REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 07/07/2021
TO: Honorable Mayor and Council
FROM: City Manager’s Office
SUBJECT: Police attendance at Planning & Housing and Parks & Recreation Commission meetings.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This report seeks direction on whether, as a matter of policy, the City Council wishes to have police present at Planning & Housing and Parks & Recreation Commission meetings.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the City Council continue its practice of police attending regular City Council Meetings and Study Sessions, and that Police attendance at Commission meetings occur only when special circumstances warrant, as determined on a case-by-case basis.
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BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
The preferred level of building security in city hall’s across the country varies considerably and is driven mainly by local circumstances, resources, and need. The current practice of the City of Corona is to have one or more police officers present at regular City Council meetings and Study Sessions only.
As a result of an uncivil verbal exchange in the City Hall parking lot following a Parks and Commission Meeting between a Commission member and resident in early June, Council Member Daddario has requested a police presence at Planning & Housing and Parks & Recreation Commission meetings going forward. The Planning and Housing Commission meets twice a month, while the Parks and Recreation Commission meets once per month at 6 p.m. at Corona City Hall.
Two options are presented for Council consideration:
1. Option 1: No regular police presence at Planning & Housing and Parks & Recreation Commission meetings except under special circumstances. This reflects the current practice of the City. Commission meetings are attended by police officers only on an as-needed basis when a heavily attended meeting is expected due to a controversial issue. The cost is approximately $266 per meeting and is covered by an officer working overtime. No record is kept on the number of times this has occurred, but it is very infrequent.
2. Option 2: Staff all Planning & Housing and Parks & Recreation Commission meetings with police. The second option would be to have police presence at all commission meetings. The annual cost would be approximately $9,590 annually.
ANALYSIS:
Staff have discussed this issue with the Chairs of the Planning & Housing and Parks & Recreation Commission. Both Chairs have expressed that they do not wish to have police attend these meetings. Staff have discussed the need with the Police Department and other staff to determine if they have safety concerns based on historical observations and experience at these meetings. They have not identified any safety concerns. In addition, staff have examined whether a police presence would solve the problem that gave rise to this request. It would not. The police officers do not prevent members of the public or other individuals from making rude, insensitive, or insulting comments to others attending commission meetings. Meeting decorum is almost wholly managed by the Chair of the Commission, not police officers.
Due to the limited utility in police attending these meetings, the lack of interest by the commission chairs, cost, and competing demands for police elsewhere, at this time, it is not recommended that police officers attend Commission meetings unless unique circumstances are present as determined on a case-by-case basis.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Option 1 would include a per meeting rate of approximately $266. Option 2 would include a total annual amount of approximately $9,590. These costs are not incorporated into the operational budget; therefore, there will be a need to request additional funding from Council to offset the overtime costs should option 2 be selected.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
No environmental review is required because the proposed action is not a project governed by the California Environmental Quality Act.
SUBMITTED BY: JACOB ELLIS, CITY MANAGER