AGENDA REPORT
Meeting Date: January 11, 2024
Item Number:
To: Honorable Mayor & City Council
From: Shelley Ovrom, Director of Human Resources
Mark Stainbrook, Chief of Police
Subject: MODIFICATION OF ARTICLE 4 – SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT – OF THE
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE CITY OF
BEVERLY HILLS AND THE BEVERLY HILLS POLICE OFFICERS’
ASSOCIATION
Attachments: 1. Side Letter of Agreement Between the City of Beverly Hills and the Beverly Hills Police Officers’ Association
2. Fiscal Analysis
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the attached Side Letter of Agreement between the City of Beverly Hills and the Beverly Hills Police Officers’ Association (POA) be approved.
INTRODUCTION
On May 24, 2022, the City Council approved the formation of the Beverly Hills Police Department (BHPD) Mental Health Evaluation Team (MHET). Through this program the BHPD and Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (DMH) partnered to establish a BHPD Mental Health Evaluation Team (MHET) to provide outreach to community members struggling with mental illness.
DISCUSSION
BHPD MHET provides mental health support, field crisis intervention, and appropriate psychiatric placement in situations involving contact with persons suffering from mental illness. The team consists of two Police Officers and two Los Angeles County Licensed Meeting Date: January 11, 2024
Clinical Social Workers. The goal of this co-response model is to provide comprehensive alternatives for mental health assistance and options other than incarceration for severely mentally ill persons, and to reduce incidents of use of force. MHET also attends and provides training for de-escalation, crisis negotiations during major incidents, averting use of force and reducing incarceration of mentally ill persons.
By assigning dedicated police personnel to the MHET, other police resources are freed up to respond to other emergency calls. The DMH clinicians are partnered with a sworn Police Officer and combined provide a mental health response team five days a week/10 hours a day.
In order to attract interest among Police Officers of the department eligible to apply for the MHET assignment, the Chief of Police recommends a 5.5% bonus pay for Officers selected for the assignment. Special Assignment pay is offered to recognize and compensate employees for taking on specific duties and responsibilities that go beyond their standard duties. These assignments often require additional training, expertise, or involve increased risks, and they play a crucial role in enhancing public safety and maintaining law and order in the community.
Inclusion of MHET as a Special Assignment with an assignment pay of 5.5% in the Memorandum of Understanding between the City and POA requires amending article 4 – Special Assignment of the MOU. The City Council follows a process set forth in the City Ordinance (Title 2, Chapter 5, Article 5) that prescribes a procedure for adopting or amending a Memorandum of Understanding Between the City and an Exclusively Recognized Employee Organization, often referred to as the COIN Ordinance (Civic Openness in Negotiations). The Ordinance includes the following provisions:
1. The City Council may adopt or amend a memorandum of understanding only after conducting two (2) public meetings.
a. The purpose of the first meeting shall be to solicit public input. b. The purpose of the second meeting shall be to place a proposed memorandum or amendment on an agenda, after concluding the negotiation process, for the City Council to consider adoption.
2. Fiscal analysis conducted by an independent firm.
3. A proposed memorandum of understanding or amendment to a memorandum of understanding, shall be posted on the city's official website at least two (2) weeks before the City Council meeting at which the proposed memorandum of understanding or amendment is considered for approval.
The first public meeting for the modification of the POA MOU occurred during the City Council Meeting on December 5, 2023. The second meeting, occurring this evening, is for the City Council to consider adoption of the Side Letter of Agreement for the modification of Article 4 - Special Assignment - of the POA MOU. Additionally, as required by the ordinance, a fiscal analysis of the proposed MOU modification was conducted. This fiscal analysis and the proposed Side Letter of Agreement to modify the POA MOU were placed on the City’s website two weeks prior to this meeting, on December 28, 2023. The same documents are included as attachments to this report.
Meeting Date: January 11, 2024
FISCAL IMPACT
In compliance with the Beverly Hills Municipal Code, Article 5 Section 2-5-505: Economic Analysis, a fiscal impact analysis of the proposed Memorandum of Understanding was conducted by the outside firm, MGO Certified Public Accountants (Attachment 2). The calculations for the modification of the POA MOU were found to be correct.
The addition of the MHET special assignment pay in the POA MOU, will result in a total increase of approximately $18,500 (excluding PERS unfunded liability costs) for FY 2023/2024. Future increases based on cost of living adjustments, will be incorporated into the upcoming budget for FY2024-25.
Mark Stainbrook
Chief of Police
Shelley Ovrom
Director of Human Resources
Approved by Approved By
Attachment 1
SIDE LETTER OF AGREEMENT
BETWEEN
CITY OF BEVERLY HILLS
AND
THE BEVERLY HILLS POLICE OFFICERS’ ASSOCIATION
This Side Letter of Agreement (“Agreement”) between the City of Beverly Hills (“City”) and the Beverly Hills Police Officers’ Association (“Association”) (collectively “Parties”) is entered into with respect to the following:
WHEREAS, the City and the POA are parties to a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) with a term of May 24, 2022 to June 30, 2025; and WHEREAS, the Parties agree to add a special assignment type and pay to the list of available special assignments; and
WHEREAS, the following sets forth the Parties’ agreement:
1. Mental Health Evaluation Team (MHET):
- Effective April, 10, 2023 officers assigned to the Mental Health Evaluation Team shall receive assignment pay equal to 5.5% of their base salary.
FOR THE CITY OF BEVERLY HILLS
_________________________ __________________________
Shelley Ovrom Date
FOR THE BEVERLY HILLS POLICE OFFICERS’ ASSOCIATION
_________________________ __________________________
Christian Bond Date
_________________________ __________________________
Jon Illusorio Date
APPROVED AS TO FORM
_________________________ __________________________
Peter Brown Date
Attachment 2