The Yolo Emergency Communications Agency is a Joint Powers Authority that was established in 1988 (as the Yolo County Communications Emergency Services Agency). The agency was formed as a consolidated 9-1-1 Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) to provide dispatch services for police, fire, animal control, public works and other local government agencies. Historically, the JPA handled the hazardous material disclosure program from 1992 to 2000 when it was then transferred to Yolo County Environmental Health. It also housed the Office of Emergency Services up until its transfer to the County in 2006. YECA is governed and operated through an intergovernmental agreement between Yolo County, the cities of West Sacramento, Woodland and Winters, and the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation (the City of Davis is not a member of YECA and handles its own dispatch services). The Agency is governed by a five-member Board of Directors with one representative from each member agency. In addition to the member agencies, YECA provides dispatch services to 14 fire protection districts and UC Davis Fire Department.
YECA handles over 300,000 inbound/outbound calls a year, and dispatches an average of 165,000 law calls, 28,000 fire calls, and about 10,000 animal control and support services calls annually. As of the fiscal year 2018/19 budget, the JPA has 46 authorized positions in two divisions. YECA fields all the 911 calls, including landline, mobile phone and text generated calls for service. Dispatchers are also answering multiple non-emergency lines on behalf of each agency and providing customer service. They monitor and record the location of on-duty police officers, dispatch emergency personnel, monitor the radio traffic for multiple simultaneous calls, provide assistance to officers in the field by performing driver's license and wanted person queries, contacting other agencies for parole or warrant information, etc. In addition, from 5:00 P.M. to 8:00 A.M. dispatchers are also inputting high priority “after hour records” into state and federal law enforcement databases.
Errata Draft Report
Two changes have been made to the report released for public review which are highlighted in the errata draft: (1) the audit report date for 2014 was corrected; and (2) the estimated increased costs if one of the larger member agencies pulled out of YECA was increased from 25% to 40-45% after discussion with the Executive Director and making more realistic assumptions about how many positions could be cut. With a three-year notice of withdrawal required and new legislation that requires agencies remain liable for pension costs, a member's withdrawal is unlikely. However, this was a concern of the member agencies which is why this information was included in the review.
JPA Service Review Determinations and Recommendations
Six of the required seven MSR determinations are applicable to JPAs (the determination for disadvantaged unincorporated communities was removed for the JPA Service Review checklist). YECA's determinations and recommendations for Commission review and consideration are as follows:
Growth and Population Determination
According to the Department of Finance, the countywide population is estimated to increase by about 11% by 2025 and 18% by 2030. Projected growth is expected to result in increased call volume and require additional staff. Staffing will need to be increased commensurately with population growth and call volume in order to maintain service levels/response times.
Capacity and Adequacy of Public Facilities and Services Determination
YECA is meeting State performance standards for the time it takes to answer 9-1-1- calls. The standard requires at least 95% of calls to be answered within 15 seconds. According to YECA data for 2018, this standard has been exceeded with 99.22% of calls being answered within 15 seconds. However, the ability for YECA to continue its high performance with continued population and call volume growth is a concern. YECA funding does not automatically increase with population growth and resulting growth in call volume. The need to balance staffing needs with costs is not unlike other agencies, but what is unique about YECA is its services cannot be easily cut in an economic downturn. Population and dispatch service calls will continue in a recession and State of California performance standards will not be relaxed. Therefore, it’s unrealistic to expect that YECA can cut its budget in an economic downturn just as member agencies might need to. Due to the disparity between current authorized FTE and National Emergency Number Association recommended FTE, plus the difference between staffing levels recommended by the Executive Director versus what the Board actually approves, LAFCo recommends YECA develop its own objective metric to be used as a guideline to help determine the staffing levels needed to maintain performance standards.
YECA is also in need of a new dispatch center. The building was designed and constructed in the early 1980s and was not planned for the types of technology YECA must employ to serve its subscribers and have the ability to meet future expectations. A Facility Condition Assessment & Expansion Study was presented to the YECA Board in January 2017 which considered options for remodeling or constructing a new facility. Next steps recommended in the study were to discuss, vet and agree upon a more detailed strategy and plan. The YECA board recently requested the Executive Director to develop a process and strategy for board consideration to realize a new dispatch center by spring 2019.
