ITEM NO. 16.
PREPARED BY: Chris Constantin
Town Manager
Reviewed by: Town Manager, Assistant Town Manager, Town Attorney, and Administrative Services Director
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● (408) 354-6832 www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE: 05/19/2026
ITEM NO: 17
DATE: May 19, 2026
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Chris Constantin, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Discuss Potential Law Enforcement Services Agreement with City of Saratoga and Provide Direction to Staff
RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the Town Council receive this report, discuss the potential provision of law enforcement services to the City of Saratoga through the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department, and provide direction to the Town Manager. The Council may direct the Town Manager to take one of the following actions:
a. Continue discussions and negotiations with the City of Saratoga regarding a potential law enforcement services agreement and return to the Town Council with a proposed agreement for consideration at a future public meeting; b. Cease discussions and negotiations with the City of Saratoga regarding a potential law enforcement services agreement; or
c. Provide other directions to staff.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no direct fiscal impact associated with receiving this report and providing direction to staff. The Town has already been working with Meliora Public Safety Consulting to evaluate departmental resource needs, workload demands, staffing assumptions, and beat structures associated with a possible Saratoga integrated service model. That work is ongoing and should be completed before any final agreement is presented, so the Town can confirm whether the
ITEM NO. 17.
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SUBJECT: Discuss Potential Law Enforcement Services Agreement with City of Saratoga and Provide Direction to Staff
DATE: May 19, 2026
estimated service model is appropriate and whether the proposed model protects Los Gatos from unrecovered costs or operational dilution.
If the Town Council directs the Town Manager to continue discussions and negotiations, additional staff time, consultant support, and legal review may be required to evaluate operational, financial, liability, insurance, personnel, facilities, technology, transition, and implementation issues.
If an agreement is ultimately negotiated and approved by both agencies, implementation would require work before any transition in service. These transition activities may include recruitment, hiring, training, equipment acquisition, technology configuration, dispatch and records preparation, data and evidence transition planning, communications coordination, public messaging, legal review, and operational readiness work. Those costs would be incurred by Los Gatos in 2026-27 before service commencement and would need to be identified as reimbursable startup or transition costs to be repaid by Saratoga over the initial ten year contract term. Any proposed final agreement would include a fiscal analysis before Council consideration.
STRATEGIC PRIORITY:
This item supports the Town’s strategic priorities related to public safety, fiscal sustainability, emergency preparedness, and regional collaboration. A potential law enforcement services partnership with Saratoga would allow the Town to evaluate whether an expanded regional service model can preserve high quality, community oriented policing while improving cost efficiency, and enhancing coordination among adjoining Los Gatos regionalized communities.
The partnership could support long term fiscal sustainability by spreading appropriate fixed law enforcement costs across a broader service base.
BACKGROUND:
The Town of Los Gatos has long provided municipal law enforcement services beyond its own jurisdiction through an intergovernmental service model. Since 1995, the Town has provided law enforcement services to the City of Monte Sereno through what is now the Los GatosMonte Sereno Police Department. That partnership has allowed Monte Sereno to receive comprehensive municipal police services while allowing Los Gatos to share fixed public safety costs, improve regional coordination, and support a broader service base.
Los Gatos and Monte Sereno Renew Law Enforcement Services Partnership In 2015, the Town and Monte Sereno amended and restated the original agreement to update performance and compensation terms. In 2025, the Town Council approved a new five year agreement with Monte Sereno, effective July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2030, with a five year
ITEM NO. 17.
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SUBJECT: Discuss Potential Law Enforcement Services Agreement with City of Saratoga and Provide Direction to Staff
DATE: May 19, 2026
renewal option. That agreement continues a long standing regional partnership and includes updated provisions related to cost recovery, annual adjustments, emergency operations, critical incident cost recovery, communications and reporting, liability, insurance, payment terms, and dispute resolution.
The strength of this regional service model is also reflected in the quality of police services provided by the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department. The Town’s recent 2025 Community Survey showed extremely high levels of satisfaction with police services, reinforcing community confidence in the Department’s service quality, professionalism, responsiveness, and community oriented approach. The City of Monte Sereno has similarly emphasized the value of receiving high quality, community focused police services through its long standing partnership with Los Gatos.
Saratoga is Exploring Alternatives to Significant Cost Increases in Law Enforcement Services The City of Saratoga has contracted with Santa Clara County for law enforcement services since shortly after incorporation in October 1956. Saratoga currently receives services through an allocation of law enforcement, supplemental, reserve, booking, processing, and communications services provided by the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office.
On April 27, 2026, the Saratoga City Council held a special meeting to allow the Council to provide staff with further direction on Council priorities for law enforcement services. During the meeting and in the agenda report, Saratoga staff reported that the current Sheriff’s Office contract provides 24,255 hours of service at approximately $9 million in F2025-26.
Saratoga staff also reported that the County’s April 13, 2026, revised proposal for 2026-27 was approximately $11.6 million, an increase of approximately $2.6 million or 29 percent from the current contract. Saratoga staff further reported that absorbing the proposed increase while retaining current service levels would require significant tradeoffs, including reduced General Fund contributions to capital projects, lower discretionary additional pension payments, operating reductions, and reliance on reserves.
In considering alternatives, Saratoga is looking at options identified in Saratoga’s staff report which include continuing with the Sheriff, negotiating reduced service levels, or pursuing a transition to Los Gatos. To facilitate discussion, on March 30, 2026, Los Gatos provided Saratoga with a preliminary proposal for potential law enforcement services beginning July 1, 2027. The proposal was administrative in nature and did not commit Los Gatos to the cost or to providing service, but rather, the proposal was intended to allow the Saratoga City Council to determine whether a partnership with Los Gatos should be explored.
ITEM NO. 17.
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SUBJECT: Discuss Potential Law Enforcement Services Agreement with City of Saratoga and Provide Direction to Staff
DATE: May 19, 2026
The preliminary proposal described a service level partnership, similar to Monte Sereno, rather than a traditional hours based billing model similar to the County of Santa Clara agreement.
Under that concept, Saratoga would receive law enforcement services comparable to what Los Gatos provides within its own community and through its existing relationship with Monte Sereno, including patrol, traffic enforcement, investigations, communications and dispatch, records support, evidence storage, administrative support, specialty resources, community outreach and engagement, and emergency operations support.
The preliminary proposal identified an annualized first year estimate of approximately $9.5 million beginning July 1, 2027, subject to mutual approval by both Councils and further development of final pricing, scope, and contract terms. Since that preliminary proposal, the Town has been working with Meliora Public Safety Consulting, a firm the Town had already worked with for its own comprehensive police department analysis, to evaluate whether the proposed model reflects Saratoga’s expected workload demands, service needs, staffing requirements, and beat structure. That work remains ongoing.
While staff believe a viable path towards a win-win partnership exists, staff are at the point where the Town Council’s direction is necessary to ensure this direction aligns with the best interests of the Town. The purpose of this item is to obtain Council direction before additional staff and legal resources are committed to further negotiations.
DISCUSSION:
Regional Public Safety Context
Cities throughout California continue to face constrained budgets while attempting to maintain core municipal services. Public safety is one of the largest service responsibilities for many cities and is affected by rising personnel costs, retirement and benefit costs, insurance and risk costs, technology and equipment requirements, dispatch and communications costs, emergency preparedness needs, and evolving legal and operational mandates.
These pressures are not limited to law enforcement. Cities are also balancing costs associated with infrastructure, parks, housing, planning, emergency management, fire prevention, community services, and administrative functions. As costs increase, many local agencies are evaluating shared service models, regional partnerships, joint use of specialized resources, and intergovernmental agreements to preserve service quality while improving affordability.
The Town’s existing relationship with Monte Sereno is an example of this approach. It demonstrates that a neighboring jurisdiction can receive comprehensive municipal police services through a contract relationship while Los Gatos shares fixed operational costs, strengthens regional coordination, and supports a broader service base.
ITEM NO. 17.
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SUBJECT: Discuss Potential Law Enforcement Services Agreement with City of Saratoga and Provide Direction to Staff
DATE: May 19, 2026
A potential Saratoga partnership raises a broader policy question for the Town Council whether expanding the regional municipal law enforcement model to a third jurisdiction could strengthen the Town’s ability to retain high quality services, create economies of scale, reduce the Town’s total cost of ownership of municipal police services, improve affordability for Saratoga, and enhance regional public safety coordination.
The Town is currently undertaking a detailed analysis with NHA Advisors, and their partners Raftelis and Willdan, to produce a detailed financial analysis, 10-year forecast, financial impacts analysis of future development, and an asset liability management study. Together, these studies are intended to form the backbone of information guiding the Town into the future.
Preliminarily, the consultant team presented that the Town’s revenue will not be sufficient in the future to address its existing service levels, future capital, and other needs identified in various Town reports. As such, a law enforcement services partnership that results in reducing the cost of ownership is a positive potential for the Town’s future outlook. This is similar to Saratoga, and by working together with our existing partnership with Monte Sereno, our three communities can strengthen our relationships and reduce total cost in servicing our roughly 70,000 residents combined.
Saratoga Law Enforcement Cost
Saratoga’s current model is based on purchased hours and allocated services through the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office. Saratoga staff reported that the current contract includes 24,255 hours for approximately $9 million in 2025-26 and that the April 13, 2026, County proposal would increase the cost to approximately $11.6 million for 2026-27.
The issue for Saratoga is not merely the cost increase in a single year. Saratoga staff reported that absorbing the proposed County cost while maintaining current service levels would require significant tradeoffs that could affect the City’s long-term fiscal stability. This creates an opportunity to evaluate whether a municipal regional model can provide Saratoga with cost predictability while still protecting the Town from unrecovered costs and reducing the total cost of ownership to our residents.
What could this mean for our Los Gatos regional jurisdictions The Town should consider this context as a broader value proposition for all three communities. Like many cities throughout California, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, and Saratoga face increasing pressure to sustain current service levels with existing revenues while managing rising public safety, personnel, technology, emergency preparedness, and operational costs. A carefully structured regional partnership may allow each community to preserve high quality law enforcement services while lowering the net cost of service delivery by sharing appropriate fixed costs and expanding operational capacity.
ITEM NO. 17.
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SUBJECT: Discuss Potential Law Enforcement Services Agreement with City of Saratoga and Provide Direction to Staff
DATE: May 19, 2026
The communities also have a mutual interest in retaining and growing public safety capacity to meet future emergency needs, including major incidents and disaster response. By working together, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, and Saratoga may be able to strengthen regional readiness, improve coordination, and better protect the safety and quality of life of residents and businesses across adjoining communities.
If successful, this partnership could also serve as a model for future intergovernmental cooperation in the Los Gatos region, demonstrating how cities can maintain or enhance service quality while reducing costs to taxpayers through thoughtful regional collaboration.
Service Quality, Responsiveness, and Local Accountability While cost predictability is a significant reason Saratoga is evaluating alternatives, the potential partnership should also be considered in terms of service quality, responsiveness, and local accountability. The Los-Gatos Monte Sereno Police Department’s service model is grounded in community oriented policing, direct local engagement, and close coordination between Department leadership and the communities served.
The Town’s recent 2025 Community Survey showed extremely high levels of satisfaction with police services, reflecting community confidence in the Department’s professionalism, responsiveness, and service quality. The Town’s long standing relationship with Monte Sereno further demonstrates that high quality municipal police services can be delivered through a regional partnership while maintaining a strong community connection.
Responsiveness is also an important service consideration. In Saratoga’s April 27, 2026, law enforcement options report, Saratoga reported Los Gatos’s response times for the latest reporting period as
4.22 minutes for Priority I calls (Critical),
6.28 minutes for Priority II calls, and
6.59 minutes for Priority III calls (Routine).
The same report identified the Sheriff’s Office average response times of 8.28 minutes for Priority I calls,
6.49 minutes for Priority II calls, and
6.44 minutes for Priority III calls.
The Sheriff’s Office is a valued partner and will continue to be such regardless of the decisions made by Saratoga and Los Gatos. Although Los Gatos and Monte Sereno already achieve
ITEM NO. 17.
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SUBJECT: Discuss Potential Law Enforcement Services Agreement with City of Saratoga and Provide Direction to Staff
DATE: May 19, 2026
excellent response times, the Town’s continued investment in public safety technology is expected to further enhance response capabilities and service effectiveness. These improvements will benefit Los Gatos and Monte Sereno directly and, if a partnership is established, could also extend those gains to Saratoga.
Purpose of the Current Council Discussion
The Council is not being asked to approve a law enforcement services agreement with Saratoga at this meeting. Instead, staff is seeking direction on whether the Town should continue exploring a potential agreement.
Council direction is appropriate at this stage to confirm whether the Council is generally aligned with continuing to evaluate a potential Saratoga partnership and to identify any concerns, objections, priorities, or specific requirements that should guide staff before additional work proceeds. A partnership would involve significant policy, operational, and fiscal considerations, including expansion of the Police Department’s service area, staffing and recruitment needs, dispatch and records capacity, technology integration, emergency operations, public expectations, liability exposure, cost recovery, transition timing, and the importance of the Town’s ability to continue serving Los Gatos and Monte Sereno at a high level.
If Council directs staff to continue discussions, staff would complete the Meliora resource and workload evaluation, negotiate appropriate terms, refine the estimated cost, assess startup and transition needs, and return with a proposed agreement only if staff determines that the agreement can protect the Town’s interests and provide mutual benefit to Los Gatos and Saratoga.
Policy Objective
The policy objective would be to determine whether a partnership with Saratoga can, but is not limited to:
Preserve or improve the Town’s ability to maintain high quality law enforcement services;
Reduce the total cost of ownership of municipal police services for Los Gatos by spreading appropriate fixed costs across a larger service base; Provide Saratoga with stable, professional municipal law enforcement services at a lower projected cost than the service model currently under consideration by Saratoga; Improve regional coordination among neighboring communities; Create an integrated Los Gatos regionalized service model that is operationally coherent rather than a collection of separate jurisdiction specific service hour commitments; Maintain clear operational authority for the Police Chief and the Town;
ITEM NO. 17.
PAGE 8 OF 14
SUBJECT: Discuss Potential Law Enforcement Services Agreement with City of Saratoga and Provide Direction to Staff
DATE: May 19, 2026
Validate the workload, staffing, and cost assumptions through the ongoing Meliora analysis before any final agreement is presented;
Identify and recover appropriate startup and transition costs over the initial contract term;
Protect the Town and Monte Sereno from uncovered costs, disproportionate risk, and operational dilution;
Provide transparency, service review, and accountability appropriate for both agencies; and
Preserve the County Sheriff’s Office as a valued regional partner for mutual aid, specialized support, and broader countywide public safety coordination.
A potential agreement should not be pursued unless the Town can maintain service quality for Los Gatos and Monte Sereno, recover appropriate costs, preserve operational control, confirm that the proposed cost structure is appropriate, and manage risk.
Conceptual Approach to a Potential Partnership
If the Council directs staff to continue discussions with Saratoga, the Town would seek to negotiate an agreement that balances Saratoga’s need for cost predictability with fiscal, operational, and risk protections for Los Gatos. The concepts below are intended to describe staff’s negotiating framework and policy considerations. They are not final terms, and they are not presented for Council approval at this meeting.
Integrated Regional Service Model
Staff would seek to preserve an integrated regional service model rather than create a structure based on exclusive staffing assignments, fixed jurisdiction specific patrol hours, or separate police operations for each jurisdiction.
This approach is different from an hours based billing model. In an hours based model, the service relationship is measured primarily through purchased hours and allocated categories. In an integrated municipal service model, the value is measured by the availability of professional municipal law enforcement services, flexible deployment, regional coverage, local accountability, and coordinated response capability.
This concept would benefit Saratoga by providing access to the capacity and expertise of an established municipal police department. It would protect the Town by allowing the Department to deploy resources across Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, and Saratoga in a manner that supports service quality, officer safety, emergency response, and regional coordination instead of driving activity based on the service hours incurred.
ITEM NO. 17.
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SUBJECT: Discuss Potential Law Enforcement Services Agreement with City of Saratoga and Provide Direction to Staff
DATE: May 19, 2026
Workload, Staffing, and Cost Validation
The Town has already been working with Meliora Public Safety Consulting to evaluate departmental resource needs and the workload demands that would be associated with serving Saratoga. This work is intended to help determine the staffing, supervision, dispatch, records, investigations, equipment, technology, administrative support, and other resources necessary to serve Saratoga without reducing service quality for Los Gatos or Monte Sereno.
This analysis is ongoing and should be completed before a final agreement is presented. The preliminary $9.5 million annualized estimate should be understood as a planning estimate, not a final price. Staff would use the Meliora analysis, internal operational review, and further negotiations with Saratoga to confirm whether the estimated service cost is appropriate, whether the proposed model is operationally feasible, and whether the Town can avoid unrecovered costs.
Cost Predictability and Cost Recovery
A central concept in any potential agreement would be balancing Saratoga’s need for long term budget predictability with the Town’s need to avoid absorbing costs that should be borne by Saratoga. The potential benefit to Saratoga would be a more stable and locally accountable municipal service model. The potential benefit to Los Gatos would be the ability to spread appropriate fixed costs across a larger service base and thereby lower the Town’s total cost of ownership of police services.
Staff would seek to structure compensation so that Saratoga has a clear and predictable cost framework for budget planning. This may include use of a negotiated base rate, scheduled annual adjustment methodology, and a cap or other moderating feature for ordinary annual cost increases. The purpose would be to give Saratoga reasonable protection against unexpected or unlimited cost escalation.
At the same time, the Town would need safeguards to ensure that cost predictability for Saratoga does not become an unintended subsidy for Los Gatos residents. Staff would seek to address circumstances such as Saratoga requested special services, extraordinary incidents, transition costs, significant third-party or externally imposed costs, Saratoga specific technology or facility costs, and other costs that would not reasonably be absorbed as part of ordinary regional service delivery.
The negotiating objective would be to create a fair structure in which Saratoga receives budget predictability and Los Gatos receives appropriate cost recovery. Any final agreement would need to be supported by input from the Meliora analysis, Town financial review, legal review,
ITEM NO. 17.
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SUBJECT: Discuss Potential Law Enforcement Services Agreement with City of Saratoga and Provide Direction to Staff
DATE: May 19, 2026
and operational review to ensure that Los Gatos is not taking on unrecovered costs in a manner that could affect services to Los Gatos or Monte Sereno.
Regardless of the direction of the partnership and aligned with one of the Town’s top three strategic priorities, Los Gatos will need to continue its financial work to bring expenditure or revenue enhancements grown into closer alignment with ongoing revenue, address future capital maintenance work, and place the Town on a longer-term, financially sustainable path.
Transition and Implementation
A potential agreement would require substantial transition planning before services could begin. Issues may include staffing, recruitment, hiring, training, vehicles, equipment, technology systems, dispatch and communications, records, evidence, facilities, public messaging, emergency coordination, and integration with Saratoga’s municipal operations.
Work would need to occur in advance of any service transition. Los Gatos would likely incur some of these startup and transition costs before the commencement of services. Staff would seek to identify those costs in advance and establish a reimbursement framework under which Saratoga would repay appropriate startup and transition costs over the initial ten year contract term. This approach would allow the Town to prepare responsibly for service commencement without shifting transition costs to Los Gatos residents, while also allowing Saratoga to amortize startup costs over the initial service period rather than absorb them all at once.
Staff would also seek protection if the service relationship does not proceed as expected or ends before the Town has recovered transition costs incurred in reliance on the partnership.
This would be necessary because staffing, equipment, technology, and implementation decisions may need to be made before the first day of service.
Town Operational Authority and Saratoga Policy Input
Staff would seek to maintain clear day-to-day operational authority through the Police Chief and the Town’s administrative structure. Saratoga would have appropriate opportunities to identify policy objectives, community concerns, and service priorities through consultation and reporting processes, but would not direct Department personnel or control tactical, deployment, supervision, or enforcement decisions.
This concept is important for both agencies. For Los Gatos, it preserves a clear chain of command and avoids divided operational control. For Saratoga, it provides a structured method for communication, service review, and policy level input without creating uncertainty over who is responsible for law enforcement operations.
ITEM NO. 17.
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SUBJECT: Discuss Potential Law Enforcement Services Agreement with City of Saratoga and Provide Direction to Staff
DATE: May 19, 2026
Local Accountability, Reporting, Responsiveness, and Community Connection A partnership should provide Saratoga with a more locally connected service relationship than a purely transactional service hour model. The preliminary proposal contemplated regular performance reporting, consultation regarding service needs, executive level communication regarding service delivery, and practical review of service trends.
