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3 COUNCIL GOAL COMPLIANCE:
Meets the following City Council goal:
C. Operate City government in a fiscally and managerially responsible and prudent manner to ensure that the City of Thousand Oaks remains one of California's most desirable places to live, work, visit, recreate, and raise a family.
PREPARED BY: Mike Houser, Transit Program Manager
Attachments:
Attachment #1 – Crossing Guard Staff Report, June 14, 2022 (without attachments)
Attachment #2 – School Crossing Guard Location Map
Attachment #3 – List of School Crossing Guard Locations Attachment #4 – Agency Survey Summary
DPW:590-70\mh\etm\Council\2022\Crossing Guard Program Review staff report.docx Item No.10B
TO: Andrew P. Powers, City Manager
FROM: Clifford G. Finley, Public Works Director
DATE: June 14, 2022
SUBJECT: Annual School Crossing Guard Program Review
RECOMMENDATION:
Discontinue crossing guard service beginning the 2022-23 school year at the following locations due to pedestrian and vehicle volumes not meeting City minimum standards for crossing guard placement:
1. Janss Road and Marlow Street – Aspen Elementary
2. Lynn Road and Knollwood Drive – Banyan Elementary
3. Windsor Drive and Spalding Street – Glenwood Elementary
4. Calle Damasco and Calle Almendro – Ladera Elementary
5. Camino Manzanas and Marian Avenue – Madroña Elementary FINANCIAL IMPACT:
No Additional Funding Requested. Minimal staff time to prepare staff report included in Adopted FY 2021-22 General Fund Budget. Closure of locations will reduce estimated annual program costs by approximately $85,000.
BACKGROUND:
There are currently 24 City-managed school crossing guard locations serving 20 school campuses, consisting of 15 elementary schools (ES) and five middle schools (Attachments #1 and #2). Each year, staff conducts vehicle and pedestrian counts, which measure the volume of activity, at crossing locations. This year’s elementary school counts were conducted in March 2022. Middle schools were not counted this year due to a high level of confidence based on field observation that they fully meet the criteria for crossing guard placement due to very high pedestrian and vehicle activity at those locations. Counts are conducted during good weather conditions, not on school early release or late start days, and not immediately before or after holidays to measure typical vehicle and pedestrian activity.
ATTACHMENT #1
Item No.10B
Annual School Crossing Guard Program Review
June 14, 2022
2 9
0 The California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CA MUTCD) establishes minimum vehicle and pedestrian standards for crossing guard assignment. City standards are even lower for pedestrian and vehicle volumes, permitting crossing guards at locations with lower vehicle and pedestrian numbers.
Schools must meet both pedestrian and vehicle count standards to be considered for crossing guard service. The number of student pedestrians (grades K-8) and conflicting vehicle movements must exceed all minimum City thresholds during both morning (arrival) and afternoon (dismissal) peak periods.
The City (marked in bold) and State crossing guard pedestrian and vehicle count standards are shown below in Table 1:
Table 1 – Crossing Guard Standards
Minimum Peak Hour
Volumes AM and PMLocation Type
Vehicles Pedestrians
Uncontrolled Intersection – no traffic
control on higher volume approaches (2-
way stop)
City
State
300
350
20 40
Controlled Intersection – traffic control on
all approaches (4-way or 3-way stop)
City
State
300
500
20 40
Signalized Intersection City
State
300
500
20 40
Crossing guard standards exist to effectively evaluate the need for crossing guards objectively by comparing data collected against well thought out requirements so decisions to place crossing guards are consistent. The standards were developed by the State through significant study. Meeting both pedestrian and vehicle minimum thresholds indicates the potential need for adult supervision to assist students to find gaps in traffic flow to cross the street.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS:
During the March 2022 analysis, vehicle and pedestrian counts at 10 locations failed to fully meet all City standards for crossing guard placement. Of those 10, five are recommended for closure for the upcoming 2022-23 school year (Attachments #3 and #4). The data and results from these five locations are summarized below in Table 2. The other five school crossing locations counted this year that failed to fully meet vehicle count criteria did meet the minimum pedestrian criteria and are recommended for further evaluation in the 2022-23 school year.
