HAVE SUFFICIENT MONEY TO DO THE HIRING TO FILL THE ROLES THAT DO THE CITY SERVICES THAT WE ALL EXPECT THEM TO DO BUT ALSO NEED TO BE SORT OF GROUNDED IN REALITY OF WHAT A DEPARTMENT CAN REASONABLY FILL DURING THE YEAR. I THINK WE TEND TO BUDGET A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THE CONSERVATIVE SIDE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GIVING FOLKS THE ABILITY IN THOSE DEPARTMENTS TO DO THAT HIRING BUT IT'S TRICKY. SO WE TRY AND STRIKE THAT BALANCE AS WE'RE SETTING THE BUDGET FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR.  OKAY. THANK YOU, JIM.  OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR MURPHY, COUNCILOR PIPPIN THANK YOU, CHAIR.  MY FIRST QUESTION IS ALSO FOR CHIEF CANTY. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AGAIN RECENTLY MY OFFICE HAS BEEN GETTING A LOT OF MESSAGES REGARDING BP'S EMPLOYEES GETTING NOTICES OF BEING LAID OFF.  THEY ARE MORE SPECIFICALLY THE PARAPROFESSIONALS I'VE GOTTEN TWO OF THOSE MESSAGES IN THE PAST WEEK ALONE BOTH LIVING IN HYDE PARK AND MY QUESTION AND CONCERN LIES YOU KNOW IT STATES IN THE HEARING ORDER THAT THERE ARE ABOUT 600 OPENINGS IN BP'S BUT WE'RE STILL SEEING PEOPLE BEING LAID OFF.  HAS THERE BEEN DISCUSSIONS TO REPURPOSE THE OPEN POSITIONS TO KEEP PEOPLE LIKE PARAPROFESSIONALS? I JUST IT'S CONCERNING TO ME TO SEE FOLKS LIKE A PARAPROFESSIONAL OR ANY KIND OF JUST ASSISTANCE TO THE STUDENTS TO BE LAID OFF ON SEEING THE STATE OF WHERE WE ARE IN HAVE WE CONSIDER THAT YES. SO THE PARAPROFESSIONAL GO THROUGH A PROCESS WHERE THEY'RE LAID OFF BUT THEN WE HAVE A POOL WHERE THEY CAN COME BACK IN AND SELECT THE POSITION THAT THEY WANT TO GO TO.  SO LIKE THIS INDIVIDUAL THESE AND I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THEIR NAME SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNOW THAT THEY CAN COME TO THE TABLE WHERE THEY CAN IN FACT SELECT THE POSITION . SO WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL A PURPLE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE LAID OFF. MAYBE THERE'S BEEN A CLOSURE AT THEIR SCHOOL BUT THERE MIGHT BE AN OPENING SOMEWHERE ELSE SO THAT THESE INDIVIDUALS CAN IN FACT COME AND GO TO THE PLATFORM AND SELECT THE POSITION.  WE DO HAVE PAIR POSITIONS TO OPEN OPEN SO THAT IS A PROCESS THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW. I WOULD LOVE THE OF THE CONTACT INFORMATION FOR FOR THAT FOR THE POWERFUL BECAUSE I THINK THEY'D REALLY APPRECIATE THAT THAT RESOURCE SO THANK YOU FOR FOR BRINGING THAT TO MY ATTENTION OKAY YOU CAN GIVE ME THE NAMES AND WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THE UM THAT THEY ARE WELL AWARE OF THE PROCESS AND THAT THEY ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT WE KNOW WE ARE WE WE REALLY WANT TO TRY TO RETAIN AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE THAT IS OUR THAT IS OUR EFFORT AND THAT IS WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO DO. I'LL MAKE SURE I CONNECT I'LL WITH YOU UM FOR FOR CHIEF LAWRENCE YOU MENTIONED THE LIFEGUARDS POSITION OPENINGS AND YOU KNOW THE DISTRICT COUNCIL FOR THE BILL GIRAFFE POOL WHICH IS A TREASURED POOL IN MY DISTRICT BUT UNFORTUNATELY HAS SEEN CLOSURES RECENTLY IN PREVIOUS YEARS BECAUSE OF SHORTAGE OF LIFEGUARDS.  UM ARE WE EXPECTING MORE POOLS TO BE CLOSED THIS SUMMER BECAUSE OF A SHORTAGE AND IF SO HOW ARE THERE ANY INCENTIVES TO HIRE MORE LIFEGUARDS OR JUST ANY UNIQUE OUTREACH THAT'S BEING DONE? YEAH. SO I PROBABLY SHOULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN TOO FAR OVER MY SKIS WITH PROVIDING AN EXAMPLE THAT I DIDN'T WANT TO BE ABLE TO LIKE I REALLY ENCOURAGE YOU GUYS TO BRING OR ALL OF YOU TO BRING THESE UP IN THE SPECIFIC HEARINGS BECAUSE AGAIN I WAS TRYING TO PROVIDE SOME ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES OF PLACES WE'VE MADE SUCCESS BUT IN THE YOU KNOW, THOUSANDS OF POSITIONS WE HAVE ACROSS THE CITY I'M BY NO MEANS AN EXPERT IN EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING ON ALL OF THEM BUT SO I CAN'T TELL YOU ABOUT THE SPECIFIC POOLS AND OUR PLANS FOR THEM. ACTUALLY I MIGHT BE ABLE TO BUT SPECIFICALLY ON LIFEGUARDS WE'VE ALREADY STARTED TO HAVE SOME SOME CONVERSATIONS ABOUT JUST MATCHING INCENTIVES AND OFFERINGS TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO BRING ON AS MANY OF THESE AS WE CAN. AND AS I MENTIONED, WE'VE DONE A TON OF INVESTING IN THE TRAINING PROGRAMS AS WELL. THANK YOU TO HAVE A MINUTE FOR US FOR ONE MORE QUESTION. I KNOW YOU I THINK YOU HAVE ABOUT A MINUTE 30 SECONDS. THANKS. UM, SO WHEN I HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH VARIOUS UNIONS IN THE CITY JUST THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THEY MENTIONED THAT THE STATE OFFERS BONUSES AND MORE INCENTIVES TO TO BRING IN NEW NEW EMPLOYEES.  I'M THINKING ABOUT SPECIFICALLY AT THE ENGINEER'S POSITION A VERY, VERY NEEDED POSITION IN THE CITY OF BOSTON. BUT WHEN YOU WHEN YOU IF YOU'RE PLANNING THE CITY OF BOSTON AND IN THE STATE I BELIEVE THE STATE HAS GIVEN THEM A BONUS OF $5,000.  I KNOW THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY TO ASK FOR BUT ARE THERE ANY INCENTIVES OR ANY BONUSES BEING THOUGHT OF FOR THESE POSITIONS TO MAKE THEM MORE COMPETITIVE IN COMPETITION WITH THE STATE SO THAT WE CAN BRING THEM TO BOSTON?  YEAH. SO I THINK REALLY MY OVERALL THEORY IS LIKE TARGETED SOLUTION FOR TARGETED NEED SO ENGINEERS WERE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING A COMPENSATION ANALYSIS. WE ALSO SPECIFIC FOR ENGINEERS DID A PRETTY EXCITING USER RESEARCH STUDY WHERE WE TALKED TO POTENTIAL ENGINEERS AND WE BROUGHT IN A REALLY SMALL CONTRACT FIRM TO HELP US TALK TO THE KINDS OF APPLICANTS THAT WE WANTED AND UNDERSTOOD TO UNDERSTAND THEIR BARRIERS SPECIFICALLY ON WHY THEY MIGHT OR MIGHT NOT APPLY TO JOBS AT THE CITY OF BOSTON. AND WE FOUND OUT THAT THERE WERE SOME BASIC THINGS LIKE WORDS WE WERE USING IN OUR JOB POSTINGS AND HOW WE DESCRIBED THEM THAT WERE SORT OF TURNING OFF APPLICANTS. SO THIS IS THE KIND OF BESPOKE APPROACH THAT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO TAKE IN A LOT OF THE PLACES WHERE WE'RE HAVING A LOT OF HARD TROUBLE FILLING. SO FOR EXAMPLE, ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS MUNICIPAL SECURITY GUARDS.  ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE LEARNED IN IN THAT RESEARCH WAS THAT THE WAY THAT WE DESCRIBED OUR SHIFTS IN OUR JOB DESCRIPTIONS WASN'T REALLY ACCURATE AND SO IT WASN'T GIVING PEOPLE A REALLY GOOD SENSE OF OF WHAT THE JOB ACTUALLY WAS.  JUST IN GENERAL SORT OF SET THE STAGE HERE IN MUNICIPAL HIRING PEOPLE REFER TO OUR TYPICAL STRATEGY AS POST AND PRAY AS IN LIKE POST THE JOB ON THE JOB DESCRIPTION AND THEN PRAY PEOPLE COME TO FIND US. THAT'S REALLY BEEN THE STATE OF THE FIELD THAT WE ARE ALL COLLECTIVELY TRYING TO TRANSFORM IT.  THANK YOU. COUNCILOR COUNCILOR FITZGERALD THANK YOU, CHAIR AND AGAIN THANK YOU PANEL.  SO JUST A COUPLE QUICK QUESTIONS. WHAT DO WE SEE AS THE BIGGEST BARRIER TO THESE LONG TERM VACANCIES? IS IT IS IT THE SALARY?  IS IT RESIDENCY? IS IT OUR COMMUNICATION AND PROMOTION OF THE OPENINGS? WHAT HAVE YOU GUYS HEARD OUT THERE THAT PEOPLE JUST SAY EITHER NO THANK YOU. OR WHY OR WHY WOULD THEY HAVEN'T COME TO APPLY TO FOR THESE JOBS? YEAH. SO AGAIN, I MEAN I REALLY DON'T I DON'T THINK WE WANT TO PAINT WITH TOO BROAD OF A BRUSH ON THAT BECAUSE I THINK THAT IT IS GENUINELY DIFFERENT DEPENDING ON THE KIND OF WORK THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.  