Response time performance, calls for service, traffic activity, crime trends, significant incidents, and community safety concerns would be important components of that accountability framework. Staff would seek to provide meaningful information using available data and practical reporting methods so that Saratoga can understand service delivery trends while preserving the Town’s operational authority and the Police Chief’s chain of command.
At the same time, reporting expectations must be realistic. Reporting should support transparency, accountability, and community confidence without creating undue administrative burden or interfering with confidential law enforcement functions.
Lastly, there will be a need for extensive public outreach throughout our communities, given the significance of such a change in law enforcement services. Staff intends to include this in their transition plans.
Discretionary, Extraordinary, and Disaster Related Services Staff would seek to distinguish between general municipal law enforcement services provided through the regional model and services that are requested specifically by Saratoga or arise from extraordinary events. This distinction is important because a regional model should provide comprehensive municipal law enforcement services while avoiding a structure in which Los Gatos absorbs costs uniquely attributable to another jurisdiction’s discretionary requests, special events, local requirements, property, technology, or extraordinary service demands.
The Town’s Monte Sereno agreement provides a recent example of addressing extraordinary service demands by tracking and recovering certain critical incident costs. A Saratoga agreement would need to address similar concepts, adjusted for the scale of Saratoga and the larger potential service relationship.
Liability, Insurance, and Risk Allocation
Police services involve substantial operational, legal, and insurance risk. Staff would seek provisions that clearly allocate risk between the parties and require appropriate insurance or pooled coverage.
ITEM NO. 17.
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SUBJECT: Discuss Potential Law Enforcement Services Agreement with City of Saratoga and Provide Direction to Staff
DATE: May 19, 2026
Staff would seek to protect the Town from claims arising from Saratoga’s municipal code, local laws, permit conditions, traffic restrictions, property conditions, meeting management decisions, discretionary service requests, technology systems, or other matters within Saratoga’s control. At the same time, the Town would remain responsible for its own personnel, operations, and conduct as appropriate under law and any final negotiated agreement.
Any final agreement would require review by the Town Attorney before returning to Council for consideration.
Technology, Records, Evidence, Facilities, and Cybersecurity A partnership will require consideration of technology, communications systems, dispatch systems, records systems, camera systems, public safety interoperability systems, vehicles, equipment, and facilities.
Staff would seek to clarify ownership, substation needs, cybersecurity responsibility, data governance, access rights, and public records responsibilities. Staff would also seek to avoid assuming responsibility for Saratoga owned systems or Saratoga specific technology unless the parties expressly agree on scope, legal requirements, operational feasibility, and cost responsibility.
Term, Renewal, Termination, and Transition Out
Providing services to Saratoga may require staffing, training, equipment, technology, and other upfront commitments. Staff would seek a term and termination structure that supports service stability and allows the Town to recover costs reasonably incurred in reliance on the service relationship, including startup and transition costs reimbursed over the initial ten year term.
At the same time, Saratoga would need reasonable clarity regarding renewal rights, termination rights, transition obligations, and cost exposure. Staff would seek to balance these interests so that Saratoga has predictability while Los Gatos is not left with unrecovered costs, stranded staffing commitments, or transition obligations caused by a decision outside the Town’s control.
Dispute Resolution and Relationship Management
A potential agreement should include a structured dispute resolution process that encourages manager level discussion, good faith problem solving, and mediation before litigation, where appropriate. This concept can help preserve the intergovernmental relationship and reduce litigation risk, while allowing either party to seek immediate legal relief if necessary.
ITEM NO. 17.
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SUBJECT: Discuss Potential Law Enforcement Services Agreement with City of Saratoga and Provide Direction to Staff
DATE: May 19, 2026
Beyond formal dispute resolution, the relationship would require regular executive level coordination. The purpose would be to ensure that concerns are addressed early, service expectations remain aligned, and the partnership continues to operate in a manner that benefits both communities.
Council Direction Requested
Staff requests Council direction on whether to continue discussions with Saratoga. If Council directs staff to continue, staff will continue with the necessary analysis and negotiations with Saratoga while engaging with Monte Sereno.
Town Management has advised Los Gatos employee groups and unrepresented employees of the potential partnership in accordance with our requirements for activity impacting current operations. The next steps, although not necessarily on the specific timeline, would include Town Council discussion and direction on a potential partnership – May 19, 2026; Continued discussions with Saratoga;
Attending the City of Saratoga Council Meeting, where discussion on a potential partnership with Los Gatos will occur – June 3, 2026; and Town Council consideration of a law enforcement services agreement – June 16, 2026.
The nature and significance of this partnership may necessitate additional special meetings.
CONCLUSION:
The Town has a demonstrated history of providing law enforcement services through a regional municipal service model, most notably through its long standing partnership with Monte Sereno. Saratoga’s current law enforcement cost pressures create a potential opportunity to evaluate whether an expanded Los Gatos regionalized service model could provide benefits to both communities.
The conceptual approach would be to pursue a win-win structure. Saratoga would receive a locally accountable municipal law enforcement alternative with greater cost predictability, while Los Gatos would have the opportunity to lower the total cost of ownership of its police department by sharing appropriate fixed costs, increasing public safety capacity, and building a broader regional service base. That opportunity should be pursued only if the ongoing Meliora analysis confirms that the estimated cost and resource assumptions are appropriate, startup and transition costs are recoverable, and the Town can maintain service quality for Los Gatos and Monte Sereno.
ITEM NO. 17.
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SUBJECT: Discuss Potential Law Enforcement Services Agreement with City of Saratoga and Provide Direction to Staff
DATE: May 19, 2026
At this stage, staff is seeking direction only. No final agreement has been negotiated. If directed to continue, staff would return to the Town Council with a proposed agreement only after further negotiation, completion of the Meliora analysis, financial analysis, legal review, operational review, startup and transition cost assessment, and risk assessment.
COORDINATION:
This item has been coordinated with the Town Manager’s Office, Town Attorney’s Office, Police Department, and other Town staff as appropriate. Staff has also been working with Meliora Public Safety Consulting on the resource and workload analysis needed to evaluate the potential Saratoga service model. Further coordination would be required if the Council directs staff to continue discussions with Saratoga.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT:
The direction requested in this report is not a project under the California Environmental Quality Act because it involves administrative and organizational activity that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment. If a future agreement is brought forward, staff will include any required environmental determination at that time.
Attachments:
1. April 15, 2025, Council Agenda Report regarding Monte Sereno Police Services Agreement
2. April 27, 2026, Saratoga City Council Special Meeting Agenda and Staff Report regarding Saratoga Law Enforcement Options
ITEM NO. 17.
AGREEMENT FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES BETWEEN THE TOWN OF
LOS GATOS AND THE CITY OF MONTE SERENO
This Agreement for Law Enforcement Services (“Agreement”) is entered into by and between the TOWN OF LOS GATOS ("Los Gatos" hereinafter) and the CITY OF MONTE SERENO ("Monte Sereno" hereinafter) (collectively the “Parties”), both municipal corporations and general law cities located in the County of Santa Clara, State of California.
RECITALS
A. Los Gatos has its own Los Gatos Police Department (“Department” hereinafter) and Monte Sereno does not.
B. Monte Sereno has contracted with Los Gatos since 1995 for police services and desires to continue to obtain police services from Los Gatos, as further described in Section 2 below, through an amended and restated contract and provide for police protection within its boundaries pursuant to this Agreement.
C. This Agreement is entered into pursuant to provisions of California Government Code Sections 55631 through 55634, and any and all other applicable authority.
D. Los Gatos and Monte Sereno desire to enter into a five (5) year agreement effective with an option to renew once for another five years.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the recitals and the mutual promises contained herein, Los Gatos and Monte Sereno agree as follows:
AGREEMENT
1. GENERAL PROVISIONS.
(a) This Agreement for Law Enforcement Services is effective July 1, 2025, and thereafter the provisions herein supersede and replace any previous agreement or amendments executed by the Parties.
(b) In this Agreement, the word "Chief" means Chief of Police of the Town. (c) The Chief and their staff shall have sole authority and control over the overall operations and the procedural manner in which the police services are performed under this Agreement. On or before the 1st day of April of each year of this Agreement, the Chief and Town Manager shall consult with the Monte Sereno City Manager on service level issues and the Parties may modify this Agreement by written amendment
Attachment 1
ITEM NO. 17.
signed by both Parties as necessary to meet the needs of Monte Sereno subject to approval by the City and Town Council of each entity.
(d) The Chief or a member of the Chief's staff will attend Monte Sereno City Council meetings on a bi-annual basis and provide performance measures to the City of Monte Sereno City Council. These performance measures shall include crime statistics, response times and traffic enforcement trends and/or significant crime report summaries as well as patrol service hours provided for the prior six month period. In addition, the Chief or a member of the Chief’s staff shall submit reports at least quarterly, unless otherwise agreed to by the Parties, to the Monte Sereno City Manager detailing the incidence of crime in the City. Through its City Manager, the City can request a higher level review of reported performance information when there are concerns related to the accuracy of information presented. The review shall first be at the Chief level, and if the response is not satisfactory, the Town Manager or designee will be charged with conducting an escalated review. As appropriate, the Chief or Town Manager will provide a response to the City Manager related to the review.
(e) Los Gatos and Monte Sereno shall cooperate in the preparation and submission of applications for government law enforcement grants for police services in and for the City. Los Gatos and Monte Sereno agree that there is a mutual benefit to such efforts. Los Gatos and Monte Sereno also agree that either may independently pursue grants and shall be individually responsible, therefore. (f) The Los Gatos Police officers and personnel shall remain employees of the Town. Responsibility for and control over the selection, hiring, training, assignment and discipline of Los Gatos police personnel and other matters incident to the performance of services hereunder and the control of Los Gatos personnel shall remain exclusively within Los Gatos’s authority. Formal complaints regarding the conduct of Los Gatos Police personnel may be submitted by an aggrieved party, including the Monte Sereno City Manager, to the Town and will be reviewed in accordance with Town Policy A-22 which relates to complaints against police officers.
(g) Employee relations and related issues, including, but not limited to, Los Gatos employee salaries and benefits, shall be the sole and exclusive responsibility of Los Gatos. As the employer, Los Gatos retains its full rights to make employment
ITEM NO. 17.
decisions regarding any police officers or police personnel, without any prior notice to Monte Sereno.
2. SERVICE PROVISIONS.
(a) General Services. Los Gatos shall provide police protection services to Monte Sereno for and during the term of this Agreement and any extension or extensions thereof. Services shall be the same as those provided to the Town and include the following:
(i) The enforcement of State Statutes and Municipal Ordinances of Monte Sereno (with any necessary legal assistance to be provided by counsel for either Los Gatos or Monte Sereno, depending upon where the violation took place), except such Municipal Ordinances of the type which would require special training of officers (e.g. certification in noise measurement, etc.) or of a type of enforcement that is contracted by Los Gatos to a third party or other public agency. Nothing herein contained shall preclude enforcement by Los Gatos personnel of the above-excepted ordinances; (ii) Sworn Officer services commensurate with the coverage provided in Los Gatos.1*(Sworn Officers may include the Traffic Sergeant, School Resource Officers2, detectives, or other sworn personnel spending directed or discretionary time within Monte Sereno);
(iii) Intake, processing, evaluation and issuance of concealed carry weapons permits in accordance with City Ordinance;
(iv) Traffic enforcement1*;
(v) Community Service Officer3 services;
(vi) Investigations of cases meeting the assignment criteria being used by Los Gatos;
1*This includes activity and patrol time expended in Monte Sereno, and all other related administrative duties including, but not limited to, booking of evidence, report writing, case follow-up for cases originating in Monte Sereno.
2 School Resource Officer as defined on the Town of Los Gatos Operations Bureau page available at https://www.losgatosca.gov/138/Operations-Bureau.
3 Community Service Officer as defined in the Town of Los Gatos Job Descriptions available at https://www.losgatosca.gov/419/Job-Descriptions.
ITEM NO. 17.
(vii) 24-hour per day communications services to include:
(A) 9-1-1 service;
(B) Police dispatching; and
(C) After-hours dispatching of non-police services.
(viii) Police Records Specialist4 services;
(ix) Evidence Storage;
(x) Administrative support;
(xi) Collateral Specialty Teams5 and Additional Programs/Resources offered in Los Gatos including, but not limited to, investigative resources for both criminal and traffic related scenes and volunteers from various programs; (xii) Coordination of police resources in the event of a major disaster or emergency that necessitates the activation of the Emergency Operations Center (“E.O.C.”) in the Town, as more specifically detailed in Section 2b below.
(b) Emergency Operations Center. In the event of a major disaster or emergency in Monte Sereno that necessitates the activation of the E.O.C., the Town shall open the E.O.C. for use by Monte Sereno and activate the E.O.C. based on the needs of the disaster. A Department representative shall immediately be dispatched to the E.O.C. and report to the Monte Sereno Director of Emergency Services (City Manager or designee). Either the Chief or a Captain will respond as soon as possible and will assume responsibility of working with Monte Sereno City officials as needed. The Town shall maintain the E.O.C. and the E.O.C. infrastructure.
For the purpose of performing all of the services provided for in this Agreement, Los Gatos shall provide personnel, supervision, communications, equipment and supplies necessary to maintain the services to be rendered; provided,; however, if in the sole judgment of the Chief or their designee, an emergency arises in Los Gatos which requires temporary diversion of officers and vehicles from Monte Sereno, the same may be diverted to Los Gatos on an emergency basis, and to the extent emergencies in Monte 4 Police Records Specialist as defined in the Town of Los Gatos Job Descriptions available at https://www.losgatosca.gov/419/Job-Descriptions. 5
Collateral Specialty Teams as provided in the Town of Los Gatos FY 2023-24 Operating Budget available at https://www.losgatosca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/36220/FY-2023-24-Operating-Budget?bidId=.
ITEM NO. 17.
Sereno require additional police support, the Chief or the Chief's staff may divert personnel and vehicles from Los Gatos to Monte Sereno for any emergencies. (c) In the event of a disaster, any FEMA, CalOES, or other reimbursement or allocation of funds (including litigation settlements or federal or state budget appropriations) associated with the disaster in Monte Sereno and provided to Monte Sereno shall be used, in part, to reimburse the Town for any costs incurred by the Town as a result of responding to the disaster. In any submission for reimbursements or allocations, Monte Sereno shall include Town costs and time. (d) Communication
(i) Performance Information. Los Gatos will make available and provide information related to service performance in Monte Sereno to the City Council which is equivalent to the information being provided to the Town Council of Los Gatos.
(ii) Notifications. Los Gatos will work with Monte Sereno to ensure Monte Sereno is informed of key activity related to the services provided through this Agreement and in a manner equivalent to information provided to the Town Council of Los Gatos. This includes, but is not limited to, major incidents within Monte Sereno, changes to key personnel servicing Monte Sereno such as the Chief, and/or other information which would normally be provided from police operations.
3. AUTHORITY
(a) The authority for assignment, control and discipline of Los Gatos police officers, personnel, and employees and other matters incident to the performance of services by Los Gatos under this Agreement, shall remain with Los Gatos. (b) Monte Sereno shall designate the Chief as its Chief in order to satisfy the provisions of Part I, Division 3, Title 4 of the California Government Code (sections 36501, et seq.).
ITEM NO. 17.
4. RESPONSIBILITIES
(a) Monte Sereno shall not be liable for payment of salaries, wages or other forms of compensation to any Los Gatos personnel performing services hereunder, including personnel performing indirect services hereunder, such as police management personnel, watch commanders, background investigators, Community Service Officers, police communications personnel, and police clerical personnel. It is understood and agreed that for such purposes all such Los Gatos personnel performing either direct or indirect services to Monte Sereno hereunder shall be deemed employees of Los Gatos while acting in or for Monte Sereno pursuant to this Agreement. Los Gatos shall maintain Workers’ Compensation Insurance and Automobile Insurance covering all Los Gatos personnel and vehicles performing services under this Agreement. (b) Los Gatos and Monte Sereno each represent and warrant that they are insured, through self-insurance or otherwise, in amounts sufficient to honor their respective indemnification obligations provided in Section 7 below, and that the indemnifying party’s insurance coverage shall be the primary insurance as respects the other party. However, the maintenance of such insurance shall in no way reduce the obligation of either party to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless either party or its officers, agents, and employees.
5. PAYMENT FOR SERVICES
(a) A year, for the purposes of this Agreement, is the period beginning on July 1st and ending on June 30th.
(b) Annual Base Rate. For the services outlined in Section 2 above, beginning July 1, 2025, Monte Sereno agrees to pay Los Gatos the annual base rate of $1,458,319 (“Base Rate”). The Base Rate includes an overhead rate built into annual base amount and includes but is not limited to: personnel costs of 2.0 FTE Officers, supplies, materials, facilities and vehicle costs, as well as administrative time for the Town Attorney, Town Manager’s Office, Human Resources Department and Finance Department. Included in the Base Rate is the cost to maintain the E.O.C. facility, the E.O.C. infrastructure and for activation of the E.O.C. in the event of a disaster or emergency as required in Section
ITEM NO. 17.
2(b). Any additional services furnished to Monte Sereno in the event of a disaster or emergency are not covered under this Agreement.
(c) Supplemental Law Enforcement Services Fund. In the event the City is awarded monies from the Supplement Law Enforcement Services Fund (SLESF) from the State of California, Monte Sereno will grant those funds to Los Gatos for additional front line police services consistent with the Supplemental Law Enforcement Services Fund program and agreed upon in writing by the Parties within 30 days of receipt of the monies from the State of California. For the 2025 distribution, the Parties agree that Monte Sereno will retain the portion of the SLESF funds necessary to establish the Flock Camera system in Monte Sereno. The remainder will be paid to Los Gatos and used for those services agreed upon by the parties.
(d) Extensive Services. In the event of extensive services, as described in this subsection (d), provided to Monte Sereno due to critical incident(s), Los Gatos will track incident time for these events.
(i) When it appears to the Chief, in their sole discretion, a single incident or a series of related incidents will involve 320 hours or more Department service hours in a year, the Chief of Police will so inform the Monte Sereno City Manager and discuss the necessary staffing levels to complete all of the associated tasks, including, but not limited to, investigations, records, court filings, and all of required work on the case and/or related cases. (ii) If the Department service hours required for a single incident or a series of related incidents reported to the Monte Sereno City Manager as provided in subsection (d)(1) above result in Los Gatos performing more than 700 hours of Department service(s) in a year of the incident or the first incident in a series of related incidents, Los Gatos shall provide Monte Sereno with an accounting of the total service hours broken down between the incidents and the related Department services. and Monte Sereno agrees to pay for any additional services over 320 hours for the incident(s) in a year at the actual cost to Los Gatos to provide the services.
(iii) In instances where total hours equal or exceed 700 hours, Monte Sereno will be invoiced for the cost associated for hours exceeding 320. Such
ITEM NO. 17.
invoice will be payable on the fifteenth (15th) day of the succeeding month from the date of invoice.
(e) Los Gatos shall provide the Monte Sereno City Manager with a monthly statement for 1/12 of the Base Rate and the same shall be due and payable on or before the fifteenth (15th) day of the month next succeeding the month during which any such statement is mailed or delivered. All such statements shall be delivered to Monte Sereno as is specified in Section 7 (b) of this Agreement. Failure to pay within sixty (60) days of the due and payable date shall result in a penalty payment of ten (10) percent of the Base Rate.
(f) The Base Rate set forth in 5(b) shall increase yearly based on the Average Annual Consumer Price Index for benefits for the 12-month period ending December of the proceeding calendar year plus 2%. As such, Parties agree to use the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Cost Index for State and Local Government Workers. In no event shall the annual increase be less than 2% nor exceed 7%.
(g) In the event of a substantive change in personnel costs to the Town, including, but not limited to, the reduction in Police Department workforce, such that the services provided to Monte Sereno are affected, the Parties may negotiate for amended terms to this Agreement.
(h) E.O.C. Pursuant to Section 2, the E.O.C. is available for Monte Sereno’s use as part of this Agreement. Use is defined based on any single occupancy of the facility, regardless of length of time, subject to availability, and Los Gatos staffing resources.
Monte Sereno is entitled to first priority to use the E.O.C. second only to Los Gatos. The Monte Sereno City Manager must request the use of the E.O.C. by contacting the Los Gatos Town Manager or designee. Los Gatos retains its full discretion in the use of the E.O.C. In the event the need for the E.O.C. is based on a disaster or emergency that affects Los Gatos and Monte Sereno, the Parties agree to work cooperatively to share the E.O.C. and the E.O.C. infrastructure.
