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Page 2 of 4 <br />City of Redwood City 1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City, CA. 94063 Tel: 650-780-7000 www.redwoodcity.org <br />STRATEGIC PLAN GUIDING PRINCIPLE <br />Excellence in Government Operations <br />BACKGROUND <br />Assembly Bill 340, the Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA) added Government Code <br />section 7522.56, which generally prohibits the employment of a CalPERS retiree by a public employer for <br />a period of 180 days following retirement. Government Code Section 7522.56(f)(1) provides a limited <br />exception to this 180-day waiting period when the employer certifies that that the appointment of the <br />retiree is necessary to fill a critically needed position and the governing body approved the appointment <br />in a public meeting not placed on the consent calendar. <br />Government Code section 7522.56(g) prohibits the use of this exception when a retiree has received a <br />retirement-related incentive. <br />ANALYSIS <br />Critically Needed Position - Extra Help Deputy Fire Chief <br />The City has 2.0 FTE (full-time equivalent) Deputy Fire Chief positions budgeted. Deputy Fire Chief Gregory <br />DaCunha retired from the City of Redwood City’s Fire Department effective December 30, 2025, and the <br />position is now vacant. The other Deputy Fire Chief incumbent is on an extended leave of absence. <br />The City initiated a comprehensive recruitment process in September 2025 to hire a Deputy Fire Chief and <br />has completed a competitive recruitment and selected an external candidate to fill the vacant position, <br />with a start date scheduled for January 20, 2026. As an external hire, the incoming Deputy Fire Chief will <br />require onboarding, training and transitional support to ensure continuity of leadership and operational <br />readiness. <br />Due to the vacancy in one Deputy Fire Chief position, and the extended leave of absence in the second <br />Deputy Fire Chief position, the Fire Department is operating with reduced command level staffing during <br />a period of leadership transition. The Deputy Fire Chief position is a critical leadership role with <br />responsibility for operational oversight, command support, and continuity of emergency response <br />functions. <br />Government Code section 7522.56 generally requires a CalPERS retiree to wait 180 days following <br />retirement before returning to work for a CalPERS employer. Government Code section 7522.56(f)(1) <br />provides an exception to the 180-day waiting period when the governing body certifies that the <br />appointment is necessary to fill a critically needed position and approves the appointment in a public <br />meeting. Based on the reduced staffing levels and the operational needs of the Fire Department during <br />the onboarding of an external Deputy Fire Chief and the continuation of a long-term leave of absence, <br />staff has determined that the temporary appointment of a retired annuitant Deputy Fire Chief is necessary <br />to fill a critically needed position during this transition period. <br />11.C. - Page 2 of 12 <br />196