I REALLY CAN'T EXPRESS THAT ENOUGH. I DON'T THINK IF THERE WAS ONE IF I THINK IN OUR CONVERSATIONS WE HAD FOUND THAT THERE WAS ONE SORT OF LIKE GOLDEN SOLUTION WE WOULD APPROACH THAT I THINK THE FOR SOME FOR SOME JOBS IT'S SALARIES FOR SOME JOBS. YOU KNOW I DO THINK THERE ARE SPECIFIC POLICIES THAT ARE A BARRIER. I THINK LARGELY THOUGH IT'S REALLY US BUILDING THE MUSCLE FOR EXPLAINING THE INCREDIBLE VALUE THAT THESE JOBS HAVE THAT IS NOT A THING THAT WE HAVE TRADITIONALLY, AS I'VE MENTIONED NECESSARILY HAD TO DO A LOT OF THE SORT OF SYSTEMS IN GOVERNMENT HIRING ASSUME THIS CONCEPT OF GOVERNMENT JOBS BEING THIS INCREDIBLE RESOURCE THAT WE NEED TO PROTECT FROM PATRONAGE. THEY'RE NOT DESIGNED TO DO THE KIND OF RECRUITING THAT WE NEED TO DO IN TODAY'S SORT OF JOB MARKET. AND SO IT'S JUST TAKEN US A WHILE TO REALLY BUILD THAT THAT MUSCLE OUT AS AN ORGANIZATION IF YOU THINK ABOUT LIKE IF WE'RE HIRING FOR I.T. JOBS, WE'RE NEVER I DON'T THINK THAT LIKE SALARY IS GOING TO BE WHAT MOTIVATES SOMEBODY TO COME DO TECHNOLOGY IN GOVERNMENT. WE'RE JUST PROBABLY NEVER GOING TO GET THERE. AND I THINK THAT WE DON'T NEED TO GET THERE BECAUSE WE FIND INCREDIBLE PEOPLE WHO UNDERSTAND THAT THEY CAN MAKE AN IMPACT HERE AND WORK ON THINGS THAT NOBODY WOULD LET THEM TOUCH IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR.  AND BUT IT'S REALLY ABOUT SORT OF GETTING OUT THERE EXTOLLING THE VIRTUES AND THE INCREDIBLE IMPACT OF OUR JOBS AND LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN OUR DEPARTMENT FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE MAYBE A PERSON WHO'S A PART TIME RECRUITER. WE'RE COMPETING WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE ENTIRE SALES FUNCTIONS THAT DO THAT KIND OF IN BUILDING THIS MUSCLE. WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE PERSONAL GOAL OR TIMEFRAME TO WHERE WE MIGHT BE AT FULL STRENGTH?  I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT FULL STRENGTH MUSCLES BUT I ASSUME OTHER PEOPLE DO RIGHT? LIKE IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU GOT LIKE YOU SAID, WE'RE NOT UP AT FULL STRENGTH WITH THIS MUSCLE OF ADVOCATING FOR THE GOODWILL THE GOODNESS THESE POSITIONS DO. IS IT LIKE IN THREE YEARS WE HOPE TO HAVE THAT UP? IS IT FIVE YEARS? IS IT IS IT NEXT YEAR? IS IT DO WE HAVE ANY IDEA WHEN WE THINK WE'LL BE IN A POSITION WHERE YOU WILL FEEL BETTER ABOUT THIS MUSCLE? YEAH, I THINK LIKE OUR SORT OF OUR NORTH STAR GOAL WOULD BE TO REDUCE OUR VACANCIES, OUR TIME TO HIRE IN HALF AND OUR VACANCIES BY A THIRD. BUT THAT'S A SORT OF BROAD, BROAD GOAL.  AND ANY TIME YOU GUYS HAVEN'T SAID LIKE A TIME GOAL AS I'M WONDERING I KNOW IT'S AN ONGOING TORTUROUS AND I THINK I THINK REALLY EVEN JUST SORT OF LIKE DEFINING THE WORDS I'VE SAID HAS BEEN A JOURNEY IN AND OF ITSELF WHERE THIS IS JUST NOT THE WAY THAT WE'VE TYPICALLY THOUGHT ABOUT THOSE. SO UNDERSTAND MY MY ANSWER SOUND A LITTLE BIT HAND WAVY BUT THE WORK ITSELF HAS BEEN IN FIGURING OUT HOW WE HAVE SHARED DEFINITIONS AND TARGETS OF THIS KIND OF WORK.  THANK YOU. WE REFER TO THE NUMBER OF JOBS I THINK SOMETHING LIKE 6000 JOBS BUT OF THOSE ONLY 600 ARE POSTED AND SO THERE'S THAT 6000 OR I THOUGHT I HEARD SAYS THAT THE VACANCIES 6000 ARE SORT OF LIKE THE THE CITY OF BOSTON NUMBER OF JOBS SO THAT'S EXCLUDING ALL OF OUR QUASI GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES LIKE THE NUMBER OF JOBS WE HAVE IN THE CITY JUST DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU'RE YOU'RE CUTTING IT. SO THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE SORT OF WE HAVE LIKE FULLY CENTRALIZED CONTROL OVER WITHIN CITY HALL ANDERSON OKAY. SO AT WHAT POINT ARE THESE JOBS I GUESS FOR BOTH FOR FOR THEN EVEN THE LARGER JOBS AS WELL? AT WHAT POINT OF THE JOBS ARE NO LONGER CONSIDERED LONG TERM VACANCIES BUT INSTEAD OBSOLETE ? IS THERE LIKE A IS THAT BECAUSE I KNOW I GUESS THIS TO MY SIGNAL IT'S LIKE HOW DO WE DECIDE HOW LONG THE POST THESE JOBS FOR? I LOOKED ON THE WEBSITE EARLIER SOME WERE POSTED TILL SEPTEMBER OF THIS YEAR AND IT'S LIKE SO HOW DOES THAT GET DECIDED? AT WHAT POINT ARE YOU SAYING THIS JOB IS HAVE BEEN FILLED IN THREE YEARS? WE'RE JUST GETTING RID OF IT RIGHT? 100%. SO AGAIN A LOT OF THIS IS REALLY ON THE DEPARTMENTS BUT SIX MONTHS IS WHEN WE AS CENTRAL HUMAN RESOURCES GO TO THE DEPARTMENT AND CHECK IN AND SAY LIKE HEY, WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?  DO YOU REALLY NEED THIS POSITION POSTED? AND WE HAVE SOME PARAMETERS ABOUT THAT THEN IT NEEDS TO IF LIKE IT NEEDS TO GO BACK THROUGH THE THE PROPER BACK THROUGH THE PROCESS AND SO WE MIGHT REACH OUT TO A DEPARTMENT AFTER IT'S BEEN UP THERE FOR SIX MONTHS AND THEY SAY HEY ACTUALLY THIS IS ONE OF THOSE EVERGREEN VACANCIES THAT I WAS EXPLAINING TO YOU COUNCILOR WORRELL LIKE WE'RE JUST ALWAYS HIRING SO IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S BEEN UP HERE FOR A WHILE BUT REALLY WE'RE JUST MOVING PEOPLE WITHIN THE REC OR WE MIGHT SAY HEY IT'S ACTUALLY YOU'RE RIGHT IT'S BEEN SIX MONTHS. WE'RE NOT SEEING APPLICANTS. WE NEED WE NEED TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AND WE CONSIDER THE I WOULDN'T EVER WANT TO USE THE WORD ELIMINATED BECAUSE THERE'S A REASON YOU'RE NOT FILLING THIS JOB AND IT'S JUST A QUESTION OF LIKE HOW HOW HOW INTELLIGENT CAN YOU BE ABOUT THOSE REASONS AND HOW MUCH HAVE YOU LISTENED TO THE THE POTENTIAL APPLICANTS OR THE STATE OF THE JOB MARKET TO CHANGE IT SO THAT YOU CAN MAKE IT A JOB THAT'S MORE FALLIBLE? THANK YOU CHIEF KATIE, WE TALKED ABOUT THE YOU SAID A LOT OF THE POSTINGS ARE FOR THE LICENSE EXTENSIONS. RIGHT. AND IT'S SORT OF SINCE YOU HAVE TO POST IT TO ALLOW IT TO GO ON DO WE KNOW HOW MANY A NON LICENSE EXTENSIONS, POSTINGS AND BEEPS I CAN GET YOU THAT NUMBER YEAH THAT'S JUST BE JUST TO BREAK OUT OKAY BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THESE ARE ALMOST MORE FORMALITIES AND TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE MAYBE WHAT THE REAL NUMBER OF FOLKS THAT MIGHT NOT BE SORRY COUNSELOR FITZGERALD YOUR 5 MINUTES ARE UP SO WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU. THAT'S OKAY. COUNCILOR BREADON.  THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING.  THERE'S A LOT TO UNPACK HERE.  I'M REALLY DELIGHTED TO HEAR THAT YOU'VE STREAMLINED THE ONBOARDING PROCESS BECAUSE I THINK THAT WAS ONE OF OUR BIG AND PROBABLY YOU NEED SOME MORE MORE STREAMLINING. THERE'S WORK TO BE DONE AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE HEAR ABOUT IS JUST YOU KNOW, ARE WE SORT OF WHEN IT COMES TO RECRUITING AND RETAINING STAFF LIKE ARE WE MEETING SORT OF CONTEMPORARY STANDARDS FOR HIRING TIMELINES LIKE PEOPLE CAN GO OUT AND GET A NEW JOB OVER LUNCHTIME SO APPLICANTS LIKE I'VE HEARD MANY PEOPLE HAVE APPLIED OR APPLIED FOR JOBS THAT DON'T EVEN HEAR BACK. THEY DON'T EVEN GET A CALLBACK FOR WEEKS AND WE'RE IN A VERY COMPETITIVE JOB MARKET SO I'D LOVE TO KNOW HOW WE'RE HOW WE'RE ADDRESSING THAT ISSUE AND ARE WE ARE WE KEEPING UP WITH MODERN STANDARDS?  AND I KNOW IT'S A MUNICIPAL SITUATION BUT I THINK WE ARE IN COMPLETE COMPETITION WITH THE PRIVATE MARKET AND A NO MANY PEOPLE HAVE A CALLING TO WORK IN PUBLIC SERVICE BUT ONBOARDING THEM IN A TIMELY WAY AND AND THEN GO FIND A JOB SOMEWHERE ELSE IF WE HUNG AROUND TOO LONG I MEAN I I'LL JUST SAY I COULDN'T AGREE MORE. IT IS PART OF WHAT REALLY INSPIRED ME TO WANT TO DO THIS WORK AND BEING COMPETITIVE IN THAT SPACE IS A CHALLENGE SO WE ARE WORKING ON TIGHTENING THOSE TIMELINES AND FOCUSING ON YOU KNOW THE STREAMLINING I TALKED ABOUT WAS IN THAT TIME TO POST SECTION AND I THINK ON THE TIME TO FILL WHICH IS LIKE THE PART THAT THE CANDIDATE EXPERIENCES THERE'S ALSO A TON OF ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT THERE. WE'VE MADE A BUNCH OF PROCESS CHANGES THAT MAKE THAT EASIER.  