Fort Walton Beach Council agenda — 04-26-11 regular — reading text

Q Q tll01 Y C_C v CL d Vv Q Nm c Page 8 City Council ofFort Walton Beach  City Council of Fort Walton Beach POLICE MEMORANDUM To: Robert T. Mearns, City Manager From: Ted Litschauer, Police Chief Date: April 26, 2011 Subject: Authorization to Purchase Equipment L BACKGROUND: 1. 1. The Fort Walton Beach Police Department ( FWBPD), as well as other law enforcement agencies throughout the nation, utilize electronic devices commonly known by their brand name: Taser. 1. 2. The police department has utilized this type of equipment for more than eight years. 1. 2. 1. The police department' s initial purchase and issue consisted of twelve Tasers. This permitted one to be assigned to one officer in each field work unit. 1. 2. 2. Intentions were to supplement the initial issue, over a two or three year period, until each sworn officer was issued one. 1. 2. 3. In the first few years thereafter, higher priority budget requirements precluded purchasing additional Tasers. 1. 2. 4. During the last several budget cycles, the overall budget was decreased and therefore, no additional Taser units were purchased. 1. 2. 5. Age has taken a toll on the initially issued Tasers and more than 50% of Therefore, the devices are currently unserviceable and non -repairable. some work units have no Taser available at all. 2. DISCUSSION: 2. 1. The use of force is sometimes required to gain compliance when enforcing the law, to protect the officer, or to protect others. When confronted with the need to use force, police officers must select the appropriate level of force -- according to the situation and legal parameters. 2. 1. 1. The level of force used by a police officer falls into a range which includes voluntary compliance, voice command, open -hand tactics, closed -hand and feet tactics, impact weapons, electronic weapons, less than lethal munitions, and firearms /deadly force. 2. 1. 2. An officer, without a Taser, has only pepper spray and a baton -- as intermediate weapons for gaining compliance or subduing a suspect -- between open -hand tactics and their firearm ( lethal force). 2. 1. 2. 1. Both pepper spray and the baton require close proximity -- within arm' s length -in order to deploy. Therefore, when confronting a criminal suspect or an individual threatening to harm him/herself, these weapons are of no use if the subject is armed. 2. 1. 2. 2. With the Taser, the officer can maintain a safety zone distance of up to 20 feet to deploy the non -lethal weapon. From: Ted Litschauer, Police Chief Date: April 26, 2011 Subject: Authorization to Purchase Equipment 2. 1. 2. 3. A Taser is often a vital tool when confronting suicidal persons. 2. 1. 3. Taser refresher training is a standard part of the annual training curriculum. 2. 1. 3. 1 Each officer must be trained and certified before carrying a Taser. 2. 1. 3. 2. Nearly all Fort Walton Beach Police Officers, except those hired within the past year, have already been Taser trained. 2. 1. 3. 3. FWBPD has a Taser certified instructor on our staff for training purposes. 3. FINANCIAL INFORMATION: 3. 1. Due to position vacancies, sufficient funds are available to replace the unserviceable units and to equip each officer with a Taser. 3. 2. A budget transfer from residual salaries budget within the police department, will satisfy the required funding. 3. 3. The only recurring expenses, during the life of the Tasers, are the replacement of the individual cartridges as they are expended. 3. 4. The estimated cost for the Tasers is $ 34, 296. 4. RECOMMENDATION: 4. 1. The Chief of Police recommends that the Council approve the purchase of forty Tasers and initial charge cartridges to complete the equipment issue in the amount of $34, 296 as a sole source purchase. 5. ATTACHMENTS: 5. 1. Price quotation from DGG Taser and Tactical Supply. SIGNATURE BLOCK: Ted Litschauer Completed 04/ 14/ 20114:41 PM Finance Completed 04/ 18/ 2011 1: 49 PM Carole Jones Completed 04/ 19/ 2011 11: 11 AM City Manager Completed 04/ 19/ 20112: 05 PM City Council Pending  h City Council of Fort Walton Beach FINANCE MEMORANDUM To: Robert T. Meams, City Manager From: Brandy Wunker, Finance Director Date: April 26, 2011 Subject: Acceptance of 2010 Actuary Valuation Report 1. Background 1. 