Voters will be asked on Nov. 7 whether the City should change its Charter to include a new section that would require binding arbitration of all unresolved disputes between the City and certain union members of the Police and Fire Departments. The binding arbitration would be before a three-person arbitration panel and could include matters related to wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of City employment.

The measure was added to the ballot by the City Council, at the request of the Santa Clara Firefighters International Association of Firefighters Local 1171 and the Police Officers Association. The two organizations represent about 372 City employees.

Any change to the City Charter must be approved by a majority vote of citizens. The most recent Charter changes were made in 2000 after a Charter Review Committee, composed of local residents and established by the City Council, made recommendations for the removal of obsolete Charter language, updated qualifications for the Chief of Police, and tied Council compensation to the consumer price index. The City Charter was first adopted by a vote of citizens in 1951. Since that time, it has been amended only a half dozen times.

Below are all the materials that were provided to the City Council during public discussions of the matter, that resulted in the placement of the issue before the voters for the November, 2006 election.

• Written Petition to Council from Police and Fire Unions (PDF)
• Agenda Report from City Manager Re Written Petition from Police and Fire Unions (PDF)
• Memo from Clerk to Council and City Manager Re Unions Intent to Circulate Petition for Charter Amendment (PDF)

• Agenda Report from City Manager Re Police and Fire Unions Request for Binding Arbitration (PDF)
• Financial Analysis (PDF)
• Legal Analysis (PDF)
• Employer Negotiation Principles (PDF)
• Excerpts from Police and Fire Memorandums of Understanding (PDF)
• Police Officer (Unit 2) Compensation Adjustments History (PDF)
• Firefighter (Unit 1) Compensation Adjustments History (PDF)
• Police Officers Association (Unit 2) Salary and Benefits (Effective 2/26/06) (PDF)
• Firefighters IAFF Local 1171 (Unit 1) Salary and Benefits (Effective 12/18/05) (PDF)
• Northern California Agencies with Binding Interest Arbitration (PDF)
• City Manager PowerPoint Presentation to Council (PDF)
• Agenda Report to Council from City Clerk Re Budget and Timeline for Potential Measure for November 2006 Election (PDF)
• Agenda Report to Council Re Correspondence Received (PDF)
• Agenda Report to Council Re Additional Correspondence Received (PDF)
• Police and Fire Unions PowerPoint Presentation to Council (PDF)
• Police and Fire Unions Rebuttal to City Staff Report (PDF)

• Agenda Report from City Manager with Background and Responses to Council Questions (PDF)
• City Attorney Report on Potential Conflicts of Binding Arbitration Proposal with City Documents (PDF)
• Agenda Report from City Manager with Additional Background and Responses to Council Questions (PDF)
• Human Resources Report on Other Northern CA Agencies with Binding Interest Arbitration (PDF)
• Human Resources Updated Report on Other Agencies with Binding Interest Arbitration(PDF)
• City Manager PowerPoint Presentation to Council (PDF)
  
• Agenda Report from City Clerk Re Updated Budget and Signature Gathering Information Re Potential Ballot Measure (PDF)
• Comments Made by Fire Chief and Chief of Police at April 11 2006 Council Meeting (PDF)
• Agenda Report to Council Re Correspondence Received (PDF)
• Agenda Report to Council Re Additional Correspondence Received (PDF)
• Agenda Report from Deputy City Manager Re Community Forums (PDF)
• Speakers Cards (PDF)

• Agenda Report from City Manager Re Binding Interest Arbitration Ballot Measure Proposal from Police and Fire Unions (PDF)
• Agenda Report from Deputy City Manager Re Community Forums Held and Questions Raised (PDF)
• City Manager PowerPoint Presentation to Council (PDF)
• Comments Made by City Manager, Fire Chief and Chief of Police at Community Forums (PDF)
• Agenda Report from City Clerk Re Updated Budget and Signature Gathering Information Re Potential Ballot Measure (PDF)
• Agenda Report to Council Re Additional Correspondence Received (PDF)
• Agenda Report from City Manager Conveying Advice Re Legal Issues for City Participation in Ballot Measure Campaigns (PDF)
• Speakers Cards (PDF)
  
  

• Agenda Report from City Clerk Re Resolutions for the Election of Municipal Officers and Ballot Measure for Binding Arbitration (PDF)
• Agenda Report from City Attorney Re Agreement for Police and Fire Unions to Pay for Ballot Measure (PDF)