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AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO THE EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
BETWEEN THE CITY OF MANHATTAN BEACH AND TALYN MIRZAKHANIAN
The Employment Agreement (“Agreement”), made as of November 6, 2024, between the City of Manhattan Beach, a municipal corporation (“City”) and Talyn Mirzakhanian, an individual (“Mirzakhanian” or “Employee”) is hereby amended by this Amendment No. 1 (“Amendment”), effective as of May 5, 2026.
A. On November 6, 2024, the City and Mirzakhanian entered into the Agreement providing for employment of Mirzakhanian as City Manager.
B. On April 21, 2026, the City Council authorized certain changes to the Agreement, which were negotiated and agreed to by Mirzakhanian.
C. The City Council directed the City Attorney to place this Amendment on the May 5, 2026 City Council agenda, for Council consideration after receiving public input.
NOW, THEREFORE, the parties amend the Agreement as follows:
1. Section 1 is amended to read as follows:
“TERM. Employee commenced her service as City Manager on November 6, 2024, which shall also be deemed the effective date of this Agreement ("Effective Date"). Unless sooner terminated as provided in this Agreement, the Agreement shall expire on May 4, 2028 , unless extended. Nothing in the Agreement is intended to prevent Employee from resigning with at least 60 days' written notice.”
2. Section 4.A is amended to read as follows:
“Base Salary. Effective November 16, 2024, City shall pay Employee an annual base salary of $285,000. On May 16, 2026, Employee shall receive a 7.5% salary increase, effective through April 30, 2027, which will result in a new annual base salary of $306,375 . On May 1, 2027, Employee shall receive a 4% salary cost of living increase to her then -base salary. At its sole discretion, the City Council may consider merit adjustments commensurate with Employee's performance in accordance with the evaluation process pursuant to Section 5 of this Agreement, or at any other time. Employee's salary shall be subject to withholding and other applicable taxes and shall be payable to Employee at the same time as other employees of City are paid. Employee shall be exempt from the overtime pay provisions of California law (if any) and federal law.”
3. Section 4.B is amended to read as follows:
“Deferred Compensation Plan. City shall contribute 6 % of Employee’s base salary, incrementally paid on a bi-weekly basis, starting on November 16, 2024, to a 401(a) in accord with the terms, conditions and procedures of the 401(a)-plan document and provisions of the Internal Revenue Code, -2-
including related regulations. The City’s contribution shall increase to 8.5% of Employee’s base salary starting on May 16, 2026.”
4. Section 5 is amended to read as follows:
“EVALUATIONS. The City Council shall conduct an annual evaluation of Employee's performance, facilitated by a third party hired by the City .
An evaluation must be conducted and completed between November 1 and February 28 of each year in the term of this Agreement, as amended. During evaluations, the City Council will establish performance expectations, and the City Council and Employee shall mutually establish performance goals and objectives to be met by Employee during the following year. Employee may request additional reviews, as appropriate, pursuant to C ity Council agenda procedures or as otherwise directed by the Council. Nothing in this paragraph is intended to limit additional interim evaluations or reviews or to limit the normal communications process between the City Council and Employee.”
5. The title to Section 8 is hereby revised to read: “Termination of Agreement”; Subsection A of Section 8 is hereby deleted; and all subsequent subsections, and internal references to Section 8 subsections, are hereby re-lettered accordingly.
6. Except as expressly amended by this Amendment, all of the provisions of the Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be signed and executed personally or on its behalf by its duly authorized representative.
Executed by the parties as of the date below:
City of Manhattan Beach: Employee:
______________________ ________________
Mayor David Lesser Talyn Mirzakhanian
Attest: Approved As To Form:
___________________ _______________________
Liza Tamura, City Clerk Quinn M. Barrow, City Attorney