BUT YES, EVERY TIME WE HEAR THAT WE LOSE SOMEONE IN THAT APPLICANT PROCESS BECAUSE WE COULDN'T MOVE FAST ENOUGH IT'S LIKE I FEEL THE PHYSICAL PAIN HERE AND WE'VE WE'VE WE'VE FAILED IN OUR JOBS TO DO THIS AND SO YEAH I MEAN IT'S JUST IT'S A BIG FOCUS AGAIN OUR OUR IN OUR DECENTRALIZED MODEL THIS IS REALLY ON OUR OUR PERSONNEL AND DEPARTMENTS AND THEY'VE JUST BEEN SORT OF YOU KNOW CHRONICALLY I DON'T KNOW IT'S IT'S BEEN A LOT OF WORK TO TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO JUST PUT IN BETTER PROCESSES IN PLACE THAT GIVE THEM THE TOOLS TO MANAGE THIS WORK BETTER. AND IT'S AN ONGOING PROCESS.  SO I DON'T KNOW I'M DELIGHTED AS WELL TO HEAR THAT YOU KNOW YOU'RE THE DEPARTMENT'S THE WORK AND JOB AND CLASS AND COMPENSATION PROCESS LIKE YOU REVIEWING JOB ROLES AND REVISING JOB DESCRIPTIONS BECAUSE THINGS HAVE CHANGED LIKE WE'RE WE'RE IN A WHOLE NEW ERA NOW THAT SOME OF THE JOB DESCRIPTIONS HAVE BEEN REVISED FROM MAYBE 20 YEARS THINGS HAVE CHANGED A LOT.  ARE THERE JOBS THAT YOU FEEL THAT YOU KNOW, JUST CHANGES IN THE WAY WE DO THINGS ESPECIALLY LIKE COVID WAS A WAKE UP CALL FOR EVERYONE. WE LEARNED HOW TO DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY VERY, VERY QUICKLY AND OTHER JOBS THAT SORT OF NEED TO BE SORT OF CRITICALLY REEVALUATED IN TERMS OF THE JOB ROLE AND COMBINING DIFFERENT DIFFERENT DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS IN THE JOB ROLE THAT MAKE IT MORE APPEALING AS A JOB BUT ALSO SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY BE MUCH MORE EFFICIENT AS AN ORGANIZATION. I WOULD SAY THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING IS LIKE PROBABLY WHAT I PERSONALLY SPEND 50% OF MY TIME DOING AND SO MUCH OF OUR OUR FUNCTION IS IS DOING THAT WORK IS REVIEWING JOB DESCRIPTIONS, ENSURING THAT THEY'RE UP TO DATE WORKING WITH DEPARTMENTS TO THINK CREATIVELY ABOUT HOW WE CAN CHANGE THEM AND SORT OF FUTUREPROOF THEM AND YOU KNOW SPECIFICALLY THAT IS PART OF THAT THAT PROCESS THAT PEOPLE FIND PAINFUL EARLY ON AND WHEN A VACANCY BECOMES AVAILABLE IT'S BECAUSE WE'RE DOING THAT WORK TO USE EVERY SINGLE VACANCY AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO REEVALUATE EACH INDIVIDUAL JOB AND AS SOMEBODY WHO RAN THE DEPARTMENT OF INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. RIGHT. ESPECIALLY IN THOSE ROLES WE REALLY WANT TO THINK CRITICALLY ABOUT EVERY SINGLE ROLE, THE SKILLS THAT IT REQUIRES AND WHAT WE'RE USING IT MOVING FORWARD. VERY GOOD. THIS IS ONE FOR THE DPS.  ESSER IT WAS $400 MILLION IS BETWEEN 2021 AND 24 SO IT'S RUNNING OUT ACCORDING TO YOU KNOW, WE INCREASED GRANT FUNDED POSITIONS LIKE 441, WE INCREASED GRANT FUNDED POSITIONS IN THE SCHOOLS BY 67%. WE SORT OF ALWAYS KNEW THAT THE GRAVY TRAIN WAS GOING TO START RUNNING BUT LIKE WHAT SORT OF PRUDENT MEASURES DID WE USE TO ANTICIPATE THAT WE WOULD BOOST STAFFING TO IMPROVE TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS AT A VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TIME AND TRYING TO COMPENSATE FOR LEARNING LOSS BUT LIKE HOW HOW DID WE NOT HOW DID WE ANTICIPATE THE END OF THIS? WHAT IS THE WHAT IS THE PLAN FOR READJUSTING TO THE TO YOU KNOW WE HAD WE ADDED 441 POSITIONS FOR GRANT ESSER FUNDING. SO HOW ARE WE GOING TO ADJUST TO THAT BECAUSE WE ALWAYS KNEW THE MONEY WAS GOING TO RUN OUT. YES, WE DID KNOW THAT THE MONEY WAS GOING TO RUN UP AND SO WE'RE BEING WE'RE BEING VERY CREATIVE. WE'RE LEVERAGING SOME OF OUR CURRENT STAFF THAT WE HAVE NOW . WE ARE TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, INNOVATE AND FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE PROVIDE SERVICES BASED ON THE NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS.  AS ALWAYS WE ARE ALWAYS TRYING TO FIND DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCE.  WE ARE STILL DOING GRANT WRITING, GIVING SOURCES FROM THE FROM DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE YOU KNOW SOME SUPPLEMENT TO SUPPLEMENTING SOME OF OUR NEEDS THAT WE HAVE. WE ARE WORKING WITH SOME OF OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS OR SOME EVEN SOME OF OUR UNIVERSITY PARTNERS TO TRY TO PROVIDE SOME OF THE SERVICES THAT WE KNOW THAT WE ARE GETTING THAT WE NO LONGER HAVE OR EVEN USING SOME OF OUR PARTNERS TO TO TRY TO BRING IN OTHER RESOURCES.  SO I MEAN IT IS DIFFICULT TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO FUND EVERYTHING THAT WE WERE CURRENTLY FUNDING. BUT THE DISTRICT IS TRYING TO FIND CREATIVE WAYS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE SOME OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE. BUT WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT SOME OF THE MORE R&D GOING TO GO AWAY AND WE WE KNEW THAT AND YOU KNOW SO THAT'S WHY THE YEARS THAT WE GOT THEY WERE VERY IMPORTANT TO US THAT WE TRY TO, YOU KNOW, CLOSE SOME OF THE EDUCATIONAL LEARNING FOR OUR KIDS DURING THAT TIME. BUT CONCILOR BREADON DYNAMICS ARE A CANCER CLINIC.  THANK YOU SO MUCH CHAIR AND CONGRATULATIONS ON COMMANDING YOUR FIRST COMMITTEE HEARING. I WANT TO THANK THE SPONSORS FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP IN BRINGING THIS FORWARD COUNCILOR EARL AND COUNCILOR FITZGERALD SO THAT WE COULD BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT THE COST SAVINGS ARE AS WE SCRUTINIZE AND REVIEW THE BUDGET AS DISTRICT CITY COUNCILOR I AM INTIMATELY FAMILIAR WITH THE MANIFESTATIONS OF OF THE IMPACT OF THE VACANCIES THAT WE HAVE IN TERMS OF CITY SERVICES AND RESPONSIVENESS AND TIMELY RESOLUTIONS. AND SO I'VE BEEN IN DEEP CONVERSATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE DEPARTMENT HEADS ASKED ME SEIU OR OTHER UNIONS TO FIGURE OUT WHY IT IS TAKING SO LONG TO GET OUR MATTRESSES PICKED UP OUR STREETS PAVED OUR SIDEWALKS, FIXED TRASH AND ALL OF THAT AND IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO STAFF CAPACITY. AND SO THIS VACANCY CONVERSATION IS IS WELL TIMED AND I UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS DIFFICULT TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS THAT WANT TO WORK FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY.  WE JUST HAD A HEARING LAST WEEK. HOW DO YOU COMPETE AS COUNCILOR BRAYTON MENTIONED HOW DO YOU COMPETE WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR WHEN THEY'RE PAYING $200,000, $300,000 FOR SOME OF THESE POSITIONS? AND SO IT IS IT IS VERY DIFFICULT.  SO I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR WORK. I DID SEE ESTES FINEST RASHARD MARTIN HERE. I THINK HE LEFT WHO WORKS AT BP SO JUST WANT TO GIVE HIM A SHOUT OUT FOR HIS WORK AND THANK HIM A LOT OF MY QUESTIONS WERE ASKED BUT I HAVE ONE QUESTION THAT I DIDN'T HEAR OR MAYBE I MISSED IT AND I APOLOGIZE IF IT'S REDUNDANT BUT THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF SALARY SAVINGS LAST YEAR DO WE HAVE THAT NUMBER SO I CAN TELL YOU HOW MUCH WAS BUDGETED FOR SALARY SAVINGS IN FISCAL 24 WHICH IS THE YEAR WE ARE CURRENTLY IN.  SO ACROSS ALL DEPARTMENTS THE FISCAL 24 BUDGET ASSUMED ABOUT $31 MILLION OF SALARY SAVINGS.  