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The San Ramon City Council is set to consider a request from city staff Tuesday to waive a waiting period requirement in order to allow the city’s recently retired public works director to return to the role on an interim basis amid the recruitment process for her successor.
Councilmembers are poised to vote on a resolution that would authorize an exception to the 180-day waiting period typically in place for retired employees under the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) before they are allowed to return to duty at a public agency on an annuitant basis without being reinstated from their retirement status.
The move comes following the recent departure of the department’s longtime director Maria Fierner, who served in the position for more than a decade and whose tenure with the city lasted a total of 22 years ahead of her retirement on Dec. 30.
“Due to the critical need to continue the responsibilities of the Public Works Department Director during the recruitment and selection process for a new Public Works Department Director, staff is requesting that an exception be made to the 180-day waiting period for the hiring of CalPERS Annuitants and that Ms. Fierner be temporarily appointed as a CalPERS Annuitant and the Interim Public Works Department Director effective January 15, 2024,” Human Resources Manager Megan O’Donoghue wrote in a staff report prepared for the upcoming council meeting.
Under CalPERS regulations, a public meeting and city resolution are required in order to make an exception to the 180-day waiting period requirement.
As it stands, the city’s public works department has been without a director for more than a week since Fierner’s retirement date, with city staff still continuing their search for Fierner’s successor after a recruitment process that started on Nov. 27.
“Temporarily appointing Ms. Fierner to the position will allow coverage of the day-to-day operations of the Department while the City completes the recruitment and selection process for a new permanent Department Director,” Donoghue wrote. “Typically, the recruitment and selection process occurs over several months.”
If approved, Fierner’s interim contract would have the option of being terminated by her or the city at any time, and would expire one year after her retirement on Dec. 30 this year.
Fierner would be paid at the same rate she was prior to her retirement, which amounts to $128.70 per hour, with no additional benefits. Her appointment is expected to last between three and six months according to city staff, who estimate the total cost of her hourly pay on a part-time basis during that time will be between $62,746 and $125,492 in the current fiscal year.
The San Ramon City Council is set to meet at 7 p.m. on Tuesday (Jan. 9). The agenda is available here.
In other business, the council will discuss the evaluation of City Manager Steven Spedowfski during a closed session following the public meeting.
