BEVERLY HILLS—On Wednesday, December 17, the city of Beverly Hills informed the Canyon News via email that the Beverly Hills City Council Tuesday night approved a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Beverly Hills Police Officers’ Association (POA). The MOU covers salaries and benefits for a four-year term.
“I want to thank the brave men and women of the Beverly Hills Police Department for their daily commitment to protecting our community,” said Beverly Hills Mayor Sharona Nazarian. “The safety and security of our residents and visitors is always our number one priority. Our Police Department serves with professionalism, integrity and dedication and this agreement reflects our appreciation for their service and our investment in this strong and respected police department.”
Per the City’s Civic Openness in Negotiations (COIN) Ordinance, an independent fiscal analysis was conducted with the fiscal analysis and MOU terms posted on: www.beverlyhills.org/labornegotiations.
In accordance with state law, Beverly Hills participates in labor negotiations with its employee associations. The results of the negotiations process are written agreements or contracts reached between the City and the City employee associations. These agreements are commonly referred to as MOUs.
The city has concluded labor negotiations with the Police Officers’ Association, while negotiations with the Firefighters’ Association are ongoing.
In 2014, the Beverly Hills City Council adopted a Civic Openness in Negotiations “COIN” ordinance in order to provide additional impartiality and transparency to the collective bargaining process.
The Ordinance includes the following provisions: (1) The lead negotiator on behalf of the City shall not be an employee of the City and shall have demonstrated expertise in negotiating labor and employment agreements of behalf of municipalities, (2) Adoption of the MOU only after conducting at least two public meetings, (3) Fiscal analysis conducted by an independent firm and (4) The MOU and fiscal analysis are to be posted on the City’s website at least two weeks before the Council meeting at which the proposed MOU is considered.
By Danny Jones