SO AGAIN THAT KIND OF IS REFLECTED AS A NEGATIVE NUMBER IN EVERYONE'S BUDGET ACCUMULATES YOU KNOW, 2 TO 31 MILLION ACROSS THE CITY. OKAY. AND THEN WALK ME THROUGH THE JOURNEY OF THAT MONEY LIKE DOES IT STAY WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT?  DOES IT GO TO THE GENERAL FUND? YEAH. SO IT'S JUST A NEGATIVE. SO LIKE WELL LIKE SAID THE SALARY BUDGET FOR THE DEPARTMENT AND YOU KNOW, WHATEVER IT IS AND THEN BASED ON A DEPARTMENT IT'S KIND OF LIKE HISTORICAL ABILITY TO FILL THINGS THE BUDGET OFFICE WILL MAKE SOME KIND OF ASSUMPTION FOR WHAT THOSE SALARY SAVINGS WILL BE SO WE JUST DEDUCT THAT FROM THE TOTAL BUDGET. SO IT'S NOT IT DOESN'T STAY IT'S JUST WE JUST OFFSET THE TOTAL SALARY BUDGET FOR THE DEPARTMENT BY THAT ASSUMED SALARY SAVINGS. OKAY. AND WE OKAY AND I THINK THE OTHER QUESTION THAT I WANTED TO ASK WAS WAS ALREADY ASKED WE DON'T HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHICH DEPARTMENTS HAVE STRUGGLED WITH THE MOST HIRING AT THIS POINT EVEN ANECDOTALLY I THINK SO.  I THINK DEPARTMENTS WHERE YOU TEND TO SEE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES DURING THE YEAR I THINK YOU KNOW DEPARTMENTS LIKE YOU KNOW, PUBLIC WORKS I THINK TENDS TO HAVE SOME DIFFICULTIES WITH FILLING AND AGAIN THESE ARE GREAT QUESTIONS THAT YOU SHOULD ASK THE DEPARTMENTS WHEN THEY COME FOR THEIR BUDGET HEARING. THEY CAN KIND OF SPEAK WITH MORE SPECIFICITY ABOUT LIKE THOSE TYPES OF ROLES I THINK CAN BE CHALLENGING BUT I THINK OFTEN OUR HIGHEST NUMBERS OF VACANCIES ARE POSITIONS WHERE WE JUST ARE HIRING A LOT OF THEM ALL OF THE TIME WHEREAS SOME OF THAT SORT OF MORE SPECIFIC TAILORED POSITIONS ARE WHERE YOU SEE LIKE AN INDIVIDUAL POSITION LONGER. SO IT REALLY DEPENDS ON WHICH THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO LOOK AT. OKAY, IS IT SAFE TO SAY THAT SOME OF OUR OUR ARE LOWER STEPPED UP PERSONNEL POSITIONS ARE THE HIGHEST THAT HAVE THE VACANCIES LIKE IF WE WERE TO I DON'T THINK IT WOULD NECESSARILY BE LINEAR BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY SAY THAT A LOT OF THE ROLES HAVE NOT HAD THE SORT OF OVERALL STRUCTURE AND REVIEW.  FOR EXAMPLE BOSTON CENTER FOR YOUTH AND FAMILIES LIKE THE OVERALL STRUCTURE AND GRADING OF THEIR POSITIONS HAD NOT BEEN REVISITED FOR A WHILE AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE COMMITTED TO DO IN THE CONTEXT OF OUR UPCOMING CONTRACTS AND I HAVE A VARIATION OF A QUESTION THAT WAS ASKED EARLIER BUT AND I KNOW IT'S DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE REFUSE A JOB BUT HAS THERE BEEN ANY EXIT SURVEYS OR EXIT QUESTIONS OF PEOPLE WHO WERE OFFERED A JOB AND THEN ENDED UP REFUSING IT LIKE IT'S A VERY SPECIFIC INSTANCE IN THAT WAY? DO YOU HAVE AN ANSWER, AN EXPLANATION FOR THAT?  SO WE DON'T SPECIFICALLY LIKE HAVE ANY OVERALL WAYS THAT WE COLLECT WHY YOU WERE OFFERED A JOB AND DECLINED SO I COULD SORT OF SPEAK ANECDOTAL REALLY ABOUT PLACES THAT I'VE HEARD IT AND A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE TO REMEDY THAT. SO SPECIFICALLY ONE OF THE WHAT I SAW AS WHAT I HAD HEARD VERY FREQUENTLY AS A PRETTY MAJOR CHALLENGE WAS THE FACT THAT WE DIDN'T OFFER SICK OR BEREAVEMENT LEAVE WITHIN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF EMPLOYMENT. AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE NOW ELIMINATED FOR ALL OF OUR NONUNION EMPLOYEES AND IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CONTRACTS THAT WE'VE CLOSED IS ALSO A PROVISION WE HAVE THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT I WAS YOU KNOW, AGAIN WE DON'T HAVE STRUCTURED DATA BUT WAS HEARING ON A PRETTY REGULAR BASIS WHERE PEOPLE WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, NOW THAT I'M THINKING ABOUT AN UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE A REALLY SORT OF TOUGH PILL TO SWALLOW. SO THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF POLICY CHANGES THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON CHANGING BECAUSE A LOT OF THE TIME WHEN WHEN PEOPLE TURN DOWN A JOB I THINK EVERYBODY HAS THIS IDEA THAT IT'S YOU KNOW, IT'S BECAUSE WE CAN'T BE COMPETITIVE IN SALARY BUT USUALLY IT'S IT'S SOMETHING LIKE A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFIC AND CONGRATULATIONS ON THAT HISTORIC CONTRACT THOUGH. THAT WAS HUGE AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS A SOLUTION AND A SOMEWHAT OF A REMEDY OF A SUITE OF SOLUTIONS HOPEFULLY FOR TRYING TO TO FILL SOME OF THESE VACANCIES. I'M REALLY EXCITED TO HEAR ABOUT EMS TOO. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. I WAS PRIVILEGED TO HAVE A RIDE AROUND WITH AN EMS WORKER AND THEY WERE TELLING ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PLIGHT OF THEIR THEIR STAFF AND THEY ARE CLEARLY OVERWORKED AND UNDERPAID. AND SO I KNOW THAT YOU SAID THAT WE HAVE HOW MANY COMING ON IS IT IS IT 90? SO ON THE 22ND WE HAVE 40. WE HAVE 40 COMING COMING ONLINE. THAT'S GREAT. WHAT ARE ARE THE STEPS THAT WE'RE TAKING TO TO INCREASE THEIR SALARY? I KNOW IT HAS TO GO THROUGH COLLECTIVE BARGAINING. I MEAN THESE FOLKS ARE WORKING SO MANY HOURS AND THEY'RE SEEING THE WORST IN OUR CITY AND THEY DESERVE HIGHER WAGES. SO I GUESS WHAT ARE WE DOING TO INCREASE THEIR WAGES AND TO TRY TO ATTRACT MORE EMS FOLKS TO THE CITY? SO THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. SO WE'RE DOING A FEW THINGS AND I WISH YOU WAS HERE BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS DOING AN AD CAMPAIGN AND SO YOU'LL SEE SOME BUSSES OR YOU'LL SEE SOME AREAS IN WHICH THEY ARE ADVERTISING A LOT MORE OF OF THE ROLES AVAILABLE. WE ARE ALSO WORKING WITH OUR RAJA HAMLET AND SO HE'S GOING OUT INTO CAMPUSES JUST LIKE WHAT WE'RE DOING FOR OUR NONUNION JOBS IN ORDER TO GAIN MORE PEOPLE TO COME INTO OUR CADET PROGRAM AND THEN ALSO JUST BEING MORE VISUAL OR VISIBLE ACROSS THE CITY ABOUT ALL THE ROLES IN WHICH WE HAVE AVAILABLE. AGAIN THERE WAS WE'RE DOING THINGS BY KEEPING FOR EMS LIKE OUR RESIDENCY SO THERE'S A HOLD ON THAT SO THAT WE CAN GET MORE INTEREST SINCE WE'RE ALSO WE'RE DOING A NUMBER OF THINGS IN ORDER TO HELP SUPPORT US TO GET MORE PEOPLE IN REGARDS TO SALARY THAT IS NEGOTIATED.  AND SO WE ARE WORKING VERY HEAVILY WITH EPA AND AND ASK ME AND EVERYBODY TO GET THOSE INDIVIDUALS IN. AND SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S ONGOING AND WE ARE DEFINITELY AWARE THAT THE SALARIES ARE LOW AND IT IS TOP OF MIND AS WE ARE GOING INTO HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH THE THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THAT ANSWER AND I THINK I MIGHT HAVE MISSPOKE. I THINK I SAID OVERWORKED AND OVERPAID BUT I MET OVERWORKED AND UNDERPAID. SORRY , EVERYBODY. ALL RIGHT. I KNOW THAT THAT'S MY JOB. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR . I GIVE YOU AN EXTRA MINUTE BECAUSE YOU DID TO GIVE AN OPENING STATEMENT A COUNSELOR HERE WILL ALSO GIVE YOU AN EXTRA MINUTE AND SO OVER TO YOU. THANK YOU, CHAIR. GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. I JUST HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS. I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE THIS IS FOR BIPS YOU KEEP ASKING FOR MORE MONEY. I THINK IT'S HILARIOUS AND I APPRECIATE IT BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO RESPOND TO THAT. BUT I THINK WHAT I'D LOVE TO KNOW IN TERMS OF ESSENTIAL STAFF AS OPPOSED TO DOLLARS THAT ARE GETTING INTO THE CLASSROOM AND OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE STUFF OUTSIDE THE DISTRICT, DO YOU HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THOSE VACANCIES SO CENTRAL ONE OF THE MAJOR CUTS WE MADE THIS YEAR WAS ACTUALLY IN CENTRAL WE WE PURPOSE CENTRAL DOLLARS FOR SCHOOLS. SO FOR EXAMPLE MY DEPARTMENT WE WE CUT A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF POSITIONS JUST SO THAT WE CAN REPURPOSE SO A LOT OF THAT THIS YEAR WITH THE BUDGET WAS ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS THAT WE DID WAS REPURPOSE WAS MAKE SOME MAJOR CUTS IN ESSENTIAL SO THAT WE CAN GIVE THOSE MONIES TO THE SCHOOLS. SO THAT'S GREAT. I'M HAPPY TO HEAR THAT. I'M CURIOUS IN TERMS OF PARENT PIPELINE, THERE ARE A LOT OF PARENTS THAT I WORK WITH WHO ARE READY TO WORK AND I'M JUST CURIOUS KIND OF LIKE WHAT TYPE OF RECRUITMENT YOU'RE DOING TO GET SOME OF THOSE PARENTS INTO THOSE JOBS.  