Two vie for police services

San Carlos officials considering outsourcing police services to chip away at a $3.5 million budget deficit now have proposals from both the Sheriff's Office and Redwood City which the mayor says could protect current jobs while saving money. Mayor Randy Royce said he was pleased with both proposals' quality, professionalism and -- most importantly -- competitive pricing. While the city of San Carlos spends approximately $9 million annually, the two proposals offer initial quote ranges of $6 million to $7 million. "Having two proposals is a luxury. We are now in an environment that even four months ago the police thought we wouldn't be in, that there wasn't a competitive market," Royce said. But while Royce said he is encouraged by the two proposals, he and other proponents are still butting heads against the argument that handing over public safety to an outside agency is a bad idea at any price. Gil Granado, president of the San Carlos Police Officers Association, had not yet read the two new proposals when contacted Tuesday but has been vocal in his opposition to contracting out police service. The disparate stances have already led to lengthy and heated budget meetings between the city leadership and community. With more budget meetings ahead, Royce hopes the specifics of the proposals may temper the heated opinions of those who worry that outsourcing the police -- and possibly fire service, in a separate recommendation -- will leave the city at risk for increased crime and decreased attention. 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 positions. Salaries and benefits are calculated at $6,030,000. The total price tag, including vehicles and associated costs, 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. Personnel assignments will be reviewed with the city except in emergency response situations. The Sheriff's Office will maintain responsibility for service vehicles, human resources and risk management services. Redwood City proposal Redwood City offered San Carlos two options, one a base staffed up to the sergeant level and another that adds in a dedicated captain and administrative support. According to Police Chief Louis Cobarruviaz, officers would be assigned exclusively to San Carlos but Redwood City resources could be shifted in emergency situations. The proposals calls for 22.8 full-time employees under option one and 24.8 employees under the enhanced option. The first carries a price tag of $5,966,744 while the second is $6,409,313. The Redwood City proposal is a two-year contract with a 5 percent annual increase, although Royce said both aspects are negotiable. "This is a big deal and we want to make a long-term commitment," he said. While the goal is to remain flat financially, the yearly savings can easily offset a 5 percent annual increase, he said. "If we can save two to three million dollars, we can afford to grow," he said. Resident Ken Castle, who has suggested the city look at outsourcing services other than public safety and make cuts throughout departments, said he prefers the Redwood City option because it is more in line with San Carlos' staffing and borders. The Sheriff's Office proposal's savings are less by penciling in omitted costs like communications, he said. "Redwood City's starting point is better than the sheriff's ending point," he said. But Redwood City cannot guarantee every San Carlos employee remains in his or her job, which may be a sticking point. The council's job now is to look at each proposal along with the city-hired consultant and evaluate how each contract might affect the jobs of existing officers. "I'm not the expert on analyzing how many heads we need and how it compares," Royce said. Support from Redwood City police The Redwood City Police Officers Association and the Redwood City Police Sergeants Association both support their city's proposal and submitted letters to San Carlos saying as much. The Redwood City POA is "especially sympathetic" to their peers in San Carlos but is eager to work together, President Mike Reynolds wrote in a letter to the San Carlos City Council. The San Carlos City Council invited both the Sheriff's Office and Redwood City police to formally present their proposals at a special council meeting Tuesday, May 11. Final budget decisions, including contracting of services, will happen in late May and June. The city of San Mateo also mulled submitting a proposal to San Carlos but has told the city verbally it has decided against doing so. While police services are receiving the lion's share of attention now, they are not the only city service that might be farmed out. The city is looking at outsourcing parks maintenance along with both prongs of public safety. Although nothing is set in stone, the majority of councilmembers have indicated this path is preferable to cutting deeper into departments and services across the board. Two paths City Manager Mark Weiss offered the council these two so-called paths as ways to fill the budget gap or, in some instances, even exceed it with savings from outsourcing. Councilman Matt Grocott, the minority voice against contracting, had yet to see the proposals yesterday but said he is still more in favor of merging or sharing resources rather than outsourcing them completely. On the other hand, Royce said the term "outsourcing" itself might be problematic because "it's not an attractive word." While there is a perceived lack of control, Royce said the plan could give the city a financial boon and choice among competitive vendors. "There is tremendous value with being a customer," he said. Michelle Durand can be reached by e-mail: michelle@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 102.