For City Council Meeting [September 10, 2019]
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
APPROVAL: Rod Foster, City Administrator
FROM: Mark P. Kling, Chief of Police
Title
Request City Council to Accept California Office of Traffic Safety “Selective Traffic Enforcement Program” Grant in the Amount of $234,000.
Body
BACKGROUND
For the past several years, the City has pursued and been awarded various grants from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to help augment its traffic safety efforts. Because of the prolonged nationwide economic decline, more and more agencies are now applying for grant funding making the grant process even more competitive. Without grant assistance, the City does not have the ability to conduct Driver Under the Influence (DUI) checkpoints or staff extra DUI enforcement during peak alcohol consumption periods throughout the year. With grant assistance from OTS, the City has made great strides in making the streets of Rialto safer.
The OTS has also identified distracted driving (cell phone usage, texting, emailing, and driver inattention) as a rapidly increasing cause or contributing factor in the cause of traffic collisions. These distractions and the effects on the driver can reach the levels of impairment often found in DUI motorists.
OTS has awarded the City of Rialto Police Department $234,000 through the Selected Traffic Enforcement Grant Program. The OTS will administer funds for this grant.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION
Funds provided by this grant will be utilized to conduct a variety of law enforcement operations and traffic safety programs. The activities will be on an overtime basis for first line officers, supervisors and administrative personnel needed to meet the grant reporting requirements.
There are no matching funds required for this grant. If this grant is accepted, the City will be reimbursed for all grant related law enforcement overtime activities and approved project supplies during the grant operational period of October 1, 2019 through September 30, 2020.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
The proposed action does not meet the definition of a project as defined by Section 15378 California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). A “Project” means the whole of an action, which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.
GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY
The City of Rialto has outlined key goals and objects relating to public safety. The purchase of this technology is consistent with meeting these objectives.
Goal 5-8: Provide effective and comprehensive policing services that meet the safety needs of Rialto.
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney has reviewed and supports this staff report.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Operating Budget Impact
OTS has awarded the City of Rialto Police Department $234,000 from the 2020 Selective Traffic Enforcement Program. During the quarterly budget review process, staff will recommend increasing revenues in the amount of $234,000 of the Office of Traffic Safety Grant Account No. 221-400-6984-7551; and appropriating $206,286 in Account No. 221-500-6984-1020, $2,991 in Account No. 221-500-6984-1050, $3,269 in Account No. 221-500-6984-2021, $1,454 in Account No. 221-500-6984-2022, and $20,000 in Account No. 221-500-6984-3030 for overtime, benefits, travel, equipment, services and supplies utilized by this grant. This grant requires no cash match.
|
Name of Agency or Department |
Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) |
|
CDFA# |
20.600 (36%), 20.608 (64%) |
|
Name of Program |
State and Community Highway Minimum Penalties for Repeat Offenders for Driving While Intoxicated, State and Community Highway Safety |
|
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Funded (Yes/No) |
No |
|
Direct/Pass-through |
Pass-through |
|
Name of Grant |
2020 Selective Traffic Enforcement Program |
|
Grant Period |
October 1, 2019 - September 30, 2020 |
|
Grant I.D. No. |
PT20114 |
|
Award Amount |
$234,000 |
Capital Improvement Budget Impact
No immediate impact to Capital Improvement Budget.
Licensing
This staff report is for the acceptance of a grant. A License is not needed.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the Police Department to accept this grant from the Office of Traffic Safety in the amount of $234,000.