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...
Click here for full text