(i) Crime laboratory fees, booking fees, and fees associated with the Santa Clara County Automated Fingerprint System (Cal ID), charged by the County of Santa Clara, or any other city, county or state agency, for incidents originally occurring in Monte
ITEM NO. 17.
Sereno shall be paid by the City, directly to the County of Santa Clara or applicable public agency and are not included in this Agreement.
(j) No other costs of any kind, including but not limited to capital projects, construction, equipment, or unforeseen personnel actions, will be added to the costs of the services unless specifically addressed in this Agreement. (k) Any and all property acquired by Los Gatos under and pursuant to this Agreement shall be and at all times remain the property and responsibility of Los Gatos without any division or distribution thereof upon termination of this Agreement, except as otherwise agreed upon in writing. Property acquired by Monte Sereno shall remain the property and responsibility of Monte Sereno, except as Monte Sereno cedes such property to Los Gatos for the performance of services under this Agreement. (l) The consideration provided to be paid to Los Gatos will not result in any surplus money and no monies shall be subject to refund to Monte Sereno at any time during or after the termination of this Agreement, unless there is overpayment.
6. TERM
This Agreement shall be effective July 1, 2025, and be operative through June 30, 2030, subject to the following cancellation provision:
(a) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection (a), the Town commits to providing the services pursuant to Section 2 of this Agreement for a three year period July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2028. During this initial three year period, Los Gatos may, at its option, only terminate this Agreement for cause and if Monte Sereno fails to cure a material breach of this Agreement within a period of 30 calendar days, from the date of Los Gatos’s written notice specifying the material breach.
(b) After June 30, 2028, either Los Gatos or Monte Sereno may unilaterally with or without cause terminate this Agreement upon at least eighteen (18) months written notice to the other party.
(c) This Agreement may also be terminated or amended as of any date by written mutual agreement of both Parties.
(d) In the case of termination of this Agreement, Los Gatos will retain and provide the appropriate documents, records, and other information normally maintained
ITEM NO. 17.
by a law enforcement agency and transfer such appropriate documents to Monte Sereno in a reasonable timeline to facilitate Monte Sereno’s obligation to perform law enforcement activity.
(e) The Parties agree to meet before January 1, 2029, to evaluate number of calls for service, number of incidents, total hours spent on Monte Sereno cases, use of the cap on Index changes, and other metrics and will determine whether or not to extend the Agreement for an additional five (5) years beginning July 1, 2030 and ending June 30, 2035. If the Parties determine an extension of the Agreement is appropriate, they shall work together to negotiate an amendment or extension to this Agreement which may include any new, mutually agreed upon terms.
7. INDEMNIFICATION
Except as set forth below, each party shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the other party for any claim, injury, loss, or damage, including all costs and reasonable attorney’s fees, arising out of that party’s performance pursuant to this Agreement. This obligation to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless excludes the claims, injuries, loss, or damages arising out of the other party’s gross negligence or willful misconduct.
Additionally, Monte Sereno will indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Los Gatos from any claims, injury, loss, or damage, arising out of the following activities:
(a) Enforcement of the Monte Sereno Municipal Code where the primary basis for such claim, injury, loss, or damage is a defect of the Code which is outside the control of Los Gatos or where Los Gatos employees did not materially contribute to such defect during enforcement;
(b) Actions taken by Los Gatos employees where the claim, injury, loss, or damage was due to a condition which was solely due to Monte Sereno’s failure to comply with applicable federal, state, or local requirement which rendered any subsequent action indefensible by sole virtue of Monte Sereno’s failure.
ITEM NO. 17.
(c) Vehicle tows conducted in reliance upon the Monte Sereno Municipal Code or Monte Sereno signage, except to the extent such claim is based on the negligence of the towing company or the conduct of the Department;
(d) Law enforcement services provided at public or community meetings in Monte Sereno if specifically directed by the Monte Sereno City Manager, Mayor, or presiding Councilmember but not to the extent such claim is based on the conduct of the police officer; or
(e) Enforcement of permit conditions (e.g., special use permits, temporary use permits, etc.) in Monte Sereno except to the extent such claim is based on the conduct of the police officer.
If indemnification or defense is triggered, the Parties will coordinate with each other in the defense and the indemnifying party shall bear sole responsibility for the cost of defense, penalties or other damages resulting from the claim.
8. INSURANCE
(a) Scope of Insurance: Each party agrees to obtain the minimum scope of insurance described below for the duration of this contract:
(i) General Liability insurance policy(ies) insuring the entity to an amount not less than: five million dollars ($5,000,000) per occurrence for bodily injury, personal injury and property damage.
(ii) Each party agrees to provide the other party all certificates of insurance, with original endorsements effecting coverage as applicable, before this contract takes effect.
(b) General Liability:
(i) Each entity is to be covered as additional insured/additional covered party as respects: liability arising out of activities performed by or on behalf of the entity and premises owned or used by the Consultant.
ITEM NO. 17.
(ii) Each entity's insurance coverage shall be primary insurance as respects the other entity, its elected and appointed officials, employees and agents. Any insurance or self-insurances maintained by the other entity, its elected and appointed officials, employees, or agents, shall be excess of the other entity's insurance and shall not contribute with it. (iii) Any failure to comply with reporting provisions of the policies shall not affect coverage provided to the other entity, its elected and appointed officials, employees or agents.
(iv) The insurance shall apply separately to each insured against whom a claim is made or suit is brought, except with respect to the limits of the insurer's liability.
(c) All Coverages. Each insurance policy required in this item shall be endorsed to state that coverage shall not be suspended, voided, cancelled, reduced in coverage or in limits except after thirty (30) days' prior written notice by certified mail, return receipt requested, has been given to the insured entity. Current certification of such insurance shall be kept on file at all times during the term of this agreement with each entity’s Town/City Clerk.
(d) Any available insurance proceeds broader than, or in excess of the specified minimum insurance coverage requirements and/or limits shall be available to meet settlement or judgment of any and all claims. Furthermore, the requirements for coverage and limits shall be (1) the minimum coverage and limits specified; or (2) the broader coverage and maximum limits of coverage of any insurance policy or proceeds available to the named insured; whichever is greater. No representation is made that the minimum insurance requirements are sufficient to cover the obligations of the Party.
9. MISCELLANEOUS
(a) No person is intended to or shall be a third party beneficiary to this Agreement.
ITEM NO. 17.
(b) It is understood that the Town, and its employees, in the performance of the services agreed to be provided hereunder, shall act as and be an independent contractor and not an agent or employee of Monte Sereno.
(c) Any notice required by this Agreement shall be mailed or delivered to the Town of Los Gatos at 110 E. Main Street, Los Gatos, California 95032, Attention: Town Manager and to the City of Monte Sereno, 18041 Saratoga-Los Gatos Road, Monte Sereno, California, 95030, Attention: City Manager. A party’s address may be modified by addressee's giving written notice of such modification to the other party calling specific attention to this Agreement.
(d) If any provision of this Agreement shall be held to be invalid, such provision shall be severable and such invalidity shall not impair the validity of any other provision of this Agreement.
(e) This Agreement may not be amended in any respect except by way of a written instrument which expressly references and identifies this Agreement, which expressly states that its purpose is to amend this particular Agreement, and which is duly executed by the Parties.
(f) Each party acknowledges that it has reviewed this Agreement and that the normal rule of construction to the effect that any ambiguities are to be resolved against the drafting party shall not be employed in the interpretation of this Agreement. (g) The waiver of either party of any violation of any term or condition of this Agreement shall not be deemed to be a waiver of any other term or condition contained herein or a waiver of any subsequent reach or violation of the same term or condition. (h) In the case of dispute between the Parties, both Parties shall meet and confer to discuss the dispute and potential remedies. If the meet and confer does not resolve the dispute, both Parties agree the next step would be mediation. In the event of any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the breach, termination, enforcement, interpretation, or validity thereof, the Parties agree to submit the matter to mediation. Mediation shall be conducted within the County of Santa Clara by a mutually agreeable mediator. If the Parties cannot agree upon a mediator within thirty (30) days after either Party has requested mediation, a mediator shall be appointed by the Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services (JAMS) office located
ITEM NO. 17.
nearest to Santa Clara County. All costs of mediation shall be shared equally by both Parties. The obligation to mediate shall be a condition precedent to the filing of any legal action or proceeding.
(i) In any legal action filed in state or federal court for enforcement of this Agreement, the successful party shall be entitled to recover reasonable attorney’s fees and other costs incurred in that action or proceeding, in addition to any other relief to which the successful party may be entitled by law.
(j) The Parties may execute this Agreement in two or more counterparts, which shall, in the aggregate, be deemed an original but all of which, together, shall constitute one and the same instrument. A scanned, electronic, facsimile or other copy of a party’s signature shall be accepted and valid as an original.
(k) This Agreement shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with California law.
(l) The signatories to this Agreement warrant and represent that each is authorized to execute this Agreement and that their respective signatures serve to legally obligate their respective representatives, agents, successors and assigns to comply with the provisions of this Agreement.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement on the day and year set forth below.
________________________ _____________________________
CITY OF MONTE SERENO TOWN OF LOS GATOS
_____________________ _____________________
Date Date
APPROVED AS TO FORM APPROVED AS TO FORM
______________________ _______________________
Office of the City Attorney Office of the Town Attorney
ITEM NO. 17.
ATTEST
_______________________
Town Clerk
ITEM NO. 17.
PREPARED BY: Chris Constantin
Town Manager
Reviewed by: Town Manager, Assistant Town Manager, Town Attorney, and Chief of Police 110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● (408) 354-6832 www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE: 04/15/2025
ITEM NO: 8
DATE: April 4, 2025
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Chris Constantin, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Approve a Resolution Authorizing the Town Manager to Execute a Five-Year Police Services Agreement (July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2030) with the City of Monte Sereno
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the Town Council adopt a Resolution authorizing the Town Manager to execute a five-year Police Services Agreement in substantially the form attached (Attachment 1) with the City of Monte Sereno for general law enforcement services.
STRATEGIC PRIORITIES:
This item supports the Core Goal of:
x Public Safety – Ensure public safety through proactive community policing, effective emergency response, and community-wide emergency preparedness.
This item supports the Strategic Priority of:
x Further the Town’s emergency preparedness, resiliency, and response capabilities, particularly in the area of wildfire risk.
o This partnership with Monte Sereno expands our overall patrol area and increases staffing resources, thereby strengthening the Town’s ability to respond effectively during emergencies, particularly incidents related to wildfire risks and other significant public safety events.
ITEM NO. 17.
PAGE 2 OF 5
SUBJECT: Approve a Resolution for Monte Sereno Police Services DATE: April 15, 2025
FISCAL IMPACT:
The proposed Agreement increases annual revenue by $322,805, from the current base rate of $1,135,514 to a new base rate of $1,458,319 for fiscal year 2025-26. For each subsequent year, the base cost increases by the Consumer Price Index of state and local works plus 2% with a minimum 2% and maximum 7% increase in annual cost to Monte Sereno. Additional provisions within the Agreement cap some liability to Los Gatos and provide a mechanism to recoup investigation costs that are above 700 hours.
BACKGROUND:
Since 1995, the Town of Los Gatos (“Town”) has provided law enforcement services through an agreement to the City of Monte Sereno (“City”) in a partnership which has been mutually beneficial for both communities.
In 2015, the Town and City executed an amended and restated agreement to change some of the performance and compensation terms for the last 10 years of the original 1995 agreement.
Both communities wish to extend this beneficial partnership beyond the current agreement's expiration on June 30, 2025. Consequently, the Town and City recently completed negotiations on a new five-year Police Services Agreement.
DISCUSSION:
The Town of Los Gatos and the City of Monte Sereno have recently concluded negotiations on a new 5-year Law Enforcement Services Agreement, effective July 1, 2025. This memorandum highlights some of the key changes proposed.
Monte Sereno is about 10% the size of Los Gatos, and law enforcement services are a significant expense. This agreement leverages a mutually beneficial partnership, providing Monte Sereno cost-effective access to comprehensive law enforcement services while allowing Los Gatos to optimize resource allocation and share fixed operational costs, reducing the overall tax burden in providing law enforcement services to both communities.
The Agreement sets the first year base cost to $1,458,319 which was negotiated in early 2024 and represents an estimated 92% cost recovery based on a model which calculates the incremental benefit of contracting existing services. This is a fair increase from the existing $1,135,514 to recover Los Gatos costs and to reflect that Monte Sereno agreed to several other cost containment items including:
x Paying the annual operating cost of Flock cameras benefiting both agencies, x Increased the maximum annual base cost escalator by an additional percentage point,
ITEM NO. 17.
PAGE 3 OF 5
SUBJECT: Approve a Resolution for Monte Sereno Police Services DATE: April 15, 2025
x Reduced threshold for billing Monte Sereno for critical incident services costs which are currently a cost to Los Gatos, and
x Transferring risk to Monte Sereno for certain areas that are currently risk exposures of Los Gatos.
Monte Sereno discussed this Agreement at their April 1st Council meeting and intend to approve the Agreement on April 15th. Below is a summary highlighting key changes from the previous (2015) agreement.
Contract Term
x The new agreement establishes a 5-year term (July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2030), with an option for a five-year renewal.
x After the initial three years, termination by either party requires eighteen months' written notice.
x A structured performance review will occur by January 1, 2029, to inform potential renewal.
Financial Terms
x The initial annual base rate is set at $1,458,319 for FY 2025-26, reflecting current law enforcement service costs and representing approximately 92% cost recovery. x Annual increases remain tied to the Consumer Price Index plus 2%, with a minimum annual increase of 2% and maximum cap adjusted from 6% to 7%.
Service Provisions
x Patrol officer hours previously fixed at 80 weekly hours will now align with coverage levels provided to Los Gatos, offering more flexibility. x The scope of services explicitly expands to include administrative support, concealed weapons permit processing, and evidence storage.
x Monte Sereno will retain a portion of the Supplemental Law Enforcement Services Fund (SLESF) to install a local Flock Camera system, with the remaining funds directed to Los Gatos for agreed-upon services. Ongoing operating costs for Flock will remain with Monte Sereno.
Emergency Operations Center (EOC)
x The 240-hour annual usage cap is removed. EOC access will now be provided without hourly restrictions, subject to availability.
Critical Incident Cost Structure
x The threshold for additional billing for extensive service demands due to critical incidents has been lowered from the current 900-hour trigger to 700 hours annually, with notification required at 320 hours. This change ensures equitable cost sharing during extraordinary events.
ITEM NO. 17.
PAGE 4 OF 5
SUBJECT: Approve a Resolution for Monte Sereno Police Services DATE: April 15, 2025
Communication and Reporting Enhancements
x The new agreement provides Monte Sereno with service performance data and critical updates equivalent to those provided to Los Gatos, enhancing transparency and oversight.
x It introduces a clearly defined complaint process, including escalation pathways through the Chief of Police and Town Manager, thereby enhancing accountability and responsiveness to performance-related concerns.
Liability and Insurance
x Clearly defined indemnification responsibilities, particularly regarding Monte Sereno’s municipal code enforcement and other specified activities.
Payment Terms
x A 10% penalty for payments overdue by more than 60 days is introduced to ensure timely financial compliance. Such a penalty did not exist previously.
Dispute Resolution
x Establishes a clear, structured dispute resolution process requiring mediation before litigation, facilitating collaborative problem-solving.
This agreement represents a thoughtful evolution of our partnership, balancing service quality, financial responsibility, and operational clarity.
CONCLUSION:
This Agreement provides mutual benefits by ensuring continued high-quality law enforcement services, sharing operational costs efficiently, clearly defining responsibilities, and enhancing service transparency and accountability for both Los Gatos and Monte Sereno.
COORDINATION:
This project has been coordinated with the Town Attorney, Police Department, and the City of Monte Sereno.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT:
This action does not constitute a "project" under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(5) because it involves an administrative activity of government that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment. Specifically, the authorization to execute a police services agreement is strictly related to the provision of law enforcement services and administrative operations, which do not have the potential for causing significant environmental impacts.
ITEM NO. 17.
PAGE 5 OF 5
SUBJECT: Approve a Resolution for Monte Sereno Police Services DATE: April 15, 2025
Attachments:
1. Resolution
2. Proposed New Agreement
3. Redline Version of Agreement
ITEM NO. 17.
STAFF REPORT
Meeting: City Council - Apr 15 2025
Agenda Heading: CONSENT CALENDAR
Staff Contact: Diana Perkins, City Planner/Interim City Manager Department: Administration
Title: Approval of a Resolution Authorizing the Interim City Manager to Execute a Five-Year Police Services Agreement (July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2030) with the Town of Los Gatos
Recommendation(s):
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the draft resolution authorizing the Interim City Manager to execute a five-year police services agreement (July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2030) with the Town of Los Gatos.
Background Information:
The Town of Los Gatos has provided law enforcement services to the City of Monte Sereno since 1995. The current agreement, which was approved in 2015, will expire on June 30, 2025.
In October 2023, the City Council established the Police Services Ad Hoc Committee and appointed Mayor Craig and Council Member Mekechuk to the committee (Resolution 23-3893 Attachment 2). The purpose of the committee was as follows:
Work with the City Manager to review the police requirements and needs of the City of Monte Sereno;
Evaluate available providers for police services;
Review the existing contract with the Town of Los Gatos; and Explore funding opportunities for police services,
That Ad Hoc Committee expired in October 2024 and the Council established a new Ad Hoc Committee with a revised purpose of working with the Interim City Manager to determine the police service needs of the City and appropriate terms for a new contract (Resolution 24-3917 Attachment 3). Mayor Craig and Council Member Mekechuk were appointed to this new Ad Hoc Committee, which expires on July 1, 2025.
The City Council discussed the proposed terms of the new agreement at a Special City Council meeting on April 1, 2025. Direction was provided to staff to review the base rate of the agreement considering the mutual benefit of the 20 Flock cameras that the Monte Sereno City Council approved and their annual cost. Additional direction was also provided to discuss the
ITEM NO. 17.
terms of the ‘Critical Incident’ provisions of the proposed agreement. Following is an update on the terms of these two items:
Agreement Base Rate
The proposed agreement sets the first-year base cost to $1,458,319 which was negotiated in early 2024. While this is a significant increase for Monte Sereno, over the current annual cost, it only recovers 92% of the Town of Los Gatos’ costs for providing the services. In the draft agreement, Los Gatos has agreed to a base rate that does not recover their full costs given that Monte Sereno agreed to several other cost containment items including:
Paying the annual operating cost of Flock cameras benefiting both agencies, Increased the maximum annual base cost escalator by an additional percentage point, Reduced threshold for billing Monte Sereno for critical incident services costs which are currently a cost to Los Gatos, and
Transferring risk to Monte Sereno for certain areas that are currently risk exposure to Los Gatos.
Monte Sereno’s annual cost of the Flock cameras has already been considered in the proposed base rate.
Critical Incident Services
The critical incident provisions are intended to provide assurance for Los Gatos that if an unusually time-consuming case were to occur in Monte Sereno, the City would share the cost of the investigation. The current threshold requiring payment from Monte Sereno is 900 hours and the previously discussed terms of the new agreement would have reduced this to 640 hours. However, due to concerns raised by the Council at the April 1, 2025 Special Meeting, the Town of Los Gatos has agreed to increase the threshold to 700 hours in the proposed agreement.
Analysis:
Several meetings have been held with the Monte Sereno staff, Town of Los Gatos staff, and the Ad Hoc Committee. Following are the main proposed changes to the existing agreement which will be reflected in a new agreement for services:
Term of the Agreement
The current agreement was for 10 years and is set to expire on June 30, 2025. The proposed agreement is for a five-year term with the option of a five-year extension.
Services Provided
The agreement lists the various law enforcement services that are provided including patrol hours, traffic enforcement investigations, 9-1-1 and dispatch services, records specialist services, etc. The main change proposed for these services is to the patrol services provided.
The current agreement specifies that Monte Sereno will receive an average of 80 hours of patrol officer services a week. The proposed agreement states that sworn officer services commensurate with the coverage provide in Los Gatos will be provided in Monte Sereno.
ITEM NO. 17.
The purpose of this change in wording is to better describe the actual services received by Monte Sereno. Sworn officer services, which includes patrol hours, will be provided at the same levels they are provided in Los Gatos, which may change week to week based on the need. This change also emphasis the Police Department’s practice of providing services to Los Gatos and Monte Sereno as if these were one jurisdiction.
Cost of Services – and annual increase
The current agreement started with an annual cost of $712,787 in 2015, which increased annually based on the U. S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Cost Index, and Benefit Index for State and Local Government Workers plus 2%, with a maximum of 6% annually. Based on the annual increases over the past 10 years, the current cost is $1,135,514 annually.
