Good news for the City of Los Altos. It has won tentative approval for a grant of $259,000 to fund two officers and their motorcycles for traffic enforcement for a two-year period.
Funds would come from the California Office of Traffic Safety.
"We are very happy with this tentative approval," said Lucy Carlton, chief of police for Los Altos. The city was turned down a year ago, so the grant is particularly pleasing, especially in light of the citizen concern in Los Altos for traffic calming and additional enforcement, she said.
The decision now, for the city council, is whether or not to accept the grant because it comes with some strings attached.
The main issue: Can the city continue to fund the officers when the two years is up?
The funding agency expects that will happen. Grants are viewed as seed money from a funding agency to get projects started, but with the expectation that the city can then continue on, not just drop it, city staff said.
"The real string," said city manager Phil Rose in an interview after the council meeting, "is that the city must designate (income from) the (automobile) impound account, as part of the grant. And that would leave a hole in the general fund.
"I'm thrilled with the opportunity, but we must go in with our eyes open."
He mentioned an instance in Morgan Hill when the city added a number of police officers and then couldn't cut them out at the end of the grant. "So they had to close parks and recreation," he said.
But Rose is optimistic that the city will work out a way to accept the grant.
"It fits into our long-range plans. And these officers would produce revenue," he said.