Minutes
January 5, 2011
OPOA Board Minutes
Call to Order
Arotzarena called the meeting to order at 0800hrs.
Directors in Attendance
Dom Arotzarena, Jake Bassett, Nancy Cerecedes, Dave Downing, Barry Donelan, Roy Flecklin, Jim Gordon, Sean Hall, Bryan Hubbard, Fred Mestas, Dwayne Sue, Wendy Rae, Dan Tirapelli, and Devin Underwood were present. Marcell Patterson was absent.
Others in Attendance
Richard Andreotti and Patrick O’Donnell were present.
Approval of the Minutes
Underwood made a motion, seconded by Rae, to approve the December 2010 minutes. The motion passed unanimously.
Election of Officers
Elected by acclamation were: Dom Arotzarena (President), Barry Donelan (Vice President), Jake Bassett (Secretary), and Devin Underwood (Treasurer).
Open Forum
Chief Batts addressed the Board and answered questions. He noted that the Department was anticipating an extension of the NSA. He said that he soon planned to make “radical changes” to the leadership configuration of the organization. He said that he was looking for suggestions on how to “bring fun back to this job.” He expressed an awareness of chronic equipment problems, with a focus on vehicles and computers. He said that he was open to suggestions for reducing unnecessary and burdensome paperwork.
President’s Report
Arotzarena discussed the following issues:
• Mayor Quan’s attendance of patrol line-ups on Tuesday, 4Jan11
• Officer-safety issues, including: patrol staffing, vehicles, and radios. (He noted that the current staffing of the Department is 656 sworn officers.)
• The ongoing effort to resolve the Sick Leave issue
• The Department’s goal of hiring annuitants to assist with the IAD caseload
• His and Donelan’s recent meetings with City Council members
• The month-long extension of the current sergeants’ eligibility list
• The success of the annual Christmas basket program
• OPOA committee assignments (see attached)
Vice President’s Report
Donelan discussed the following issues:
• The progress made by the Executive Board in hiring a public relations consultant
• The progress made by the Executive Board in hiring a new accountant
• Mayor Quan’s firing of the Budget Director and the Assistant City Administrator
Treasurer’s Report
Nothing to report.
Secretary’s Report
Nothing to report.
Respectfully submitted,
Jake Bassett
Secretary
OPOA
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February 16, 2011
OPOA Board Minutes
Call to Order
Arotzarena called the meeting to order at 0800hrs.
Directors in Attendance
Dom Arotzarena, Jake Bassett, Nancy Cerecedes, Barry Donelan, Jim Gordon, Sean Hall, Bryan Hubbard, Fred Mestas, Marcell Patterson, Wendy Rae, Dwayne Sue, and Devin Underwood were present. Dave Downing, Roy Flecklin, and Dan Tirapelli were absent.
Others in Attendance
Nick Calonge and Patrick O’Donnell were present.
Approval of the Minutes
Hubbard made a motion, seconded by Sue, to approve the January 2011 minutes. The motion passed unanimously.
Open Forum
Assistant Chief Jordan addressed the Board and answered questions. He said that he and Chief Batts planned to meet with the 10 reinstated officers on 18Feb11. He noted that DC Breshears intended to restrict sergeants’ leave in 2011 to their annual allotted vacation time. He noted that Chief Batts has floated the idea of a new Commander rank. He said that the command staff has made three proposals for reorganizing the department and that they would like to implement any such reorganization by 1Jul11. He said that Chief Batts is seeking an independent company to evaluate OPD’s radio system. He said that it will soon be policy that supervisors give their subordinates access to their iPAS files, including any Supervisory Notes File entries.
President’s Report
Arotzarena discussed the following issues:
• The City had to go 18 positions down the list of laid-off officers to find 10 willing to return to OPD.
• SFPD may hire numerous OPD officers for a 15Apr11 lateral academy.
• Chief Batts mentioned the possibility of civilianizing IAD in the most recent executive staff meeting. Rocky Lucia wrote a letter to Lindheim noting that such a move would have serious ramifications for the NSA.
• Mayor Quan is apparently considering a $100 parcel tax for the June ballot. There has also been some talk amongst City Council members of a possible ballot measure that would fund the civilianization of IAD.
• The OPOA will hold Benefits Days on 7 & 9Mar11.
