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Home My WebLink AboutRES 224 Draft 03 2002-2004 +{V~OS N~ COUNTY OF HAWAII STATE OF HAWAII ~h,~,M'+ RESOLUTION NO. ~'4 Drafr 3 A RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE MAYOR TO DEVELOP A TRANSITION AND IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR CONVERSION FROM SUBSIDIZED PRIVATE VEHICLES IN POLICE SERVICE TO A COUNTY-OWNED FLEET OF POLICE VEHICLES COMMENCING IN FISCAL YEAR 2006-07 WHEREAS, the County of Hawaii has long employed a monthly subsidy allowance policy for the reimbursement of approved privately owned vehicles used in official police service pursuant to various bargaining agreements with the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers (SHOPO) Unit 12; and WHEREAS, a study by the Legislative Auditor's Office in 2004 found that some of the most positive trends in police work including community policing, transparency, and the emergence of high-tech "smart cars" all point in the direction of greater community partnering, professionalism, and service to the public; and t'urther found that "public safety and assurance are ever more linked to conspicuous identification of essential, first responder public safety providers"; and WHEREAS, conversion to a fleet of marked police patrol cars and other County-owned police vehicles will increase conspicuous police visibility in the community and enable the installation of the latest technological equipment in police cars; and WHEREAS, for purposes of risk management and traffic enforcement, marked police cars will place the County in an offensive, rather than defensive, position when "establishing the color" of law enforcement officers' official authority; and WHEREAS, police visibility in Hawaii County would be enhanced by standardization of colors, detailing, HCPD shield emblems and prominent departmental identification on all patrol vehicles, and such action would bring the longstanding issue of "unmarked subsidized police cars" in Hawaii County to a positive resolution; and WHEREAS, the Council acknowledges that conversion to a county-owned and maintained police fleet may cost more than current annual appropriations for car allowances, but would allow the County, as aself-insured employer, to realize savings of hundreds of thousands of dollars annually represented by the difference between current insurance premiums for subsidized vehicles versus actual losses incurred by county-owned cars; and WHEREAS, the 2004 Legislative Auditor's study proposed that conversion to a county- owned marked fleet of "police package" cars and "specialty service" vehicles should occur only after the Police Department undertakes a methodical assessment of its patrolling needs and determines the requisite number of police package cars, police specialty vehicles, backseat "cage" detainee transport needs, radio and mobile data terminal (MDT) communications requirements, and unmarked cars for each of its eight police districts; and WHEREAS, an advisory opinion from the Office of the Corporation Counsel (Corp. Counsel Wrk. No. 03-5909 dated August 26, 2003) provided guidance for conversion to a county-owned police fleet and found that: (I) The County may change its policies respective to subsidized automobiles during the life of the SHOPO contract, upon consulting the Union; and (2) The County is not obligated to pay for the cost of subsidized private vehicles if it converts to a county-owned fleet system; and (3) Should the policy on subsidized vehicles change, the County of Hawaii would meet with the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers (SHOPO) to negotiate items relating to the effects of change in policy since such items would fall under the category of `terms and conditions' which must be recognized; and WHEREAS, the Council is in agreement with the findings and recommendations contained in the Legislative Auditor's "Report on Hawaii County Police Department Vehicles" dated Febnaary 2004 and believes that it is in the best interest of the County to develop an implementation plan for conversion to a fleet of county-owned police vehicles. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAII that the Council requests that a Police Fleet Implementation Working Group be convened, organized and chaired by the Mayor (or his designee). The Mayor's Working Group shall include, but not be limited to, the Hawaii County Police Department, the State of Hawaii Association of Police Officers, Finance Departrnent Purchasing Section, Department of Public Works-Automotive Services Division, a member of the Hawaii County Police Commission, and three appointed community members, one of whom is appointed by the Mayor and the other two by the County Council, respectively. The Mayor's Working Group shall prepare a written implementation plan and identify all costs associated with the purchase, operation and maintenance of a completely county- owned police fleet and/or, if deemed appropriate, partial county-owned fleet to be submitted to the County Council not later than January 2, 2006. In preparing the fleet implementation plan, the Council recommends that: I. The Mayor's Working Group seek guidance and consultation from the National Association of Fleet Administrators Law Enforcement Group (NAFA/LEG), to include attending the NAFA/LEG annual conference, as well as the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department, Los Angeles Police Department, and any other police department(s) acknowledged to possess expertise in police fleet operations. 2. The Mayor's Working Group assess `job suitability" for each sworn police officer and his/her need for an assigned patrol or specialty police vehicle, including the suitability of "take-home" driving privileges. Where efficiencies can be realized by multiple shift or "on call" use of fleet cars, enhanced fuel performance, and safe driving practices, the Working Group is requested to explore and present those options, as appropriate. -2- 3. The Mayor's Working Group identify necessary support infrastructure and personnel for a county-owned and maintained police fleet and determine the capital costs of fleet maintenance by the county's automotive services division, as well as estimated maintenance contracts via Detroit model auto dealerships on the island to present cost options reflecting both public and private sector capabilities for fleet maintenance. 4. The Mayor"s Working Group employ "lifecycle cost analysis'" tools to evaluate the most efficient and cost-effective fleet purchasing, vehicle rotation, depreciation, and maintenance practices, and shall assure that enhanced public safety and the safety of police officers in the performance of their duties is focal to all the recommendations submitted for fleet implementation. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that for all appropriate expenses, honoraria, travel costs, and publicly noticed meetings, the Council hereby commits a $20,000 appropriation from its FY2004-OS Contingency Account to support the work of the Mayor's Police Fleet Implementation Working Group. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, upon adoption, the Clerk of the County of Hawaii shall transmit copies of this resolution to Mayor Harry Kim, Police Chief Lawrence Mahuna, Finance Director William Takaba, Police Commission Chair Horace S. Hara, Emory Springer, State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers, Bruce McClure, Department of Public Works, and DPW- Automotive Services Division Head Randall Riley. Dated at Hilo , Hawaii, this 1st day of Sept, 2004. INTRODUCED BY: COUNCIL MEMBER, C NTY OF HAWAII AC/rf ROLL CALL VO~'F. COUNTY COUNCIL County of Hawaii AvFS NOrs Asr~ r~:x H110, Hawaii ARAKAKI X I hereby certify that the foregoing RESOLUTION was by CHUNG X the vote indicated to the right hereof adopted by the COUNCIL of the ELARIONOFF X County of Hawaii on SPntPmhPr 1 ,?(Jf14 HOLSCHIIH X JACOBSON AT 11:S~I~: _ REYNOLDS X i j ~ SAFARIK ~ 'lam` TUL.aNG X TYLER X 6 0 3 0 REFERENCE: C- ~ 24 ~ RESOLUTION NO. (Draft 3) COiJNTY CLERK CHAIRMAN & PRESIDING OFFICER -3-