City Council

24. RESOLUTION APPROVING THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN\nTHE CITY AND THE ALHAMBRA FIREFIGHTERS’ ASSOCIATION (AFA) AND A\nRESOLUTION ADOPTING A MEDICAL EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT PLAN –\nRETIREE MEDICAL TRUST FOR MEMBERS OF THE ALHAMBRA FIREFIGHTERS’\nASSOCIATION – F2M23-2, R2M23-45, C87-16B, M2M23-153\nThe Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Alhambra Firefighters’ Association\n(AFA) expired on June 30, 2023. Representatives of the City and AFA have been meeting\nand conferring as it relates to wages, benefits and working conditions since February\n2023. The parties reached agreement on a successor MOU. During negotiations of the\nsuccessor MOU, the AFA informed the City that they have established a retiree medical\ntrust and requested that language pertaining to the Trust be included in the successor\nMOU. The established trust, provided by The Washington State Council of Fire Fighters\nEmployee Benefit Trust (“Trust”), is a firefighter designed and led plan governed under the\nEmployee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), to provide participants tax-\nfree reimbursement of medical expenses during retirement. Upon retirement, eligible\nparticipants receive tax-free monthly reimbursement for a wide range of covered medical\nexpenses, including health, dental and vision insurance premiums and qualified\ndeductibles, copays and other direct or out of pocket medical costs. This Trust shall be at\nno cost to the City and the City’s responsibility is limited to payroll withholdings for\nemployee contributions, transfer and reporting of employee contributions to the Trust.\nResolutions to implement the agreed upon successor MOU and Trust related documents\nare necessary.\nRecommended Action: City Council: 1) Adopt Resolution No. R2M23-45 entitled:\nA Resolution of the Alhambra City Council approving a Memorandum of Understanding\nwith the Alhambra Firefighters’ Association for Fiscal Years 2023-2024, 2024-2025, and\n2025-2026 ; 2) Direct the Finance Director to make necessary budget adjustments within\nthe Fiscal Year 2023-24 and 2024-25 Adopted Budget for the compensation and benefit\npackages for these employees; 3) Adopt Resolution No. R2M23-46 entitled: A Resolution\nof the Alhambra City Council approving the adoption of an International Fire Fighters\nAssociation Medical Expense Reimbursement Plan – Retiree Medical Trust provided by\nthe Washington State Council of Fire Fighters Employee Benefit Trust for the Alhambra\nFirefighters’ Association effective August 28, 2023 and authorizing the City Manager to\nexecute the Joinder Agreement and related documents; and, 4) Direct staff to undertake\nthe steps necessary to finalize Council’s action. (M2M23-153)