HomeMy WebLinkAboutMeasure A Public Safety Expenditure Plan 2021-04-08 FINALMeasure A Public Safety Expenditure Plan 2021
1
Introduction
The City of Chula Vista is located at the center of one of the richest cultural, economic and environmentally
diverse zones in the United States. It is the second-largest city in San Diego County with a population of
272,000. Residents enjoy a multitude of quality of life amenities, including award-winning public schools,
established neighborhoods, parks and trails, shopping and dining opportunities, and popular attractions.
Chula Vista is one of the top ten safest cities of its size in the country.
Public Safety is a top priority in the City of Chula Vista with 72 percent of general fund discretionary
revenues allocated to Police and Fire personnel and services (approximately $80 million of $111 million in
revenues). In addition, staff from Administration, Finance, Human Resources, City Attorney and Public
Works provide significant support to public safety. In an attempt to address public safety staffing
shortages, the City added 5 new police officer positions in fiscal year 2019. Unfortunately, as noted in the
City’s Long-Term Financial Plan, which is included in the City Council adopted budget and is available on
the City website at www.chulavistaca.gov/publicsafety, discretionary revenues are not keeping pace with
the need for additional public safety personnel to support the City’s current and future population.
Process for Creation of the Plan
At the June 6, 2017 Council Meeting, the City Manager was directed to “report back to the City Council
within 120 days with a plan to address the chronic understaffing of the Police and Fire Departments, with
such plan considering all options, including: (i) alternative service models that may improve effectiveness
and reduce costs; and (ii) potential funding sources.”
The City Manager established an internal working group with staff from Fire, Police, Administration and
Finance Departments to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the Police and Fire Departments. To
help identify the needs and priorities of our community and to evaluate the state of public safety, the City
Manager formed the Public Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC) in July 2017. The committee included Chula
Vista residents, business owners and community leaders.
Staff reported back to Council on September 26, 2017 with a Public Safety Staffing Report which is
available at www.chulavistaca.gov/publicsafety. The report assessed factors affecting public safety,
including:
Community and stakeholder feedback/input on priorities for delivery of public safety services
Short and long-term staffing level standards for CVPD and CVFD
Response times for Priority 1 and Priority 2 emergency calls for CVPD
Response times with properly equipped and staffed fire and medical units for CVFD
Consideration of alternate public safety service delivery models
Accounting for growth – 5-year, 10-year and build-out projection models
Fiscal forecasts and impacts
Measure A Public Safety Expenditure Plan 2021
2
The Public Safety Staffing Report provided the foundation for developing the Public Safety Staffing
Strategies report which is available at www.chulavistaca.gov/publicsafety. The Public Safety Staffing
Strategies includes:
Recommending staffing allocations for CVPD and CVFD to provide critical public safety services
Estimated costs for staffing and a phasing schedule
Assessment of potential funding sources
Overview of results of public opinion surveys
The City’s Communications staff informed the Chula Vista community about public safety staffing issues
in a variety of media including: the Community Connection newsletter, press releases, public and media
outreach and social media. Additionally, CVFD and CVPD representatives have attended community
meetings and discussed these public safety staffing issues.
At the September 26, 2017 City Council meeting, Council directed the City Manager to conduct a public
opinion survey, inform the community about public safety staffing issues presented, and to come back to
Council with options to address staffing issues, including revenue options.
In November 2017, the City of Chula Vista engaged a research firm to conduct a public opinion survey to
identify the services and projects that residents are most interested in funding and to obtain input on a
potential half-cent general sales tax to fund the services.
Public Opinion on Prioritizing Projects and Programs
Measure A Public Safety Expenditure Plan 2021
3
At the December 19, 2017 City Council meeting, staff presented the Public Safety Staffing Strategies
report. This report outlined staffing proposals for the Police and Fire Department that addressed critical
needs. The departments evaluated their operations and identified the gaps in not only service levels, but
also in the customer service experience for residents and businesses.
At the February 13, 2018 City Council meeting, the City Council accepted the recommendations of the
Public Safety Advisory Committee to adopt the Intended Public Safety Expenditure Plan (“Expenditure
Plan”). In addition, the City Council approved the first reading of an Ordinance adding Chapter 3.34 to
Title 3 of the Chula Vista Municipal Code to establish a one-half cent General Transactions and Use Tax
and calling for a general Municipal election to be held on June 5, 2018.
At the February 27, 2018 City Council meeting, the second reading and adoption of Ordinance No. 3415
of the City of Chula Vista adding Chapter 3.34 to Title 3 of the Chula Vista Municipal Code to establish a
one-half cent General Transactions and Use Tax to be administered by the California Department of Tax
and Fee Administration including provisions for Citizens’ Oversight and Accountability.
On June 5, 2018, the People of the City of Chula Vista approved Measure A authorizing a one-half cent
sales tax on retail sales within the City.
On October 1, 2018, the collection of the Measure A sales tax began.
Citizens’ Oversight Committee
As required by the City of Chula Vista Municipal Code the Measure A Citizens’ Oversight Committee
(“COC”) was created and held its first meeting on September 26, 2018. The COC is composed of 12
members. The function of the COC is to review and report on City compliance with the terms of the
Municipal Code and the spending guidelines contained in the City Council approved Intended Public Safety
Expenditure Plan, and each Measure A Expenditure Plan presented to and approved by the City Council
thereafter. Additional information related to the Measure A COC can be found at
https://www.chulavistaca.gov/departments/city-clerk/boards-commissions/boards-commissions-
list/citizens-oversight-committee-measure-a.
Amendments to the Public Safety Expenditure Plan
On October 30, 2018, City staff presented to the Citizens’ Oversight Committee (“COC”) an amended
Measure A Intended Public Safety Expenditure Plan. The amended plan includes updated sales tax
revenue assumptions, staffing changes for both the Fire and Police Departments, and updated
expenditure assumptions. The COC voted unanimously to support the amended Measure A intended
Public Safety Expenditure Plan.
On December 18, 2018, the City Council adopted the amended Measure A Intended Public Safety
Expenditure Plan, amended the FY 2019 Budget, and authorized the addition of new positions that were
funded by the Measure A Sales Tax.
Measure A Public Safety Expenditure Plan 2021
4
On June 4, 2019, the City Council adopted the Fiscal Year 2020 Proposed Budget that established the
Measure A appropriations and adding authorized staffing of various City departments.
On June 18, 2019, the City Council approved a resolution amending the Measure A Public Safety
Expenditure Plan (PSEP); updating Measure A sales tax revenue assumptions; staffing changes for both
the Police and Fire departments, and updated expenditures.
On July 11, 2019, the Measure A COC voted to support amendments to the Public Safety Expenditure Plan
to add two Digital Forensics Technician II positions to meet the Police Department’s need to collect,
handle, process, and analyze digital evidence for police investigations and for criminal prosecutions.
On December 3, 2019, the City Council approved resolutions amending the Measure A Public Safety
Expenditure Plan; and amending the Fiscal Year 2020 Operating Budget; and adding authorized staffing to
the Police and Fire Departments.
On December 12, 2019, the Measure A COC voted to support amendments to the Public Safety
Expenditure Plan to add one Police Agent and three Peace Officer positions to meet the Police
Department’s need to combat illegal cannabis operations. On January 14, 2020, the City Council approved
a resolution amending the Measure A Public Safety Expenditure Plan to add one Police Agent and three
Peace Officer positions.
On May 14, 2020, the Measure A COC determined compliance of the Public Safety Expenditure Plan with
Measure A requirements and recommended City Council approval and incorporation of the proposed FY
2021 Measure A spending plan into the City’s FY 2021 budget.
On June 9, 2020, the City Council adopted the Fiscal Year 2021 Proposed Budget that established the
Measure A appropriations and adding authorized staffing of various City departments.
On August 13, 2020, the Measure A COC voted to support amendments to the Public Safety Expenditure
Plan to move up the hiring of six Peace Officers to FY 2021 as a result of Community Oriented Policing
Services (COPS) grant funding. On August 25, 2020, the City Council approved a resolution amending the
Measure A Public Safety Expenditure Plan to move up the hiring of six Peace Officers to FY 2021.