Regarding redundancy in case the YECA dispatch center needs to be vacated for any reason, YECA is currently working on a plan to place a server at the City of Woodland public safety building which would provide for more complete operations than the existing plan to relocate to the City of Davis dispatch center. The YECA Executive Director also noted that the recent audit report recommended YECA to acquire its own accounting system. YECA currently uses Yolo County as its treasury.
Capacity and Adequacy of Public Facilities and Services Recommendation(s):
- LAFCo recommends YECA develop its own objective metric (e.g. calls per channel/dispatcher including supervisory and administration support staff) to be used as a guideline to help determine the staffing levels needed to maintain dispatcher support, performance standards, quality of workplace, employee recruitment and retention.
- A recent study confirmed that YECA should replace the existing communications center. YECA should complete the necessary building replacement cost analysis and begin setting aside funds for it as soon as possible.
- Continue efforts to create complete redundancy for YECA operations in the event the dispatch center needs to be vacated for any reason.
Financial Ability Determination
YECA is a financially well-run organization. Conservative budgets are routinely adopted and adhered to: appropriations are not overspent and revenues are consistently over-realized. In addition, unrestricted fund balance has increased each year. YECA’s core revenue, member contributions, are safe and reliable. YECA’s biggest financial challenge is funding a new facility. According to a 2017 study the current facility has outlived its capacity and functionality. The recommendation is for a full replacement of the building. Currently there has not been any funds specifically set aside for this project nor is it included in the current 10-year plan.
Other issues include developing a review process for presenting budget information to the board and the public, reviewing the relevance of billing Yolo County for the share of costs associated with Yolo County FPDs and Robbins FPD, consider establishing an OPEB funding policy, developing a comprehensive financial and accounting policies document and become more independent from Yolo County for accounting services.
Financial Ability Recommendation(s):
- Develop internal controls or a review process to ensure the adopted budget and budget amendments reconcile to the financial system, public presentations and to management reports.
- Ensure that the budget information presented to the Board for adoption includes appropriations at the level of authority and that estimated revenues and use of fund balance is clearly stated.
- Currently YECA services for all of the FPDs in Yolo County and the Robbins Fire District (in Sutter County) are paid for by Yolo County. Yolo County/YECA should discuss with the parties if this subsidy should continue. Six (6) of the districts in Yolo County are organized as independent districts and nine (9) are ultimately under Yolo County control. Robbins FPD is not in Yolo County at all and, therefore, a subsidy does not appear appropriate.
- Consider establishing a funding policy for OPEB costs, including establishing an irrevocable trust fund to accumulate assets to fund/reduce the liability. The establishment of an irrevocable trust allows the actuarial valuations to use a higher discount rate which reduces the amount of liability to be reported.
- A recent study confirmed that YECA should replace the existing communications center. YECA should complete the necessary building replacement cost analysis and begin setting aside funds for it as soon as possible.
- As stated in the most recent audit management letter YECA should consider procuring their own financial system.
- Since YECA is considering implementing their own financial system it is recommended they adopt their own financial and accounting policies.
Shared Services Determination
The JPA in itself is a result of shared dispatch services to reduce agency costs. The UC Davis Fire Department also recently joined YECA on July 1, 2018. The one gap in YECA’s countywide service area is the City of Davis. The City opted to do their own law enforcement and fire/emergency dispatch center, although the City has recently considered transferring fire and medical dispatch to YECA. The City of Davis Police Chief has indicated that its dispatch infrastructure and service is superior to YECA’s and is not interested in joining YECA.
The law enforcement agencies that YECA serves need to compromise and agree on using the same records management systems. Currently, YECA dispatchers need to use different systems for each law enforcement agency, which from a YECA operational perspective is inefficient and cumbersome.
Shared Services Recommendation:
- The YECA Board should require member law enforcement agencies to agree on and implement a common integrated records management system to improve operational efficiencies.
