SR-301-001-02
Council Meeting: November 13, 2001 Santa Monica, CA
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: City Staff
SUBJECT: Grant Agreement And Related Documents with the State of California
Office of Traffic Safety for Receipt of Grant Funding for the Venice Family
Clinic Safe and Healthy Newborns Infant Car Seat Program
INTRODUCTION
This report recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution authorizing the City
Manager to execute a grant agreement and related documents with the State of Califor-
nia Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) and the Venice Family Clinic for receipt of $53,000 in
grant funding for the Venice Family Clinic Safe and Healthy Newborns Infant Car Seat
Program.
BACKGROUND
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that automobile
accidents are the number one killer of young people in the United States, claiming the
lives of approximately 600 children under the age of five every year. An additional
133,000 children are seriously injured each year, and the NHSTA estimates that about
53,000 injuries and 500 deaths among children from birth to age four could be pre-
vented annually with 100% correct usage of infant/child safety seats. The NHTSA also
reports that, when used correctly, infant/child safety seats are 71% effective in prevent-
ing motor vehicle fatalities, and 67% effective in preventing injuries that require hospi-
talization. While great strides have been made with legislation in all 50 states requiring
infants and children to ride properly restrained, the American Academy of Pediatrics re-
ports that newborns continue to be discharged from hospitals without infant car safety
seats, or in seats that are used incorrectly. A recent report published in the Archives of
Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine revealed that only 47% of low-income families re-
ceiving services at pediatric clinics were given injury prevention counseling in conjunc-
tion with well-child visits, indicating the need for increased education and training.
In March 2001, the Venice Family Clinic (VFC), a City-funded, non-profit health service
provider, submitted a request for funding to the State of California Office of Traffic and
Safety (OTS) to address the above issues through the VFC’s child passenger safety
program. The VFC proposed to provide child passenger safety classes and free car
seats to 320 parents at the Venice Health Center and Burke Health Center in Santa
Monica.
Discussion
The Venice Family Clinic has been awarded a two-year, $53,000 OTS grant (for the pe-
riod of December 1, 2001 – November 30, 2003) to provide a Safe and Healthy New-
borns Infant Car Program to 320 parents, 50% of whom will be Santa Monica residents.
The OTS requires fiscal receivership from a government agency in order for the VFC to
receive the funds. To comply with this State requirement, the VFC has requested that
the City of Santa Monica act as fiscal receiver of the OTS funds. OTS further requires a
City Council Resolution (Attachment I) authorizing the execution of a Grant Agreement
between the OTS and the City to administer and transfer grant funds to the Venice
Family Clinic and a Memorandum of Understanding between the City and the VFC to
operate the program.
VFC proposes to use the $53,000 OTS grant to fund one .15 FTE Public Health Educa-
tor, 670 infant car seats and minor program related costs as outlined in their grant pro-
posal to the OTS. The VFC will carry out all performance and reporting requirements
concerning the program and assume full responsibility for liability and insurance cover-
age required by the OTS.
BUDGET/FINANCIAL IMPACT
Budgets will be established at revenue account 20262.406330, and expenditure ac-
count 01262.565160 in the amount of $53,000 to account for State OTS grant funds. In
addition, a technical change for interfund transactions is necessary to increase
01695.570160 by ($53,000), and 20695.570160 by $53,000.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the attached resolution authorizing the
City Manager to execute a grant agreement with the State of California Office of Traffic
Safety for receipt of $53,000 in grant funding for the Venice Family Clinic Safe and
Healthy Newborn Infant Car Seat Program, authorize the City Manager to negotiate and
execute all the necessary contract documents with the Venice Family Clinic, and ap-
prove budget changes specified in the Budget/Financial Impact Section.
Prepared by: Barbara Stinchfield, Director
Julie Rusk, Manager
Betty Macias, Senior Administrative Analyst
Attachment I: Resolution