Council Approves Raises for Some Employees Via Consent Calendar

The City Council passed a 14-item consent calendar that includes a 1% pay increase for Pasadena’s 161 firefighters represented by the Pasadena Fire Fighters Association (PFFA).

According to a city staff report, the prior three-year memorandum of understanding between the City and the PFFA
expired on June 30.

“Negotiations for a successor contract with the PFFA began in February 2020, and discussions on economic items were suspended in March 2020 due to the immediate and significant impact the COVID-19 pandemic was projected to have on the City’s budget along with the ongoing uncertainty including long-term impact. The parties continued to communicate for several months primarily to discuss non-economic items, and agreed to extend the existing contract for three months to September 30, 2020,” the report states.

Firefighters will also receive a one-time, lump-sum payment equal to the value of 1% of base pay for the period from July 6 through Feb. 28.

A separate item on the consent calendar also grants the seven members of the Pasadena Fire Management Association the same pay raise and one-time payment.

Separate items on the consent calendar provide pay raises for engineers working in the city’s Water and Power Department.
Other nonrepresented city employees would also receive increases.

Councilmember Tyron Hampton abstained from voting on the raises and pointed out he did not think it appropriate, as so many local residents continue to struggle during COVID-19.

Hampton expressed support of the city’s employees.

“I’m not comfortable voting in the affirmative, but I believe our city employees do fantastic work,” he said.

The sweep motion also passed a contract for a maximum of $325,000 with a maximum term of five years between the city and Matheson Tri-Gas Inc. to furnish and deliver calibration and industrial gases for the Water and Power Department. The City Council could also accept a Jan. 19 bid submitted by Henkels & McCoy, Inc., for Fiber Optic Installation. The contract will not exceed five years, or until $2 million has been expended, whichever comes first.

The City Council also authorized City Manager Steve Mermell to enter into a $179,520 contract with KLDiscovery Ontrack, LLC for planning and migration services of archive email data to Microsoft Exchange Online cloud services.

Mermell is also authorized to extend the term of the city’s contract with CentralSquare Technologies LLC, OBA: Superion LLC from Feb. 25 to June 30 for false fire alarm billing and collections services. The contract will be increased from $74,999 to $124,999.

A $380,000 contract with Comet Electric Inc. providing a video detection system and fiber optic communications for an intelligent transportation system phase I.

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the city and the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) provides a 1% salary increase effective March 1 and a one-time, lump-sum payment equal to the value of 1% of base pay for the period July 6, through Feb. 28.

IUOE represents 19 full-time employees who work at the city Power Plant for the Water and Power Department.

A sweep vote also provided 1% pay increases for the sworn safety classifications of police chief, deputy police chief, fire chief, and deputy fire chief and all non-sworn classifications except the following: Classifications with a minimum hourly rate tied to the minimum wage.

The hourly rates for the classifications of city service worker- lead ambassador and lifeguard will be increased by $1 per hour, from $15.50 to $16.50 and $15 to $16, respectively, in order to reduce compaction with lower classifications created by increases to the minimum wage.

The step schedule for community service specialists will be adjusted by approximately $2.50 per hour to reduce compaction with lower classifications created by increases to the minimum wage as well as provide internal alignment in the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department.
A contract with Batza and Associates will be increased by $25,000 for a revised not-to-exceed amount of $99,999. The company would continue to provide personnel-related investigative services.

The city manager will enter into a contract with Titan Disposal Co. not-to-exceed $721,552 for an initial period of one year with an option for three additional one-year terms at $721,552 per year subject to the approval of the city manager. If the three additional one-year terms are exercised, the total contract amount will be $2,986,208.

The city is also seeking the extension of a Bank America Letter of Credit related to the variable rate demand refunding certificates of participation.

Finally, the quarterly cleanup of the budget will amend the fiscal year (FY) 2021 adopted operating budget by a net amount of $288,512 and increase the citywide total full-time equivalents (FTE) by four limited-term FTEs; and authorize the city manager to enter into a contract with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health (MCAH) Division, California Home Visiting Program (CHVP) to accept and administer grant funds on behalf of the city of Pasadena.