To: Board of Supervisors
From: Human Resources
Agenda Section: Consent
Vote Requirement: Majority
SUBJECT:
title
Ratification of the 2025 - 2026 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Between the County of Humboldt and the Humboldt Deputy Sheriff’s Organization Unit 6 (HDSO)
end
RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Approve and authorize the Chair of the Board of Supervisors to execute the MOU with HDSO Unit 6 for the term of Jan. 1, 2025 - Dec. 31, 2026; and
2. Adopt Resolution approving the execution of the MOU between the County of Humboldt and HDSO Unit 6.
Body
STRATEGIC PLAN:
This action supports the following areas of your Board’s Strategic Plan.
Area of Focus: Workforce & Operational Excellence
Strategic Plan Category: 3001 - Support a well-trained workforce
DISCUSSION:
The County of Humboldt and HDSO have agreed to the matters set forth in the attached Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for HDSO Unit 6 for the term of Jan. 1, 2025 - Dec. 31, 2026.
The attached MOU outlines agreed upon amendments and includes the following:
1. Term: Jan. 01, 2025 - Dec. 31, 2026
2. One-Time Payment: Each regular employee will receive a non-pensionable, non-recurring lump sum payment in the amount of $3,000.00 minus applicable payroll deductions within three payroll periods of Board of Supervisors adoptions of this Agreement. The payment will be pro-rated for staff who are less than one full time equivalent.
3. Longevity: Longevity language has been broken out into two separate groups: Sworn and Non-Sworn.
• Keeps 5-year, 10-year, and 20-year longevity incentives
• Changes the amount of the incentive from salary ranges to a flat percentage
• Designates specific experience to be used in the longevity calculation for prior service
4. Bomb Squad: Updates the selection process and changes the incentive payment from salary ranges to flat percentage.
5. K-9 Reimbursement: Changes the incentive payment to a flat percentage.
6. Clothing Reimbursement: Increases the annual uniform allowance to $885.00
7. Differential Pay for Out-Of-Classification Work: Members of HDSO assigned to an out of class assignment will be continued to be covered under the HDSO bargaining unit.
8. Bilingual Pay Incentive:
• Employees designated by their Department Head as requiring the use of bilingual skills to translate, answer phone calls, do research, and speak with or write to clients in a language other than English shall receive specialty pay compensation if the following criteria are met:
o The employee has been certified as bilingual by the Director of Human Resources, or designee, following a passing score on the oral, or oral and written proficiency exam.
o Oral certification: $75.00 per pay period
o Oral and written certification: $120.00 per pay period
9. Overtime, On-Call and Call-Back: Changes made to reflect approved side letter language.
10. Holidays:
• December 24th will now be a scheduled County paid holiday.
• All bargaining unit employees may, in the thirty-six (36) months prior to retirement, elect to have any portion of accumulated holiday leave compensated by having the cash equivalent, based on their regular rate of pay at the time of conversion, deposited into deferred compensation, subject to applicable State and Federal tax laws. The employee may elect to do this in one deposit or to have three (3) separate deposits in three (3) separate calendar years. Any holiday leave subject to compensation per the MOU that remains upon separation shall be paid to the employee by check or by deposit into deferred compensation, at the employee’ option.
