Beverly Hills : Employee Contracts OKd

During a meeting dominated by the city’s budget troubles, the City Council on Tuesday approved a two-year agreement with the police union as well as a contract with an outplacement firm to help employees the city expects will retire or be laid off.

The agreement with the Beverly Hills Police Officers Assn. calls for no raises for the third year in a row, but a 3% raise beginning July 1, 1994. The agreement also provides for trial changes in the work schedule. Patrol officers will work a three-day week for 12 hours a day and non-patrol officers will work four days a week for 10 hours per day. The union represents the non-management officers on the 128-member force.

Councilman Allan Alexander cast the sole vote against the agreement, saying the city does not know what will happen with next year’s budget. If the rest of the city’s employees also receive 3% raises during negotiations next year, it will mean an across-the-board increase of $1.2 million in the city’s annual expenditures, he said.

The council also approved a $16,500 contract with Napa-based Mathis & Associates for outplacement consultation. The firm will provide pre-retirement counseling and consultations with city employees.

The city has said it will have to lay off or retire 25 to 30 employees to balance the 1993-94 budget. The budget, which was approved last week, calls for $1 million in staff cuts, mainly from the ranks of management and professional staff.

The city will first offer early retirement incentives to reduce its ranks, according to Noel Marquis, deputy director of finance.