Adopt resolution.

Staff is seeking authorization from the City Council to enter into a side letter agreement with FEA to update Section 9 (Uniform Allowance/Boot Reimbursement) of the MOU between the parties to increase the allowance for Fire Prevention staff to match the allowance received by other incumbents in similar jobs.

Staff is seeking authorization from the City Council to enter into a side letter agreement to update Section 9 (Uniform Allowance/Boot Reimbursement) to increase the allowance given to Fire Inspectors I and II, and Fire Plans Examiner from $425 to $875. 

During the great recession, the City staff unfortunately had to make difficult choices to maintain the financial viability of the City.  Some employees were laid off and staff took furlough days to make the City budget balance.  City departments and divisions were re-organized to make up for the financial shortfalls.  One of those difficult decisions resulted in laying off the Fire Prevention staff. 

In the last few years, as the City's financial health has improved, the positions that were eliminated have been reallocated and the Prevention Bureau was reconstituted.  In recent years, the City agreed to increased in uniform allowance for other jobs represented by FEA. However, since the City did not have Fire prevention staff, the allowances were not increased in the MOU for Fire Inspectors. 

Now that the Fire Prevention Bureau is reconstituted, staff is requesting to bring parity in uniform allowance between these jobs with the proposed changes to the FEA MOU:

Code Enforcement Off.:                                                      $875

Community Services Off.:                                                   $875

Dispatcher:                                                                         $875

Lead Dispatcher:                                                                $875

Park Ranger:                                                                      $875

Crime Prevention Spec.:                                                    $875

Fire Inspector I/II/III:                                                          $425 $875

Fire Plans Examiner/Inspector III:                                     $875

Fire Prevention Spec.                                                        $425

Fire Department clerical (includes Office Specialist          $325

Office Assistant Classifications working full time

in the Fire Department)

The annual cost of this agreement is $1,175, which will be absorbed by the Fire Department-Prevention fund (011-55-003).

City Council may decide not to approve staff’s request for authority to enter into a side letter agreement to update Section 9 of the MOU between the City and FEA and direct staff to negotiate a different uniform allowance amount.

Farbod Pirouzmand, Director of Human Resources

fpirouzmand@fairfield.ca.gov