REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Approval of Budget Modification No. 17 in the total amount of $90,000 to the North County Gun Buyback Program
Report
BACKGROUND
On August 28, 2018, City Council approved Budget Modification No. 4 (RTC 18-0696) appropriating $55,000 to Project 833970-FY 2018/19 Gun Buyback Program. The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office contributed $25,000 and City Council contributed $30,000 from the Budget Stabilization Fund.
FY 2018/19 Administrative Budget Modification No. 3 appropriated an additional $20,000: $5,000 from each of the cities of Santa Clara, Los Altos, Mountain View, and Palo Alto bringing the total appropriation to $75,000 for the program. In addition to the monetary contributions, the four participating partner city agencies each provided sworn personnel the day of the event.
A gun buyback program provides the community the opportunity to voluntarily turn in firearms to law enforcement agencies, no questions asked, and receive compensation in return. The North County Gun Buyback took place as scheduled on September 29, 2018 and was considered a success, yielding a total of 567 firearms.
The Department of Public Safety (DPS) served as the lead agency and coordinated efforts with the Santa Clara, Los Altos, Mountain View, and Palo Alto Police Departments. The program paid $100 for each handgun, rifle, or shotgun, and $200 for each assault type weapon. Gun owners brought firearms to the event and law enforcement officers secured them. All firearms collected were destroyed.
This program received positive feedback from the community, both locally and countywide. Therefore, the Department of Public Safety has agreed to be the lead agency in a similar program for FY 2019/20 and is requesting $30,000 to be appropriated to fund the FY 2019/20 North County Gun Buyback Program.
EXISTING POLICY
Community Vision Goal IV Safe and Healthy Community: To maintain Sunnyvale’s traditional high level of public health and safety, so all residents, employees and visitors feel safe at all times and in all places in the City.
General Plan Goal SN-3 Safe and Secure City: Ensure a safe and secure environment for people and property in the community by providing effective public safety response and prevention and education services.
Council Policy 7.1.5 Donations, Contributions and Sponsorships:
The city manager may accept or reject donations, contributions and sponsorships, both solicited and unsolicited, of money, equipment and in-kind contributions to City Departments or the City in general up to $100,000, so long as they do not require a local match or obligate the City to ongoing expenses not already planned in the City’s Resource Allocation Plan. Donated funds will be expended for the specific purpose as agreed upon with the donor or for general purposes, as one-time supplements to the department’s operating budget. Donations of equipment will be considered based on program outcomes, department goals and needs, maintenance costs and replacement costs.
Pursuant to Sunnyvale Charter Section 1305, at any meeting after the adoption of the budget, the City Council may amend or supplement the budget by motion adopted by affirmative votes of at least four members so as to authorize the transfer of unused balances appropriated for one purpose to another, or to appropriate available revenue not included in the budget.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within 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
The overall goal of a gun buyback program is to improve community safety by providing an opportunity for community members to safely dispose of unwanted firearms.
Due to the success of the program in 2018, the Department of Public Safety is planning to host a gun buyback event on February 29, 2020. Operationally, the event will be conducted like the 2018 event, with participation from neighboring agencies and the District Attorney’s Office.
While the event is still in the planning stages, the Department of Public Safety is estimating that a budget of $25,000 will be needed for staff overtime, printing, and miscellaneous expenses. In addition, the City of Sunnyvale will provide $5,000 toward funds for purchase of firearms. The estimated total cost to the City for this project is $30,000. Combined with an anticipated $60,000 provided by other agencies, the total budget for the February 29, 2020 event will be $90,000. Partner agencies will also provide staff for the Gun Buyback event at their own expense.
The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office and seven other law enforcement agencies in Santa Clara County have expressed an interest in participating in this event. Each of the agencies has committed to providing funds for the purchase of firearms: The District Attorney will contribute $25,000 and the cities of Los Altos, Santa Clara, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Milpitas, Campbell, and the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office will each contribute $5,000. Combined with Sunnyvale’s provision payment of $5,000, funds available for firearms purchase at the event will be $65,000.
FISCAL IMPACT
Budget Modification No. 17 has been prepared to appropriate $90,000 to the new project, FY 2019/20 North County Gun Buyback Program. The Budget Modification will accept and appropriate $25,000 from the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, and $5,000 each from the cities of Los Altos, Santa Clara, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Milpitas, Campbell, and the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office.
As stated, this modification will also appropriate $30,000 in funding from the City of Sunnyvale to cover event staffing and miscellaneous costs and the City’s $5,000 contribution for buyback funding. Council may elect to appropriate funds from the Budget Stabilization Fund, or in the alternative appropriate funds from its Service Level Set-Aside, which has a current balance of $100,000. The Council Service Level Set-Aside is an annual $100,000 appropriation for Council’s use at its discretion for unplanned projects, services, or other initiatives that come up over the course of the fiscal year.
Budget Modification No. 17
FY 2019/20
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Current |
Increase/ (Decrease) |
Revised |
|
General Fund |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revenues |
|
|
|
|
Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office and Other Agencies |
$0 |
$60,000 |
$60,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Expenditures |
|
|
|
|
New Project: FY 2019/20 North County Gun Buyback Program |
$0 |
$90,000 |
$90,000 |
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Reserves |
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|
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Budget Stabilization Fund |
$52,501,089 |
($30,000) |
$52,471,089 |
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.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Approve Budget Modification No. 17 in the amount of $90,000 for the FY 2019/20 North County Gun Buyback Program and Appropriate $30,000 from the Budget Stabilization Fund for the City’s share.
2. Approve Budget Modification No. 17 in the amount of $90,000 for the FY 2019/20 North County Gun Buyback Program and Appropriate $30,000 in Council Level Set-Aside funds for the City’s share.
3. Other Action as Directed by Council.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Alternative 1: Approve Budget Modification No. 17 in the amount of $90,000 for the FY 2019/20 North County Gun Buyback Program and Appropriate $30,000 from the Budget Stabilization Fund for the North County Gun Buyback Program.
Staff
Prepared by: Elaine Ketell, Sr. Management Analyst
Reviewed by: Phan S. Ngo, Director, Department of Public Safety
Reviewed by: Tim Kirby, Director of Finance
Reviewed by: Teri Silva, Assistant City Manager
Approved by: Kent Steffens, City Manager