On October 8, 2020, the Measure A COC voted to support amendments to the Public Safety Expenditure
Plan to add one Public Information Specialist and one Information Technology Technician. On October
20, 2020, the City Council approved a resolution amending the Measure A Public Safety Expenditure Plan
to add those two positions to the Police Department.
On February 11, 2021, the Measure A COC voted to support amendments to the Public Safety Expenditure
Plan to add one Operations Support Captain and three Firefighter/EMT positions to Fire Station 9, along
with one Police Lieutenant, one Police Sergeant, three Peace Officers and drone contractual costs to
support Police Department Community Relations and drone operations. On March 2, 2021, the City
Council approved a resolution amending the Measure A Public Safety Expenditure Plan to add one Police
Lieutenant, one Police Sergeant and three Peace Officers. On March 16, 2021, the City Council approved
Measure A Public Safety Expenditure Plan 2021
5
a resolution amending the Measure A Public Safety Expenditure Plan to add one Operations Support
Captain and three Firefighter/EMT positions to Engine 59.
Police Department Critical Needs – February 2018
As of February 2018, when the original Intended Public Safety Expenditure Plan was presented to the City
Council, the Chula Vista Police Department was composed of over 300 authorized fulltime employees,
including 232 sworn officers, 91 professional staff and over 80 volunteers who worked tirelessly to provide
public safety services to the second largest city in San Diego County. CVPD general fund allocations were
at 32%, below the regional average for law enforcement agencies. CVPD had the lowest sworn staffing to
population ratio in the County and the second lowest staffing ratio in California for comparably sized cities.
Furthermore, CVPD’s staffing ratio was significantly lower than a decade ago when the Department was
authorized 259 sworn officers and 114 professional staff.
Despite such challenges, Chula Vista was fortunate to have a relatively low crime rate and it was
consistently recognized as one of the safest cities of its size in the country. Unfortunately, staffing
challenges, combined with Chula Vista’s growth, strained CVPD’s ability to continue to provide the high
level of public safety service to which the residents of Chula Vista were accustomed. After extensive
review, CVPD staff recommended substantial increases in sworn and civilian staff to raise CVPD’s staffing
to the appropriate level to meet the current and projected future service demands of Chula Vista. The
Public Safety Staffing report presented to City Council on September 26, 2017, explored the history of
CVPD’s staffing challenges and made recommendations to restore CVPD staffing to levels more in line
with those of regional law enforcement agencies. The following is a summary of the immediate staffing
needs as identified by the Police Department.
Police Department Critical Needs (Phases I and II)
Positions Phase I Phase II Total
Peace Officers 16.0 11.0 27.0
Police Agents 8.0 2.0 10.0
Police Sergeants 5.0 1.0 6.0
Total Sworn 29.0 14.0 43.0
Civilian Background Investigator 2.0 - 2.0
Community Services Officer 2.0 1.0 3.0
Detention Facilities Manager 1.0 - 1.0
Police Comm Systems Manager 1.0 - 1.0
Police Dispatcher 7.0 4.0 11.0
Sr. Police Technology Specialist 1.0 - 1.0
Total Non-Sworn 14.0 5.0 19.0
Total Police FTE Positions 43.0 19.0 62.0
Note: In addition to the positions listed above, the intented spending plan allocates
resources to support staff reimbursements, vehicles and IT equipment needs.
Measure A Public Safety Expenditure Plan 2021
6
Police Officers – 43 positions
Uniformed Community Patrol Officers (24 positions) Uniformed patrol responds to calls for service, deters
crime and conducts proactive policing to address traffic and quality of life issues. These are among the
primary missions of any municipal police agency. It is critical to maintain adequate staffing throughout
the City, 7 days a week and 365 days a year. The addition of 24 officers would provide more than a 30
percent increase in the number of officers on the street at any time, and would double the number of
officers in the fast-growing/developing areas of the City.
Despite personnel transfers to Community Patrol from other CVPD divisions, first-line patrol operations
are falling short of historical performance standards and outcomes. As discussed in the Public Safety
Staffing Report, Community Patrol is consistently unable to meet Priority 1 and 2 GMOC response times.
Priority 3 and Priority 4 call response times also have increased dramatically, further increasing wait times
for citizens reporting crimes or calling for police service.
Additionally, other markers of Community Patrol effectiveness indicate a decline in operational capacity.
Notable areas of performance concern 2008-2016
53% decline in officer initiated calls for service
41% decline in felony arrests
26% decline in misdemeanor arrests
49% decline in traffic citations
28% increase in traffic related deaths and injuries
10% increase in traffic collisions
51% decline in parking citations
These statistics are indicative of a reactive patrol stance rather than one which is proactive and service
oriented. The primary factor for such reductions likely are officer workloads and lack of proactive time to
address community problems other than priority calls.
It is also worth noting that police work has changed and cases and workloads are more complex than ever.
This means patrol officers must consider many more factors as they go about their work. Oftentimes this
results in a substantially increased workload. For example, the District Attorney’s Office has enhanced
case issuance guidelines which often requires more time for initial field investigations and subsequent
follow-up work by detectives.
Other factors, like Body Worn Cameras have many benefits but they extend the report writing process by
requiring officers to review video footage to ensure report accuracy. Also, social media use, almost non-
existent a decade ago, has exploded and adds to case complexity and investigative time. To complicate
matters, the public’s use of smart phones and other electronic devices requires extra time, training,
sophistication and expertise to thoroughly investigate cases. For example, search warrants are often
required when phones are seized and cases with multiple suspects may require extensive downloads and
searches of several phones and electronic devices to build a prosecutable case.
Measure A Public Safety Expenditure Plan 2021
7
Homeless Outreach Team (4 positions) CVPD is also challenged by increasing calls for service regarding
homelessness which require more time and resources. Issues surrounding homelessness became so
serious that in the Fiscal Year 2016-17 budget, the City Council approved funding to add two officers and
a part-time coordinator position to form the Homeless Outreach Team (HOT). While the Department’s
HOT team has done great work, two officers cannot make a large enough impact on this difficult social
and public safety challenge which requires constant monitoring and attention.
Patrol officers respond to the majority of calls related to homelessness. These cases are not simple and
often involve interconnected social dynamics, substance abuse and mental health problems. A
humanitarian policing response is complex and time consuming. Homeless outreach involves close
collaboration with social service providers to provide wraparound services and enforcement to address
the chronically homeless. Again, such coordination is a lengthy process. By adding four more officers to
the HOT team, the police department can better address issues that impact every neighborhood in the
City.
Traffic Enforcement Officers (4 positions) Traffic Enforcement Officers coordinate traffic safety
campaigns, conduct specialized enforcement, follow-up on hit and run investigations, enforce DUI laws,
address illegally parked cars and abandoned vehicles, and investigate serious and fatal traffic collisions.
Current staffing prevents the Police Department from dedicating officers to investigate hit and run
collisions, and traffic safety continues to be a growing concern in a rapidly growing city. By adding more
Traffic Enforcement Officers, the Police Department can address this urgent community need.
School Resource Officers (4 positions) The safety of our schools is another crucial priority for our
community. Since 2007, the number of School Resource Officers (SRO) has been cut in half. An increase
in the number of SRO Officers is critical for the continued safety of our 65 schools and 57,000 students.
The SRO Unit is part of the Criminal Investigations Division. Contracts with Chula Vista Elementary School
District and Sweetwater Union High School District offset almost 50% of the cost of these services with
the remainder covered by the City.
Investigations/Detectives (7 positions) The Police Department’s Investigation Division conducts follow-up
and investigations to identify and arrest criminals, locate missing persons, monitor sex offenders, locate
and return stolen property, regulate police controlled businesses such as alcohol, tobacco, and illegal
marijuana, and coordinate with federal agencies in areas related to drug enforcement, child abuse, human
trafficking, auto theft, and terrorism. Since 2007, the number of detectives in many investigation units
has been cut in half. Increasing the number of detectives is important to enhancing the police
department’s ability to investigate and prosecute criminal offenders.
