REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Continuation of Supplemental Law Enforcement Services (SLES) Funds and Approval of Budget Modification No. 43
Report
BACKGROUND
Each year, the State Legislature appropriates money to Santa Clara County local law enforcement agencies for supplemental police funding. This funding is a continuation of the Supplemental Law Enforcement Services funding program (SLES) that was first provided in FY 1996/97 via Assembly Bill 3229 (AB 3229). The use of the SLES funds is only for front-line municipal police services and should supplement, not supplant, current front-line law enforcement services. Funds must be encumbered or spent within the two-year grant cycle. In previous years, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) has used SLES allocations for the purchase of law enforcement equipment, to pay for sworn personnel costs or a combination of both.
Since 1996, the City Council has approved the use of Supplemental Law Enforcement Services (SLES) Funding to support front-line police services. SLES monies are appropriated annually by the State Legislature to Santa Clara County for distribution to local law enforcement agencies. The distribution mechanism of funds is through the Citizens' Option for Public Safety (COPS) Program.
Changes to the administrative requirements of the COPS Program occurred late 2012 when Santa Clara County's Supplemental Law Enforcement Oversight Committee (SLEOC) was disbanded. Recipient agencies are no longer required to submit year-end reports or submit minutes of their Council's approval of their appropriations related to SLES allocations. FY 2012/13 marked the last year DPS was required to formulate a detailed spending plan to the SLEOC. At that time, the decision was also made to redirect SLES funds from equipment to personnel.
Through the City's annual budget process, City Council approved the use of FY 2013/14 and FY 2014/15 SLES funds to support the addition of a new Street Crimes Unit Public Safety Officer II (PSOII) position. Due to existing vacancies and a shift in staffing priorities, the position was unfilled and remains vacant.
EXISTING POLICY
California Government Code Sections 30061 - 30065 governs these grants and their distribution. The provisions require each municipal law enforcement agency to submit a request to its governing body to formally appropriate SLES monies. Additionally, funds not expended in its appropriation year must be expended or encumbered no later than June 30 of the following fiscal year. Any unspent funds are to be remitted back to the State.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This activity does not require environmental review because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that it may have a significant effect on the environment (CEQA Guideline 15061 (b)(3)).
DISCUSSION
Funding for the FY 2013/14 SLES Grant must be expended no later than June 30 of this fiscal year. The sunset date for expending or encumbering the FY 2014/15 SLES Grant Funds is June 30, 2016. In order for DPS to re-designate and utilize these funds, approval of the revised spending plan and related appropriation actions is required.
Budget Modification No. 43 is comprised of the following actions:
(a) Appropriate FY 2013/14 SLES Fund balance of $43,629;
(b) Appropriate additional FY 2013/14 SLES revenue of $14,510;
(c) Increase the existing FY 2014/15 SLES appropriation by $2,537;
(d) Increase the SLES appropriation to the Department of Public Safety in the amount of $60,676.
FY 2013/14 SLES Fund Balance and Additional Revenue
The City's FY 2013/14 Budget included $229,693 from SLES. As previously mentioned, SLES funds were shifted to fund a new PSOII position in the Street Crimes Unit. Due to staffing shortages, the PSOII position was unfilled. SLES funds were used to support special operations overtime costs and to pay for a portion of a Neighborhood Resource Officer (NRO) in the Crime Prevention Unit. The current fund balance of $43,626 must be expended no later than June 30, 2015. Additionally, the City received $14,510 in unanticipated FY 2013/14 SLES revenue. This amount must also be expended no later than June 30, 2015.
FY 2014/15 SLES Revenue
The City's FY 2014/15 SLES allocation is expected to come in at $232,230; $2,537 more than the amount included in the FY 2014/15 Budget. As noted, the SLES funds were to pay for the PSOII. With the recent shift in staffing priorities, implementation of the Street Crimes Unit has been delayed with the PSOII position reallocated to staff the new Fire Station later this year. Prior to this action, DPS had assigned a Lieutenant to the Street Crimes Unit to begin preparation and development of standard operating procedures. The Lieutenant position has been reassigned to Investigations effective with the changeover on March 1, 2015.
FY 2014/15 Written Request for Supplemental Law Enforcement Needs:
SLES guidelines require a review of Public Safety needs and that the Chief Law Enforcement Officer for a municipality, through Council, makes a formal request for the application of SLES funding. The Director of Public Safety has reviewed Public Safety needs and requests to utilize SLES funds to pay for one Public Safety Lieutenant (a portion of the Street Crimes and Investigations Unit Lieutenant).
FISCAL IMPACT
The cost for one Public Safety Lieutenant is $306,505. The full amount of SLES funds will be used to partially pay for this position. The remainder of the position is funded by the General Fund. Budget Modification No. 43 has been prepared to appropriate the additional SLES revenue, as well as the carryover balance, to the Department of Public Safety.
Budget Modification No. 43
FY 2014/15
|
Current |
Increase/ (Decrease) |
Revised |
Police Services Augmentation Fund |
|
|
|
Revenues |
|
|
|
FY 2014/15 SLES Funds |
$229,693 |
$2,537 |
$232,230 |
FY 2013/14 Additional SLES Revenue |
$0 |
$14,510 |
$14,510 |
|
|
|
|
Reserves |
|
|
|
FY 2013/14 SLES Fund Balance |
$43,626 |
($43,626) |
$0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Expenditures |
|
|
|
FY 2014/15 Program 471 - Police Services |
$229,693 |
$60,673 |
$290,366 |
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City's official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall, at the Sunnyvale Senior Center, Community Center and Department of Public Safety; and by making the agenda and report available at the Sunnyvale Public Library, the Office of the City Clerk and on the City's website.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Approve Budget Modification No. 43 to appropriate $60,673 in Supplemental Law Enforcement Services (SLES) funding and approve the full amount of available SLES funds to partially fund one Public Safety Lieutenant position.
Staff
Prepared by: Nancy M. Thome, Senior Management Analyst
Reviewed by: Frank J. Grgurina, Chief, Department of Public Safety
Reviewed by: Grace K. Leung, Director, Department of Finance
Reviewed by: Robert A. Walker, Assistant City Manager
Approved by: Deanna J. Santana, City Manager