COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

SHERIFF’S OFFICE

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

DATE:

November 29, 2005

BOARD MEETING DATE:

December 6, 2005

SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:

None

VOTE REQUIRED:

Majority

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Sheriff Don Horsley

Mary Welch, Director of Employee & Public Services

SUBJECT:

Agreement with the City of East Palo Alto for law enforcement and public safety communications.

RECOMMENDATION:

Adopt a Resolution authorizing the County Manager to execute an Agreement with the City of East Palo Alto, including the negotiation of any minor adjustments not significantly impacting services, costs, or payments, for a two-year term through June 30^th, 2007 with a total reimbursement to the County of $2,588,122.

VISION ALIGNMENT:

The proposed Agreement aligns with the Shared Vision 2010 Goal of ensuring basic health and safety for all, under Commitment No. 7 – maintain and enhance the safety of all residents and visitors; Commitment No. 8 – protecting the quality of life of the vulnerable elderly and children, who are disproportionately victimized by street crime activity; as well as the Goal of responsive, effective, and collaborative government, under Commitment No. 20 – Government decisions are based on careful consideration of future impact, rather than immediate relief .

PERFORMANCE MEASURES:

FY 2004-05

Actual

FY 2005-06 Target

FY 2006-07

Target

No. of PSC calls processed annually by category:

- High Priority

- Other Dispatched Calls

- Informational Calls

69,529

181,261

399,893

65,500

206,350

376,400

65,500

203,650

376,400

Percent of High Priority calls dispatched within established time frames:

- Police

- Fire

- Medical

88 %

94 %

93 %

82 %

94 %

94 %

82 %

94 %

94 %

BACKGROUND:

San Mateo County has been providing contract supplemental law enforcement and public safety communication services to the City of East Palo Alto since 1996. The deployment of Sheriff’s Office personnel in the City has historically helped mitigate and reduce serious crime rates against citizens and property in the City.

The most recent Agreement with the City (Board Resolution 66339) expired on June 30, 2005. Since the Spring of 2005, the City and the County have been meeting to both define and negotiate a new level of supplemental law enforcement services. The City government has also transitioned during the prior contract period, under a new City Manager (Alvin James) and with the appointment of a new Police Chief (Ron Davis), who replaced the previous interim police chief, Steve Belcher. A new City administration has been re-designing community police services with a fresh vision. These factors delayed the finalization of this Agreement, which is now being brought to your Board for approval.

Over the last several years, the County’s subsidy to East Palo Alto has been reduced from approximately $1.5 Million down to about $565,000 in 2004-05. Permanent Sheriff’s Office staffing has been reduced by six positions, and Public Safety Communications services have remained steady with no significant staffing increases.

DISCUSSION:

The two-year Agreement term is retroactive to July 1, 2005. The Agreement provides for total reimbursement to the County of $1,250,142 for FY 2005-06, and $1,337,980 for 2006-07. This represents an increase of $341,228 or 15%, over the prior contract total two-year payments. Sheriff’s Office services and corresponding reimbursements decrease to $567,540 in FY 2006-07 and reimbursement to Public Safety Communications increases to $770,440 in FY 2006-07. The Agreement provides for the complete elimination of a County subsidy by the conclusion of FY 2006-07.

Under the Agreement, Public Safety dispatch services remain unchanged, while Sheriff’s Office services transition from direct provision of investigation services to operation of a street crimes suppression unit for the City. Police Chief Davis intends to initiate and transition to a full City-led investigative unit by the end of FY 2005-06, taking over responsibility for all criminal investigations in the City. The FBI has been recruited to help investigate selected major crimes cases with no identified suspect. . The Sheriff’s Office will continue to assist in investigation of extra-ordinary major crime cases under mutual aid (which is the case for all cities within the County), and will negotiate a reimbursable cost with the City for additional or supplemental investigative work, on a case-by-case basis.

Sheriff’s staffing reduces from one Sergeant and five Deputies at the beginning of FY 2005-06, to a Sergeant and two Deputies in FY 2006-07. The importance of a street crime suppression team is well-established, and the Agreement provides for the City’s gradual assumption of staffing for this unit, with a full City takeover of street crime suppression planned beginning July 2007 (FY 2007-08). All Sheriff’s Office services will be phased out by the beginning of FY 2007-08, and the City has stated that it intends to commence full service policing by that date. Public Safety Communications services will remain unchanged.

The proposed Agreement has been developed in consultation with City officials, and is scheduled to go to the City Council for approval in December. To prevent further delay in implementation of the agreement, it is recommended that your Board authorize the County Manager to complete the execution of the Agreement on behalf of the County, including any minor changes or issues related to the Agreement that may arise during Council consideration, provided the changes do not substantively alter the nature, cost or payment for County services provided to the City. County Counsel will be asked to review the final Agreement prior to execution, if any changes are made from the attached version.

FISCAL IMPACT:

By FY 2006-07, the County’s cost of service, and the City’s payment of same, will be fully covered through contractual payments from the City. Revenue from the Agreement is included within the Sheriff’s Office and EPS Public Safety Communications FY 2005-06 budget, and the City will begin payment for the contractual service through the December, 2005 property tax levy, which has been the historical method of payment. There is no increase in budgeted net County cost from approval of this Agreement. The Agreement calls for the complete elimination of a County subsidy for the City by FY 2006-07.