Support/Professional/Civilian Staffing (19 positions)
9-1-1 Operators and Dispatchers (11 positions) The Police Department’s 9-1-1 Center is the first point of
contact for service delivery for virtually all police and fire services. All 9-1-1 calls go first to the
Communications Center before being routed as emergency calls to Chula Vista Police Dispatchers or San
Diego Fire Department Dispatch (contracted Dispatch for Chula Vista Fire). As of September 2018, CVPD
Measure A Public Safety Expenditure Plan 2021
8
had 21 Police Dispatchers and 5 Police Dispatch Supervisors. The Association of Public Safety
Communication Officials (APCO) standards indicate that CVPD should be staffed with a minimum of 30
Police Dispatchers, not including supervisors, based upon call volumes. Increasing staffing in this crucial
area helps to ensure public safety by improving answer times and by meeting minimum staffing
requirements as recommended by APCO standards.
Other Critical Support Staffing Needs (8 positions) Police operations require significant support from
civilian and professional staff. These important members of the Police Department include customer
service staff for the Department’s public service counter, community service and police service officers,
crime lab and evidence technicians, police report and records specialists, and technology specialists. A
moderate increase in professional staff is necessary to support additional capabilities made possible
through additional resources and capacity, and to meet the expectations of today’s modern policing
requirements.
Amended Police Department Critical Needs (Phase I) – April 2021
The original Public Safety Expenditure Plan (PSEP), adopted by the City Council on February 13, 2018 was
developed under the assumption that new sales tax revenue in the amount of $9M per year would be
dedicated to Police Department staffing and related support. As a result, the original PSEP proposed
adding 29 sworn and 14 civilian positions over a five-year period as referenced above. But, after
recognizing that the demands from our community and the needs of the Police Department were
constantly in a state of flux, and that projected revenue from the Measure A sales tax would likely change,
the Police Department embarked on an ongoing review of the staffing plan. The Police Department also
facilitated a number of informal meetings and discussions with internal personnel, and with internal and
external stakeholders and organizations, to seek further input on the PSEP.
As a result of this work, a modified version of the plan was developed and is presented herein. The
amended PSEP recommends the addition of 40 sworn and 16 civilian positions over a four-year period.
Police Department Phase I
Implementation By Fiscal Year
FTE Balance: FY19 FY20 FY21 FY22 Total
POLICE LIEUTENANT 1.00 1.00
POLICE SERGEANT 3.00 3.00 1.00 7.00
POLICE AGENT 1.00 2.00 3.00 2.00 8.00
PEACE OFFICER 4.00 6.00 14.00 24.00
SWORN TOTAL 5.00 11.00 21.00 3.00 40.00
CIVILIAN BACKGROUND INVESTIGATOR 1.00 1.00
COMMUNITY SERVICE OFFICER 2.00 2.00
DIGITAL FORENSICS TECHNICIAN 2.00 2.00
COMMUNICATIONS CENTER MANAGER 1.00 1.00
Measure A Public Safety Expenditure Plan 2021
9
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TECHNICIAN 1.00 1.00
POLICE DISPATCHER 2.00 5.00 7.00
PUBLIC INFORMATION SPECIALIST 1.00 1.00
SR. POLICE TECHNOLOGY SPECIALIST 1.00 1.00
CIVILIAN TOTAL 4.00 10.00 2.00 0.00 16.00
FTE CHANGES TOTAL 9.00 21.00 23.00 3.00 56.00
This amended plan is different than the original PSEP as approved by both the COC and City Council. These
differences are detailed below:
Police Lieutenant: To address the evolving needs of the community and the growing police
organization drone program, one Police Lieutenant intended for the day-to-day management of
strategic operations such as DFR, continuous improvement, special projects and other adjutant
responsibilities was added in FY21.
Police Sergeant: With the expansion of additional locations, hours of operations, and additional
Pilots In Command, one Police Sergeant overseeing daily DFR operations was added in FY21.
Police Agent: To address the growing impact of illegal and unregulated cannabis sales, one
Homeless Outreach Agent was added in FY20 to primarily focus on outreach combating drug
impacts within the homeless population.
Peace Officer: Also related to cannabis enforcement, three officer positions were added in FY20.
One investigator is focused on illegal and non-regulated cannabis operations, one homeless
outreach officer is focused on outreach combating drug impacts within the homeless population,
and one School Resource Officer is focused on scholastic campaigns and youth anti-drug
education efforts. Additionally, two Patrol Officers were added (one in FY22 and another in FY23)
as a result of eliminating one Civilian Background Investigator and one Detention Facility Manager
from the original PSEP. The addition of two Peace Officer positions supplements future field
staffing, helping to increase safety and improve response times. As a result of Community
Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant funding, the hiring of six Peace Officers was moved up to
FY21 (five from FY 22 and one from FY23). Two DFR Officers and one Community Relations Officer
were added in FY21 as a result of anticipated sales tax revenue increases.
Civilian Background Investigator (-1): After receiving input from department members and other
stakeholders, the Police Department is deleting one Civilian Background Investigator from the
plan. The deletion of this position allows the department to enhance other critical needs,
including the need to increase field personnel to improve response times. To meet the projected
increase in background investigations, the Police Department instead intends to complement full-
time investigators with contracted support. Contracted support will be used until such time that
sworn patrol staffing allows for the transfer of one peace officer position to support background
needs. The temporary use of a peace officer position to assist with background investigations
allows for greater flexibility in the future – as the number of background investigations decreases,
Measure A Public Safety Expenditure Plan 2021
10
a peace officer position (unlike a Civilian Background Investigator) may be reassigned elsewhere
within the department to meet changing demands.
Community Services Officer: Expedite the hiring of 2.0 Community Service Officers (CSO) to FY20
instead of hiring one position in FY21 and the other in FY22, respectively. The Police Department
intends to assign both CSO positions to support sworn detectives to provide much needed support
to police investigations.
Digital Forensic Technician: Add 2.0 Digital Forensics Technician II positions in FY20 to meet the
Police Department’s need to collect, handle, process and analyze digital evidence for police
investigations and for criminal prosecutions. As a result of adding these positions, the Police
Department is able to free existing customer-facing staff, including a Police Agent detective and
a Community Service Officer, that have been temporarily assigned to meet this role since FY16.
Detention Facility Manager (-1): After receiving input from department members and other
stakeholders, the Police Department has deleted one Detention Facility Manager from the plan.
While this position is important to overall department operations, the deletion of this position
helps the department better align projected Measure A resources to enhance other critical needs,
such as improving field staffing and reducing response times. The Police Department was able to
add this position through the Jail Enterprise Fund in September 2019.
Communications Center Manager: Move up the hiring date of this position to FY20 instead of
FY22, allowing enough time to complete several ongoing major projects including an expansion
of the current dispatch center to meet future staffing needs.
Police Dispatcher: Expedite the hiring of 2.0 Police Dispatchers from FY21 to FY20. The Police
Department requested to hire these two positions in January 2020, instead of July 2020 as initially
planned. Moving up the hire date by six months will allow the Police Department to meet service
needs in the Dispatch Center, which was expanded in October 2019.
Information Technology Technician: To address daily traditional office productivity and IT
operations, one Information Technology Technician was added in FY21.
Public Information Specialist: One Public Information Specialist was added in FY21 to work under
the direction of the existing collateral PIO personnel, allowing the department to expand and
enhance transparency and engagement strategies within the modern landscape of digital media,
maintain the crucial involvement of sworn staff to put police matters into proper context, and
free some workload from sworn staff so that they can focus more on their primary crime fighting
responsibilities.
Sr. Police Technology Specialist (correction): The original PSEP contained a typographical error,
making it appear that the Sr. PTS position was not scheduled until FY20. This was in conflict with
the Police Department’s intentions and with other sections of the PSEP itself. The Department has
modified the final plan to correct the error and to indicate that this position is scheduled for FY19
(rather than FY20).
Drone Contractual Costs: With the expansion of the Drone as First Responder (DFR) program,
contractual costs for Pilots In Command (PIC) will be added in FY22, thus freeing other department
resources and ensuring the continued operations of this successful DFR program.
Measure A Public Safety Expenditure Plan 2021
11
The Police Department recognizes that current community demands, safety strategies, and staffing needs
will likely change in the future. The Police Department also recognizes that revenues and expenses used
to calculate current allocation plans may change in the future. As a result, this plan is intended to be a
“living document”. Future recommendations may change.
Desired Police Department Safety Outcomes
CVPD staff understand the fiscal outlook and limitations of the City and acknowledge the negative
consequences of not being transparent with policymakers regarding the current state of CVPD’s
operational capacity. But, it is imperative that the City recognizes the challenges to providing public safety
services to meet Chula Vista’s needs, especially with limited funding to keep pace with growth.
