Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutAGENDA REPORT 1997 0702 CC REG ITEM 10GCITY OF MOORPARK CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT TO: The Honorable City Council FROM: Donald P. Reynolds Jr., Administrative Services DATE: June 25, 1997 5"34 ITEM /0. 0,6' CrN OF MOORPARK, CALIFORNU City Council Meeting SUBJECT: Consider the use of $14,991 Anticipated to be Received from the Federal Bureau of Justice Assistance, (B.J.A.), Local Law Enforcement Block Grant ( LLEBG) Program umma The LLEBG is the result of federal legislation designed to assist in providing for the front line officer. It can be used for staff and/or equipment, as long as it does not supplant other monies already budgeted for this use. During fiscal year 1996/97, the City used $14,865 of these monies to assist in the creation of the new DARE officer position. This report will present options of the Council's consideration for the new fiscal year for use of the $14,991, and its ten percent match of $1,499, for a total consideration of $16,490. Statutory Outline These federal funds are made available to the City from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, (B.J. A.), 1997 Omnibus Appropriations Act. Funding may be used for seven purpose areas, (specifically defined in Attachment "A "), which address a wide variety of activities from increasing personnel and equipment resources for law enforcement to developing and supporting programs to enhance the criminal justice process. The application is due July 11, and funding will be made available after the start of the new federal fiscal year, or on October 1, 1997. These monies have a matching requirement of not less than 10 %, or $1,499. Depending on what type of project is selected by the Council, this match may or may not be a concern. Last year, this was not a concern as the cost of the DARE officer was substantially more than the grant. Part of the decision making process required by the B.J.A. includes a strong emphasis on public input. Last year, an Advisory Committee was brought together including representatives from the school system, the community, law enforcement and if possible probations and or the criminal justice system. The recommendation from the 1996/97 Advisory Committee has been provided in Attachment "B." The format of the Council meeting also has to allow for public in -put on the final decision, which is consistent with the regular Council meeting process in Moorpark. This year, the same group will meet as an Advisory Committee on Thursday evening, June 26. Attachment "C" is the proposed agenda for this meeting. The minutes and recommendations from the Committee will be provided to the Council under separate cover Friday, June 27. (001. .52+ Options To properly consider all of the options available to the City, reference should be made to the budget, other grant programs including the State and Local Law Enforcement Supplemental Funds, ( SLESF), and any unfunded needs in providing for front line officers. As presented in Attachment "C ", staffs presentation to the Advisory Board will include an overview of the public safety budget with emphasis placed on the flexibility of this document should a change be recommended by the committee, a review of the past and proposed uses for the SLESF grant, this grant and related matters. In 1996/97, the Advisory Committee concurred with the Council's decision to use the monies for the DARE officer. In the 1996/97 process however, there was mention of a DARE vehicle, and a concern expressed regarding the use of LLEBG to supplant general fund monies. There are two vehicles to be used only for DARE in 1997/98 Budget funded by the SLESF. The DARE officers are also funded with a combination of General Fund monies and a contribution from the Moorpark Unified School District. Therefore, the City should look elsewhere. If approved for this use, the 1997/98 LLEBG would be referred to as "Special Law Enforcement Detail Overtime Expense." Pursuant to Council direction June 18, it was to be used to expand the overtime expense within line item 100.501.0000.000.9191 detailed as $74,380 of the total of $101,230. As planned, the general fund portion would be used first to accommodate the needs this summer, and then October 1, 1997, when the monies become available, it would be used for the remainder of the fiscal year. Recommendation That the City Council consider the use of LLEBG funds as submitted by the Advisory Committee, decide on how to use the funds, and authorize staff to submit the application by July 11, and initiate the program October 1, 1997. Attachment: A) Seven Use Categories B) Minutes rom the 1996/97 Advisory Committee C) Agenda for the June 26, 1997, Advisory Committee 2 QW:L Program Requirements Overview A-i The Omnibus FY 1996 Appropriations Act, (Public Law 104 -134), authorizes