At 0913, Sue made a motion, seconded by Gordon, to move into Executive Session, including Rocky Lucia and Renee Hassna. The motion passed unanimously. The Board exited Executive Session at 1000.
Larry Tramutola gave a presentation in which he discussed the current political climate in Oakland. He also made various predictions about the future of politics in Oakland.
Vice President’s Report
Donelan discussed the following issues:
• The liquidation of the Oakland Municipal Credit Union
• The OPOA’s attempt to compile a list of members’ personal email addresses
• The upcoming battle over the issuance of Pension Obligation Bonds to cover the City’s payments to PFRS
• The current condition of the deferred compensation system (which has approximately $300 million in assets)
Treasurer’s Report
Nothing to report.
Secretary’s Report
Nothing to report.
Monetary Motions
Hall made a motion, seconded by Patterson, to authorize the expenditure of up to $2000 on an upcoming charity basketball game (OPD vs. NFL). The motion passed unanimously.
Mestas made a motion, seconded by Rae, to authorize the expenditure of $1500 to sponsor a Little League team. The motion passed unanimously.
Respectfully submitted,
Jake Bassett
Secretary
OPOA
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March 16, 2011
OPOA Board Minutes
Call to Order
Arotzarena called the meeting to order at 0800hrs.
Directors in Attendance
Dom Arotzarena, Jake Bassett, Nancy Cerecedes, Barry Donelan, Roy Flecklin, Jim Gordon, Sean Hall, Bryan Hubbard, Fred Mestas, Marcell Patterson, Dwayne Sue, Dan Tirapelli, Wendy Rae, and Devin Underwood were present. Dave Downing was absent.
Others in Attendance
Howard Jordan, Chris Bolton, Richard Andreotti, Kevin Wiley and Serge Babka.
Approval of the Minutes
Underwood made a motion, seconded by Hubbard, to approve the February 2011 minutes. The motion passed unanimously.
Open Forum
Media Consultant Mary Jo Rossi addressed the Board and answered questions. She discussed the OPOA’s Political Issues Committee, the possibility of Emergency Preparedness outreach, and the importance of connecting with stakeholders throughout the Oakland community.
Chief Batts addressed the Board and answered questions. He said that he has been attending lineups in an attempt to become better acquainted with officers. He and his executive staff have been exploring five models for a possible reorganization in July or September. Sworn staffing is currently 661 and may drop below 600 in the future. He said that 6000 burglaries/yr. are being handled by one person in CID. He said he plans to make patrol officers responsible for investigating property crime. While working within the legal mandates to investigate missing persons, domestic violence, and sexual assaults, he discussed a possible plan to bolster Robbery/Homicide by creating a Major Crimes Unit composed of investigative teams (e.g., 1 sergeant and 4 officers). If staffing drops below 600, geographic policing would be unsustainable and the department would be collapsed into one or at most two areas. He said that the patrol division shouldn’t be built around 911 calls for service and that he was exploring ways to allow officers the time to do proactive enforcement. He brought up the idea of a new Commander rank, which would carry an 8% premium over the Captain rank and would be exempt from civil service rules. He acknowledged that any such rank would be a meet-and-confer issue. He mentioned the possibility of a San Jose model for OIG – i.e., civilians tasked with conducting audits and overseeing compliance with the NSA.
President’s Report
Arotzarena discussed the following issues:
• The possibility of a charter change that would alter the Police & Fire Retirement System (PFRS), capping increases to a 2% COLA. This is a meet-and-confer issue because an active OPOA member is in PFRS.
• An $80 Parcel Tax may be on the June ballot (if the state orders a special election).
• Mayor Quan told the press that the OPOA helped pay for a private poll about the prospects of the parcel tax. This is false: the OPOA did not make any such contribution.
• Chief Batts rescinded his memorandum requiring supervisors to grant subordinates access to their Supervisor Note Files. This action was in response to a letter from Jim Chanin.
Vice President’s Report
Donelan discussed the following issues:
• He offered an analysis of the battle over the issuance of Pension Obligation Bonds to cover the City’s payments to PFRS.
• 225 members have signed up to receive OPOA emails to their private email accounts.
Treasurer’s Report
Nothing to report.
Secretary’s Report
Bassett discussed using email to enhance communication amongst Board Members.
Monetary Motions
Mestas made a motion, seconded by Hall, to authorize the expenditure of $500 to purchase a table at the ALCO Public Safety Recognition Banquet. The motion passed unanimously.
