HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Report - October 20, 2021 C-18AGENDA ITEM (fa,I
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COUNCIL COMMUNICATION
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AGENDA TITLE: Adopt Resolution Approving the Creation and Implementation of a COVID-19
Vaccination Incentive Program for City of Lodi Full and Part Time Employees
MEETING DATE: October 20, 2021
SUBMITTED BY: Deputy City Manager
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Adopt resolution approving the creation and implementation of a
COVID-19 Vaccination Incentive Program for City of Lodi full and
part time employees
BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Since March of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has placed a
tremendous burden on the City of Lodi's ability to deliver services as
done pre pandemic. Vaccinations have been widely available to the
12 and over population since late May 2021 and the 16 and over population for all of 2021. As of October
7, in the State of California 71.2% of the eligible population has been fully vaccinated. The County of
San Joaquin and the City of Lodi have experienced lower vaccination rates than the state average at
58.5% and 68.8% of eligible populations respectively.
The City of Lodi must follow certain workplace regulations as dictated by the California Department of
Occupation Health and Safety (Cal OSHA). Cal OSHA requires quarantine of COVID-19 positive
individuals, and closely exposed symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals. The quarantine
requirements vary based on vaccinated status and are longer for those who are unvaccinated. In
addition, it is more likely that unvaccinated individuals will remain symptomatic longer and have more
serious symptoms that may require hospitalizations. As such, the City is at a higher risk of losing labor
hours from unvaccinated employees than from vaccinated employees. It is in the City's interest to
promote vaccination to all employees.
Since vaccinations have become available, the City has worked diligently to get employees vaccinated.
Employees have had the opportunity to use paid time to get vaccinations, management has been flexible
to allow for vaccinations during normal working hours and the City partnered with the County and
Adventist Health Lodi Memorial separately on multiple vaccination clinics within the City at which dozens
of employees were able to receive full vaccinations.
Despite the widespread availability of vaccines and the efforts to accommodate vaccinations of
employees, the City of Lodi's verified vaccination rates of City employees was 37.4% as of October 7. It
is important to note, that the City has not yet required employees to provide their vaccination status.
Instead, employees are allowed to voluntarily provide proof of vaccination in order to go mask -less in the
workplace. Employees who do not provide proof of vaccination are required to wear a mask regardless
of actual vaccination status. It is likely some employees have not reported their status to the City and
choose to continue to wear a mask indoors, as is recommended by the California Department of Public
Health and San Joaquin County Public Health.
Since the start of the pandemic, at least 223 different employees have had to quarantine on 266 different
occasions for a total of 17,990 hours of lost labor at a cost of $591,055 in lost wages to the City. Note,
Stephen Schwabauer, City Manager
the cost here is wages only and does not include benefits or the cost of overtime to backfill for the lost
labor hours. On average, each quarantine event has cost the City $2,222 in lost labor productivity without
accounting for additional costs of benefits or overtime to backfill for the lost labor.
As such, staff is proposing a $500 per employee Vaccine Incentive Program in an attempt to motivate
more employees to get vaccinated or verify their vaccination status to the City. The cost for this
additional compensation to employees will be offset by the City's lost labor hours, as well as reduced
overtime to backfill for mandatorily quarantined employees and allow for better service to the community.
Compensation is only paid to employees after an employee is fully vaccinated as defined by the Center
for Disease Control (currently 2 doses of Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, or one dose of Johnson &
Johnson). The program will cover employees who are already fully vaccinated and employees who
complete full vaccination subsequent to program adoption.
FISCAL IMPACT If all 394 full time employees and approximately 195 part time employees
verify their vaccination status, the total cost to the City would be $294,500
of which $197,000 is the cost for full time and $97,500 is the cost for part
time employees.
FUNDING AVAILABLE: Costs will be funded with existing salary savings from vacant positions and
reduced overtime needed to fill in for quarantined employees.
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Andrew Keys, Deputy City Manager/Internal Services Director
Jennifer Cusmir
From:
jennifer lynn _
Sent:
Wednesday, October 20, 2021 7:11 AM
To:
City Council Comments
Subject:
Public Comment C-18
City Council should stop wasting money incentivizing and promoting the Covid vaccine. It has been proven in
various states that vaccine lotteries, etc. were not successful in moving the needle (pardon the pun) on
vaccinations, and you've already spent a ton of money on vaccine incentives. It has also been proven that even
when fully vaccinated, one can still get the virus and spread it. Stop wasting money on this!
Everyone who has been vaccinated is probably as many as you're going to get to be vaccinated, barring going
full Nazi and mandating it. Oh wait.
Thankfully, the Board of Supervisors has sent a resolution to the Governor informing him they will be banning
vaccine mandates in San Joaquin County. They're also requesting evidence from the state detailing why we are
still in a state of emergency. I'd like to ask Council to show the same.
Are we still in a state of emergency in Lodi? If so, share the data.
If not, why is council still using the state's tactics?
Paying employees to vaccinate and/or share their medical status is showing preferential treatment based on
medical status (i.e. discrimination) and is highly unethical. As I said before, vaccination status belongs
between a person and their doctor. The City has no business bribing its citizens or employees to
share confidential medical information or to receive a medical treatment. Especially when that
treatment is against a virus with a 99% survival rate.
Lets stop throwing money away on Covid-related things and stop the big -government follow -the -leader game.
Mind your business, Council.
Thanks,
Jenny Miller
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