Feb. 9 Council Recap
Sound Financial Strategies Show Big Results, Short-Term Rental Program Discussed
City Financial Strategies Net Large Positives in Funding Retiree Health Benefits
City finance dept. staff on Tuesday night summarized how efforts to control the costs of retiree health benefits have resulted in lowering unfunded liabilities form a high of $44.5 million in 2012 to $7.7 million as of June 30, 2020.
The strategies will also result in savings of approximately $1 million annually, starting next fiscal year, further demonstrating the results of measured and incremental efforts to support a sustainable program.
Many public agencies in California, including the City of Rocklin, provide retirees with health benefits in retirement. Historically, Rocklin was paying only for costs of current retirees each year, a strategy that did not account for future retirement costs.
In 2000, the City established a Retirees’ Health Fund and in 2013 created a “key management practice” to increase funding benefit costs to reduce future liabilities using a portion of general fund surplus each year (if a surplus exists). This practice has resulted in $5 million transferred to the fund to date.
City’s Short-Term Rental Regulations Discussed
City community development dept. staff provided an update on Rocklin’s short-term rental ordinance and program to City Council.
Rocklin requires a permit for property owners to offer short-term rentals on sites like Airbnb, VRBO and others. The guidelines offer owners flexibility while encouraging harmony with the surrounding neighborhood.
Requirements include:
- Obtaining a no-cost permit
- Renting to people 21 and over
- Renting to no more than six people at a time, or two people per bedroom
- Ensuring adequate onsite parking
- Renting for no more than 90 days a year
- Availability to respond to complaints within 30 minutes
City staff has been working with a contractor to register short-term rental properties for collection of Transient Occupancy Taxes and be able to reach out to owners about potential issues or complaints.
Rocklin Hires Tameka Usher as Director of Human Resources
The Rocklin City Council unanimously authorized an employment agreement to hire Tameka Usher as the City’s director of human resources. Usher will join Rocklin from El Dorado County, where she worked as director of human resources for more than three years.
“The Team Rocklin culture directly aligns with my professional values and principles and I am both excited and honored to be a part of it,” says Usher, whose tentative start date is March 18. “I will bring my very best to the team, while emphasizing the ‘human’ in all human resources functions and programs.”
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