Underwood made a motion, seconded by Hubbard, to authorize the expenditure of $500 to donate to St. Baldrick’s. The motion passed unanimously.
Hubbard made a motion, seconded by Tirapelli, to authorize the expenditure of $600 to donate to the Special Olympics and $400 to purchase a table at the upcoming Lip Sync contest to benefit the Special Olympics. The motion passed unanimously.
Respectfully submitted,
Jake Bassett
Secretary
OPOA
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April 11, 2011
OPOA Board Minutes
Call to Order
Arotzarena called the meeting to order at 0800hrs.
Directors in Attendance
Dom Arotzarena, Jake Bassett, Nancy Cerecedes, Barry Donelan, Roy Flecklin, Jim Gordon, Sean Hall, Bryan Hubbard, Fred Mestas, Marcell Patterson, Dwayne Sue, Dan Tirapelli and Devin Underwood were present. Dave Downing and Wendy Rae were absent.
Other Members in Attendance
Chris Cox, Dave Carman, Patrick O’Donnell, Carletta Garrett, Luke Sincerny, and Chan Lee.
Others in Attendance
Renee Hassna, Rocky Lucia, and Mary Jo Rossi.
Approval of the Minutes
Underwood made a motion, seconded by Hubbard, to approve the March 2011 minutes. The motion passed unanimously.
Open Forum
Nothing to report.
President’s Report
Arotzarena discussed the following issues:
• Arotzarena and Rocky Lucia met with Judge Thelton Henderson to discuss recent issues involving the NSA that have surfaced in the local media.
• Arotzarena and Donelan met with Lamont Ewell, the new interim City Administrator. They discussed the City’s estimated $58 million deficit for FY 2011-2012.
• Several City Council members were considering ballot measures that would affect the OPOA membership, including: a measure to alter the section of the City Charter that provides for binding arbitration for police and fire; a measure creating a two-tiered PERS system that would affect new employees; and a measure requiring employees to pay the Employer Paid Member Contribution (EPMC) – currently 9% for sworn employees and 8% for miscellaneous employees.
• Governor Jerry Brown has proposed various changes to public employee pension plans, including: eliminating of the purchase of airtime; prohibiting employers from making employee pension contributions; and defining final compensation for all new employees as the highest average annual compensation during a consecutive 36-month period.
• Assistant Chief Howard Jordan has been designated as the new Inspector General for OPD, overseeing OIG, IAD, and Training.
Executive Session
Donelan made a motion, seconded by Bassett, to enter an Executive Session with Rocky Lucia, Renee Hassna, and Mary Jo Rossi. The motion passed unanimously at 0855 hours. The Board exited Executive Session at 0950 hours.
After the Board exited Executive Session, Hubbard made a motion, seconded by Hall, to allow the Executive Board to engage in negotiations with the City in order to find the most appropriate and equitable plan and to bring it to the Board for review. The motion passed unanimously.
Vice President’s Report
Donelan discussed the following issues:
• There are now 245 members signed up to receive OPOA emails. It is imperative that our members understand the importance of receiving this information over the next few months. Members can sign up by sending an email from their personal account (with their name and serial number) to: opoamembers@gmail.com.
• The City Council is considering another round of Pension Obligation Bonds to fund the Police and Fire Retirement System (PFRS).
• The OPOA website includes a new logo and will soon allow for secure voting and a members-only section.
• At a recent PORAC symposium, the highlight of discussion was the opposition of the GOP to Gov. Brown’s pension reform plan.
• LDF will be raising its rate to $32.50/month (a $5 increase).
• Upon retirement, members can enroll in extended coverage with the Insurance Benefit Trust (IBT). However, retirees cannot stop using its services and then start up again automatically. If a retiree discontinues IBT benefits and then elects to resume, he or she must repay all of the premiums owed during the period that was missed.
• The OPOA will be closed 11-19May11 for remodeling (new paint, new carpet).
Treasurer’s Report
Nothing to report.
Secretary’s Report
Between meetings, Rae made a motion, seconded by Mestas, to hire J.W. Peterson Painting Company, of Livermore, which submitted a bid in the amount of $9425, to paint the interior of the OPOA building. The Board voted (by email) to authorize the expenditure. The vote was unanimous.