SO WE WE OFTEN HAVE WE WE ARE IN THE COMMUNITY TRYING TO RECRUIT LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, OUR CAFETERIA WORKERS.  WE ARE THE ONES REACHING OUT AND SETTING UP RECRUITMENT EFFORTS TO TRY TO GET THEM IN LIKE WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR PEOPLE IF YOU IF YOU IF WE IF YOU KNOW OF ANYONE THAT'S LOOK, THAT'S NOT THE QUESTION. THE QUESTION IS REALLY ABOUT PIPELINE RIGHT LIKE YOU HAVE LIKE JUST GETTING THEM IN BUT LIKE HOW ARE YOU DEVELOPING PATHWAYS FOR THEM TO ACTUALLY GROW IN THOSE ROLES BECAUSE ONE THING IS TRUE AND I DON'T WANT TO JUST TALK ABOUT CAFETERIA WORKERS WHILE I APPRECIATE THAT THAT IS WHAT MAY BE POTENTIALLY AVAILABLE TO PARENTS I HAVE TO PUSH ON THAT PARENTS COULD BE DOING A LOT MORE THAN JUST SO I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT OTHER PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOU MAY HAVE FOR PARENTS. SO WE WE HAVE OUR PIPE OUR PARETO PIPELINE PROGRAM WHERE WE HAVE OUR PARENTS WHO START OFF AS PARENTS WHO EVENTUALLY BECOME EDUCATORS. WE WE WORK WITH OUR UNIVERSITY PARTNERS SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN ASSIST INDIVIDUALS WHO COME IN AND CREATE PROGRAMS AND CREATE OPPORTUNITIES.  HOW MANY I CAN GIVE YOU THE NUMBER OF COURSE WE DO HAVE THOSE NUMBERS. I CAN OUR WAY FOR THE BUDGET HEARINGS TO GET DEEPER INTO THAT. YES, I CAN PROVIDE YOU I CAN PROVIDE THOSE NUMBERS. THANK YOU.  I'M GOING TO GO OVER TO THE CITY. I'M CURIOUS IN TERMS OF THE IMPACT ON WORKERS WHO HAVE HAD TO TAKE ON ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES BECAUSE THOSE POSITIONS HAVE NOT BEEN FILLED. CAN YOU TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE?  YEAH. SO SPECIFICALLY ONE PROCESS THAT I HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT AT ALL IS THE CONCEPT OF A TEMPORARY OUT OF GRADE. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS ANSWERING YOUR POSITION AT ALL BUT LIKE FOR EXAMPLE IF THERE'S A MANAGERIAL ROLE THAT WE NEED FILLED AND THAT POSITION BECOMES VACANT, A MANAGER CAN APPOINT A PERSON WITHIN THAT ROLE TO TEMPORARILY TAKE ON THE RESPONSIBILITIES AND ALSO BE COMPENSATED AT A HIGHER LEVEL AND ASSOCIATED WITH THAT POSITION OVERALL, YOU KNOW YES, 100% THE IMPACT OF HAVING LARGE SCALE VACANCIES AND PEOPLE HAVING TO DO MORE WITH LESS TAKES A SIGNIFICANT TOLL ON OUR WORKFORCE AND WE ARE THERE IS A WHOLE SET OF WORK THAT WE'RE DOING TO SUPPORT OUR INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEES AND RETAIN THEM THAT I HAVEN'T REALLY GOTTEN INTO TODAY. THAT'S GREAT. THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND THEN I'M NOT SURE WHAT I'M DOING FOR TIME BUT 2 MINUTES. OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU.  I'M CURIOUS YOU KNOW IN MY OFFICE I LIKE TO DO THINGS TO LEARN ABOUT THEM AND THEN, YOU KNOW, ENCOURAGE OTHER PEOPLE TO DO THINGS. SO IN MY OFFICE IN THIS PARTICULAR TERM WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING IS I HAVE GRANDPARENTS AND FROM GRANDPARENTS TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE TRANSITIONED INTO THEIR THIRD CAREERS AND HIGH SCHOOLERS ARE WORKING WITHIN MY OFFICE. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HAVE LEARNED IS A LOT OF THESE FOLKS WOULDN'T BE IN THESE POSITIONS BECAUSE THEY WOULD HAVE NEVER GOTTEN THE OPPORTUNITY BASED ON THEIR RESUMES AND SOME PEOPLE DON'T EVEN SPEAK ENGLISH. AND SO I'M CURIOUS IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE WORKFORCE AND FILLING IN THESE VACANCIES,  WHAT INNOVATION WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE IN THE CITY TO REALLY OPEN UP OPPORTUNITIES FOR THESE NONTRADITIONAL AND EMPLOYABLE PEOPLE?  YEAH, I MEAN THERE'S A WHOLE SET OF THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING. ONE I THINK IS JUST IN THE PLACES THAT WE'RE CAN REVIEW THOSE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS AND REALLY LIKE QUESTION WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE FUNDAMENTALLY MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR THE POSITION THAT WE NEED. I THINK TRADITIONAL THERE'S BEEN THE IDEA THAT IF WE BRING IF WE REQUIRE A HIGHER DEGREE WE'LL BE ABLE TO COMPENSATE IT MORE. BUT WE'VE ALSO CREATED BARRIERS WITHIN OURSELVES ABOUT THINKING ABOUT WHO IS REASONABLE FOR A JOB. AND SO REALLY ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING TO WORK WITH DEPARTMENTS IS SORT OF QUESTIONING THOSE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS EVERY TIME A POSITION BECOMING LANGUAGE BECOMES I LIKE IT BECAUSE I'VE HIRED SEVERAL PEOPLE ON MY TEAM THAT DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH BUT THEY ARE DOING AN AMAZING JOB AND WOULD NEVER HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK INSIDE CITY GOVERNMENT. SO IT'S I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE SO I'M SO GLAD YOU ASKED THAT AS PART OF OUR I GUESS WE I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE WE ARE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO HAVE A BUDGET HEARING BUT WE DID REQUEST A BUDGET FOR A BILINGUAL WE CURRENTLY HAVE WE CURRENTLY HAVE WITHIN SOME COLLECTIVE BARGAINING CONTRACTS ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION FOR PEOPLE WHO SPEAK OTHER LANGUAGES AND WE'RE LOOKING TO DO THAT CITYWIDE.  SO THE QUESTION WAS IF THEY DIDN'T SPEAK ENGLISH PERIOD, IF THEY DIDN'T SPEAK ENGLISH.  SO THAT IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT WE ARE WORKING ON CURVE HAPPY TO HEAR THAT WE WORKED WITH WE DID A HIRING DAY, A PARTNERSHIP WITH IFC AND I THINK FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER TRANSLATED OFFER LETTERS INTO DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AS WELL. SO THAT'S BEEN A GREAT I'M HAPPY TO HEAR THAT. AND THEN MY LAST THING THAT I'D LIKE TO JUST PUT ON THE RECORD HERE IS THAT WE DURING THE OPERA FUNDING WE REQUESTED A LINE ITEM I THINK IT WAS FOR $750,000 FOR SUPPORTS FOR MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES AND AS WE CONTINUE TO MEET THE NEED I'VE BEEN THINKING A LOT ABOUT BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT AND AID . WHAT CAN YOU THINK OF THAT WILL HELP YOU ALL NOT JUST BRING PEOPLE IN BUT KEEP THEM HERE IN TERMS OF SUPPORTS AND THAT MEANS HOUSING SUPPORTS. THAT MEANS MAYBE CHILD CARE SUPPORT.  THAT MEANS YOU KNOW, EDUCATIONAL, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES LIKE CAN YOU TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT TYPES OF SUPPORTS CAN YOU ENVISION NEEDING TO HELP YOU CLOSE SOME OF THESE VACANCIES?  YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. SO EMPLOYEE TRANSIT BENEFITS WAS A BIG ONE THAT WE DID. YEAH. I'M EXCITED TO REPORT BACK ON THE HOUSING THE EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM WHICH HAS GONE THROUGH I BELIEVE THREE ROUNDS THIS FAR AND WE'VE WORKED CLOSELY WITH B, C AND D PIECES PART OF THAT PROGRAM THERE.  SORRY I JUST LOST MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT. YEAH I GUESS SO YOU'RE WELL OVER FROM HERE BUT LAST POINT. THANK YOU, SIR. SO I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY THAT YES, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO DO LIKE THIS IS A CONSTANT ACT IN WHICH MANY OF US, YOU KNOW, HAVE A HARD TIME GETTING INTO.  SO I THINK THAT THE WORK THAT WE NEED TO DO REQUIRES US TO UNDERSTAND WHAT SOME OF THOSE BARRIERS ARE FOR FOLKS PARTICULARLY THOSE FOLKS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO SAY THAT WE HEAR YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF EQUITY GOALS.  SO I THINK THAT THERE IS SOME WORK THAT WE COULD DO IN THAT SPACE TO BE ABLE TO MEET THAT MOMENT FOR THESE FOLKS. I CAN'T GET IN HERE.  OKAY. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR MEJIA I HAVE RECEIVED A LETTER OF ABSENCE FROM COUNCILOR DURKAN WHICH I WILL SUBMIT INTO THE RECORD I CAN READ OUT BUT I JUST BEFORE I HAND IT BACK TO COUNCILOR L I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS I GUESS CHIEF CRAWFORD BURGER IS IN TERMS OF YOU KNOW WE'VE HEARD ABOUT LIFEGUARDS AND YOU KNOW WE OBVIOUSLY CAN'T HAVE POOLS OPEN IF THERE ARE NO LIFEGUARDS OR IT WAS SORT OF A BIRD'S EYE VIEW. ARE THERE ANY SERVICES THAT WERE YOU KNOW, WE'RE UNABLE TO PROVIDE BECAUSE OF VACANCIES NOT NECESSARILY BECAUSE OF BUDGET ISSUES BUT IN TERMS OF THAT THAT YOU WANT TO HIGHLIGHT SO I DON'T THINK THERE ARE ANY IN PARTICULAR THAT I CAN THINK OF TO HIGHLIGHT IN THIS MOMENT. BUT I DO THINK WHEN DEPARTMENTS COME IN FOR BUDGET HEARINGS THESE WOULD BE GOOD QUESTIONS TO ASK TO SEE WHAT OF THEIR SERVICES, YOU KNOW, CORE SERVICES ARE THEY SORT OF YOU KNOW, UNABLE TO DELIVER AT THE LEVEL THAT THEY THINK BECAUSE OF A VACANCY ISSUE? BUT I CAN'T UNLESS ALEX THERE'S ANY THAT KIND OF COME TO MIND FOR YOU KNOW WELL I THINK I GUESS CHIEF PEOPLES IS THERE ANYTHING YOU KNOW THAT YOU AT EMS OR IN PUBLIC HEALTH THAT WE THAT THAT YOU FEEL LIKE WE'RE YOU KNOW YOU'RE NOT TO OR YOU HAVE TROUBLE JUST PROVIDING SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC BECAUSE OF VACANCIES?  THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. I DO THINK THAT WE DO HAVE A NUMBER OF VACANCIES THAT ARE OPEN AND WE DO NEED SPECIALIZED PEOPLE IN THOSE ROLES AS FAR AS WHETHER OR NOT THIS SUPPORT IS THERE, I THINK THAT OUR OUR OUR WE ARE DOING WELL WITH WHAT WE HAVE. I THINK THAT WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO COME INTO OUR ORGANIZATION IN ORDER TO SUPPORT WHAT IT IS THAT WE NEED IN ORDER TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY. OKAY. AND I GUESS YEAH NO I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT LIKE I, I DO THINK THIS IS AN AREA IN WHICH WE'VE IMPROVED BECAUSE WHEN THERE WERE PLACES WHERE IT FELT LIKE WE WERE BECOMING CLOSE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE A SERVICE WE REALLY DUG IN AND SO YOU KNOW I GAVE THE EXAMPLE OF 911 CALL TAKERS BUT LIKE WE REALLY ARE FOLLOWING THE PLACES WHERE WE'RE STRUGGLING TO PROVIDE SERVICE AND THEN ENSURING THAT WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO SUPPORT FILLING THOSE VACANCIES. SO I THINK OUR OUR INABILITY TO ANSWER HAS TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT WE'VE BEEN REALLY TARGETED AND FOCUSED ON THIS.  YEAH AND THANK YOU THANK YOU FOR YOUR YOUR HARD WORK AND PROGRESS ON THIS I GUESS FOR FOR CHIEF CANTY MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE DPS BUDGET IS THAT YOU KNOW WE HAD A DECREASE IN NUMBER OF STUDENTS AND THAT USING THE WEIGHTED STUDENT FORMULA THAT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN A LOT OF SORT OF HARSH CUTS AT SCHOOLS.  BUT ESSER FUNDS ALLOWED US TO MAINTAIN STAFFING LEVELS THAT I'M JUST NOT LEADING. WHERE IS THAT? AM I RIGHT ABOUT THAT? YES. OKAY. AND SO WHAT DOES HAS BP'S BEEN ABLE TO EVALUATE YOU KNOW, WHAT WHAT THE IMPACT OF HAVING I MEAN IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAVE MORE STAFF PER STUDENT YOU KNOW AS A RESULT OF ESSER FUNDS.  WHAT WAS THE IMPACT OF THAT FOR FOR THE BP STUDENTS?  I MEAN OBVIOUSLY WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE WE WERE WE WERE BETTER EQUIPPED TO MEET OUR STUDENT NEEDS.  WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE FOR PROGRAMING STAFF THAT WERE BENEFICIAL TO OUR STUDENTS. OF COURSE.  AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE STILL LOOKING AT THE DATA TO SEE YOU KNOW, ESSER IS JUST ENDING IN AUGUST. SO LIKE WE ARE YOU KNOW, WE WILL BE LOOKING AT THE DATA AND SEE WHAT WERE SOME OF THE OUTCOMES OF AS A RESULT OF ESSER BUT YEAH WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE A GIVE PROGRAMING START LIKE WERE PROBABLY ARE LIKE ARE WISH LISTS OF THINGS THAT WE WOULD HAVE WANTED TO DO IT KIDS FOR YEARS THAT WE JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE FUNDING TO DO SO WITH THAT CONCLUDING YOU KNOW AS I STATED WE'RE TRYING TO BE CREATIVE AND TRYING TO FIND OTHER RESOURCES AND OUTLETS SO THAT WE CAN WE COULD CLOSE THAT GAP OF THE FUNDING THAT WE'RE LOSING.  OKAY. YEAH. JUST BEFORE I HANDED OVER TO WELL I'D JUST LIKE TO RECOGNIZE WE'VE JOINED BY TO BOSTON UNIVERSITY JOURNALISM STUDENTS . I URGE MY COLLEAGUES IN THE ADMINISTRATION TO ANSWER THEIR QUESTIONS AFTER AND I THANK THEM FOR ATTENDING COUNCIL AROUND OH, I'M SORRY FOR THIS SECOND ROUND. WE'LL DO 3 MINUTES AND YOU KNOW, THEY GIVE I ONLY GOT THREE MINUTE GUYS I CHIEF PEOPLE CAN YOU JUST TELL ME LIKE 150 JOB VACANCIES WHICH WAY DO THEY FALL? BP IS A LARGE DEPARTMENT JUST KIND OF OUTLINING THE VACANCIES AND I DON'T HAVE A BREAKDOWN OF FROM EAST FROM IT BUT IT IS WHAT WE ARE SEEING OF THOSE IT IS GENERALLY OR NORMALLY OR IT'S BROADLY OUR NONUNION POSITIONS. WE DO HAVE A FEW UNION POSITIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE BUT I CAN PROVIDE YOU A BREAKDOWN ONCE I CAN PROVIDE IT TO YOU AT A LATER TIME. APPRECIATE THAT. AND THEN CFO OF THE QUARTERLY EXPENDITURE REPORT THE COUNCIL HASN'T RECEIVED IT SINCE OCTOBER . IF COULD GET AN UPDATE ON THAT JUST SO WE COULD KEEP TRACK OF WHERE SPENDING IS GOING. BUT LEADING TO THAT IS YOU KNOW F Y A 21 BPD BUDGETED 6 MILLION MORE THAN WHAT WE'RE SPENDING PERSONNEL AT FY 22 BPD ALSO BUDGETED 7,000,007.7 MILLION MORE THAN WHAT WAS SPENT. DO YOU TELL ME WHAT WHAT IS WHERE DOES THAT MONEY GO RIGHT AND DO YOU HAVE ANY YEAR TO DATE INFORMATION THAT YOU COULD PROVIDE US NOW ON YOU KNOW, BPD PERMANENT EMPLOYEES EXPENDITURE ? SURE. SO APOLOGIES ABOUT THE QUARTERLY REPORT. WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT THAT GETS OVER TO YOU SO YOU CAN SEE HOW WE'RE DOING YEAR TO DATE IN GENERAL WHETHER IT'S BPD OR ANY CITY DEPARTMENT SAVINGS AT THE END OF THE YEAR WILL FALL TO THE CITY'S FUND BALANCE AND FUND BALANCE IS SORT OF OUR WAY IN WHICH WE KIND OF GUARD AGAINST SHORT TERM DOWNTURNS GOING FORWARD. IT SORT OF ACTS AS OUR OUR RESERVE TO YOU KNOW, USE FOR FUTURE ISSUES BUT THAT'S GENERALLY WHAT HAPPENS WITH SAVINGS IN A DEPARTMENT WHETHER IT'S YOU KNOW, ASSOCIATED WITH PERSONNEL SAVINGS OR NON PERSONNEL SAVINGS AT THE END OF THE YEAR THAT BOTTOM LINE WILL FALL TO THE CITY'S FUND BALANCE AND KIND OF REMAIN AVAILABLE TO BE APPROPRIATED IN THE FUTURE IF NEEDED.  