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02-07-2006 - Solication of Federal Funding for City Projects• City of West Covina Memorandum AGENDA TO: Andrew G. Pasmant, City Manager and City Council FROM: Artie A. Fields, Assistant City Manager ITEM NO. D — 7a DATE February 7, 2006 SUBJECT: SOLICITATION OF FEDERAL FUNDING FOR CITY PROJECTS'' RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the City Council authorize City staff to submit the projects mentioned in this staff report to Congresswoman Hilda Solis for possible funding consideration. DISCUSSION: Congresswoman Hilda Solis has contacted communities within the 32nd Congressional District, including West Covina, to give cities the opportunity to request noncompetitive and discretionary grant money for local projects through annual federal spending bills. Based on the City Council's recommendation to submit projects over the last three years, the City has ''received $200,000 for public safety upgrades at City Hall, $75,000 for the Cameron Gymnasium, $100,000 for the Fire Department's CERT Program, and $1,750,000 in transportation funding for improvements at the intersections of Azusa/Amar and Vincent/Lakes Drive. While the City may have its priorities, Congresswoman Solis will review the list of projects submitted by� the City and identify those projects that she determines to have a better chance to secure funding for. City staff is requesting the City Council to approve submittal of the following projects for Congresswoman Solis' consideration: • Public Safety Radio System ($6,000,000) The current Police and Fire Radio system is obsolete and needs to be replaced. This includes the radio control gear in the Public Safety Communications (911) Center used to control and communicate with the field units. This same system is used for Emergency Management operations during natural or terrorist created disasters. Current radio control gear is twenty years old and replacement parts are not available. Police Station Remodel ($3,000,000). The Police Station is 40 years old, does ;not have adequate working space for current personnel levels, and is constantly in need of repairs. This facility needs to be brought up to date. Specifically identified costs include expansion of patrol and detective areas, walls for secure housing of weapons, a larger and more secure area for housing evidence (currently at capacity), updated storage of mandated records, larger vehicle and equipment storage, and improved personnel workspace. Mobile Command Center ($265,000). West Covina serves as a headquarter city for our region of the statewide critical incident task force, is a member of the FBI's anti -terrorism task force, and is intimately involved in critical incident coordination bringing together multi - agency law enforcement, other first responders, and trauma centers. West Covina is in vital need of a functional mobile command center —a vehicle specifically designed for critical emergencies and threats, allowing officers to immediately plan and coordinate emergency responses in the field. A functional mobile command center would ensure regional communications, rapid assessment and use of emergency resources, a functional field supply line, and directly improve the safety of first responders. Fire Station Three & Fire Administration Building Security Enhancement ($130,00O). Since September 11th, municipalities have been awakened to the need to provide increased security at public facilities. The West Covina Fire Department currently does not have a secured facility. This project includes the installation of security barriers and construct block walls to deter an incident. • Fire Station Five Cohabitation Facilities ($262,0000)., The City of West Covina needs to complete construction on Fire Station Five that will accommodate male/female fire suppression employees. Project includes completion of sleeping and bathing quarters for female fire suppression employees. • Fire Department Mobile Data Computers ($40,500). The Fire Department. does not have Mobile Data Computers, which hampers their emergency communications. Functional MDC's provide detailed computerized wireless information direct from the dispatch communications center, keeping firefighters in the field apprised of commands and changes as they happen. • Energy -Efficient or Electric Vehicles ($60,000). West Covina Fire Department's Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) is in need of two new vehicles to facilitate community fire prevention inspections utilizing volunteer human resources. • Fire Fighter Decontamination System at Fire Station Two ' ($7,000). Installation of a decontamination system at Fire Station Two to extract any contaminants from fire suppression employees clothing, equipment, and self. • Emergency Operations Center ($540,000). City of West Covina is in needs of upgrading its Emergency Operations Center. This includes new equipment for the current center and the placement of a portablefacility at one of the Fire Stations as a training facility and backup EOC Center. • Replace Fire Apparatus Radios ($668,000). Project includes replacement of the mobile command and field interoperable communications between police/fire and neighboring public safety agencies. • Interagency Dispatch/Records System Equipment $350,000). West Covina's goal is to enhance data sharing between the 26 other law enforcement agencies it services with, Computer Aided Dispatch/Records Management System (CAD/RMS) service. The main hardware system (HP3000) is being discontinued and not supported by the manufacturer, requiring us to adapt mid -stream to as we program new software. '.Purchasing and installing hardware components would greatly benefit regional law enforcement and provide more efficient service to the community (as communications would be enhanced), and increase the security of the system by bringing in back-up servers and emergency operations technology. This activity is in . tune with the federal responsibility of 'furthering inter -operational communications among law enforcement, and would benefit 27 police agencies at once. • Cortez Park 'WalkingTrail rail ($1,000,000) - Support for the project is based on the identified need for people of all ages to walk safely in outdoor spaces. This project is located in a. residential area and supports many youth activities and the Visitors to the Senior Center. • Multi -Use Trails ($3,000,000) —The City has funding needs, for projects such as multi -use trails linking the Galster. Park trails with Los Angeles County trails, and possibly trails from the City of Walnut. This will be a major project not only for West Covina but the entire San Gabriel region, encompassing elements of open -space maintenance, protection/preservation of riparianhabitat, along with providing various recreational opportunities for residents. • The City Hall and Police Department's Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system $1,200,000) — The current HVAC system is not energy efficient and is requiring increasing maintenance costs due to the constant wear and tear on the system. The current system has also broken down on numerous occasions. • Orangewood Soccer Fields ($2,000,000) - Support for the project is based on the identified need for soccer fields due to increasing levels of participation. The project will establish a central soccer location for soccer. The proposed site provides restrooms, snack bar, and lighting for maximum programming. Should the City receive any federal funding; City staff -will bring back the award of funds and the details of the improvements to be made with those funds. City staff is seeking these non- competitive funds in an attempt to locate and identify funding opportunities to complete projects and reduce the burden on the City's financial resources. It is important to remember that any funding received through the federal spending billswill not be acknowledged until October 2006, at the earliest, with funding provided in 2007. FISCAL IMPACT: None. Prepared by: 0-2 �z - Chris Freeland Assistant to the City Manager Approved by: Art4A.ields Assistant City Manager