Town of Paradise
Town Council
Special Meeting Agenda
9:00 AM – December 22, 2023
Town of Paradise Council Chamber – 5555 Skyway, Paradise, CA Meeting Procedures
I. The Mayor is the Presiding Chair and is responsible for maintaining an orderly meeting. The Mayor calls the meeting to order and introduces each item on the agenda.
II. The Town staff then provides a report to Council and answers questions from the Council.
III. Citizens are encouraged to participate in the meeting process and are provided several opportunities to address Council. Any speaker addressing the Council is limited to three minutes per speaker - fifteen minutes per agenda item A. If you wish to address the Council regarding a specific agenda item, please complete a “Request to Address Council” card and give it to the Town Clerk prior to the beginning of the meeting. This process is voluntary and allows for citizens to be called to the speaker podium in alphabetical order.
Comments and questions from the public must be directed to the Presiding Chair and Town Council Members (please do not address staff.) Town staff is available to address citizen concerns Monday through Thursday at Town Hall between the hours of 8am and 5pm.
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Compliance, persons who need special accommodations to participate in the Town Council meeting may contact the Town Clerk at least three business days prior to the date of the meeting to provide time for any such accommodation.
Town Manager, Jim Goodwin
Town Attorney, Scott E. Huber
Town Clerk/Elections Official, Dina Volenski
CDD, Planning & Onsite, Susan Hartman
CDD, Building & Code Enforcement, Tony Lindsey
Finance Director/Town Treasurer, Aimee Beleu
Public Works Director/Town Engineer, Marc Mattox
Division Chief, CAL FIRE/Paradise Fire, Garrett Needles Chief of Police, Eric Reinbold
Recovery & Economic Development Director, Colette Curtis Human Resources & Risk Management Director, Crystal
Peters Information Systems Director, Luis Marquez
Mayor, Ron Lassonde
Vice Mayor, Greg Bolin
Council Member, Steve Crowder
Council Member, Steve “Woody” Culleton
Council Member, Rose Tryon
1 1. OPENING
1a. Call to Order
1b. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America 1c. Roll Call
2. COUNCIL CONSIDERATION
2a. p3 Consider approval of a proposed trip to be taken by Council Member Steve Crowder to Washington DC, if necessary, to advocate for HR 5863 (tax burden relief for wildfire claimants) in an amount not to exceed $4,500. (ROLL CALL VOTE)
2b. p5 1. Discuss and consider accepting the proposed Amendment to the Memorandum of Understanding between the County of Butte, the Butte County Sheriff’s Office, the Town of Paradise and the Paradise Police Department, for assistance with PSAP Services; and, 2. Authorize Town staff to execute the amended MOU and provide payment for the services as described therein. (ROLL CALL VOTE)
3. ADJOURNMENT
2 Town of Paradise
Council Agenda Summary
Date: December 22, 2023
Agenda Item: 2(a)
ORIGINATED BY: Jim Goodwin, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Funding for Advocacy Travel for Council Member Crowder
LONG TERM
RECOVERY PLAN:
Yes
COUNCIL ACTION REQUESTED:
1. Consider approval of a proposed trip to be taken by Council Member Steve Crowder to Washington DC, if necessary, to advocate for HR 5863 (tax burden relief for wildfire claimants) in an amount not to exceed $4,500. (ROLL CALL VOTE)
Background:
In January of this year, the Town Council approved expenses for Council Member Crowder to participate in a lobbying trip, coordinated by an organization named After the Fire, to Washington, D.C. to support Congressman Doug LaMalfa’s H.R. 176 providing tax relief to fire victims. That bill did not progress in Congress.
Congressman LaMalfa is now moving H.R. 5863 to accomplish the same purpose. Congressman LaMalfa is working hard for the success of the bill. The same organization, After the Fire, is coordinating with his office to lobby for its passage.
According to John Veale, Congressman LaMalfa’s Legislative Director, the trip is conditioned on the potential need for a last-minute advocacy push for H.R. 5863, which includes the tax exclusion legislation related to the Fire Victim Trust. That need will only arise if H.R. 5863 is considered alone, rather than as part of a much larger package of government funding and tax legislation.
They anticipate potential movement occurring by the January 19, 2024, funding deadline for part of the Federal government. According to John, there are three paths for H.R. 5863.
1. Inclusion in Government Funding + Tax Package: No need for travel. This package would be comprised of thousands of different small pieces of legislation, and it would not be effective for an advocacy push to occur.
