Long Beach council majority calls for hiring freeze

A Long Beach City Council majority ordered the acting city manager to freeze all personnel actions without council approval, but two days later it authorized nearly 200 hires of temporary and seasonal workers. 

Council members John Bendo, Anissa Moore and Scott Mandel, in a memo, directed Acting City Manager Rob Agostisi Wednesday not to conduct any new hiring or firing, pay changes, promotions or demotions, stipends, title changes, transfers, moving exempt into union positions and separation payments beyond contractual obligations.

The City Council will vote Tuesday to hold a July 16 hearing on $2.1 million in contractually owed separation payments for anticipated retirements through 2020.

“None of these listed actions will occur without prior consultation with the entire City Council and approval of a majority of the council,” the council’s memo states. Agostisi ordered staff to cease and desist approving all hires following the council’s memo.

Agostisi told council members in an email response that city hires traditionally go through the city manager’s office, according to the city charter, including 196 temporary and seasonal hires for camps and beaches made between June 24 and 27.

The city also had planned to hire Inna Reznik as city comptroller on July 8, but her hire has not yet been processed, officials said.

Agostisi also told council members in an email that taking authorization of hiring powers from the city manager should be approved through a charter amendment.

“Many of these personnel actions are time-sensitive, and I do not feel comfortable for being held accountable while they are held up in the Council approval process,” Agostisi wrote.

The memo was issued after Tuesday’s primary election of three Democratic candidates: Elizabeth Treston, Ron Paganini and Karen McInnis defeated incumbents Anthony Eramo and Chumi Diamond for the Democratic nomination in November. Eramo and Diamond will continue to serve through December.

Councilman John Bendo said in a Facebook post on his campaign page that in order to maintain the status quo, the “city workforce will continue to provide quality service to the community within a safe and fair work environment.” Bendo did not return calls for comment.

The council majority wrote in an email sent by Moore on Thursday that they had reviewed information from supervisors and authorized the summer hires. Moore did not return calls for comment.

“The daily operations of the city must move forward,” the email said.

Mandel said the memo was issued following concerns from staff about possible termination and internal transfers. He said he supported summer hires and thought the comptroller’s hire had already been completed.

“"The idea was to have an extra set of eyes over any sudden hires or actions," Mandel said. "I don’t see what the concern from the acting city manager would be if the council has insight to review these actions. I don’t know why the summer hires would be an issue the city manager felt needed to be brought into this discussion.”

Eramo, the city council president, said the summer hires were affected by the council majority’s directive, and the council should not order exempt employees not to unionize, which is currently in labor negotiations.

“It’s my opinion that the charter is clear and gives the city manager full authority,” he said. “All employees should be able to unionize and the management should not fight a unionization drive.”

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.