DATE: April 7, 2026
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Hollis Magill, Director of Human Resources
John Zanoni, Sheriff-Coroner-Public Administrator
SUBJECT: Addendum to the Memorandum of Understanding for Representation Unit 1 - Law Enforcement Personnel
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Approve a retroactive Addendum to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Representation Unit 1 - Law Enforcement Personnel, represented by the Fresno Deputy Sheriff’s Association (FDSA), effective September 23, 2025.
REPORT
Approval of the recommended action would effectuate the tentatively agreed upon terms and conditions as delineated herein regarding the Addendum to the MOU for the above-named representation unit, retroactively effective, September 23, 2025. The estimated cost for FY 25-26 is approximately $10,000; $10,000 of which is Net County Cost (NCC). Impacted department appropriations will be monitored and adjustments will be brought to your Board if needed.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
If your Board were not to approve the recommended action, the existing terms and conditions would remain in effect and the existence of an outstanding side letter without your Board’s authority would remain nullified.
RETROACTIVE AGREEMENT:
This item before your Board is retroactive due to a procedural error made outside of the Fresno County Ordinance. This specific item deals with the extension of a shift premium to all employees of Unit 1 beyond the currently authorized Deputy Sheriff classification series for work done outside of their normal and ordinary assignment to the Dispatch Center. The Sheriff’s Office made this procedural error whilst trying to mitigate staffing gaps.
The County Administrative Officer (CAO) and Director of Human Resources are given explicit authority within the Employee Relations Ordinance to handle all Labor matters, including the bargaining of wages, hours, terms and conditions of employment. Decisions on matters of compensation are based on directives provided by your Board to the Department of Human Resources. The Sheriff’s Office erred in signing the matter outside of the chain of command and is seeking correction of the pay issue by following the appropriate process to interact with any of the authorized employee representatives certified by the County.
This item, if approved, would expand eligibility for Shift Premiums for Unit 1 employees assigned to the Sheriff Dispatch Center outside of their normal and ordinary work assignment. The item would allow every member of the unit to be eligible for the same differential as the dispatchers while performing the same dispatch-related duties.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total estimated cost of the negotiated terms and conditions for FY 25-26 is estimated at $10,000; $10,000 of which is NCC, per year based on current experience. The cost stems from a potential increase in overtime rate(s) for employees who work FLSA overtime in rare circumstances where the Sheriff’s Office needs limited additional staffing of the Dispatch Center.
DISCUSSION:
Your Board approved a successor MOU for Representation Unit 1 - Law Enforcement Personnel on April 8, 2025. The Sheriff has needed ancillary personnel from within Unit 1 since that date and required the presence of employees outside of the Deputy Sheriff Classification to support the Dispatch Center. The unit has since independently met with the Sheriff to identify areas of concern regarding lack of a shift premium for the employees working to assist the Sheriff in meeting its operational needs. Absent approval of this item, the error in procedure may increase the risk of litigation.
Approving the matter would create consistent eligibility for all classifications performing dispatcher duties.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI # 24, April 8, 2025
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Addendum to the Memorandum of Understanding for Representation Unit 1
CAO ANALYST:
Sevag Tateosian