STAFF REPORT
Meeting Date:
October 14, 2025
CONSENT
11 SUBJECT: OFFICE OF TRAFFIC SAFETY (OTS) GRANT ACCEPTANCE RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the City Council:
1. Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to accept a $165,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety Grant;
2. Approve a budget appropriation of $165,000 with a matching increase in estimated grant revenue to fund overtime salaries, equipment, and supplies related to a Driving Under the Influence (DUI) Enforcement and Awareness Program, Traffic Safety Enforcement, and DUI Sobriety Checkpoint; and
3. Find that the recommended action is not a “project” under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15378(b)(5) of the CEQA Guidelines
SUMMARY OF THE MATTER
This report recommends that the City Council authorize acceptance of a $165,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to support Driving Under the Influence (DUI) prevention, traffic enforcement, and public education. The grant funds will be used to cover overtime salaries, educational materials, equipment, and supplies associated with safety operations such as DUI checkpoints and distracted driving enforcement.
This program aligns with the City’s Vision Zero goal of eliminating traffic fatalities and injuries. The action requires no matching funds and will not impact the General Fund. The grant-funded activities are administrative in nature and do not constitute a project under CEQA pursuant to Guidelines Section 15378(b)(5).
DISCUSSION
The Laguna Beach Police Department remains committed to achieving the "Vision Zero" objective, eliminating traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries across all transportation modes. To support this initiative, the Department submitted a grant application to the OTS to fund a comprehensive DUI and traffic safety enforcement program.
OTS has awarded the City $165,000 in grant funding for Fiscal Year 2025-26. This grant supports overtime enforcement operations, educational outreach, and the purchase of equipment and supplies. These efforts are designed to reduce impaired driving, increase public awareness, and improve traffic safety throughout the community.
The grant will fund the following activities:
• Four DUI/driver’s license checkpoints
• Twelve DUI saturation patrols
• One “Know Your Limits” education event
OFFICE OF TRAFFIC SAFETY (OTS) GRANT ACCEPTANCE
October 14, 2025
• One collaborative DUI enforcement operation
• Ten general traffic enforcement operations
• Five motorcycle safety operations
• Four pedestrian and bicycle enforcement operations
• One collaborative traffic enforcement operation
• Two traffic safety education events
• Twenty distracted driving enforcement operations
• Six community engagement and collaboration events
• One in-state OTS-related travel event
• Acquisition of two portable light towers
The Police Department has successfully implemented similar OTS-funded programs in prior years, resulting in measurable improvements in public awareness and traffic safety. This year’s grant award continues that momentum and enables the Department to maintain a visible presence and proactively address unsafe driving behaviors.
The full amount of the grant will be appropriated into the General Fund with an equal increase in estimated grant revenue. No City matching funds are required.
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
There is no net fiscal impact as a result of this action. The $165,000 grant award from the California Office of Traffic Safety will be fully offset by a matching increase in estimated grant revenue in the General Fund.
The funds will be used to support Police Department overtime costs, educational outreach, and the purchase of equipment and supplies. No General Fund match is required.
The following appropriation adjustments are recommended:
Fund Account Amount Description
General Fund 1102100-45100-G2610 ($165,000) OTS Grant Revenue General Fund 1102102-72069-G2610 $165,000 OTS Grant Expenditures – Program Costs Net Impact $0
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
OFFICE OF TRAFFIC SAFETY (OTS) GRANT ACCEPTANCE
October 14, 2025
The proposed action is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (Public Resources Code section 21000 et seq.) ("CEQA") because it does not qualify as a "project" under CEQA. State CEQA Guidelines Section 15378 defines a project as an activity that "has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment." (State CEQA Guidelines, § 15378(a).) Section 15378 explicitly excludes from its definition of "project" "organizational or administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment." (State CEQA Guidelines, § 15378(b)(5).)
ATTACHMENTS
1. Draft Grant Agreement (Pgs. 4-23)
Submitted By:
.
Approved: David A Kiff
Jeff Calvert, Police Chief Dave Kiff, City Manager
Report Prepared By: Coordinated With:
Thomas Spratt, Sergeant Jesse Schmidt, Police Lieutenant