To: Honorable Mayor and Members of Town Council
From: David L. Corliss, Town Manager
cc: Bob Goebel, Director of Public Works
Police Chief Jack Cauley
Fire Chief Art Morales
Title
Discussion/Direction: TABOR 2015 Revenue Proposed Expenditures
Body
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Executive Summary
At the election of November 8, 2016, voters of Castle Rock considered the following submitted question:
“Shall the Town of Castle Rock be permitted to retain and expend up to $714,580 of excess 2015 revenue for police, fire, emergency medical services, and transportation purposes as a voter approved revenue change under Article X, Section 20 of the Colorado Constitution (TABOR)?”
The voters approved the measure:
Yes/For 22, 210 (69.63%)
No/Against 9,687 (30.37%)
In developing recommendations for the Town Council to consider, staff notes these funds are “one-time” money and are not recurring revenues. Therefore, it would be appropriate to avoid expenses which generate continuing expenses (e.g. staff does not recommend hiring additional staff or high-maintenance equipment because that would obligate additional expenditures in future years). Another consideration was that these expenditures should be generally of benefit to the entire community, and not entirely focused on one particular location or area. Public Works Director Bob Goebel, Police Chief Jack Cauley, and Fire Chief Art Morales, have met and discussed the following recommendations:
Police Department Recommendations Total $166,090 Pursuant to the Following:
Active Shooter Body Armor/Shields $95,360
(Carriers, plates, panel sets, mag holders, helmets, shipping, rifle shields)
Firearms are one of the leading causes of death for law enforcement officers feloniously killed in the line of duty. This year has been no exception; as of December 2016, firearm-related line of duty deaths are up 67%. All too often we witness our nation’s law enforcement officers pinned behind pillars or crouched behind vehicles in an attempt to make their profile as small as possible providing them protection from a rifle wielding gunman. On a daily basis, our officers face an increased threat of gunfire incidents involving high powered rifles.
Currently, we provide our officers with level II soft body armor that is flexible and able to be worn in a semi-comfortable fashion under their uniform shirts. However, this body armor does not protect officers from rifle fire. The body armor being proposed for each officer is a level IV hard body armor that will cover the front and back of the officer’s upper body along with a level III hard helmet. The new armor would be in addition to each officer’s existing soft body armor. The proposed armor will provide the officers a higher level of protection should they be required to respond to a call where a rifle is likely to be involved. Because of the weight and bulkiness of this level of body armor, it is not a practical option to be used on a daily basis. Rather, the intent for this added protection is to be used on an incident-by-incident basis should the need arise.
In addition, we are proposing the purchase of four (4) level IV ballistic shields to be deployed in each patrol sergeant’s vehicle. These shields will be a critical tool for use at incidents where officers find themselves in vulnerable positions due to the use of or threatened use of any firearm up to and including a rifle.
Rifle Lights (Surefire Scout Rifle Light) $22,200
The CRPD's rifle operator program was established three years ago. Proper target acquisition is paramount when officers face an armed assailant. Often times, officers have only seconds to evaluate the threat posed by an assailant. During this brief period of time, the officer also has to evaluate the surroundings to ensure there is no risk of an innocent bystander being injured or killed by their actions.
Since the inception of the program, rifles have been outfitted with handgun lights that are not wholly designed for use on a rifle system. Although these lights provide some illumination, they have fewer lumens than what is ideal for a rifle-lighting system. They require the operator to manually activate the light with their support hand, resulting in a momentary loss of contact with the fore-end of the rifle. It also requires the officer to split their attention between the threat and activating the light. Lighting systems designed for rifles deployed in law enforcement environments are typically equipped with a pressure sensitive pad, which is used to activate the light. Pressure sensitive pads allow rifle operators to remain focused on the threat while maintaining their grip to provide illumination of their surroundings. Additionally, several rifles have been outfitted with the Night Stick brand flashlights, which were provided to the department on a trial basis. Several rifle operators have experienced a malfunction with this light as it will not turn off once it is activated. This clearly presents an officer safety risk that cannot be tolerated and resulted in the rifles being taken out of service.
