or her condition as it relates to absence from employment.
E. Employees may voluntarily donate sick leave to a donation bank, which is maintained for the use of qualified employees who have suffered a catastrophic illness or injury and have exhausted their paid leaves of absence. This program is set forth in an administrative policy.
F. Up to 30 hours of unused sick leave at separation shall be reinstated upon return to active status with the City occurring within no more than 12 months of separation.
G. Upon reasonable request, and within 21 calendar days after the request, the City shall afford current and former employees the right to inspect or copy records pertaining to their hours worked and paid sick days accrued and used.
SECTION 6. BEREAVEMENT LEAVE
If an employee loses an immediate family member, as defined in this paragraph, the employee will be entitled to City-paid bereavement leave in an amount of forty (40) hours per incident.
Bereavement leave will be granted only in those cases involving the death of an immediate family member, which for the purposes of this section means: biological, adopted, or foster child, stepchild, legal ward, or a child to whom the employee stands in loco parentis; biological, adoptive, or foster parent, stepparent, or legal guardian of an employee or of the employee’s spouse or registered domestic partner, or a person who stood in loco parentis to either the employee or the employee’s spouse or domestic partner as a minor; or an employee’s spouse, registered domestic partner; grandparent; grandchild; sibling; a designated person, which means a person identified by the employee at the time the employee requests paid bereavement leave. The City limits an employee to one designated person per 12-month period.
SECTION 7. HOLIDAYS
A. Holidays Observed. The City provides regular and probationary employees with the following paid holidays during the calendar year:
Holiday Date Observed
New Year’s Day January 1 or January 2 if January 1 falls on a Sunday Martin Luther King Day Third Monday in January
President’s Day Third Monday in February
Memorial Day Last Monday in May
Independence Day July 4
Labor Day First Monday in September
Thanksgiving Day Fourth Thursday in November
Day after Thanksgiving Day Fourth Friday in November
Christmas Eve December 24
Christmas Day December 25
New Year’s Eve December 31
If a holiday falls on an employee’s regularly scheduled day off, the employee will receive
a floating holiday, according to the provisions of Section 8.b, below. In such a case, the floating holiday will accrue on the date of the holiday.
B. Floating Holidays. Regular and probationary employees will receive one floating holiday each fiscal year.
The employee may use all floating holiday time at any time before the end of the fiscal year, as long as the employee has obtained the advance permission of his/her department head for the scheduling of the holiday. Unused floating holidays will be automatically cashed out at the end of the fiscal year. In case an employee terminates employment with the City, he or she will be fully compensated for any accrued, but unused, floating holidays.
C. Amount of Holiday Pay. Employees shall receive holiday pay, including floating holidays, in an amount equal to their regular schedule and rate of pay. For example, an employee who is assigned to a 4/10 schedule shall receive ten (10) hours of holiday pay, and an employee who is assigned to a 5/8 schedule shall receive eight (8) hours of holiday pay.
D. Work on Holidays. An employee who is scheduled and required to work on a date that the City has observed as a holiday shall be compensated at twice (2x) the employee’s regular salary for all time actually worked on the date the holiday is observed. The employee shall not be provided with an alternative day off to observe the holiday or with a floating holiday.
SECTION 8. ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE AND/OR OVERTIME
In recognition of the long hours required to accomplish the requirements of the job, including attendance at numerous meetings outside normal working hours, department heads will be granted sixty (60) hours of administrative leave per fiscal year. The full sixty (60) hours shall be granted on July 1st of each year and shall not be allowed to carry over to the next fiscal year. This leave may be used to take time off, or sold back to the City at 100% of its monetary value. Department heads will not be eligible for overtime compensation.
Division managers shall receive either compensatory time or overtime pay (at the discretion of the department head) at their regular rate of pay (“straight” time) for the number of authorized hours worked over forty (40) per week. Vacation leave, sick leave, holidays, and other time not actually worked will not be counted towards the forty hours. If compensatory time is taken in lieu of paid overtime, no employee shall be permitted to accrue more than sixty (60) hours.
SECTION 9. CALL BACK
Employees may be required to come to work outside of their regular working hours in case of an emergency. In such circumstances, all employees, with the exception of department heads, will be guaranteed at least two hours pay.
