HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 6k. Police Department Grant Applications for FY 2026-27 Item 6k
Department: Police
Cost Center: 8001
For Agenda of: 7/21/2026
Placement: Consent
Estimated Time: Click or tap here to enter text.
FROM: Rick Scott, Police Chief
Prepared By: Melissa Ellsworth, Senior Business Analyst
SUBJECT: POLICE DEPARTMENT GRANT APPLICATIONS FOR FY 2026-27
RECOMMENDATION
1. Authorize the Police Department to submit grant applications to the following
agencies:
a. California Highway Patrol Cannabis Tax Fund Grant Program in an amount
of $134,200;
b. COPS Hiring Program Grant in an amount of $125,000
2. If the California Highway Parol Cannabis Tax Fund grant is awarded, authorize the
City Manager and Chief of Police to execute related grant documents and
authorize the Finance Director to make necessary budget adjustments upon the
award of the grant.
3. Authorize staff to suspend and remove funding for the current School Resource
Officer position, due to the loss of revenue from the San Luis Coastal Unified
School District.
4. Adopt a draft resolution entitled, “A Resolution of the Council of the City of San
Luis Obispo, California, accepting a grant award provided through the California
Highway Patrol Cannabis Tax Fund Grant Program to increase education,
prevention and enforcement programs focusing on driving under the influence of
alcohol and other drugs and authorizing the City Manager and Chief of Police to
execute all related grant documents”.
POLICY CONTEXT
The recommended actions are consistent with the City of San Luis Obispo’s Financial
Management Manual, Section 740 – Grant Management Policy. The policy states that
Council must approve all grant applications in excess of $5,000 and delegates receipt
and contract execution to the City Manager.
DISCUSSION
The City has partnered with San Luis Coastal Unified School District for over ten years to
assign a full time School Resource Officer to the high schools and middle school
throughout the community. Over that time, the District provided funding based on a
Memorandum of Understanding that provided funding amounts ranging from 37.5% to
100% of salary and benefits. For FY 2025-26, funding from the District covered the SRO
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Item 6k
position entirely. The District recently confirmed that it is unable to fully fund the SRO
position for the 2026-27 Fiscal Year, without this funding, the Department is
recommending elimination of one full time equivalent Police Officer position. The District
has also indicated it would be able to provide partial funding sufficient to cover the City’s
cost share if a grant is awarded to the City under the COPS Hiring Program.
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services – COPS Hiring Program
The purpose of COPS Hiring Program, funded by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of
Community Oriented Policing Services, is to fund law enforcement agencies to hire and/or
rehire additional career sworn law enforcement officers/deputies in an effort to increase their
community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts. Funding under this program may
be used to hire or rehire sworn career law enforcement officers, which includes filling existing
officer/deputy vacancies that are no longer funded in the agency’s budget. These positions
must be in addition to currently budgeted (funded) level of sworn positions, and the officers
must be hired on or after the official award start date on the notice of award.
The COPS Hiring Program will cover up to 75% of the entry level salary and limited benefits
for a period of 3-years. There is a minimum cost share of 25% for the City to be reimbursed
by the District, and the maximum federal share for a position is $125,000 over the 3-year
period (not per year, spanning the 3-year period). Agencies must retain the funded position
for a minimum of 12 months following the 3-years of funding. Absorbing the grant position
through attrition is not allowable, and the position must be retained and funded through the
City’s General Fund.
The grant application is completed in a two -step process, the first deadline is July 23rd,
and the second deadline is July 29th. If the grant is awarded, staff will return to Council and
request authorization to accept the grant, review the executed MOU, and to restore funding
for the School Resource Officer FTE
Cannabis Tax Fund Grant Program
In 2016, Proposition 64 (the Control, Regulate, and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act) was
passed which mandated the state to set aside funding for the California Highway Patrol to
award grants to local governments and non-profits to work toward reducing impaired driving
accidents, increase public awareness surrounding dangers of impaired driving and support
safer roadways. Staff is requesting funds to conduct additional DUI saturation patrols, DUI
checkpoints, and purchase equipment such as a narcotic analyzer (portable device used to
safely identify controlled substances in the field) and PAS (Preliminary Alcohol
Screening/breathalyzer) devices.
The grant application was due in May. Staff did not request Council approval prior to
submitting the application because the deadline required timely submission, and the
approval request was not scheduled in time to meet the grant deadline. If Council denies
this request, the application can be withdrawn or the award can be declined.
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Item 6k
Public Engagement
This item is on the agenda for the July 21, 2026 City Council meeting and will follow all
required postings and notifications. The public may have an opportunity to comment on
this matter at or before the meeting.