1. The City of Fort Walton Beach has three separate pension plans: the Police Officers' Pension Plan, the Firefighters' Pension Plan, and the General Employees' Pension Plan. The Police and Fire Pension Plan' s are administered separately by individual Board of Trustees' as provided by Florida State Statutes. The City Council serves as the Board of Trustees' for the General Employees' Pension Plan. 1. 2. The City has retained Actuarial Concepts since 1989 to prepare an annual valuation report on the General Employees' Pension Plan. This 2010 Actuarial Valuation presents a statement of the estimated financial position of the Plan as of October 1, 2010. The use of the actuarial valuation is for financial, budgetary, and/ or administrative purposes. 1. 3. As of the valuation date, the General Employees' Pension Plan had approximately 154 active members, 135 retirees, 12 terminated vested members, and 36 members pending refunds. 2. Discussion 2. 1. The market value of assets for the Plan increased by 7. 9 %, with plan assets totaling 29, 986, 598. The Plan experienced an actuarial loss of $1, 120, 000. An actuarial loss or gain) is a measurement of the difference between actual experience and that expected based upon the actuarial assumptions during the period between two actuarial valuation dates. 2. 2. The following summarizes the Plan Actuaries' major conclusions: 2. 2. 1. Plan experience has been less favorable than expected, mostly due to smaller investment returns than expected. 2. 2. 2. The net City contribution for the 2010 -2011 plan year is 20. 92% of payroll, or approximately $ 1. 2M. 2. 2. 3. The net City contribution for the 2011 -2012 plan year is $ 1. 5M. 2. 2. 4. The City should be aware that current contribution requirements will increase by about $ 250K over the next four years as prior gain amortizations are completed and the payment toward amortizing $ 7. 6M in remaining unfunded liabilities takes full effect. ( See page 3 - 3 for details). 2. 2. 5. The Plan' s funded status has deteriorated over the past year due to the shortfall in investment returns and changes in actuarial assumptions. 2. 3. The following changes have been made to the actuarial assumptions: Mz City Council of Fort Walton Beach FINANCE MEMORANDUM To: Robert T. Mearns, City Manager From: Brandy Wunker, Finance Director Date: April 26, 2011 Subject: Acceptance of 2010 Actuary Valuation Report 2. 3. 1. The investment return assumption has been lowered from 8% to 7. 9 %. 2. 3. 2. The assumed future rate of salary increase has been lowered, and salaries were assumed not to increase for the next two fiscal years. 2. 3. 3. The payroll growth rate has been lowered to 3 %. 2. 3. 4. These assumptions will be reevaluated once responses to the Actuarial RFP, which is pending issuance, have been received. 2. 4. A defined benefit pension plan's funding status is a common measure of the plan' s health and is expressed as a percent. It illustrates the relationship between the benefits promised and the assets needed to pay those benefits. The plans current funded ratio is 86 %, down from 87% last year. 2. 5. The Actuary Valuation uses an asset smoothing method that dampens the otherwise immediate effect of the investment losses that the Plan has experienced. These losses will be recognized at 20% per year for the next 5 years. Actuarial yield for the Plan was 4.21% vs. the assumed rate of 8 %. In consideration of the rising costs associated with the Defined Benefit Pension Plan, the City began transitioning all new employees, effective January 1, 2010, to a Defined Contribution Plan. 3. Financial Impact 3. 1. There is no financial impact related to the acceptance of this report. 4. Recommendation 4. 1. Staff requests City Council acceptance of the General Employees' Retirement Fund Actuarial Valuation as of October 1, 2010 dated March 2011 ( attached). ATTACHMENTS: FWB General 2010 Val Rpt 030211 ( PDF) SIGNATURE BLOCK: Brandy Wunker Completed 04/