Consultant leans toward sheriff's contract option

The conclusion by Ed Rogner of consulting firm Commonwealth International Inc. doesn’t specifically recommend the Sheriff’s Office over a proposal by Redwood City but found it slightly superior because it includes the absorption of all San Carlos Police Department employees. The report also notes that the sheriff can’t add to the city’s costs to offset Sheriff’s Office budget shortfalls and stated that current Sheriff Greg Munks has a "vested interest to meet the needs of the community” because he is elected.

On Monday night, the City Council will tackle both aspects of the outsourcing question — first, should the city do it and secondly, if so, with who.

San Carlos Mayor Randy Royce said the consultant’s findings echo his belief all along and pointed to Monday night’s meeting as a chance to move forward with both. If so, the decision doesn’t rubber stamp the sheriff’s proposal as a done deal but gives city staff direction to begin negotiating.

The Sheriff’s Office proposal would staff a San Carlos bureau with 23 full-time employees, four part-time employees and 20 percent of a sergeant’s position. Salaries and benefits are calculated at $6,030,000. The total price tag, including vehicles and associated costs like auto liability and evidence storage, is $6,772,000 although it does not include overtime for special details or communications.

The proposal also makes a K-9 deputy available, frees the city from charges for booking, jail access and the crime lab and makes the SWAT team available if necessary.

Under the Redwood City proposal, police personnel would get higher salaries but likely be absorbed as new officers regardless of seniority. The initial proposal offered two options which would save San Carlos roughly $2 million. One offers a captain and secretary while the other does not, a difference between $5.9 million and $6.4 million.

Of the two options, the consultant said he would only consider the one with on-site management.

Aside from the bottom line, Royce said he is looking at "taking care of our people” by protecting jobs.

"The people thing is a big issue,” Royce said. "It all comes down to levels of service and who can provide jobs. I don’t get hung up on the patch on the shirt.”

City Manager Mark Weiss estimates that outsourcing police service will save approximately $2 million annually — a huge impact to the  $3.5 million budget deficit in the city’s $28 million budget of which 60 percent is devoted to public safety.

If the county opts against outsourcing, the police department could be asked to cut 20 percent like other departments and face layoffs.

Rogner states in his report that all but two of police employees interviewed were in favor of transitioning to the Sheriff’s Office, primarily to ensure employment, and want a decision as soon as possible.

"The employees’ entire lives are uncertain at this time; for months now they do not know if they will be able to support themselves or their families once a decision is made. Their anxiety could not be higher and is getting worse every day,” Rogner wrote.

But Gil Granado, president of the San Carlos Police Officers Association, questioned the conclusion. Granado said the interviews were voluntary and he knows of only one or two POA members who participated.

"It doesn’t say how many were questioned, what exactly they were asked. You don’t know anything unless you were part of the conversation,” Granado said.

The POA is vocally opposed to outsourcing period and it, along with three San Carlos residents, submitted paperwork of their intention to seek a ballot measure to prevent it. The proposed measure would require voters to approve any outsourcing plans. The authors resubmitted the language days after initially filing the paperwork, removing a provision rolling back staffing to 2001 levels and setting salaries at the market average.

On Friday, Granado said the group was working to withdraw the aborted measure before the city was required to issue a title and summary.

Both Munks and Royce have said if the measure stalls any action on the sheriff’s proposal, the office may not be able to take all San Carlos workers. Munks has been holding vacant several positions that could be filled with San Carlos personnel. However, he anticipates those filling up if the city doesn’t act quickly because the vacancies are already straining the organization.

Granado has called that a scare tactic, saying there is no guarantee officers once hired by the county wouldn’t be the first laid off if the Sheriff’s Office faces its own budget quagmire.

Granado had yet to see the consultant’s report as of Friday afternoon but said he didn’t "expect to see any surprises.”

Regardless, he believes the city should have had a discussion about outsourcing before seeking proposals.

"This should have been done months and months ago. Now they’re going backwards and trying to build a framework for what they want,” Granado said.

Michelle Durand can be reached by e-mail: michelle@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 102.