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Home My WebLink About11054 City Clerk's Office Item # S6 Background Paper for Proposed Action Item COUNCIL MEETING DATE: October 14, 2025 TO: President Mark Aliff and Members of City Council CC: Mayor Heather Graham VIA: Marisa Stoller, City Clerk FROM: Chris Noeller, Chief of Police SUBJECT: AN ORDINANCE APPROVING AND ACCEPTING A GRANT AGREEMENT AND APPLICABLE CONDITIONS PERTAINING THERETO WITH THE STATE OF COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, DIVISION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE, ESTABLISHING PROJECT NUMBER PS2511, BUDGETING AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS INTO PROJECT PS2511, AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE SAME, AND RATIFYING THEIR SIGNATURE THERETO SUMMARY: This Ordinance approves a grant agreement with the Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal Justice beginning July 1, 2025, and ending March 21, 2026, and approves and accepts an initial grant award of $200,000 into Project PS2511. PREVIOUS COUNCIL ACTION: City Council has previously approved ordinances accepting Department of Public Safety funds for CRS 24-33.5- (SMART) Grant Program. This grant would fall under SMART with funds distributed for a new childcare reimbursement program. BACKGROUND: The Pueblo Police Department has 189 POST-certified officers out of it's authorized strength of 231. Forty-plus positions have been vacant for 16 months or more. The positions are budgeted, but incentives to fill and keep them are inadequate. Childcare affordability directly impacts the attraction and retention of a dedicated and quality employee base and has a considerable impact on the ability of working parents to establish and build their careers. This award will support families and the workforce to care so that they have the ability to work. Childcare costs must be considered when addressing recruitment and retention of a quality workforce, whereas nationwide: of their annual salary (https://www.forbes.com/sites/break-thefuture/ 2017/11/30/lack-of-childcare-leaves-money-on-thetable/?sh=5d3898da3e79). FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: This grant will require monitoring, auditing, and submission of financial documents which will impact the City of Pueblo with staffing costs. The City of Pueblo is responsible for administering the drawdown of the grant. The City will submit quarterly reports to the Department of Public Safety documenting expenditures. Childcare affordability directly impacts the attraction and retention of a dedicated and quality employee base and has a considerable impact on the ability of working parents to establish and build their careers. This award will support families and the workforce to Childcare is a major issue as parents face high costs, long wait lists, and limited options in an overburdened system. In a report by the National Conference of State Legislatures, employers cite childcare issues as causing more problems than any other family-related issue in the workplace, with increases in absenteeism and tardiness reported in 9 out of 10 companies; 80% of the companies surveyed said that workdays were cut short because of childcare problems. Matching funds from the City of Pueblo are not required for this grant. BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION: Not applicable. STAKEHOLDER PROCESS: The Pueblo Police Department will work with the Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal Justice to help make decisions related to childcare and a written directive regarding the criteria for reimbursement. ALTERNATIVES: Decline this grant offer from the Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal Justice. RECOMMENDATION: Approval of the Ordinance. ATTACHMENTS: 1. 2024-SP-25-36_SMART_Policing (1) ORDINANCE NO.11054 AN ORDINANCE APPROVING AND ACCEPTING A GRANT AGREEMENT AND APPLICABLE CONDITIONS PERTAINING THERETO WITH THE STATE OF COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, DIVISION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE, ESTABLISHING PROJECT NUMBER PS2511, BUDGETING AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS INTO PROJECT PS2511, AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE SAME, AND RATIFYING THEIR SIGNATURE THERETO WHEREAS, the City Council of Pueblo has the authority on behalf of the City of Pueblo, including its Police Department, to accept grants from the state government for public and municipal purposes and to enter into agreements relating thereto; and WHEREAS, the Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal Justice has tendered a costs of childcare for POST-certified employees so they can work; and WHEREAS, the Department of Public Safety has made additional awards of funds in the past under previous grant agreements for recruitment and retention and the Pueblo Police Department anticipates the award of additional funds in the future pursuant to this agreement if the same are made available by the Department of Public Safety; and WHEREAS, acceptance of the Agreement for the purposes for which it has been made is in the best interest of the City of Pueblo and will benefit the health, dedication, and retention of officers, which in turn will provide more officers on the street for the safety of the citizens of the City; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF PUEBLO, that: SECTION 1. The grant agreement between the City of Pueblo, a Municipal Corporation, and the Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal Justice for the purpose of supporting families is attached hereto, having been approved as to form by the City Attorney, is hereby approved and accepted in accordance with its terms and conditions. SECTION 2. The Mayor was authorized to execute the grant agreement in the name of and on behalf of the City of Pueblo on September 22, 2025; and the City Clerk shall affix the Seal of the City to the grant agreement and attest their prior signature. SECTION 3. The Pueblo Police Department is empowered to apply for and accept additional grant awards pursuant to the grant agreement as those funds are made available by the Department of Public Safety. SECTION 4. Project number PS2511 is hereby established in the Public Safety Grants Fund. All current and future funds accepted under this Ordinance shall be budgeted and appropriated into project number PS2511 by the City Finance Department. SECTION 5. The officers and staff of the City of Pueblo are authorized to perform any and all acts consistent with the intent of this Ordinance and the attached agreement to implement the policies and procedures described herein. SECTION 6. This Ordinance shall become effective on the date of final action by the Mayor and City Council. Action by City Council: Introduced and initial adoption of Ordinance by City Council on September 22, 2025. Final adoption of Ordinance by City Council on October 14, 2025. ____________________________ President of City Council Action by the Mayor: Approved on _______________. Disapproved on ______________ based on the following objections: ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________ Mayor Action by City Council After Disapproval by the Mayor: Council did not act to override the Mayor's veto. Ordinance re-adopted on a vote of ____________, on _____________ ____________________________ President of City Council ATTEST ________________________________ City Clerk