EAST PALO ALTO
CITY COUNCIL
STAFF REPORT
DATE: October 18, 2022
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
VIA: Patrick Heisinger, Interim City Manager
BY: Jeff Liu, Interim Chief of Police
SUBJECT: Resolution to Adjust Pay Step for Lateral Entry Police Officers Hired in 2020 Recommendation
Adopt a resolution to approve the Pay Step adjustment for Lateral Entry Police Officers hired in 2020 retroactive to May 17, 2021.
Alignment with City Council Strategic Plan
This recommendation is primarily aligned with:
Ø Focus on Staff Morale, Retention, Recruitment & Succession Planning Background
The East Palo Alto Police Department, when hiring Lateral Entry Police Officers, starts Lateral Police Officers at the middle pay step of the Police Officer salary scale as determined by the East Palo Alto Police Officers Association (EPAPOA) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
At the time, the salary scale ranged from Step A through Step F.
In 2020 the city hired two Lateral Entry Police Officers and started their compensation at “Step C” of the salary scale.
Effective May 17, 2021, the EPAPOA and the City of East Palo Alto, during contract negotiations, established Step F and Step G, making the new middle Step D. Since the establishment of the new salary steps, our department has hired two Lateral Entry Police Officers and started their compensation at the median pay rate (Step D) in accordance with past practice. This unusual and unprecedented predicament created an environment where two new Lateral Officers with less tenure than the two Lateral Officers hired in 2020 were being compensated at a higher pay rate.
Analysis
Currently the two 2020 Lateral Officers are being compensated at Salary Step E. To correct the inequity caused by the new salary steps, and to re-establish equity between Lateral Entry Police Officers, staff is requesting authority to adjust the compensation step for two Officers from Step E to Step F effective immediately. Additionally, staff recommends the two Officers are compensated retroactively for lost wages dating back to May 17, 2021.
Because Lateral Entry Police Officers are currently being hired at Salary Step D (new median pay step), we do not anticipate this situation reoccurring. Going forward, if the pay steps are adjusted during the negotiation process, staff will ensure any pay inequities are addressed accordingly at the time of the adjustment.
In retrospect, had the Administration and EPAPOA anticipated the issue detailed in this report, staff would have sought City Council authority to adjust the pay step for the two officers as part of the negotiation process when the new pay steps were negotiated.
Fiscal Impact
The projected cost of retroactive pay for both Officers totals $29,640.08 which is within the Police Department’s FY22-23 budget.
Public Notice
The public was provided notice of this agenda item by posting the City Council agenda on the City’s official bulletin outside City Hall and making the agenda and report available at the City’s website and the San Mateo County Library at 2415 University Avenue.
Environmental
The action being considered by the City Council is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it is not a “project” pursuant to 15378(b)(4) because it is a fiscal activity which does not involve any commitment to any specific project which may result in a potentially significant impact on the environment.
Attachments
A. Resolution - Lateral Officer Pay Step Adjustment
B. Annual Classification Plan and Compensation Schedule for FY 2019-20 and FY 2020-21 Staff Report