The top ten desired public safety service outcomes:
1. Improve Priority 1 and Priority 2 response times to consistently meet and surpass Growth
Management Oversight Commission
Priority 1 – Emergency Calls1. Properly equipped and staffed police units shall respond
to at least 81% of Priority 1 calls within 7 minutes and 30 seconds and shall maintain
an average response time of 6 minutes or less for all Priority 1 calls (measured
annually).
Priority 2 – Urgent Calls2. Properly equipped and staffed police units shall respond to
all Priority 2 calls within 12 minutes or less (measured annually).
2. Expand the Homeless Outreach Team to help address the City’s most pressing social needs
3. Improve Community Patrol staffing to provide for 40% pro-active time. This will result in
an organization that is pro-active vs. reactive to crime and disorder trends
4. Improve Communications Center staffing and operations to improve first-line contact and
service processing with the public
5. Improve Investigative capacity and follow-up in all major investigative units to maximize
successful case resolution and provide better customer service to victims
6. Improve the Traffic Division’s operational footprint to proactively respond to traffic related
problems and reduce traffic related deaths and injuries
1 Priority 1 – Emergency Calls are life-threatening calls; felony in progress; probability of injury (crime or
accident); robbery or panic alarms; urgent cover calls from officers. Response: Immediate response by two
officers from any source or assignment, immediate response by paramedics/fire if injuries are believed to have
occurred.
2 Priority 2 – Urgent Calls are misdemeanor in progress; possibility of injury; serious non-routine calls
(domestic violence or other disturbances with potential for violence). Response: Immediate response by one
or more officers from clear units or those on interruptible activities (traffic, field interviews, etc.)
Measure A Public Safety Expenditure Plan 2021
12
7. Significantly expand the School Resource Officer Unit to more adequately serve the needs
of growing school districts and the youth population of Chula Vista3
8. Expand use of technology to streamline operations and support intelligence led policing
practices
9. Expand the Department’s Community Policing Unit and community outreach efforts to
foster stronger community ties
10. Provide for the expansion of services to the eastern section of the City by staffing a
storefront or small substation with full-time staff during regular business hours. A similar
storefront would be planned for the Bayfront tourist district to support a reconstituted
bike team to patrol the tourist district
Fire Department Critical Needs
The mission of the Chula Vista Fire Department (CVFD) is to protect life, environment and property.
Carrying out that mission is very complex and becomes more complex with each passing year. The Public
Safety Staffing Report, as presented to the City Council on September 26, 2017, evaluated CVFD’s core
capabilities and services and compared them against outcome-based performance metrics that are
supported by appropriate regulations, industry standards and best practices.
As the City’s population grows, there will be a subsequent increase in demand for fire and emergency
services (call volume). Urban planning has and continues to move toward higher housing densities and it
is critical for the Fire Department to support the additional population, as well as prepare for wildland fire
events, natural disasters, and the present threat of active shooter incidents and terrorism. The variety of
service demands will require a shift in how the Fire Department deploys and delivers services, with the
outcome focused on protecting life and property.
3 During FY2020-21, discussions with school districts suggested some potential concerns over the size and role of
the School Resource Officer Unit in context with a larger dialogue about the role of police officers in our
communities and in our schools. During the same period, the relative amount of reimbursement from the
Sweetwater Union School District declined causing a reduction in dedicated School Resource Officers provided to
the district. The Police Department understands that community perception may change along with expectations
of Chula Vista’s school districts. The Police Department is dedicated to enhancing safety and services to Chula
Vista’s schools and youth populations, but will continue to listen to the needs of the district. As a result, the Police
Department may seek alternative means of enhancing safety for our schools and youth populations without
unnecessarily expanding the number of school resource officers when such action is not consistent with the
desires of our school districts or our community.
Measure A Public Safety Expenditure Plan 2021
13
The following includes a summary of the staffing needs as identified by the Fire Department. A more
detailed discussion is available in the Public Safety Staffing report.
Current Coverage
Fire Department Phase I and II - Critical Staffing Needs (As presented in 2017
Public Safety Staffing report)
Positions Phase I Phase II Total
Deputy Chief 1.0 1.0 2.0
Fire Captain 8.0 12.0 20.0
Fire Engineer - 12.0 12.0
Firefighter/Paramedic 8.0 12.0 20.0
Firefighter 18.0 18.0 36.0
Fire Inspector/Investigator II - 3.0 3.0
Public Education Specialist 1.0 - 1.0
Total Fire Personnel 36.0 58.0 94.0
Note: In addition to the positions listed above, the intented spending plan allocates
resources to support staff reimbursements, vehicles and IT equipment needs.
Measure A Public Safety Expenditure Plan 2021
14
Fire Department Amended Phase I Public Safety Expenditure Plan
FTE Balance: FY19 FY20 FY21 FY22 FY24 FY25 Total
DEPUTY FIRE CHIEF (ADMINISTRATION & EMS) 2.00 (1.00) 1.00
Fire Captain – Operations Support 1.00 1.00
FIRE CAPTAIN (SQUADS)* (2.00)* (2.00)* (2.00)* (2.00)* 0.00
FIREFIGHTER/PARAMEDICS (SQUADS)* (2.00)* (2.00)* (2.00)* (2.00)* 0.00
FIREFIGHTER EMT (4.0 STAFFING) 12.00 3.00 9.00 3.00 3.00 30.00
PUBLIC EDUCATION & MEDIA SERVICES 1.00 1.00
TOTAL FIRE PERSONNEL (AMENDED) 15.00 3.00 9.00 3.00 3.00 0.00 33.00
ORIGINAL PSEP TOTAL FIRE PERSONNEL 12.00 13.00 11.00 0.00 0.00 36.00
* Positions will be filled with equivalent positions utilizing overtime.
This plan is different than the original PSEP as approved by both the COC and City Council in January 2018.
Differences are described in the above table and are detailed below.
In March of 2019, the Fire Department applied for a FEMA SAFER Grant, and as a result, 3.0 Firefighters
in the Measure A Spending Plan were removed pending the outcome of the potential grant award. In
September 2019, FEMA announced to the city acceptance of the grant proposal, and funding of the grant
award. The funding of the grant will offset a percentage of the costs for these positions over the next
three years. Staff brought forward a mid-year adjustment and spending plan amendment to move 3.0
Firefighter positions from FY2021 to FY2020 for the new Millenia Fire Station.
The responsibility of the Fire Department is to review response performance data and the appropriate
application of Measure A sales tax revenues that will ensure the best return on investment in terms of
staffing improvements for improved deployment of Fire Department resources.
The Fire Department with support of the Finance Department has studied its current staffing model for
SQUADS. It has been determined that a positive return on investment will be attained through adjustment
of SQUAD staffing practices with a transition from full time equivalent staffing to an overtime-based
staffing model. The anticipated savings from the new SQUAD service delivery model, and increase to the
Measure A Sales Tax revenue projection, will allow the hiring of 9.0 additional Firefighters. This staffing
change will result in three of the four current Fire engines without 4.0 staffing to be staffed at 4.0 staffing
levels upon the completion of the FY20 Fire Academy (January through May).
The new staffing model will allow the department to maintain SQUAD deployment and allow for the
expansion of 4.0 staffing beginning in January 2020 on Engine 56, and starting in June 2020 expanded to
both Engine 54 and 58. The proposed staffing schedule illustrates the expansion of 4.0 staffing (hiring of
9.0 Firefighters for the expansion of 4.0 Staffing on three existing engines, and 3.0 Firefighters for the new
Millenia Fire Station).
Measure A Public Safety Expenditure Plan 2021
15
Fire Department Amended Phase II Public Safety Expenditure Plan
Fire Department emergency operations performance standards are focused on outcomes of core
functions and services provided. The Fire Department has found that by establishing the following three
metrics, all other services are met when these are achieved. Meeting these metrics also provides the
highest level of service to the residents of Chula Vista.
