COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Graciela Reynoso, Chief Human Resources Officer
DATE: September 16, 2025
SUBJECT: Adoption of a Resolution Approving the First Amendment to Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Santa Maria and the Service Employees International Union Local 620, February 20, 2024 – December 31, 2025
Description:
The City Council will consider adopting a Resolution approving the first amendment to the Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Santa Maria and the Service Employees International (SEIU) Union Local 620.
Environmental Notice: The activity is not a “Project” as defined under Section 15378 of the California Environmental Quality Act State Guidelines; therefore, pursuant to State Guidelines Section 15060(c)(3) no environmental review is required.
RECOMMENDATION:
1. Adopt a Resolution authorizing and a pproving the First Amendment to the Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Santa Maria and the Service Employees International Union Local 620 , February 20, 2024 – December 31, 2025; and
2. Authorize City Manager or designee to execute Memorandum of Understanding.
BACKGROUND:
Over the last few months, City staff have met with both representatives of the Local SEIU 620 to discuss amending the educational incentive pay offered to certain water positions to employ the past practice of providing educational pay to those employees w hose education exceeds the minimal requirements for their respective positions.
SEIU and City staff have worked to draft an amendment to the 2024 -2025 SEIU Memorandum of Understanding ( MOU) (Attachment “ B”) to address the educational incentive pay and the parties’ intent pertaining to the amendment. The current 2024-2025 SEIU MOU was approved by City Council on February 20, 2024. (Attachment “C”)
2 DISCUSSION:
The recommendation is to approve the proposed amendment to the current SEIU MOU 2024-2025, du e to an unfortunate omission of certain classifications for eligibility of Educational Incentive Pay. The classifications of employees that were unintentionally excluded will, as of the adoption of this First Amendment, be eligible to receive this Educational Incentive Pay.
This amendment before the Council is to remedy and provide excluded classifications the Educational Incentive Pay. The City and SEIU representatives agree that, in compliance with past practice, those employees who did not receive Educational Incentive Pay, as a result of the inadvertent exclusion of their classifications in the 2024-2025 SEIU MOU will retroactively receive such pay dating back to July 10, 2025.
Alternative(s)
A decision by the City Council not to approve the First Amendment to the Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Santa Maria and the Service Employees International Union Local 620 , February 20, 2024 – December 31, 2025 , will result in certain employees not receiving the pay, despite past practice.
Fiscal Considerations
The addition of classifications eligible for Educational Incentive Pay in the Water and Wastewater Divisions is anticipated to result in additional expenditures but are necessary to compensate certification pay equitably.
Impact on the Community
Approval of First Amendment to the Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Santa Maria and the Service Employees International Union Local 620 , February 20, 2024 – December 31, 2025, is crucial to maintaining a well -staffed, qualified workforce, which in turn will continue to support the City’s operational needs.
ATTACHMENT(S)
A. Resolution
B. First Amendment to the 2024-2025 SEIU MOU
C. Current 2024-2025 SEIU MOU