CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
COUNCIL BILL __________________
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AN ORDINANCE relating to staffing shortages in the Community Safety Communications Center and the Seattle Police Department; retroactively authorizing a one-month hiring bonus incentive program for hiring 911 dispatchers and police officers; and ratifying and confirming certain prior acts.
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WHEREAS, on October 29, 2021, Mayor Durkan issued a Civil Emergency Order under the authority of the Seattle Municipal Code Sections 10.02.020 and 10.02.025 and her Mayoral Proclamation of Civil Emergency, dated March 3, 2020; and
WHEREAS, the Order authorized an ongoing hiring incentive program that would allow the Seattle Community Safety and Communication Center (CSCC) and Seattle Police Department (SPD) to offer experienced dispatch and officer candidates a hiring incentive of up to $25,000, depending on experience level, and new recruit candidates up to $10,000 per hire; and
WHEREAS, on November 22, 2021, the City Council passed Resolution 32027, which modified the Mayor’s Civil Emergency Order to (1) sunset the authority to offer the hiring incentives authorized by the Order on the earlier of December 31, 2021, or the termination of the Civil Emergency proclaimed on March 3, 2020; and (2) limit total expenditures for hiring incentives authorized by the Order to $500,000; and
WHEREAS, on December 30, 2021, Mayor Durkan sent the SPD Chief and the Interim Director of the CSCC a memo instructing them to continue to hire and implement the terms of the order; and
WHEREAS, on February 4, 2022, Senior Deputy Mayor Monisha Harrell, sent an e-mail to Councilmembers that indicated, “unbeknownst to the Harrell Administration,” the SPD and CSCC “continued to offer incentive bonuses throughout the entire month of January,” and that they “have since directed both SPD and CSCC to cease offering the bonuses immediately,” and
WHEREAS, the Chair of the Council’s Public Safety and Human Services Committee, Councilmember Herbold, and Senior Deputy Mayor Harrell have expressed their intent to work together on legislation that will ensure that new SPD and CSCC dispatch and officer hires made in January 2022 are paid the incentives offered in their hire letters; and
WHEREAS, the CSCC hired in January a total of 14 dispatchers and SPD hired a total of five new officers for a combined value of approximately $220,000 in incentive pay, and
WHEREAS, Council Budget Action SPD-003-B-001 restricted the SPD’s use of sworn salary savings and SPD’s portion of the incentive pay is $50,000; NOW THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF SEATTLE AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. In 2022, the Seattle Community Safety and Communications Center may offer dispatch candidates who received an offer of employment between January 1, 2022, and January 31, 2022, a hiring incentive of up to $25,000, depending on experience level, to be paid after beginning employment with The City of Seattle.
A. Incentives provided to lateral dispatch hires shall not exceed $25,000 per hire.
B. Incentives provided to new recruit hires shall be provided one time and shall not exceed $10,000 per hire.
C. If an employee who has received this incentive leaves the department, that person may not receive an incentive to return.
D. Half of the hiring incentive will be paid in the first paycheck and the second half upon completion of any probationary period established by law.
Section 2. In 2022, the Seattle Police Department may offer police officer candidates who received an offer of employment between January 1, 2022, and January 31, 2022, a hiring incentive of up to $25,000, depending on experience and training level, to be paid after beginning employment with The City of Seattle.
A. Incentives provided to lateral police officer hires shall not exceed $25,000 per hire.
B. Incentives provided to new recruit hires shall be provided one time and shall not exceed $10,000 per hire.
C. If an employee who has received this incentive leaves the department, that person may not receive an incentive to return.
D. Half of the hiring incentive will be paid in the first appropriate paycheck (e.g., after completion of the academy or lateral equivalent) and the second half upon completion of any probationary period established by law.
Section 3. Total expenditures for hiring incentives authorized by this ordinance shall not exceed $220,000.
Section 4. Council Budget Action SPD-003-B-001, approved in the 2022 Adopted Budget per Ordinance 126490, restricts the appropriations in SPD’s budget for salary and benefit to only be used to pay SPD's recruits and sworn officers, unless authorized by future ordinance. This ordinance provides authorization to use up to $50,000 of funds approved in Ordinance 126490 to support salary and benefits for 1,200 SPD recruit and sworn officer FTEs on an average annual basis, to provide payments of hiring incentives for police officer candidates who received an offer of employment between January 1, 2022, and January 31, 2022.
Section 5. Any act consistent with the authority of this ordinance taken prior to its effective date is ratified and confirmed.
Section 6. This ordinance shall take effect and be in force 30 days after its approval by the Mayor, but if not approved and returned by the Mayor within ten days after presentation, it shall take effect as provided by Seattle Municipal Code Section 1.04.020.
Passed by the City Council the ________ day of _________________________, 2022, and signed by me in open session in authentication of its passage this _____ day of _________________________, 2022.
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President ____________ of the City Council
Approved / returned unsigned / vetoed this _____ day of _________________, 2022.
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Bruce A. Harrell, Mayor
Filed by me this ________ day of _________________________, 2022.
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Monica Martinez Simmons, City Clerk
(Seal)
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