REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 07/07/2021
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Police Department
SUBJECT:
Title
Fourth Amendment to the Aviation Program Agreement between the City of Riverside and the City of Corona, which was formerly known as the Helicopter Program.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
City Council consideration to approve the Fourth Amended Aviation Program Agreement between the City of Riverside and the City of Corona. The use of aviation in law enforcement tactics has been present for several decades and has allowed for a unique approach to assist law enforcement ground units with different types of incidents; for example, combatting crime, conducting area checks, searching for lost people (children and adults) and providing a wider view of an ongoing event for officer safety. The use of helicopters in law enforcement enables law enforcement to be on scene and overhead an incident quicker than ground units. The ability to incorporate aviation into law enforcement assists with police operations, law enforcement patrols, police and community safety.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the City Council:
a. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to execute the Fourth Amended Aviation Program Agreement between the City of Riverside and the City of Corona, formerly known as the Helicopter Program.
b. Authorize the Chief of Police, pursuant to his delegated authority to maintain and manage the Aviation Program Agreement entered into as of July 7, 2021, and as noted in section 8.3 of this agreement.
c. Authorize the City of Corona to issue claim form payment of funds in the amount of $120,000 to the City of Riverside.
d. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to approve change orders up to 10% of the original Aviation Program Agreement amount as provided by Corona Municipal Code Section 3.08.080(I).
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BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
Studies have shown a positive correlation between the helicopter use in police operations, including patrols and officer safety, and the community’s safety. The City of Corona originally purchased a helicopter in 2002, but due to budget reductions, sold the helicopter in 2009. The City of Corona Police Department had no contracted air support until July 2014, when a Helicopter Program Agreement was entered into with the City of Riverside.
That agreement provided 559 hours of air support to the City of Corona, utilizing Riverside Police Department aircraft at a total amount of $399,292. As part of the initial agreement, the City of Corona also funded and supplied one Police Officer to serve as a Tactical Flight Officer with the air unit. Both parties amended and maintained this agreement until it was revised in July 2018. In the revised July 2018 amendment, the word “Aviation” replaced the word “Helicopter”; and the hours were reduced to only provide an as-needed emergency response for a total of $100,000 annually. The City of Corona still provided the Tactical Flight Officer. This agreement remained in effect until April 2020. At that time, the City of Corona Police Department amicably terminated the agreement with the City of Riverside due to staffing shortages, and the assigned Tactical Flight Officer returned to the Patrol roster.
In June 2020, the Corona Police Department did not renew or extend our contract for flight hours with the Riverside Police Department. This decision was based on mutual personnel shortages and restrictions of flight hours that the Riverside Police Department was facing, and other mutual budget priorities.
ANALYSIS:
For the past year, the Corona Police Department has requested air support assistance from the Riverside Police Department, and surrounding agencies, on a mutual aid basis. The Corona Police Department sees benefit in renewing our contractual flight time with the Riverside Police Department to assist with maintaining prompt response times and ensuring the safety of our community and officers as outlined in Goal 4 of the City of Corona’s Strategic Plan.
The Fourth Amended Aviation Program Agreement would allow for average flight hours of 10 hours a month at the cost of $1,000 per hour for as-needed emergency response, for a total of $120,000 for 120 annual hours. The agreement provides for actual billable hours, and the ultimate payment is dependent upon use. A contingency plan allows for an additional 10 percent (12 additional hours) of helicopter service if needed up to $12,000. To maintain fiscal accountability, approval for the request of the helicopter will be at a Sergeant or Watch Commander level to ensure the critical need of the request. Finally, this agreement does not require staffing of a City of Corona Tactical Flight Officer, allowing that Police Officer to remain in Patrol.
The City Attorney has reviewed and approved as to form the proposed Fourth Amendment to the Aviation Agreement.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
This one-year Aviation Program Agreement compensation is valued at $120,000. This amount will be paid in two equal installments annually. The first payment is due by July 15, 2021, and the second payment is due by January 15, 2022.
Funding for the payments will come from the Police Department’s Asset Forfeiture Fund and are budgeted in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Police Department budget. Any costs above $120,000, up to 10% of the agreement which is $12,000, during the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 will be paid out of the Police Department’s Operating Budget. No additional appropriation is needed.
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 the Aviation Program flying for 10 hours a month is minimal and there is no possibility this will have a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
PREPARED BY: MICHELLE ADAMS, MANAGEMENT ANALYST II
REVIEWED BY: ROBERT NEWMAN, CHIEF OF POLICE
Attachments:
1. Exhibit 1 - Fourth Amended Aviation Program Agreement between the City of Riverside and the City of Corona