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Q&A
DEP staffing challenges and vacancy rates
0:30:22
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Council Member Restler inquires about DEP's current vacancy rate of 13% and the department's staffing challenges. Commissioner Aggarwala explains that DEP is not subject to the citywide two-for-one hiring rule and discusses the agency's efforts to address staffing shortages.
- DEP currently has 765 vacancies, which is about 430 positions below the peak headcount from five years ago.
- The department is able to do one-for-one hiring for water utility functions but faced a 15% reduction in other areas.
- DEP adheres to city processes for budget and personnel matters, despite being largely funded by water bills.
Lincoln Restler
0:30:22
Wonderful.
0:30:22
That was thoughtful and informative testimony.
0:30:25
We appreciate you sharing it with us today.
0:30:29
I will do a couple topics and then pass it over to colleagues and so they can get on with their days.
0:30:34
I'd like to just start with head count and I'd like to cover the water rental payments and then I'll pass it around.
0:30:43
So according to the data that I reviewed, DEP currently has 765 vacancies.
0:30:51
I think you mentioned it was a 13% vacancy rate in your testimony.
0:30:57
And we are approximately 430 positions below the peak DEP headcount five years ago in f y twenty prior to the pandemic.
0:31:06
The staffing gap raises significant concerns for me, this committee, for New Yorkers about the department's ability to effectively manage its critical functions, including water infrastructure maintenance, environmental protection, storm water management, and more.
0:31:20
DP appeared to be making some progress on hiring in the first half of FY twenty four, but things seem to have stalled according to the data we reviewed.
0:31:28
Are any DP positions exempt from OMB's two for one hiring rule?
0:31:33
And have you requested an exemption?
Rohit Aggarwala
0:31:36
Thank you, mister chairman.
0:31:37
Look, the the vacancy rate is certainly a challenge and something that we are keenly focused on.
0:31:45
To answer your question about the two for one, we are not currently subject to the two for one at all.
0:31:49
In September of twenty twenty three, when the when the significant change in the city's fiscal environment led to the citywide changes in in hiring, OMB allowed us to take a peg at the time.
0:32:08
It was not for our water utility functions, so it only covered our IFA which is some of our engineers mainly, and our tax levy, so our air and noise inspectors among others.
0:32:19
So we did lose 15% I believe was the reduction at the time.
0:32:23
But as a result, we've been able to do one for one hiring.
0:32:27
There are a number of process changes that have led to some of the slowdown in hiring, but we're very much focused on it.
0:32:33
And I'm optimistic that it will it will pick up.
Lincoln Restler
0:32:37
So I should be asking director Zhiha this question, but my recollection was that the 15% peg was threatened and that except for the agencies that made some sort of deal with OMB and agreed to a trade off, that that the rest of the agencies only actually suffered a 5% peg and didn't have the three rounds of five percent.