the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) to make funds available to units of local government under the Local Law Enforcement Block Grants Program, herein also referred to as Block Grants Program, or Block Grants, for the purposes of reducing crime and improving public safety. This application kit provides program and application guidelines for the FY 1996 Local Law Enforcement Block Grants Program. Program Purpose Areas Local Law Enforcement Block Grants Program funds may be used for one or more of the following seven purpose areas: ■ Law enforcement support for: ❑ Hiring, training, and employing on a continuing basis new, additional law enforcement officers and necessary support personnel (if funds are used for hiring law enforcement officers, there must be a net gain over the unit of local government's current appropriated budget, in the number of law enforcement officers who perform nonadministrative public safety service). ❑ Paying overtime to presently employed law enforcement officers and necessary support personnel for the purpose of increasing the number of hours worked by such personnel. ❑ Procuring equipment, technology, and other material directly related to basic law enforcement functions. ■ Enhancing security measures in and around schools, and in and around any other facility or location that the unit of local government considers a special risk for incidents of crime. ■ Establishing or supporting drug courts. To be eligible for funding, a drug court program must include the following: ❑ Continuing judicial supervision over offenders with substance abuse problems, but who are not violent offenders. ❑ Integrating administration of other sanctions and services, which shall include: Bureau of Justice Assistance 0001,54 A -z (i) mandatory periodic testing of each participant for the use of controlled substances or other addictive substances during any period of supervised release or probation; (ii) substance abuse treatment for each participant; (iii) probation or other supervised release involving the possible prosecution, confinement, or incarceration because of noncompliance with program requirements or failure to show satisfactory progress; (iv) programmatic, offender management and aftercare services such as relapse prevention, vocational job training, and job and housing placement. ■ Enhancing the adjudication of cases involving violent offenders, including cases involving violent juvenile offenders. For the purposes of this program, violent offender means a person charged with committing a Part I violent crime under the Uniform Crime Reports. ■ Establishing a multijurisdictional task force, particularly in rural areas, composed of law enforcement officials representing units of local government; this task force will work with Federal law enforcement officials to prevent and control crime. ■ Establishing crime prevention programs involving cooperation between community residents and law enforcement personnel to control, detect, or investigate crime or the prosecution of criminals. ■ Defraying the cost of indemnification insurance for law enforcement officers. Funds or a portion of funds allocated under this title may be used to contract with private, nonprofit entities or community -based organizations to carry out the purposes of this Block Grants Program. Prohibition on Use of Funds Units of local government may not expend funds provided under the Local Law Enforcement Block Grants Program to purchase, lease, rent or acquire any of the following: ■ Tanks or armored vehicles. ■ Fixed -wing aircraft. ■ Limousines. ■ Real estate. ■ Yachts. ■ Consultants. ■ Vehicles not primarily used for law enforcement. In addition, Federal funds cannot be used to supplant State or local funds, but instead to increase the amount of funds that would be available otherwise from State and local sources. 2 Local Law Enforcement Block Grants Program 0()01.55 9— MINUTES OF THE MOORPARK LLEBG ADVISORY BOARD MEETING MARCH 4, 1997 HELD AT CITY HALL, AT 5:30 P.M. There was no formal agenda prepared for this meeting. The meeting began at approximately 5:40 P.M. ATTENDANCE Harvey Plaks and Dee Talley, community members; Shari Prosser, Moorpark Unified School District; John Oberg, County Probations Officer; Captain Mike Lewis representing law enforcement, and; Don Reynolds, Administrative Services Manager. The attached roster indicates who attended the Advisory Board meeting, and represents all members of said Board. BACKGROUND Don Reynolds, Administrative Services Manager, provided the Advisory Board with a background of funding resources for Police programs in Moorpark. A review of the current budget, status of the General Fund, and use of other grant monies was completed. Captain Mike Lewis then provided additional detail regarding general programs of the Moorpark Police Department. Mr. Lewis described in detail the