The Town’s cost of providing police services has increased significantly over the past 10 years.
Several unfunded state and federal mandates have required the Police Department to purchase additional equipment and additional reporting requirements for the Police Department which results in increased staff time. Additional law enforcement services have also been provided since the last agreement was approved which include the Concealed Carry Weapon Permits, new CAD technology for reporting and dispatch, purchase of drones, publication of the transparency website, training of therapy dogs, and de-escalation tools. The workers’ compensation insurance and pension costs for Police Department employees has also increased significantly over the past 10 years.
The cost for services in the first year of the proposed agreement is $1,458,319. Annual increases will remain based on the same index plus 2%, but the maximum annual increase is proposed at 7%.
As a comparison, the following table shows the law enforcement services costs for other jurisdictions:
Jurisdiction Population FY 24/25 Police Budget
Town of Los Gatos 32,216 $22,021,478
Saratoga 29,607 $8,325,585
Los Altos Hills 8,189 $3,533,726
Portola Valley 4,204 $1,776,348
Use of Supplement Law Enforcement Service Funds
Monte Sereno receives $100,000 annually in Supplement Law Enforcement Service Funds from the state. The current agreement requires that Monte Sereno pass these funds to Los Gatos each year. The proposed agreement allows the two Councils to determine how the funds can be used each year. This will allow more flexibility to implement new technologies or additional services that may be desired for Monte Sereno.
ITEM NO. 17.
The proposed agreement also allows the use of the funds for the initial installation and set up costs for the Monte Sereno Flock cameras in the first year of the agreement.
Critical Incident Services
The current agreement requires Monte Sereno to reimburse Los Gatos for investigative costs for significant crimes that result in over 900 hour staff time in a year. Currently, Monte Sereno is required to reimburse the costs over 320 hours, but only when the total efforts exceed 900 hours.
This is intended to provide assurance for Los Gatos that if an unusually time-consuming case were to occur in Monte Sereno, the City would share the cost of the investigation. While this clause was added to the current agreement due to concern over a case that had occurred in in the early 2010s, such a large investigative case has not occurred since.
The draft agreement would modify this requirement so that Monte Sereno would reimburse the investigative costs when over 700 hours of staff time is spent by Los Gatos on a single incident or a series of related incidents. The requirement to reimburse the costs of over 320 hours would remain.
Emergency Operation Center (EOC) Usage Cap Removed
The Police Department maintains the Emergency Operation Center (EOC) for use by Los Gatos and Monte Sereno in the event of an emergency such as a severe storm, wildfire, or earthquake. Los Gatos maintains the EOC facility and infrastructure and will activate the EOC as needed based on the disaster. The current agreement allows Monte Sereno to use the EOC for 240 hours each year and requires reimbursement for additional use of the center.
The proposed agreement eliminates the 240 hour limit and does not require Monte Sereno to pay additional costs for the use of the EOC in the event of a disaster.
Indemnification
A section is added to the proposed agreement which states that Monte Sereno will indemnify Los Gatos for any loss or damage that occurs which is directly related to the action of Monte Sereno Council or staff arising out of the following activities:
Police Department’s enforcement of the Monte Sereno Municipal Code where the primary basis for the claim was a defect in the Municipal Code which was outside the control of Los Gatos.
Actions taken by Los Gatos staff where the claim was due to a condition solely due to Monte Sereno’s failure to comply with federal, state, or local laws.
Vehicle tows which were conducted on the reliance on Monte Sereno’s Municipal Code or signage, except where the claim is based on negligence of the towing company or Police Department.
Actions of law enforcement personnel at public or community meetings where the action was specifically directed by Monte Sereno Council or staff, except to the extent where such claim is based on the conduct of the law enforcement personnel.
ITEM NO. 17.
Enforcement of permit conditions, except to the extent where such claim is based on the conduct of the law enforcement personnel.
Meet and Confer
A new section is proposed that would require Monte Sereno and Los Gatos to meet and confer in the event of a dispute between the two parties. The current agreement does not have this language and requires either party to take legal action if necessary to enforce the agreement.
The proposed agreement would require both parties to meet and confer as the first step in resolving a potential dispute. If that were not successful, the proposed agreement requires mediation as the next step in resolving any dispute. The final step would be a legal filing if the mediation were not successful.
Fiscal Impact:
Changes in the costs for police services will be incorporated in the proposed Fiscal Year 25/26 budget which is scheduled for the first review at the May 6, 2025 City Council meeting.
Public Noticing:
The City Council’s agenda was posted at City Hall and the agenda and this report was posted on the City’s website.
Attachments:
1. Resolution 23-3893 Establishing the Police Services Agreement Ad Hoc Committee
2. Resolution 24-3917 Establishing the Police Services Agreement Ad Hoc Committee
3. Draft Resolution - Agreement for Law Enforcement Services
ITEM NO. 17.
Saratoga City Council Special Meeting Agenda – April 27, 2026 - Page 1 of 2
SARATOGA CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL MEETING
APRIL 27, 2026
Public Participation Information
In accordance with Saratoga City Council’s Remote Public Participation Policy, members of the public may participate in this meeting in person at the locations listed below or via remote attendance (if applicable) using the Zoom information below. In the event remote participation technology is unexpectedly unavailable, the meeting will proceed in person without remote participation.
Members of the public can view and participate in the 4:30 p.m. Closed Session by:
1. Attending the meeting in person at:
• City Hall Linda Callon Conference Room, located at 13777 Fruitvale Avenue, Saratoga CA 95070 OR
2. Accessing the meeting through Zoom:
• Webinar URL: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89527052458
• Webinar ID 895 2705 2458 OR
• Call In: 1.408.638.0968 or 1.669.900.6833 (*6 to unmute; *9 to raise hand) Members of the public can view and participate in the 5:30 p.m. Special Meeting by:
1. Attending the meeting in person at:
• City Hall Linda Callon Conference Room, located at 13777 Fruitvale Avenue, Saratoga CA 95070 OR
2. Accessing the meeting through Zoom:
• Webinar URL: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89201627048
• Webinar ID 892 0162 7048 OR
• Call In: 1.408.638.0968 or 1.669.900.6833 (*6 to unmute; *9 to raise hand) Written Communication
Comments can be submitted in writing via the Council Comments Form. Written communications will be provided to the members of the City Council and included in the Agenda Packet and/or in supplemental meeting materials.
Public Comment
Members of the public may comment on any item for up to three (3) minutes. The amount of time for public comment may be reduced by the Mayor or by action of the City Council. Public Comment will begin with speakers attending in-person first followed by those attending via Zoom.
Meeting Recording Information
In accordance with the Saratoga City Council’s Meeting Recording Policy, City Council Study Sessions, Joint Meetings, Joint Sessions, Commission Interviews, Retreats, meetings with the Planning Commission, and Regular Session Meetings are recorded and made available following the meeting on the City website.
Attachment 2
ITEM NO. 17.
Saratoga City Council Special Meeting Agenda – April 27, 2026 - Page 2 of 2 4:30 PM CLOSED SESSION
City Hall, Linda Callon Conference Room | 13777 Fruitvale Avenue, Saratoga, CA 95070 CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL – INITIATION OF LITIGATION Initiation of litigation pursuant to Government Code 54956.9(d)(4): (1 case) 5:30 PM SPECIAL MEETING
City Hall, Linda Callon Conference Room | 13777 Fruitvale Avenue, Saratoga, CA 95070
ROLL CALL
REPORT ON POSTING OF THE AGENDA
The agenda for this meeting was properly posted on April 26, 2026.
AGENDA ITEM
Saratoga Law Enforcement Options
Recommended Action:
Provide staff with further direction on Council priorities for law enforcement services in Saratoga.
Staff Report
Attachment A - Sheriff's Office Current Contract
Attachment B - Sheriff's December 2025 Public Safety Report Attachment C - December 31, 2025 Sheriff's Proposed Contract Attachment D - April 13, 2026 Sheriff's Proposed Contract Attachment E - Los Gatos Preliminary Proposal
ADJOURNMENT
CERTIFICATE OF POSTING OF THE AGENDA, DISTRIBUTION OF THE AGENDA
PACKET, COMPLIANCE WITH AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT I, Britt Avrit, City Clerk for the City of Saratoga, declare that the foregoing agenda for the meeting of the City Council was posted and available for review on April 26, 2026 at the City of Saratoga, 13777 Fruitvale Avenue, Saratoga, California and on the City's website at www.saratoga.ca.us.
Signed 26th day of April 2026 at Saratoga, California.
Britt Avrit, City Clerk
In accordance with the Ralph M. Brown Act, copies of the staff reports and other materials provided to the City Council by City staff in connection with this agenda, copies of materials distributed to the City Council concurrently with the posting of the agenda, and materials distributed to the City Council by staff after the posting of the agenda are available on the City website at www.saratoga.ca.us and are available for review in the office of the City Clerk at 13777 Fruitvale Avenue, Saratoga, California.
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Governor’s Executive Order, if you need assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the City Clerk at [email protected] or calling 408.868.1216 as soon as possible before the meeting. The City will use its best efforts to provide reasonable accommodations to provide as much accessibility as possible while also maintaining public safety. [28 CFR 35.102-35.104 ADA title II]
ITEM NO. 17.
SARATOGA CITY COUNCIL
MEETING DATE: April 27, 2026
DEPARTMENT: City Manager’s Department
PREPARED BY: Leslie Arroyo, Acting City Manager
Ryan Hinchman, Administrative Services Director
SUBJECT: Saratoga Law Enforcement Options
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Provide staff with further direction on Council priorities for law enforcement services in Saratoga.
BACKGROUND:
The City of Saratoga has contracted with Santa Clara County for law enforcement services since shortly after incorporation in October 1956. Since then, service levels have broadened and become more comprehensive to meet the needs of the City. Each year, Council has established service levels, either increasing, decreasing, or maintaining general law enforcement hours, patrol hours, investigative hours, and funding a School Resource Officer as revenues allow.
Under the current contract (Attachment A), the Sheriff’s Office provides the following services through an hour allocation (20,600 hours) for $9 million in FY 2025-26:
Law enforcement services
Supplemental services
Supplemental reserve services
Booking and processing services
Communication services
Annual contract increases are limited to the lesser of (a) the percentage increase in total compensation and annual PERS cost increase, or (b) annual CPI/W plus 2% and annual PERS cost increase. Saratoga pays a portion of the lease cost for the West Valley substation, which increases by 2.5% annually. Yearly controllable operating costs are capped at 5%.
One of the supplemental services in the current contract is the School Resource Officer with the Sheriff’s Office. The current contract expires on June 30, 2026, and City staff have been in conversations with the school districts to determine the appropriate contributions from the City moving forward. Currently, the City contributes 70% of the cost for school resource officers.
ITEM NO. 17.
CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS TIMELINE:
1. June 5, 2024 – City Council authorized the City Manager to provide written notice of renewal to Santa Clara County for Law Enforcement Services from July 1, 2024, through July 1, 2026.
2. June 2025 - City staff began holding discussions with the Sheriff’s Office regarding the 2026 contract expiration.
3. December 31, 2025 – the City received a proposal with an increase of about $2.9 million or 33% (Attachment C), while earlier discussions had indicated a potential cost increase closer to 20 percent.
4. Early January 2026 - City staff met with the Sheriff’s office to review the new proposed cost methodology, which substantially increases charges for overhead and investigative services.
5. January 21, 2026 - the City Council appointed Mayor Chuck Page to serve on an Ad Hoc Committee with representatives from the City Councils of Cupertino, Los Altos Hills, and Saratoga to jointly review the Sheriff’s proposal.
6. February 2, 2026 - the Ad Hoc Committee began meeting weekly.
7. April 13, 2026, the Sheriff’s Office provided a revised proposal after refining overhead costs, reducing the total from $11.9 million to $11.6 million (Attachment D).
DISCUSSION:
The Sheriff’s Office April 13 proposal reflects a $2.6 million (29%) increase from the current contract. Although the cost decreased slightly compared to the December proposal, the April contract increase cannot be absorbed within the City’s existing General Fund resources without significant trade-offs and long-term risk.
As discussed at the April 15, 2026, City Council meeting, to balance the FY 2026-27 budget and retain current Sheriff’s Office service levels under the proposed contract, the City will need to sharply reduce General Fund contributions to capital projects, lower discretionary additional pension payments, implement operating reductions that may affect customer service levels over time, and rely on one-time reserves. These actions shift costs into future years, increasing future capital and pension obligations and accelerating the drawdown of General Fund reserves, which are projected to be depleted in about three years absent substantial expenditure reductions, new revenues, or both. As a result, the proposed Sheriff’s Office contract materially worsens the City’s structural deficit and necessitates consideration of alternative service models and additional revenue strategies to maintain long-term fiscal stability.
POTENTIAL SERVICE ALTERNATIVE:
City staff met with Los Gatos staff to discuss the potential feasibility of the Town of Los Gatos delivering law enforcement services to the City of Saratoga. On March 30, 2026, the Town of Los Gatos provided a preliminary proposal (Attachment E) for Law Enforcement Services, which is based on a service-level partnership rather than an hours-based billing model. Under the proposal, Saratoga would receive law enforcement services comparable to what Los Gatos provides to itself and Monte Sereno, including patrol, traffic enforcement, investigations, communications and dispatch, records support, evidence storage, administrative support, specialty resources (Canines, School Resource Officer, and Tactical Teams), community outreach and engagement, and emergency operations support.
ITEM NO. 17.
Based on the work completed to date and subject to mutual approval of both Councils, Los Gatos currently anticipates it could provide services beginning July 1, 2027, for approximately $9.5 million in the first year. Final pricing, scope, and contract terms remain to be developed. Los Gatos has retained Meliora Public Safety Consulting to analyze its departmental costs and make recommendations on those points.
The Los Gatos proposal is in the early stages, so comparable data between the two proposals is limited.
The table below shows average response times reported by each agency for FY 2024-25 in minutes:
Los Gatos Police SCC Sheriff
Priority I 4.22 8.28
Priority II 6.28 6.49
Priority III 6.59 6.44
NEXT STEPS:
Staff is seeking direction on:
Continue with the Sheriff
Negotiate reduced service levels
Pursue a transition to Los Gatos
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment A – Sheriff’s Office Current Contract
Attachment B – Sheriff’s December 2025 Public Safety Report Attachment C – December 31, 2025 Sheriff’s Proposed Contract Attachment D – April 13, 2026 Sheriff’s Proposed Contract Attachment E – Los Gatos Preliminary Proposal
2055394.1
ITEM NO. 17.
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County of Santa Clara
OFFICE OF THE SHERIFF | 55 WEST YOUNGER AVENUE, SAN JOSE, CA 95110 Law Enforcement Contract – City of Saratoga
FISCAL YEAR 2025-2026 PROPOSED COSTS
ITEM NO. 17.
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ITEM NO. 17.
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Table of Contents
The Sheriff’s Office .......................................................................................................................................................... 3 Organizational Chart ...................................................................................................................................................... 7 Law Enforcement Contract – Background .............................................................................................................. 8 Benefits to Cities of Contracting for Services ........................................................................................................ 10 Local Public Safety Budget and Statistics .............................................................................................................. 12 Contract Costing Model ............................................................................................................................................... 14 Cost Calculation Methodology .................................................................................................................................. 15 Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Proposed Hours ................................................................................................................... 16 Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Summary of Proposed Costs ............................................................................................ 17 Fiscal Years 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 Costs Comparison ................................................................................. 18 Proposed Costs and Capped Budget Comparison .............................................................................................. 20 Summary of Proposed Hourly Rates ........................................................................................................................ 21 Contract Cities’ Statistical Data ................................................................................................................................. 22 Statistical Data – City of Saratoga.............................................................................................................................27
ITEM NO. 17.
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The Sheriff’s Office
Currently, The Sheriff’s Office currently has 1,891.5 employees. Of those employees, 1,322 are sworn law enforcement officers and 569 are non-sworn, professional staff who provide support to the entire operation. In addition to the full-time badge staff, the Sheriff’s Office has numerous Reserve Deputies Sheriff. The Sheriff's Office is divided into 4 major bureaus: Administrative Services, Enforcement, Custody, and Support Services.
I. Administrative Services
The Administrative Services bureau is comprised of the following divisions:
Budget Management and Accounting (Fiscal) Division – Performs a number of critical back-end services for the citizens of the County of Santa Clara in addition to providing support services directly to the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office. As part of the Administrative Services Bureau, Fiscal is responsible for Budget Management, Cost Accounting and overall Fiscal Services.
Personnel, Backgrounds and Reserves Division – Responsible for the overall management of department personnel practices including recruitment/selection activities and employment background investigations, on-boarding procedures for badge and civilian staffs, employee relation activities including managing employee performance evaluation, and administration of leaves, injury and return-to-work program.
Information Systems Division – Manages the operation of multiple systems in the Sheriff’s Office and other neighboring counties in the South Bay region. The division provides support for desktops, laptops, and other specialized equipment to about 2,000 internal users throughout the agency and support for regional Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (SLETS) and California Law Enforcement Telecommunication Systems (CLETS) to over 3,200 users from local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. In addition, the division also provides support for networking, databases, infrastructure, applications, software development, and security systems that are unique to law enforcement and custody agencies.
Legislative, Contracts and Analysis Division – Responsible for the creation and management of contracts, grants and legislative files for Board and Committee meetings.
Sheriff’s Identification Unit – Responsible for providing accurate, timely and complete fingerprint comparison and identification services to law enforcement agencies across Santa Clara County.
II. Enforcement
The Enforcement bureau is comprised of the following divisions:
Headquarters Patrol
Headquarters Patrol provides 24-hour uniformed law enforcement patrol services for most county buildings and all Central, East, and South unincorporated areas of Santa Clara County. The unincorporated areas of the Mount Hamilton Range, including Mount Hamilton, San Antonio Valley, Isabel Valley, San Felipe Valley, and Hall’s Valley, are patrolled from this station. The unincorporated south county communities of San Martin, Rucker, and Uvas Canyon as well as the unincorporated areas surrounding Morgan Hill and Gilroy are patrolled by units from the South County Station.
The Sheriff’s Office is also responsible for the Parks Patrol Unit that provides law enforcement services for the 27 parks and lakes managed by the Santa Clara County Parks Department. Also, the Rural Crimes Unit was formed in 1992 and specializes in crimes associated with rural farming businesses.
ITEM NO. 17.
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West Valley Patrol
The West Valley (WV) Patrol Division of the Sheriff’s Office proudly serves the Cities of Saratoga, Cupertino, Town of Los Altos Hills, as well as the Western Unincorporated areas of the county from Summit Road to Moffett Field. The WV Patrol Division is committed to providing progressive law enforcement services and maintaining healthy community partnerships. Deputies are routinely involved in community events across all cities. There are 83 sworn positions and 7 professional support staff assigned to the West Valley Patrol Division. Deputies provide a full range of law enforcement responsibilities to include Patrol, Traffic Enforcement, Investigative Services, School Resource Officers, Neighborhood Resource Officers, K-9 Services, and Special Enforcement assignments.
The Division employs modern strategies such as community-oriented policing, predictive policing, as well as innovative and progressive initiatives geared toward enhancing the quality-of-life measures. A full-time analyst works directly with patrol deputies and detectives to identify crime trends. Deputies perform daily enforcement duties with the goal of making neighborhoods safe by bringing criminals to justice. The Division is managed by Captain Neil Valenzuela, who works closely with each city and the various communities.
Transit Patrol
The Sheriff Transit Patrol Division provides contracted supplemental general law enforcement services for the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) with the primary goal of safety for VTA patrons, employees, and the security of VTA vehicles and properties. VTA’s mass transit system of bus and light rail operations includes a 346 square mile service area that extends through 15 municipalities and unincorporated Santa Clara County. Law Enforcement responsibilities in the Sheriff Transit Patrol Division include 24-hour uniformed patrol, explosives detection K-9s, motorcycle patrol, bicycle patrol, detectives, and a special team focused on transit-related crime suppression.
The Sheriff’s Office Transit Patrol Division also provides supplemental law enforcement services for Valley Transportation Authority property and assets located at the Milpitas BART Station.
Investigative Services
The Investigative Services Division operates out of three primary locations: Headquarters, West Valley Station, and South County Station. To accomplish the mission of the Investigative Services Division, investigators are trained for general investigation and receive additional training for specific areas of expertise. In order to ensure that each crime is properly investigated by a detective with skill and experience, the units are each dedicated to a particular type of crime.
Court Security
The Court Security Division provides security to the eight State of California Superior Courts located within Santa Clara County on a contract basis. The number of sworn and professional staff assigned to the Court Security Contract ranges from 125 to 212.
