COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

SHERIFF'S OFFICE

 

DATE:

January 14, 2002

BOARD MEETING DATE:

January 29, 2002

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Sheriff Don Horsley

SUBJECT:

Agreement With SAMTRANS For Provision of Law Enforcement & Public Safety Communications Services

 

Recommendation

That your Board:

 

1)

Adopt a Resolution authorizing the President of the Board to execute an Agreement with SAMTRANS for provision of law enforcement and public safety communications services for bus and rail operations.

 

2)

Approve a Salary Ordinance amending the Adopted FY 2001-02 Salary Ordinance, adding six positions to accomplish the proposed contractual services;

 

3)

Approve an Appropriation Transfer appropriating $312,177 to fund the six-month cost of services for remainder of FY 2001-02, and recognize the contractual revenues.

 

Background

In the Spring of 2001, San Mateo County Transit District, acting on its own behalf and on behalf of the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, contacted the Sheriff's Office to solicit a proposal for the Sheriff to provide law enforcement services for SAMTRANS bus services and CalTrain rail services. Additionally, SAMTRANS expressed a desire to contract, on a trial basis, with the Public Safety Communications Division of Employee & Public Services, to provide emergency telephone answering and public safety dispatching of first response personnel to SAMTRANS/CalTrain vehicles and facilities.

 

Over the preceding four months, the Sheriff's Office, County Counsel and SAMTRANS administration have cooperatively developed a proposed Agreement whereby the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office, and County Public Safety Communications division of EPS, would provide law enforcement and dispatch communications services to both SAMTRANS and the CalTrain Joint Powers Authority. The finalized version of the Agreement was heard and approved by the SAMTRANS Board of Directors on January 9, and subsequently by the Peninsula Joint Powers Board on January 10, 2002. It is now presented for your Board's approval.

 

Discussion

Under the recommended Agreement, the Sheriffs Office and Public Safety Communications will provide the following services:

 

Law Enforcement Services: Effective January 1, 2002, one Detective Sergeant, one Detective, and two Deputies will be assigned to SAMTRANS, and will investigate crimes, accidents and collisions; coordinate work with the District Attorney's Office in the prosecution of crimes; respond to dispatched calls; conduct undercover surveillance on buses and railcars; coordinate emergency response; monitor contract security guard performance; attend and provide security at SAMTRANS and Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board meetings; and work with other law enforcement agencies in related duties. Sheriff's personnel will be selected and supervised by the Sheriff's Office, but will report administratively to the SAMTRANS Chief of Security. Effective April 1, 2002, two additional Sheriff's Deputies will be assigned, bringing the total number of Sheriff's personnel to six. The staggered transition is to allow time for the department to recruit and train additional staff. The Agreement also provides for SAMTRANS to request additional Sheriff's sworn personnel at a per-officer cost. Such addition would also require Board of Supervisors/ SAMTRANS Board approval, through a Salary Ordinance Amendment as well as either a budgetary adjustment or mid-year Appropriation Transfer.

 

Public Safety Dispatching Services: From December 1, 2001 to June 30, 2002, Public Safety Communications will provide emergency telephone answering; personnel and equipment dispatching; digital paging; and associated statistical and management reports on a seven-day, 24-hour basis. Services will be provided through the County's existing Public Safety Dispatch Center in the basement of the Hall of Justice. This service is initially being provided on a trial basis, in order for SAMTRANS to evaluate service levels and effectiveness. If the service proves satisfactory as anticipated, the parties may agree to extend dispatching services for the remainder of the three-year term, in which case the Amendment will be brought back to your Board for approval in June, 2002. SAMTRANS will pay County Public Safety Communications $33,132 for this initial six-month period.

 

Fiscal Impact

The Law Enforcement portion of the Agreement is for a three-year period, from January 1, 2002 to December 31, 2004, with a total reimbursement of $2,254,088 over this period. The first year payment is $682,925, and annual reimbursement includes a 4.0% cost-of-living escalator for the second and third years. The Public Safety Communications portion of the Agreement is detailed in Exhibit 1-A, and provides for a one-time payment of $33,132 on July 31, 2002.

 

The agreement will necessitate an amendment to the Salary Ordinance (for the new positions) and an Appropriation Transfer (ATR, to create budgetary authority and establish revenue receivables). These are included with this report. The ATR is for $ 312,177, and covers two quarters for the remainder of this fiscal year. Thereafter, the appropriate annual costs and revenues will be included in the Sheriff's 2002-03 and 2003-04 budgets. If SAMTRANS determines to extend Public Safety Communication services beyond the current six-month term, a contract Amendment will be brought to the Board in time for inclusion of extended funding in the 2002-03 Public Safety Communications budget.

 

All costs for providing service are fully reimbursed through the Agreement, other than a portion of time spent by existing department management staff to develop and administer the contract. There will be no increase in Net County Cost as a result of the Agreement.

 

County Counsel has assisted in legal wording and review of the Agreement, and has approved it as to form. As a governmental agency, SAMTRANS complies with the County's non-discrimination and equal benefits requirements, and their signature to the Agreement so verifies.

 
 

cc

Mary Welch, Director of Employee & Public Services
Jaime Young, Public Safety Communications Manager
Steven G. Frew, SAMTRANS Chief of Protective Services
Priscilla Morse, Risk Manager
Deborah Penny Bennett, Deputy County Counsel