AR 022106 Police Services Clerk and PT Cadets

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ATT A(0 M F-N CITY OF COLTON AGENDA REPORT FOR THE COUNCIL MEETING OF NOVEMBER 15, 2005 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members FROM: Ken Rulon, Chief of Police SUBJECT: Conceptual Approval of Proposed Police Department Impound Lot, Police Substation, and Budget Amendment. DATE: November 8, 2005 BACKGROUND: In January 1995, California Vehicle Code section 14602.6 was amended to allow police departments to implement programs to recover costs associated with towing vehicles of drivers who are unlicensed or driving under a suspended or revoked license, as well as towing vehicles involved in traffic collisions. Under this authority, in March 2000 the City Council adopted Resolution No. R-20-00, which implemented the Vehicle Impound Traffic Enforcement Program ("VITEP") and adopted administrative and processing fees for the City's vehicle impound services. Vehicle Code section 14602.6 also allows cities to act as the impounding agency and recover the costs associated with towing and storage of impounded vehicles, in addition to administrative costs. The City has been developing a program for an impound lot for storage of towed vehicles. On November 1, 2005, the Council approved a Capital Improvement Plan ("CIP") amendment to include the proposed impound lot. Resolution R-20-00 allows for administrative fees to be paid to the Police Department to promote VITEP and to allow certain expenditures for the program, according to Section 9 of the resolution, which "shall include but not be limited to purchase of equipment, contractual services, material and supplies, any technology... and personnel costs specifically provided to the Vehicle Impoundment Traffic Enforcement Program." ANALYSIS / DISCUSSION: Currently the City's franchise tow companies are towing vehicles within the City and storing those vehicles at their facilities for a daily storage fee recovered by each storage facility. As mentioned above, the Vehicle Code allows for a city to act as its own impounding agency and to recover the costs of all towing, storage and administrative charges accumulated for each vehicle impounded. This cost recovery includes vehicles sold through the lien sale process. The recovered funds, from state and federal asset seizure accounts as well as the VITEP account, are currently being used for VITEP and will enable the Police Department to implement and maintain the proposed impound lot. No General Fund monies will be used to develop or maintain the impound lot program. In compliance with the authority provided in Section 9 of Resolution R-20-00, quoted above, potential uses of the recovered funds could include (to the extent authorized by applicable law, including Article XI, Section 7 of the California Constitution, Government Code section 66016 and Vehicle Code sections 14602.6 and 22850.5): 1