DATE: NOVEMBER 15, 2022
DEPARTMENT: SALINAS POLICE DEPARTMENT
FROM: ROBERTO FILICE, CHIEF OF POLICE
BY: TONYA ERICKSON, POLICE SERVICES ADMINISTRATOR
TITLE: AGREEMENT WITH ECOLOGY ACTION FOR THE FFY 2023 OTS PEDESTRIAN AND BICYLE SAFETY PROGRAM GRANT RECOMMENDED MOTION:
A motion to approve a Resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute an Agreement with Ecology Action for $110,233 and authorizing the establishment of a Pedestrian & Bike Safety Program Fund (Fund 3158) appropriation of $110,233 and corresponding revenue budget to provide services funded by the Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2023 California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Program Grant.
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council approve a Resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute an agreement with Ecology Action for $110,233 and authorizing the establishment of a Pedestrian & Bike Safety Program Fund (Fund 3158) appropriation of $110,233 and corresponding revenue budget to provide service funded by the FFY 2023 California OTS Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Program Grant.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The proposed resolution will enable the Police Department to contract with Ecology Action to provide training to the community as funded by the $110,233 Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Program Grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS). The goal of the training events is to reduce the number of persons killed and injured in collisions involving pedestrians and bicyclists. The program includes classroom education, bicycle rodeos, community events, presentations, and workshops. The focus areas will include communities with older adults, and school-aged children. The grant funding has already been awarded to the City of Salinas and the City Council has already approved the grant agreement with OTS. This is the fourth year we are contracting with Ecology Action to provide these trainings and services for the community.
BACKGROUND:
Annually the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) makes funds available to local agencies to further their traffic enforcement and education efforts. The Salinas Police Department applied for and has been awarded FFY 2023 OTS grant funding in the amount of $110,233 to aid in its efforts to reduce the number of people killed and injured in pedestrians and bicyclists traffic collisions. This is the fourth time the City of Salinas has been awarded money for the Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Program. The city has partnered with Ecology Action over the last four years to perform the grant funded services with great success. Ecology Action is a company based in Santa Cruz California. They have already been teaching students in Salinas schools with funding provided by a Monterey County Health Department Grant.
Ecology Action has partnered with the Transportation Agency of Monterey County (TAMC) in hopes of serving every student in Monterey County with pedestrian and bicycle safety education by the time they finish 5th grade. In order to achieve this goal, Ecology Action works in close collaboration with several community partners, including TAMC, the Monterey County Health Department, the Monterey Peninsula Foundation, the Community Foundation of Monterey County, and others to provide support for these efforts. They seek to strengthen this coalition by continuing to work with the Salinas Police Department on an Office of Traffic Safety grant during FFY 2023. Ecology Action has adapted well to the COVID-19 pandemic and have developed an online distance platform for students and their teacher to attend live training. They enhancement has allowed them to quickly transition between virtual and in-person instruction as conditions change.
During previous FFYs, Ecology Action has worked to launch a planning effort in collaboration with TAMC, Public Health, City Public Works and the Blue Zones initiative to survey every Salinas K-12 school. This two-year project (funded by Caltrans) will support community meetings and audits at every school to assess barriers to biking and walking. The final plan will provide an analysis of conditions at every school and a prioritized list of projects. The community engagement and project list will be used by the City to compete for funding to begin to build the many improvements that will make our schools safer for biking and walking.
In addition to the educational components provided by Ecology Action, their program includes distributing bicycle headlights and taillights during bicycle safety community events or bicycle safety courses. They will also provide helmets at bicycle rodeos, workshops, and other community events.
The City Council approved the acceptance of the FFY 2023 OTS Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Program Grant on September 20, 2022. The Department is now requesting approval to execute the Agreement with Ecology Action to provide training to the community as funded by this $110,233 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS).
POLICE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE:
The Police Chief discussed the Ecology Action Agreement during Chief’s Report to the Police Community Advisory Committee on October 26, 2022. The Committee had no questions.
CEQA CONSIDERATION:
Not a Project. The City of Salinas has determined that the proposed action is not a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (CEQA Guidelines Section 15378).
STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVE:
Approving the proposed resolution will support the City Council’s Strategic Plan Goal of Public Safety.
DEPARTMENTAL COORDINATION:
The Police Department has coordinated with the Legal Department on the development of the Agreement with Ecology Action, and will work with the Finance Department on management of the OTS Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Program Grant.
FISCAL AND SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT:
Grant funding in the amount of $110,233 from the California OTS Pedestrian and Bicycle Program Grant will be used to fund the Agreement with Ecology Action. The City Council approved acceptance of this grant on September 20, 2022.
ATTACHMENTS:
Resolution
Agreement
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