2. Standalone Consideration on the House Floor: Travel needed. Consideration before the House means that the bill would come up by itself (potentially with dozens of additional amendments from other Members) for a full vote, and a full legislative process which could take two or three days. Advocates would be asked to blanket the Hill as widely as possible to meet with as many offices as they could to corral support. 3 3. Standalone Consideration as a “Suspension”: Travel may be necessary. The House will often pass legislation under the “suspension of the rules,” when it has broad bipartisan support for a bill and wants to accelerate how quickly it can be done. In exchange, the threshold for passage is not a simple majority (218 votes), but rather a two-thirds majority (290). It would still be beneficial to have a group of advocates in Washington, D.C. to be the face of why the legislation is being brought up. While consideration as a “suspension” usually indicates there would be few if any issues on passage out of the House, it would be anticipated that a number of “budget hawks” may feel apprehensive about voting in favor of a bill which will decrease revenues (“cost”) about $5 billion. Typically, bills with any cost are not allowed to pass via “suspension.” The advocates would be used in an attempt to prevent too many budget hawks from voting against the legislation.
If deemed necessary, travel would occur the week of January 8, ahead of the January 19 deadline.
Analysis:
The Town Council has been supportive of this legislation on behalf of Camp Fire victims, including supporting the prior lobbying trip to Washington, D.C. Providing active support at the request of Congressman LaMalfa would be appropriate. The travel will only occur if the bill moves forward as a “standalone” item. This travel is specific to supporting H.R. 5863 and does not conflict with any future lobbying trip that may be scheduled.
Financial Impact:
The anticipated cost of the trip is $4,500. Travel costs are projected higher due to the last-minute nature of the travel. The FY 2024 budget contains sufficient appropriations to cover the cost as no Town Council travel expenses have been incurred to date in FY 24. 4 Town of Paradise
Council Agenda Summary
Date: December 22, 2023
Agenda Item: 2(b)
ORIGINATED BY: Eric Reinbold, Chief of Police
REVIEWED BY: Jim Goodwin, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Amendment to Memorandum of Understanding with
Butte County to Assist with Public Safety Answering
Point (PSAP) Services
LONG TERM
RECOVERY PLAN:
Yes
COUNCIL ACTION REQUESTED:
1. Discuss and consider accepting the proposed Amendment to the Memorandum of Understanding between the County of Butte, the Butte County Sheriff’s Office, the Town of Paradise and the Paradise Police Department, for assistance with PSAP Services; and,
2. Authorize Town staff to execute the amended MOU and provide payment for the services as described therein.
Background:
After the Camp Fire, the Town of Paradise entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Butte County for the Butte County Sheriff's Office to provide Dispatch services for the Paradise Police Department until June 30, 2024. For the duration of this MOU, the Town of Paradise and the Paradise Police Department have worked to restore the infrastructure and staffing needed to bring Dispatch services back to the Paradise PD Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). In July 2023, the Paradise Police Department Dispatch infrastructure restoration was completed, and the process of restaffing the Paradise Police PSAP began.
Analysis:
The original MOU with Butte County included a process for the Town of Paradise to transition Dispatch services to the County in a phased approach. However, the MOU did not include specific language to implement a phased restoration of Dispatch services back to the Town.
For Paradise PD to train new Dispatch staff, the new Dispatchers and their Communications Training Officers (CTO’s) must work in the live Paradise PD PSAP, answering 911 calls and business lines, handling radio traffic, and performing the full complement of tasks required of a Dispatcher. Without sufficient trained personnel to staff the Paradise PD PSAP full-time, the Paradise PD PSAP shifts must be filled progressively as new Dispatch staff completes the required initial 20-week training period. As Dispatchers complete their training and the staffing becomes available to cover additional shifts, shifts will be added in the Paradise PD PSAP to handle Town of Paradise PSAP responsibilities. As these Paradise PD PSAP shifts are added, the Butte County Sheriff’s PSAP will cover less shifts for the Town of Paradise. To provide a 5 mechanism for the Sheriff’s Office to bill the Town for these progressively fewer hours of Dispatch coverage, and to update the BCSO billing rate to current BCSO costs, the MOU must be amended.
Financial Impact:
While the hourly rate for BCSO Dispatch services will increase from $48.38 to $73.69 per hour, this MOU Amendment provides a mechanism for BCSO to bill the Town for the actual hours that BCSO provides Dispatch Services, instead of BCSO billing for 24 hour per day, 7 day per week coverage when the Paradise PD is covering a progressively increasing number of shifts.