K-9 Unit Ballistic/Stab Resistant K9 Armor Vest $2,950
Police Service Dogs perform a function that cannot be duplicated by man or machinery. Their keen olfactory senses, coupled with above-average intelligence and physical stamina, make it possible for them to locate and indicate hidden persons and contraband. Police Service Dogs protect their handlers, other officers and citizens alike. Although their mere presence can be a deterrent to violence, they themselves are not immune from such violence. In 2016, there were 34 Police Service Dogs killed in the line of duty. A K9 handler is charged with protecting the well-being of his four-legged partner. We do not knowingly deploy them against armed adversaries, unless there is an extreme exigency. Despite that, the dogs are front and center when we go into harm’s way. Just as we cannot prevent all officer deaths, some working dogs will also pay the ultimate price each year. It is the mission of the Castle Rock Police Department to equip our Police Service Dogs with similar ballistic protection that we equip our police officers with. One of our K9 teams still needs such ballistic protection. The cost of a fully integrated system is $2,950.00.
Electronic Speed Signs $24,000
CRPD currently utilizes the electronic speed signs in different ways. They will be used in the collection of data for the Town’s Traffic Calming program. Data collection helps the department focus on traffic-related problems, ie: speeding, volume, congestion - allowing the department to allocate officer resources more efficiently for select enforcement. Signs are also used to notify citizens of street closures, events and other traffic-related incidences around town. Additional signs will allow CRPD’s Traffic Unit to monitor more areas in town where issues arise.
LIDAR $12,980
The funding ($12,980) would be used to purchase two LTI TruCAM Laser systems (LIDARS). LTI has integrated a laser with a digital video camera, making the LTI 20/20 TruCAM the most sophisticated speed enforcement tool available today. The TruCAM collects and stores a complete chain of video evidence for speeding, along with a high-resolution image that identifies vehicle make, model, license plate number, and identification of the suspect driver. This purchase would maintain and increase Traffic Safety in the Town of Castle Rock by allowing the Castle Rock Police Department to upgrade their current inventory of speed detection devices.
Crash Data Reader $3,500
The funding ($3,500) would be used to purchase a BOSCH Crash Data Recorder (CDR). This purchase would allow members of the CRPD's Traffic Unit to retrieve data through the OBDII (Onboard Diagnostic II) (DLC) port on the vehicle. This port was mandated by United States Federal Law to be installed in all manufactured vehicles after 1996. Utilizing the CDR Kit, the Traffic Unit will be able to accurately determine speed and collect related vehicle data on crashes, which have serious injury or a fatality involving a vehicle that has the OBDII data. This will enable officers to produce a more efficient and more accurate way of data collection.
Mobile Fingerprint Units by MorphoIDent™ $5,100
Having the ability to immediately and in real-time, positively identify a person in the field has huge benefits to our police department. As we have found, most of the criminal activity seen in Castle Rock is committed by suspects who reside outside of our Town and that we maintain no real record of. This technology will allow us to more effectively identify, charge and hold accountable those who commit criminal activity. Often, our officers are tasked with trying to positively identify people who provide false information as to their identity. This technology closes that gap and does so immediately, providing a true record of identity, which has been discovered after a national fingerprint database search. MorphoIDent™ is the most advanced handheld fingerprint device enabling real-time identification based on Morpho’s world-class biometric technology. Compact, easy to use and accurate, MorphoIDent™ has been designed by professionals experienced in using mobile identification in the field.
Summary of Expenditures
Body Armor/Shields $95,360
Rifle Lights $22,200
K9 Armor Vest $2,950
Speed Signs $24,000
LIDAR $12,980
Crash Data Reader $3,500
Mobile Fingerprint $5,100
Total Police Department $166,090
Fire Department Recommendations Total $253,500 Pursuant to the Following:
Automatic Electronic Defibrillators (AEDs) $37,000
Replace all outdated Town Automatic Electronic Defibrillators (AEDs) with current models and add additional AEDs to downtown businesses. This project would require the purchase of 27 AEDs and trade-in of the old AEDs. AEDs contribute to the successful resolution of sudden cardiac events, and support our efforts to provide rapid intervention to these types of incidents.
AEDs in Marked Police Units $53,000
We would also like to provide AEDs to every marked police unit. There are 41 marked units in the Police fleet. The cost for each AED is $1,271.25.
Stop the Bleed (STB) Kits $41,000
Purchase Stop the Bleed (STB) kits to be installed adjacent to every AED and in every school in the Town. These kits are designed to provide emergency hemorrhage treatment in the event of a multi-casualty incident. Each kit contains the materials needed to treat eight patients, and provide easy to follow instructions for non-professionals to provide effective treatment of heavily bleeding injuries. Each kit costs $1100. We are planning on purchasing 37 of these units to meet the intent of the program.
