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MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING <br />This Memorandum of Understanding is entered into this 21st day of April, 2020 by and between Indian <br />River County Firefighters/ Paramedics Association, Local 2201 Inc., (the "Union") and Indian River <br />County Emergency Services District (the "County"). <br />WHEREAS, on November 19, 2019 the Union and the County entered into the current Collective <br />Bargaining Agreement ("CBA") which remains operative through September 30, 2022; and <br />WHEREAS, on March 1, 2020 the Governor of the State of Florida issued Executive Order Number 20- <br />51 directing the Florida Department of Health to issue a Public Health Emergency due to the Novel <br />Coronavirus Disease 2019 ("COVID-19"); and <br />WHEREAS, on March 9, 2020 the Governor issued Executive Order 20-52 declaring a state of <br />emergency for the entire state of Florida as a result of COVID-19; and <br />WHEREAS, on March 17, 2020 Indian River County declared a local state of emergency in response to <br />the COVID-19 crisis with said declaration being renewed and affirmed on March 24, March 31, April 7, <br />April 14, and again on April 21, 2020 respectively; and <br />WHEREAS, recently adopted federal legislation titled Families First Coronavirus Response Act (the <br />"Act") requires certain employers including Indian River County to provide their employees with up to <br />80 hours of paid sick leave for specified reasons related to COVID-19 available from April 1, 2020 <br />through December 31, 2020 unless otherwise extended ("CV Sick Leave"); and <br />WHEREAS, the Act, in addition to mandating up to 80 hours of CV Sick Leave, requires expanded family <br />and medical leave for specified reasons related to child care for up to 12 weeks at 66.7% of their <br />equivalent rate of pay ("Expanded Family Leave"); and <br />WHEREAS, the Act expressly provides employers of first responders to the ability to "opt out" of the <br />Act as it may or may not be applied to first responders; and <br />WHEREAS, by correspondence dated March 31, 2020, the County provided notice to the Union that <br />the County was opting out of the Act with respect to first responders covered by the CBA and that the <br />County is desirous of providing an alternative benefit to the Union in the form of deferred COVID-19 <br />related vacation leave following the expiration of the Act as specified on December 31, 2020 or any <br />extension thereof by the Federal Government, whichever is later, (the "Deposit Date"); and <br />WHEREAS, in recognition of the extraordinary contributions made by employees who are assigned to <br />continue working to provide emergency services to the community during the COVID-19 crisis, the <br />County is providing a benefit not required by the Act in the form of a deferred vacation accrual <br />supplement of 80 hours on the Deposit Date to each member of the bargaining unit (the "CV <br />Vacation"). <br />Now therefore, the Union and County Agree as follows: <br />