There are many specialized assignments within the Court Security Division to include Judicial/Dignitary Protection, Felony and Misdemeanor Court Trial Bailiffs, Risk Assessment Unit, CIT trained Dual Diagnosis Court Bailiffs, Juvenile Dependency Bailiffs, Juvenile Court Bailiffs Holding Cell Operations and Court Movement Deputies.
More than 1,250,000 people pass through our security screening stations each year. Deputies and Sheriff’s Technicians operate security screening stations at the entrance of each court facility. Their primary job is to ensure no illegal or dangerous items enter a court facility.
ITEM NO. 17.
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III. Custody
The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office Custody Division is the fifth largest jail system in California and among the 20 largest systems in the United States. Our jail facilities are among the 100 largest custody systems nationwide, with an inmate population of more than 1,000. The average daily population for the Santa Clara County Correctional facilities was approximately 2,994 inmates a day at the end of April 2024. Approximately 32,000 arrestees are booked annually, with an average length of stay of about 295 days.
The Custody Bureau consists of several divisions: Main Jail Facility, Elmwood Correctional Facility, Custody Administrative Services, Jail Reforms, Support Services, and Compliance.
IV. Support Services
Support Services are comprised of the following services:
Training & Professional Development Division
The Training and Professional Development Division supports the professional growth and development of Sheriff’s Office personnel. The division provides innovative and relevant law enforcement training utilizing contemporary instructional concepts that support a learner-centered focus on learning for our personnel’s entry-level and continuing education. The division offers stateof-the-art training for the Law Enforcement and Custody Bureaus through a multifaceted but distinct group of training programs, including:
• Santa Clara County Justice Training Center
• In-Service Training
• Entry Training Programs
• Body-Worn Camera (BWC) Program
• Regional Firearms Training Facility
• Regional Driver Training Center
• Advanced Officer Training
The Training and Professional Development Division is responsible for all training related to sworn staff, including entry-level academy training for Enforcement and Custody deputies, field training and on-the-job training, continuing education and perishable skills training, firearms and de-escalation training, and advanced officer training programs.
Sworn and professional staff comprise the Training and Professional Development Division to provide instruction; manage, facilitate, track, and schedule training; develop and certify contemporary training curriculum; facilitate and supervise training programs and academies; and collect and report training compliance, both internally and to governing bodies, including the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) and the California Board of State and Community Corrections (STC). Additional staff, including extra-help instructors and personnel from other divisions through collateral assignments, provide quality instruction as subject matter experts for the academy and inservice training programs.
Special Operations
The Special Operations Division encompasses the Special Teams, Mutual Aid Coordinator, Air Support Unit, Intelligence Unit, Covert Investigations Unit (CIU), Fugitive Apprehension & Surveillance Team (FAST), Civil Enforcement Unit, and Civil Support Unit.
ITEM NO. 17.
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Valley Medical Center Security
Valley Medical Center Security division provides oversight of all security and law enforcement services for Santa Clara County Health System (SCC Health System), 24-hours a day, 7-days per week. SCC Health System comprises Valley Medical Center Hospital and Clinics, O'Connor Hospital, St. Louise Regional Hospital, DePaul Health Center, and numerous Valley Health Centers. SCC System employs approximately 10,000 employees, two-thirds of which are assigned to the Valley Medical Campus.
Stanford University
Stanford University division provides oversight and operational authority to Stanford Department of Public Safety through direct supervision of the assigned Captain. The Sheriff’s Captain acts at the direction of the Sheriff in policy matters. The Sheriff’s Captain will coordinate cases involving death and serious felonies to ensure coordination and control with the Sheriff’s Office. The assigned Captain further reviews policy and procedures to safeguard adherence to the standards set by the Sheriff.
Records
The Records Division is the repository and the Custodian of Record for all records of the Sheriff's Office. The division is responsible for reviewing all crime reports for mandated statistical Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) to the State Department of Justice.
ITEM NO. 17.
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Organizational Chart
ITEM NO. 17.
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Law Enforcement Contract – Background
I. SERVICES
City of Cupertino, City of Saratoga, and Town of Los Altos Hills entered into an agreement with the County of Santa Clara, Sheriff’s Office for the following law enforcement services:
A. Law Enforcement Services - include patrol of established beats, responses to emergency calls, investigative services and other law enforcement services.
B. Supplemental Services – as requested by the City which may include traffic law enforcement beyond the basic services, crime prevention patrols, and other law enforcement services that are acceptable of being scheduled and within the capability of the Sheriff to provide.
C. Supplemental Reserve Services – services provided by reserve sheriff deputies such as transportation of arrestees from the arrest location to the appropriate jail facility and additional services as requested by City and approved by the Sheriff’s Office.
D. Booking and Processing Services – include booking and processing services to those arrested persons within the corporate limits of City and who are brought to County jail for booking or detention.
E. Communication Services – emergency communication services in support of the Sheriff’s Office and City’s operations. Services include 24 hour per day 9-1-1 telephone answering and radio dispatching of Sheriff’s personnel.
II. COMPENSATION
Law Enforcement Services
FY 2024-2025 base rate. Annual increase limited to the lesser of (a) percentage increase in total compensation and annual PERS cost increase or (b) annual CPI/W plus 2% and annual PERS cost increase.
Supplemental/Reserve Services
a. Primary Rate – average full cost of a single Deputy with patrol vehicle b. Supplemental Day Rate – cost of a single Deputy with patrol vehicle during periods when the night shift differential salary increment is not payable
c. Supplemental Night Rate – cost of a single Deputy with patrol vehicle during periods when the night shift differential salary increment is payable
d. Supplemental Reserve Rate – cost of two Reserve Deputy Sheriff with patrol vehicle e. Investigative Service Rate – average full cost per hour of an investigator’s time.
Base Rent and Operating Costs of Westside Substation
The cities’ share of the base rent and operating cost will be based upon the lease agreement between the County and Dollinger Properties, LLC. The monthly base rent will increase 2.5% each year. The cities shall be responsible for the base rent increase and any increase in operating expenses and real estate taxes allocated to the building to the extent that such expenses exceed costs incurred in the FY2023-2024 base year. Yearly controllable operating costs shall be capped at 5%. The cities’ share of the operating cost and base rent will be a prorated amount based upon the actual billable hours as indicated in the COPANA reports.
III. TERM OF AGREEMENT – July 1, 2024 to July 1, 2026.
The agreement may be terminated without cause upon giving 180 days written notice of such termination to the other party.
ITEM NO. 17.
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IV. ANNUAL CONTRACT USAGE HISTORY
Saratoga FY17-18 FY18-19 FY19-20 FY20-21 FY21-22 FY22-23 FY23-24 FY24-25 Services General Law Enforcement Hours 20,060.0 20,060.0 20,060.0 20,060.0 20,060.0 20,060.0 20,060 20,060 Traffic Enforcement – Days - Hours
4,195.4 4,195.4 4,195.4 4,195.4 4,195.4 4,195.4 4,195 4,195 Investigative Hours 2,400.0 2,400.0 2,400.0 2,400.0 2,400.0 2,400.0 2,400 2,400 Reserve Activity Hours 340.0 340.0 340.0 340.0 340.0 340.0 68.0 68.0 Special Services – Traffic Sergeant - - - - - - - -
School Resources Officer $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $251,445 $270,850 $317,332 $317,332 Projected Costs $5,420,767 $5,680,745 $6,057,371 $6,417,203 $6,841,990 $7,353,054 $7,812,199 $8,478,103 Actual Costs $5,200,757 $5,678,842 $5,958,047 $6,406,882 $6,592,878 $7,124,047 $7,459,927
ITEM NO. 17.
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Benefits to Cities of Contracting for Services
Contracting for police services may help a community enhance its level and quality of service delivered, providing an array of services that can be revised as needs change and at a cost less than that for supporting an independent law-enforcement organization.
Cost Savings
Communities may contract for police services for many reasons, most of which are related to resources.
Contracting for police services most often resulted in significant cost savings. Savings may result from reducing administrative and command staff positions with consolidation, pooling of resources, and lower capital costs.
Contracting may also provide economies of scale, as larger organizations may be more efficient and provide services at lower cost than smaller ones.
Enhanced Quality and Level of Service
Since the policing system is highly fragmented and leads to a significant duplication of local services that consolidation through contracting can mitigate, a city contracting for services may find it can provide equivalent services with fewer staff than in a stand-alone entity. A city may, for example, provide capacity for rare events that far exceeds its true needs. By contracting with a larger agency with specialized capabilities as needed, a city can better focus its resources on base law-enforcement services.
Contracting for police services may provide an opportunity to enhance both the level and quality of service delivered. By contracting, a community can receive not only the benefits of the contract deputies assigned to it, but also has access to more specialized areas such as investigations, forensics, crime-analysis services of the Sheriff’s Office and much more. The breadth and experience in the Sheriff’s Office far exceed those in smaller cities’ police departments.
Cost savings
Staffing
flexibility
Efficient use
of resources
Appropriate
staffing level
Enhanced
level of
service
Enhanced
quality of
service
Breadth &
depth of
experience
ITEM NO. 17.
Page | 11
Efficient Use of Staffing Resources
Contracting can make more efficient use of staffing resources, especially in communities with local lawenforcement agencies governed by minimum staffing levels. Such levels may be defined by collective bargaining but more often are driven by policy and practice. Such levels assume departments are autonomous and cannot rely on nearby agencies for resources. This may lead to communities setting staffing levels at an unnecessarily high level. The Sheriff’s Office has resources in the other areas, which allows basic staffing level for the city to be at a lower level but backup and supervision from others can provide additional resources when needed.
ITEM NO. 17.
Page | 12
Local Public Safety Budget and Statistics
County of Santa Clara, Office of the Sheriff Average Cost Per Resident for Police Services and Percent of City Budget Allocated to Law Enforcement Services 2024-2025 Police Operating Budgets# City Land Area in Square
Miles (1)
Population/
Square
Mile
Population
(1)
Police
Budget
Budget per
Capita
Total City
Budget
Percent of
City
Budget
1 Saratoga (2) 12.8 2,313 29,607 $8,478,103 $286 $30,582,753 27.7%2 Cupertino (2) 11.3 5,069 57,285 $17,898,214 $312 $90,041,794 19.9%3 Los Altos Hills (2) 9.0 910 8,189 $2,655,828 $324 $19,342,843 13.7%4 Monte Sereno (3) 1.6 2,162 3,459 $1,235,514 $310 $4,692,719 26.3%5 Milpitas 13.5 5,727 77,321 $45,896,038 $594 $138,185,397 41.0%6 Morgan Hill 12.9 3,448 44,478 $24,971,586 $561 $62,533,138 39.9%7 Gilroy 16.5 3,530 58,250 $32,233,821 $553 $72,754,698 44.3%8 Los Altos 6.5 4,614 29,990 $25,925,267 $864 $55,413,284 46.8%9 Campbell 6.1 6,836 41,700 $24,351,109 $584 $68,719,281 35.4% 10 San Jose 178.3 5,438 969,655 $574,241,904 $592 $2,130,127,112 27% 11 Los Gatos 11.6 2,777 32,216 $22,021,478 $684 $57,225,743 38.5% 12 Sunnyvale (4) 22.1 6,876 151,967 $103,780,797 $683 $362,279,562 28.6% 13 Mountain View 12.0 6,815 81,785 $54,425,946 $665 $182,844,154 29.8% 14 Palo Alto 24.1 2,734 65,882 $55,811,660 $847 $306,893,000 18.2% 15 Santa Clara 18.3 7,162 131,062 $90,185,180 $688 $287,458,968 31.4% Incorporated Cities 357 4,994 1,782,846
Unincorporated Areas 934 101 94,746
County Total 1,291 1,451 1,877,592
1 US Census estimates on 4/3/25 at http://www.census.gov/quickfacts 2 Law enforcement services in Cupertino, Los Altos Hills, and Saratoga are provided under contract by the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office. 3 Monte Sereno's contract for police services is for 105 hours per week only. The police budget noted above is the flat rate for 105 hours. 4 The City of Sunnyvale includes both police and fire protection costs in the department's public safety budget.
ITEM NO. 17.
Page | 13
Annual Crime Rate
Number of Annual Crimes1
Crime Rate1
(per 1,000 residents)
Name FY 2025 Public
Safety
Budget*
Budget per
Capita
Population Violent Property Total Violent Property Total Monte Sereno3 $1,235,514 $310 3,459 4 33 37 1.16 9.54 10.70 Saratoga2 $8,478,103 $286 29,607 18 181 199 0.61 6.11 6.72 Los Altos Hills2 $2,655,828 $324 8,189 7 77 84 0.85 9.40 10.26 Los Altos $25,925,267 $864 29,990 27 311 338 0.90 10.37 11.27 Los Gatos $22,021,478 $684 32,216 45 544 589 1.40 16.89 18.28 Cupertino2 $17,898,214 $312 57,285 59 692 751 1.03 12.08 13.11 Morgan Hill $24,971,586 $561 44,478 111 491 602 2.50 11.04 13.53 Sunnyvale4 $103,780,797 $683 151,967 377 2,920 3,297 2.48 19.21 21.70 Santa Clara $90,185,180 $688 131,062 264 3,701 3,965 2.01 28.24 30.25 Milpitas $45,896,038 $594 77,321 246 2,593 2,839 3.18 33.54 36.72 San Jose $574,241,904 $592 969,655 4,861 19,259 24,120 5.01 19.86 24.87 Mountain View $54,425,946 $665 81,785 204 50 254 2.49 0.61 3.11 Palo Alto City $55,811,660 $847 65,882 135 1,820 1,955 2.05 27.63 29.67 Gilroy $32,233,821 $553 58,250 309 1,688 1,997 5.30 28.98 34.28 Campbell $24,351,109 $584 41,700 152 1,142 1,294 3.65 27.39 31.03 California 38,965,193 199,838 888,840 1,088,678 5.13 22.81 27.94 United States 334,914,895 6,419,060 13,637,450 20,056,510 19.17 40.72 59.89 1 Source from OpenJustice, Crimes & Clearance for 2023, https://openjustice.doj.ca/gov/exploration/crime-statistics/crimes-clearance2 Law enforcement services in Cupertino, Los Altos Hills, and Saratoga are provided under contract by the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office. 3 Monte Sereno's contract for police services is for 105 hours per week only. The police budget noted above is the flat rate for 105 hours. 4 The City of Sunnyvale includes both police and fire protection costs in the department's public safety budget. 5 Data for US from https://ncvs.bjs.ojp.gov/multi-year-trends/crimeType
ITEM NO. 17.
Page | 14
Contract Costing Model
The Sheriff’s Office (SO), Fiscal Division annually develops a cost estimate for the contracting cities based upon the Contract Costing Model. The model has been developed in-house and takes into account a variety of cost factors, which are updated annually. It is important to note that not all cost factors in use within the costing model are developed by the SO. Some of the cost factors are dictated by other County departments to the SO, and the cost is just passed along to the contracting agencies. The following points outline the overall approach utilized to calculate the baseline estimates for the contracted cities.
1. Salaries and Benefits – based on Countywide salary table, applicable benefit rates developed by County Office of Budget and Analysis, and annual salary increases and allowances specified by labor agreements.
The salaries and benefits section of the contract is where the costs are captured for not only the direct staff that are assigned to each city, but also the regional and shared staff among the contracted cities.
2. Services and Supplies – the direct services and supplies include the projected expenditures for any supplies, materials, or services associated with the direct or shared staff.
3. Indirect Costs
For all services provided, there are direct costs associated (salaries, benefits, services, and supplies) and indirect costs such as training, countywide support, divisional overhead, and departmental overhead.
To truly capture the full cost of any service, both direct and indirect cost components must be captured.
SO captures all indirect costs associated with the provision of its law enforcement services. • Overhead is calculated on a per position and is developed by taking the costs associated with those services that primarily provide support to the entire SO. The overhead calculation consists of the Personnel and Training Division, Information Systems Division, Records and Fiscal Division. For each of these areas, the cost per employee is generated by estimating the total administrative costs related to these activities and divided it by the total number of employees that are supported by those activities. The costs are then allocated to the division providing contract services based on number of staff assigned to the contract services or annual percentage of time spent on the activities (Records) . The total costs for these divisions included the applicable division’s share of the Countywide overhead.
ITEM NO. 17.
Page | 15
Cost Calculation Methodology
ITEM NO. 17.
Page | 16
Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Proposed Hours
ITEM NO. 17.
Page | 17
Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Summary of Proposed Costs
ITEM NO. 17.
Page | 18
Fiscal Years 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 Costs Comparison
ITEM NO. 17.
Page | 19
Fiscal Years 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 Costs Comparison
ITEM NO. 17.
Page | 20
Proposed Costs and Capped Budget Comparison For FY 2024-2025 and FY 2025-2026 *Allowable Annual Increase is the lesser of percentage of change in Total Compensation or Consumer Price Index - Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI/W) plus 2% plus PERS. For years in which compensation is increased in a multi-year contract, the annual increase to law enforcement service costs shall be limited to the average compensation increase for each year of the contract, not to exceed CPI/W plus 2% for each individual year.
ITEM NO. 17.
Page | 21
Summary of Proposed Hourly Rates
For FY 2024-2025 and FY 2025-2026
ITEM NO. 17.
Page | 22
Contract Cities’ Statistical Data
2024
Arrests
Totals and Averages
Number of Field Enforcement Deputies
Assigned to West Valley Patrol Division 59
Total Number Average Per Deputy
Felony On View Arrests 249 4.22
Misdemeanor On View Arrests 245 4.15
Felony Warrant Arrests 60 1.02
Misdemeanor Warrant Arrests (Includes Cite & Release) 148 2.51 Total Arrests 702 11.90
0 5
10 15
20 25
30 35
40 JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
Felony On View Arrests Misd. On View Arrests Felony Warrant Arrests Misd. Warrant Arrests (Includes Cite and Release)
ITEM NO. 17.
Page | 23
2024
Citations
Totals and Averages
Number of Field Enforcement Deputies
Assigned to West Valley Patrol Division 59
Total Number Average Per Deputy
Speeding Citations 1,074 18.20
Moving Violation Citations 2,212 37.49
All Other Traffic Citations 3,496 59.25
Total Citations 6,782 114.95
0 50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
Speeding Moving All Other Traffic
ITEM NO. 17.
Page | 24
2024
Reports
Totals and Averages
Number of Field Enforcement Deputies
Assigned to West Valley Patrol Division 59
Total Number Average Per Deputy
Reports (Felony / Misdemeanor / Other) 2,765 46.86
Accident Reports 620 10.51
Total Reports 3,385 57.37
0 50
100
150
200
250
300
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
Felony/Misd/Other Accident
ITEM NO. 17.
Page | 25
2024
Calls
Totals and Averages
Number of Field Enforcement Deputies
Assigned to West Valley Patrol Division 59
Total Number Average Per Deputy
Radio Generated Calls 25,364 429.90
Self-Initiated Calls 51,899 879.64
Total Incidents / Contacts 77,263 1,309.54
0 1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
Radio Generated Self Initiated
ITEM NO. 17.
Page | 26
Priority Calls by District
2024 Totals
Priority Level C H L S W
1 36 2 4 23 3
2 5,667 278 1,192 2,893 603
3 3,689 118 462 1,293 247
CH L SW
2022 7624 465 1583 4159 774
2023 8234 476 1758 4302 938
2024 9392 398 1658 4209 853
0 1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
Total Priority Calls (1-3) Per Beat
2022-2024
ITEM NO. 17.
Page | 27
Statistical Data – City of Saratoga
Code Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 020000001011 5
2023 010210010010 6
2024 001101200000 5
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 7 7 2 2 3 12 6 6 4 10 9 7 75
2023 11 13 6 4 4 2 3 2 3 1 3 4 56
2024 2 4 5 2 7 2 1 3 3 6 1 10 46
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 301131203410 19
2023 120011321010 12
2024 200210000111 8
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 012211111130 14
2023 100001135310 15
2024 133101011103 15
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 572833426146 51
2023 218444131724 41
2024 323452043157 39
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 101010020200 7
2023 301000212001 10
2024 000100151211 12
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 040304111011 16
2023 130151334326 32
2024 003622313000 20
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 10 6 5 4 8 9 8 8 2 5 2 9 76
2023 785568576628 73
2024 8 6 15 11 8 4 10 6 7 9 6 4 94
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 101222303111 17
2023 610120121300 17
2024 020022012320 14
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 102022003100 11
2023 000311222511 18
2024 313232100001 16
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 342010111000 13
2023 123102021000 12
2024 020110130021 11
Selected Crimes
City of Saratoga
Sex Crimes
2610 2615
2880 2885
2890 2895
Identity Theft
Forgery
Fraud
4700 4702
Domestic
Violence 2430 2730
Simple &
Aggravated
Assaults
2400 2401
2402 2403
2404 2405
Grand Theft 4870
Auto Theft 4703
Vandalism 5940 5941
Burglary,
Vehicle 4593
Robbery 2110 2115
Burglary,
Residential 4590
Burglary,
Commercial 4591 4592
ITEM NO. 17.
