SIDE LETTER OF AGREEMENT
BETWEEN
THE CITY OF SIGNAL HILL
AND
THE SIGNAL HILL POLICE OFFICERS’ ASSOCIATION
POLICE LATERAL RECRUITMENT INCENTIVE PROGRAM
On June 22, 2021, the City of Signal Hill (“City”) and the Signal Hill Police Officers’ Association (“SHPOA”) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) for the period of July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2024. In September 2023, the City initiated a meet and confer session with the SHPOA to discuss a Police Lateral Recruitment Incentive Program designed to address recruitment and retention of Police Officers. The SHPOA proposed a restructure of the Longevity Pay provision in the current POA MOU as part of the Police Lateral Recruitment Incentive Program. The parties have met and conferred in good faith and reached this Side Letter Agreement (the “Agreement”) to implement the Police Lateral Recruitment Incentive Program; and amend Longevity Pay in the current SHPOA MOU.
The City and the SHPOA enter into this Side Letter of Agreement and hereby agree to the following:
Section I. Introduction and Term
The term of the current Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the City of Signal Hill (City) and the Signal Hill Police Officer’s Association (SHPOA) is for the period of July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2024. Both the City and SHPOA have a mutual interest in implementing the Police Lateral Recruitment Incentive Program and amending the Longevity Pay in the existing POA MOU. The proposed changes are retroactive to July 1, 2023.
The terms of this Side Letter of Agreement shall not be construed to modify or supersede any other section of the MOU or modify any term or condition of employment except as specifically amended herein.
Section II. Recruitment Incentive Program
Credit for Prior Years of Service
Effective July 1, 2023, a sworn Police Officer hired as a lateral entry will receive credit for prior years of continuous law enforcement public service, as a Peace Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.) certified or P.O.S.T. approved Peace Officer, at another agency, for the purpose of sick leave, vacation leave, and longevity pay as follows:
Sick Leave – Upon date of hire, a lateral entry Police Officer will receive a frontloaded sick leave bank based on their sick leave balance at separation from their previous agency, up to a maximum of nine-hundred sixty (960) hours.
Prior agency sick leave balance will be subject to verification.
Years of service at another agency shall apply toward eligibility for the City’s Annual Cash Out program (POA MOU, Section D.) All standard City policies regarding sick leave shall apply.
Vacation Leave – Upon date of hire, a lateral entry Police Officer will accrue vacation benefits based on the City’s annual vacation leave accrual corresponding to their prior years of service as a P.O.S.T. certified or P.O.S.T approved Peace Officer (POA MOU, Section 5, Vacation).
Years of service at another agency shall be counted for the purpose of vacation accrual rate.
New lateral Officers will receive a one-time front-loaded bank of vacation of one years’ accrual based on cumulative annual accrual for corresponding years of service (POA MOU, Section 5, A. Basis of Accrual) (“frontloaded vacation leave”). For example, a lateral Officer with five (5) years of service at another agency, will be eligible for one hundred twelve (112) hours of frontloaded vacation leave.
Frontloaded vacation leave shall be deposited into a separate leave bank.
Frontloaded vacation leave has no cash value and is not eligible for cash out under any circumstances.
Years of service at another agency shall also apply toward eligibility for the City’s Vacation Cash-Out (POA MOU, Section 5, G.) Longevity Pay – Upon date of hire, a lateral entry Police Officer will receive longevity pay corresponding to their prior years of public service as P.O.S.T. certified or P.O.S.T. approved Peace Officer at another agency.
The City and the POA agree that the Recruitment Incentive Program as set forth herein, and as subsequently incorporated into the successor MOU, may be discontinued by the City at any time and for any reason for new lateral Officers hired after the date of notice to the POA that the Program is being discontinued. The discontinuance of the Recruitment Incentive Program will not affect Officers who have already obtained the benefits (lateral service credit and/or frontloaded vacation) as set forth above.
Amendment to POA MOU, Section 36. Longevity Pay
The parties agree that Longevity Pay, as amended herein, shall not be subject to further negotiation and shall remain in effect for the remainder of the current POA MOU and for the term of the successor POA MOU.
Effective retroactive to July 1, 2023, eligibility for Longevity Pay is as follows:
Years of Service
Monthly Benefit
5 Years
$300.00
10 years
$500.00
15 years
$750.00
20 years
$1,000.00
1. Longevity Pay shall be prorated for eligible lateral Officers hired after July 1, 2023.
2. Current employees who are receiving longevity pay at the seven (7) year tier, shall receive the monthly benefit of the five (5) year tier. The difference will be paid retroactive to July 1, 2023.
3. Longevity Pay is not cumulative. An employee will only receive the highest level of Longevity Pay for which the employee is qualified.
Applicability to Current Employees
Current employees previously hired as a lateral entry Police Officer will receive credit for prior years of continuous law enforcement public service, as a Peace Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.) certified or P.O.S.T. approved Peace Officer, at another agency, retroactive to July 1, 2023 for the following:
City’s Annual Sick Leave Cash Out Program (POA MOU, Section D.) Vacation Accrual Rate
City’s Vacation Cash-Out (POA MOU, Section 5, G.)
Longevity Pay
The Parties understand and agree that the subject matter of this Side Letter, including the specific terms set forth herein, will not be subject to further negotiations between the parties during the negotiations for a successor MOU to the current MOU, and explicitly waive any rights or obligations to negotiate. The Parties specifically agree at this time that this Side Letter will be incorporated into the successor MOU.
City Council Approval
If the foregoing Side Letter of Agreement is approved by SHPOA by October 31, 2023, then authorization to approve this Side Letter of Agreement shall be submitted to the City Council for consideration at its regular meeting on November 14, 2023.
The Parties hereto have caused this Side Letter of Agreement to be executed on the 14th day of November 2023.
City of Signal Hill:
Dated: ____________________ By: _____________________________ Carlo Tomaino
City Manager
Signal Hill Police Officers’ Association:
Dated: _____________________ By: _____________________________ Gregory Friend
SHPOA President
Exhibit A
Exhibit A