Item No.10B
Annual School Crossing Guard Program Review
June 14, 2022
2 9
0 Table 2 – 2021-22 Pedestrian and Vehicle Conflict Data School Intersection Vehicle
Count
Pedestrian
Count
Vehicle
City
Standard
Pedestrian
City
Standard
AM PM AM PM Meet
AM
Meet
PM
Meet
AM
Meet
PM
Aspen Janss/
Marlowe 1,146 1,056 5 6 Yes Yes No No
Banyan Lynn/
Knollwood 1,151 960 1 6 Yes Yes No No
Glenwood Windsor/
Spalding 251 171 11 27 No No No Yes
Ladera Calle Damasco/
Calle Almendro 222 50 34 12 No No Yes No
Madroña Calle Manzanas/
Marian 134 124 4 10 No No No No
The vehicle and pedestrian counts in Table 2 above were taken for one hour during peak hours in the morning when students arrive for school and again for one hour in the afternoon as students are dismissed. These five schools were also studied in Fall 2021 and have now failed to fully meet the standards two consecutive counts.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and related impacts on school attendance in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years, counts were not conducted. The last complete counts were conducted in the 2018-19 school year. Those counts are shown below in Table 3 for comparison, and demonstrate consistency with current counts:
Table 3 – 2018-19 Pedestrian & Vehicle Data
School Intersection Vehicle
Count
Pedestrian
Count
Vehicle City
Standard
Pedestrian
City
Standard
AM PM AM PM Meet
AM
Meet
PM
Meet
AM
Meet
PM
Aspen Janss/
Marlowe 800+ 755 7 9 Yes Yes No No
Banyan Lynn/
Knollwood 800+ 800+ 12 14 Yes Yes No No
Glenwood Windsor/
Spalding 278 231 16 19 No No No No
Ladera Calle Damasco/
Calle Almendro 319 252 13 16 Yes No No No
Madroña Calle Manzanas/
Marian 202 177 14 12 No No No No
Schools that did not meet the standards for the 2021-22 school year also failed to meet the standards in the 2018-19 school year, the last time counts were conducted.
Item No.10B
Annual School Crossing Guard Program Review
June 14, 2022
2 9
0 Due to crossing guard program staffing challenges prevalent this 2021-22 school year, Banyan Elementary School has not had an assigned crossing guard all school year, Aspen Elementary School has not had an assigned crossing guard for most of the school year, and Madroña Elementary School did not have a crossing guard for most of January and February. Few comments or concerns from residents were received as a result of the absence of a crossing guard at these locations.
The remaining crossing guard locations counted this school year fully met the standards for crossing guard placement and no changes are recommended for these schools nor are any additional crossing guard locations under consideration at this time.
Staff presented its recommendation to the Traffic and Transportation Advisory Commission at their April 20, 2022 meeting. The members present voted unanimously to accept staff’s recommendation for the closure of the proposed five locations for the upcoming 2022-23 school year. There were no public comments received in opposition to the recommendation.
Ten locations did not fully meet the criteria for crossing guard placement in the last two counts. Closure of the following five locations for the upcoming 2022-23 school year is recommended, for failing to meet the standards for crossing guard placement, including very low pedestrian volumes:
1. Aspen ES - Janss Road and Marlowe Street
2. Banyan ES - Lynn Road and Knollwood Drive
3. Glenwood ES - Windsor Drive and Spalding Street
4. Ladera ES - Calle Damasco and Calle Almendro
5. Madroña ES - Camino Manzanas and Marian Avenue
While the following locations also failed to fully meet standards in the two most recent counts, they do meet minimum pedestrian count criteria. Staff will continue to monitor these locations during the upcoming school year and if they fail to meet standards for the third consecutive year, closure in the future may be recommended.
1. Cypress ES - Kimber Drive and Havenside Avenue
2. Lang Ranch ES - Whitechapel Place and Sandhurst Avenue
3. Land Ranch ES - Whitechapel Place and Knightsbridge Avenue
4. Weathersfield ES - Camino Calandria and Darlington Drive
5. Westlake Hills ES - Cascade Avenue and Panamint Court Item No.10B
Annual School Crossing Guard Program Review
June 14, 2022
2 9
0 Community Outreach: The results of the counts were presented and discussed with staff of the Superintendent’s Office of the Conejo Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) in April 2022. The recommendation to discontinue crossing guard services at five locations this year and the potential for closure of five additional locations in future years was also reviewed. CVUSD personnel understood the recommendation and indicated they would share the information with the individual school principals. Notices were prepared and distributed to the principals of each of the five schools recommended for closure next school year so parents would be informed of their opportunity to attend this meeting. In addition, the item was presented to the City’s Traffic and Transportation Advisory Commission in April 2022.
COUNCIL GOAL COMPLIANCE:
Meets the following City Council goal:
C. Operate City government in a fiscally and managerially responsible and prudent manner to ensure that the City of Thousand Oaks remains one of California's most desirable places to live, work, visit, recreate, and raise a family.
