TITLE
Recommendation to receive and file the Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee's report on Crossing Guard Deployment for the 2006-2007 School Year and concur with their recommendations.
DISCUSSION
Over the last several years, the School Crossing Guard Program has undergone extensive
review to ensure efficiency and effectiveness. These reviews occurred as part of a Citywide
effort to optimize many City programs as directed by the Three-Year Financial Strategic
Pian.
The first review was conducted by the City Manager and City Auditor and was presented to
the Mayor and City Council on May 3, 2004. The review provided a background of the
program and the cost and status of current crossing guard staffing. In addition, the review
provided an analysis of the procedures used by the Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee
(PSAC), the City and the State for assigning locations to be staffed by crossing guards.
On December 9, 2004, the Mayor and City Council received a second report on City staff
optimization efforts. The report addressed issues such as assigning locations, staffing,
changes in schedules and hours, injuries, and "meet and confer" requirements. The report
also discussed the collaborative efforts between City Manager staff, the Police Department,
the Department of Public Works and Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) on
several key issues. These issues included the projected need for busing and demand for
elementary schools, the potential use of volunteer guards at sites that do not meet
Municipal Code requirements, and specific staffing hours needed for each location. These
discussions also led City staff to work with LBUSD to contact every elementary school and
adjust crossing guard hours for each location based on each school's actual schedule and
need for the school year. This effort resulted in a review of staffing hours for 100 percent of
the crossing guard locations and a projected savings of $60,500 for Fiscal Year 2005-2006.
A third review effort, led by an employee optimization team of crossing guards, resulted in
recommendations presented to the Mayor and City Council on May IO, 2005. These
recommendations were supported by Police management and focused on improvements in
communication between the crossing guards and Police Department supervisors,
coordination of bus and location schedules, coordination of locations when construction
occurs or traffic signals become inoperable, training and improving employee morale.
Also presented on May I O , 2005 was a fourth effort that involved the development of a Bi-
Annual Crossing Guard Deployment Plan to review existing crossing guard locations to
affirm continued need. The plan recommended a reevaluation of 25 percent of approved
crossing locations every two years to ensure appropriate allocation of resources. This reevaluation
enables the redeployment or elimination of crossing locations that no longer
meet the Municipal Code criteria. City staff recommended that an annual evaluation of up
to 15 percent of the locations occur and that recommendations to add, eliminate or reassign
locations be brought annually to the City Council for consideration.
On July 12, 2005, after considering the recommendations from the Public Safety
Committee, the City Council supported eliminating nine of the twelve school crossing
locations recommended by the Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee. This action helped
achieve some savings in the School Crossing Guard Program but it also ensured the
program was operating in the most efficient and effective manner. The three crossing
locations not eliminated are still under review by the City Traffic Engineer and will be
presented to PSAC for evaluation and recommendations.
The attached recommendations from PSAC are part of staffs commitment to continue their
annual evaluation of crossing locations. Also included are reviews and recommendations of
requests for new crossing locations.
In summary, PSAC reviewed eleven existing locations. Of these locations, they reaffirmed
the need, based on meeting the minimum requirements of the Municipal Code Ordinance
10.68.010, to continue staffing eight locations with school crossing guards. They also
recommended the removal of school guards from two locations and a relocation of one
crossing guard closer to the school the guard was serving.
PSAC also received six new requests from the public for the assignment of crossing guards.
Of these six, five locations were denied by PSAC because the locations did not meet the
minimum requirements of the Municipal Code. One location was approved by PSAC in that
both the student crossings and the vehicular volume at the intersection met the ordinance
thresholds .
This matter was reviewed by Deputy City Attorney Lisa Peskay Malmsten on June 6, 2006.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council concurrence is requested to ensure that parent notifications can occur before
the start of the new school year.
FISCAL IMPACT
Although there is a net reduction of one location, there will be minimal savings since
personnel will be reassigned to other crossing locations.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
NAME |
APPROVED: |
TITLE |
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GERALD R. MILLER |
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CITY MANAGER |