SECTION 10. RETIREMENT
The City offers a defined retirement benefit plan through the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS). An employee may be eligible for one of three (3) benefit tiers pursuant to the City’s contract with CalPERS. Information provided here is a summary of the
benefits that are fully set forth in the City’s contract with CalPERS, and in the case of a conflict, either party may request to reopen Article 20 regarding Retirement to meet and confer over the conflict and/or changes to the retirement. The applicable benefit tier available to an individual employee depends on his/her date of hire and/or status as “new member”, which determines the retirement formula, final compensation calculation and employee contribution/cost sharing, as follows:
A. Tier 1: Employees Hired Before March 19, 2012. All full-time and three-quarter-time employees hired before March 19, 2012, shall be provided with the CalPERS 2.5% @ 55 benefit formula. Final compensation is calculated as the highest average annual pensionable compensation earned during a period of twelve (12) consecutive months. The City will make all employer contributions required by CalPERS. The employee will be responsible for paying, through payroll deductions, the full eight percent (8%) member contribution.
B. Tier 2: Employees Hired On or After March 19, 2012, but before January 1, 2013 (Classic Members). All full-time and three-quarter- time employees hired on or after March 19, 2012, but before January 1, 2013, and do not meet the definition of “new member” as set forth in Government Code Section 7522.02(f), shall be provided with the PERS 2% @ 60 benefit formula, with final compensation calculated using the average of three (3) highest years of pensionable compensation. The City will make all employer contributions required by CalPERS. The employee will be responsible for paying, through payroll deductions, the full seven percent (7%) member contribution.
C. Tier 3: Employees Hired On or After January 1, 2013 (New Members). All full-time and three-quarter- time employees hired on or after January 1, 2013, and who meet the definition of “new member” as set forth in Government Code Section 7522.02(f), shall be provided with the PERS 2% @ 62 benefit formula, with final compensation calculated using the average of three (3) highest years of pensionable compensation. The employee will be responsible for contributing through payroll deductions, fifty percent (50%) of the normal costs as determined and adjusted by CalPERS.
D. Disability Retirement. The City may request PERS to retire an employee who becomes physically or mentally unable to perform the duties of his or her position, or may be subject to further injury if employment is continued. The City may make every effort to transfer or reassign the partially disabled employee to another existing position within the classification plan before a request for disability retirement is made.
SECTION 11. HEALTH INSURANCE
A. The City contracts with the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) to provide health insurance for all full and ¾ time regular employees; employees may choose from HMO and PPO options. The City will contribute toward the cost of any insurance program for employees and dependents. The City agrees to pay the cost of medical insurance premiums up to the following monthly rates.
Full Time Employees ¾ Time
Employees
Employee Only $854.89 $641.17
Employee + One $1,709.81 $1,282.36
Employee + Two or More $2,222.77 $1,667.08
Employees will pay any excess premiums through payroll deduction on a pre-tax basis.
Effective January 1, 2027, the City will increase its contribution, up to an additional 5%, based on the Blue Shield Access+ premium for each group set forth above.
C. The City will provide taxable cash to employees who waive medical insurance coverage and provide written proof of other medical insurance to the City per the following scale:
Full Time Employees ¾ Time Employees
Employee Only $218 $163
Employee + One $435 $326
Employee + Two or More $566 $424
Employees who choose a plan where the premiums are lower than the amounts paid by the City listed in the chart above will not receive the difference between their chosen plan and the City’s maximum coverage.
D. The City will provide medical insurance coverage for retirees and their dependents through the PERS system. To be eligible, employees must retire within one hundred and twenty (120) days of their separation from employment from the City of Duarte. The City’s contribution to insurance premiums for retirees will be set at the same levels as they are for active employees. The City will provide taxable cash to retirees who waive medical insurance coverage and provide written proof of other medical insurance to the City as noted in Section C above.
SECTION 12. DENTAL INSURANCE
The City will contract for dental insurance for all full and three-quarter (3/4) time regular employees. Enrollment in the plan is mandatory, and no cash alternative will be provided. The City agrees to pay the cost of the premium for employees plus any eligible dependents up to a 5% annual increase, with no cash-out option.
SECTION 13. VISION INSURANCE
The City will contract for vision insurance for all full and three-quarter (3/4) time regular employees. Enrollment in the plan is mandatory, and no cash alternative will be provided. The City agrees to pay the cost of the premium for employees plus any eligible dependents up to a 5% annual increase, with no cash-out option.
SECTION 14. LIFE INSURANCE
The City will contract for life insurance for full and three-quarter (¾) time regular employees. For full time employees, the life insurance benefit is the equivalent of employee’s annual salary, up to $200,000. For three-quarter (¾) time employees, the calculation of annual salary will be based on their normal work schedule. The City agrees to pay the full cost of that basic life insurance premium. Full and three-quarter (¾) time employees will have the option to purchase, at their cost, voluntary supplemental life insurance.
SECTION 15. SHORT AND LONG TERM DISABILITY INSURANCE
The City will contract for short and long-term disability insurance for full and three-quarter (¾) time regular employees. The City agrees to pay the full cost of the disability insurance premium.
SECTION 16. EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
The City will contract for an Employee Assistance Program for full and three-quarter (¾) time regular employees, at no cost to the employee.
