HomeMy WebLinkAboutPD Office of Safety Grant Approval 2022-23____________________________________________________________________________________
FOR CITY CLERK ONLY
Council Meeting: September 19, 2022
Disposition: Resolution 15128
Agenda Item No: 4.e
Meeting Date: September 19, 2022
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
Department: Police Department
Prepared by: Todd Berringer, Lieutenant City Manager Approval: ____________
TOPIC: OFFICE OF TRAFFIC SAFETY GRANT APPROVAL
SUBJECT: RESOLUTION APPROVING THE ACCEPTANCE AND APPROPRIATION OF STATE
OF CALIFORNIA OFFICE OF TRAFFIC SAFETY GRANT FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF
$138,000 FOR THE “SELECTIVE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM” (“STEP”)
GRANT FROM OCTOBER 1, 2022 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30, 2023, AND
AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A GRANT AGREEMENT AND
ANY OTHER DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THE GRANT
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the resolution approving the acceptance and appropriation
of State of California Office of Traffic Safety grant funds in the amount of $138,000 for the “Selective
Traffic Enforcement Program” (“STEP”) grant from October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2023 and
authorizing the City Manager to execute a grant agreement and any other documents related to the grant.
BACKGROUND:
For the past twenty years, the Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) of the State of California has awarded over
two million dollars in traffic safety grants to the City of San Rafael. These grants have included the Marin
County “Avoid the Marin 13” Driving Under the Influence (DUI)/ Driver’s License (DL) campaign, Click it
or Ticket grants, DUI Mini grants, DUI Enforcement and Awareness grants, and STEP grants. Each of
the grants have provided critical traffic enforcement and education operations by funding the deployment
of officers for DUI / DL checkpoints, DUI saturation patrols, red light and speed enforcement, seat belt
enforcement, and distracted driving enforcement. As of October 1st, 2016, OTS no longer offers the
countywide “Avoid the Marin 13” grants. The only funding available is through the Selective Traffic
Enforcement (STEP) grant program. This development has greatly reduced our funding for traffic and
DUI related enforcement activities.
The San Rafael Police Department (SRPD) currently has two officers assigned full-time to traffic
enforcement. This is down from seven full-time officers in 2007. The San Rafael Police Department has
encouraged patrol officers and traffic officers to conduct enforcement focused on reducing alcohol and
speed-related collisions, along with increased pedestrian and bicycle safety.
The San Rafael Police Department Community Outreach and Social Media teams regularly disseminate
traffic safety information in a bilingual format.
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 2
ANALYSIS:
OTS has approved a grant of $138,000 to the City of San Rafael. The project goal of this OTS grant is
to reduce the number of persons killed or injured in vehicle collisions involving alcohol, speed, red light
violations and other primary collision factors, by implementing “best practice” strategies. Enforcement
and education have shown to be critical in reducing vehicle collisions. The grant will provide the
necessary resources for traffic enforcement and education operations.
The acceptance and implementation of this $138,000 grant is critical to maintain traffic safety levels in
San Rafael. Collision data from years 2020 through 2021 indicated that most of the city’s collisions
occurred due to unsafe turns, excessive/unsafe speed, red-light violations, driving under the influence of
drugs and/or alcohol and unsafe starting. The Police Department recognizes that additional education
and enforcement is needed to reduce these numbers.
The SRPD encourages patrol and traffic officers to conduct focused enforcement for reducing alcohol-,
pedestrian-, and speed-related collisions. However, current staffing levels inherently limit the frequency
by which more proactive traffic enforcement efforts can occur because officers are primarily focused on
responding to emergency calls for service.
Should the City Council approve this grant, the San Rafael Police Department will have the resources to
implement numerous enforcement programs including, but not limited to, various safety and awareness
campaigns, enforcement operations, and a program to identify repeat DUI offenders. The grant also
includes funding for officer trainings and enforcement operations for distracted driving, motorcycle safety,
and bicycle/pedestrian safety, among others.
Operations for this grant will be scheduled between October 1, 2022 and September 30, 2023.
The SRPD will report statistics quarterly to the Office of Traffic Safety and the grant will be evaluated by
how well the stated goals and objectives were accomplished.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH:
A significant aspect of this grant is educating the community and increasing awareness regarding traffic
safety. This will be accomplished through press releases and the use of social media. The San Rafael
Police Department has 15,800 Twitter and 12,000 Facebook followers as well as 41,000 subscribers to
updates on Nextdoor and over 2,100 subscribers to press release email notifications.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The grant funding will be received into the Grant Fund – Safety (Fund #281) and will be appropriated for
operational expenses such as overtime costs, travel and training associated with the focused
enforcement of traffic safety, up to the total proceeds of the grant of $138,000.
OPTIONS:
1. Adopt the resolution approving acceptance and appropriation of the $138,000 Office of Traffic Safety
STEP grant and authorizing the City Manager to execute a grant agreement and any other documents
related to the grant.
2. Do not adopt the resolution. (The OTS grants require the implementation of all the grant components
for funding to be provided.)
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Adopt the resolution approving the acceptance and appropriation of State of California Office of Traffic
Safety grant funds in the amount of $138,000 for the “Selective Traffic Enforcement Program” (“STEP”)
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 3
grant from October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2023, and authorizing the City Manager to execute a
grant agreement and any other documents related to the grant.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution
RESOLUTION NO. 15128
RESOLUTION APPROVING THE ACCEPTANCE AND APPROPRIATION OF STATE
OF CALIFORNIA OFFICE OF TRAFFIC SAFETY GRANT FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF
$138,000 FOR THE “SELECTIVE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM” (“STEP”)
GRANT FROM OCTOBER 1, 2022 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30, 2023, AND
AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A GRANT AGREEMENT AND
ANY OTHER DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THE GRANT
Whereas, the State of California, Office of Traffic Safety has approved a grant to the
City of San Rafael in the amount of $138,000 in grant funds for the period of October
1, 2022 through September 30, 2023; and
Whereas, this grant money may be spent to pay overtime costs, travel and equipment
purchase associated with the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (“STEP”) Gr ant
Program to mitigate traffic safety program deficiencies and expand onging activity; and
Whereas, to improve traffic safety, the San Rafael Police Department will use the
STEP Grant funds to conduct DUI saturation patrols, distracted driving enforcement,
motorcycle safety enforcement, high collision intersection enforcement, speed
enforcement patrols, and enforcement traffic stops; and
Whereas, the Police Department will use the STEP Grant funds for overtime
personnel costs of Captains, Lieutenants, Sergeants, Corporals, Officers, Community
Service Officers, Dispatchers and Cadets incurred in connection with the enforcement
activities, including training and travel and expenses related to enforcement activities;
and
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council approves the
acceptance and appropriation of $138,000 in California Office of Traffic Safety grant
funds for the City’s “Selective Traffic Enforcement Program” from October 1, 2022
through September 30, 2023, with funds to be appropriated in the Safety Grant Fund
281; and authorizes the City Manager to execute a Grant Agreement and any
documents related to the Grant in a form approved by the City Attorney.
I, Lindsay Lara, Clerk of the City of San Rafael, hereby certify that the foregoing
resolution was duly and regularly introduced and adopted at a regular meeting of the
San Rafael City Council meeting held on September 19, 2022 by the following vote,
to wit:
AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: Bushey, Hill, Kertz, Llorens Gulati & Mayor Kate
NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS: None
ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: None
Lindsay Lara, City Clerk
