Title
Staff Report for Discussion and Direction to Staff on Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Grant
Staffreport
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends that the City Council review and approve the proposed Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) federal grant shared funding proposal outlined below.
BACKGROUND
On January 6, 2014 the City Council authorized a list of projects for which federal funding opportunities were to be pursued in 2014. Among that list of proposals was a request for additional federal funding through the United States Department of Justice - COPS program. Based upon that direction, City staff and members of the City Council worked collaboratively with the offices of Senator Dianne Feinstein, Senator Barbara Boxer, and Congresswoman Barbara Lee, as well as the City's federal advocate Len Simon, the San Leandro Unified School District and the COPS Office to submit an application for a four-year, $500,000 grant to fund 4.0 FTE School Resource Officer positions. To facilitate this process and ensure a quality application, the City also retained the services of a professional grant writer. The application was ultimately successful with San Leandro being one of only a small number of California cities awarded funding.
DISCUSSION
On June 20, 2014 the San Leandro Police Department submitted a COPS grant application to secure a $500,000 grant to hire 4.0 FTE School Resource Officers. The decision to file this application was brought before the City Council in May, 2014 and approved for submission. Prior to submitting the application, City staff met with officials from the San Leandro Unified School District. During those discussions a partnership developed, and the School District agreed to fund any balance that was not covered by the COPS grant.
In September 2014, the COPS Office announced that San Leandro was selected to receive the requested $500,000 grant award. Some highlights from the grant application that were incorporated into the grant award conditions of acceptance include:
· Presenting a positive image of the law enforcement profession to local youth
· Nurturing one-on-one relationships with at-risk youth
· Deterring criminal activity and disruptive behavior during school and after-school sponsored activities
· Revitalizing science-based drug, gang, and bullying awareness programs
· Hosting assemblies and various other group-based activities for students
· Facilitating "Season of Service" non-violent/peace-oriented service projects
· Facilitating lunch time & after-school activities for students
· Participating in student counseling sessions and parent conferences, when requested
· Serving as a liaison between the Police Department and local school district staff
· Hosting various community, parent & youth Town Hall meetings
· Establishing service clubs and other opportunities for volunteerism
These highlights will reinforce the partnership that currently exists with the School District, students and community, which aligns with the following adopted FY 2014-15 City Council goal:
· Maintain and support a strong positive relationship between the City, schools and the educational community.
At the October 20, 2014 City Council meeting, the City Council adopted a resolution accepting the four-year, $500,000 COPS grant. As part of its action, the City Council also directed the City Manager to explore the possibility of having the City provide additional financial contributions to offset the costs of the program beyond the funding offered by the COPS grant. Based upon that direction, the City Manager held discussions with the San Leandro Unified School District in order to explore various funding scenarios.
Provided in Attachment A is a chart outlining the City Manager's recommended cost-sharing model that was negotiated with the School District, which includes a breakdown of the total costs that would be borne by each of the contributing agencies. Please note that the costs per officer to be absorbed by the City were not discretely identified in the October staff report but were based on the $500,000 limit of the COPS grant. The administrative costs of the grant also were not delineated in that report.
SUMMARY
The City Manager recommends that the City Council appropriate funding from its contingency reserve in order to finance its desired contribution. The recommended funding levels identified in Attachment A have been crafted so as to reduce the School District's portion to 50% of the overall cost of the program. The City would commensurately provide the remaining 50% of the total program costs, which includes the fully-loaded costs of each officer at step 6, the administrative costs of managing the grant, as well as the COPS Office grant contribution. This funding formula is outlined in Attachment A.
Staff has also provided Attachment B to this report as an alternative, higher-cost funding formula that could also be considered by the City Council.
Fiscal Impacts
If adopted by the City Council, the City Manager's recommended 50% cost sharing model will require the City Council to commit an additional $415,431 (four hundred fifteen thousand four hundred thirty one dollars) over the four-year duration of the grant. It is also important to note that when the grant expires, it is anticipated that the City would absorb the ongoing, fully loaded costs of the four additional staffing positions. These additional, ongoing costs beyond the fourth year of the grant are not reflected in the funding formulas.
Under the alternative scenario provided within Attachment B, the City cost would increase to $665,431 over the four-year duration of the grant.
ATTACHMENTS
· Attachment A: City Manager's Recommended Cost Sharing Formula
· Attachment B: Alternative Cost-Sharing Formula
PREPARED BY: Chris Zapata, City Manager