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Q&A
DCAS headcount, vacancy rates, and hiring restrictions
1:10:36
ยท
3 min
Council Member Restler inquires about DCAS's current headcount, vacancy rates, and hiring restrictions. Commissioner Molina provides information on the agency's staffing situation and efforts to fill vacant positions.
- DCAS has a headcount of 2,043 out of 2,417 budgeted positions, a 15% vacancy rate
- When accounting for cut positions, the effective vacancy rate is closer to 20%
- Discussion of positions subject to two-for-one hiring restrictions, particularly custodial positions
- DCAS is in communication with OMB to potentially change custodial positions to one-for-one hiring
- Commissioner Molina emphasizes that the agency has been performing well despite vacancies
- Council Member Restler expresses concern about the impact of DCAS vacancies on overall city services
Lincoln Restler
1:10:36
And okay.
1:10:39
And then I lastly just want to ask about DCAST headcount which I don't think is your problem.
1:10:42
So shifting back over here.
1:10:46
DCAST currently has a headcount according to our notes of 2,043 out of a budgeted 2,417 positions, a vacancy rate of 15%.
1:10:56
But when you factor in the additional 130 positions that Mayor Adams has cut from the Decas headcounts since taking office, it's actually more like 20%.
1:11:05
The number of people employed at decas has increased by only 20 positions since we had our last budget hearings.
1:11:10
What steps are you taking commissioner and team to fill these vacant positions?
1:11:15
And could you just advise what positions are currently subject to the two for one hiring restrictions at DCAS?
Louis Molina
1:11:21
Yeah.
1:11:21
So, know one of our positions, our custodial positions were subject to the two for one.
1:11:26
We're in communication with OMB now to do a one for one because we want to make sure that we stay on top of our buildings, cleanliness, conditions and all of those things.
1:11:36
So we're engaging with OMB now on those talks.
1:11:39
We
Lincoln Restler
1:11:40
What positions are exempted?
1:11:42
I mean, mentioned that they are subject to the two for one.
1:11:44
Do you have any positions that are not subject to
Louis Molina
1:11:46
the two follow-up with your entire get you a list of which ones.
Lincoln Restler
1:11:48
It's not the entire agency?
Louis Molina
1:11:49
That's the entire agency, no.
1:11:50
Okay.
1:11:52
In addition to that, our 50% vacancy rate has been steady.
1:11:56
I mean, was also that last fiscal year.
1:11:59
I will say that the team overall that I inherited has been doing phenomenal work.
1:12:04
So, wasn't need to bring a lot of change to the agency, and our core mission sort of stays on lockstep and we haven't missed a beat.
1:12:12
With that, we've been aggressive with engaging in a lot of areas, not only in competition with trade jobs, jobs and energy, where we're trying to recruit individuals to our agencies, and when we have somebody that we are especially selected and wanted to hire, we make sure we get that person through the process.
Lincoln Restler
1:12:35
Will just say that DCAS is the back end of city government and when you all don't have capacity, it undermines every city agency's ability to do their job effectively.
1:12:43
And so when we're looking at 400 plus vacant positions, you know a 15 vacancy rate, it really does affect city services much more broadly.
1:12:53
And so I wish that with OMB support there was a plan to actually fill all of these vacant jobs.
1:13:00
I'm happy to hear you're addressing cleanliness because the data from the PMMR was really troubling, that we saw down only 59% of buildings, down from 72% in the prior year, were deemed clean based on the PMMR's status.
1:13:17
So I'm hopeful that
Christopher Leon Johnson
1:13:20
it
Louis Molina
1:13:20
won't be I'll just add to that specific point, you know, that jumped at me out as well when I first became commissioner.
1:13:27
And again, we've addressed bringing on more custodians to do that work, doing better at pest management.
1:13:33
I think it's important to point out our buildings on average about 90 years old, so I think that also has an impact.
1:13:40
And we have a new deputy commissioner that's overseeing facilities and construction and technical services, and we're doing better at engaging with our tenants, our agency tenants to make sure that we're responding to whatever needs that they bring to our attention.