PREPARED BY: Mike Houser, Transit Program Manager
Attachments:
Attachment #1 – School Crossing Guard Location Map
Attachment #2 – List of School Crossing Guard Locations Attachment #3 – Maps of Individual Closure Locations 1-5 Attachment #4 – School Crossing Guard Location Map with Highlights DPW:590-70\mh\etm\Council\2022\061422 Crossing Guard Program Review staff report.docx
NOT INCLUDED
Item No.10B
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UV23
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Crossing Guard Locations School Year 2021-2022 (24 Total) ATTACHMENT #2
0 1 2 3 40.5
Miles
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DPW:590-70\mh\etm\Council\2022\Crossing Guard Program Review Att 2.pdf Item No.10B
SCHOOL CROSSING GUARD LOCATIONS
2021-22
ATTACHMENT #3
SCHOOL
ES - Elementary School
MS - Middle School
1. ACACIA ES/REDWOOD MS GAINSBOROUGH RD DOVER AVE
2. ASPEN ES JANSS RD MARLOWE ST
3. BANYAN ES LYNN RD KNOLLWOOD DR
4. COLINA MS (2 GUARDS) HILLCREST DR RANCHO RD
5. CONEJO ES CONEJO SCHOOL RD LOS FELIZ DR
6. CYPRESS ES KIMBER DR HAVENSIDE AVE
7. EARTHS ES REDFIELD AVE MICHAEL DR
8. GLENWOOD ES WINDSOR DR SPALDING ST
9. LADERA ES AVE DE LOS ARBOLES AVE DE LAS PLANTAS
10. LADERA ES CALLE DAMASCO CALLE ALMENDRO
13. LOS CERRITOS MS ERBES RD AVE DE LAS FLORES
11. LANG RANCH ES WHITECHAPEL PL KNIGHTSBRIDGE AVE
12. LANG RANCH ES WHITECHAPEL PL SANDHURST AVE
14. MADRONA ES CAMINO MANZANAS MARIAN AVE
15. MAPLE ES BAXTER ST KIMBER DR
16. MATES ES LA GRANADA AVE WILDER ST
17. REDWOOD MS GAINSBOROUGH RD CAMINO MANZANAS
18. SEQUOIA MS BORCHARD RD THERESA DR
19. SYCAMORE CYN (K-8) VIA RIO CALLE DEL PRADO
20. SYCAMORE CYN (K-8) VIA RIO VIA LAS BRISAS
21. SYCAMORE CYN (K-8) VIA RIO VIA MIRABELLA
22. WEATHERSFIELD ES CAMINO CALANDRIA DARLINGTON DR
24. WILDWOOD ES AVE DE LOS ARBOLES VELARDE DR
INTERSECTION
23. WESTLAKE HILLS ES CASCADE AVE PANAMINT CT
DPW:590-70\mh\etm\Council\2022\Crossing Guard Program Review Att 3.pdf Item No.10B
Crossing Guard Services Survey ATTACHMENT #4
Agency
City or
School
Funded
Number of
Locations
Population
Per
Location
Annual Cost Follows
CA MUTCD
Directly
Operated or
Contracted
Final Approval
Authority Comments / Notes
City of Agoura Hills City 8 2,475 $117,000 Yes Contracted City Council City of Camarillo City 12 5,825 $154,420 Yes Contracted City Manager City of Fillmore City 3 5,300 $43,000 Yes Direct Asst. City Manager City of Moorpark City 2 17,200 No separate
budget Unknown Direct City Manager
City staff are used, as an ancillary assignment.
These are historically crossed sites. It is unknown
how selection was originally determined.
Moorpark Unified SD School 5 7,100 No separate
budget No Direct Superintendent
Principals request. No separate crossing guard
staff, campus aides are used. Locations are all near
pick-up/drop off locations.
City of Oxnard City 14 14,350 N/A Yes Direct Traffic Engineer and OPD
Managed by Oxnard PD. Currently considering
proposal to move the program away from OPD,
expand the program to 40 (one crossing guard per
school) and contract out.
City of Port Hueneme Both 4 5,500 $83,000 Yes Contracted City Council School district now funds half the cost after years of negotiations with City.
City of Santa Paula City 8 3,775 $200,000 No Contracted City Council for
budget, School Board
for reimbursement
SPPD makes determinations for locations and
manages the program for the City. City contracts for
the service, school district reimburses the costs.
City of Simi Valley City 12 10,650 $106,600 Yes Direct City Council City of Thousand Oaks City 24 5,400 $347,000 No Direct City Council Has lower thresholds than CA MUTCD to qualify a crossing for a guard .
