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Home My WebLink AboutCC Resolution 15453 (Response to Grand Jury Report on First Responders)RESOLUTION NO. 15453 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE THE RESPONSE TO THE MARIN COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY REPORT ENTITLED “MARIN COUNTY FIRST RESPONDERS: SUPPORTING THOSE WHO SUPPORT US” WHEREAS, pursuant to Penal Code section 933(c), a public agency which receives a final grand jury report addressing aspects of the public agency’s operations must, within ninety (90) days, provide a written response to the presiding judge of the Superior Court, with a copy to the foreperson of the grand jury, responding to the report’s findings and recommendations pertaining to matters under the control of the governing body; and WHEREAS, Penal Code section 933(c) requires that the “governing body” of the public agency provide said response and, in order to lawfully comply, the governing body must consider and adopt the response at a noticed public meeting pursuant to the Brown Act; and WHEREAS, Penal Code section 933.05 specifies the required contents of a city’s response to findings and recommendations of a civil grand jury; and WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of San Rafael has received and reviewed the Marin County Grand Jury Report, dated June 17th, 2025, entitled “Marin County First Responders: Supporting Those Who Support Us”; and WHEREAS, at a regular City Council meeting held on September 2, 2025, the City Council discussed the report’s findings and recommendations. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of San Rafael hereby: 1.Approves and authorizes the Mayor to execute the City’s response to the Marin County Grand Jury’s June 17, 2025, report, entitled “Marin County First Responders: Supporting Those Who Support Us” a copy of which response is attached hereto as Attachment 1 and incorporated herein by reference. 2.Directs the City Clerk to forward the City’s response forthwith to the presiding judge of the Marin County Superior Court, with copy to the foreperson of the Marin County Grand Jury. 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 held on the 2ndth day of September 2025, by the following vote to wit: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: Councilmembers: Bushey, Hill, Kertz, Llorens Gulati & Mayor Kate Councilmembers: None Councilmembers: None LINDSAY LARA, City Clerk RESPONSE TO GRAND JURY REPORT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS REPORT TITLE: “MARIN COUNTY FIRST RESPONDERS: SUPPORTING THOSE WHO SUPPORT US” REPORT DATE: June 17, 2025 RESPONSE BY: San Rafael City Council GRAND JURY FINDINGS ▪We agree with the finding(s) numbered: F1, F2, F5 and F6 (as directed by the Grand Jury) ▪The remaining findings are not at issue and do not require a response from the City of San Rafael. GRAND JURY RECOMMENDATIONS ▪Recommendations numbered R# 1 along with R# 3 through R# 8 do not require a response by the City of San Rafael. ▪Recommendations numbered R# 2 has not been implemented yet, but will be addressed in the future. Date: _____________________ Signed: __________________________ Mayor Kate Colin ATTACHMENT 1 City of San Rafael Response to Grand Jury Report Findings and Recommendations “MARIN COUNTY FIRST RESPONDERS: SUPPORTING THOSE WHO SUPPORT US” June 17, 2025 City of San Rafael Response to Grand Jury Findings and Recommendations Page 2 of 3 RESPONSE TO GRAND JURY FINDINGS F1. Because the Specialized Assistance For Everyone (SAFE) team in San Rafael has proven to be an effective alternative for responding to 911 calls related to mental health crises, substance abuse, and homelessness, some police and fire resources have been freed to respond to critical calls. Response: AGREE F2. Because San Rafael’s Specialized Assistance For Everyone (SAFE) team hours are limited, some 911 calls related to mental health crises, substance abuse, and homelessness must be unnecessarily handled by police officers. Response: AGREE F5. Because no Specialized Assistance For Everyone (SAFE) teams operate in Southern Marin, West Marin, or unincorporated Marin County, police and ambulance resources continue to respond to 911 calls related to mental health crises, substance abuse, and homelessness that could be better served by a different kind of response team. Response: AGREE F6. Because there are no permanent dedicated funding sources for the Specialized Assistance For Everyone (SAFE) teams in Marin County, these programs face insecure futures no matter how successful they are. Response: AGREE RESPONSE TO GRAND JURY RECOMMENDATIONS R2. By March 1, 2026, the City Council of San Rafael should fund additional Specialized Assistance For Everyone (SAFE) team resources when requested by the San Rafael Police Department following its evaluation of the current program. This recommendation requires further analysis. Staff recognizes the City Council’s support for the Police Department’s alternative response pilot program known as Specialized Assistance For Everyone (S.A.F.E.). In its regularly scheduled meeting on January 17, 2023, the San Rafael City City of San Rafael Response to Grand Jury Report Findings and Recommendations “MARIN COUNTY FIRST RESPONDERS: SUPPORTING THOSE WHO SUPPORT US” June 17, 2025 City of San Rafael Response to Grand Jury Findings and Recommendations Page 3 of 3 Council’s action to fund the SAFE Team pilot program, created the opportunity to realize the success of an alternative response strategy for public safety. Since the approval of the funding for the pilot deployment of the SAFE Team, Police Department staff has have provided updates to the City Council and the community to include activity and statistics. The San Rafael SAFE Team deployment continues to be successful in supporting vulnerable members of the community by providing this public safety alternative response in assigning law enforcement and medical calls for service to the SAFE Team as a more appropriate resource, particularly in cases of mental health, chemical dependency and support to the unhoused. Police Department staff continue to pursue grant funding and alternative funding sources to sustain the SAFE Team resource beyond its scheduled pilot period. At the same time, the City Manager’s Office, Finance Department staff and Police Department staff continue to monitor expenditures for SAFE Team services in San Rafael to maximize the duration of the program’s pilot. A summary of the S.A.F.E. Team pilot program will be provided to the City Council in early 2026, which will include staff recommendations and potential funding strategies moving forward. In consideration of the Marin County Grand Jury recommendation #1 [R1. - By March 1, 2026, the Marin County Board of Supervisors should find a long-term funding source to fund Specialized Assistance For Everyone (SAFE) teams throughout the County.], The City of San Rafael believes this recommendation should be broader and should include the City. The City recommends a larger, county wide effort to find a long-term funding source to fund Specialized Assistance For Everyone to include the City of San Rafael similarly to the rest of the county. The City feels strongly that San Rafael should not be carved out of a county wide funding strategy simply because the City currently has a pilot program in progress. Calls for service, emergency room diversions, ambulance diversions and other criminal justice diversions have proven the need for such a program in San Rafael, and the inclusion of the City of San Rafael is imperative in a county - wide funding solution. Moreover, as the county seat of Marin County, the City of San Rafael experiences a higher level of activity within its jurisdiction and serves as a hub for social services, resources for the unhoused, and other service centers for individuals who are frequently supported by the SAFE Team.