Fire; First Unit On-Scene
First unit on-scene within seven minutes 90% of the time, with four firefighters, is known as the Initial
Attack Force. This Attack Force establishes command at the scene, initiates an attack on the fire, and
performs search and rescue. The key function of this metric is to maintain distribution and reliability of
resources. If a unit arrives prior to the seven-minute mark and initiates fire attack prior to flashover
occurring, the survivability within the room of origin increases and fire loss is reduced.
Fire; Effective Response Force
14 firefighters on-scene within ten minutes 90% of the time is known as the Effective Response Force and
capable of command and control of the scene, establishing a water supply, supporting and backing up fire
attack, completing search and rescue, performing ventilation of heat and smoke, providing a Rapid
Intervention Crew and a Safety Officer. Fighting a fire requires the right number of personnel and
resources to meet this metric. The critical tasks required by the Effective Response Force include
coordinating and allocating resources, extinguishing the fire, searching for victims, and performing
ventilation. By having the correct number of firefighters on-scene in a timely manner, the fire can be
extinguished, and firefighters can then tend to property conservation tasks.
EMS; First Unit On-Scene
In the case of emergency medical events, having the first unit on-scene within seven minutes 90% of the
time is crucial to a positive outcome for the patient. Units must establish command, provide basic life
support and initiate advanced life support patient care. Arriving prior to the seven-minute mark provides
basic life support patient care to stabilize the sick and injured. Once the patient is stabilized, advanced life
Positions Phase II
Deputy Fire Chief 1.0
Fire Captain 12.0
Fire Engineer 12.0
Firefighter/Paramedic 12.0
Firefighter 18.0
Fire Inspector/Investigator II 3.0
Total Fire Personnel 58.0
Measure A Public Safety Expenditure Plan 2021
16
support skills can be initiated prior to the arrival of the transporting ambulance. With the arrival of the
first on-scene unit within seven minutes, survivability increases significantly.
Fire Prevention/Investigation
Within the Fire Prevention Division, the primary outcome metric is to identify and eliminate hazards.
Therefore, it is important that the Division complete all required inspections. These metrics are used to
determine if the Fire Prevention Division is accomplishing its goals. The Division’s current metrics are:
For Fire Code Inspection services, the following performance metrics shall be met:
• Complete 100% of permitted occupancy inspections annually
• Complete 100% of California State Fire Marshal regulated occupancy inspections annually
• New business license inspections are completed within 30 days
For Fire Safety Engineering services, the following performance metrics shall be met:
• Complete 90% of plan reviews within the established time frames
For Fire Investigation services, the following performance metrics shall be met:
• 100% of fire origin and cause investigations performed by Fire Prevention personnel
For Community Risk Reduction Education services, the following performance metrics shall be met:
• Complete 200 public education/outreach sessions/classes/events annually
Recommendation 1
In FY 2019, fund one additional firefighter on four of eight engine companies. This would provide four
firefighters (1 Fire Captain, 1 Fire Engineer, 1 Firefighter/Paramedic, and 1 Firefighter/EMT) to engines 51,
52, 55 and 57; adding 12 full time employees to the Fire Department’s authorized staffing.
Implementation of this recommendation is forecasted to improve service delivery performance outcomes
by the following:
Metric Current City-Wide
Performance
City-Wide Performance
Improvement
Greatest Geographic
Improvement
*West **Central
EMS; First Unit 81.1% 81.3% (+) .3% (+) .8%
Fire; First Unit 44.7% 58.4% (+) 18.6% (+) 6%
Measure A Public Safety Expenditure Plan 2021
17
Fire; EFF 49.7% 54.3% (+) 1.7% (+) 15%
*West represents fire stations 1 & 5
**Central represents fire stations 2, 3, 4, 9
***East represents fire stations 6, 7, 8
Recommendation 2
In FY 2019, fund two Deputy Fire Chief positions. One Deputy responsible for Fire Administration duties
and one Deputy responsible for Emergency Medical Services.
Deputy Fire Chief – Emergency Medical Services - The February 2018, Intended Public Safety Expenditure
Plan identifies the addition of a Deputy Fire Chief in fiscal year 2020 and another in fiscal year 2025. It is
the intention of the Fire Department to implement both positions in fiscal year 2019 with one assigned
Administrative and the second EMS responsibilities. The Chula Vista Fire Department renewed a 3-year
contract for ambulance transport services with American Medical Response (AMR) in October of 2018.
This new agreement is a continuation of an ongoing contracted service with AMR for the past 40 years.
The Fire Department is seeking ways to improve ambulance transport services, and ambulance response
times, as well as reducing base rate costs to residents who use ambulance transport services. With, the
EMS Deputy Chief in place, they conducted a thorough analysis of service delivery options and presented
them to City Management and City Council. In May of 2020, the City Council elected to assume ambulance
transport services and those services be delivered by the Chula Vista Fire Department.
Measure A funding of this Deputy Fire Chief position will only be necessary for the duration of time
necessary to complete the analysis and implement Fire Department Based Ambulance Transport System.
The ongoing cost for the Deputy Fire Chief is programmed into the Ambulance Transport System beginning
April of 2021 and will be removed from the Fire Department’s Measure A expenditure plan during this
timeframe.
Deputy Fire Chief – Administration This Position was originally budgeted for FY20 and has been amended
to reflect FY19. The Fire Department currently operates with an executive staff consisting of the Fire Chief
and a Deputy Fire Chief responsible for the Operations Division. By comparison, during the recession in
2009, Fire Department Executive Staff included an additional Deputy Fire Chief responsible for oversight
of the Administrative Division.
The Fire Department Strategic Business Plan consists of 5 Lines of Business: Administration, Operations,
Fire Prevention, Support Services, and Training. Of these, there are currently two Lines of Business that
must share management oversight which has been delegated to existing senior staff members because
the Department lacked funding to adequately fill a Deputy Fire Chief staff position. Using Measure A funds,
the Fire Department will fill the vacated Deputy Fire Chief position.
Within each line of business are a number of programs and services. For example, the Human Resources
Program consists of the following services: Staffing, Professional Standards, Volunteer Services, Employee
Support Services, and Special Events. Furthermore, each service is further broken down into a manageable
series of tasks.
Measure A Public Safety Expenditure Plan 2021
18
Due to inadequate staffing, these workloads are either added to other Senior Staff member’s current
workloads or are overlooked and ignored. Filling the Deputy Fire Chief position will allow for proper
oversight of the Administration and Support Services Line of Business.
This Deputy Chief will oversee two of the five Lines of Business within the Fire Department; the
Administration Line of Business and Support Services Line of Business.
Recommendation 3
In FY 2019, fund a Public Education and Media Services position (Fire Captain) responsible for community
risk reduction education including completing community risk assessments, community education
program development and coordination, social media engagement, and respond to media requests and
public inquiries.
Recommendation 4
In FY 2019, fund one squad response unit. In FY 2020, fund one additional squad response unit. This will
provide a much-needed increase of distribution of response resources in the east and will provide four
firefighters (1 Fire Captain and 1 Firefighter/Paramedic on each squad) daily. Implementation of this
recommendation is forecasted to improve service delivery performance outcomes by the following:
Metric Current City-Wide
Performance
City-Wide Performance
Improvement
Greatest Geographic
Improvement
***East FS8
EMS; First Unit 81.1% 82.3% (+) 5.5% (+) 8%
Fire; First Unit 44.7% 48.5% (+) 8.2% (+) 23.5%
Fire; EFF 49.7% 52.4% (+) 4.3% (+) 2.9%
*West represents fire stations 1 & 5
**Central represents fire stations 2, 3, 4, 9
***East represents fire stations 6, 7, 8
Recommendation 5
In FY 2021, fund the fourth firefighter on the Millenia fire station (fire station 10) engine company. This
would provide a 4.0 staffed crew with four firefighters (1 Fire Captain, 1 Fire Engineer, 1
Firefighter/Paramedic, and 1 Firefighter/EMT) daily, adding 12 full time employees to the Fire
Department’s authorized staffing (refer to footnote on Page 12 related to the City applying for a FEMA
SAFER Grant). Implementation of this recommendation is forecasted to improve service delivery
performance outcomes by the following:
Measure A Public Safety Expenditure Plan 2021
19
Metric Current City-Wide
Performance
City-Wide Performance
Improvement
Greatest Geographic
Improvement
***East FS7
EMS; First Unit 81.1% 81.5% (+) 2.2% (+) 3.8%
Fire; First Unit 44.7% 45.4% (+) 3.4% (+) 0%
Fire; EFF 49.7% 51.7% (+) 10.2% (+) 13.2%
*West represents fire stations 1 & 5
**Central represents fire stations 2, 3, 4, 9
***East represents fire stations 6, 7, 8
Recommendation 6
In FY 2024, fund one squad response unit. In FY 2025 fund one squad response unit. This will provide
additional needed distribution of response resources in the east and will provide four firefighters (1 Fire
Captain and 1 Firefighter/Paramedic on each squad) daily. Implementation of this recommendation is
forecasted to improve service delivery performance outcomes by the following:
Metric Current City-Wide
Performance
City-Wide Performance
Improvement
Greatest Geographic
Improvement
**Central FS4
EMS; First Unit 81.1% 82.2% (+) 2.8% (+) 3%
Fire; First Unit 44.7% 48.2% (+) 9.6% (+) 22%
Fire; EFF 49.7% 53% (+) 12.7% (+) 11.1%
*West represents fire stations 1 & 5
**Central represents fire stations 2, 3, 4, 9
***East represents fire stations 6, 7, 8
Recommendation 7
In FY 2024, fund the fourth firefighter on the Bayfront fire station (fire station 11) engine company. This
would provide four firefighters (1 Fire Captain, 1 Fire Engineer, 1 Firefighter/Paramedic, and 1
Firefighter/EMT) daily, adding 12 full time employees to the Fire Department’s authorized staffing.
