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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 04211992 - 2.1 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Contra FROM: Phil Batchelor, County Administrator Costa o; County DATE: April 16, 1992 c6un� SUBJECT: APPLICATION FOR FUNDS FROM THE OFFICE OF TRAFFIC SAFETY SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATION: Ratify the decision of the County Administrator to submit an . application to the Office of Traffic Safety of the California Business, Transportation & Housing Agency to fund a program designed to reduce the number of drunk driving accidents and deaths which occur in Contra Costa County. BACKGROUND: Each year, the Office of Traffic Safety requests memorandum proposals .for traffic safety projects from eligible governmental agencies . The proposals received are used in developing the annual Highway Safety Plan (HSP) . Because the deadline for the submission of applications was April 15, 1992 for the 1992-93 fiscal year, and because the availability of the grants came to staff attention too late to obtain Board of Supervisors approval in advance, it was necessary to go ahead and submit the application, with the understanding that it was to be ratified by the Board of Supervisors on April 21, 1992 . This application is intended to address the problem faced by those individuals who go .to a restaurant or bar to consume alcoholic beverages and then must drive themselves home. It is clear that driving oneself home after consuming alcoholic beverages can have a number of impacts on other individuals . The primary consideration, of course, is in terms of lives lost and injuries caused by the drinking driver. However, also of concern is the damage to property, the effect of drunk-driving incidents upon families, the cost of increased enforcement and correctional personnel and facilities, the cost of alcohol related programs and economic impact of these accidents, injuries and deaths on local businesses with the corresponding loss of tax revenue. ,CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE: RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S): 9 _ r ACTION OF BOARD O prl APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED —X. OTHER The Board approved the above recommendation, and in addition, APPROVED the recommendation of Supervisor Powers that recipients of the service be targeted as candidates for proper education in dealing with their alcholism issue , and the possibility of charging for_ the transportation service be explored so that the program can survive after the grant funds run out . - VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE _ UNANIMOUS(ABSENT ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. County Administrator / q CC: ATTESTED Health Services Director ' Sheriff-Coroner PHIL BATCHEL R,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF Alcohol Program Administrator SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR BY DEPUTY M382 (10/88) -2- The proposal involves contracting with a private firm which would purchase two minibuses, provide drivers, a program coordinator and related administrative support. The minibuses would make regular rounds of cooperating bars and restaurants, pick up patrons who have been consuming alcoholic beverages and deliver them to their homes, thereby avoiding having these drivers on the road. The application to the Office of Traffic Safety is in the amount of $170,000 for one year. Initially, the minibuses would operate from 7 : 00 P.M. to 3 : 00 A.M. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights . If additional funding were to become available and as the need became evident, the program could be expanded to a seven day a week program. The owners of bars and restaurants would be contacted and contracted with the bus service. Their staff would be trained as to the procedure to be used to guide customers to the bus service. A media campaign would also be used to heighten the public ' s awareness of the availability of the program. The objective of the program would be that within one year at least 50% of the alcohol- serving establishments in the County would be participating in the program.