Page | 28
11 16
14 94
20 12
39 15
8 46
5 12
18 17
73 32
10 41
15 12
56 6
13 11
17 76
16 7
51 14
19 75
5 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Sex Crimes
Assault
Domestic Violence
ID Theft, Forgery Fraud
Vandalism
Auto Theft
Grand Theft
Vehicle Burglary
Commercial Burglary
Residential Burglary
Robbery
Saratoga Crime Totals 2022-2024
2022 2023 2024
ITEM NO. 17.
Page | 29
2023 2024 % Difference
Robbery 6 5 -17%
Residential Burglary 56 46 -18%
Commercial Burglary 12 8 -33%
Vehicle Burglary 15 15 0%
Grand Theft 41 39 -5%
Auto Theft 10 12 20%
Vandalism 32 20 -38%
Identity Theft 73 94 29%
Domestic Violence 17 14 -18%
Assaults 18 16 -11%
Sex Crimes 12 11 -8%
2023 - 2024 VARIANCES
Saratoga Crime Index
ITEM NO. 17.
Page | 30
In 16 of the reported cases, the known time frame of the burglary occurred over the course of multiple days, so the day of week is unknown.
SARATOGA RESIDENTIAL BURGLARIES
41%
11%
48%
Time of Day
Unk, multiple days
or times of day
Early morning
12AM - 7AM
Day
7AM - 5PM
Evening
5PM - 12AM
3 2
9 55 4
16 MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN UNK
Day of Week
5 9
6 2
4 3
6 11
0 2
4 6
8 10
12 S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9
Beat
54%
20%
9%
13%
4%
Method of Entry
Glass door break
Open/unlocked door
Other/unknown, no
signs of forced entry
Pried/forced door or
winodw
Window break
123
130
69 72
78 49
56 75
56 46
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
ITEM NO. 17.
Page | 31
Automated License
Plate Readers
Flock Safety
2022 - 2024
SARATOGA
2022
• 6 stolen vehicles located/recovered
• 3 stolen license plates located/recovered
• 1 missing person case, provided assisted in
location
• 3 suspects arrested
• 2 investigative leads
• 1 wanted vehicle located
• 1 warrant served
2023
• 13 stolen vehicles located/recovered
• 8 stolen license plates located/recovered
• 1 missing person case, provided assisted in
location
• 24 suspects arrested
• 19 warrants served
2024
• 11 stolen vehicles located/recovered
• 9 stolen plates located/recovered
• 17 suspects arrested
• 8 warrants served
• 1 wanted vehicle located (involved in hit-andPage 612 ITEM NO. 17.
Page | 32
Code Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 18 30 64 60 35 18 19 28 41 26 27 31 397
2023 53 49 27 13 13 25 23 38 23 20 24 22 330
2024 38 36 38 32 36 21 38 44 24 73 25 8 413
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 15 24 28 30 38 18 17 10 15 14 14 23 246
2023 18 17 12 5 29 15 28 19 14 19 18 7 201
2024 43 32 60 36 54 46 38 34 19 31 23 7 423
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 133 101 167 194 96 84 62 77 63 84 59 66 1186
2023 97 71 67 77 56 60 62 75 69 42 62 51 789
2024 100 113 86 121 121 120 92 117 49 91 86 42 1138
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 000111212311 13
2023 232321101204 21
2024 310020112110 12
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 4 1 5 4 7 3 5 0 6 10 5 7 57
2023 544455444474 54
2024 455335625651 50
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 10 10 7 8 8 4 5 11 9 9 8 11 100
2023 11 7 11 12 15 14 10 8 16 15 14 16 149
2024 14 6 11 9 14 5 10 8 8 6 10 5 106
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 000010100010 3
2023 000000000001 1
2024 000000200000 2
Other
Citations
8310 8315 8320
8325 8330 8335
Accidents,
DUI
8050 8055 8060
Accidents,
Injury
8000 8005 8030
8035
Accidents,
Property
Damage
8010 8015 8020
8025 8040 8045
DUIs 8500 8505 8510
Speeding
Citations 8305
City of Saratoga
Traffic Related Activity – Patrol and Traffic Units Combined Moving
Violations 8300
0 200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Citations
Moving Violation Speeding Citations Other Citations
ITEM NO. 17.
Page | 33
Saratoga Accidents 2024
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL
Injury (8000, 8005) 4 5 5 3 3 5 5 2 5 6 5 1 49
Property Damage (8010) 8 3 8 8 13 5 8 7 4 4 7 2 77
Accident, No Details (8015) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Bike / Pedestrian (8020, 8025) 310000200011 8
Hit & Run - Injury (8030, 8035) 000000100000 1
Hit & Run - Property Damage (8040) 3 2 3 1 1 0 0 1 4 2 2 2 21 Hit & Run - No Details (8045) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 DUI - Injury (8050, 8055) 000000100000 1
DUI - Property Damage (8060) 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1
TOTAL ACCIDENTS 18 11 16 12 17 10 18 10 13 12 15 6 158
13.2 11
16 12
17 10
18 10
13 12
15 6
0 2
4 6
8 10
12 14
16 18
20 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
ITEM NO. 17.
Page | 34
Code Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 000000000000 0
2023 000000000000 0
2024 000000000000 0
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 000000000000 0
2023 000000000000 0
2024 000000000000 0
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 000000000000 0
2023 000000000000 0
2024 000000000000 0
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 000000000000 0
2023 000000000010 1
2024 000000000000 0
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 000000000000 0
2023 000000000000 0
2024 000000000000 0
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 000000000000 0
2023 000000010000 1
2024 001000010010 3
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 000000000000 0
2023 100000000000 1
2024 000000001000 1
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 000100000000 1
2023 000000001000 1
2024 000000000000 0
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 000000000000 0
2023 000000000000 0
2024 001001000000 2
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 000001000000 1
2023 001000000000 1
2024 000001000000 1
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 000001000000 1
2023 000010000000 1
2024 100000010001 3
Identity Theft
Forgery
Fraud
4700 4702
Vandalism 5940 5941
Sex Crimes
2610 2615
2880 2885
2890 2895
Domestic
Violence 2430 2730
Simple &
Aggravated
Assaults
2400 2401
2402 2403
2404 2405
Burglary,
Commercial 4591 4592
Burglary,
Vehicle 4593
Auto Theft 4703
Grand Theft 4870
Burglary,
Residential 4590
Robbery 2110 2115
Moffett Field - 'W' (W1)
Selected Crimes
Code Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 8300 2022 000000000000 0
2023 000000000000 0
2024 000000100000 1
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 000000000000 0
2023 000000000010 1
2024 001000000000 1
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 000100000000 1
2023 000000000000 0
2024 0 13 12 0 7 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 33
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 000000000000 0
2023 000000000000 0
2024 000000000000 0
8305
Other
Citations
8310 8315 8320
8325 8330 8335
DUIs 8500 8505 8510
Moffett Field - 'W' (W1)
Traffic Related Activity
Moving
Violations
Speeding
Citations
ITEM NO. 17.
Page | 35
Code Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 000000000000 0
2023 000000000000 0
2024 000000000000 0
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 332011111111 16
2023 023122001110 13
2024 220001000200 7
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 000100000001 2
2023 000000000000 0
2024 000000000000 0
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 213310100310 15
2023 000101001011 5
2024 000010100000 2
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 002200110100 7
2023 200000000000 2
2024 001011001000 4
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 000001000000 1
2023 000000000000 0
2024 000000000100 1
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 211111300100 11
2023 000000000201 3
2024 010000001000 2
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 112320022222 19
2023 012222101030 14
2024 021351211211 20
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 000001000000 1
2023 000111100000 4
2024 001010020000 4
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 110010000000 3
2023 100000000001 2
2024 011010011010 6
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 000000000010 1
2023 000001000001 2
2024 000100000000 1
Identity Theft
Forgery
Fraud
4700 4702
Vandalism 5940 5941
Sex Crimes
2610 2615
2880 2885
2890 2895
Domestic
Violence 2430 2730
Simple &
Aggravated
Assaults
2400 2401
2402 2403
2404 2405
Burglary,
Commercial 4591 4592
Burglary,
Vehicle 4593
Auto Theft 4703
Grand Theft 4870
Burglary,
Residential 4590
Robbery 2110 2115
Unincorporated County - 'W' (W2 - W9)
Selected Crimes
Code Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 8300 2022 100101200000 5
2023 000011001000 3
2024 000000100000 1
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 030010500010 10
2023 030045681271 37
2024 110000110000 4
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 113350106021 23
2023 024242221333 28
2024 467644337011 46
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 000000000000 0
2023 000000000000 0
2024 000000000000 0
8305
Other
Citations
8310 8315 8320
8325 8330 8335
DUIs 8500 8505 8510
Unincorporated County - 'W' (W2 – W9)
Traffic Related Activity
Moving
Violations
Speeding
Citations
ITEM NO. 17.
Page | 36
Code Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 100000000000 1
2023 000000000001 1
2024 000000010000 1
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 000010210000 4
2023 000100000000 1
2024 011101000000 4
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 000010000000 1
2023 010000000000 1
2024 000100000000 1
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 100101000010 4
2023 100000200200 5
2024 101100100000 4
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 000100200001 4
2023 000010110000 3
2024 010101001001 5
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 010210110000 6
2023 210000001001 5
2024 000001200000 3
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 000410001000 6
2023 000012010021 7
2024 200001011000 5
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 010001000114 8
2023 100100100210 6
2024 001300012001 8
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 100010001110 5
2023 110010010001 5
2024 000001010001 3
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 100000000110 3
2023 110010100100 5
2024 100102012101 9
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 000010000000 1
2023 000000000000 0
2024 101002000100 5
Identity Theft
Forgery
Fraud
4700 4702
Vandalism 5940 5941
Sex Crimes
2610 2615
2880 2885
2890 2895
Domestic
Violence 2430 2730
Simple &
Aggravated
Assaults
2400 2401
2402 2403
2404 2405
Burglary,
Commercial 4591 4592
Burglary,
Vehicle 4593
Auto Theft 4703
Grand Theft 4870
Burglary,
Residential 4590
Robbery 2110 2115
Unincorporated County - 'H'
Selected Crimes
Code Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 8300 2022 000000000000 0
2023 000001000000 1
2024 000000000000 0
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 000000000000 0
2023 000000000000 0
2024 000000000000 0
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 000000000000 0
2023 000000000300 3
2024 000000000001 1
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2022 000000000000 0
2023 010000001000 2
2024 000000000000 0
DUIs 8500 8505 8510
Unincorporated County - 'H'
Traffic Related Activity
Moving
Violations
Speeding
Citations 8305
Other
Citations
8310 8315 8320
8325 8330 8335
ITEM NO. 17.
Page | 37
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ITEM NO. 17.
Page | 38
County of Santa Clara
OFFICE OF THE SHERIFF | 55 WEST YOUNGER AVENUE, SAN JOSE, CA 95110
ITEM NO. 17.
City of Saratoga
December 2025
Statistical Data and
Public Safety Report
Office of the Sheriff
County of Santa Clara
ITEM NO. 17.
Time Calls Target
Time Time Calls TargetTime Time Calls TargetTime Time Calls TargetTime Time Calls TargetTime Time Calls TargetTime Time Calls TargetTime Time Calls TargetTime Time Calls Target
Time
Time Calls
Target
Time
Time Calls
Target
Time
Time Calls
Target
Time
1 5.64 4 6 5.02 4 6 6.08 5 6 5.65 5 6 7.11 3 6 5.01 6 6 4.03 6 6 2.38 4 6 3.23 4 6 14.50 1 6 8.90 1 6 11.30 4 6 6.60 47 6 2 8.97 265 10 9.40 212 10 10.59 294 10 7.56 236 10 8.22 216 10 7.78 217 10 9.35 228 10 9.68 228 10 5.55 228 10 7.93 246 10 6.18 226 10 5.93 242 10 8.10 2838 10 3 14.33 120 20 19.12 88 20 11.46 123 20 10.37 114 20 15.09 125 20 17.66 128 20 9.14 133 20 15.74 118 20 6.07 137 20 6.18 131 20 4.96 102 20 5.82 98 20 11.33 1417 20 Time Calls Target
Time Time Calls TargetTime Time Calls TargetTime Time Calls TargetTime Time Calls TargetTime Time Calls TargetTime Time Calls TargetTime Time Calls TargetTime Time Calls Target
Time
Time Calls
Target
Time
Time Calls
Target
Time
Time Calls
Target
Time
1 14.69 2 6 7.43 2 6 5.03 2 6 7.95 4 6 6.23 1 6 6.24 3 6 6.20 4 6 1.93 1 6 2.72 3 6 4.95 1 6 0.00 0 6 0.00 0 6 6.34 23 6 2 5.64 217 10 7.10 251 10 6.39 240 10 6.15 225 10 6.34 274 10 6.44 262 10 6.01 263 10 7.15 255 10 6.99 218 10 6.46 231 10 6.72 236 10 7.13 221 10 6.54 2893 10 3 7.01 77 20 5.33 70 20 9.67 128 20 7.26 98 20 6.48 109 20 6.85 120 20 5.98 125 20 6.92 131 20 5.94 109 20 6.68 111 20 4.43 103 20 7.90 112 20 6.70 1293 20 Time Calls Target
Time Time Calls TargetTime Time Calls TargetTime Time Calls TargetTime Time Calls TargetTime Time Calls TargetTime Time Calls TargetTime Time Calls TargetTime Time Calls Target
Time
Time Calls
Target
Time
Time Calls
Target
Time
Time Calls
Target
Time
1 2.52 2 6 6.08 5 6 0.00 0 6 2.40 3 6 0.00 0 6 8.82 2 6 19.55 3 6 13.83 2 6 6.36 3 6 6.58 2 6 0.00 0 6 8.34 2 6 8.28 24 6 2 6.75 219 10 6.35 187 10 5.98 206 10 6.25 244 10 6.58 254 10 6.53 250 10 7.15 252 10 6.22 233 10 7.15 243 10 6.71 204 10 6.03 216 10 6.14 62 10 6.49 2570 10 3 7.27 107 20 4.47 97 20 5.56 86 20 7.55 98 20 6.57 101 20 6.38 115 20 6.55 106 20 6.68 120 20 8.31 98 20 4.23 132 20 9.22 97 20 8.06 15 20 6.74 1172 20 Response Times for Saratoga
2023 - 2025
Saratoga 2023
Priority
January February March June October November Target
Time
Saratoga 2024
Priority
January February
April May July August September Avg
Time
Total
Calls
December Avg
Time
Total
Calls
November
December
Saratoga 2025
March April May June July August September October Target Time
July August
Priority
January February March Target
Time
April September October November Avg
Time
December Total
Calls
May June
ITEM NO. 17.
Code Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2023
0102100100106
2024
0011012000005
2025
0000201000003
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2023 11 13
6442323134 56
2024
24527213361 10 46
2025
454313435368 49
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2023
120011321010 12
2024
2002100001118
2025
0101002110208
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2023
100001135310 15
2024
133101011103 15
2025
262011040200 18
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2023
218444131724 41
2024
323452043157 39
2025
814122141131 29
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2023
301000212001 10
2024
000100151211 12
2025
311101122200 14
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2023
130151334326 32
2024
003622313000 20
2025
222203560122 27
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2023
785568576628 73
2024
86 15 1184 1067964 94
2025
7338947 148788 86
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2023
610120121300 17
2024
020022012320 14
2025
023131111041 18
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2023
000311222511 18
2024
313232100001 16
2025
110425010002 16
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec TOTAL 2023
123102021000 12
2024
020110130021 11
2025
101120002230 12
Burglary,
Vehicle 4593
Robbery 2110 2115
Burglary,
Residential 4590
Burglary,
Commercial 4591 4592
Simple &
Aggravated
Assaults
2400 2401
2402 2403
2404 2405
Grand Theft 4870
Auto Theft 4703
Vandalism 5940 5941
Selected Crimes
City of Saratoga
Sex Crimes
2610 2615
2880 2885
2890 2895
Identity Theft
Forgery
Fraud
4700 4702
Domestic
Violence 2430 2730
ITEM NO. 17.
County of Santa Clara
Office of the Sheriff
55 West Younger Avenue
San Jose, California 95110-1721
(408) 808-4400
_____________________________M E M O R A N D U M_____________________________ Robert Jonsen
Sheriff
DATE: December 31, 2025
TO: Tina Kapoor, City Manager, City of Cupertino
Matt Morley, City Manager, City of Saratoga
Cody Einfalt, Acting City Manager, Town of Los Altos Hills FROM: Adam Oberdorfer, Assistant Sheriff
SUBJECT: Updated Cost Methodology and Proposal for Contract Policing Services ______________________________________________________________________________ Thank you for your patience as we worked closely with the County to update our contract methodology. We recognize that these delays have created challenges, and we remain committed to resolving them promptly. We look forward to working together to finalize a new contract quickly and efficiently.
As noted in the previous letter from County Executive James Williams and Sheriff Robert Jonsen dated December 18, 2025, the County, in coordination with the County Executive, the County Office of Budget and Analysis, the County Counsel’s Office, and the Office of the Sheriff, undertook a thorough assessment of our police services contracting approach for all contracts. The result is a revised methodology that reflects an accurate, sustainable cost-recovery model aligned with current legal, operational, and fiscal realities. The revised methodology:
Reflects actual salary and benefit costs, including the most recent Deputy Sheriffs' Association Memorandum of Understanding;
Accurately accounts for actual overhead and support costs required to sustain 24/7 law enforcement operations; and
Ensures transparency, consistency, and equity across contract cities and other police service contracts.
Since our last contract cycle, the landscape of modern policing—both nationally and within California—has changed significantly. Training requirements have expanded due to new state mandates, including additional instructional requirements on the use of force, firearms, and deescalation. Technology has also become foundational to effective policing. Body-worn cameras, mobile data computers, department-issued smartphones, and secure mobile networks are now essential tools to ensure transparency, accountability, officer safety, and operational efficiency.
ITEM NO. 17.
Legislative and accountability standards have also significantly expanded reporting obligations, including Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) with NIBRS1
, the Racial and Identity Profiling Act
(RIPA)2, enhanced public records requirements, and independent review processes. While these mandates increase complexity and workload, they strengthen public trust and improve access to policing data.
However, the most significant challenge facing law enforcement today is workforce sustainability.
Like municipal police departments throughout California, the Sheriff's Office continues to experience unprecedented recruiting and retention challenges. The costs of hiring, training, and retaining qualified deputies have increased significantly due to competitive labor markets, expanded training mandates, and evolving community expectations.
Despite these challenges, the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office remains steadfast in its commitment to your communities. Our deputies know your neighborhoods, schools, and businesses. They attend local events, engage with residents, and serve as trusted partners in public safety. This long-standing relationship, built on shared values and mutual commitment to public safety, remains at the core of our service model.
Enclosed is a high-level budget proposal for renewing police services for Cupertino, Los Altos Hills, and Saratoga as projected for FY 2026–27. Costs are based on FY 2025–26 actuals with an estimated 5% increase for FY 2026-27. The proposal reflects the actual cost of delivering professional, community-oriented police services under current conditions while ensuring longterm sustainability.
To support cost comparisons, the proposed hours for each city remain consistent with the current fiscal year. However, due to ongoing city growth, rising service expectations, and operational requirements to maintain community standards and response times, adjustments to current hour allocations will likely be necessary to meet increasing service demands. A summary of the overhead methodology is also included below. Our office and the County look forward to meeting early in 2026 to review details and address any questions from the cities.
We value the longstanding partnerships we share with each of your cities and remain committed to providing high-quality, professional law enforcement services. We welcome the opportunity to review this proposal with you in greater detail and to work collaboratively toward finalizing the renewal of our police services agreements.
1 https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/more-fbi-services-and-information/ucr/nibrs 2 https://oag.ca.gov/ab953
ITEM NO. 17.
Overview of West Valley Overhead Cost Components
The revised methodology includes the following proportional overhead components for personnel assigned to West Valley Patrol. Proportional costs are calculated based on the number of full-time equivalents (FTEs) assigned to the West Valley Patrol Division and their corresponding share of overall operations. This percentage is then applied to our total operating costs to determine the overhead allocation.