SPECIFICALLY TO YOUR QUESTION ABOUT THE CURRENT STATE OF BP OR ANY ANY OR ANY YEAH YEAH. SPEAK TO IT GENERALLY.  YEAH I MEAN WELL WE'LL MAKE SURE TO GET YOU THE QUARTERLY REPORTS BECAUSE YOU'LL SEE THERE'S A LOT OF VARIABILITY ACROSS DEPARTMENTS SO YOU MIGHT SEE IN A PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT THAT THEY'RE PERMANENT EMPLOYEES SAY YOU KNOW SALARY SAVINGS ARE GREATER THAN WE EXPECTED. HOWEVER THEIR OVERTIME IS YOU KNOW, SIGNIFICANTLY OVER BUDGET . SO AS PART OF THAT YEAR END PROCESS THOSE PERMANENT SALARY SAVINGS THAT WE'VE ACCUMULATED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR CAN OFFSET THE AMOUNT OF OVERTIME SHORTFALL WE HAVE.  SO YOU KNOW, WE CAN USE THAT FLEXIBILITY TO DEAL WITH SHORTFALLS IN OTHER AREAS OF THE BUDGET. BUT AGAIN IT REALLY VARIES BASED ON DEPARTMENT AND WE'LL MAKE SURE WE CAN GET YOU THOSE YEAR TO DATE REPORT SO YOU CAN SEE WHERE THAT VARIABILITY IS HAPPENING. THANK YOU. AND I KNOW WE HAVE 3 MINUTES TO GET ONE MORE YEAH, ONE MORE QUESTION. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU CHAIR BP'S CHIEF CAN'T COUNTY 50 EDUCATORS IS THAT THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF VACANT POSITIONS JUST FOR RIGHT NOW FOR THE 2023 TO 2024 SCHOOL YEAR ARE POSTING FOR 20 2425 WILL BE A DIFFERENT NUMBER SO AS OF RIGHT NOW AS SCHOOL IS CLOSING, THAT'S SORT OF WHERE WE HAVE IF YOU LOOKED AT TODAY TODAY THE AMOUNT OF EDUCATORS IS 50 EDUCATORS BUT WHAT ABOUT DISTRICT WIDE ALL PERSONNEL WHETHER IT'S YOU KNOW, BUS DRIVERS, BUS MONITORS, GAS FACILITIES, MANAGERS WHAT'S THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF JOB VACANCIES? I WILL SAY? I CAN SEND YOU OVER THAT NUMBERS OF A TOTAL BREAKDOWN OF EACH DEPARTMENT.  WHAT WHAT ARE THE CURRENT OPENINGS THAT WE HAVE?  THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR FITZGERALD THANK YOU . BUT I WANT HE'S A CHIEF KANTE OF THE SCHOOLS. I KNOW SOME TEACHERS. I JUST KNOW IN MY OWN SON'S SCHOOL THEY HAD ONE TEACHER LEAVE TO GO TO ANOTHER POSITION. SO BUT WITHIN WITHIN DPS. OKAY. RIGHT. SO HOW DOES THAT HOW DO THEY QUANTIFY THAT IN TERMS OF VACANCIES RIGHT. I MEAN IS IT JUST SORT OF A NET ZERO WHERE YOU BECOME LIKE THERE'S A POSTING FOR ONE SO YOU YOU DO FILL IT BUT YOU YOU CREATE ANOTHER OPENING SO IS IT JUST AS SIMPLE AS THAT THEY KEEP IT THAT'S HOW IT'S RECORDED.  ALL RIGHT. JUST WANT TO KNOW WE WERE HORRIFIED THAT WE LOST THAT FIRST GRADE TEACHER. WE USUALLY TRY TO WE HAVE A RULE THAT WE DON'T ALLOW THEM TO LEAVE BECAUSE IT CAUSES DISRUPTION LIKE THAT. WE TRY TO MAKE IT THAT DAY.  YOU KNOW, ONCE YOU TAKE THE POSITION LIKE WE DON'T LIKE TO SEE THOSE VACANCIES I'M SORRY THAT HAPPENED TO YOU BUT LIKE WE CAN ONLY, YOU KNOW, HOLD IT FOR SO LONG THAT YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T LEAVE AND GO TO ANOTHER SCHOOL LIKE, YOU KNOW, MUTUAL CONSENT LIKE INDIVIDUALS SHOULD GET TO GO, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEY WANT TO TEACH. SO FAIR ENOUGH.  THANK YOU. I JUST WANT I'M JUST WONDERING HOW THAT WAS CODIFIED.  IS THERE ANYTHING WE AS A BODY CAN DO TO HELP YOU ALL STRENGTHEN THIS? LIKE WHAT WOULD BE YOUR RECOMMENDATION TO US?  WE'VE HEARD A LOT OF YOU'VE ANSWERED OUR QUESTIONS AND I THINK A LOT OF YOU KNOW A LOT OF IT HAS COME OUT OF THOSE IN THOSE ANSWERS. BUT OVERALL IF YOU COULD SYNTHESIZE AND ANSWER ANY ANYBODY REALLY WELL THIS IS WHAT WE WOULD NEED CITY COUNCIL TO DO FOR US TO HELP THIS. AND I ACTUALLY WOULD ANSWER THAT JUST AS A PERSONAL AS A PERSONAL PERSON WHO LIKE YOU KNOW, I'M A LAWYER BY TRADE AND YOU I THINK PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT WORKING FOR GOVERNMENT MEANS. I THINK THAT WE NEED TO MAKE IT ATTRACTIVE TO WORKING GOVERNMENT. I DON'T THINK WE DO ENOUGH A GREAT JOB OF SELLING WHAT IMPACT YOU CAN HAVE AND I THINK LIKE INDIVIDUALS LIKE YOURSELVES WERE CONSTANTLY IN THE PUBLIC EYE LIKE IF YOU CAN SELL LIKE WHAT GOVERNMENT OFFER PEOPLE LIKE YOU KNOW, JUST PUT MONEY ASIDE BUT LIKE JUST THE ABILITY TO HAVE PEOPLE'S LIVES ,THE ABILITY TO MAKE CHANGES THAT ARE EVERLASTING, I THINK THAT WOULD MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE FOR US LIKE FOR ME LIKE I THINK PEOPLE NEED TO MAKE EDUCATION MORE ATTRACTIVE . YOU KNOW, BEING A TEACHER IS STIGMATIZED AS IF IT'S A BAD THING AND IT'S ACTUALLY A GREAT THING LIKE SO I THINK WE NEED TO GET BACK TO THAT OF THAT ROLE OF LIKE PEOPLE WANTING A PROFESSION THAT'S LONG BLASTING A PROFESSION THAT LIKE YOU KNOW, YOU CAN RAISE YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR KIDS ON IT'S I MEAN LET'S BE SERIOUS TEACHERS THEY IF YOU LIVE IN BOSTON, IF YOU'RE A BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER, IT'S NOT A TERRIBLE GIG.  IT'S YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE GREAT PAY. YOU HAVE THREE MONTHS OFF LIKE YOU. WE JUST WOULD LOVE FOR PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELVES WHO ARE OUT THERE TO MAKE IT ATTRACTIVE LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE GREAT BENEFITS OF WORKING IN GOVERNMENT AND I THINK THAT WOULD MAKE A HUGE IMPACT FOR US I THINK YEAH LAST QUESTION. YEAH, JUST A FINAL AND AGAIN TO THIS CANDY, I JUST WANT YOU TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY ON THE RECORD IF I WOULD ASK ABOUT MY MY FAVORITE FORMER NEIGHBOR PAPA CANTY AND IF HE IS FULFILLING HIS BABYSITTING OBLIGATIONS TO YOU HE IS HE'S ACTUALLY GOING TO PICK UP MY SON TODAY.  I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE PLEASE TELL HIM I SAID HELLO. I WILL. THANK YOU.  OKAY. MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION OF THE HEARING I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE IN THE PAPERS.  YEAH. OKAY. COUNSELOR BREADON THANK YOU. SO BACK IN 2022 MY GOODNESS IT'S 2024 ALREADY ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO WE DID A 17 F DOCKET NUMBER ZERO SIX FOR ONE AND TWO JUST REQUESTING CERTAIN INFORMATION UNDER SECTION 17 F RELATIVE TO THE PERSONNEL REVIEW COMMITTEE AND PERSONNEL VACANCIES AS WE LOOK BACK AT, YOU KNOW, 22,008 WHEN WE HAD THE GREAT RECESSION, THE FINANCIAL CRISIS OF 2007 2008 AND MAYOR MENINO ISSUED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER REQUIRING THAT ALL PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYER EMPLOYEE EMPLOYMENT CONTRACTS, WHETHER INDEPENDENT OR INDEPENDENT, WERE FUNDED BY OR FUNDED BY APPROPRIATION OR GRANT FUNDS MUST BE REVIEWED BY THE PERSONNEL REVIEW COMMITTEE AND WE STILL HAVE THAT IN OPERATION. IT'S STILL A REALLY BIG PART OF YOUR JOB. THE PERSONNEL REVIEW COMMITTEE . YEAH. YES AND AND I THINK IT'S VERY ENLIGHTENING BECAUSE THERE'S PAGES AND PAGES AND PAGES OF OF DOCUMENTATION HERE ABOUT VACANCIES, WHETHER OR NOT VACANCIES WERE FILLED ETC. I'M JUST WONDERING DOES BEEPS HAVE A SIMILAR MECHANISM FOR REVIEWING ALL SORT OF VACANCIES AND HOW MANY AM REALLY BECAUSE THIS YEAR GIVES ME A DETAILED EVERY DEPARTMENT HAS A HAS A JOB DESCRIPTION AND THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE JOB AND THE NUMBER OF VACANCIES THEY HAVE DOES BEEPS HAVE A SIMILAR WAY OF MONITORING THEIR PERSONNEL LIKE I HAVE NO IDEA LIKE IN TERMS OF SCHOOLS I THINK WE HAVE A BETTER IDEA OF SCHOOLS BUT IN JUST IN TERMS OF CENTRAL OFFICE HOW MANY EMPLOYEES WORK IN CENTRAL OFFICE AND HOW MANY VACANCIES DO YOU HAVE AND WHAT ARE THEIR JOB DESCRIPTIONS DO YOU HAVE THAT WE CAN OF COURSE PROVIDE THAT FOR YOU ALL JUST SO WE HAVE SOMETHING CALLED PROBABLE ONE. SO WHAT HAPPENS IS EVERY YEAR AROUND OCTOBER BEEPERS GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF REVIEWING AND THAT JUST SCHOOL BASED BUT LIKE EACH DEPARTMENT REVIEW THEIR VACANCIES THEY REVIEW THEIR BUDGET AND MAKE THE AND THEN THEY MAKE A DETERMINATION OF WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO THAT POSITION. SO WE DO HAVE A PROCESS BY WHICH WE REVIEW EACH VACANCY OR THE BUDGET OF EACH DEPARTMENT INDIVIDUALLY. YEAH, AND THE REASON I'M ASKING IS IS 54.2% OF THE CITY FUNDED WORKFORCE IS REALLY IT'S A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE AND WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNOW FOR ME PERSONALLY THE SHARP END OF THE SPEAR IS IN THE CLASSROOM. THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE MAKING THE DIFFERENCE. SO I'D LOVE TO GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE WHOLE STRUCTURE THERE FROM HERE IS THE ISSUE BUT PARAPROFESSIONAL ROLES ARE OFTEN IMMIGRANTS WHO SPEAK MULTIPLE LANGUAGES.  