April 15, 2025
Human Resources
DATE: April 15, 2025
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Nickie Mastay, Deputy City Manager
Sharrone Taylor, Director of Human Resources
Subject:
Unit Determination – Community Intervention Specialist
FINANCIAL IMPACT: None
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
None
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
City Council must issue a decision in the appeal of the unit determination for Community Intervention Specialist.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
HEAR an appeal by the Richmond Police Officers
Association (RPOA) regarding the Unit Determination for Community Intervention Specialist and make a final
determination regarding the bargaining unit – Human
Resources Department (Nickie Mastay/Sharrone Taylor
510-620-6803).
DISCUSSION:
Background
In June 2020, the City Council established the Reimagining Public Safety Task Force (RPSTF) to develop plans for redefining public safety in Richmond. Over the following year, the RPSTF worked on proposal recommendations within their subcommittees, ultimately focusing on a crisis program for community behavioral health issues and conflict resolution. The RPSTF's final recommendation and budget proposal suggested AGENDA
REPORT
April 15, 2025
reallocating $2.45 million from the current police budget to pilot the Community Crisis Response Program (CCRP).
In June 2021, after receiving feedback from various city personnel, a revised recommendation of $1 million was proposed for the CCRP pilot. This amount was finalized and included in the FY 21-22 budget. Ongoing community engagement, including Community Roundtable Discussions, led to the release of a Request for Proposal in April 2022 to support the creation and implementation of the CCRP. In July 2022, the Urban Strategies Council, a local research non-profit, was selected to draft the CCRP Feasibility Study and Implementation Report, providing regular updates and a draft report to the Richmond City Council in May 2023.
The Program Manager and an Associate Administrative Analyst were hired to initiate the program's planning and implementation within the City's framework. The City also began developing new classifications for the new department. The Community Intervention Specialist classification was the first job description created and was presented to the Personnel Board for approval on March 23, 2024. Richmond Police Officer Association President Ben Therriault expressed concerns regarding this classification, prompting the City to initiate the meet and confer process.
COMMUNITY INTERVENTION SPECIALIST UNIT DETERMINATION
In December 2024, the Richmond Police Officers Association (RPOA) formally objected to the Community Intervention Specialist classification assignment to the SEIU Local 1021 General Employees Bargaining Unit, asserting that the classification properly belonged in the Richmond Police Officers Association's bargaining unit. After consideration of the RPOA's objection, the City's Employee Relations Officer, Human Resources Director, Sharrone Taylor, determined that SEIU Local 1021 Bargaining Unit was the appropriate unit for this classification on the basis of identifiable community interest and met with RPOA to hear their appeal of the initial determination. The final determination was issued on March 19, 2025.
According to the Employer-Employee Relations Resolution 48-19, the aggrieved bargaining unit has the right to appeal to the City Council. Section 10 of the resolution outlines the process:
"An employee organization aggrieved by an appropriate unit determination of the Employee Relations Officer under this Article II may, within ten (10) days of notice thereof, request the intervention of the California State Mediation and Conciliation Service pursuant to Government Code Sections 3507.1 and 3507.3, or may, in lieu thereof or thereafter, appeal such determination to the City Council (bold added) for a final decision within fifteen (15) days of notice of the Employee Relations Officer's determination of the termination of proceedings pursuant to Government Code Sections 3507.1 or 3507.3, whichever is later."
April 15, 2025
Legal counsel has determined that the California State Mediation and Conciliation Service does not have jurisdiction over this matter because the modification of the bargaining unit does not raise a representation question.
The purpose of this City Council item is to allow the RPOA to appeal to the City Council regarding the unit determination for the Community Intervention Specialist classification.
The City Council's decision will be the final and binding determination regarding the classification's bargaining unit.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 –Community Intervention Specialist Bargaining Group Determination January 27, 2025
Attachment 2 – Richmond Police Officer’s Association’s Objection to Classification of Community Intervention Specialist February 6, 2025
Attachment 3 – Community Intervention Specialist Bargaining Group Final Determination March 19, 2025