City of Piedmont
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
DATE: October 7, 2024
TO: Mayor and Council
FROM: Rosanna Bayon Moore, City Administrator
SUBJECT: Consideration of Acceptance of the 2024/25 State of California Citizens Option for Public Safety (COPS) Grant and Approval of Expenditure Plan
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt a resolution accepting the 2024/25 California Citizens Option for Public Safety (COPS) grant in the amount of $100,000 as allocated in the Supplemental Law Enforcement Services Account (SLESA) for the Piedmont Police Department and approve the expenditure plan to purchase items or services supporting frontline law enforcement services.
BACKGROUND
Since 1997, the California State Budget Act has included allocations to counties and cities for the COPS program. This funding is intended to fill the need for additional resources at the local level to ensure public safety. Under the provisions of Government Code Section 30061, a percentage of the funds are allocated to counties and cities, based upon population, for law enforcement services.
The COPS funds must be used for frontline municipal police services and must supplement and not supplant existing funding. By law, the City Council is required to consider the written request of the Chief of Police for use of the funds.
Each city must create a Supplemental Law Enforcement Services Account (SLESA) for the COPS grant money. The funds cannot be used for administrative overhead costs in excess of 0.5 percent of the total allocation. The allocation may not be used to fund the costs of any capital project or construction project that does not directly support frontline law enforcement.
ANALYSIS
In FY 2024/25, the Piedmont Police Department expects to receive $100,000 from the COPS grant into the SLESA. In addition, funds in the amount of $421,067 are being carried forward from prior years resulting in total funds available of $521,067. Such funds will need to be spent or encumbered by June 30, 2025. The funds are requested to be spent as follows:
Description Cost
Staffing $ 240,000
• Carryover from 1st dispatcher position
addition for first year salary/benefit
costs
• For dispatch supervisor position first
year salary/benefit costs
$ 65,000
$ 175,000
PD Facility Updates $ 261,067
• Dispatch Center Construction Project $ 261,067
Miscellaneous Police Equipment $ 20,000
• Safety and Other Equipment $ 20,000
FISCAL IMPACT
There are no matching requirements for this grant, and no direct impact on City resources for the fiscal years associated with the action in this staff report. This plan may be adjusted in the future and by no means represents Council approval for non-routine, large-scale procurements. Future purchases will be made in accordance with the City’s adopted procurement policies, and, prior to any such purchase, staff will provide Council with a full report and detailed request of any proposed procurements that exist within the spending plan.
Certain equipment and/or software procured with these funds could have ongoing service/maintenance costs, such as annual software licenses and monthly storage fees. Such initial costs may be funded by this program, but future costs will need to be accommodated in the Police Department General Fund budget.
By: Jeremy Bowers, Chief of Police
Agenda Report Page 2 of 2