For City Council Meeting [October 26, 2021]
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
APPROVAL: Marcus Fuller, City Manager
FROM: Mark P. Kling, Chief of Police
Title
Request City Council to: (1) Adopt Resolution No. 7783 Amending the 2021-2022 Fiscal Year Budget; (2) Accept the California Office of Traffic Safety Selective Traffic Enforcement Program Grant in the Amount of $246,000; and (3) Authorize the City Manager or designee to Execute All Documents.
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. With grant assistance, the police department will have the ability to conduct Driver Under the Influence (DUI) checkpoints or staff extra DUI enforcement during peak alcohol consumption periods throughout the year. Grant assistance from OTS in previous years has assisted in making the streets of Rialto safer for the motoring public.
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 $246,000 through the Selected Traffic Enforcement Grant Program (STEP) Grant. 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, training, approved project supplies and services during the grant operational period of October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2022.
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, and excludes the following:
1) Continuing administrative or maintenance activities, such as purchases for
supplies, Personnel-related actions, general policy and procedure making.
2) Organizational or administrative activities of governments that will not result in
direct or indirect physical changes 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 recommends approval of the staff report, resolution and agreement.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Operating Budget Impact
OTS has awarded the City of Rialto Police Department $246,000 for the 2022 Selective Traffic Enforcement Program. Accepting the grant will increase revenues in the amount of $246,000 in the Office of Traffic Safety Grant Revenue Account No. 221-400-6986-7551. The additional revenue will offset increased expenditures of the same amount appropriated in the amount of $219,229 in Account No. 221-500-6986-1020, $3,179 in Account No. 221-500-6986-1050, $21,090 in Account No. 221-500-6986-2021, and $2,502 in Account No. 221-500-6986-2022, for grant expenditures such as overtime, benefits, travel, services and supplies utilized by this grant.
This grant requires no local City match.
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:
1) Adopt Resolution No. 7783 Amending the 2021-2022 Fiscal Year Budget;
(2) Accept the California Office of Traffic Safety Selective Traffic Enforcement Program Grant in the Amount of $246,000; and
(3) Authorize the City Manager or designee to Execute All Documents.