CITY COMMISSION AGENDA ITEM

Department:	City Manager’s Office		Commission Meeting Date:  August 14, 2018
Staff Contact:	Casey Toomay, Assistant City Manager
Recommendations/Options/Action Requested:
Conduct public hearing for the purpose of receiving explanation and supporting documentation related to proposals from the City of Lawrence and members of the Lawrence Police Officers’ Association concerning wages and/or fringe benefits and/or working conditions and render a decision by accepting one party’s proposal.
Executive Summary:		Resolution No. 6817 outlines the policy of the City regarding employee organizations.  Under the Resolution, the City Commission shall permit group discussions between its administrative staff and employees representing any of four designated employee groups recognized under the Resolution.  The scope of the discussion is outlined in the Resolution but is generally limited to wages, fringe benefits, and working conditions.  Management Rights, which are defined in the Resolution, are not subject to discussion.  The members of the Executive Board of the Lawrence Police Officers’ Association (LPOA) are the designated representatives of the police officers and detectives.  The current Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the City and the LPOA expires December 31, 2018.  City administrative staff and representatives of the LPOA have been in regular discussions regarding a new MOU since April.  Section VI of the Resolution contains the discussion procedures.  Under those procedures, “if the parties have failed to resolve, remove, or agree to an issue of discussion by July 1^st, that issue shall be declared at impasse.”  The parties must then work with a mediator.  Four all-day sessions were held with a mediator from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service from July 23 through August 1.  And while there were many issues tentatively agreed by the parties as of August 2, there were several issues that remained at impasse.  Under the Resolution, “if an impasse continues to exist three days after exchange of the last proposals of the parties, each party will submit its proposal in writing to the City Commission.  The City Commission shall, within seven (7) days of receipt of the proposals, schedule public hearings for the purpose of receiving explanation and supporting documentation for each party’s proposal.” The City Commission set the hearing date of August 14 at their meeting on August 7.  According to Resolution No. 6817, “the Commission shall select the proposal which it determines is more fair and equitable on the basis of: 1) Evidence supplied in support of the proposals.  2) The financial situation of the City. 3) Comparison with similar comparable municipal employers in the area labor market; and 4) Other relevant considerations.  The City Commission’s decision shall be final and binding.” Note:  nothing in the Resolution precludes continued discussions between the parties before the public hearing.
Strategic Plan Critical Success Factor		Effective Governance/Professional Administration Core Services Sound Fiscal Stewardship Collaborative Solutions
Fiscal Impact (Amount/Source):		The 2019 budget includes some funds for additional compensation and benefits for employees covered by the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding between the City and the LPOA.  The exact fiscal impact to the City varies depending on the proposal selected by the City Commission.
Attachments:		Resolution No. 6817 Current MOU between the City and the LPOA Comparison of Existing MOU, Tentatively Agreed, and Last Proposed Language City’s last proposal on unresolved issues City’s draft agreement LPOA’s last proposal on unresolved issues

Reviewed By: (for CMO use only)

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