Full Text
AGENDA BILL Agenda Item No. 5(C) Date: June 17, 2014 To: El Cerrito City Council From: Sylvia M. Moir, Chief of Police Subject: Agreement with the West Contra Costa Unified School District Regarding Funding of School Resource Officers ACTION REQUESTED Adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager to finalize and enter into an agreement with the West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) to partially fund three School Resource Officer Positions (SRO) in the amount of $520,000 per year, to be paid by the School District. The new agreement would supersede previous agreements between the City and WCCUSD related to SRO’s. Two SRO’s will continue to be assigned to El Cerrito High School and one will be assigned to Portola Middle School. If authorized, the agreement would become effective immediately upon finalization and execution, and would continue at least through June 30, 2015. BACKGROUND In November 2005, the Council authorized the City Manager to enter into an agreement with the West Contra Costa Unified School District to partially fund one School Resource Officer at the El Cerrito High School on a temporary basis. The Police Department added a second SRO at the High School in March 2006. The Department has always believed that it is in the City’s best interest to deploy SRO’s at the High School. In May of 2009, Portola Middle School experienced a series of events that called into question the safety of students and staff at the school. In an effort to improve the safety of the school, the Police Department temporarily assigned an SRO to the school effective May 19, 2009 until the end of the school year. Since that time, City and School District Officials have conducted negotiations and agreed that the Police Department should continue to provide the services of the SRO’s and to increase the staffing to three positions so that an SRO may be assigned full time to Portola Middle School. On January 17, 2006, the City Council approved an Amendment to the General Plan, in order to attempt to “Maintain a service level of 1.8 officers per 1,000 population, provided adequate financial resources are available.” To ensure compliance with the intent of this amendment to the General Plan, these three SRO positions will not be included when accessing the sworn authorized strength necessary to comply with the ratios in the General Plan amendment. School Resource Officers are contractually ---PAGE BREAK--- Agenda Item No. 5(C) obligated to provide police services to the over 2,000 students and staff of the identified campuses providing a ratio of 1.5 Officers per 1,000 population. Because of this contractual obligation they are not readily available to answer calls for service and therefore should not be considered when assessing the staffing to populous ratio. On June 19, 2012, the City Council approved Resolution No. 2012–50 as amended by Mayor Pro Tem Lyman to authorize the City Manager to enter into an agreement with the West Contra Costa Unified School District to partially fund three School Resource Officers, two at El Cerrito High School and one at Portola Middle School for the term of July 1, 2012 through July 1, 2015 and every year thereafter unless terminated sooner. This agreement was not finalized and so the parties have continued to operate under the previous agreement. ANALYSIS Since the inception of the SRO program, the feedback has been tremendously positive and the increased security in and around the schools is measurable. The SRO’s are consistently praised by members of the community, school administration, and students for the connections they make with students and the safety they ensure in the learning environment. The program has made a true difference to the City and School. Even though the City does not recover the full costs associated with funding the program, the investment by the City towards this effort is needed and will have a positive impact on the community. Although payment to the City under the previous agreement fell far short of the cost of service, after several years of negotiations, the WCCUSD agreed to increase the reimbursement to the City to more closely cover the cost of the service provided. The term of the new agreement will be for at least through June 30, 2015. City and WCCUSD staff are continuing to discuss an automatic renewal provision, similar to what was included in previous SRO agreements. The form of the agreement is not attached at this time. The City and WCCUSD reached general agreement only shortly before the deadline for submission of materials for the June 17, 2014 City Council meeting. Because of the budget implications, staff decided to seek Council authorization to enter into the agreement while City and WCCUSD staff finalize the form of the agreement. FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS The City will be reimbursed a total of $520,000 for the Fiscal year of service by the three SRO’s. The cost of a fully equipped marked patrol vehicle, annual training and certification, technology, and safety equipment is borne by the City and is included in the approved City Budget. All expenses and revenues are included in the FY 2014-2015 and FY 2015-2016 budgets. LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS The City Attorney has reviewed the terms of and the draft form of the agreement between the City and WCCUSD concerning this issue. ---PAGE BREAK--- Reviewed by: Scott Hanin, City Manager Attachments: 1. Proposed Resolution I J Agenda Item No. 5(C) ---PAGE BREAK--- Agenda Item No. 5(C) Attachment 1 RESOLUTION 2014–XX A RESOLUTION OF THE EL CERRITO CITY COUNCIL AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE WEST CONTRA COSTA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT TO PARTIALLY FUND THREE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS, TWO AT EL CERRITO HIGH SCHOOL AND ONE AT PORTOLA MIDDLE SCHOOL FOR THE TERM OF JULY 1, 2014, THROUGH JULY 1, 2015 WHEREAS, in 2014, the City of El Cerrito continued its partnership with the West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD), by placing two El Cerrito Police Officers at El Cerrito High School and one EL Cerrito Police Officer at Portola Middle School as School Resource Officers (SRO); and WHEREAS, on November 7, 2005, the City Council adopted a Resolution authorizing the City Manager to enter into an agreement with the WCCUSD to provide one Police Officer at the El Cerrito High School for the period November 1, 2005, through June 30, 2006; and WHEREAS, on March 20, 2006, the City received correspondence from WCCUSD, inquiring about the possibility of having an additional SRO at El Cerrito High School. An agreement was reached and that officer began his assignment on March 27, 2006; and WHEREAS, on September 21, 2009, the City Council adopted a Resolution authorizing the City Manager to enter into an agreement with the WCCUSD to provide two Police Officers at the El Cerrito High School and one Police Officer at Portola Middle School for the period July1, 2009, through June 30, 2012; and WHEREAS, on June 19, 2012 the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2012–50 authorizing the City Manager to enter into an agreement with the West Contra Costa Unified School District to partially fund three School Resource Officers, two at El Cerrito High School and one at Portola Middle School for the term of July 1, 2012 through July 1, 2015 and every year thereafter unless terminated sooner. The agreement that was authorized at that time was not finalized, but the City continued to provide SRO’s at El Cerrito High School and Portola Middle School pursuant the terms of the previous agreement; and WHEREAS, staff subsequently negotiated an agreement with the WCCUSD whereby the District has agreed to pay to the City the amount of five hundred and twenty thousand ($520,000) per fiscal year which would partially fund the cost of the three officers to provide police services at the El Cerrito High School and Portola Middle School campuses; and WHEREAS, this agreement was taken into account in the proposed FY 2014- 2016 budget(s); and ---PAGE BREAK--- WHEREAS, on January 17, 2006, the City Council approved an Amendment to the General Plan, in order to attempt to “Maintain a service level of 1.8 officers per 1,000 population, provided adequate financial resources are available.” To uphold the spirit and intent of the General Plan amendment, the three SRO positions will not be included when assessing the requirement of sworn officers necessary to comply with the ratios in the General Plan amendment. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of El Cerrito that it hereby authorizes the City Manager to enter into an agreement with the West Contra Costa Unified School District to partially fund three School Resource Officers, two at El Cerrito High School and one for Portola Middle School for at least the term of July 1, 2014, through July 1, 2015 at a cost of $520,000 per year, payable by WCCUSD. The agreement will supersede all previous agreements between the City and WCCUSD regarding the provision of SRO’s to WCCUSD schools. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Resolution shall become effective immediately upon passage and adoption. I CERTIFY that at a regular meeting on June 17, 2014, the City Council passed this resolution by the following vote: AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS: ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: IN WITNESS of this action, I sign this document and affix the corporate seal of the City of El Cerrito on June 17, 2014. Cheryl Morse, City Clerk APPROVED: Rebecca Benassini, Vice Mayor