role of DARE officers in Moorpark, and the need to have two programs serving both elementary and middle school aged children. Mr. Reynolds then outlined the LLEBG requirements and opportunities. Both eligible and ineligible uses of the federal monies were addressed. This overview also addressed the requirement for a local matching contribution amounting to not less than 10% of the cost. Then the grant award process was described beginning with Council consideration of this program July 2, 1996. Each member of the Advisory Board received a copy of the staff report approved by the Council July 2, 1996. In this report, possible uses for the grant were identified. It was noted that the report was written on June 24, prior to adoption of the 1996/97 budget, but that Council did not act specifically on the grant until July 2. Mr. Reynolds then brought the Board up to date stating that the grant award was received on September 30, 1996. Shortly thereafter, the federal contracts were provided, which indicated the need to have an Advisory Board. Mr. Reynolds described the need and importance of this Board. DISCUSSION At this point, each member of the Board provided their input for use of the grant monies. Shari Prosser, representing Moorpark Unified School District, agreed that after hearing how programs were funded, and how the State grant was being used for equipment needs, that support for the DARE program appeared to be a good use for these monies. Dee Talley qualified her input by stating that she is very active with school programs. She is pleased with the City's choices for use of other grant monies as well. Dee expressed an interest in the expansion of the DARE program from one to two programs. Captain Lewis then provided the Board with a more in depth description of this program serving the middle ()WI.56 B. a schools. The programs are designed differently, providing middle school aged children with home work assignments, and more active question and response dialogues between the new DARE officer and participants. Dee requested a sample of the information being provided, and Mike agreed that this information would be made available. John Oberg, County Probations, stated that he is currently working with teens in Oxnard. Prior to this assignment, he completed a thesis on the first year if the newly established Drug Court. Looking specifically at the clients of the Court, John perceived a need to reduce the number of repeat offenders. He noted in his study that peer pressure amongst adolescents begins at age 11. He added that this program fills a void between the elementary school program, and the high school SAP program. He felt the follow -up was important for providing a continuum of support for Moorpark's youth. Therefore, John concluded, that expanding the DARE program to this age level was a needed part of the program, and supports the Council's action. Harvey Plaks, community representative and retired Police Officer, at first glance, recommended use of the funds for a DARE vehicle to increase visibility of the program. He hopes that in the future, the City will have a DARE vehicle for special events. Mr. Plaks' primary concern was use of this money to supplant other monies that may be available for this program. Mr. Reynolds replied that the grant monies were included in the budget deliberations, although the report to Council did not occur until after budget adoption. Mr. Reynolds added that it is a specific requirement of the LLEBG not to use these monies to supplant other resources, and that he felt that this was not the case. With this input, the Board agreed by consensus to support the use of these monies for the newly created DARE program. Mr. Reynolds thanked the Board for their time, and agreed to copy all in attendance with the minutes from this meeting. Mr. Reynolds did not perceive any need for the Board to reconvene, unless new grant opportunities surfaced for the next fiscal year. ADJOURNMENT The Board adjourned at approximately 6:10 P.M. QWIZ7 ATTACHMENT "C" LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT BLOCK GRANT ( LLEBG) ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING OF JUNE 26, 1997 CITY HALL CONFERENCE ROOM (Precise time to be announced) I. ATTENDANCE II. APPROVAL OF THE MARCH 4, 1996 M[ MUTES III. BUDGET BACKGROUND AND UP -DATE A. YEAR -END STATUS OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY BUDGET INCLUDING THE STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT SUPPLEMENTARY FUNDS (SLESF) AND LLEBG B. 1997/98 PUBLIC SAFETY BUDGET IV. DISCUSSION A. OVERVIEW OF LLEBG STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS B. CONSIDER VARIOUS PROJECT PROPOSALS FOR STAFFING ASSISTANCE C. CONSIDER VARIOUS PROPOSALS FOR EQUIPMENT D. RANKING, IF NECESSARY, OF PROJECTS DISCUSSED V. FORMULATE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL 000158