Police Body-Worn Camera Contract on Council’s Monday’s Consent Calendar

As part of Monday’s consent calendar, the City will vote to enter into a new $4,506,601 contract to consolidate the Police Department’s body-worn camera and Taser contracts.

The contract would also provide new technology for the department, including AXON Signal Side Arm.

The technology uses a smart sensor attached to the officer’s holster to alert the primary users’ body-worn camera and other nearby cameras, within about 20 feet, to begin recording the moment the firearm is removed.

The department would also purchase AXON Performance, software that provides an analytics dashboard of body-worn camera metrics relating to activation, categorization, and calls for service identifying rates that are updated in near real-time.

Additionally, the department would purchase Axon Respond which allows the use of GPS technology to locate an officer and allows supervisors real-time situational awareness in tactical situations.

Tasers and cameras would also be upgraded.

Currently, the department deploys 306 of the 316 body-worn camera fleet.

The cameras are assigned to both sworn and professional staff department members who routinely encounter the public while working in the field.

The current agreement for Tasers expires Aug. 14 and the current agreement for body-woen cameras would end with a consolidated product agreement as a new contract.

Here are the remaining items on Monday’s consent calendar.

• A $115,000 contract with End Homelessness California, Inc. through Oct. 1 for mobile shower and laundry unit operation services. Since January 2019, the City’s Pasadena Public Health Department has provided shower access and laundry services for people experiencing homelessness through its grant-funded programs for unhoused individuals, including a 4-year grant through the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health and a 1-year grant through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Services are provided at a mobile shower/laundry unit, currently stationed at the Department’s leased satellite location at 1972 N. Fair Oaks Ave. in Northwest Pasadena. In order to better meet the needs of the unhoused population, the Department sought services through agencies specializing in working with people experiencing homelessness. If approved, Shower of Hope will provide two dedicated staff members to the Department’s shower and laundry services under this contract. Shower of Hope will be responsible for all operations, including sign-in and scheduling, cleaning/disinfecting the facilities, laundering clothes, preparing and distributing hygiene kits, basic maintenance, and data tracking. Department staff would work with Shower of Hope to provide warm handoffs and linkages to participants with needs for additional services.
• A $1,200,000 contract with Best Contracting Services for the Water and Power Department. This contract scope of services entails the inspection, repair, and replacement of the PWP building roofs. By establishing an as-needed roof repairs contract with a proficient roofing vendor, PWP aims to proactively enhance the integrity of the building infrastructure and safeguard department resources.
• A $9,028,478 Contract amendment with Oracle America for software support for the Water and Power Department. With the new Customer Information System system fully implemented and stable, staff is now prioritizing the deployment of the Advanced Meter Infrastructure (“AMI”) Project. PWP formed an AMI Steering Committee with representation from multiple City departments. The AMI system will provide enhanced customer service and the ability to implement modern rate structures to align with customers’ usage, among other benefits. The AMI Project is expected to take three years, starting with the needs assessment, business case, and roadmap phase. The scope, benefits, and schedule will be developed during this phase. The needs assessment phase began in March 2024 and will provide the necessary planning to lay the groundwork for the project’s success. The meter data management licensing for the Oracle CIS system is required for the AMI smart meter project to start building the technological backbone of the data supplied by the smart meters. The integration with the CIS is crucial to make the most of the two-way communication technology on the meters.
• $3,055,000 contract award to Robertson’s Ready Mix LTD to furnish and deliver concrete materials for the Water and Power Department. Concrete materials allow PWP’s Water construction crews to slurry backfill excavations in the street after the installation of pipelines, water services, and other water facilities. Particularly, projects in areas that have corrosive soils and/or are located in the jurisdiction of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works require a slurry backfill.
