DATE: 11/06/2024
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Police Department
2024-102
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBJECT:
RESOLUTION ACCEPTING THE GRANT AGREEMENT FROM THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA
DEPARTMENT OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL 2024-2025 ABC-OTS GRANT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to approve the Resolution accepting and appropriating the State of California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control’s ABCOTS Grant Program. The ABCOTS grant, sponsored by the Office of Traffic Safety though the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, provides funding to local Police and Sheriff’s Department to reduce alcohol-related harm within California. The emphasis is on enforcement efforts of licensed establishments that operate in a disorderly manner and contribute to quality-of-life problems for the surrounding community.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
a. Adopt Resolution No. 2024-096, accepting and appropriating $39,900 from the State of California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control ABC-OTS Grant Program.
b. Appropriate $39,900 of one-time money from the unappropriated General Fund Balance to the Police Department’s operating budget and increase the General Fund estimated revenue by the same amount to be reimbursed from the State of California Department of Alcohol Beverage Control ABC-OTS Grant Program. c. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to execute the grant documents and any other related documents, amendments, and agreements consistent with or in furtherance of the City Council’s actions hereunder.
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
The Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) offered grant funding sponsored by the Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), ABC-OTS Grant Program in August 2024. The mission of the ABC-OTS Grant Program is to assist local law enforcement agencies in developing a practical, effective, comprehensive, and strategic approach to reducing crime and public nuisance problems associated with licensed alcoholic beverage retailers. The Police Department has successfully applied for funding for this grant program and was notified in September 2024 that the grant application was approved. The grant agreement was received for approval on October 14, 2024. The grant utilizes Alcohol Beverage Control enforcement activities to
help increase public safety and address any quality-of-life problems related to alcohol control for the surrounding community.
ANALYSIS:
The grant award is designed to address priorities of the Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) through the implementation of several key programs. These programs include the Minor Decoy Program, Shoulder Tap Program, Holiday Enforcement Program, and inspections carried out in the context of the Informed Merchants Preventing Alcohol-Related Crime Tendencies.
The objective of the Minor Decoy Program is to reduce the incidence of alcohol sales to minors by licensees. In the Shoulder Tap Program, the focus is on adults who supply alcoholic beverages to underage individuals. The term “Shoulder Tapping” pertains to the method employed by minors to acquire alcohol from adults near retail establishments.
The Holiday Enforcement Program involves undercover operations and high-profile enforcement activities aimed at combating underage drinking, sales to obviously intoxicated patrons, and sales/furnishing alcohol to minors. These operations are scheduled to coincide with NHTSA/OTS Holiday campaign dates associated with a heightened risk of Driving Under the Influence crashes.
The Corona Police Department will assign an ABC liaison officer who will be responsible for attending a one-day training session provided by ABC in Sacramento, California. This officer will collaborate closely with the local ABC liaison agent to facilitate training for patrol officers, educational and preventive programs, and the coordination of all other designated projects with ABC inspections and operations.
The performance period for the grant will be October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025. The one-time award will reimburse the City of Corona for designated personnel expenditures and related training.
All program operations will be conducted on an overtime basis and will supplement police crime prevention activities.
The City Attorney has reviewed and approved as to form the proposed Grant Agreement.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Approval of the recommended actions will result in an appropriation of $39,900 from the unappropriated General Fund Balance to the Police Department’s operating budget to be reimbursed from the State of California Alcoholic Beverage Control and an increase in General Fund estimated revenues by the same amount for the program award.
Expenditures will be reimbursed to the General Fund after submitting the bi-monthly claim amounts for that period. This grant has no cost share matching requirements. Any remaining budget from Fiscal Year 2025 will carry forward into Fiscal Year 2026. The onetime grant award will reimburse the General Fund expenditure as follows:
Police Staffing Expense $ 38,900
Training _____________________________________________________$ 1,000 Project Total $ 39,900
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the commonsense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. This action merely approves the purchase of a vehicle, and there is no possibility that this purchase will have a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
PREPARED BY: LINDA MCCULLOUGH, ACCOUNTING AND GRANTS SPECIALIST REVIEWED BY: ROBERT NEWMAN, CHIEF OF POLICE
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Exhibit 1 – Resolution No. 2024-096 – State of California ABC
2. Exhibit 2 – State of California ABC-OTS Grant Program Award Letter