For City Council Meeting November 25, 2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
APPROVAL: Tanya Williams, City Manager
FROM: Shama P. Curian, Director of Human Resources & Risk Management
Title
Request City Council to Adopt Resolution No. 8432 Approving the Industrial Disability Retirement of Roger Nakamura.
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a Resolution approving the Industrial Disability Retirement of Roger Nakamura.
BACKGROUND
Roger Nakamura is a 51-year-old Police Officer hired on August 12, 1996. Mr. Nakamura has four workers' compensation claims that have been accepted and determined to have arisen out of employment with the City of Rialto.
On November 4, 2024, Mr. Nakamura sustained an injury to his head, neck, back, and knees from a motor vehicle accident while on duty. He was conservatively treated at a Kaiser facility.
An MRI of the lumbar spine conducted on March 24, 2025, showed multilevel degenerative changes with multilevel disc bulging and facet arthropathy. He underwent conservative treatment, including physical and acupuncture therapy, and continued to work in a modified capacity. On May 8, 2025, he was released to permanent and stationary work with permanent restrictions of sit/stand at will, no aggressive activities, no lifting over 20 pounds, no repetitive bending, stooping or twisting. Mr. Nakamura filed a service retirement pending an Industrial Disability Application with the California Public Employees' Retirement System ("CalPERS"), and on August 31, 2025, retired from the City.
On September 5, 2025, Mr. Nakamura was examined by Independent Medical Examiner (IME), Dr. Fleming, who concluded that he is substantially incapacitated from performing the essential duties of his position as a Police Officer due to his injury on November 4, 2024.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION
For Local Safety Members enrolled in CalPERS, California Government Code 21156 sets forth the criteria for the City Council to decide that a ...
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