REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Continuation of Supplemental Law Enforcement Services (SLES) Funds and Approval of Budget Modification No. 23
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, Brulte). 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. 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.
In FY 2014/15, City Council approved RTC 15-0163 appropriating SLES Funds to support one Public Safety Lieutenant position (a portion of the Street Crimes and Investigations Unit).
EXISTING POLICY
California Government Code Sections 30061 - 30065 govern 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 the 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
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” with the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378 (b) (4) in that it is a fiscal activity that does not involve any commitment to any specific project which may result in a potential significant impact on the environment.
DISCUSSION
SLES guidelines require a review of Public Safety need and that the Chief Law Enforcement Officer for a municipality, through Council, make a formal request for the application of SLES funding. The Director of Public Safety has reviewed the Department of Public Safety’s needs and requests to continue utilizing SLES funds to pay for one Public Safety Lieutenant position in the Investigations Unit.
Budget Modification No. 23 is comprised of the following actions:
(a) Appropriate FY 14/15 SLES fund balance of $37,336.
In FY 2014/15, City Council approved RTC 15-0163 appropriating SLES Funds to support one Public Safety Lieutenant (a portion of the Street Crimes and Investigations Unit Lieutenant). The full amount of SLES funding was not expended and these funds must be expended no later than June 30, 2016. As appropriations lapse at the end of the fiscal year, the FY 2014/15 funds fell to reserve and must be re-appropriated.
(b) Decrease the existing FY 2015/16 SLES appropriation by $848.
The City’s FY 15/16 SLES allocation was initially estimated at $232,230. This amount was included and approved through the City’s annual budget process. The City’s actual allocation is $231,382.
(c) Increase the FY 15/16 SLES appropriation to the Department of Public Safety in the amount of $36,488, which is the net of the FY 2014/15 funds minus the reduced FY 2015/16 allocation.
FISCAL IMPACT
The fully-loaded cost for one Public Safety Lieutenant is $316,538. SLES funds will be used to support this position currently assigned to the Investigations Unit. The remainder of the position is funded by the General Fund. Budget Modification No. 23 has been prepared to appropriate SLES funds in the amount of $36,488.
Budget Modification No. 23
FY 2015/16
|
|
Current |
Increase/ (Decrease) |
Revised |
|
Police Services Augmentation Fund |
|
|
|
Revenues |
|
|
|
|
FY 2015/16 SLES Funds |
$232,230 |
($848) |
$231,382 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reserves |
|
|
|
|
FY 2014/15 SLES Fund Balance |
$37,336 |
($37,336) |
$0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Expenditures |
|
|
|
|
FY 2015/16 Program 471- Police Services |
$232,230 |
$36,488 |
$267,718 |
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. 23 to appropriate $36,488 in Supplemental Law Enforcement Services (SLES) funding and approve the full amount of available SLES funds to support 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: Tim Kirby, Acting Director, Department of Finance
Reviewed by: Kent Steffens, Assistant City Manager
Approved by: Deanna J. Santana, City Manager