• Adopt a Resolution ordering the summary vacation of one public service easement located at 995 S. Fair Oaks Ave. This easement is for “Public Utility” purposes. PWP does not have any electrical lines at this location and does not foresee a need for this easement in the future. PWP has confirmed with all applicable City departments that they do not have a use for this easement, nor do they foresee a need for this easement in the future.
• Adopt a Resolution Establishing Three New Classifications and Salaries and Updating the Salary of Four Existing Classifications. The Human Resources Department’s Labor Relations and Classification & Compensation Division is responsible for managing classification and compensation work for the City. Periodically there is a need to update or add job classifications and salary rates as duties and the operational needs of the City change over time and the marketplace adjusts. The City’s Manual of Personnel & Administrative Rules establishes a comprehensive process for classification submission in which the Human Resources Department reviews, approves, and provides recommendations on classification requests.
• A $90,000 purchase order contract with Regents of the University of California for Paramedic Education for seven City Service Worker Paramedic Interns. The Internship program features: Local area recruitment preference • Eligibility / Target Age Range: 18-25 years Paramedic Program Tuition sponsored by the Fire Department o Approximately 40 hours per week of coursework, didactic and clinical rotations 20 hours per week of field training with the Pasadena Fire Department, 1040 hours total annually The Fire Department assessed over then (10) Paramedic Programs available in the Los Angeles, Riverside, Orange, and San Bernardino Counties, and identified the University of California, Los Angeles Paramedic Program as the most effective and costefficient program. The UCLA Paramedic Program is a 7-month program and is the nation’s first Accredited Paramedic program, with a 97% first-time pass rate on the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians Exam. The cost of enrollment for each attendee is approximately $13,000 and includes a Preparation Program, a Psychomotor and Cognitive Exam, field/clinical shift rotations, and all related Program materials. Paramedic education has evolved significantly over the last 10 years. The profession has transitioned from preparing technicians to educating clinicians to provide prehospital care. As Paramedic recruitment and retention continues to be a nationwide issue for Fire Departments, it is in the best interest of the City to invest in quality Paramedic education and preparation. This will help to lay the foundation for the future of the Department and for the community.
• A $286,131 purchase order contract with Compressed Air Specialties Inc. to provide breathing air compressor and carbon monoxide monitor systems. The Fire Department currently has one air compressor system located at Fire Station 33. The Department has historically had a service contract with various vendors to maintain and repair our breathing air compressors. Air quality is tested, and any needed repairs and adjustments are made on a quarterly basis. Maintaining a breathing air compressor and fill station is vital to the Department’s emergency operations.
• A contract extension with TACenergy LLC for the purchase of renewable diesel fuel by one year, for a total contract period beginning from April 21, 2019, to April 21, 2025, and to increase the total not-to-exceed amount by $200,000, from $800,000 to $1,000,000. The Fire Department currently operates two front-line trucks, eight fire engines and six rescue ambulances, and additional reserve and specialty apparatus. These vehicles are necessary to ensure public safety. Prior to December 2017 all fire apparatus used unleaded and diesel fuel, which is purchased and managed by the Public Works Department. In fiscal year 2018, the Fire Department began to use renewable diesel fuel as it can have many beneficial contributions including reducing the City’s carbon footprint, and minimizing fuel emissions that can be harmful to employees and to the environment.
• A $1,732,800 contract with Hardy & Harper, Inc. for the California Boulevard Safety and Access Enhancement Project at St. John Avenue and Pasadena Avenue. Motorists and pedestrians currently experience traffic delays along California Boulevard at the intersections of St. John Avenue and Pasadena Avenue. This delay is primarily due to intersection congestion related to the 1-210 Freeway ramps and inadequate single turn-lane capacities at these two adjacent intersections. As a result, in FY 2020 the Department of Transportation sought and received grant funding from Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority for the design and construction of a safety enhancement project. The proposed improvements would reduce delay by modifying lane assignment at two intersections within the project limit to better accommodate the affected turning movements while also enhancing pedestrian safety. In general, the project will provide wider sidewalks, construction of new pedestrian curb ramps, addition of a marked crosswalk, and separation of vehicular traffic from pedestrian traffic through the use of a red right turn arrow. The project promotes the use of Fair Oaks Avenue and Arroyo Parkway for vehicular traffic, as an alternative to the residential corridors of Pasadena Avenue and St John Avenue. The proposed improvements were the result of community feedback and discussions with adjacent stakeholders to reduce queuing and enhance pedestrian safety.
• FY 2023 single audit report and safe, clean water program audit report. All financial statements received an unmodified opinion. The Single Audit Report reiterates that there were two financial statement findings and reports no grant-related findings. The two financial statement findings were related to the timeliness of the bank reconciliation preparation and the number of post-closing journal entries made by City staff, after the start of the audit. The SOW Program audit noted three instances of non-compliance. The first non-compliance occurrence was related to the timeliness of the City’s submittal of the annual progress/expenditure reports, the second instance of non-compliance was related to the lack of interest allocation to the SCW Program funds, and the final non-compliance was related to the minimum threshold of expenditures to be utilized annually. The City did not attain the required threshold of SCW Program expenditures in FY 21-22 and FY 22-23.
• Direct the City Attorney to prepare and return with an ordinance within 60 days amending Chapter 4.100 of the Pasadena Municipal Code removing references to Net Income to conform to a recent amendment to the City Charter pertaining to the annual Power Fund transfer to the General Fund. In the March 2024 election, Pasadena voters approved a City Charter amendment which, among other things, allowed the annual Power Fund transfer to the General Fund to conform to Generally Accepted Accounting Practices. The City Charter amendment removed the requirement to calculate what is known as “net income,” which is no longer used in GAAP calculations. Chapter 4.100 of the Pasadena Municipal Code establishes the calculation and methodology for the determination of the transfer on an annual basis. This chapter must be amended to conform with the City Charter by removing the net income calculation to determine the amount available for transfer.
• A contract with CNC Technologies for purchase and installation of three Trakkabeam TL360 searchlight and gimbals and amend the FY 2024 Operating Budget by appropriating $98,685 from the unappropriated fund balance in the Foothill Air Support Team fund. The Pasadena Police Air Operations Section is a multi-disciplined aviation operation with the primary role of providing support to first responders. Additional functions include narcotic interdiction, search and rescue, fire operations, gang enforcement, and other inter-departmental operations. The unit operates five patrol helicopters, seven days a week, providing a much-needed safety barrier for our ground officers and other first responders. The feats of our helicopter crew rely heavily on the crew’s abilities and the equipment they operate. An integral part to these successes is the searchlights utilized by the crews during periods of darkness. Aside from providing these services to the City of Pasadena, the Air Operations Unit provides aerial responses to the 10 other Foothill Air Support Team cities, and our two sister cities, Glendale, and Burbank. This accounts for a coverage area of approximately 175 square miles between the 13 partner agencies. In addition, flight crews are frequently tasked with assisting other County, state, and federal agencies in support of homeland security missions, infrastructure inspections, and critical incident planning. The current fleet of helicopters is equipped with different versions of searchlights, ranging in age from 15 to 23 years. These existing searchlights utilize the incandescent-style bulbs. These older-style lights require a larger electrical load on the helicopter’s electrical system, taxing other helicopter components. These filament-style bulbs degrade overtime, reducing the illumination output, and are required to be illuminated for a 20-minute period once they are activated to prevent filament damage. The searchlights sought in this contract use the LED-style lights. These TrakkaBeam lights are instant-on and instant-off, allowing for the searchlight to be turned off once no longer needed, reducing light pollution. Additionally, these TrakkaBeam lights are smaller, lighter, and utilize one-third the power consumption. These upgraded lights also provide the ability to illuminate an area with infrared light, allowing the crews to use their Night Vision Goggles to take advantage of the searchlight IR illumination without having to actually project any visible light on the area. These searchlights are plug-and-play compatible with our existing technology. Replacing our obsolete lights with three of these upgraded lights will help to standardize our equipment, improving on our crew’s skill set with their equipment.