REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: GEORGEANNE A. WHITE, City Manager
Office of Mayor & City Manager
BY: HENRY FIERRO, Budget Manager
Budget and Management Studies Division
SUBJECT
Title
***RESOLUTION - 52nd Amendment to the Annual Appropriations Resolution (AAR) No. 2021-178 appropriating $2,000,000 under the General Fund for the 911 Call Center from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) (Requires 5 Affirmative Votes) (Subject to Mayor’s Veto).
Body
RECOMMENDATION
The Administration recommends the Fresno City Council approve the 52nd Amendment to the Annual Appropriations Resolution No. 2021-178 to allocate $2,000,000 of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for eligible uses as defined in the ARPA Final Rules, published as of January 6, 2022.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) is a $1.9 trillion emergency relief measure authorized by Congress and signed into law by the President March 11, 2021, to address the adverse impacts of COVID-19 on public health and the national economy. The City of Fresno has been programmed to receive $170,808,029, which will be paid in two tranches: May 2021 and May 2022.
Based on the eligible uses defined in the ARPA Final Rules, the Administration recommends assigning $2,000,000 of the first ARPA funding tranche towards Phase I of the relocation and consolidation of the City’s 911 Call Center. The current location has no additional space to add additional dispatchers to the Call Center. Relocation of the Call Center will provide an increase in additional space which will accommodate additional staff capacity that will result in faster response times to emergency calls for service under all demand conditions.
The Administration recommends the Fresno City Council approve the 52nd Amendment to the Annual Appropriations Resolution No. 2021-178 to allocate $2,000,000 of ARPA funding for eligible uses, such as the City’s 911 Call Center, as defined in the ARPA Final Rules.
BACKGROUND
The Fresno Police Department is designated a Public Safety Access Point (PSAP) by the State of California for the City of Fresno, and all 911 calls in the City of Fresno are received at the Fresno
Police Department 911 Call Center by Fresno Police Department Call Takers. Depending on the nature of the call, the Call Taker then routes the call to the appropriate authority having jurisdiction to respond to the emergency call for service. For example, for medical events or fire events, Fresno Police Department Call Takers transfer the calls to the Fresno County Fire/EMS Call Center, who assumes responsibility for dispatching resources for the call for service.
The Fresno Police Department 911 Call Center has an authorized employee count of 105 staff and receives more than 1 million calls for service per year. The 911 Call Center’s goal is to answer 90 percent of all emergency calls within 15 seconds and based on current demands for 911 Call Center service, that performance standard is not being achieved. As stated above, this is due to the fact that the Police Department has experienced a 70-percent, 17-percent, and 22-percent increase in homicides, rapes, and auto thefts, respectively, and the Fire Department a 72-percent increase in fires from pre-pandemic conditions, which has increased the amount of calls coming into the 911 Call Center at a corresponding level.
To address the issue, it is necessary to add additional Call Takers and equipment to the 911 Call Center; however, it is not feasible to add additional staff and additional equipment within the existing 911 Call Center location in the basement of Police Headquarters due to space limitations. Accordingly, there is a need to relocate the 911 Call Center to a larger location, and to consolidate Police and Fire 911 Call Center service.
The recommended expenditure of $2,000,000 to relocate and consolidate the City’s 911 Call Center will increase the capacity of the City’s 911 Call Center to respond to 90 percent of emergency calls for service within 15 seconds under all demand conditions. The Administration is currently evaluating alternative locations for a consolidated 911 Call Center.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
By the definition in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15378, this AAR does not qualify as a “project” as defined by CEQA.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local Preference does not apply.
FISCAL IMPACT
As described above, the source of funds for the AAR is the City’s award of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. The General Fund will not be impacted.
Attachments:
52nd Amendment to the Annual Appropriations Resolution No. 2021-178