11. POST Certificate Pay: Includes Dispatchers. Changes the incentive payment from Salary Ranges to flat percentage.
12. Wellness Incentive: Removed section.
13. Health Insurance:
• The County will increase the contribution amount outlined above to cover 100% of the employee’s increase that occurred in the lowest-cost health insurance premium from calendar year 2024 to 2025 for the remainder of calendar year 2025. As a result, the County premium contributions effective the first full month following Board of Supervisors adoptions of the MOU during the 2025 plan year shall be:
o Employee Only - $914.27 (shall not exceed 100% of the CalPERS Health plan Premium Selected by the Employee)
o Employee and One Dependent - $1408.78
o Employee and Two or More Dependents - $1705.48
• Effective the first month of the 2026 health year plan, the County will increase its contribution to cover 100% of the employee’s increase in the lowest cost CalPERS medical plan available in Humboldt County from calendar year 2025 - 2026. These increased employer contributions in 2026 will apply to Employee Only, Employee Plus One, and Employee Plus Two or More levels of eligibility. As a result, the County premium contributions effective the first full month following Board of Supervisors adoption of the MOU during the 2026 plan year shall be:
o Employee Only - $969.58 (shall not exceed 100% of the CalPERS Health plan Premium Selected by the Employee)
o Employee and One Dependent - $1519.40
o Employee and Two or More Dependents - $1849.29
14. Sick Leave Conversion: Bargaining unit employees must be within thirty-six (36) months of their CalPERS Normal Retirement Age or beyond to initiate Sick Leave conversion.
15. Specialty Assignments:
• Shift selection, based on seniority in class, shall be on a six-month basis. Exceptions include Deputy beat assignments, K9 Deputy beat and shift assignments, and Field Training Officer beat and shift assignments.
• A Specialty Assignment is not a County of Humboldt Human Resources - classified position and does not create a separate job classification, pay range, or civil service status. These assignments are considered temporary, rotational, and operational in nature, and employees are selected through an internal selection process.
• Employee assigned to a Specialty Assignment may serve a term of up to three (3) or five (5) years, depending on the position, with the possibility of a one-year extension at the discretion of the Sheriff. Each Specialty Assignment shall be evaluated annually to ensure that performance, conduct, and departmental needs are being met.
16. Work Schedules - Probation Department: Probation Officer Classifications covered by this MOU may request to work an alternative work schedule upon approval by the Chief Probation Officer or their designee.
17. Side Letters: Unless superseded by this proposal or other agreements reached during these negotiations, the MOU will be updated to match MOU language changes contained in:
• Side Letter Agreement - Wages, FTO, and CID
• Side Letter Agreement - Overtime Amendments
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
All county funds with HDSO employees
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
|
Expenditures (Various) |
FY25-26 |
FY26-27 Projected* |
|
One-Time Payments |
$422,975 |
$0 |
|
Incentive Increases |
$12,037 |
$18,056 |
|
Health Insurance |
$23,765 |
$35,649 |
|
Total Expenditures |
$458,777 |
$53,705 |
*Projected amounts are estimates and are subject to change.
|
Funding Sources (Various) |
FY25-26 |
FY26-27 Projected* |
|
General Fund |
$414,895 |
$47,619 |
|
Other County Funds |
$43,882 |
$6,086 |
|
Total Funding Sources |
$458,777 |
$53,705 |
*Projected amounts are estimates and are subject to change.
Narrative Explanation of Financial Impact:
Total costs from all funds for this compensation plan is estimated to be $512,482 in fiscal year (FY) 2025-26 and FY 2026-27. Of this, $422,975 is attributed to one-time payments and are not an ongoing cost. Your Board approved $5 million in the FY 2025-26 budget in 1100-190, General Fund Contingencies, for labor negotiations. At the end of the FY, should budgets not be able to absorb the increase in costs from approval of this compensation plan, staff will return to your Board to request a budget adjustment to utilize these contingencies.
STAFFING IMPACT:
There is not a direct staffing impact to ratifying this MOU.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
Humboldt Deputy Sheriff’s Organization (HDSO) Unit 6
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
Your Board could choose not to adopt the resolution ratifying the 2025-2026 MOU between the county and HDSO, however, this is not recommended as the previous MOU between the county and HSDO expired on Dec. 31, 2024.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Memorandum of Understanding between the County of Humboldt and HDSO Unit 6 - Final
2. Memorandum of Understanding between County of Humboldt and HDSO Unit 6 - Red Line
3. Resolution approving the Memorandum of Understanding for HDSO Unit 6
4. Appendix A - Compensation Schedule effective 2/1/2026
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Meeting of: 12/14/2021
File No.: 21-1825