01-19-1999 - Adopting the New Vehicle Release FeeCity of West Covina
Memorandum
AGENDA
ITEM No. B-6.-a
DATE JANUARY 19, 1999
TO: CITY MANAGER AND CITY COUNCIL ®PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER
FROM: FRANK J. WILLS CHIEF OF POLICE
SUBJECT: ADOPTING THE NEW VEHICLE RELEASE FEE
SUMMARY: The Police Department has recalculated the cost of vehicle releases and is
recommending that the fee charged for the release of impoundedvehicles be increased
from $55.00 to $90.00.
BACKGROUND: At the City Council meeting of January 5, 1999 (Item G-1), Police .
Department staff presented a conservative estimate of the costs associated with each
vehicle release. The Police Department was working under the assumption that they
were to duplicate the Management Services Institute (MSI) methodology and recommend
a highly conservative fee increase. The Police Department initially recommended a; fee
increase to $80.00, but also informed City Council that adjusting the methodology to
better reflect the costs borne by the City would easily justify a vehicle release fee of
$90.00.
In 1994, the Management Services Institute (MSI) completed a comprehensive costs
study of all City fees. In that study MSI staff interviewed relevant personnel to determine
how much time they spent working on each fee activity (directly and indirectly). They
combined this information with salary and benefit rates, overhead and fixed asset charges
and other costs to determine the unit cost of each fee activity that the City performs.
From that study, the vehicle release fee was set at $55.00.
The Police Department has updated MSI's calculation of the costs of vehicle releases by
incorporating two changes:
1. . Staff updated the salary information of the personnel involved in vehicle releases, to
reflect the salary changes since 1994.
2. Staff added the time that a Police Officer spends in the field, a Detective's time spent
on following -up cases, and a Dispatcher's time associated with each vehicle release.
Research and interviews conducted by staff revealed that a Police Officer spends no
less than 20 minutes in the field on each vehicle impound, and sometimes up to an
hour. The average time spent on each vehicle impound, according to the interviews,
is about 45 minutes. For follow-up case investigations, research revealed a
conservative estimate of 15 minutes. Finally, the Dispatchers spent about 5 minutes
confirming the status of each vehicle and on other relevant radio communications.
MSI did not include these in their calculation of vehicle release costs.
All other costs (e.g., overhead, building occupancy charges, etc.) were kept the same.
Finance Director Margaret Tucker has again reviewed the Police Department's financial
methodology and concurs with the figures. A copy of the methodology used 'is attached.
The ,Police Department conducted a survey of vehicle release fees charged by other ;San
Gabriel Valley Police Departments. The average cost is $53.00. A copy of the survey is
attached. Many of the Departments have not increased their fees in many years. The
City of La Puente recently increased their vehicle release fee to $154.00. ,
Fee increases need to be approved by the City Council and adopted by Resolution.
1
FINANCIAL IMPACT: By raising the Vehicle Release Fee to $90, the City ' will
recover the entire unit cost for Police Department towing. and. impound operations. An.
increase in the City's revenue. of about $45,000 annually should be expected.
RECOMMENDATIONS: It is recommend that the City Council:
1. Authorize the increase of the Vehicle Release Fee to $90
2. Adopt:the attached Resolution confirming the new Vehicle Release Fee
q�sa
Concur with financial methodology used to arrive at revised vehicle release fee:.
Margaret. Tucker
Finance Director
Attach.
u
•
PD_PTRL CITY OF WEST COVINA COST CENTER DETAIL T-083
DEPT: POLICE
DIV : PATROL
DESCRIPTION
----------------------------
COMMANDER-INDIRECT ($96,096)1
LIEUTENANT (AVG) ($80, 544)
T-083 VEHICLE RELEASE
------------------------
PCT. HRS/UNIT DOLLARS
--------------------
0.02 02 $193
0. 03$ $24
TOTAL SALARIES OF SWORN
PERSONNEL
$12059
TOTAL BENEFITS OF SWORN
PERSONNEL (550)
$66210
C.S.O. (AVG) (HOURLY = $20. 84)11
1.0012
$1, 04213
SECRETARY -INDIRECT ($36, 060)
0. 02$
$7
REC. CLERK II -INDIRECT ($30, 756)
0. 02$
$6
RECORDS SUPERVISOR ($54, 348)
0. 07 0
$38
REC. CLERK I (HOURLY = $1 7. 63)
0.25
$220
TOTAL SALARIES OF NON -SWORN PERSONNEL $1,378
TOTAL BENEFITS OF NON -SWORN PERSONNEL (39 0) $53716
1 These are the annual salaries for those positions
2 These are the percentage of total annual work time spent on this activity
3 These are the total salary dollars consumed by Vehicle Releases for these positions, calculated by taking the annual salary and
multiplying by the percentage of total annual work time spent on Vehicle Releases
This is the hourly salary of Police Officer
3 This is average portion of an hour (40 minutes) that a Police Officer spends on a Vehicle Release in the field; this is one of the
additions to the MSI study
6 This is the total salary dollars consumed by Vehicle Releases for a Police Officer in the field, calculated by taking the hourly salary
and multiplying by the portion of an hour that a Police Officers spends on Vehicle Releases in the field, then multiplying by the
sample -derived multiplier (50) as cited in the MSI study
This is the time spent by a Corporal for follow-up GTA investigations (a conservative estimate of IS minutes).