Accountability, Structure and Efficiencies Determination
The YECA website is very transparent and Board meetings are well-publicized and open to the public, although they are held at the dispatch center, behind security gates which may be a deterrent. YECA performs annual audits and has completed them within recommended timeframes in recent years.
Board member positions are filled and maintained, primarily with member agency law enforcement or fire personnel. These representatives have a keen understanding of the organization’s program requirements specific to law enforcement and fire protection, but may be lacking the broader vision for YECA and ability to work across silos to overcome and drive solutions on peer to peer issues, such as increasing staffing levels as needed, agreeing on a common law enforcement records management system and funding a new dispatch center. The Board has not authorized recommended staffing levels to create the necessary training and support staff for dispatchers. YECA Board reluctance to authorizing FTE may not be cost effective when upcoming technology changes, overtime, hiring and an 18-24-month training timeline to replace employees are factored in. In addition, one of YECA’s challenges is remaining competitive within the market and retaining employees to other agencies. A consolidated dispatch center is unique, as it requires a dispatcher to be trained to work multiple agencies compared to a single dispatch agency that is typically paid higher to work for one jurisdiction. The YECA Executive Director indicated in a recent salary survey that compensation was found to be 20% below median. This suggests member agencies should consider elevating its representatives to the level of executive staff or elected official. JPA member law enforcement and fire personnel may be better utilized as a technical advisory committee or users group.
There are many agencies served by YECA that do not have representation on the Board. There are also other partner agencies that are a critical part of the emergency response system. YECA should consider conducting a 360 self-evaluation by surveying providers and stakeholders and using this information to evaluate its governance composition and make appropriate adjustments to its user and other advisory groups. YECA has a law enforcement users group and a fire/communications users group, however other system users, such as animal services, public works, mental health, and emergency health providers are not included. The YECA Board should ensure there are systems in place to encourage and receive input from all the users and stakeholders to be an innovative and high performing organization.
Accountability, Structure and Efficiencies Recommendation(s):
- JPA member agencies should consider elevating its representative to the executive staff or elected official level. Law enforcement and fire personnel may be better utilized as a technical advisory committee. Board members need to have the ability to work across agency fire/law enforcement “chain of command” silos and drive broad solutions, such as increasing staffing levels as needed, agreeing on a common law enforcement records management system and funding a new dispatch center.
- One of YECA’s challenges is remaining competitive within the market and retaining employees to other agencies. The YECA Executive Director indicated in a recent salary survey that compensation was found to be 20% below median. YECA should adopt a policy regarding how much deviation (+/-) from salary surveys is acceptable. This policy must take into consideration that a consolidated dispatch center is more complicated and creates more work for a prospective employee as compared to a single agency dispatch center.
- YECA should continue to complete its audits within the recommended timeframe of six months of the end of the fiscal year as it has in recent years.
- YECA should consider conducting a 360 self-evaluation by surveying providers and stakeholders and using this information to evaluate its governance composition and make appropriate adjustments to its user and other advisory groups. The YECA Board should ensure there are systems in place to encourage and receive input from all the users and stakeholders to be an innovative and high performing organization.
Other Issues Determination
There are no other matters related to effective or efficient service delivery not already discussed in this report.
Public/YECA/Member Agency Involvement
The primary source of information used in this JPA Service Review has been information collected from YECA staff and adopted plans, budgets, reports, policies, etc. While researching the Service Review, staff met onsite with the Executive Director and also met with the Board Chair and a few stakeholders/users. On March 6, 2019 a “Notice of Availability of Draft JPA Service Review and Public Hearing” was released by LAFCo and published in the Woodland Democrat, which requested written comments from the public and stakeholders. In addition, notices were sent to every agency that YECA serves.
Since the primary motivation for LAFCo to conduct JPA Service Reviews was increased oversight by member agencies, staff emailed the draft report and met with the Yolo Managers Group on March 15, 2019 to discuss recommendations. John Donlevy, who is a YECA Board member and organizes the Yolo Managers Group meetings indicated as a follow-up item he would schedule an onsite tour of the YECA facilities for the city/county managers and have the YECA Board members there for a discussion regarding the LAFCo recommendations. |