Police riot gear purchase. SWAT cameras. Public hearings. Medical building update. Retirement benefits. Salaries. Those are some of the topics on the agenda for the Citrus Heights City Council’s Jan. 24, 2019 meeting.
Here’s a brief summary of what’s included in the 57-page agenda packet:
SPECIAL MEETING (5 p.m.)
- Study Session. The City Council will hold a special meeting at 5 p.m. to host a mandated ethics training for council members, as required by AB 1234 for state and local officials. The meeting is open to the public.
REGULAR MEETING (7 p.m.)
- Amended Salary Table. The City Council will consider adoption of an amended salary table to reflect salary changes for the current fiscal year, as required by the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) to be made available for public review. The salary table lists the city manager’s minimum annual salary at $267,903, not including benefits and other compensation. The four-page amended salary table listing pay ranges for city employees can be viewed here.
- Public Hearing: SWAT Cameras. The City Council will hold a public hearing and consider approving a recommendation from the police chief to purchase cameras for use by the department’s SWAT unit. Partial funding in the amount of $27,961 will come from a 2017 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant. The full cost of the cameras is estimated at $48,000. According to a staff report, the closed circuit camera systems will “allow tactical officers to gain necessary time sensitive and up-to-date intelligence on potential actions of the suspect and victim, allowing better tactical decision making by SWAT Command staff.” The report also says the cameras will “make it possible to gain the necessary information and intelligence on the layout of the structure, potential barricades, and the location of the suspect and victims.”
- Public Hearing: Police Riot Gear. Council members will also hold another public hearing and consider approving a recommendation from the police chief to purchase riot gear suits. Partial funding in the amount of $29,157 will come from a 2018 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant, with the full cost of the riot suits estimated to be $40,000. According to a staff report, “the Police Department applied for funding for this grant based on the need to purchase suits that are up to industry standards and will allow the department’s officers to more effectively work with our partner agencies in the event of mutual aid responses to crowd control events.”
- Retirement benefits. City Council members will consider approving an amendment to a CalPERS contract establishing cost-sharing for certain classes of city employees. The amendment will increase the employee contribution towards retirement to 12 percent, up from the current 9 percent required by law. Cost-sharing arrangements reduce the city’s obligations and are being adopted by many cities as a way to grapple with escalating retirement costs for public employees. Affected city employees previously approved the cost-sharing arrangement, which was coupled with a 3-4 percent pay raise approved by the City Council last month.
The City Council’s regular meeting will also begin with a trio of presentations, including annual recognition of Republic Services’ recycling poster contest winners, recognition of a Community Center volunteer, and a presentation by Dignity Health regarding the Mercy San Juan Medical Center and an update on the medical office building project.
The City Council will convene at 5 p.m. at 6360 Fountain Square Drive on Jan. 24, 2019, for its study session and will resume with its regular meeting at 7 p.m. The full agenda packet can be viewed by clicking here.
