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SR-09-29-2015-3B City Council Report City Council Special Meeting: September 29, 2015 Agenda Item: 3.B 1 of 3 To: Mayor and City Council From: Jacqueline Seabrooks, Police Chief, Police Department Subject: Accept Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Recommended Action Staff recommends that the City Council: 1. Authorize the City Manager to accept a grant awarded in the amount of $26,806 from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant for a portable generator. 2. Authorize budget changes as outlined in the Financial Impacts & Budget Actions section of this report. Executive Summary The City of Santa Monica Police Department has been awarded a grant of $26,806 under the 2015 Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program, which is administered by the U.S. Department of Justice. Funds must be utilized by the end of the grant period, September 30, 2018. No local match is required. The Police Department's approved project allows funds to be used on costs associated with the purchase of a portable generator. This equipment will support the deployment of the Department's Mobile Command Center. Background The JAG program is a formula grant that provides funding to support a range of program areas including law enforcement. Formula allocations are awarded by the DOJ to states and then local jurisdictions based on Part I violent crime statistics. The 2015 JAG program provides the City of Santa Monica Police Department with a direct allocation determined by population and Part I violent crime statistics. Santa Monica has been the recipient of JAG grant funds annually for the past ten years. Past projects have included funding for interoperable communications equipment; funding for overtime for crime control operations; funding for certified crime lab services; and funding for DNA forensic testing. Discussion 2 of 3 In 2015, the grant funds would help fund a portable generator for the Police Department's Mobile Command Center. The generator would support the operation of the Mobile Command Center while the vehicle is deployed at various major incidents/occurrences and large-scale events. The portable generator would provide the Mobile Command Center with the power necessary to support the operation of the vehicle as well as the array of technology-driven equipment installed on and inside the vehicle. In the event that public utilities are disrupted for any reason, the generator would enhance resource resiliency by facilitating continued operation of the Mobile Command Center. The generator would be a critical support tool in the Police Department's response plans. To meet the grant conditions, the applicant must provide a 30-day period for public comment on the proposed use of the funds. The City of Santa Monica met this condition by issuing a public service announcement from June 4, 2015 - July 3, 2015. The announcement was posted on the Police Department’s website. No responses were received in opposition to the use of the JAG Program funds. Financial Impacts and Budget Actions Award of a $26,806 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice for a portable generator requires the following FY 2015-16 budget changes: 1. Establish a revenue budget at account 20304.403637 in the amount of $26,806. 2. Appropriate the following expenditures to reflect receipt of the U.S. Department of Justice Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance grant: $26,806 at account 20304.578843. Prepared By: Nicole Bustamante, Senior Administrative Analyst Approved Forwarded to Council 3 of 3 Attachments: