DATE: February 4, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: Human Resources Department
TITLE: UPDATE TO THE COMPENSATION PLAN FOR UNREPRESENTED EMPLOYEES
RECOMMENDATION
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Staff recommends that the City Council approve and adopt the revised City of Oceanside Compensation Plan for Unrepresented Employees, updating Bilingual Pay language and adding an Information Technologies special assignment pay, effective the pay period following ratification and adoption of this recommendation and appropriate $6,180 from Information Services Unrestricted Fund.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
Bilingual Pay
The City has a long-standing practice of compensating full-time employees for secondary language skills under the Bilingual Pay program at a rate of $1.73 per hour. Providing translation services to members of the community whose first or only language is not English is essential towards ensuring that the customer service needs of the entire community are met. However, under the current structure of the program, a significant number of positions that regularly utilize secondary language skills are excluded from eligibility because they are not staffed by full-time employees.
These positions are primarily located within the Library Department and the Parks & Recreation Department, and consist largely of Hourly Extra Help classifications. In addition, this proposal includes Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) in the Fire Department. EMTs - both full-time and Hourly Extra Help - are covered under individual employment agreements that have historically excluded bilingual pay, despite the frequent and critical nature of their interactions with the public.
The services provided by these employees are vital to the community, much like their full-time counterparts currently eligible for bilingual pay. Therefore, the City proposes to amend the Bilingual Pay program to include approximately 65 positions occupied by Hourly Extra Help employees, as well as eligible full-time EMTs. Bilingual pay would be provided at the same hourly rate of pay at $1.73 per hour. Funding for bilingual pay services provided by eligible EMTs would be funded by the City’s Measure X sales tax.
Implementation of bilingual pay for secondary language skills for these critical, front-facing positions will ensure employees who regularly utilize secondary language skills are appropriately compensated for the important work they are performing. Department Directors are tasked with evaluating whether bilingual skills are a key component to the essential function of the positions under the Bilingual Pay program. Bilingual pay is only offered to employees who perform translation services on a regular basis as required by their essential job duties. Extending the opportunity for Bilingual Pay to these Hourly Extra Help employees and EMTs will greatly expand the level of customer service the City of Oceanside offers to its citizens while providing stability to, and recognition within, a valuable workforce for the specialized work being performed.
Information Technologies Special Assignment Pay
The proposed special assignment pay program is for salaried (exempt from overtime earnings) IT staff who provide after-hours meeting support to various City committees and commissions on a regular basis. The special assignment pay program will help ensure reliable coverage for essential meetings by incentivizing exempt, higher-level staff participation in these key meetings and reducing burnout of the more junior IT staff due to unpredictable scheduling and long work days. This program also aims to improve staff morale by ensuring employees feel their time and commitment in support of the City are valued and recognized. Ultimately, this special assignment pay program supports organizational stability and continuity, enhances department productivity, and aligns with best practices for fair and sustainable workforce management.
FISCAL IMPACT
Bilingual Pay
It is anticipated that accommodating approximately 65 Hourly Extra Help and EMT bilingual pay-eligible positions at $1.73 per hour would cost approximately $123,000 per Fiscal Year, of which an estimated $91,000 will be charged to the General Fund and $32,000 to Measure X for EMTs. There are sufficient ongoing General Fund and Measure X revenues to cover the increase in cost. The dollar amount could be lower, however, and is dependent on the number of individuals who will qualify based on their specific job duties
Information Technologies Special Assignment Pay
It is anticipated that the $100 per meeting Information Technologies special assignment pay will cost approximately $6,180 for the remainder of Fiscal Year 25/26 and approximately $15,000 per year in ongoing costs, charged to the Information Services Internal Service Fund. Staff is requesting to use reserves in the amount of $6,180 and appropriate to Audio Visual account 155155841.5105. Funding source is Information Services Unrestricted Fund Balance account 841.3100.0002 which has a current available balance of $484,641; therefore, sufficient funds are available.
COMMISSION OR COMMITTEE REPORT
N/A
CITY ATTORNEY’S ANALYSIS
N/A
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Prepared by: Chelsea D. Phebus, Director of Human Resources & Risk Management
Reviewed by: Robert O’Brien, Deputy City Manager
Submitted by: Jonathan Borrego, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Staff Report
2. 2026 UNREP Compensation Plan Update