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Home My WebLink About20A - AA PD POSITIONS OTREQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: DECEMBER 17, 2019 TITLE: APPROVE APPROPRIATION ADJUSTMENTS TO FUND AUTHORIZED POLICE OFFICER POSITIONS APPROPRIATE FUNDING FOR OVERTIME AND UNFUNDED LIABILITY PAYMENTS PREVIOUSLY FUNDED IN THE PARKING FUND {STRATEGIC PLAN NO. 1,1i} CLERK OF COUNCIL USE ONLY: APPROVED ❑ As Recommended ❑ As Amended ❑ Ordinance on 1" Reading ❑ Ordinance on 2111 Reading ❑ Implementing Resolution ❑ Set Public Hearing For_ ,K•�rnl►tri�.ic•� /s/Kristine Ridge FILE NUMBER CITY MANAGER 1:7xd•]LTA ILTA IAkilr1A111 IIs] kiI Authorize the funding of eighteen (18) police officer positions previously unfunded within the General Fund for an approximate annualized cost of $2,700,000. This amount includes the partial year funding of $1,312,500 proposed in action item #2. 2. Approve an appropriation adjustment to utilize General Fund balances from prior fiscal year (2018-19) in the amount of $1,312,500 to provide partial year funding for eighteen (18) authorized unfunded police officer positions in the Police Department's Field Operations accounting unit (nos. 01114420 — various) for fiscal year 2019-20. Approve an appropriation adjustment to utilize General Fund balances from prior fiscal year (2018-19) to fund $977,620 for overtime and unfunded liability expenses previously funded through the Parking Downtown Enhancements fund (Fund 027) DISCUSSION The City's Strategic Plan Strategy 1i, strives to "enhance public safety efforts by improving our employee retention efforts, and actively seeking a diverse and talented pool of public safety candidates who possess the values and skills consistent with organizational goals". The City Council has expressed its top priority to enhance public safety by reducing response times, improving the City's response to homelessness, addressing violent crime, reducing vice related crimes, and improving traffic/pedestrian safety. This hiring objective was also identified as the highest of priorities in the Police Departments Five Year 2019 — 2024 Strategic Plan. In order to provide this enhanced level of public safety services that Santa Ana community members deserve, the Police Department has made the filling of all police officer vacancies a top priority. The Western States average for populations of 250,000 residents or greater is 1.8 sworn officers per 1,000 residents. The proposed appropriation adjustment would provide the funding to fill 18 authorized police officer positions to the Police Department's current number of 348 funded 20A-1 Appropriation Adjustment to Fund Authorized Police Officers December 17, 2019 Page 2 positions, for a total of 366 sworn officers (all ranks), in order to continue to fulfill the City Council and community's police officer hiring mission. With 366 sworn officers, Santa Ana would be at 1.1 sworn officers per 1,000 residents, and will be better equipped to successfully address these community and City Council priorities. Since July 2014, the Public Safety, Code Enforcement and Neighborhood Empowerment Council Committee has requested regular recurring updates on Police Officer Hiring to stay apprised of the City's progress towards filling all police officer vacancies. The Police Department has provided regular reports on its hiring efforts, and the number of sworn officers hired and separated by calendar year. In 2019, the Department has also included this information as a component in a monthly performance metric report to the Council. In response to the direction set by the City Council, the Police Department established a goal of hiring 50 police officers in calendar 2019 by December 31, 2019. Calendar year 2019 is projected to be the best year for police officer hiring in at least the past 20 years, based on available City and Police Department Human Resources Division data. Through the tremendous efforts of the Police Department's Human Resources Division and the City's Human Resources Agency, the Police Department has hired 40 police officers in 2019 and is projecting to hire its goal of up to 50 by the end of the calendar year. The number of sworn officers has increased from 302 sworn officers in July 2014 to 348 sworn officers by the end of November 2019. In support of Police Department hiring goals, the City Council has provided the resources necessary to enhance the Police Department Human Resources and Backgrounds units to effectively attract and efficiently process police officer applicants, including: One full-time Recruitment Corporal assigned to Backgrounds unit One additional professional Background Investigator position added to FY 