Agenda Item Wording:
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Side letter agreement with employee group - Adopt a side letter agreement approving the proposed changes to the Confidential Group Compensation and Benefit Summary and authorize the City Manager to execute same.
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Prepared by: Shonna Oneal, Administrative Services Director, Shonna.Oneal@visalia.gov, 713-4053, Amy Powell, Human Resources Manager, Amy.Powell@visalia.gov, 713-4300
Department Recommendation: It is recommended that the Visalia City Council authorize the City Manager to execute and implement a side letter agreement approving the proposed changes to the Confidential Group Compensation and Benefit Summary. The changes will be documented in a side letter agreement until labor negotiations are undertaken in 2027, at which time they will be incorporated into the City of Visalia Confidential/ Unrepresented Group Compensation and Benefit Summary.
Summary:
An oversight in the Confidential Group Compensation and Benefit Summary was discovered and brought to Council in Closed Session on December 5, 2025. It is being corrected with a side letter agreement, along with other small changes to circumstances in the agreement, including a title change for the Communications and Brand Manager and the addition of the Fire Deputy Chief position and the corresponding benefits associated with that position, until they can be incorporated into the City of Visalia and the City of Visalia Confidential/ Unrepresented Group Compensation and Benefit Summary after the next labor negotiations.
Background Discussion:
It recently came to Staff's attention that there was a likely oversight in the compensation and benefit summary related to the longevity pay approved for the Battalion Chief classification. All sworn fire personnel in Group G (Fire) are eligible for longevity pay based on all of their sworn, paid, full-time experience. However, the addition of "all experience," not just experience with the City of Visalia, was negotiated with Gr...
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