HOW ARE WE SUPPORTING THOSE PARAPROFESSIONALS HIRING PARAPROFESSIONALS WITH MULTI LANGUAGE SKILLS BUT ALSO HOW ARE WE SUPPORTING THEM TO GET AND GET INTO THE PIPELINE FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO BECOME ULTIMATELY TO BECOME CERTIFIED LICENSED EDUCATORS AS WELL. SO I'M STILL HAPPY YOU MENTION THAT THE DISTRICT ONE OF THE THINGS WE RECENTLY GOT WAS A $6 MILLION GRANT FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO SUPPORT PROGRAM PARAPROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE PARAPROFESSIONALS. NOW WE WILL PUT THEM THROUGH A PROGRAM WHERE THEY CAN EVENTUALLY WILL GET THEIR MASTERS AND EVENTUALLY BECOME TEACHERS. AND SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING IN THE DISTRICT WHICH SUPPORTS MULTI-LANGUAGE LEARNERS AND IT'S A FOCUS WHAT MULTI-LANGUAGE LEARNERS SPEAKERS THAT ARE GOING TO BE PART OF THE PROGRAM THAT WE'RE TARGETING SPECIFIC IT'S A GRANT THAT BP HAS COMPETED WITH A LOT OF OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS SO WE WERE ABLE TO GET THAT GRANT AND WE JUST STARTED THE WORK RIGHT NOW TO GET THEM. I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE THE FIRST COHORT IS GOING TO BE 14 TO 15 PEOPLE AND THEN WE'RE HOPING OVER YEAR OVER TIME THAT PROGRAM WILL GROW. THANK YOU COUNSELOR BRAIN THAT'S 3 MINUTES I, I WOULD LIKE TO JUST I'M GOING TO YIELD MY MY TIME TO COUNCILOR REALLY TO BRING THIS SO I'LL GIVE YOU 3 MINUTES AND THEN IS THERE ANY THERE WILL BE NO PUBLIC COMMENT SO I'LL LEAVE SOME TIME FOR SOME EXTRA QUESTIONS IF ANYONE HAS THEM OF ROOM AND THANK YOU CHAIR AND ANOTHER QUESTION FOR CHIEF CANTY DURING THE MARCH 4TH SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING BP STATED IT CUT 5 MILLION IN TRANSPORTATION COSTS IN PART BY ELIMINATING VACANT BUS MONITOR JOBS. YOU DESCRIBE THE CHANGES IN THAT SPACE AS I LIKE TO GET MORE OF A HAND ON THE JOB THE BACON JOB THAT WERE ELIMINATED . CAN YOU EXPLAIN CAN YOU EXPAND ON THAT A LITTLE BIT? I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION. YEAH. SO IN THE MARCH 4TH SCHOOL COMMITTEE THERE WAS A CONVERSATION ABOUT HAVING I THINK IT WAS LIKE 700 POSITIONS THAT WERE VACANT AT THE TIME AND THERE WAS CUTS IN THE TRANSPORTATION AND DEPARTMENT JUST KIND OF WANT TO UNDERSTAND HOW YOU KNOW, BP'S DECIDED TO MAKE THOSE CUTS IN THE BUS MONITORS AND WHERE ARE WE NOW WITH BUS BUS MONITORS AND POSITIONS FILLED IN VACANCY OKAY.  SO I MEAN BP HAS HAD TO MAKE A LOT OF HARD DECISIONS AS TO WHERE WE WERE GOING TO MAKE CUTS RESPECTIVE TO LIKE MAKING THE INVESTMENTS THAT WE NEEDED TO MAKE IN THE CLASSROOMS AND IT WASN'T YOU KNOW, IT WASN'T EASY IT WASN'T AN EASY DECISION TO MAKE. AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WE THE DISTRICT LOOKED AT WAS LIKE WHERE ARE SOME OF THE WHERE ARE SOME OF THE SAVINGS THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY HAVE AND IF WE HAD HIGH VACANCIES IN THOSE AREAS WHICH WAS WHICH IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THEY MADE THAT CHOICE TO CUT SOME OF THE BUS MONITORS WAS BECAUSE THERE WERE, YOU KNOW, VACANCIES IN THAT IN THOSE POSITIONS.  WE YOU KNOW THIS HERE SOME OF THE BETTER YEARS I YOU KNOW I WORKED AT BP SINCE 2019 LEFT CAME BACK AND IT'S ALWAYS BEEN TRADITIONALLY REALLY HARD TO COVER TO FIND PEOPLE TO BE BUS MONITORS. IT'S ONE OF OUR MORE CHALLENGING AREAS THIS YEAR WE DID HAVE SOME OF THE HIGHEST WE WERE ABLE TO CLOSE MORE OF THE VACANCIES THAN WE HAVE IN THE PAST BUT EVEN WITH THAT WE STILL DON'T THERE STILL ARE SOME CHALLENGES THAT THAT WE'VE HAD SO SO THAT'S WHY I THINK THAT DECISION WAS MADE WHY WE WHY WE HAD TO MAKE THOSE CUTS BECAUSE THEY'RE TRADITIONALLY HARDER TO TO TO COVER . BUT ALSO THIS YEAR WE HAD MORE PEOPLE THAN WE TRADITIONALLY HAD IN THE PAST. THANK YOU. AND THEN CHIEF LAWRENCE, I THINK YOU VOLUNTEERED TO COME IN FOR A BUDGET HEARING. IS THAT WHAT I DO?  SORRY . BE GLAD TO NO FURTHER QUESTIONS WILL REVIEW THE TAPE. OKAY SO SO NOTHING ELSE. I JUST HAVE ONE POINT OF CLARIFICATION SO WE TALK ABOUT 6000 CITY EMPLOYEES THAT YEAH AND THAT'S HONESTLY THAT'S PROBABLY NOT A PARTICULARLY GOOD OR ACCURATE NUMBER. I WAS SORT OF SPEAKING IN GENERALITIES TO TALK ABOUT THE THE THE PIECE OF THE WORKFORCE THAT IS THE MOST IN OUR CENTRALIZED CONTROL IT MIGHT BE A LARGER OKAY I THOUGHT I HAD READ THAT THERE WERE 23 THERE WERE 23,000 PEOPLE ON THE PAY RISE IS THAT YES SO SORRY THERE'S A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT WAYS DEPENDING ON HOW YOU SLICE THE NUMBERS. SO THERE ARE OF COURSE THE SORT OF EMPLOYEES OF CITY HALL IN ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS. THERE ARE A LARGE CHUNK OF THAT AS WE KNOW MADE UP BY SCHOOLS. THERE'S A BOSTON PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION AND BASICALLY THE 23,000 IS LIKE THE BROADEST THAT INCLUDES BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY REALLY JUST DEPENDS ON SORT OF WHERE YOU'RE DRAWING THE LINE IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES WE CAN GIVE YOU A BREAKDOWN THAT IS MORE SPECIFIC IF IT'S HELPFUL.  SO THERE'S ABOUT 1000 VACANCIES IN OUR IN THE HEARING ORDERS THAT IN THE THE SMALLER NUMBER OF OR WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE LARGER 23,000 I'M NOT TOTALLY SURE WHAT THE NUMBER IN THE HEARING ORDER ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE YEAH WELL THAT'S BASED ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE WITH THAT YOU KNOW WHICH IT TALKS ABOUT VACANCIES OR AND IF WE HAVE POST YOU MENTIONED POSTINGS THAT BE FOR THE WOULD THAT INCLUDE THE VACANCIES FOR ALL THE LARGER NUMBER OF 23,000 SO THE THE POSTINGS THAT I WAS REFERRING TO WOULD BE THAT I THINK A 6000 IS PROBABLY THE WRONG NUMBER IT'S PROBABLY CLOSER TO 8000 BUT IT WOULD BE THAT SMALLER NUMBER.  SO BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL VACANCIES ARE POSTED SEPARATELY . BOSTON PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION VACANCIES ARE POSTED SEPARATELY . THE OTHER BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY ALSO POSTED SEPARATELY WATER AND SEWER. OKAY, THANKS IS JUST HELPFUL TO ME . NO IT'S IT IS CONFUSING. OKAY. AND SO I JUST SORT OF JUST TO CONFIRM THERE'S NO NO ONE THERE IS NO PUBLIC COMMENT BECAUSE NOBODY IS SIGNED UP MAYBE NEXT TIME. SO I JUST YOU KNOW, I WANT TO THANK ALL THE PANELISTS FOR BEING HERE. I ALSO WANT TO THANK ETHAN AND KARISHMA FROM CENTRAL STAFF FOR ALL OF THEIR HELP.  THIS HEARING ON DOCKET NUMBER 0418 MY FIRST HEARING IS ADJOURNED.  SO THANK YOU AND GOOD