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APPROVAL OF A TEMPORARY RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION INCENTIVE AND SIDE LETTER AGREEMENTS FOR POLICE TELECOMMUNICATION CLASSIFICATIONS IN THE STOCKTON CITY EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION AND THE STOCKTON MID-MANAGEMENT / SUPERVISORY UNITS
recommended action
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt by resolution the attached Side Letter Agreements between the City of Stockton (City) and the Stockton City Employees’ Association (SCEA) and the Stockton Mid-Management/Supervisory Level (B&C) Unit. The side letters establish a temporary recruitment and retention incentive for eligible employees in the Police Telecommunication classifications through June 30, 2029.
It is further recommended that the City Manager be authorized to take any appropriate and necessary actions to carry out the purpose and intent of the resolution, including implementation and funding of the side letter agreements.
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Summary
The City, the B&C unit, and the SCEA reached an agreement on temporary incentives intended to support the recruitment and retention of employees in designated Police Telecommunication classifications within the Police Department. The proposed side letter agreements provide a ten thousand dollar ($10,000) recruitment incentive for eligible newly hired employees paid out in two installments, and retention incentives totaling six thousand dollars ($6,000) for eligible current employees in specified Police Telecommunication classifications, consisting of three thousand dollars ($3,000) payable in 2026 and three thousand dollars ($3,000) payable in 2027.
The incentives are non-pensionable and are subject to applicable state and federal taxes. The side letter agreements will remain in effect through June 30, 2029, unless otherwise modified by mutual agreement of the parties.
DISCUSSION
Background
The City, the B&C Unit, and the SCEA previously entered into a Recruitment and Retention Side Letter Agreements to support the recruitment and retention of employees in the Police Telecommunication classifications within their respective bargaining units. This agreement sunset on June 30, 2026. The City continues to experience recruitment and retention challenges within the Police Telecommunications operations. Maintaining adequate staffing in these classifications is critical to meeting the operational needs of the Police Department and ensuring the continued delivery of emergency communications services.
To enhance the City's ability to recruit qualified candidates and retain experienced employees, the City, the B&C Unit, and the SCEA have agreed to temporary recruitment and retention incentives for designated Police Telecommunication classifications, as set forth in the proposed side letter agreements.
Present Situation
The proposed side letter agreements establish temporary recruitment and retention incentive programs for eligible new hires and current employees in the following classifications:
• Police Telecommunications Supervisor
• Police Telecommunicator I/II
• Police Telecommunicator Call Taker
The proposed recruitment and retention incentives are as follows:
1. New first-time hires in the specified Police Telecommunication classifications hired on or after July 1, 2026, will be eligible for a one-time signing bonus totaling ten thousand dollars ($10,000). The incentive will be paid in two installments:
• Two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) payable no later than the fourth full pay period following hire; and
• Seven thousand five hundred dollars ($7,500) payable on the first full pay period following the employee's first anniversary of their employment.
2. Employees in the specified Police Telecommunication classifications who are employed as of September 15, 2026, will receive a three-thousand-dollar ($3,000) retention bonus payable by September 30, 2026.
3. Employees in the specified Police Telecommunication classifications who are employed as of September 15, 2027, will receive a three-thousand-dollar ($3,000) retention bonus payable by September 30, 2027.
Approval of the proposed side letter agreements will allow the City to implement the temporary incentives to support recruitment and retention of experienced and qualified employees within the Police Telecommunication operations.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
The department currently has forty-eight positions within the specified classifications, with ten vacancies in the Police Telecommunicator and Police Call Taker classifications. To incentivize the filling of these positions, the department would need approximately $100,000, on a one-time basis, to implement the provisions of this side-letter agreement for newly hired employees. For the remaining thirty-eight current employees, the proposed incentive would require one-time funding of $228,000, bringing the total impact of this agreement to approximately $338,000. The department can fund this request through salary savings by reallocating funding to General Fund lines 3519-320-610000-100-000-20-35-000-000- and 3519-320-610000-100-115-20-35-000-000-.
Attachment A -B&C Police Telecommunications Recruitment and Retention Side Letter Agreement
Attachment B - SCEA Police Telecommunicator Recruitment and Retention Side Letter Agreement