DATE: 06/18/2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Community Services Department
2025-258
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBJECT:
AUTOMATED TIMED LOCKS FOR PARK RESTROOM SITES
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to provide direction on the installation of automated timed locks at Sierra Bella Park, Park View Park, and Rock Vista Park, which are currently locked by contractual security services, and Ontario Park, Brentwood Park, Tehachapi Park, Kellogg Park, and Butterfield Park, which are currently locked by the Park Rangers.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
That the City Council provide direction on the installation of automated door locking systems at eight park restrooms.
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
On May 7, 2025, the Community Services Department presented information to City Council on the installation of timed automated gates at Sierra Bella Park, adding similar gates at other parks, and securing park restrooms either with Park Rangers or automated locking systems. The City Council provided directions to proceed with installing a timed automated gate at Sierra Bella Park; however, a consensus on restroom security was not reached. Staff were directed to further research the warranty coverage and expected service life of the proposed automated locks and return with an update.
ANALYSIS:
Community Services staff explored the cost of converting the restroom doors at eight city parks to automatic timed locking systems. The City currently contracts a security company to lock and secure restrooms at four park sites nightly, at an annual cost of $96,000. Automating the locking systems at these sites would eliminate this need. The cost estimate to convert the restrooms to automated timed locks at these park sites, along with five additional park sites that are currently locked and reopened by the Park Rangers, is $33,300. This one-time cost would be recovered in less than four months with the elimination of the security contract.
Alternatively, the City could assign Park Rangers to lock and unlock the restrooms at the four sites currently serviced by the security contractor in addition to their existing duties.
This would require approximately three additional staff hours per day, at an annual cost of $27,000. Either approach would result in cost savings for the City.
The Community Services Department conducted a thorough review of available locking mechanisms and identified Trilogy Lock as the provider of the selected system. These locks are known for their reliability and come with a manufacturer-backed two-year warranty, providing durability and support. Additionally, the locks are designed with longlasting power efficiency, offering an estimated battery life of approximately five years, which minimizes the need for frequent maintenance or battery replacement. As a point of reference, the City of Irvine recently implemented these same locks at several public restroom facilities, further demonstrating their suitability for municipal use.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The financial impact of converting the restroom doors at the above-mentioned park sites to automated timed locks is a one-time cost of $33,300. However, this cost would be offset by the elimination of contract security services currently used to lock restrooms, which totals $96,000 annually. So, the total net savings would be $62,700 in year one and $96,000 per year thereafter.
Alternatively, if the City Council chooses to utilize the Park Rangers to lock and re-open the park restrooms instead of utilizing the security services contract, it will result in a cost of $27,000 per year for additional Park Ranger hours. But, there will be a total net savings of $69,000 per year.
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 seeks direction from the Council regarding the installation of a timed automated parking lot gates at various park sites and the conversion of 8 restroom doors to automated locking systems. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
PREPARED BY: MOSES CORTEZ, PARKS AND TRAILS MANAGER
REVIEWED BY: DONNA FINCH, COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR