8A Consent 2010 0920 - Laserfiche WebLink

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DRAFT MINUTES Page 8 September 7, 2010 City of San Leandro City Council and San Leandro Redevelopment Agency Joint Meeting fund a share of the crossing guard contract, and that the District has already budgeted for half the cost. Trustee Prola urged the Council to approve this item. End of Public Comments on Item 8.D. Councilmember Prola agreed . He stated that he felt the City had an obligation to pay a share of the crossing guard services for this year, but should send a message to the School District that a permanent solution must be found for future years. Councilmember Starosciak agreed with Councilmembers Souza and Prola. She asked if the City had established a Traffic Safety Fund, and if so, what it could be used for. Mr. Hollister indicated that the City collects Traffic Safety Funds as provided in Vehicle Code Section 42200(a); however, there are currently more fund-eligible expenses than funds available. He suggested that staff could look into this as a future funding source for crossing guards. Councilmember Starosciak stated that she would like to see the Council reprioritize the use of Traffic Safety Funds to free up funds for the crossing guard program this year. Vice Mayor Reed commented on the need to find creative ways to fill the need for crossing guards, and she expressed disappointment that the School District has not looked at other options, such as AAA. Mayor Santos reported that, at the City and School District Liaison Committee meeting, the Committee was presented with over 100 petition signatures of people in support of funding crossing guards. A motion was made by Councilmember Prola, seconded by Vice Mayor Reed, to approve the resolution, giving the City Manager discretion as to the source of the funds. Councilmember Souza expressed concern about the School Boardassumption that the City had approved funding for the crossing guards, and wanted to be sure such a mistake does not happen again. She noted that the School District has already approved tonight. Mayor Santos stated his belief that the issue is critical, and a decision should be made tonight. The issues raised by the Council tonight could be looked into over the coming year. Mr. Hollister reported that he consulted with City Attorney Jayne Williams, and sent emails to the School District and to All City Management Services, that the City would honor the contract for one month. This agreement was made with the understanding that if the contract was not approved by the Council, the City would not provide funding beyond the initial 30 days.