Request for Proposals for an Organizational Effectiveness and Efficiency Study of the Pacifica Police Department

City Manager Rhodes presented the staff report.

Mayor DeJarnatt stated that he doesn’t remember doing a study, and he asked if they have done one before.

City Manager Rhodes was not aware of any, adding that he recalled that they did a study about five years ago on the fire service and how they provided that but he was not aware of anything on the police.

Councilmember Jaquith thought there was one in the 1980s, which was a long time and why it would be a good thing to do this.

Mayor DeJarnatt opened the public comments.

Therese Dyer, 1408 Crespi, stated that Police Chief Tasa spoke at a previous meeting, stating that it wasn’t economically feasible to do away with the Police Department. She stated that they then spent another $20,000 on a consultant. She stated that, if she was hearing right, they were going to spend another $35,000 on a study of some kind.

Mayor DeJarnatt thought it sounded like that.

Ms. Dyer asked where the money was coming from, mentioning that they did a survey and there was no money and they were going to cut all the departments and now this money is surfacing and they have money for consultants. She read another excerpt from her grand jury manual regarding the makeup of a city’s government which mentioned the police chief as a required position. She questioned how they could outsource the police department unless they hire him as police chief/city manager. She thought this could happen and they could save a lot of money.

Mayor DeJarnatt closed public comments.

Councilmember Jaquith stated that she was prepared to make a motion.

Councilmember Jaquith moved that the City Council authorize issuance of a request for proposals for an organizational effectiveness and efficiency study of the Pacifica Police Department; seconded by Councilmember Digre.

Councilmember Digre referred to the mention of experience and qualifications, and stated that instead of police department it mentioned Economic Development Plan, and she asked if that was an error.

City Manager Rhodes stated that it was an error and needed to be corrected.

Councilmember Digre stated that she was happy, mentioning that the scope of work mentioned that the police chief and department staff must be involved which was an important factor.

Mayor DeJarnatt agreed with that.

Mayor pro Tem Stone mentioned that he has gone back and forth on this. He stated that ideally, you would like to do an organizational analysis without significant cost, but when seeing $35,000 to $40,000, he felt it was significant and he had mixed emotions about it. He felt this would be valuable. He thought they could have their police chief look at it and he thought that should be the first step before they spend the money. He then referred to the consultant for comparing services between different agencies to provide police services which he thought made a lot of sense. He thought comparing it to another was a difficult position to be in, but he thought to evaluate your own department for efficiencies was why you have that position and he would not support this tonight.

Mayor DeJarnatt stated that he talked to the police chief, mentioning that he had ambivalent feelings about this also. He recognized that they spend $6 million a year on the police department. He thought the one thing it would show was that they operate with a lot fewer people than any other city in the county. ________ He stated that before he got here, it sounded like it had been 30 since this was done and he would support it.