Implementation of this recommendation is forecasted to improve service delivery performance outcomes
by the following:
Measure A Public Safety Expenditure Plan 2021
20
Metric Current City-Wide
Performance
City-Wide Performance
Improvement
Greatest Geographic
Improvement
*West
EMS; First Unit 81.1% 82.9% (+) 3.1%
Fire; First Unit 44.7% 51.7% (+) 12.2%
Fire; EFF 49.7% 57.3% (+) 14.3%
*West represents fire stations 1 & 5
**Central represents fire stations 2, 3, 4, 9
***East represents fire stations 6, 7, 8
Recommendation 8
As part of Phase II fund one additional firefighter on the remaining four of eight engine companies.
This would provide four firefighters (1 Fire Captain, 1 Fire Engineer, 1 Firefighter/Paramedic, and 1
Firefighter/EMT) daily, adding 12 full time employees to the Fire Department’s authorized staffing. As of
September of 2021, all engine companies in the city will be staffed at 4.0.:
Metric Current City-Wide
Performance
City-Wide Performance
Improvement
Greatest Geographic
Improvement
*West
EMS; First Unit 81.1% 82.9% (+) 3.1%
Fire; First Unit 44.7% 51.7% (+) 12.2%
Fire; EFF 49.7% 57.3% (+) 14.3%
*West represents fire stations 1 & 5
**Central represents fire stations 2, 3, 4, 9
***East represents fire stations 6, 7, 8
Recommendation 9
As part of Phase II funding the fire station 3 engine company. This would provide four firefighters (1 Fire
Captain, 1 Fire Engineer, 1 Firefighter/Paramedic, and 1 Firefighter/EMT) daily, adding 12 full time
employees to the Fire Department’s authorized staffing. This recommendation is driven by increasing call
volume in southwest Chula Vista. Implementation of this recommendation is forecasted to improve
service delivery performance outcomes by the following:
Measure A Public Safety Expenditure Plan 2021
21
Metric Current City-Wide
Performance
City-Wide Performance
Improvement
Greatest Geographic
Improvement
**Central FS9
EMS; First Unit 81.1% 82.4% (+) 1.2% (+) 3.6%
Fire; First Unit 44.7% 52.2% (+) 11.8% (+) 38.1%
Fire; EFF 49.7% 61.4% (+) 22.4% (+) 57.4%
Recommendation 10
As part of Phase II funding the Bayfront fire station (fire station 11) truck company. This would provide
four firefighters (1 Fire Captain, 1 Fire Engineer, 1 Firefighter/Paramedic, and 1 Firefighter/EMT) daily,
adding 12 full time employees to the Fire Department’s authorized staffing. This recommendation is
driven by development and new growth of the Bayfront area of the city. Implementation of this
recommendation is forecasted to improve service delivery performance outcomes by the following:
Metric Current City-Wide
Performance
City-Wide Performance
Improvement
Greatest Geographic
Improvement
*West FS9
EMS; First Unit 81.1% 81.3% (+) .3% (+) .3%
Fire; First Unit 44.7% 51.2% (+) 10.3% (+) 1.9%
Fire; EFF 49.7% 59.2% (+) 10.3% (+) 55.8%
*West represents fire stations 1 & 5
**Central represents fire stations 2, 3, 4, 9
***East represents fire stations 6, 7, 8
Recommendation 11
As part of Phase II fund one Deputy Fire Chief responsible for Support Services including information
technology, facility management, fleet management, equipment management, supplies management and
communication systems management.
Recommendation 12
As part of Phase II fund three Fire Inspector/Investigators assigned to conduct life safety inspections in
multi-family apartment/condominium buildings, mobile home parks and assist in completing a higher
percentage of fire investigations.
Measure A Public Safety Expenditure Plan 2021
22
Coverage with Four Response Squads
Phase I – Critical Needs Funding
The City Council was provided an overview of various revenue options for consideration. In addition, the
City Council heard the findings from the public opinion survey conducted in November 2017. After
discussions regarding the critical needs and funding options, the City Council directed the City Manager
to return with a proposal for Council consideration to place a half-cent sales tax measure before the voters
to fund public safety critical needs.
After reviewing the critical needs for each department, as well as the costing information to address the
needs, staff has identified two phases to address the staffing shortage in public safety. Phase I outlines
the most critical needs identified by the Police and Fire Departments for the next 10 years. Although
addressing these needs does not fully address critical staffing needs entirely, it does allow the
departments to significantly improve the service level provided to residents and businesses throughout
the City. Phase I public safety critical needs could be funded by the Measure A half-cent sales tax measure
which would generate approximately $18 million per year. Sales taxes, also referred to as transaction and
use taxes, are an option for cities to consider when looking for significant additional funding. Sales taxes
must be approved by registered voters to take effect. If the funds are intended to be used for a specific
Measure A Public Safety Expenditure Plan 2021
23
purpose a 2/3 voter approval is required. For general use sales taxes, a 50 percent plus one vote is required
for approval. The combined local sales taxes are capped at two percent, with some exceptions allowed by
state law. This means that cities are only able to add a 1 percent additional sales taxes when proposing a
new measure. This is typically proposed in one-quarter cent, half-cent or one cent increments.
The measure provides that any proposed expenditures of new sales tax revenues in the initial year will be
presented in a form consistent with this Plan to the Citizen Oversight Committee prior to City Council
consideration. For each subsequent year, the spending plan, after review by a Citizen Oversight
Committee, will be included in the City Manager’s proposed budget for Council consideration as part of
the annual budget process.
The measure requires that expenditure of new sales tax revenues be tracked in a variety of ways. First, all
new revenues will be accounted for in the General Fund as a separate line item. Any and all expenditures
of Measure “A” will be tracked and accounted for by the City’s Finance Department staff in accordance
with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). Second, an independent audit of Measure “A” will
be included as part of the City’s annual audit. Finally, a Citizen’s Oversight Committee was formed to
review and report compliance with the sales tax ordinance and spending guidelines contained in the
Intended Public Safety Expenditure Plan.
Note: This Plan is intended to guide City expenditures consistent with its terms. It does not, however,
constitute a binding legal commitment on the City Council to approve any of the expenditures proposed
herein. Provided that all proposed expenditures continue to be for public safety critical needs including
support staff and equipment needs as outlined in the spending plan, this Plan may also be updated or
amended from time to time by City staff, or by action of the City Council, in order to address changed
priorities, standards and/or funding availability. There shall be no third party beneficiaries to the terms of
this Plan. This Plan does not modify the terms of the sales tax measure. To the extent of any conflict
between the terms of this Plan and the sales tax measure, the terms of the sales tax measure shall govern.
