01-19-1993 - Court Assigned Community Service Workers for Graffiti Removal'ty of.Wist Covinci
emorandum
TO: City Manager and City Council AGENDA
FROM: Michael L. Miller
Environmental Services Director ITEM NO. F-2
SUBJECT: COURT ASSIGNED COMMUNITY DATE 1-19-93
SERVICE WORKERS FOR GRAFFITI
REMOVAL
SUMMARY: Staff was requested to provide information on the
feasibility of using people sentenced by the Court
to do community services work. Specifically,.staff
was to report on their use for graffiti removal
services.
At the January 5, 1993 meeting, the.City council requested staff to -
provide a report regarding the feasibility of using court -assigned.
community service workers for graffiti removal services. This was
in response to a request by Judge Kahn of the Citrus Municipal
Court. Staff has analyzed the issue and determined the East San
Gabriel Valley Consortium is best equipped to possibly use these
workers. Staff is recommending this matter be referred to the East
San Gabriel Valley Consortium for review and consideration.
BACKGROUND
Community services workers are those persons who have been
convicted of a crime and are sentenced to perform community service
work. The number of hours sentenced can average anywhere from 20-
150 hours or more.
The City's Maintenance Department provides graffiti removal
services for all public property (parks, city buildings, and public
right -of -way). The City contracts with the East San Gabriel Valley
Consortiumfor graffiti removal on all private property.
ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED
In analyzing this concept, it was felt that the following issues
needed to be addressed: supervision, work ,hours, paint and other
supplies and equipment, locations for graffiti removal, liability
and worker's- compensation, transportation and costs. As these
issues were addressed in detail in the report to Council for the
July 7, 1992 meeting, we will only summarize them below.
Additionally, since Judge Kahn's letter made reference to the City
of Baldwin Park, staff contacted that City for information.
BALDWIN PARK
According to Mr. Ralph Nunez, Community Development Director, the
City of Baldwin Park uses community service workers for park
maintenance and graffiti removal.. They have a part-time park
employees who works Saturday and Sundays, and a part-time graffiti
removal employee who works Saturdays. These employees supervise
any and all community service workers. They never know on any
given day. how many community service Workers they will have; it
could be anywhere from 0-20. Their duties include picking up
trash, raking the park, cleaning the Community Center, or graffiti
removal. Mr Nunez acknowledged the workers were the responsibility
of the City for worker's compensation and other liability, but he
did not indicate if their City policy was revised to include them.
CURRENT ISSUES
As mentioned above, there are many issues to be, considered. Two of
the biggest concerns expressed are worker's compensation and work
hours, and the costs related to same. Presently there is no
coverage available through the City of West Covina's Worker's
Compensation Policy for community service workers: It is also our
• i •
CITY MANAGER AND CITY COUNCIL it January 19, 1993
COURT ASSIGNED COMMUNITY SERVIE WORKERS Page 2
FOR GRAFFITI REMOVAL
understanding that the County does not have coverage for these
people under worker's compensation. The Risk Manager has indicated
that we would have to purchase a separate policy to cover these
people. At this time it is undetermined what that cost would be;
however, it is assumed that-it�lcould be a significant amount.
WORK HOURS
The City's Maintenance Department graffiti crew consists of one
full-time and one -part-time employee. These employees work Monday
through Thursday, 10 hours per 'day. If the City were to go forward
with using a community service worker, it would be the easiest for
the City if he/she would work hours .consistent with this crew.
However, in many instances, the community service persons already
have a regular job Monday through Friday. Therefore, they have to
perform their service hours on1the weekends.
If the City is going to provide this service to the court, then the
City's graffiti crew would havIie to work overtime on Saturdays, at
an annual cost of approximately $16,400. Another option is to
change the work hours of the dity's graffiti crew from the Monday
through Thursday week to a Wednesday through Saturday week. If the
Council wishes to pursue this option, then the modification of the
work week would have to. go through the Meet and Confer process, as
this would be a change in the terms and conditions of employment.
Another option would. be for the court/community service workers to
coordinate with the City's graffiti removal contractor, the East
San Gabriel Valley Consortium.
SUMMARY:
V
The main issues related to employing community service workers for
graffiti removal are worker' sl,compensation, work hours, overtime,
and costs related to_ same. Additionally, supervision, paint and
other supplies and equipment, locations, and transportation are of
key concern. Due to the factors outlined above, it is recommended
the City refer the Court proposal to the City's graffiti removal
contractor, the East San Gabriel Valley Consortium, for
coordination of graffiti removal by community service workers.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Cit:
Court's proposal to the City,
East San Gabriel Valley Cor
graffiti removal by communit
letter to be sent to, Judge
action.
;9e-
Michael L. Miller
Environmental Services Direct4
MLM:SG: vs
Council approve the referral of the
s graffiti removal contractor, the
,sortium, for the coordination of
service workers and authorize a
Cahn from the Mayor regarding this
it