8E
Date: March 24, 2026
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Aram Chaparyan, City Manager
By: Jamie Le, Assistant to the City Manager | [email protected] Subject: City Manager – Approve Side Letter Agreement Between Torrance Municipal Employees-AFSCME Local 1117 (TME-AFSCME) and Management Regarding Wireless Technicians and the Torrance Police Department Recruitment and Retention Pilot Program. Expenditure: Not-to-Exceed $45,000 Annually (General Fund).
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation of the City Manager that City Council approve a side letter agreement between the Torrance Municipal Employees-AFSCME Local 1117 (TME-AFSCME) and Management regarding Wireless Technicians and the Torrance Police Department Recruitment and Retention Incentive Program.
FUNDING
Funding is available in the Fiscal Year 2025–26 General Fund operating budget and is anticipated to be available in subsequent fiscal years.
DISCUSSION
In previous years, Management and the various employee groups have produced "side letter" agreements to address issues that come up in between contract negotiations. A side letter is an agreement between an employer and union that typically: (1) modifies, clarifies, or interprets an existing provision in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU); or (2) addresses issues of interest to the parties that are not otherwise covered by the MOU. These agreements need to be approved by City Council in open session. This is particularly important if the side letter agreement pertains to income subject to the California Public Employees’ Retirement System’s (CalPERS) reporting requirements, such as salary adjustments and premiums. As such, staff requests formal approval by City Council memorializing:
Side Letter Agreement between the Torrance Municipal Employees-AFSCME Local 1117 (TME- AFSCME) and Management adds the Wireless Technicians to the Torrance Police Department Recruitment and Retention Incentive Program.
ATTACHMENT
1.AFSCME Side Letter Agreement – Wireless Technicians TPD Incentive Program 1 March 24, 2026
TO: Rebecca Poirier, City Clerk
FROM: Jamie Le, Assistant to the City Manager
RE: MANAGEMENT AND TORRANCE MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES - AFSCME LOCAL 1117 (TME - AFSCME LOCAL 1117) JOINT LETTER OF AGREEMENT REGARDING
ENHANCED RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION INCENTIVES PILOT PROGRAM Management and Torrance Municipal Employees - AFSCME Local 1117 met and have reached an agreement as noted on the attached document. Section 14.8.14.b of the Torrance Municipal Code reads:
“If an agreement is reached by management and a recognized employee organization or recognized employee organization, on matters subject to approval by the City Council, they shall jointly prepare a written and signed memorandum of such understanding and present it to the City Council for determination. If an agreement is reached on matters not subject to approval by the City Council, those conferring shall jointly prepare a written and signed memorandum of such agreement which shall be filed with the City Clerk.”
Pursuant to the last sentence of the above paragraph, the City Manager’s Office is filling the attached agreement with your office.
Management Torrance Municipal Employees - AFSCME
Local 1117 (TME - AFSCME LOCAL 1117)
/s/ Robert Dunn
_____________________________________
/s/
_____________________________________
/s/ Jamie Le
_____________________________________
/s/
_____________________________________
2 ATTACHMENT 1
Joint Agreement between the City of Torrance and
Torrance Municipal Employees - AFSCME Local 1117 (TME - AFSCME) TME - AFSCME and representatives of Management (“City”) have met and conferred regarding the Enhanced Recruitment and Retention Incentives Pilot Program.
TME - AFSCME and City hereby agree to the addition of the Enhanced Recruitment and Retention Incentive Pilot Program as follows Effective September 8, 2024:
TORRANCE POLICE DEPARTMENT
ENHANCED RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION PILOT PROGRAM
1. The Torrance Police Department Enhanced Recruitment and Retention Pilot Program (“Pilot Program”) will remain in effect until terminated by the City Manager and is subject to the limits of the City budget and approved staffing levels.
2. The City Manager may elect to terminate any portion of this “Pilot Program” providing it is not warranted or needed.
3. Paid active status in regard to this “Pilot Program” is defined as receiving payment for hours during which an employee is eligible to receive pay with the exception of hours paid running time.
4. Employees will need to remain on a paid, active status in the Torrance Police Department (“Department”) to be eligible for incremental payments as outlined in Exhibit A .
5. Retention incentives, will be issued over the duration of the commitment as long as the employee remains on a paid, active status in the “Department.”
6. “Pilot Program” Incentive payments shall not be considered pensionable earnings/compensation.
7. TME - AFSCME LOCAL 1117 and Management agree to revisit “Pilot Program” specifications during the duration of this program.
Signed this 24th day of March 2026.
Management Torrance Municipal Employees - AFSCME Local
1117 (TME - AFSCME)
Robert Dunn
Police Chief
David Inez
President
Jamie Le
Assistant to the City Manager
Robert Castrellon
Vice President
3 Exhibit A
Torrance Police Department Enhanced Recruitment and Retention Incentive Program (Torrance Municipal Employees - AFSCME Local 1117)
Effective September 8, 2024
Public Safety Dispatcher Recruitment Incentive – New Hire Maximum Bonus : $10,000 total
Base Amount : $10,000 signing bonus
Payment Structure :
o 50% of total bonus upon hire
o 25% of total bonus upon completion of probation
o 25% of total bonus upon completion of full year following probation Public Safety Dispatcher Recruitment Incentive – Lateral Maximum Bonus : $40,000 total
Base Amount : $15,000 signing bonus
Escalator Clause :
o Specialized Detail : Additional $5,000 per year, up to a maximum of 5 years ($25,000) to include Communications Training Officer (CTO) and Tactical Dispatcher Payment Structure :
o 50% of total bonus upon hire
o 25% of total bonus upon completion of probation
o 25% of total bonus upon completion of full year following probation Retention Bonus – Professional Staff
Maximum Bonus : $10,000 per year for five years
Eligibility : Police Department employees in the following classifications are eligible:
o Police Services Officer
o Public Safety Dispatcher
Base Amount : $7,500 annual bonus
Uniform Bonus : $2,500 uniform bonus if permanently assigned as a Police Services Officer. Payment Structure :
o First payment upon initiation of program
o Annual payments occur on anniversary of program start date capped at 5 total payments
Effective September 8, 2025
Retention Bonus – Professional Staff
Maximum Bonus : $7,500 per year for four years
Eligibility : Information Technology Department employees in the following classifications are eligible:
o Wireless Technician
Base Amount : $7,500 annual bonus
Payment Structure :
o First payment upon CLETS Completion
o Annual payments occur on anniversary of program start date capped at 4 total payments
4