Report Prepared by: Jose Barajas, Police Lieutenant, City of Merced Police Department
Title
SUBJECT: Approval of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Between the City of Merced and Merced Community College District (MCCD) for Police Services at the College for a Term of Three Years, Fiscal Years 2025 - 2028
REPORT IN BRIEF
Considers approving an MOU between the Merced Community College District and the City of Merced to provide Police Services at the College with a Police Lieutenant or Police Sergeant.
RECOMMENDATION
City Council - Adopt a motion:
A. Approving a Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Merced and Merced Community College District to provide police services at the College; and,
B. Authorizing the City Manager to execute the agreement.
Body
ALTERNATIVES
1. Approve, as recommended by staff; or,
2. Approve, subject to other than recommended by staff; or,
3. Deny; or,
4. Refer to staff for reconsideration of specific items; or,
5. Continue to a future City Council meeting.
AUTHORITY:
Charter of the City of Merced, Section 200.
DISCUSSION
The Merced Community College District and the Merced Police Department have discussed continuing the practice of staffing the college with a Sergeant or a Lieutenant if a qualified Sergeant is not available. In July of 2025, the parties prepared a new three-year Memorandum of Understanding to continue the staffing assignment at the College.
Under the proposed three-year Memorandum of Understanding, effective September 1, 2025 through September 1, 2028, the Merced Police Department agrees to provide a Lieutenant or a Sergeant to Merced Community College, and the College agrees to reimburse the City for 100% of the Lieutenant/Sergeant salary and employment benefits in accordance with the applicable salary schedules and employment practices of the Merced Police Department which are in effect during the term of this MOU plus administrative costs.
Merced Community College District agrees to reimburse the City 100% of the operational costs for the services provided under this MOU. The amounts in the proposed MOU are the potential maximum cost of a Lieutenant/Sergeant in each fiscal year and the costs are as follows:
Sergeant
FY 25/26 $314,261.01
FY 26/27 $326,696.76
FY 27/28 $327,932.69
Lieutenant
FY 25/26 $335,034.32
FY 26/27 $348,586.74
FY 27/28 $350,156.46
The City will invoice the college for actual cost of the officer assigned to Merced College. Based on historical trends, it is unlikely that the city will receive all of the revenue included in the agreement as it is presented as a maximum recovery cost. For FY 25-26, $216,000 was included in the FY 25-26 revenue budget for Merced College cost recovery services, which is approximately 69% of the revenue amount.
Pursuant to the MOU, the Lieutenant/ Sergeant will be assigned to primarily work at the College. When school is in session, the Lieutenant/ Sergeant will work an equivalent of 40 hours per week. In addition, Merced Community College District may request an officer to work during the evening or weekends beyond the scheduled 40-hour work week (overtime) and shall reimburse the City all costs that the City incurs in providing the additional services.
The Lieutenant/ Sergeant will be assigned to work with school administrators, staff, and students at the College. The primary function is to fill the role of a police chief for the Merced Community College District Police Department.
IMPACT ON CITY RESOURCES
No additional appropriation is needed; both the reimbursement of revenues and expenditures of a Lieutenant/Sergeant was accounted for in the FY2025/26 adopted budget. Future years will be included in the budget process.
ATTACHMENTS
1. MCCD MOU