HomeMy WebLinkAbout10 - CC-7 - Resolution by the City Council Authorizi - 9/20/2016CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE: September 20, 2016 ITEM NUMBER: CC -7
SUBJECT: A RESOLUTION BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COSTA MESA AUTHORIZING
ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT AWARDS FROM THE CALIFORNIA OFFICE OF TRAFFIC
SAFETY FOR THE "SELECTIVE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM".
DATE: SEPTEMBER 20, 2016
FROM: POLICE DEPARTMENT- FIELD OPERATIONS DIVISION
SPECIAL SERVICES BUREAU (TRAFFIC SAFETY)
PRESENTATION BY: Sergeant Zachary Hoferitza, Special Police Services
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sergeant Zachary Hoferitza (714) 754-5125
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
1. Adopt Resolution which authorizes the CEO or his designee to accept the grant
awards from the California Office of Traffic Safety for: the "Selective Traffic
Enforcement Program" (STEP).
2. Approve Budget Adjustment #17-003 for the total amount of $165,000 to
increase revenue and appropriation for overtime and professional development
associated with the 2016 OTS STEP grant.
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration distributes federal funding
to California through the Office of Traffic Safety. Grants are used to mitigate traffic
safety program deficiencies, expand on-going programs, or to develop a new program.
Grant funding cannot replace existing program expenditures, nor can traffic safety funds
be used for program maintenance, research, rehabilitation, or construction. The Police
Department has been awarded several of these grants in the past and these funds have
significantly assisted the objectives of the Traffic Safety Bureau and improved traffic
safety for residents and visitors in the City of Costa Mesa.
ANALYSIS:
Since 2005, the Office of Traffic Safety has awarded the Costa Mesa Police Department
ten (10) traffic safety related grants. The funds associated with these grants have been
used to purchase specialized equipment and to pay the cost of personnel working
targeted traffic operations.
The Office of Traffic Safety assembles collision data rankings based on city population
numbers. Costa Mesa is ranked with 56 other cities with a population of 100,001-
250,000. In relation to other cities in our group, Costa Mesa has the 3rd worst
fatal/injury collisions, 6t" worst DUI collisions, 3rd worst bicycle collisions and the 4th
worst motorcycle collisions. Based upon these 2013 statistical rankings, OTS ranked
Costa Mesa as the 4th worst City for over-all traffic safety based upon collision data,
when compared to other cities in our population group. 2013 is the most recent year of
these compiled stats.
Along with injury collisions, impaired driving enforcement has always been a top priority
for the Police Department. Since 1986, the Department has staffed a full-time impaired
driving enforcement team consisting of two full-time officers. However, based upon
recent Police Department staffing issues, the full-time DUI Team was discontinued in
year (2014). The previous STEP Grant has been used to supplement the loss of the
DUI Team by funding a two -officer team on Friday and Saturday nights. If not for this
grant, our ability to address DUI drivers would have been severely compromised.
Aside from the DUI enforcement team, the STEP Grant funds DUI checkpoints. These
checkpoints are educational, highly visible, and provide a deterrent against impaired
driving. Our department's commitment to DUI enforcement is evident in the OTS data
rankings. In that study, Costa Mesa had the best ranking for DUI arrests (847) in 2012
out of 53 other cities in our population group (that years data had a full-time DUI team).
In 2013, Costa Mesa PD made 694 DUI arrests for the year.
Police Department staff submitted applications for and has received tentative approval
for this 2016 grant offered through the California Office of Traffic Safety. The grant will
allow the Police Department to implement the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program
(STEP). This program will provide a comprehensive approach to reducing violations
which commonly lead to collisions, while maintaining a focus on impaired and
suspended/unlicensed drivers. Grant funds will be used to staff Sobriety/Driver License
Checkpoints and to staff targeted enforcement operations. In addition, funds will be
used to support additional law enforcement training related to DUI investigations and
enforcement activities. The implementation of this training, along with the STEP
enforcement operations, will help achieve the overall goal of reducing injury collisions,
saving lives and reducing liability.
The Police Department's current grant expires on September 30, 2016. This year's
grant will enable the Police Department to build upon successes achieved to date, while
providing new objectives for increasing traffic safety throughout the City. The funding
will allow the Police Department additional resources to combat impaired driving, and
enforce traffic laws aimed at saving lives. Objectives of the OTS grant include DUI
saturation patrols; traffic enforcement operations targeting red light, excessive speed,
and distracted driving violations; enforcement at high collision intersections; and
Sobriety/Driver License checkpoints.
Some specific project objectives from the grant agreement include:
■ To conduct four (4) DUI/DL checkpoints.
■ To conduct forty-five (45) DUI saturation patrols.
■ To conduct five (8) special traffic enforcement operations targeting red light,
excessive speed and other violations at or near intersections with a
disproportionate number of traffic collisions.
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■ To conduct three (5) special enforcement operations targeting distracted driving
violations.
■ To conduct two (2) bicycle and pedestrian safety enforcement operations.
■ Provide advanced officer training in DUI enforcement to ten (10) officers.
To receive the grant funds, the Office of Traffic Safety requires the City Council adopt a
Resolution agreeing to support the grant goals in their entirety. Office of Traffic Safety
grant funding is based on the federal fiscal year, which begins on October 1 and ends
on September 30. The grant agreement provides total funds in the amount of $165,000
which will be utilized over a 12 -month period of time, from October 1, 2016 to
September 30, 2017.
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED:
None
FISCAL REVIEW:
The attached budget adjustment #17-003 increases revenue and appropriates the total
expected grant funds of $165,000 to the Police Department's budget for overtime,
professional development and other direct costs. The grant period is from October 1,
2016 to September 30, 2017.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney's Office has reviewed the Grant Agreement and associated documents
and has approved it as to form and content.
CONCLUSION:
Based upon an analysis of the Grant Agreement and the available benefits to the City
offered by the award of the grant, Department staff supports the approval of the above
listed recommendation.
ZACHARY HOFERITZA
Traffic Sergeant
Police Special Services Bureau
STEPHEN DUNIVENT
Interim Finance Director
ROBERT SHARPNACK
Chief of Police
THOMAS DUARTE
City Attorney
3
DISTRIBUTION: City Manager
City Attorney
Finance Director
City Clerk
Grant
Administrator
ATTACHMENTS: 1 Resolution of the Citv Council
Budget Adjustment #17-003
Office of Traffic Safety Grant Agreement