Citywide Support Staff
Public Safety is a top priority in the City of Chula Vista. As of July 2021, the City allocates approximately
72% of discretionary revenues to the Police and Fire Departments combined. This includes approximately
$22.9 million in revenue from Measure A, but doesn’t include the citywide support staff in Finance, Human
Resources, Information Technology, Administration, City Attorney and Public Works that spend a
significant amount of time supporting public safety services. The spending plan does take into account an
annual estimated reimbursement to the support departments for Measure A related activities. Some of
the services provided by the support departments to public safety include payroll processing, deferred
compensation, financial analysis, procurement, budgetary support, recruitment, employee benefits,
workers compensation, employee performance, labor negotiations, public safety IT systems support, legal
services, contractual oversight, risk management and facilities and equipment maintenance.
Measure A Public Safety Expenditure Plan 2021
24
The annual allocations to these departments may vary based on the time spent supporting public safety
and is based on support staff expenses not to exceed 3.75% of Measure A revenues. The initial years may
require additional funding due to recruitment costs and other support services. The following are the
budget allocations for FY 2021 and FY 2022 estimate:
Phase II Critical Needs Funding
Phase II public safety critical needs could move forward as the City’s economic base improves and major
transformational projects begin moving forward such as the Bayfront and University development
projects. Other funding options may also be considered in the future as part of the annual budget process.
Phase II Funding Options
Local governments receive revenues from a variety of sources. The detailed listing of all the City’s funding
sources is included in both the Annual Adopted Budget and the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report.
Following is a summary of other revenue sources which could be considered in the future to address Phase
II if the City’s economic base does not grow sufficiently to fund additional critical needs.
FY 2021 Adopted FY 2022 Proposed
Measure A City Support Allocation
Fire Department Allocation 377,096 427,069
Administration Dept (22,847) (35,000)
Finance Dept (162,442) (261,412)
Human Resources Dept (0.5 Sr HR Analyst)(84,443) (60,657)
Information Technology Dept (107,364) (70,000)
Fire Department Total - -
Police Department Allocation 377,096 427,069
City Attorney Dept (1.0 Dep City Atty III)(269,072) (218,034)
Human Resources Dept (0.5 Sr HR Analyst)(84,443) (60,657)
Information Technology Dept (3,321) (50,000)
Finance Dept (20,260) (98,378)
Police Department Total - -
Total Support Allocation* 754,192 854,138
- Overhead rate equals approximately 2.3% of total budgeted revenues (excludes direct funding
for 1.0 City Attorney position and 1.0 Human Resources Department position).
MEASURE A SUPPORT ALLOCATION ESTIMATES
Measure A Public Safety Expenditure Plan 2021
25
Parcel Taxes – Parcel taxes are another method for cities to raise new revenues. Like sales taxes, parcel
taxes require registered voter approval. The key difference is that all parcel tax measures require 2/3 voter
approval to pass. There is no specific cap on the level of parcel taxes that can be proposed for voter
consideration. For example, with an additional $100 parcel tax, the City would generate approximately
$10 million in new revenue annually.
Special District Taxes – Special Districts come in a variety of forms. Some are used to build new
infrastructure, while others are maintenance related to help preserve assets that were previously built.
As it relates to public safety, the most common special district is a public safety community facilities
district (CFD). Depending on the number of parcels and registered voters within the proposed taxing area,
the approval of the tax may come from the property owner or registered voters. A 2/3 vote is typically
required for approval of a new CFD. The most common application of a public safety CFD is to identify
new development areas within a City and propose a new special tax in that area to maintain or enhance
service levels for future residents. Special tax rates may vary depending on the type of residential and
commercial development within the CFD boundaries. The main restriction of special district safety taxes
is that the funds are earmarked and must be spent in the area in which the voters approved the measure
(district boundaries).
Fees – Fees are discussed in greater detail within the City’s Long Term Financial Plan. In general, fees can
be established or increased with the vote of City Council. It is a best practice to set fees at full cost
recovery, or the total cost of providing the services to the individual or company, when the services are
provided to an individual and are not a general benefit to the community. For public safety purposes, fees
may come in the form of administrative fees, permits or other activities provided to individuals. An
example may be a fire response fee when responding to negligent behavior when a fire is started because
of conditions not within code or a police false alarm fee to recover cost of non-incident alarms.
Transient Occupancy Taxes – Transient Occupancy Taxes, also referred to as TOT, are taxes paid by
hotel/motel guests when the duration of the stay is less than 30 consecutive days. A majority vote of the
electorate is required to approve an increase in the TOT rate within a City. Currently, the City’s TOT rate
is 10 percent. Each 2 percent increase in TOT would bring in an estimated $800,000 annually based on the
existing hotels in the City.
Also, recent projections by the City’s actuary does assume that the escalating pension costs will level off
in approximately 10 years which may provide for additional opportunities to fund Phase II critical needs
as part of the regular budget process. These assumptions are very preliminary as CalPERS continues to
recommend changes which may prolong the pension cost impacts to all participating agencies.
Measure A Public Safety Expenditure Plan 2021
26
Conclusion
The longer-term projections for the City’s General Fund continue to pose serious challenges because
revenues are not expected to be sufficient to cover current costs or new costs that are on the horizon.
Because the City has limited abilities to impact near-term revenue, staff will continue to identify cost
saving measures and address economic development opportunities throughout the City. It is unlikely that
the City will be able to address public safety’s critical staffing needs discussed in this report without a new
revenue source. This report identified the Phase I public safety critical needs that could be funded through
a half-cent sales tax measure. Phase II could be addressed as the City continues to grow and new economic
development projects become a reality. The additional critical needs could be considered as part of the
annual budget process as the City works through its fiscal challenges.
