San Juan Bautista City Council members continued discussion July 19 about the idea to hire a private security firm to patrol the city when sheriff’s deputies are not on duty.
City Manager Roger Grimsley told council members that the city had received proposals from First Alarm Security and Level 1 Private Security. He added that both firms were capable of providing the services the city was seeking.
First Alarm Security, headquartered in the Bay Area, is one of the largest security firms in the country. It provides commercial and residential security, with accounts throughout the Central Coast and Bay Area. Their staff ranges from security officers to police officers.
Cal Horton, president of First Alarm Security and Patrol Inc., recommended the city hire entry-level security officers who have citation authority to patrol the area.
Mayor Rick Edge brought up two different rates he noticed in the proposal.
Horton said that while they had proposed an initial rate of $15 per hour, he also included the bill rate of $23 per hour based on an eight-hour shift from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., seven days a week. There would be no equipment charges and no benefit charges.
Vice Mayor Chris Martorana said, “I think 6 a.m. is too early,” noting that break-ins often occurred when there was a sheriff shift change. “We would want to cover that,” he said.
Level 1 Private Security had previously presented a proposal to the council at the special meeting on June 16. No action was taken at the meeting but council members asked the company to revise its proposal with pricing details.
JT Tomlinson, chief operating officer and co-founder of Level 1 Private Security said, “what makes us different from the other guys is that we’re not a large corporation, we’re small.”
At the June 16 meeting he told the board they would act as a visual deterrent and answered that Hollister Downtown Association, Bolado Park and Hollister Police Department were among their clients.
While no price was discussed at the meeting Tomlinson had previously quoted $2,760 per month for one guard not including the patrol car. He said, “We’re able to pay quality people for quality work.”
Grimsley said he had contracts from both but did not provide them in the packets for the meeting.
“I think this option of choosing which to go with is a good idea,” said San Juan Bautista resident John Hopper during public comment. “I think you should think of it as leveraging what you’re already spending instead of just preventing burglaries.”
Councilman Tony Boch said,”I think we have to look at both of these companies, get references and talk to people in Hollister.” He suggested they figure things out by the next meeting and look at it on a year by year basis.
Grimsley said he would have the city’s insurance take a look at each contract and Martorana suggested that staff start checking references.
While no action was taken, the discussion will continue at the next meeting where the council hopes to make a final decision.
In other council news, the water and sewer payment plan for limited income individuals has been tabled indefinitely. The payment plan would have reduced payments by 12 percent starting July 1 for individuals who are 62 years or older, a head of the household and part of the PG&E Care Program.
Councilman Joe West said, “If you give somebody a break, somebody else has to pay for it.”
Boch agreed with West, adding that he didn’t want to bring it up again.
Martorana, who had encouraged residents to approach the council if they had an opinion about the proposed payment plan, said, “I haven’t gotten any phone calls. It hasn’t come up at all.”
The next city council meeting will be held on Aug. 16 at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at City Hall on Second Street in San Juan Bautista.