City of Ventura & Ventura
Unified School District Both 19 5,725 $350,000 Yes Contracted See Comments City funds $80,000 in costs for crossings that meet
CA MUTCD. School District funds $270,000 for
locations that do not meet CA MUTCD. City has
collaborates with VPD and VUSD.
City of Westlake Village City 3 2,750 $52,000 Yes Contracted See Comments Combination of School District, Los Angeles
Sheriff's Department, and City Engineer determine
crossing guard placements
County of Ventura No N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A School Districts Standards vary from school district to school district and are generally parent generated requests.
DPW:590-70\mh\etm\Council\2022\Crossing Guard Program Review Att 4.pdf Item No.10B
TO:City Council
FROM:Bob Engler, Mayor
DATE:August 30, 2022
SUBJECT: National League of Cities Summer Board and Leadership Meeting
RECOMMENDATION:
Receive report.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
No Additional Funding Requested. Direct and indirect costs are included in the Adopted FY 2022-23 General Fund Budget.
BACKGROUND:
The National League of Cities (NLC) hosts a Summer Board and Leadership Meeting. The purpose of the summer session is to bring together the organization’s leadership with members of five Federal Advocacy Committees to hear federal policy updates and develop policy positions for consideration. This year, the meeting was held in Atlanta, GA, from July 28-29, 2022. Mayor Engler, who serves on the Public Safety Crime Prevention Federal Advocacy Committee, and Legislative Affairs Manager Mina Layba, who serves on the Energy Environment and Natural Resources Federal Advocacy Committee, attended the Summer Board and Leadership Meeting at the Omni CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS:
The Summer Board and Leadership Meeting is as follows:
A. Board of Directors Meeting
1. State League Steering Committee Update: State League Association held a workshop in Louisiana to discuss state legislation, racial equity, and conferences. State League Directors held a workshop in New Mexico in August 2022.
Item No.13A
National League of Cities Summer Board and Leadership Meeting August 30, 2022
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4 2. Executive Director’s Report: Focus will change from advocacy to action. NLC has a strong financial position. With financial uncertainty there is a move to stay fiscally conservative and make targeted investments. There are three new corporate partners, increasing the total partner membership to 74. There is a growing digital presence and a new podcast series developed. NLC will also be kicking off its 100th year anniversary and highlight its achievements and voice of cities.
New challenges for NLC include violence, public safety, and mental health.
Discussions will be held on these issues. NLC is developing tools to help cities through a pilot program, research, and nationwide strategy on these issues.
Dealing with polarization and growing incivility of local leaders is another issue. Local officials are dealing with harassment. NLC is looking at ways to deal with this issue including training.
Accessing infrastructure funding is a major focal point. A local infrastructure hub through a partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies will assist cities to be competitive in acquiring federal grants.
3. Membership Committee Update: There are 36 new cities who have joined NLC including El Paso, TX, Yakima, WA, and Hartford, CT. Several cities from Puerto Rico also joined.
4. Legislative Action Committee Report: NLC is providing resources and guidance on federal funding opportunities including articles, webinars, and funding opportunity announcements. NLC has participated in congressional hearings, held meetings with the White House and federal agencies.
5. Executive Committee Report: Indigenous Peoples Network will become a formal constituent group. NLC will invest funding to support Council on Race, Equity and Leadership (REAL).
6. Finance Committee Report: Board adopted the $38 million balanced budget as proposed. Since March, revenue and expenses are below budget by $1.2 million based on vacancies and savings from virtual meetings. Membership dues will be increased by 3 percent in consideration of the inflation rate. Registration rate for conferences will also increase. NLC has $26 million in reserves. Scholarships are suggested for cities who cannot afford to attend conferences, especially smaller cities.
7. Local Government Infrastructure Hub Presentation: Purpose of the hub is to support small and mid-sized cities with federal grant applications. Application portal will open on August 12, 2022, in anticipation of infrastructure grants Item No.13A
National League of Cities Summer Board and Leadership Meeting August 30, 2022
3 5
4 deadlines by end of the year. Course design will allow cities to learn more about subject area, meet with peers, and get one-on-one counseling on their project proposals. There will be five programs with specific learning modules to help cities fill out applications.
8. Violence in America’s Cities: Board discussed ways NLC can assist cities with this issue and successful strategies that have resulted in positive results such as rooftop crime watch, local street team, mounted patrol, student resource officers at schools with emotional support dogs, crisis management, and mental health teams.
