To: Honorable Mayor and Members of City Council
From: Heather Ruiz, Human Resources Director
Prepared By: Caitlin Saldanha, Management Analyst II
TITLE:
Title
Compensation and Benefits for City Executive Staff; and Compensation and Benefits for the Police Chief
LABEL
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommendation
(1) Adopt a resolution approving revisions to the compensation and benefits for City Executive Staff.
(2) Adopt a resolution approving the compensation and benefits for the Police Chief.
Body
DISCUSSION:
On December 17, 2024, Council adopted resolution R2024-137 approving the Executive Staff compensation and benefits for the term of January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2026. It is the practice of the City to apply provisions of the agreement reached with the Administrative, Managerial, and Professional Employees (“AMP”) group to the Unrepresented Executive Staff, so the resolution adopted on December 17, 2024 applied the provision of the AMP contract to this unrepresented group.
At this time, staff is proposing revisions to the existing resolution for Executive Staff compensation and benefits by removing the Police Chief position as a member of City Executive Staff, and thus creating a separate compensation and benefits resolution for the Police Chief, which will include that position in CalPERS Health benefits. CalPERS requires that in order to add members to the CalPERS plan, all members of a group must be included. The desire at this time, it to include only the Police Chief, therefore, that position must be its own group, and is thus being carved out into a separate resolution in order to add the CalPERS Health benefit.
Currently, the Napa Police Officers’ Association (NPOA) and the Police Management Unit (PMU) are both in CalPERS Health, so if a member of those units promotes to Police Chief they have to leave CalPERS Health to join the City’s health benefits plans, causing a disruption in their health benefits. Adding CalPERS Health as a medical benefit option under a separate compensation and benefits summary for the Police Chief will allow an internally promoted management employee to remain in CalPERS Health. Additionally, many other agencies participate in CalPERS Health, therefore, the City Manager feels this will make us more competitive in attracting external candidates to the Napa Police Department as well. Finally, CalPERS Health has more options, so retired members have a broader selection of health carriers through the CalPERS Health system.
The first attached Resolution and Exhibits A and B include the following changes to the Executive Team Resolution as recommended by the City Manager:
• Remove the Police Chief position under the “City Executive Staff” and all further references to Police Chief.
• Add clean-up language previously approved by Council on December 17, 2024 to allow the Fire Chief to participate in a LifeScan physical exam, providing up to $700 in payment.
The second attached Resolution and Exhibits A and B outlines the compensation and benefits for the Police Chief. There are no changes in the compensation or benefits, other than the addition of CalPERS Health. Pending Council’s approval of this agenda item, a subsequent agenda item will be brought to Council at a future meeting to adopt a separate resolution adding the Police Chief to the City’s PEMHCA Public Employees Medical and Hospital Care Act (PEMHCA) plan.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS:
No changes are being made to the Executive Staff compensation and benefits, and no changes are being made to the compensation of the Police Chief. The only change being made is to remove the Police Chief from the Executive Staff compensation and benefits resolution, allowing a change in the medical benefits for the Police Chief by adding that position into CalPERS Health.
Despite the fact that the CalPERS Kaiser Health rates are slightly higher than the City’s contracted Kaiser rates, implementing CalPERS Health for the Police Chief position will have no cost for the City, because the employer contribution amount remains the same, as it is tied to the City Kaiser rater. However, there is a potential future cost increase for retirees, in joining CalPERS Health. CalPERS law requires that the City pay the PEMHCA minimum for all retirees, regardless of years of service. Therefore, the previous rule in the Executive Staff compensation and benefits resolution requiring a certain number of years of service to receive a $347 monthly reimbursement will no longer apply. Instead, all retirees will receive the PEMHCA minimum, which changes each year. In 2025, the amount is $158 per month. This may afford a benefit to some, who under the prior resolution would not have received a benefit.
CEQA:
The Human Resources Director has determined that the Recommended Action described in this Agenda Report is not subject to CEQA, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15060 (c).
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
ATCH 1 - Resolution Approving Revisions to Compensation and Benefits for City Executive Staff
EX A - Executive Staff Compensation and Benefit Summary
EX B - Executive Staff Salary Table
ATCH 2 - Resolution Approving the Compensation and Benefits for the Police Chief
EX A - Police Chief Compensation and Benefit Summary
EX B - Police Chief Salary Table
NOTIFICATION:
City Executive Staff and Police Chief