*Authorize Letters of Agreement with Professional & Technical Employees, Local 17 to create new specialty classification of Mental Health Crisis Responder II - BHU and new standby rate for employees assigned to standby appointment with the Crisis Negotiation Team

The City of Portland ordains: Section 1. The Council finds: The City and the Professional & Technical Employees, Local 17 (PROTEC17) are parties to a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) effective January 1, 2022 through June 30, 2025. On November 14, 2022, the City agreed to voluntary recognize the Mental Health Crisis Responder II classification #30004125 as represented by PROTEC17. Employees in the Mental Health Crisis Responder II classification assigned to the Portland Police Bureau in the Behavioral Health Unit (BHU) have distinct specialties that distinguish their work from the work performed in the Portland Street Response team in the Community Health Section of Portland Fire and Rescue. Therefore, the creation of a separate and distinct classification is warranted. With the tentative Letter of Agreement attached as Exhibit A, representatives of the City and PROTEC17 wish to create a new specialty classification of Mental Health Crisis Responder II – BHU (MHCR II-BHU) and to identify the terms and conditions applicable to the MHCR II-BHU classification. Mental Health Crisis Responder II – BHU will be eligible for a new Threat Assessment Case Premium Pay at the rate of two percent premium on all hours worked for completion of training and management of threat assessment cases thereafter. In addition, the newly created MHCR II - BHU classification may perform work for the Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT) within PPB. The CNT requires standby coverage year-round. The City cannot maintain desired CNT service levels with the status quo standby language in Article 19 of the PROTEC17 CBA. With the tentative Letter of Agreement attached as Exhibit B, representatives of the City and PROTEC17 wish to establish specific standby pay for MHCR II - BHU employees assigned to standby appointments with the CNT at the rate 10% of the employee’s regular base pay for an 8-hour workday as compensation for each day they are assigned standby duty. The Letters of Agreement shall be signed by the City and PROTEC17 and shall conform substantially to a form similar to those attached as Exhibit A and Exhibit B. NOW, THEREFORE, the Council directs: The Interim Director of the Bureau of Human Resources is authorized to enter into a Letter of Agreement between the City and PROTEC17 in a form substantially similar to the attached Exhibit A to create the new specialty classification and identify the terms of employment. The Interim Director of the Bureau of Human Resources is authorized to enter into a Letter of Agreement between the City and PROTEC17 in a form substantially similar to the attached Exhibit B to create a rate of standby pay that is specific to MHCR II - BHU employees assigned to standby appointments with the CNT. Section 2. The Council declares that an emergency exists to avoid undue delay in creating the Mental Health Crisis Responder II - BHU specialty classification and implementing its distinct terms and conditions of employment; therefore, this Ordinance shall be in force and effect from and after its passage by the Council.