B. NLC Press Conference
NLC Leadership shared issues impacting cities including climate change, workforce development, homelessness, and incivility with city leaders. Cities are pleased to receive direct funding from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and will be investing in local projects through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
C. Special Presentations
1. Jose Alvarez- Regional Administrator, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) - Atlanta Regional Office: Speaker shared HUD’s major initiatives:
a. Homeless Housing and Services
b. Emergency Housing Vouchers - rental support
c. ARPA Funding for assistance with housing projects
He suggests that public private partnerships are essential to fill in the gaps. HUD also administers the Community Development Block Grants to help with increasing housing supply.
2. U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff: The senator welcomed summer meeting participants to the State of Georgia. He thanked local elected officials for their dedication to serving their communities. He acknowledged NLC for the work in supporting local officials.
D. Public Safety and Crime Prevention Policy Committee Meeting Joel Navarro, Public Safety and Crime Prevention (PSCP) Policy Committee Meeting Chair and Councilmember from the of City of Tempe, AZ, convened the meeting and introduced the board members.
1. State of the City Report Released
Item No.13A
National League of Cities Summer Board and Leadership Meeting August 30, 2022
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4 This report summarizes the priorities and challenges of mayors nationwide. The top issues identified were:
a. Infrastructure
b. Economic Development
c. Budget Management
d. Public Safety
2. Federal Update
Yucel Orrs, NLC Legislative Director of Public Safety, provided an update to PSCP on the recently enacted Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, federal appropriations for public safety and law enforcement programs, and the reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
NLC has developed an ARPA tracker to help inform the legislature and White House about how the impact has supported local government. A NLC Polco survey revealed that roads, bridges, and water are top city priorities for infrastructure investments.
NLC hosted a webinar on August 11, 2022 at 11:30 a.m.- Making Your Safe Streets Application Shine.
3. Joint Session with Human Development Policy Committee PSCP joined with the Human Development Policy Committee for a discussion with Captain Michael King, Administrator of Region 4 with the Substance Use and Mental Health Services Administration and Captain Christopher Jones, Acting Director of the National Center of Injury Prevention and Control with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The discussion centered around substance use, mental health, and community violence prevention. Speakers addressed the four elements of modernizing the prevention system via:
· Early action
· Easy access
· Equitable Access
· Effective Delivery
There are also several training opportunities for practitioners:
· Clinical support system for mental illness
Item No.13A
National League of Cities Summer Board and Leadership Meeting August 30, 2022
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4 · Suicide prevention resource center
· Rural opioid technical assistance
· Providers clinical support system
· State target response system
· Technology transfer centers
4. Discussion on Reducing Violence in Cities
PSCP received an update on the Mayoral Summit on Violence and their report on illegal guns. The top manufacturer of recovered crime guns was Glock in 9 of the 12 reporting cities. Director of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Steve Dettelbach vowed to assist mayors by:
· Giving cities the data and analysis needed to fully understand the flow of illegal guns and develop targeted interventions.
· Implementing the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) and enforcing the new ghost gun rule.
· Cracking down on rogue gun dealers and increasing gun dealer inspections to shut down the gun dealers who are violating the law.
· Investigating the secondary commercial marketplaces that are the source of guns for gun traffickers, including online marketplaces and gun shows.
5. Other Business
The next PSCP meeting will take place at the annual City Summit Conference on November 16 in Kansas City, MO.
E. Mobile Workshop:
The host City of Atlanta coordinated a mobile workshop on their local initiatives on connectivity. Delegates toured the AT&T Connected Learning Center, founded in collaboration with the Atlanta Police Foundation at the Andrew and Walter Young Family At‐Promise Center. The center is dedicated to working with Atlanta’s traditionally underserved youth by offering free access to the internet, computers, and technical training. The At-Promise Center also features cadet housing to help support future Atlanta police going through the police academy and subsidized housing for sworn police in an area known for drug activity to deter and reduce crime.
Delegates also met with Atlanta’s FirstNet team members to learn how the first and only nationwide communications platform dedicated to public safety is helping first Item No.13A
National League of Cities Summer Board and Leadership Meeting August 30, 2022
3 5
4 responders create safer communities and be more effective – every day and in times of emergency. FirstNet set up their mobile command center for the delegates to view and brought technical staff to answer any questions.
COUNCIL GOAL COMPLIANCE:
Meets the following City Council goal:
A. Create a more equitable, accessible, safe, welcoming, and inclusive government and community regardless of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, physical or mental ability, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, language, education, and/or socio-economic status.
PREPARED BY: Mina Layba, Legislative Affairs Manager
CMO:150-20\H: COMMON\\Council Items\2022 Staff Reports\083022\083022 NLC Summer Leadership Forum Staff Report
Item No.13A