SECTION 17. FITNESS CENTER MEMBERSHIP
The City will provide a complimentary individual membership to the Duarte Fitness Center for each full and three-quarter (¾) time employee and retiree.
SECTION 18. FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNTS
The City agrees to offer and maintain Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts for the optional participation of full and three-quarter (¾) time employees.
SECTION 19. DEFERRED COMPENSATION PROGRAM
The City will make a Section 457 deferred compensation program available to all full and threequarter (¾) time regular employees that complies with the rules and regulations established by the Internal Revenue Service. Employees may voluntarily participate in the program through payroll deductions.
Effective July 1, 2024, the City will provide a matching contribution of up to two hundred dollars ($200.00) per month for each employee who is already contributing through payroll deduction to their deferred compensation plan.
SECTION 20. PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP FEES
Employees may maintain membership in appropriate professional organizations. The costs for memberships in these organizations are legitimate City expenditures if requested for a regular employee, provided for in the annual City Budget, and approved in advance by the department head and City Manager.
SECTION 21. TUITION REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM
Employees are eligible to be reimbursed for seventy-five percent (75%) of the cost of college accredited academic courses, taken for credit, outside regular working hours, that are directly related to job duties within the City, or are required for a degree in their occupational field in local government. An employee must request advance approval from his/her Department Head prior to enrollment in order to be eligible for reimbursement under this section. The Department Head, in his/her sole discretion, will determine whether the courses meet the standard articulated above. The reimbursement will not exceed three-thousand five hundred dollars ($3,500.00) for full- time employees or two-thousand, six hundred twenty five dollars ($2,625.00) for three- quarter-time employees, during any fiscal year. Reimbursement costs include those for registration, parking, and books. Proof of course completion and a grade of “C” or better are required.
SECTION 22. COMPUTER LOAN PROGRAM
The City will continue its present employee computer loan program. Generally, benefited employees may have two active loans, in a total amount not to exceed three-thousand dollars ($3,000.00), for the purchase of new computer equipment. Loans will be interest-free and payable over a two-year period. The minimum loan payment will be 1/52 of the amount borrowed, and will be made through payroll deduction. The balances of any outstanding loans become due and payable upon termination, and will be deducted from an employee’s final check.
Continuation of the program is subject to annual budget appropriations by the City Council, and will be administered according to policies and procedures established by the City Manager.
SECTION 23. SEVERANCE PAY
When a regular full-time employee is laid off, that employee will be entitled to receive severance pay as follows:
Length of Service
Date of hire to 2 years None
2 years plus one day to 5 years 1 month’s salary
5 years plus one day to 10 years 2 month’s salary
10 years plus one day to 15 years 3 month’s salary
15 years plus one day to 20 years 4 month’s salary
20 years plus one day to 25 years 5 month’s salary
25 years plus one day or more 6 month’s salary
Employees terminated from employment due to physical inability to perform their job and eligible for worker’s compensation benefits will not be entitled to severance pay. Any additional years of service purchased by the City towards retirement will be deducted from severance pay.
SECTION 24. LONGEVITY PAY
The City will provide longevity pay to employees who have completed at least 5 continuous years of City service and have been compensated for at least one complete year at the top salary step for the range for the employee’s position. Longevity pay will be provided on a monthly
basis in the following amounts:
0-5 years $0
5 years $50/month
10 years $100/month
15 years $150/month
20 years $200/month
25 years $250/month
SECTION 26. PERFORMANCE BONUS
Once an employee has reached the top step of his/her salary range, the employee shall be eligible annually to earn up to a 3% lump sum payment as part of the annual performance evaluation. The amount of the payment shall be recommended and authorized by the City Manager and is intended to be excluded when calculating retirement benefits
SECTION 27. SEVERABILITY
All resolutions, or portions thereof, previously adopted by the City Council and found to be in conflict with the provisions of this resolution are hereby repealed.
SECTION 28. EFFECTIVE DATE
The effective date of this resolution shall be July 1, 2026. The Mayor shall sign this resolution, and the City Clerk shall attest and certify to the passage and adoption thereof.
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED this 12th day of May, 2026.
Mayor
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Thai Viet Phan
City Attorney
ATTEST:
Frances Jimenez
City Clerk
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ) ss.
CITY OF DUARTE )
I, Frances Jimenez, City Clerk of the City of Duarte, California, do hereby certify that Resolution No. 26- 15 was passed and adopted by the City Council of the City of Duarte California, at a regular meeting of said City Council held on the 12th day of May 2026, and thereafter signed and approved by the Mayor and attested by the City Clerk, and that said resolution was adopted by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSTAIN:
ABSENT:
Frances Jimenez, City Clerk