Intended Public Safety Spending PlanUpdated April 8, 2021Est. One-half cent Sales Tax RevenuesPhase I - Critical NeedsFiscal YearFiscal YearFiscal YearFiscal YearFiscal YearFiscal YearFiscal YearFiscal YearFiscal YearFiscal YearTotal2022202320242025202620272028202920302031EstimatePolice Department Spending Plan Est. Beginning Police Department Funds Available14,516,191$ 14,647,602$ 15,105,703$ 15,312,295$ 15,200,794$ 15,006,003$ 15,200,100$ 15,138,921$ 14,802,431$ 14,168,982$ Estimated 1/2 cent Sales Tax Revenues11,388,509$ 11,832,839$ 11,951,168$ 12,070,680$ 12,191,387$ 12,313,301$ 12,436,434$ 12,560,798$ 12,686,406$ 12,813,270$ 122,244,792$ COPS Grant Funding250,000$ 250,000$ 125,000$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ 625,000$ Estimated Funds Available - Police Department 26,154,700$ 26,730,441$ 27,181,871$ 27,382,975$ 27,392,181$ 27,319,304$ 27,636,534$ 27,699,719$ 27,488,837$ 26,982,252$ 122,869,792$ Proposed ExpendituresPeace Officers 4,268,259$ 4,373,752$ 4,495,657$ 4,621,589$ 4,754,618$ 4,895,221$ 5,055,963$ 5,226,240$ 5,406,860$ 5,598,707$ 48,696,866$ Police Agents1,471,490 1,507,092 1,548,553 1,591,263 1,636,353 1,684,025 1,738,786 1,796,785 1,858,268 1,923,558 16,756,173 Police Sergeants1,453,228 1,486,989 1,526,464 1,566,939 1,609,573 1,654,523 1,706,301 1,760,971 1,818,817 1,880,056 16,463,861 Police Lieutenant224,439 239,196 255,652 262,122 268,909 276,045 284,287 292,965 302,113 311,770 2,717,498 Sworn - non-personnel costs137,360 19,890 - - - - - - - - 157,250 Civilian Background Investigator92,417 95,338 98,431 101,649 105,147 108,875 113,075 117,560 122,353 127,483 1,082,328 Community Services Officer157,851 163,206 168,899 174,858 181,342 188,279 196,075 204,426 213,382 222,998 1,871,316 Digital Forensics Technician II203,416 209,582 216,096 222,849 230,183 237,984 246,791 256,173 266,182 276,874 2,366,130 Information Technology Technician94,546 97,503 100,634 103,889 107,427 111,197 115,445 119,977 124,820 130,000 1,105,438 Police Comm Systems Manager153,317 157,447 161,778 166,215 171,021 176,097 181,857 187,951 194,408 201,258 1,751,349 Police Dispatcher767,361 789,863 813,601 838,195 864,845 893,152 925,011 958,904 995,012 1,033,531 8,879,475 Public Information Specialist107,481 110,650 113,996 117,457 121,216 125,209 129,719 134,519 139,633 145,093 1,244,973 Sr Police Technology Specialist150,134 154,204 158,474 162,851 167,594 172,605 178,290 184,309 190,688 197,458 1,716,607 Civilian Non-Personnel Costs- - - - - - - - - - - 2% personnel cost savings(182,879) (187,696) (193,165) (198,598) (204,365) (210,464) (217,432) (224,816) (232,651) (240,976) (2,093,042) Computers and other equipment100,000 100,000 100,000 100,000 - - - - - - 400,000 Police Vehicles, Outfitting, Maint., Fuel, etc.165,000 50,000 50,000 50,000 50,000 50,000 50,000 50,000 50,000 50,000 615,000 Drone Pilot In Command contractual costs558,450 569,619 581,011 592,631 604,484 - - - - - 2,906,195 Transfer Out: Pension Obligations1,158,159 1,244,371 1,225,327 1,255,621 1,260,654 1,294,707 1,327,079 1,360,294 1,394,230 1,409,920 12,930,362 Reimbursement for Support Staff (IT, Fin, HR, City Attorney)427,069 443,731 448,169 452,651 457,177 461,749 466,366 471,030 475,740 480,498 4,584,180 Total Police Department Proposed Expenditures11,507,098$ 11,624,737$ 11,869,577$ 12,182,181$ 12,386,178$ 12,119,204$ 12,497,613$ 12,897,288$ 13,319,855$ 13,748,228$ 124,151,959$ Est. Ending Police Department Available Funds 14,647,602$ 15,105,703$ 15,312,295$ 15,200,794$ 15,006,003$ 15,200,100$ 15,138,921$ 14,802,431$ 14,168,982$ 13,234,024$ Assumptions:FY 2022 Sales Tax Revenue projection from HdL; 1% escalator per year starting in Fiscal year 2023.Salary projections assume 2% annual increase.Flex benefit projections assume 10% annual increase.PERS projections based on most recent CalPERS Valuation Report.Workers Comp projections assume 5% annual increase for sworn positions and 3% annual increase for civilian positions.Personnel cost projections assume 2% vacancy savings due to attrition.Reimbursement for Support Staff is based on 3.75% of Measure A Sales Tax revenues..Phase I - Critical Needs FundingAmounts budgeted in the Intended Public Safety Spending Plan may differ from the City's Annual Budget due to personnel costing estimates in the Annual Budget is based on individual employees projected salaries and benefits, and the Intended Public Safety Spending Plan are estimates that are based on positions.
Intended Public Safety Spending PlanUpdated April 8, 2021Est. One-half cent Sales Tax RevenuesPhase I - Critical NeedsFiscal YearFiscal YearFiscal YearFiscal YearFiscal YearFiscal YearFiscal YearFiscal YearFiscal YearFiscal YearTotal2022202320242025202620272028202920302031EstimateFire Department Spending Plan Est. Beginning Fire Department Funds Available 11,163,179$ 14,279,182$ 15,555,789$ 16,743,347$ 17,135,652$ 17,381,340$ 17,441,767$ 17,290,121$ 16,910,580$ 16,374,083$ Estimated 1/2 cent Sales Tax Revenues 11,388,509$ 11,502,394$ 11,617,418$ 11,733,592$ 11,850,928$ 11,969,437$ 12,089,131$ 12,210,023$ 12,332,123$ 12,455,444$ 126,817,961$ FEMA SAFER Grant Reimbursement306,857$ 143,200$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ -$ 756,915$ Estimated Funds Available for Fire Department Spending Plan22,858,545$ 25,924,775$ 27,173,207$ 28,476,939$ 28,986,579$ 29,350,777$ 29,530,898$ 29,500,144$ 29,242,703$ 28,829,527$ 127,574,876$ Proposed ExpendituresDeputy Chief*243,439$ 247,646$ 252,694$ 257,679$ 262,789$ 268,027$ 274,203$ 280,548$ 287,067$ 293,767$ 3,224,176$ Fire Captain1,012,517 1,034,303 1,351,391 1,680,358 1,717,154 1,755,201 1,795,812 1,837,884 1,880,064 1,923,869 16,797,485 Firefighter**5,118,093 5,257,305 6,016,413 6,198,478 6,391,306 6,595,827 6,825,438 7,069,361 7,292,792 7,532,417 68,686,114 Firefighter/Paramedic564,827 575,657 880,054 1,195,940 1,218,925 1,242,370 1,266,283 1,290,675 1,315,554 1,340,932 11,356,949 Academy Costs119,608 530,532 - - - - - - - - 650,140 PPE Maintenance131,868 124,080 159,152 167,580 163,328 166,144 168,960 171,776 174,592 177,408 1,738,792 Computers and other equipment/furniture 31,757 32,346 33,438 34,240 34,841 35,441 36,042 36,643 37,243 37,844 380,718 Fire Vehicles, Outfitting, Maint., Fuel, etc.309,742 1,469,151 535,236 537,396 539,556 541,716 543,876 546,036 497,666 499,826 6,315,547 Transfer Out: Pension Obligations620,443 666,627 765,829 829,607 832,932 855,431 876,820 898,766 921,187 931,555 8,199,197 Reimbursement for Support Staff (IT, Fin, HR, City Attorney) 427,069 431,340 435,653 440,010 444,410 448,854 453,342 457,876 462,455 467,079 4,843,462 Total Fire Department Proposed Expenditures8,579,363$ 10,368,986$ 10,429,859$ 11,341,287$ 11,605,239$ 11,909,010$ 12,240,777$ 12,589,564$ 12,868,620$ 13,204,697$ 122,192,581$ Ending Fire Department Available Funds14,279,182$ 15,555,789$ 16,743,347$ 17,135,652$ 17,381,340$ 17,441,767$ 17,290,121$ 16,910,580$ 16,374,083$ 15,624,829$ Combined Police and Fire Fiscal YearFiscal YearFiscal YearFiscal YearFiscal YearFiscal YearFiscal YearFiscal YearFiscal YearFiscal YearTotal2022202320242025202620272028202920302031Estimate Est. Beginning Available Funds25,679,371$ 28,926,784$ 30,661,493$ 32,055,642$ 32,336,446$ 32,387,344$ 32,641,868$ 32,429,043$ 31,713,012$ 30,543,065$ 21,288,073$ Total Combined Revenues23,333,875$ 23,728,433$ 23,693,586$ 23,804,272$ 24,042,315$ 24,282,738$ 24,525,565$ 24,770,821$ 25,018,529$ 25,268,714$ 262,838,298 Total Combined Expenditures20,086,462$ 21,993,724$ 22,299,436$ 23,523,468$ 23,991,417$ 24,028,214$ 24,738,390$ 25,486,852$ 26,188,475$ 26,952,925$ 255,267,517 Ending Available Funds28,926,784$ 30,661,493$ 32,055,642$ 32,336,446$ 32,387,344$ 32,641,868$ 32,429,043$ 31,713,012$ 30,543,065$ 28,858,854$ 28,858,854$ * 1.0 Deputy Chief Position added in Fiscal Year 2019 will be funded by another funding source in FY 2022, and will result in a decrease of 1.0 FTE.Notes: FTE - Full Time Equivalent Position Actual expenditures per year will vary based on actual activity and revenues.Reimbursement for Support Staff is based on 3.75% of Measure A Sales Tax revenues..Fire Vehicles includes portion of Bayfront Fire Station not paid by new development.Sales Tax Revenue projections include a 1% escalator per year starting in Fiscal year 2022.Amounts budgeted in the Intended Public Safety Spending Plan may differ from the City's Annual Budget due to personnel costing estimates in the Annual Budget is based on individual employees projected salaries and benefits, and the Intended Public Safety Spending Plan are estimates that are based on positions. Total Phase I - Critical Needs FundingPhase I - Critical Needs Funding** 3.0 Firefighters in the Measure P Spending Plan added in FY2020 as a result of receiving the FEMA SAFER Grant for Millenia Fire Station, and adding 9.0 Firefighters to expand 4.0 staffing at three Fire Stations.