s This is the total salary dollars consumed by the follow-up GTA investigations for a Corporal, calculated by taking the hourly salary
and multiplying by the portion of an hour spent, then multiplying by the Vehicle Release multiplier, as cited in the MSI study, this is
one of the additions to the MSI Study
This is the sum of the sworn police salaries spent on Vehicle Releases
10 This is dollar amount of the benefits (at the 55% rate for sworn personnel, as cited in the MSI study) of the sworn police personnel's
salaries spent on Vehicle Releases
11 This is the hourly salary of a Community Service Officer (CSO)
12 This is the portion of an hour that a CSO spends on Vehicle Releases
13 This is the total salary dollars consumed by Vehicle Releases for a CSO, calculated by taking the hourly salary and multiplying by
the portion of an hour that a CSO spends on Vehicle Releases, then multiplying by the number of Vehicle Releases (50, as cited in the
MSI study)
14 This is the portion of an hour (5 minutes) that a Dispatcher spends confuming vehicle status, and on other radio communications
15 This is the total salary dollars consumed by Vehicle Releases for a Dispatcher, calculated by taking the hourly salary and
multiplying by the portion of an hour, then by the MSI multiplier of 50; this is one of the additions to the MSI study
16 This is dollar amount of the benefits (at the 39% rate for sworn personnel, as cited in the MSI study) of the non -sworn police
personnel's salaries spent on Vehicle Releases
TOTAL SALARIES (SWORN
& NON -SWORN)
$2,583
TOTAL BENEFITS (SWORN
& NON -SWORN).
$1199
SERVICES AND SUPPLIES:
OPERATING EXPENSES
$2551 7
BLDG. OCCUPANCY CHARGES
$39
OVERHEAD:
GENERAL
$180
DEPARTMENTAL
$220
FIXED ASSET'CHARGES
$51
VEHICLE LEASE PAYMENTS
$31
**TOTALS**
$4,5581'
NUMBER OF UNITS PERFORMED BY STAFF:
5019
COST PER UNIT
$91.1620
17 The dollar amounts for Operating Expenses, Building Occupancy Charges, General and Department Overhead, Fixed Asset
Charges, and Vehicle Lease Payments are all directly cited in the MSI study
18 This is the TOTAL dollar costs for Vehicle Releases, which is calculated by taking the sum of all salaries, benefits, operating
expenses, building occupancy charges, general and department overhead, fixed asset charges, and vehicle lease payments
"This is the Vehicle Release multiplier, cited in the MSI study (and sample -derived)
20 This is the cost of each Vehicle Release, which is calculated by dividing the total dollar costs by the MSI-cited Vehicle Release
multiplier (50)
i -
IMPOUND RELEASE FEE SURVEY
OF
SAN GABRIEL VALLEY CITIES
As of January 1, 1999
REGULAR
POLICE AGENCY IMPOUND
ALHAMBRA
$ 30.00
ARCADIA
$ 50.00
AZUSA
$ 50.00
BALDWIN PARK
$ 45.00
CLAREMONT
$ 30.00
COVINA
$ 35.00
EL MONTE
$ 75.00
GLENDALE
$ 35.00
GLENDORA .
$ 33.00
IRWINDALE
$ 2.00
LA VERNE
$ 50.00
MONROVIA
$ 50.00
MONTEBELLO
$ 63.00
MONTEREY PARK
$150.00
PASADENA
$ 62.00
POMONA
$ 35.00
SAN GABRIEL
$ 35.00
SAN MORENO
$ 25.00
SOUTH PASADENA
$ 80.00
LOS ANGELES CO.
$ 78:00
Mean
$ 53.11
Median
$ 76.00
Mode
$ 50.00 X 4
30 - DAY
N/A
$ 50.00
$ 50.00
$ 45.00
$ 30.00
$ 35.00
$ 75.00
$ 35.00
$ 33.00
$ 2.00
$ 50.00
$138.00
$ 63.00
$150.00
$ 77.00
$ 35.00
$ 35.00
$ 25.00
$ 80.00
$ 78.00
$ 54.30
$ 74.00
$ 35.00 X 4