West Valley Overhead - Includes expenses related to operating the West Valley Division, such as personnel costs for the Captain, Lieutenant, Sergeants (supervisors), and essential support staff required to manage and oversee the division.
Personnel & Training - Includes the proportional cost of the Sheriff's Office Personnel Division and the Training and Professional Development Division, encompassing recruitment, hiring, and ongoing mandatory and professional training required to sustain a modern police workforce.
Fiscal Services - Includes proportional costs for fiscal management, accounting, and payroll services necessary to support personnel assigned to West Valley Patrol.
Information Technology (IT) Services - Includes proportional costs for IT support personnel and management who sustain 24/7 law enforcement operations, including CJIS-compliant systems required for CLETS and NCIC access, mobile phones and mobile data computers, law enforcement applications, secure data sharing, and other mission-critical IT services.
Internal Affairs - Includes proportional costs for Internal Affairs services required to meet legal and regulatory obligations, including the investigation of misconduct and citizen complaints, SB 2 decertification requirements, and other mandated oversight responsibilities applicable to all California law enforcement agencies.
Sheriff's Office Administration - Includes proportional administrative and executive oversight costs necessary to manage and support law enforcement services.
Investigative Services - Replaces the prior hourly billing model with an overhead cost for investigative services. This cost is based on the Investigative Services Division's actual costs and an analysis of the average investigative workload over the past three fiscal years, proportionally allocated to each contract city based on each city's case volume. The cost includes West Valley detectives focused on property crime, division leadership, and specialized investigative units such as Major Crimes, Sexual Assault, and Domestic Violence, as well as associated costs for property and evidence, crime scene investigation, and evidence processing and destruction.
Records - Based on a three-year workload analysis that considers case volume using the same formula as Investigative Services, the Records Division offers a variety of mandatory services around the clock. These include warrant confirmation, public information services, Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR), and state and federal crime reporting. They also handle CPRA processing, vehicle tow processing, and public report requests.
ITEM NO. 17.
Unincorporated
Rates Cupertino Los Altos Hills Saratoga Areas
General Law Enforcement Services (Primary Rate)
Proposed Hours 41,881 5,421 20,060 14,696
Projected Costs FY26-27 @ $193.52 $8,104,687 $1,049,056 $3,881,952 $2,843,926 Supplemental Services - Traffic Enforcement - Day
Proposed Hours - Enforcement Vehicle - Deputy Sheriff 1,803 - - - Proposed Hours - Motorcycle - Deputy Sheriff 5,447 1,860 4,195 - Total Proposed Hours 7,250 1,860 4,195 -
Projected Costs FY26-27 @ $193.52 $1,402,999 $359,845 $811,872 $0 Traffic Sergeant
Projected Costs FY26-27 @ $344,860.69 $344,861 $0 $0 $0 School Resources Officer
Projected Costs FY26-27 @ $316,207 $632,414 $0 $316,207 $0 Subtotal $10,484,961 $1,408,901 $5,010,031 $2,843,926
Operating Costs Of West Valley Substation
Proposed Hours General/Supplemental Services 49,131 7,281 24,255 14,696 Traffic & School Officer 4,912 - 1,634 -
FY26-27 101,909 54,043 7,281 25,889 14,696
Percentage 53.0% 7.1% 25.4% 14.4%
Total Projected Costs of Substation = $568,233 $301,338 $40,595 $144,356 $81,943 OH and Support Services Costs
West Valley OH costs $14,739,880 $7,224,807 $1,116,113 $3,567,376 $2,831,584 Personnel & Training $1,118,120 $592,947 $79,880 $284,052 $161,241 Fiscal Services $316,770 $167,986 $22,630 $80,474 $45,681 IT Services $1,049,837 $556,736 $75,002 $266,705 $151,394 Internal Affairs $267,432 $141,821 $19,106 $67,940 $38,566 SO Admin $419,567 $222,499 $29,974 $106,588 $60,505
Investigative $6,801,625 $4,380,674 $426,845 $1,546,502 $447,603 Records $3,761,686 $2,422,763 $236,070 $855,304 $247,550 Total Projected Costs for OH & Support Services = $28,474,917 $15,710,233 $2,005,620 $6,774,940 $3,984,124 Total Projected Contract Costs FY26-27 $26,496,532 $3,455,116 $11,929,327 $6,909,994 FY27 cost projection is based on FY26 projection with a 5% increase Santa Clara County - Sheriff's Office
West Valley Patrol
PROJECTED CONTRACT COSTS - FULL COSTS
Fiscal Year 2026-2027
ITEM NO. 17.
Unincorporated
Rates Cupertino Los Altos Hills Saratoga Areas
DIRECT LAW ENFORCEMENT STAFFING COST
General Law Enforcement Services (Primary Rate)
Proposed Hours 41,881 5,421 20,060 14,696
Projected Costs FY26-27 @ $206 $8,630,736 $1,117,147 $4,133,917 $3,028,517 Supplemental Services - Traffic Enforcement - Day
Proposed Hours - Enforcement Vehicle - Deputy Sheriff 1,803 - - - Proposed Hours - Motorcycle - Deputy Sheriff 5,447 1,860 4,195 - Total Proposed Hours 7,250 1,860 4,195 -
Projected Costs FY26-27 @ $206 $1,494,063 $383,201 $864,568 $0 Traffic Sergeant
Projected Costs FY26-27 @ $360,985 $360,985 $0 $0 $0
School Resources Officer
Projected Costs FY26-27 @ $336,731 $673,462 $0 $336,731 $0 Subtotal $11,159,246 $1,500,348 $5,335,216 $3,028,517
Percentage 53.0% 7.1% 25.4% 14.4%
DIRECT LAW ENFORCEMENT SUPPORT SERVICES
Support Staff - Salaries & Benefits $5,348,552 $2,621,612 $404,996 $1,294,467 $1,027,476 Services & Supplies
IC-Dispatch Services - Internal 4,324,600 2,119,719 327,461 1,046,649 830,771 IC-Automobile Services - Internal 1,571,823 770,435 119,019 380,416 301,953 IC-Insurance 1,025,102 502,457 77,621 248,097 196,926
IC-Office Rents 637,350 312,399 48,261 154,253 122,437
IC-Fuel - Internal 312,329 153,089 23,650 75,590 59,999 Bodyworn Camera & Dashcam 305,959 149,967 23,167 74,049 58,776 IC-Radio Maintenance - Internal 48,571 23,807 3,678 11,755 9,331 Communications and Telephone Svcs 37,380 18,322 2,830 9,047 7,181 IC - Wireless Voice & Data Services 35,543 17,421 2,691 8,602 6,828 Others 357,486 175,223 27,069 86,520 68,674
$8,656,142 $4,242,840 $655,449 $2,094,977 $1,662,876
INDIRECT COUNTYWIDE SUPPORT $580,573 $284,570 $43,961 $140,512 $111,530 Subtotal $14,585,267 $7,149,023 $1,104,406 $3,529,956 $2,801,883
INDIRECT DEPARTMENT SUPPORT
Investigative $5,531,736 $3,740,926 $364,509 $1,320,653 $382,236 Records $2,832,389 $1,915,449 $186,638 $676,208 $195,714 Personnel & Training $1,057,612 $518,393 $80,083 $255,966 $203,171 IT Services $997,556 $488,956 $75,536 $241,430 $191,634 SO Admin $349,433 $171,276 $26,459 $84,570 $67,127
Fiscal Services $298,434 $146,278 $22,598 $72,228 $57,330 Internal Affairs $253,085 $124,050 $19,164 $61,252 $48,619 Subtotal $11,320,245 $7,105,328 $774,986 $2,712,306 $1,145,832 Total Projected Contract Costs FY26-27 $25,413,597 $3,379,740 $11,577,478 $6,976,231 Updated 04/02/26
Using budgeted Salaries & Benefits for FY2026-2027
Assuming 5% increase from FY2026 for Services & Supplies
PROJECTED CONTRACT COSTS - FULL COSTS
Fiscal Year 2026-2027
Santa Clara County - Sheriff's Office
West Valley Patrol
ITEM NO. 17.
1 TOWN OF LOS GATOS
Civic Center
110 E. Main Street
Los Gatos, CA 95030
Ms. Leslie Arroyo, City Manager
City of Saratoga
13777 Fruitvale Avenue
Saratoga, CA 95070
March 30, 2026
Subject: Preliminary Proposal for Law Enforcement Services Beginning July 1, 2027 Dear Ms. Leslie Arroyo,
As requested, I am providing a preliminary proposal for the Town of Los Gatos to deliver law enforcement services to the City of Saratoga beginning July 1, 2027. The opportunity to align Saratoga, Monte Sereno, and Los Gatos under a coordinated West Valley service model presents a meaningful enhancement to strengthen public safety, improve regional coordination, and create operational efficiencies that significantly benefit all three communities. This model would allow Saratoga to receive a higher touch, locally accountable level of service while continuing to benefit from the broader support network created by mutual aid, regional initiatives, and coordinated operations within the greater Santa Clara County and our regional partners.
Saratoga has deeply valued its longstanding relationship with the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office, and we respect the strength of that history. Under the model we are proposing, Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office would remain an important regional public safety partner. This proposal is not intended to diminish that relationship, but rather to offer Saratoga an enhanced primary service model centered on local integration, direct accountability, and accessible connection for alignment with city priorities.
The traditional public safety model of regional boundaries continues to evolve. Communities are increasingly seeking service models that provide not only effective emergency response, but also deeper local alignment, greater transparency, and the ability to adapt quickly to changing community expectations. This proposal is intended to present Saratoga with a clear alternative, one that combines the operational depth of a full-service police agency with the accessibility, accountability, and community integration of a locally governed department.
Our proposal is based on a service level partnership rather than a traditional hours-based billing model. In practical terms, that means Saratoga would receive law enforcement services in the same integrated manner that Los Gatos provides within its own community and through its existing relationship with Monte Sereno. Under that model, services are not limited to a fixed patrol hour allocation. Instead, the city would receive law enforcement services with what Los Gatos provides to itself, including patrol, traffic enforcement, investigations, communications and dispatch, records support, evidence storage, administrative support, specialty resources (Canines, School Resource Officer, and Tactical Teams), community outreach and engagement, and emergency operations
OFFICE OF THE TOWN MANAGER
(408) 354-6832
[email protected]
ITEM NO. 17.
support. The model also includes regular performance reporting, consultation regarding service needs, and direct executive level communication regarding service delivery.
From a governance standpoint for the City of Saratoga, we will integrate a structure that clearly defines service expectations, reporting, accountability, and annual consultation regarding service needs, while leaving operational authority over staffing, training, deployment, supervision, and discipline with the Police Department. We believe that framework provides both professional operational control and direct responsiveness to city leadership.
With respect to pricing, we are currently working with Meliora Public Safety Consulting to update our comprehensive workload analysis of police services to include Saratoga activity and proposed model. Based on the work completed to date and subject to mutual approval of our Councils, we currently anticipate a first year contract beginning July 1, 2027, with an annualized estimate of approximately $9.5 million. Our intent would be to structure pricing in a way that provides moderation and predictability in future annual increases so Saratoga can plan responsibly over multiple fiscal years and avoid undue pressure on the City’s operating budget. We have customized our other contract community of Monte Sereno in a similar manner. When compared to the current and projected cost of services through the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office, we are confident this model presents a meaningful opportunity for Saratoga to realize cost efficiencies while simultaneously enhancing service delivery, visibility, and local engagement.
We developed the proposed model to offer Saratoga meaningful operational advantages, including localized dispatch and communications, stronger performance reporting and accountability, modern policing technology, advanced drone and ALPR capabilities, integrated emergency preparedness, community policing model, enhanced investigative follow up, school safety support, and a more coordinated regional emergency management framework. For ease of review, I have summarized some of those features in Attachment 1, Preliminary Service Model and Partnership Features. I have also enclosed the current Monte Sereno law enforcement services agreement as a reference point for the type of contract structure, service expectations, reporting framework, and costing methodology that inform this preliminary proposal.
In addition to these service features, Los Gatos’s average response times for the most recent reviewed reporting period were outstanding and are reported as:
• Priority 1: 4 minutes 22 seconds
• Priority 2: 6 minutes 28 seconds
• Priority 3: 6 minutes 59 seconds
Overall, we believe this proposal presents Saratoga with an opportunity to join a more integrated, locally accountable, and community service oriented law enforcement partnership while preserving the regional relationships and public safety coordination that are important to all of our communities. If Saratoga has interest in exploring this concept further, I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you and your team to discuss service expectations, governance considerations, and the development of a more refined scope and cost framework for fiscal year 2027 to 2028.
Together, Attachment 1 and the current Monte Sereno agreement are intended to provide both a concise summary of the proposed partnership model and a practical example of how that model can be documented in an intergovernmental agreement. Thank you for your consideration.
ITEM NO. 17.
Respectively submitted,
Chris Constantin
Town Manager
Attachments
1. Attachment 1 – Preliminary Service Model and Partnership Features
2. Current Monte Sereno Law Enforcement Services Agreement
ITEM NO. 17.
Attachment 1
Preliminary Service Model and Partnership Features
Under the proposed model, Saratoga would be served through an integrated West Valley law enforcement partnership designed to provide local accountability, operational depth, and coordinated regional support. Key features include the following:
1. Dedicated local service model
Rather than viewing law enforcement as a set number of purchased hours, Los Gatos would treat Saratoga as part of its service area. That approach supports stronger day to day alignment with city leadership, greater responsiveness to local priorities, and better adaptability as community needs evolve.
2. Localized dispatch and communications
Service would be delivered through the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department’s dedicated communications center, with local geographic knowledge, tailored call prioritization, close coordination between dispatch and field units, and the ability to provide analytics upon request.
3. Greater transparency and service accountability
Leadership would receive biannual reporting to the City Council with performance measures that include crime statistics, response times, traffic enforcement trends, significant crime summaries, and patrol service hours, along with at least quarterly reporting to the City Manager. The model also includes an escalation pathway if concerns arise regarding performance information or service delivery.
4. Modern technology and data driven policing tools
Los Gatos deploys modern law enforcement technology, including Axon body worn TASER systems, body worn camera capability, and other digital evidence tools that support documentation, transparency, and effective investigations. Staff also use current analytical and investigative tools to support case development and informed operational decision making.
5. Advanced drone capabilities
The ability to deploy drones from the field and, as appropriate, through expanded deployment models strengthens situational awareness, supports officer safety, and improves incident assessment. As one of the few agencies in the County with the ability to deploy from stationary locations, staff can receive timely information that supports a more effective response.
6. ALPR integration and intelligence led policing
Los Gatos has demonstrated experience managing and leveraging Automated License Plate Reader systems, currently through Flock, and can work with Saratoga to evaluate and integrate its existing ALPR network in support of investigations, real time alerts, and crime prevention.
7. Smart surveillance and real time intelligence capabilities Los Gatos is implementing Verkada camera systems with advanced object detection and integrating Axon Fusus to strengthen situational awareness. These tools can help bring together camera feeds, ALPR data, and drone imagery into a more unified operational picture that supports quicker assessment and more informed deployment decisions.
ITEM NO. 17.
8. Stronger community policing and engagement
Los Gatos’s service approach emphasizes relationship based policing with residents, businesses, schools, faith communities, service clubs, and other community stakeholders. Regular outreach, visibility, and proactive problem solving are central to the model and help build trust while working to prevent crime before it occurs.
9. Complaint handling and performance review
The model provides a formal process for submitting and reviewing complaints, together with an executive escalation path if concerns arise regarding performance information or service delivery.
That level of clarity supports accountability, transparency, and trust between partner agencies.
10. Integrated emergency preparedness and response
Los Gatos provides active coordination with Community Emergency Response Teams and its Disaster Aid Response Team, along with robust disaster planning and readiness for wildfire and other major incidents, including Wildland Urban Interface risk mitigation supported by field and aerial deployment capabilities. The same model would be extended to Saratoga so that emergency coordination is addressed as part of the core public safety partnership.
11. Comprehensive emergency management capabilities
Integration of police services across Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, and Saratoga would support more coordinated response during emergencies and large scale incidents. Los Gatos and Monte Sereno are already moving forward with an integrated traffic flow and evacuation route model to strengthen evacuation planning, and Saratoga’s inclusion would further enhance that regional approach.
12. School safety and youth engagement
Los Gatos provides a School Resource Officer model that enhances campus safety and builds positive relationships with students and would be prepared to extend that same approach to Saratoga.
13. Enhanced investigative follow up
Los Gatos adds value through thorough investigations, strong case continuity, consistent victim support, and collaboration with specialized regional units when needed. This helps ensure residents feel their cases matter and reflects a community oriented policing model that emphasizes understanding and responding to community needs.
14. Consistency, continuity, and accountability in service delivery Los Gatos’s preference would be to enter into an agreement that treats Saratoga in the same integrated manner as Los Gatos, with clear service expectations, a transparent and predictable cost framework, and direct accountability to Saratoga leadership and community priorities.
15. Real time crime and intelligence integration (RTIC) Through Axon Fusus integration and coordinated technology platforms, Los Gatos is building toward a real-time operational environment that enhances situational awareness, supports faster decision-making, and allows staffing resources to be deployed more effectively. This capability is designed to scale across partner communities, including Monte Sereno and Saratoga.
ITEM NO. 17.
AGREEMENT FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES BETWEEN THE TOWN OF
LOS GATOS AND THE CITY OF MONTE SERENO
This Agreement for Law Enforcement Services (“Agreement”) is entered into by and between the TOWN OF LOS GATOS ("Los Gatos" hereinafter) and the CITY OF MONTE SERENO ("Monte Sereno" hereinafter) (collectively the “Parties”), both municipal corporations and general law cities located in the County of Santa Clara, State of California.
RECITALS
A. Los Gatos has its own Los Gatos Police Department (“Department” hereinafter) and Monte Sereno does not.
B. Monte Sereno has contracted with Los Gatos since 1995 for police services and desires to continue to obtain police services from Los Gatos, as further described in Section 2 below, through an amended and restated contract and provide for police protection within its boundaries pursuant to this Agreement.
C. This Agreement is entered into pursuant to provisions of California Government Code Sections 55631 through 55634, and any and all other applicable authority.
D. Los Gatos and Monte Sereno desire to enter into a five (5) year agreement effective with an option to renew once for another five years.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the recitals and the mutual promises contained herein, Los Gatos and Monte Sereno agree as follows:
AGREEMENT
1. GENERAL PROVISIONS.
(a) This Agreement for Law Enforcement Services is effective July 1, 2025, and thereafter the provisions herein supersede and replace any previous agreement or amendments executed by the Parties.
(b) In this Agreement, the word "Chief" means Chief of Police of the Town. (c) The Chief and their staff shall have sole authority and control over the overall operations and the procedural manner in which the police services are performed under this Agreement. On or before the 1st day of April of each year of this Agreement, the Chief and Town Manager shall consult with the Monte Sereno City Manager on service level issues and the Parties may modify this Agreement by written amendment Docusign Envelope ID: 05FF57F5-DA16-4C66-A2C9-9B85141AE3E7
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signed by both Parties as necessary to meet the needs of Monte Sereno subject to approval by the City and Town Council of each entity.
(d) The Chief or a member of the Chief's staff will attend Monte Sereno City Council meetings on a bi-annual basis and provide performance measures to the City of Monte Sereno City Council. These performance measures shall include crime statistics, response times and traffic enforcement trends and/or significant crime report summaries as well as patrol service hours provided for the prior six month period. In addition, the Chief or a member of the Chief’s staff shall submit reports at least quarterly, unless otherwise agreed to by the Parties, to the Monte Sereno City Manager detailing the incidence of crime in the City. Through its City Manager, the City can request a higher level review of reported performance information when there are concerns related to the accuracy of information presented. The review shall first be at the Chief level, and if the response is not satisfactory, the Town Manager or designee will be charged with conducting an escalated review. As appropriate, the Chief or Town Manager will provide a response to the City Manager related to the review.
(e) Los Gatos and Monte Sereno shall cooperate in the preparation and submission of applications for government law enforcement grants for police services in and for the City. Los Gatos and Monte Sereno agree that there is a mutual benefit to such efforts. Los Gatos and Monte Sereno also agree that either may independently pursue grants and shall be individually responsible, therefore. (f) The Los Gatos Police officers and personnel shall remain employees of the Town. Responsibility for and control over the selection, hiring, training, assignment and discipline of Los Gatos police personnel and other matters incident to the performance of services hereunder and the control of Los Gatos personnel shall remain exclusively within Los Gatos’s authority. Formal complaints regarding the conduct of Los Gatos Police personnel may be submitted by an aggrieved party, including the Monte Sereno City Manager, to the Town and will be reviewed in accordance with Town Policy A-22 which relates to complaints against police officers.
