REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 12/06/2023
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Police Department
SUBJECT:
Title
AGREEMENT WITH CORONA-NORCO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR CONTINUED COST SHARING OF THE SCHOOL CROSSING GUARD PROGRAM
End
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to consider continuing the cost sharing the Crossing Guard Program with the Corona-Norco Unified School District. This collaborative initiative aims to ensure the safety of students navigating intersections in Corona at designated locations. By authorizing the Mayor to sign the attached Agreement, the City commits to sharing 50% of the annual cost, estimated for Fiscal Year 2024 at $270,350, thereby fostering a secure environment for the community’s youth.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the City Council authorize the Mayor to sign the attached agreement with the Corona-Norco Unified School District for continued cost sharing of the School Crossing Guard Program, with an estimated Fiscal Year 2024 annual cost of $270,350.
Body
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
Since 2004, the City of Corona and the Corona-Norco Unified School District (CNUSD) have shared the cost of proving school crossing guards through the School Crossing Guard Program. In July 2013, contract management of the School Crossing Guard Program was transferred from the City to the Corona-Norco Unified School District, thereby terminating the original cost-sharing agreement with the district. When CNUSD took over management of the crossing guard contract, the City began reimbursing the school district for these services. The original 50% cost sharing amounts were maintained.
The City and the Corona-Norco Unified School District entered into the most recent agreement for Crossing Guard Services that was approved by the City Council on October 3, 2018, for the period of July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2023.
ANALYSIS:
With the expiration of the 2018-2023 Crossing Guard Services Agreement, the Police Department seeks to enter a new agreement with the Corona-Norco Unified School District to share the administration costs of the crossing guard services. If approved, the new Agreement would start in July 1, 2023 and automatically renew every year until it is terminated on June 30, 2028.
This new agreement allows for 30 crossing guard positions throughout the Corona-Norco Unified School District. The identification and allocation of crossing guard locations, as well as the determination of the number of crossing guards, follow a process that involves conducting studies of pedestrian and vehicle traffic involving students at intersections near schools. Upon completing the evaluation, the recommendation undergoes a thorough review by both CNUSD and Police Department staff. If there is mutual agreement, the addition of a crossing guard or the relocation of an existing crossing guard is implemented based on the findings of these assessments.
The Police Department successfully negotiated an annual rate adjustment of 2.5% per year of the contract, or the percentage change in the US Consumer Price Index - All Urban Consumers of Riverside/San Bernardino/Ontario. This provision was not in previous Agreements and provides a limit on the increase of the cost of the crossing guard agreement.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The Corona-Norco Unified School District estimates the annual contract costs for Fiscal Year 2024 for the 50% split shared agreement to be $540,700.
The City’s estimated Fiscal Year 2024 50% cost share to reimburse the Corona-Norco Unified School District is $270,350. Funding for the recommended action is included in the Fiscal Year 2024 Police Department’s operating budget. Future funding requests will be recommended through the annual budget process.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the common sense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. This action of a professional services agreement is minimal and there is no possibility this will have a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
PREPARED BY: JASON PEREZ, LIEUTENANT
REVIEWED BY: ROBERT NEWMAN, CHIEF OF POLICE
Attachments:
1. Exhibit 1 - Corona-Norco Unified School District 2023-2028 Agreement