City Council Memorandum
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: NOVEMBER 19, 2024 FROM: RIVERSIDE POLICE DEPARTMENT WARD: ALL SUBJECT: STATE OF CALIFORNIA, OFFICE OF TRAFFIC SAFETY 2024/2025 –SELECTIVE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM IN THE AMOUNT OF $490,000, CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY PROGRAM IN THE AMOUNT OF $25,000, AND MOTORCYCLE SAFETY PROGRAM IN THE AMOUNT OF $20,000 – SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION ISSUES:
Approve the acceptance of grant funds for three traffic safety programs in the total amount of $535,000 from the State of California, Office of Traffic Safety for the period of October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025, and authorize a supplemental appropriation in the amount of the grant awards. The programs include the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program in the amount up to $490,000, the Child Passenger Safety Program in the amount up to $25,000 and the Motorcycle Safety Program in the amount up to $20,000.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the City Council:
Approve the acceptance of the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program funding from the State of California, Office of Traffic Safety in the amount of $490,000; Approve the acceptance of the Child Passenger Safety Program funding from the State of California, Office of Traffic Safety in the amount of $25,000; Approve the acceptance of the Motorcycle Safety Program funding from the State of California, Office of Traffic Safety in the amount of $20,000; With five affirmative votes, authorize the Chief Financial Officer, or designee, to record a supplemental appropriation in the amount of the grant award and record an increase in revenue in the same amount to the Grants and Restricted Programs Fund, Selective Traffic Enforcement Program; With five affirmative votes, and upon receipt of the grant award, authorize the Chief Financial Officer, or designee, to record a supplemental appropriation in the amount of the award and record an increase in revenue in the same amount to the Grants and Restricted Programs Fund, Child Passenger Safety Program; With five affirmative votes, authorize the Chief Financial Officer, or designee, to record a supplemental appropriation in the amount of the award and record an increase in revenue in the same amount to the Grants and Restricted Programs Fund, Motorcycle Safety Program; and Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute all grant documents with the State of California, Office of Traffic Safety, including making minor and non-substantive changes.
BACKGROUND:
In 1966, the federal government created the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to distribute traffic safety funds to the states. The California Office of Traffic Safety was created the following year as a conduit for those funds. The role of the State of California, Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) is to identify traffic safety problems, propose solutions and develop grants designed to minimize traffic safety problems and reduce traffic deaths and injuries. Through grant funding made available to California by the NHTSA, OTS annually funds over $80 million dollars in innovative, evidence-based education and enforcement programs and technologies designed to make California’s roadways safer.
DISCUSSION:
The State of California, Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) strives to eliminate traffic deaths and injuries through the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) grant, Child Passenger Safety Program grant, and Motorcycle Safety Program grant. These grants are available to local and state public agencies for programs that help them enforce traffic laws, educate the public about traffic safety, and provide various and efficient means of reducing fatalities, injuries and economic losses from collisions.
The grant funds would support the City’s efforts to reduce occurrences of injury and fatal collisions and to improve Riverside’s positioning in the state-wide OTS rankings through STEP, Child Passenger Safety, and Motorcycle Safety. These programs use several best practice strategies to impact traffic safety including training, community education, strategic operations, and supplies to support those operations.
These grants would be implemented by the Riverside Police Department’s Field Operations Traffic Division and would fund the overtime operations during the term of October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025.
The STEP grant would focus on bicycle and pedestrian enforcement, distracted driving operations, traffic enforcement operations, street racing and sideshow enforcement, and DUI saturation patrols and checkpoints. In addition, a traffic safety survey would be conducted to gather community input on traffic safety in the City of Riverside, and educational recommendations related to traffic safety, which will guide future traffic safety programs and enforcement.
The Child Passenger Safety Grant program focuses on a variety of activities to educate parents and guardians on child safety seat laws, including child safety seat check-ups, education classes on using and properly installing the right car seat, and providing child safety seats to families in need, as well as Child Passenger Safety Technician training and certification courses.
The Motorcycle Safety Grant aims to reduce motorcycle collisions, injuries, and deaths and includes programs that provide hands-on motorcycle training to riders. The trainings allow experienced riders to hone their skills. Motorcycle safety programs also include campaigns reminding riders of mandatory DOT-compliant helmet requirements, increasing other road users’ awareness of motorcycles, and campaigns to reduce impaired riding.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
This item contributes to Strategic Priority No. 2 Community Well-Being and Goal number No. 2.4 – Support programs and innovations that enhance community safety, encourage neighborhood engagement, and build public trust.
This item aligns with EACH of the five Cross-Cutting Threads as follows:
Community Trust – The Riverside Police Department is dedicated to improving quality of life by creating a safe environment in partnership with the people it serves. RPD’s ability to enforce traffic laws and serve the public interest benefits the City’s diverse population, and results in the greater public good.
Equity – RPD provides public safety services to all residents in the City of Riverside. The addition of traffic policing funds assists in the achievement of this goal and ensures safer streets for everyone.
Fiscal Responsibility – This grant will provide partial funding for traffic related operations, lessening the financial burden on the City’s General Fund.
Innovation – RPD must constantly evolve and adapt to meet the community’s changing needs and prepare for the future. This grant provides funding for the Police Department to implement traffic safety enforcement and education programs that might not otherwise be implemented.
Sustainability & Resiliency – The additional funding from this grant ensures the Police Department has the capacity to preserve, adapt, and grow with the needs of the community.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total fiscal impact of this action is an increase in revenue and expenditures in the amount of $535,000, or the actual award amount. No matching funds are required for the grant awards.
Upon City Council approval, an increase in revenue in the amount of the award and an equal amount of appropriations will be recorded in the funds and programs indicated in the table below:
Fund
Program
Account
Amount
Grants & Restricted Programs
Revenue
OTS Selective Traffic Enforcement Program
9182000-331100
$252,000
9182010-331100
$213,000
9182020-331100
$25,000
OTS Child Passenger Safety Program
9182100-331100
$25,000
OTS Motorcycle Safety Program
9181900-331100
$20,000
Total Revenue
$535,000
Expenditures
OTS STEP CFDA - Overtime
9182000-440110
$232,233
OTS STEP CFDA - Supplies
9182000-426800
$19,767
OTS STEP Enforcement - Overtime
9182010-440110
$196,072
OTS STEP Enforcement - Supplies
9182010-426800
$10,000
OTS STEP Enforcement - Travel
9182010-427100
$6,928
OTS STEP Traffic Survey - Professional Services
9182020-421000
$25,000
OTS Child Passenger - Overtime
9182100-440110
$19,357
OTS Child Passenger - Supplies
9182100-426800
$5,643
OTS Motorcycle - Overtime
9181900-440110
$19,240
OTS Motorcycle - Supplies
9181900-426800
$760
Total Expenditures
$535,000
Prepared by: Brandi Becker, Police Administrator
Prepared by: Larry V. Gonzalez, Chief of Police
Certified as to
availability of funds: Kristie Thomas, Finance Director/Assistant Chief Financial Officer Approved by: Mike Futrell, City Manager
Approved as to form: Jack Liu, Interim City Attorney
Attachments:
Grant Agreement with the State of California, Office of Traffic Safety for the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program Grant Agreement with the State of California, Office of Traffic Safety for the Child Passenger Safety Program Grant Agreement with the State of California Office of Traffic Safety for the Motorcycle Safety Program Office of Traffic Safety RPD Grant Award 24-25 - Page 2