Reserve Brush Unit $15,000
Purchase Brush 154 from the fleet replacement program in order to maintain a reserve brush truck and secure the brush fire response level of service when a brush truck is out of service for deployment or maintenance. Brush 154 has been selected to be the reserve brush truck due to its high reliability and excellent condition.
Telescopic Forklift $47,500
Purchase a used telescopic forklift with a 9000 pound lift capacity and a 45 foot lift reach for use by the training division to move training props and supplies to the upper levels of the fire training tower. At present, carrying these supplies and props to the upper levels of the tower is hazardous to firefighters, and could cause lifting injuries. The forklift will also be used to position cars and heavy objects for vehicle extrication training. Additionally, the forklift could be used with a man-basket to safely install Christmas lights and Town decorations. Currently, a lift has to be rented to accomplish this task at a cost of $500 per day plus delivery costs. The average cost for a used telescopic forklift of the specified capacity is $45,000 plus $2,500 for the man-basket attachment.
Vehicle Extrication Equipment $60,000
Purchase battery powered vehicle extrication equipment (Jaws of Life) for front line fire apparatus response. Battery powered extrication equipment has made huge strides in the last five years and exceeds the performance of our hydraulic hose supplied equipment by 200%. The fire department would like to begin the implementation of the new technology by purchasing battery powered units for Engine 154, and Quint 155. The cost for the equipment for these two engines would be approximately $60,000. This purchase would greatly improve our vehicle extrication capability by increasing the force and speed of the tools we use to free car crash victims from entrapment.
Summary of Expenditures
AEDs $37,000
Police AEDs $53,000
Stop the Bleed Kits $41,000
Brush Unit $15,000
Forklift $47,500
Extrication Equipment $60,000
Total Fire Department $253,500
Public Works Recommendations Total $298,000 Pursuant to the Following:
Flashing Yellow Arrow Conversions $228,000
The Public Works recommendation is related to improvements to our transportation network: the purchase of flashing yellow arrow conversions at several key intersections within the community at a cost of $228,000. The estimated cost to replace signal heads for all four approaches is $12,000 per intersection. The preferred use of flashing yellow arrow operations at traffic signals that allow permissive left turns after yielding to through vehicles is based on national research that has shown this to be safer compared to the historical “green ball” operation. This project involves converting existing signal head locations on Town owned signals where the older “green ball” operation exists, to the new flashing yellow operation. The following table breaks down the total approximate cost to convert all remaining locations with the older style operation.
Number of
Street Corridor Intersections to Covert Corridor Total
Wolfensberger Road 3 $36,000
Meadows Boulevard 2 $24,000
Front Street 6 $72,000
Plum Creek Parkway 2 $24,000
Downtown 6 $72,000
(5th, Wilcox, Perry) $228,000
Rapid Flashing Beacon Crosswalk Enhancement $70,000
This year, we have started a program to enhance safety of marked crosswalks throughout the Town. Currently, fourteen locations have been identified and budgeted for this enhancement. Seven additional locations could benefit from this program. Rapid Flashing beacons consist of a pedestrian activated yellow strobe light which notifies drivers that a pedestrian is at the crosswalk or with in the crosswalk. The lights are solar powered and cost approximately $10,000 per location for the hardware and installation. Total cost for these seven locations would be $70,000. They have proven to be an effective means of enhancing pedestrian safety. Attached is a map that shows the planned fourteen locations, and also identifies the additional seven locations we recommend.
Summary of Expenditures
Flashing Yellow Arrow Conversions $228,000
Rapid Flashing Beacon Crosswalk Enhancement $70,000
Total Public Works Department $298,000
DEPARTMENT SUMMARY TOTAL:
Police Department $166,090
Fire Department $253,500
Public Works Department $298,000
Estimated Departmental Totals: $717,590
While the proposed expenditures from the three departments slightly exceed the 2015 TABOR amount ($717,590 versus $714,580), staff will use a combination of existing 2017 equipment budgets and management of other expenses to appropriately manage these expenditures.
Proposed Motion
“I move to approve using the 2015 TABOR Revenue as approved by voters in the November 2016 election for public safety and transportation expenditures as presented by staff.”