The increased BCSO hourly rate reflects the BCSO’s increased costs to cover Dispatch shifts due to higher cost increases to BCSO than were anticipated over the five-year term of the Contract. However, this increased cost will be offset by the reduced cost to the Town as a result of the reduced number of hours that BCSO will be charging for Dispatch Services.
The FY 2023-24 cost to the Town of Paradise for Dispatch Services under the original MOU would have been $380,151.50. Under the Amended MOU, Paradise PD is anticipating that new Dispatch staff will complete their training on a schedule to allow the Paradise PD PSAP to restore staffing in a phased approach as follows:
Beginning July 17, 2023: 36 hours per week, Monday – Wednesday, 0600-1800. Beginning August 7, 2023: 48 hours per week, Monday – Thursday, 0600-1800. Beginning January 1, 2024: 84 hours per week, Monday - Sunday, 0600-1800. Beginning May 6, 2024: 96 hours per week, Sunday – Tuesday, 0600-1800 and Wednesday – Saturday 0600-2100.
July 1, 2024: All shifts, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.
This phased approach will require assistance from BCSO Dispatch to cover Paradise shifts when the Paradise PD PSAP does not have staffing, for a FY 2023-24 cost of $368,744.76. The estimated phased costs for FY 2023-24 are as follows:
Beginning July 17, 2023: 132 hours per week for 3 weeks, for $29,181.24. Beginning August 7, 2023: 120 hours per week for 21 weeks, for $185,698.80. Beginning January 1, 2024: 84 hours per week for 18 weeks, for $111,419.28. Beginning May 6, 2024: 72 hours per week for 8 weeks, for $42,445.44.
The Town anticipated a notable cost reduction in BCSO Dispatch MOU costs for FY 2023-24, that would be offset by increased Paradise PD Dispatch staffing costs. Unfortunately, the anticipated savings will now largely be offset by the significant increase in the hourly rate that BCSO will be charging the Town for Dispatch services.
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AMENDMENT #1 TO MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
BETWEEN
THE COUNTY OF BUTTE, THROUGH
THE BUTTE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
AND
THE TOWN OF PARADISE, THROUGH
THE PARADISE POLICE DEPARTMENT
PURPOSE
Effective July 17, 2023, the Paradise Police Department (PPD) resumed provision of Dispatch Services for the Town of Paradise (TOWN) on a part-time basis. PPD is working diligently to increase the provision of dispatch services to full-time. The purpose of this amendment is to address increases in Butte County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) costs to provide services and establish new billing procedures.
The parties agree to work together to ensure full dispatch services for the TOWN until the termination date of this MOU. Therefore, the Parties agree to the following changes:
1. Section III. DEFINITIONS paragraph e. is extinguished and replaced with the following:
“BCSO Dispatch Supervisor: Jennifer Honea, [email protected].”
2. Amend Section IV. SCOPE OF SERVICES to add the following:
“Effective July 17, 2023, PPD is restoring local dispatch services. Until termination of this MOU, BCSO agrees to provide public safety dispatch services to TOWN for all 12-hour shifts not staffed by PPD Dispatchers necessary to provide 24 hour a day, 7 day a week (24/7) dispatch service coverage for the TOWN. BCSO Dispatcher schedule shall be coordinated between and agreed upon in advance by BCSO Dispatch Supervisor and PPD.”
3. Section VI. COMPENSATION is extinguished and replaced with the following:
“Effective July 1, 2023, BCSO shall charge $73.69 per hour for Dispatch Services provided to the TOWN. Hourly rate is inclusive of all costs related to providing Dispatch Services to the TOWN.
Number of hours charged shall be based upon the schedule of BCSO Dispatcher work hours provided in the previous quarter.
BCSO shall invoice TOWN on a quarterly basis for the services rendered during the previous quarter.”
4. Section VII. TERM is extinguished and replaced with the following:
“The term of this MOU commenced on July 8, 2019 and shall end on June 30, 2024. MOU may be or until terminated at any time by either party with sixty (60) days written notice.”
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5. Exhibit A is hereby extinguished and is not being replaced.
6. All other terms of this MOU remain the same.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned agree to all the provisions and conditions included in this MOU.
BUTTE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE PARADISE POLICE DEPARTMENT Kory L. Honea Date Eric Reinbold Date
Sheriff-Coroner Chief of Police
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