06-24-13 Regular Meeting of La Porte City Council

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REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM Agenda Date Requested: 6-24-13 Requested By: Ken Adeox Department: Por,.a Report: Resolution: Ordinance: Exhibits: Meet and Confer Agreement Exhibits: Budget Source of Funds: Account Number: Amount Budgeted: Amount Requested: Budgeted Item: YES NO SUMMARY & RECOMMENDATION Management representatives of the City of La Porte and the La Porte Police Officers' Association have voluntarily met and reached agreement on the conditions of employment as set out in the attached agreement pursuant to the provisions of the Texas Local Government Code, Chapter 142 et. seq., Subsection B. The attached agreement has been voted on and approved by the membership of the La Porte Police Officers Association and is now being presented to City Council for consideration and approval. The new agreement would take effect on October 1, 2013 and run through September 30, 2016. As with the existing agreement, the new agreement includes provisions that allow the department to hire lateral transfers and provides for a pay for performance wage system, minimum educational requirements, and a compensatory time program. Proposed changes contained in the new agreement include: (1) Adjusting Police Officer wages annually over the next 3 years so that officers continue to be compensated at a determined median market rate for similarly structured regional cities; (2) Adjusting the pay scale to include an additional step for 15+ year officers and compressing the Sergeant Pay Scale effective October 1, 2013. Adding a step for 20+ year officers and compressing the Lieutenant Pay Scale effective October 1, 2014; and (3) Strengthening the Police Department's promotional system by: a) restructuring the seniority point system so that seniority point are limited to time in grade; b) increasing the minimum time in grade to take the sergeants test from 2 to 4 years; c) encouraging participation in the LPPD's existing leadership mentor/training program, d) adding a 6 month probationary period for newly promoted sergeants and lieutenants, and e) allowing for the inclusion of a police assessment center, which would include hands-on practical exercises designed to assess various essential leadership dimensions such as decision making, judgment, initiative, and communication skills, when specifically requested by the Chief and approved by a majority vote of those participating in the promotional test.