Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Personnel Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Finance Committee debates overtime pay for police management; staff proposes ordinance amendment
Summary
City staff told the committee it is unclear whether exempt police management (deputy chief, captain) should receive overtime under the personnel ordinance and proposed a personnel‑ordinance amendment to create a special class of public‑safety management eligible for overtime. Councilors discussed fairness, union differences and phasing changes.
City staff alerted the Finance Committee that the personnel ordinance does not clearly authorize overtime pay for exempt police management positions — such as deputy chiefs or captains — when they cover shifts, and recommended adding language if the council wishes to continue the historical practice.
"It's not clear in the ordinance if you're an exempt employee that you would be getting overtime," Speaker 1, a city staff member, told the committee. Staff said the police department has, at times, had management personnel cover officer shifts and receive overtime pay for those assignments; the practice has been budgeted but lacks explicit authorization in the personnel ordinance.
Staff proposed creating a defined special class of employee in the personnel ordinance to allow overtime in narrowly specified roles (for example, deputy chief and captain) rather than changing the chief's compensation approach. "If we're gonna go that way, we'd need to amend the personnel ordinance to have it," Speaker 1 said.
Councilors asked about parity with the fire department and whether past practice created expectations. "Is there any feel for what goes on in the fire department?" one councilor asked; staff said they will check with the fire chief.
Several councilors urged a phased approach and fairness to employees who accepted management roles expecting salaried status. Suggestions included delaying a change until July 1 to give notice and evaluating employment contracts for management positions. One councilor said the union status of positions would affect legal weight of "past practice." Speaker 4, a councilor, said he favors fairness and noticed that the city should not abruptly remove a longstanding practice without notice.
Why it matters: the discussion concerns how the city compensates public‑safety managers who sometimes perform front‑line shifts and the legal clarity needed for equitable personnel policy.
Next steps: staff will consult legal counsel and HR, verify practices in related departments (fire), and draft an ordinance amendment if the council directs.
