What's at stake:
The new police union contract approved Thursday requires $3.38 million in additional city resources for police salary and benefit expenses over the next fiscal year.
The Fresno City Council unanimously approved a new police union contract this week and a plan for emergency improvements to the south Fresno landfill following a methane reading in June.
Among a slew of other approved items during Thursday’s City Council meeting, councilmembers also greenlit negotiations with the Fresno Chaffee Zoo over a new parking structure and a new policy on addressing delinquent utility accounts.
The new police contract that councilmembers approved Thursday requires $3.38 million in additional general fund resources for police salary and benefit expenses over the next fiscal year, according to a staff report.
The new contract, which spans a single year unlike past multi-year labor union contracts, included a 3% annual raise for police officers. The contract was negotiated by city officials and the Fresno Police Officers’ Association over a three month period.
One new change in the union contract was a provision for officers to continue receiving premium pay while on a long-term absence. Premium pay is reserved for police officers in specific scenarios, including those who maintain a commercial pilot license, have work hours that were changed without notice or are placed on a specialized assignment, according to the union contract.
The new agreement also includes a transition period for the police union’s president and vice president phasing out of their union leadership role.
“How long would this delay their reintroduction back to their normal duties after their normal term expires?” Councilmember Miguel Arias asked on the dais Thursday.
“It’s typically about a five to six week period that we’re talking about,” said Sumeet Malhi, the city’s director of personnel services.
Arias also took issue with the union’s rejection of an earlier contract proposal from the mayor’s administration to address police scheduling issues, a matter detailed in a July report from The Fresno Bee.
Arias also asked about why the contract does not allow for the drug testing of more than 50% of police officers involved in drug or vice enforcement.
“This is not something we negotiated this round,” Malhi said.
“I understand, but I’m asking you what is the rationale for only testing half the officers for drugs when they are actively enforcing drug raids and drug task forces?” Arias asked.
City Manager Georgeanne White stepped in to say that a proposal to change the limit on how many officers in drug or vice enforcement are subject to drug testing could be discussed at the bargaining table next year when a new contract will have to be negotiated.
Emergency plan approved following methane air reading in south Fresno
In June, perimeter probes around the city’s sanitary landfill detected methane gas in the air above a federally permitted threshold. Officials reported the reading to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which sent a letter to city officials demanding the issue be remedied.
Ahmad Alkhayyat, the assistant director of public utilities, told the City Council that the problem was fixed in three weeks, well within the 60-day requirement.
On Thursday, councilmembers approved an agreement for landfill gas improvements as part of an emergency remediation plan — which would cost the city a maximum of $661,679. The city’s main contractor for the work is global consulting firm Tetra Tech, which outlined a budget of over $600,000 for the landfill improvement project.
“We were behind on the remediation program for the landfill and the reason why we were was because we didn’t have sufficient funding in the solid waste fund,” said White, Fresno’s city manager. “Part of the rate plan that was just adopted provided funding in order to accomplish this work.”
Alkhayyat also told the City Council that while the city was required to report the above-permitted methane gas reading to state and federal officials, there was no requirement to notify the general public, including the communities surrounding the landfill in south Fresno.
“We are not required to notify the property owners or the tenants on this situation,” Alkhayyat said, “simply because of the percentage of the exceedance and also the proximity to the next neighbor and the location, how deep the detection is.”
City Attorney addresses some details in ongoing Brown Act lawsuit against city officials
Fresno City Attorney Andrew Janz gave the public and Fresno City Council an update on an ongoing lawsuit that alleges the city violated state transparency law in its budget process for several years.
Janz told the council that Judge Robert Whalen denied a motion for judgment from the complainants in the case — ACLU of Northern California and First Amendment Coalition.
However, Janz did not read into the record the fact that Whalen also denied the city’s motion from May to dismiss the lawsuit.
The next hearing in the lawsuit has yet to be determined. The City Council last discussed the litigation in closed session during the Aug. 15 City Council meeting.
City to go after delinquent utility accounts over $50,000
Councilmember Mike Karbassi introduced a resolution that would require the city manager to increase efforts to collect utility bills from customers with delinquent accounts of over $50,000.
For accounts of up to $100,000 in delinquent bills, the city manager would be authorized to enter into utility payment agreements. City Council approval would be needed for any payment agreements with delinquent accounts over $100,000.
White is also authorized to discontinue utility services to those with delinquent accounts of $100,000 or more.
Police to accept federal grant to support ‘first responders and terrorism prevention’
The Fresno Police Department was authorized to accept $248,974 in grants from the U.S Department of Homeland Security to fund the “purchase of equipment to support first responders and terrorism prevention efforts,” according to a staff report.
“The grant will fund safety equipment for the Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) team, the Explosive Ordinance Device (EOD) team, the Crisis Negotiation (CNT) team, and the Mobile Field Force (MFF) team,” according to a staff report. “Safety equipment for these special teams will enhance current capabilities to respond to resource intensive and critical incidents of terrorism or disaster.”
City Council to begin negotiations over zoo parking facility
The City Council approved an exclusive negotiating agreement with the Chaffee Zoo Corporation over the details of constructing a new parking facility. But first, the council also approved an amendment to the Better Business Act to enable the exclusive arrangement.
