HomeMy WebLinkAboutPD Office of Traffic Safety Grant Acceptance____________________________________________________________________________________
FOR CITY CLERK ONLY
Council Meeting: 8/18/2025
Disposition: Resolution 15448
Agenda Item No: 4.e
Meeting Date: August 18, 2025
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
Department: Police Department
Prepared by: Alex Holm, Police Lieutenant City Manager Approval: ______________
TOPIC: OFFICE OF TRAFFIC SAFETY GRANT ACCEPTANCE
SUBJECT: RESOLUTION APPROVING THE ACCEPTANCE AND APPROPRIATION OF STATE
OF CALIFORNIA OFFICE OF TRAFFIC SAFETY GRANT FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF
$105,000 FOR THE “SELECTIVE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM” (“STEP”)
GRANT FROM OCTOBER 1, 2025, THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30, 2026, 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 $105,000 for the “Selective
Traffic Enforcement Program” (STEP) grant covering the period from October 1, 2025, to September 30,
2026, and authorizing the City Manager to execute the grant agreement and any other documents related
to the grant.
BACKGROUND:
Over the last 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
grant has provided critical traffic enforcement and education operations by funding the deploym ent of
officers for DUI / DL checkpoints, DUI saturation patrols, red light and speed enforcement, seat belt
enforcement, and distracted driving enforcement. Currently, the only available funding is through the
STEP grant program. For the period from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025, the SRPD received
a $92,000 STEP grant. This funding supported and enhanced our enforcement and education
campaigns, as well as training for our personnel.
In recent years, the San Rafael Police Department (SRPD) has experienced staffing constraints, which
have led to the reduction of personnel within the traffic unit. During that period, the SRPD encouraged
patrol officers to conduct enforcement focused on reducing alcohol and speed-related collisions and
increasing pedestrian and bicycle safety. As staffing levels rebounded, the police department prioritized
adding personnel to the traffic unit to address dangerous driving behavior and to reduce collisions in the
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 2
City. The traffic unit currently consists of one sergeant, one corporal, and one officer. Two more traffic
officers are expected to join the unit by mid-September 2025.
The SRPD community outreach and social media team has and will continue to regularly disseminate
traffic safety information in a bilingual format.
ANALYSIS:
The City of San Rafael has tentatively been awarded a $105,000 grant by the Office of Traffic Safety
(OTS) to improve traffic safety in the community. The primary objective of this grant is to reduce fatalities
and injuries caused by traffic collisions. Key areas of focus include collisions involving alcohol and drugs,
as well as other primary causes of traffic incidents.
Should the City Council approve acceptance of this grant, the San Rafael Police Department (SRPD) will
have the necessary funds to enhance its enforcement efforts by launching safety awareness campaigns,
conducting targeted operations against impaired and distracted driving, conducting targeted operations
against impaired and distracted driving, and implementing initiatives to improve pedestrian and cyclist
safety. The SRPD will implement evidence-based strategies aimed at addressing these issues through
education and enforcement. The grant also supports specialized training for officers to address these
specific areas, and operations funded by the grant are scheduled to occur from October 1, 2025, to
September 30, 2026.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The grant funding will be deposited 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 $105,000.
OPTIONS:
The City Council has the following options to consider on this matter:
1.Adopt the resolution as presented.
2.Adopt the resolution with modifications.
3.Direct staff to return with more information.
4.Take no action.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
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 $105,000 for the “Selective
Traffic Enforcement Program” (STEP) grant covering the period from October 1, 2025, to September 30,
2026, and authorizing the City Manager to execute the grant agreement and any other documents related
to the grant.
ATTACHMENTS:
1.Resolution
2.Year 2025-2026 California Office of Traffic Safety Selective Traffic Enforcement Program Grant
RESOLUTION NO. 15448
RESOLUTION APPROVING THE ACCEPTANCE AND APPROPRIATION OF STATE
OF CALIFORNIA OFFICE OF TRAFFIC SAFETY GRANT FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT
OF $105,000 FOR THE “SELECTIVE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM”
(“STEP”) GRANT FROM OCTOBER 1, 2025, THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30, 2026, 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 tentatively approved a
grant to the City of San Rafael in the amount of $105,000.00 in grant funds; and
WHEREAS, the grant funds may be spent to pay overtime costs, travel, and equipment
purchase associated with the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (“STEP”) Grant
Program to mitigate traffic safety program deficiencies and expand ongoing activity; and
WHEREAS, to improve traffic safety, the San Rafael Police Department will use the STEP
Grant funds for education campaigns, DUI saturation patrols and enforcement, DUI
repeat offender identification, distracted driving enforcement, traffic safety educational
presentations, pedestrian/bicycle enforcement operations; 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 $105,000.00 in State of California Office of Traffic Safety Selective
Traffic Enforcement Program funds to be appropriated in the 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, City 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 City
Council held on the 18th day of August 2025 by the following vote, to wit:
AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: Hill, Kertz, Llorens Gulati & Vice Mayor Bushey
NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS: None
ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: Mayor Kate
Lindsay Lara, City Clerk