18/19 budget Two additional sworn Investigators assigned to the Backgrounds Unit Two contracts with outside background investigation firms implemented Monthly physical agility testing Implementation of a-Soph backgrounds unit software Enhanced social media outreach promoting the Police Department and police officer recruitment events Implementation of Hiring Expos at the Santa Ana Police Department Improved efficiencies in the Police Department HR and Backgrounds Units to speed up applicant processing On-line testing For the past two years, there have been 36 unfunded police officer positions in the Police Department. This fiscal year, the Police Department has 348 funded and 36 unfunded sworn positions, for a total of 384 sworn officers. The Police Department ran out of funded police officer positions at the end of November 2019. The Police Department is requesting funding in the amount of $1,312,500 to fund 18 of the 36 unfunded positions through the end of the 2019-20 fiscal 20A-2 Appropriation Adjustment to Fund Authorized Police Officers December 17, 2019 Page 3 year. This amount is based on an annual salary and benefits amount of $150,000 per officer, and accounts for the fact that some of the 18 officers will be employed for only a few months of the fiscal year (partial year funding). The full 12-month cost for these 18 positions would be approximately $2,700,000. Approval of this appropriation adjustment will support the City's public safety goals and ensure police officer hiring continues at the current pace, to both fill authorized vacancies and meet future anticipated attrition rates. In addition, overtime and unfunded liability pension costs associated with police officers assigned to the Downtown area are currently funded through the Parking Downtown Enhancements fund. Although the City Council approved parking structure rate increases on November 5th, these increases will not be sufficient to cover increases in operating expenditures. As such, this fund is unable to continue supporting the costs associated with overtime and unfunded liability pension costs. This will require an additional $977,620 ($422,700 in OT and $554,920 in UAL) to be allocated to the Police Department's Field Operations accounting unit (nos. 01114420 — various) and the non -departmental unfunded liability (Police) accounting unit (01105020-61103). This action will enable the Parking fund to be balanced. The grand total amount needed in Field Operations for fiscal year 2019-20 is $2,290,120. Approval of both appropriation adjustments will support the City's public safety goals, ensure police officer hiring continues at the current pace and promote the financial sustainability of non -general funds. Furthermore, no further Police Overtime or Unfunded Liability (pension costs) will be paid from the Parking Fund (Fund 027-Downtown Enhancements). STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT Approval of this item allows the City to meet Goal #1 - Community Safety, Objective #1 (Modernize the Community Policing philosophy to improve customer service, crime prevention and traffic / pedestrian / bicycle safety), Strategy I (Enhance public safety efforts by improving our employee retention efforts and actively seeking a diverse and talented pool of public safety candidates who possess the values and skills consistent with organizational goals). FISCAL IMPACT On September 17th, staff reported potential unexpected FY 18-19 revenue of $5.0 million or more. At that time, the City Council approved a $4.0 million appropriation. The audited financial statements have been issued, and we have positive variances that will contribute to a General Fund balance in excess of estimates in June 2019. At this time, the Police Department requests additional funding that will come from available General Fund balance in excess of the City Council reserve policy requirement. Both appropriation adjustments will recognize funding from prior year General Fund balance (01102002-50001) and appropriate $2,290,120 to the Police Department's Field Operations accounting unit (nos. 01114420 — various) and the non -departmental unfunded liability (Police) accounting unit (01105020-61103) for the 2019-20 fiscal year. 20A-3 Appropriation Adjustment to Fund Authorized Police Officers December 17, 2019 Page 4 The annualized impact of these actions approximate $3.8 million ($2.7 million for the 18 police officers and $1.0 million for the overtime and unfunded liability payments in the Parking Downtown Enhancement). David Valentin Chief of Police Santa Ana Police Department APPROVED AS TO FUNDS AND ACCOUNTS: Kathryn Downs, CPA Executive Director Finance and Management Services Agency 20A-4