06-27-2016 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM 3A STAFF ORIGINATOR: Jeff Karlson MEETING DATE: June 27, 2016 TOPIC: Memorandum of Understanding with LELS Local #299 VOTE REQUIRED: 3/5 INTRODUCTION The Council is being asked to consider a Memorandum of Understanding that will allow residential cross- trained police officers to act as paid-on-call firefighters. BACKGROUND As part of the integration of fires services in the Public Safety Department, staff recommended a fire stipend for current police officers who successfully complete all required firefighter training and the certifications. In September 2014 the City Council approved a $1.30 per hour stipend for staff upon the successful completion of the State of Minnesota firefighter certification process. In February 2015, the City and LELS Local No. 299 entered into a Memorandum of Agreement that specified the following: (1) police officers may volunteer to be trained as Lino Lakes’ firefighters; (2) an officer will receive premium pay of $1.30 per hour whether performing licensed police officer or firefighter duties; (3) firefighter-trained officers are not obligated to respond to fire calls while they are off-duty; and (4) firefighter-trained officers who respond to a fire call while off-duty will be paid at their overtime rate. During recent contract negotiations with LELS No. 299, the patrol officers proposed that the Memorandum of Agreement be revised to include language providing that responses to fire calls, while officers are off-duty, would be subject to the minimum hours’ provision in Article 14 of their contract. At the same time, Public Safety Director John Swenson pointed out the department has police officers living within the required nine-minute response time who wanted to go on more fire calls. Subsequently, Mr. Swenson proposed an innovative solution that would allow cross-trained officers who live within a nine-minute drive to respond to fire calls as paid-on-call firefighters. The attached Memorandum of Understanding effectively creates a program for residential police officers (“RPO’s”) to act as paid-on-call firefighters while off-duty. The RPO’s would be paid at the top paid-on- call wage rate and would become eligible for the annual $5,000 contribution towards the statewide volunteer firefighter pension fund. The City benefits by increasing its number of responders to fire calls and by not having to pay the regular overtime rate for a cross-trained police officer. RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends approval of the Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Lino Lakes and Law Enforcement Labor Services, Inc., Local No. 299. ATTACHMENTS Memorandum of Understanding