(g) Employee relations and related issues, including, but not limited to, Los Gatos employee salaries and benefits, shall be the sole and exclusive responsibility of Los Gatos. As the employer, Los Gatos retains its full rights to make employment Docusign Envelope ID: 05FF57F5-DA16-4C66-A2C9-9B85141AE3E7
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decisions regarding any police officers or police personnel, without any prior notice to Monte Sereno.
2. SERVICE PROVISIONS.
(a) General Services. Los Gatos shall provide police protection services to Monte Sereno for and during the term of this Agreement and any extension or extensions thereof. Services shall be the same as those provided to the Town and include the following:
(i) The enforcement of State Statutes and Municipal Ordinances of Monte Sereno (with any necessary legal assistance to be provided by counsel for either Los Gatos or Monte Sereno, depending upon where the violation took place), except such Municipal Ordinances of the type which would require special training of officers (e.g. certification in noise measurement, etc.) or of a type of enforcement that is contracted by Los Gatos to a third party or other public agency. Nothing herein contained shall preclude enforcement by Los Gatos personnel of the above-excepted ordinances; (ii) Sworn Officer services commensurate with the coverage provided in Los Gatos.1*(Sworn Officers may include the Traffic Sergeant, School Resource Officers2, detectives, or other sworn personnel spending directed or discretionary time within Monte Sereno);
(iii) Intake, processing, evaluation and issuance of concealed carry weapons permits in accordance with City Ordinance;
(iv) Traffic enforcement1*;
(v) Community Service Officer3 services;
(vi) Investigations of cases meeting the assignment criteria being used by Los Gatos;
1*This includes activity and patrol time expended in Monte Sereno, and all other related administrative duties including, but not limited to, booking of evidence, report writing, case follow-up for cases originating in Monte Sereno. 2 School Resource Officer as defined on the Town of Los Gatos Operations Bureau page available at https://www.losgatosca.gov/138/Operations-Bureau. 3 Community Service Officer as defined in the Town of Los Gatos Job Descriptions available at https://www.losgatosca.gov/419/Job-Descriptions.
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(vii) 24-hour per day communications services to include:
(A) 9-1-1 service;
(B) Police dispatching; and
(C)After-hours dispatching of non-police services.
(viii) Police Records Specialist4 services;
(ix) Evidence Storage;
(x) Administrative support;
(xi) Collateral Specialty Teams5 and Additional Programs/Resources offered in Los Gatos including, but not limited to, investigative resources for both criminal and traffic related scenes and volunteers from various programs; (xii) Coordination of police resources in the event of a major disaster or emergency that necessitates the activation of the Emergency Operations Center (“E.O.C.”) in the Town, as more specifically detailed in Section 2b below.
(b) Emergency Operations Center. In the event of a major disaster or emergency in Monte Sereno that necessitates the activation of the E.O.C., the Town shall open the E.O.C. for use by Monte Sereno and activate the E.O.C. based on the needs of the disaster. A Department representative shall immediately be dispatched to the E.O.C. and report to the Monte Sereno Director of Emergency Services (City Manager or designee). Either the Chief or a Captain will respond as soon as possible and will assume responsibility of working with Monte Sereno City officials as needed. The Town shall maintain the E.O.C. and the E.O.C. infrastructure.
For the purpose of performing all of the services provided for in this Agreement, Los Gatos shall provide personnel, supervision, communications, equipment and supplies necessary to maintain the services to be rendered; provided,; however, if in the sole judgment of the Chief or their designee, an emergency arises in Los Gatos which requires temporary diversion of officers and vehicles from Monte Sereno, the same may be diverted to Los Gatos on an emergency basis, and to the extent emergencies in Monte 4 Police Records Specialist as defined in the Town of Los Gatos Job Descriptions available at https://www.losgatosca.gov/419/Job-Descriptions. 5 Collateral Specialty Teams as provided in the Town of Los Gatos FY 2023-24 Operating Budget available at https://www.losgatosca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/36220/FY-2023-24-Operating-Budget?bidId=.
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Sereno require additional police support, the Chief or the Chief's staff may divert personnel and vehicles from Los Gatos to Monte Sereno for any emergencies. (c) In the event of a disaster, any FEMA, CalOES, or other reimbursement or allocation of funds (including litigation settlements or federal or state budget appropriations) associated with the disaster in Monte Sereno and provided to Monte Sereno shall be used, in part, to reimburse the Town for any costs incurred by the Town as a result of responding to the disaster. In any submission for reimbursements or allocations, Monte Sereno shall include Town costs and time. (d) Communication
(i) Performance Information. Los Gatos will make available and provide information related to service performance in Monte Sereno to the City Council which is equivalent to the information being provided to the Town Council of Los Gatos.
(ii) Notifications. Los Gatos will work with Monte Sereno to ensure Monte Sereno is informed of key activity related to the services provided through this Agreement and in a manner equivalent to information provided to the Town Council of Los Gatos. This includes, but is not limited to, major incidents within Monte Sereno, changes to key personnel servicing Monte Sereno such as the Chief, and/or other information which would normally be provided from police operations.
3. AUTHORITY
(a) The authority for assignment, control and discipline of Los Gatos police officers, personnel, and employees and other matters incident to the performance of services by Los Gatos under this Agreement, shall remain with Los Gatos. (b) Monte Sereno shall designate the Chief as its Chief in order to satisfy the provisions of Part I, Division 3, Title 4 of the California Government Code (sections 36501, et seq.).
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4. RESPONSIBILITIES
(a) Monte Sereno shall not be liable for payment of salaries, wages or other forms of compensation to any Los Gatos personnel performing services hereunder, including personnel performing indirect services hereunder, such as police management personnel, watch commanders, background investigators, Community Service Officers, police communications personnel, and police clerical personnel. It is understood and agreed that for such purposes all such Los Gatos personnel performing either direct or indirect services to Monte Sereno hereunder shall be deemed employees of Los Gatos while acting in or for Monte Sereno pursuant to this Agreement. Los Gatos shall maintain Workers’ Compensation Insurance and Automobile Insurance covering all Los Gatos personnel and vehicles performing services under this Agreement. (b) Los Gatos and Monte Sereno each represent and warrant that they are insured, through self-insurance or otherwise, in amounts sufficient to honor their respective indemnification obligations provided in Section 7 below, and that the indemnifying party’s insurance coverage shall be the primary insurance as respects the other party. However, the maintenance of such insurance shall in no way reduce the obligation of either party to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless either party or its officers, agents, and employees.
5. PAYMENT FOR SERVICES
(a) A year, for the purposes of this Agreement, is the period beginning on July 1st and ending on June 30th.
(b) Annual Base Rate. For the services outlined in Section 2 above, beginning July 1, 2025, Monte Sereno agrees to pay Los Gatos the annual base rate of $1,458,319 (“Base Rate”). The Base Rate includes an overhead rate built into annual base amount and includes but is not limited to: personnel costs of 2.0 FTE Officers, supplies, materials, facilities and vehicle costs, as well as administrative time for the Town Attorney, Town Manager’s Office, Human Resources Department and Finance Department. Included in the Base Rate is the cost to maintain the E.O.C. facility, the E.O.C. infrastructure and for activation of the E.O.C. in the event of a disaster or emergency as required in Section Docusign Envelope ID: 05FF57F5-DA16-4C66-A2C9-9B85141AE3E7
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2(b). Any additional services furnished to Monte Sereno in the event of a disaster or emergency are not covered under this Agreement.
(c) Supplemental Law Enforcement Services Fund. In the event the City is awarded monies from the Supplement Law Enforcement Services Fund (SLESF) from the State of California, Monte Sereno will grant those funds to Los Gatos for additional front line police services consistent with the Supplemental Law Enforcement Services Fund program and agreed upon in writing by the Parties within 30 days of receipt of the monies from the State of California. For the 2025 distribution, the Parties agree that Monte Sereno will retain the portion of the SLESF funds necessary to establish the Flock Camera system in Monte Sereno. The remainder will be paid to Los Gatos and used for those services agreed upon by the parties.
(d) Extensive Services. In the event of extensive services, as described in this subsection (d), provided to Monte Sereno due to critical incident(s), Los Gatos will track incident time for these events.
(i) When it appears to the Chief, in their sole discretion, a single incident or a series of related incidents will involve 320 hours or more Department service hours in a year, the Chief of Police will so inform the Monte Sereno City Manager and discuss the necessary staffing levels to complete all of the associated tasks, including, but not limited to, investigations, records, court filings, and all of required work on the case and/or related cases. (ii) If the Department service hours required for a single incident or a series of related incidents reported to the Monte Sereno City Manager as provided in subsection (d)(1) above result in Los Gatos performing more than 700 hours of Department service(s) in a year of the incident or the first incident in a series of related incidents, Los Gatos shall provide Monte Sereno with an accounting of the total service hours broken down between the incidents and the related Department services. and Monte Sereno agrees to pay for any additional services over 320 hours for the incident(s) in a year at the actual cost to Los Gatos to provide the services.
(iii) In instances where total hours equal or exceed 700 hours, Monte Sereno will be invoiced for the cost associated for hours exceeding 320. Such Docusign Envelope ID: 05FF57F5-DA16-4C66-A2C9-9B85141AE3E7
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invoice will be payable on the fifteenth (15th) day of the succeeding month from the date of invoice.
(e) Los Gatos shall provide the Monte Sereno City Manager with a monthly statement for 1/12 of the Base Rate and the same shall be due and payable on or before the fifteenth (15th) day of the month next succeeding the month during which any such statement is mailed or delivered. All such statements shall be delivered to Monte Sereno as is specified in Section 7 (b) of this Agreement. Failure to pay within sixty (60) days of the due and payable date shall result in a penalty payment of ten (10) percent of the Base Rate.
(f) The Base Rate set forth in 5(b) shall increase yearly based on the Average Annual Consumer Price Index for benefits for the 12-month period ending December of the proceeding calendar year plus 2%. As such, Parties agree to use the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Cost Index for State and Local Government Workers. In no event shall the annual increase be less than 2% nor exceed 7%.
(g) In the event of a substantive change in personnel costs to the Town, including, but not limited to, the reduction in Police Department workforce, such that the services provided to Monte Sereno are affected, the Parties may negotiate for amended terms to this Agreement.
(h) E.O.C. Pursuant to Section 2, the E.O.C. is available for Monte Sereno’s use as part of this Agreement. Use is defined based on any single occupancy of the facility, regardless of length of time, subject to availability, and Los Gatos staffing resources.
Monte Sereno is entitled to first priority to use the E.O.C. second only to Los Gatos. The Monte Sereno City Manager must request the use of the E.O.C. by contacting the Los Gatos Town Manager or designee. Los Gatos retains its full discretion in the use of the E.O.C. In the event the need for the E.O.C. is based on a disaster or emergency that affects Los Gatos and Monte Sereno, the Parties agree to work cooperatively to share the E.O.C. and the E.O.C. infrastructure.
(i) Crime laboratory fees, booking fees, and fees associated with the Santa Clara County Automated Fingerprint System (Cal ID), charged by the County of Santa Clara, or any other city, county or state agency, for incidents originally occurring in Monte Docusign Envelope ID: 05FF57F5-DA16-4C66-A2C9-9B85141AE3E7
ITEM NO. 17.
Sereno shall be paid by the City, directly to the County of Santa Clara or applicable public agency and are not included in this Agreement.
(j) No other costs of any kind, including but not limited to capital projects, construction, equipment, or unforeseen personnel actions, will be added to the costs of the services unless specifically addressed in this Agreement. (k) Any and all property acquired by Los Gatos under and pursuant to this Agreement shall be and at all times remain the property and responsibility of Los Gatos without any division or distribution thereof upon termination of this Agreement, except as otherwise agreed upon in writing. Property acquired by Monte Sereno shall remain the property and responsibility of Monte Sereno, except as Monte Sereno cedes such property to Los Gatos for the performance of services under this Agreement. (l) The consideration provided to be paid to Los Gatos will not result in any surplus money and no monies shall be subject to refund to Monte Sereno at any time during or after the termination of this Agreement, unless there is overpayment.
6. TERM
This Agreement shall be effective July 1, 2025, and be operative through June 30, 2030, subject to the following cancellation provision:
(a) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection (a), the Town commits to providing the services pursuant to Section 2 of this Agreement for a three year period July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2028. During this initial three year period, Los Gatos may, at its option, only terminate this Agreement for cause and if Monte Sereno fails to cure a material breach of this Agreement within a period of 30 calendar days, from the date of Los Gatos’s written notice specifying the material breach.
(b) After June 30, 2028, either Los Gatos or Monte Sereno may unilaterally with or without cause terminate this Agreement upon at least eighteen (18) months written notice to the other party.
(c) This Agreement may also be terminated or amended as of any date by written mutual agreement of both Parties.
(d) In the case of termination of this Agreement, Los Gatos will retain and provide the appropriate documents, records, and other information normally maintained Docusign Envelope ID: 05FF57F5-DA16-4C66-A2C9-9B85141AE3E7
ITEM NO. 17.
by a law enforcement agency and transfer such appropriate documents to Monte Sereno in a reasonable timeline to facilitate Monte Sereno’s obligation to perform law enforcement activity.
(e) The Parties agree to meet before January 1, 2029, to evaluate number of calls for service, number of incidents, total hours spent on Monte Sereno cases, use of the cap on Index changes, and other metrics and will determine whether or not to extend the Agreement for an additional five (5) years beginning July 1, 2030 and ending June 30, 2035. If the Parties determine an extension of the Agreement is appropriate, they shall work together to negotiate an amendment or extension to this Agreement which may include any new, mutually agreed upon terms.
7. INDEMNIFICATION
Except as set forth below, each party shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the other party for any claim, injury, loss, or damage, including all costs and reasonable attorney’s fees, arising out of that party’s performance pursuant to this Agreement. This obligation to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless excludes the claims, injuries, loss, or damages arising out of the other party’s gross negligence or willful misconduct.
Additionally, Monte Sereno will indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Los Gatos from any claims, injury, loss, or damage, arising out of the following activities:
(a) Enforcement of the Monte Sereno Municipal Code where the primary basis for such claim, injury, loss, or damage is a defect of the Code which is outside the control of Los Gatos or where Los Gatos employees did not materially contribute to such defect during enforcement;
(b) Actions taken by Los Gatos employees where the claim, injury, loss, or damage was due to a condition which was solely due to Monte Sereno’s failure to comply with applicable federal, state, or local requirement which rendered any subsequent action indefensible by sole virtue of Monte Sereno’s failure.
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(c) Vehicle tows conducted in reliance upon the Monte Sereno Municipal Code or Monte Sereno signage, except to the extent such claim is based on the negligence of the towing company or the conduct of the Department;
(d) Law enforcement services provided at public or community meetings in Monte Sereno if specifically directed by the Monte Sereno City Manager, Mayor, or presiding Councilmember but not to the extent such claim is based on the conduct of the police officer; or
(e) Enforcement of permit conditions (e.g., special use permits, temporary use permits, etc.) in Monte Sereno except to the extent such claim is based on the conduct of the police officer.
If indemnification or defense is triggered, the Parties will coordinate with each other in the defense and the indemnifying party shall bear sole responsibility for the cost of defense, penalties or other damages resulting from the claim.
8. INSURANCE
(a) Scope of Insurance: Each party agrees to obtain the minimum scope of insurance described below for the duration of this contract:
(i) General Liability insurance policy(ies) insuring the entity to an amount not less than: five million dollars ($5,000,000) per occurrence for bodily injury, personal injury and property damage.
(ii) Each party agrees to provide the other party all certificates of insurance, with original endorsements effecting coverage as applicable, before this contract takes effect.
(b) General Liability:
(i) Each entity is to be covered as additional insured/additional covered party as respects: liability arising out of activities performed by or on behalf of the entity and premises owned or used by the Consultant.
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(ii) Each entity's insurance coverage shall be primary insurance as respects the other entity, its elected and appointed officials, employees and agents. Any insurance or self-insurances maintained by the other entity, its elected and appointed officials, employees, or agents, shall be excess of the other entity's insurance and shall not contribute with it. (iii) Any failure to comply with reporting provisions of the policies shall not affect coverage provided to the other entity, its elected and appointed officials, employees or agents.
(iv) The insurance shall apply separately to each insured against whom a claim is made or suit is brought, except with respect to the limits of the insurer's liability.
(c) All Coverages. Each insurance policy required in this item shall be endorsed to state that coverage shall not be suspended, voided, cancelled, reduced in coverage or in limits except after thirty (30) days' prior written notice by certified mail, return receipt requested, has been given to the insured entity. Current certification of such insurance shall be kept on file at all times during the term of this agreement with each entity’s Town/City Clerk.
(d) Any available insurance proceeds broader than, or in excess of the specified minimum insurance coverage requirements and/or limits shall be available to meet settlement or judgment of any and all claims. Furthermore, the requirements for coverage and limits shall be (1) the minimum coverage and limits specified; or (2) the broader coverage and maximum limits of coverage of any insurance policy or proceeds available to the named insured; whichever is greater. No representation is made that the minimum insurance requirements are sufficient to cover the obligations of the Party.
9. MISCELLANEOUS
(a) No person is intended to or shall be a third party beneficiary to this Agreement.
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(b) It is understood that the Town, and its employees, in the performance of the services agreed to be provided hereunder, shall act as and be an independent contractor and not an agent or employee of Monte Sereno.
(c) Any notice required by this Agreement shall be mailed or delivered to the Town of Los Gatos at 110 E. Main Street, Los Gatos, California 95032, Attention: Town Manager and to the City of Monte Sereno, 18041 Saratoga-Los Gatos Road, Monte Sereno, California, 95030, Attention: City Manager. A party’s address may be modified by addressee's giving written notice of such modification to the other party calling specific attention to this Agreement.
(d) If any provision of this Agreement shall be held to be invalid, such provision shall be severable and such invalidity shall not impair the validity of any other provision of this Agreement.
(e) This Agreement may not be amended in any respect except by way of a written instrument which expressly references and identifies this Agreement, which expressly states that its purpose is to amend this particular Agreement, and which is duly executed by the Parties.
(f) Each party acknowledges that it has reviewed this Agreement and that the normal rule of construction to the effect that any ambiguities are to be resolved against the drafting party shall not be employed in the interpretation of this Agreement. (g) The waiver of either party of any violation of any term or condition of this Agreement shall not be deemed to be a waiver of any other term or condition contained herein or a waiver of any subsequent reach or violation of the same term or condition. (h) In the case of dispute between the Parties, both Parties shall meet and confer to discuss the dispute and potential remedies. If the meet and confer does not resolve the dispute, both Parties agree the next step would be mediation. In the event of any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the breach, termination, enforcement, interpretation, or validity thereof, the Parties agree to submit the matter to mediation. Mediation shall be conducted within the County of Santa Clara by a mutually agreeable mediator. If the Parties cannot agree upon a mediator within thirty (30) days after either Party has requested mediation, a mediator shall be appointed by the Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services (JAMS) office located Docusign Envelope ID: 05FF57F5-DA16-4C66-A2C9-9B85141AE3E7
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nearest to Santa Clara County. All costs of mediation shall be shared equally by both Parties. The obligation to mediate shall be a condition precedent to the filing of any legal action or proceeding.
(i) In any legal action filed in state or federal court for enforcement of this Agreement, the successful party shall be entitled to recover reasonable attorney’s fees and other costs incurred in that action or proceeding, in addition to any other relief to which the successful party may be entitled by law.
(j) The Parties may execute this Agreement in two or more counterparts, which shall, in the aggregate, be deemed an original but all of which, together, shall constitute one and the same instrument. A scanned, electronic, facsimile or other copy of a party’s signature shall be accepted and valid as an original.
(k) This Agreement shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with California law.
(l) The signatories to this Agreement warrant and represent that each is authorized to execute this Agreement and that their respective signatures serve to legally obligate their respective representatives, agents, successors and assigns to comply with the provisions of this Agreement.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement on the day and year set forth below.
________________________ _____________________________
CITY OF MONTE SERENO TOWN OF LOS GATOS
_____________________ _____________________
Date Date
APPROVED AS TO FORM APPROVED AS TO FORM
______________________ _______________________
Office of the City Attorney Office of the Town Attorney Docusign Envelope ID: 05FF57F5-DA16-4C66-A2C9-9B85141AE3E7 4/16/2025
4/16/2025
4/23/2025
4/23/2025
ITEM NO. 17.
ATTEST
_______________________
Town Clerk
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