Monetary Motions
Hall made a motion, seconded by Cerecedes, to authorize the expenditure of $750 to purchase a table at the Random Acts annual banquet. The motion passed unanimously.
Respectfully submitted,
Jake Bassett
Secretary
OPOA
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May 10, 2011
OPOA Board Minutes
Call to Order
Arotzarena called the meeting to order at 0800hrs.
Directors in Attendance
Dom Arotzarena, Jake Bassett, Barry Donelan, Dave Downing, Roy Flecklin, Jim Gordon, Sean Hall, Bryan Hubbard, Marcell Patterson, Dwayne Sue, Dan Tirapelli and Devin Underwood were present. Nancy Cerecedes, Fred Mestas and Wendy Rae were absent.
Other Members in Attendance
Justin Buna, Mike Spediacci, Alex Jose, Mike Land, Patrick O’Donnell, and Ryan Low.
Approval of the Minutes
Sue made a motion, seconded by Donelan, to approve the April 2011 minutes. The motion passed unanimously.
Open Forum
Stacey Perry made a presentation on behalf of the upcoming Crossing Guard BBQ for 125 Oakland school children. Ryan Low made a presentation on behalf of his brother, Evan Low, who is currently a City Councilmember in Campbell and who is running for State Assembly in Santa Clara. Alex Jose made a presentation on behalf of the OPD K-9 Association.
President’s Report
Arotzarena discussed the following issues:
• City Administrator Lamont Ewell has indicated that no new annuitants will be hired by OPD until further notice.
• There has been discussion at City Hall to reinstate 20 of the laid-off officers. It is unclear whether the City Council would support the reinstatement.
• Imposed furloughs figure in Mayor Quan’s Budget Option A (the “All Cuts” Budget). Any such furloughs would have to be negotiated with the OPOA.
• The Executive Board has continued its talks with City representatives.
• The issues that prompted the nepotism lawsuit are close to being resolved.
• Governor Brown’s pension plan includes several provisions that would apply to current employees.
• Annuitants have asked for permission to park in the OPOA lot.
Vice President’s Report
Donelan discussed the following issues:
• There are now 267 members signed up to receive OPOA emails. Members can sign up by sending an email from their personal account (with their name and serial number) to: opoamembers@gmail.com.
• The Deferred Compensation Committee has finalized its RFP for an attorney.
• Efforts are ongoing to restructure the mortgage on the OPOA building.
• The Department is moving forward with its efforts to use Telestaff to generate payroll data.
Treasurer’s Report
Nothing to report.
Secretary’s Report
Nothing to report.
Monetary Motions
Underwood made a motion, seconded by Hall, to authorize a donation of $1000 from the OPOA and $1000 from the OPOA’s Political Issues Committee to the OPD K-9 Association. The motion passed unanimously.
Sue made a motion, seconded by Hall, to authorize the expenditure of $600 on the CNOA Region 1 Golf Tournament (23May11).
Underwood made a motion, seconded by Tirapelli, to authorize the expenditure of up to $500 on the Crossing Guard BBQ. The motion passed unanimously. Donelan made a motion, seconded by Hall, to authorize the expenditure of $50 to purchase a $100 savings bond for the Crossing Guard Safety Captain. The motion passed unanimously.
Between meetings, via email, Bassett made a motion, seconded by Hubbard, to authorize the expenditure of $1000 on the Asian Advisory Committee on Crime’s annual awards banquet (20May11). The motion passed unanimously.
Respectfully submitted,
Jake Bassett
Secretary
OPOA
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June 3, 2011
Emergency OPOA Board Minutes
Call to Order
Arotzarena called the meeting to order at 0900hrs.
Directors in Attendance
Dom Arotzarena, Barry Donelan, Dave Downing, Nancy Cerecedes, Fred Mestas, Wendy Rae, Roy Flecklin, Bryan Hubbard, Marcell Patterson, Dan Tirapelli, and Devin Underwood were present. Sean Hall, Jim Gordon, Dwayne Sue, and Jake Bassett were absent.
Executive Session
Donelan made a motion, seconded by Rae to move into executive session with the inclusion of Rocky Lucia, OPOA legal counsel.
Arotzarena made a motion, seconded by Underwood to move out of executive session.
Hubbard made a motion, seconded by Donelan to authorize the OPOA executive board to make an offer with the City that is most equitable and fair to the membership.
Respectfully submitted,
Bryan Hubbard
Director
OPOA
