Title
Human Resources Department recommending the Board:
1) Adopt and authorize the Chair to sign Resolution 125-2026 approving the negotiated Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the County of El Dorado and the El Dorado County Probation Officers Association representing employees in the Probation Bargaining Unit;
2) Authorize the Chair to sign said MOU, noting the MOU will be effective the first full pay period following Association ratification and Board of Supervisors adoption of the MOU; and
3) Direct the Human Resources Department and the Auditor-Controller's Office to administer and implement the MOU provisions.
FUNDING: Various.
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
Memoranda of Understanding (MOU)
The term of the current MOU between the County of El Dorado and the El Dorado County Probation Officers Association (Association) representing employees in the Probation (PR) Bargaining Unit, ended on December 31, 2025.
Pursuant to the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act (Government Code sections 3500 et seq.), representatives of the Association and the County have met and conferred in good faith regarding wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment of employees in the bargaining unit. The County and Association jointly prepared a successor MOU, for the term of January 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028, reflecting agreed revisions to certain terms and conditions. Subject to the provisions in the MOU, those revised terms and conditions with a County cost impact are summarized below, along with the estimated annual cost.
1. Effective the first full pay period following MOU adoption, the County will 1) increase base wages for benchmark classifications and internally tied non-benchmark classifications to (+/- 8%) of the median of the County's compensation market comparators, which will result in an increase to base wages by 6.62%; and 2) pay each eligible employee $3,000.
2. Effective the first full pay period of July 2027, the County will increase base wages for all Unit classifications by 3.0%.
3. Addition of Training Officer differential that provides a 5% base rate of pay differential for when Deputy Probation Officers are assigned trainees.
4. Addition of Officer-in-Charge differential that provides a 5% per hour differential over their base rate of pay for each hour so assigned as Officer-in-Charge at the Juvenile Treatment Center (JTC). The Officer-in-Charge (JTC) has the authority and responsibilities of a Deputy Probation Officer Supervisor throughout the Officer-in-Charge assignment.
5. Increase existing pay differential for Uniform Allowance (from $10.00/24 pay periods to $14.15/24 pay periods).
6. Modification of existing language pertaining to geographic differential for county-wide consistency. Expand geographic residential boundary to approximately 25 miles from Tahoe work location based on zip codes.
Other Terms and Conditions which are recommended for update, and which have little or unknown direct cost impact include, but are not limited to:
• Modification of existing language pertaining to floating holidays and nonstandard work schedules for clarification and parity with other units.
• Modification of existing language pertaining to probationary periods to clarify when they are/are not required for county-wide consistency, including within a classification series, upon promotion to a different class, transitioning from limited term to regular, etc. Converted “months” to equivalent “pay periods” for consistent reference.
• Modification of existing language pertaining to sick leave for consistency with State leave law (e.g., remove provisions for “excessive” leave).
• Modification of existing language pertaining to acting pay assignments to clarify the applicability of this MOU.
• Modification of existing language pertaining to Drug Free Workplace to remove language that no longer applies as county-wide policy was adopted by the Board of Supervisors in March 2025.
• Modification of existing language to allow same-day alternative work location/telework assignment without invoking building closure/essential services pay. Added language to address closure of non-County Buildings staffed with County employees.
• Modification of existing language pertaining to catastrophic leave to clarify administrative process and eligibility for family, consistent with other units, and disallow donation of FLSA Compensatory Time-Off due to the non-waivable aspects of FLSA compensation/rights.
Additional “house-keeping” language changes are included in the recommended MOU.
This MOU cancels all other previous agreements and shall otherwise supersede any policies, practices, or ordinance provisions with which it may be in conflict. The MOU shall become of full force and effect upon approval and adoption by the Board of Supervisors and shall remain in effect through June 30, 2028. Nothing contained in the MOU shall be applied on a retroactive basis unless specifically stated.
ALTERNATIVES
The County negotiated this MOU in good faith with the Association under authority and direction of the Board, thus there are no recommended alternatives for the MOU.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
01/24/2023 Legistar file 23-0092: Board adopted the most recent MOU for this bargaining unit.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
El Dorado County Probation Officers Association
CAO RECOMMENDATION
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The impact to for the remainder of Fiscal Year (FY) 2026-27 will be approximately $1,210,790 in increased costs affecting only the Probation Department. It is anticipated that the Probation Department will be able to cover the increased costs with salary savings. The additional increased costs for increases implemented in Fiscal Year 2027-28 will be approximately $712,980.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
1) The Clerk will obtain the signature of the Chair on the Resolutions; and,
2) Human Resources will provide the Clerk with three original MOUs for the Chair to sign upon ratification by the Association; and
3) The Clerk will return one copy of each executed resolution and two original MOUs to Lauren Montalvo in Human Resources once fully executed by the Chair, and retain one fully executed MOU for the Board.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Workforce Excellence
Priority: Enhance Employee Retention
Action Item: Attract and retain the best employees by providing competitive compensation, training, and advancement opportunities, and creating a positive and thriving culture
CONTACT
Joseph Carruesco, Director of Human Resources