CONCURRENCE
The Director of Finance concurs with staff’s recommendation.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) does not apply to the recommended
action in this report because the action does not constitute a project under CEQA
Guidelines Section 15378.
FISCAL IMPACT
Budgeted: No Budget Year: 2026-27
Funding Identified: No
Fiscal Analysis:
Funding
Sources
Total Grant
Request
Current Funding
Request
Remaining
Balance
Annual
Ongoing Cost
DOJ – COPS
Hiring Program
Grant
125,000
(3-year period) See chart below
CHP Cannabis
Grant 134,200
Total 259,200
Matching funds are only required under the COPS Hiring Grant. The grant requires at
least a 25% cash match, and the grantee must assume a progressively larger share of
the cost each year.
The chart below outlines estimated General Fund obligations (to be paid for by the San
Luis Coastal Unified School District) and estimated grant funding over the grant period
(grant will only fund for a 3-year period). The District has agreed, if grant funds are
awarded, to a 5-year agreement term.
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Item 6k
Estimated Entry Level Officer Salary/Benefits
Funding
Source
Year 1
FY 26-27
Year 2
FY 27-28
Year 3
FY 28-29
Year 4
FY 29-30
Year 5
FY 30-31 Total
COPS Grant $46,000 $41,000 $38,000 $0 $0 $125,000
City $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
SLCUSD $93,565 $105,543 $115,870 $161,564 $169,642 $646,185
Total
Salary/Benefits $139,565 $146,543 $153,870 $161,564 $169,642 $771,185
ALTERNATIVES
Do not submit grant applications or decline funding. Grants provide funding for
specialized equipment purchases and overtime costs associated with focused
enforcement and education opportunities. Without grant funds the department would be
unable to carryout these programs which increase safety in the community. Additionally,
without COPS Grant funding, the department would be unable to provide a School
Resource Officer position to the District and this position would not be an added FTE.
ATTACHMENTS
A - Draft Resolution accepting a grant award provided through the California Highway
Patrol Cannabis Tax Fund Grant Program
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R
RESOLUTION NO. (2026 SERIES)
A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN LUIS
OBISPO, CALIFORNIA, ACCEPTING A GRANT AWARD PROVIDED
THROUGH THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL CANNABIS TAX
FUND GRANT PROGRAM TO INCREASE EDUCATION, PREVENTION
AND ENFORCEMENT PROGRAMS FOCUSING ON DRIVING UNDER
THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL AND OTHER DRUGS AND
AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER AND CHIEF OF POLICE TO
EXECUTE ALL RELATED GRANT DOCUMENTS
WHEREAS, the San Luis Obispo Police Department (the "Police
Department") through the City of San Luis Obispo desires to undertake programs to
increase education, prevention, and enforcement of laws related to driving under the
influence of alcohol and other drugs; and
WHEREAS, on July 21, 2026, the Council authorized the Police Department
to submit a grant application to the California Highway Patrol Cannabis Tax Fund
Grant Program (CTFGP) to conduct compliance activities and purchase related
equipment to enforce laws related to driving under the influence of alcohol and
drugs; and
WHEREAS, in May 2026, the Police Department was notified of the CTFGP
grant award; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of San Luis
Obispo as follows:
SECTION 1. The Chief of Police or his designee is hereby authorized to
submit a grant application consistent with program requirements to pursue a grant
administered by the California Highway Patrol CTFGP, including the Police
Department's February 2026 application.
SECTION 2. The City Manager of the City of San Luis Obispo and the Chief
of Police are authorized to accept awarded funds and to execute all grant related
documents, including the grant agreements, any extensions or amendments thereof,
and any subsequent contract with the State in relation to the CTFGP.
SECTION 3. The Finance Director is authorized to make the necessary
budget adjustments upon the award of the grant.
SECTION 4. The City agrees that any liability arising out of the performance of
this contract, including civil court actions for damages, shall be the responsibility of
the grant recipient and the authorizing agency and acknowledges that the California
Highway Patrol and the CTFGP disclaim responsibility for any such liability.
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R
Resolution No. (2026 Series) Page 2
SECTION 5. Grant funds received hereunder shall not be used to supplant
expenditures controlled by this body.
Upon motion of __________________, seconded by___________________, and on
the following roll call vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
The foregoing resolution was adopted this ______day of _____________2026.
__________________________
Mayor Erica Stewart
ATTEST:
____________________________
Teresa Purrington
City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
____________________________
J. Christine Dietrick
City Attorney
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City
of San Luis Obispo, California, on ______________________.
__________________________
Teresa Purrington
City Clerk
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