Atascadero Police Department purchases new software for dispatch and police records management system

ATASCADERO—The Atascadero City Council met for their regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 11. The meeting then recessed to a Successor Agency meeting and a Public Financing Authority meeting and was then preceded by the Council’s closed session.

The evenings’ agenda was approved unanimously by the Council.

When the meeting went into the consent calendar, Mayor Heather Moreno pulled Item 5. “I would like to have, not a major staff report by any means, but I would like to have a little bit of comment on item number 5,” said Moreno.

Item 5 is in regards to a CAD/RMS Software Replacement that will update Atascadero Police’s Computer Aided Dispatch and their Police Records Management System. Both of these systems help make police work safe and effective. The software will also help Atascadero’s fire and police departments comply with legal mandates and clear up time by making manual processes automatic.

“Thankfully, with the voters in passing D20, we’re able to finally invest in this for our public safety,” Moreno said. She then asked the Atascadero Police Chief, Bob Masterson, to speak on what Atascadero locals are getting for their money.

“Computerated dispatch in this day and age, to operate a dispatch center without computering dispatches up to the modern standard (state of the art) is really asking for trouble. So we’re, needless to say, excited about this. The officers here at Atascadero PD have a front-row seat in the review, and implementation, and choice selection of what we’re going to do,” Masterson said. “We’re really pleased with the final product that the committee and the city have chosen. 

“We thank the public because it is because of you passing D20 that we are able to afford something like this. And if you know Atascadero, we eek every last drop we can out of every asset we have. That EIS system [Atascadero PD’s current system] is, from what I understand, kind of on its last leg and not serving us to the maximum that it can,” Moreno stated.

After the discussion on Item 5, the consent calendar passed unanimously.

Atascadero’s City Manager, Richelle Rickard, then addressed the Council. On Friday, Jan. 28, there will be a special council meeting and joint planning session/study session. From 1 to 5 p.m., economic development will be discussed. Then from 6 to 9 p.m., there will be a general plan study session. Both will be held virtually.

Public Works Director Nick DeBar gave a presentation to the Council on the Fiscal Year 2021 Annual Road Report. The report showed financial statements, revenue, and expense information having to do with Atascadero roads from July 2020 through June 2021.

“Total revenue collected for that period was $2,832,052. There was also interest that was a little over $11,000 that was collected and earned almost $56,000, and counting adjustments to fair market value, I decreased that,” said DeBar.

The spending breakdown is as follows:

• 2019 Pavement Rehabilitation Project = $3,636

• 2020 Pavement Rehabilitation Project = $2,375,316

• 2021 Pavement Rehabilitation Project = $197,016

• 2021 Pavement Resurfacing Project = $1,056

• 2022 Pavement Rehabilitation Project = $31,131

“These projects do often take about a year and a half, or sometimes two years to complete without the residual expenditures that happen, but during this recording period, you can see the 2020 pavement rehab project was a lion’s share of the expenditures,” DeBar added. “But total expenditures of a little more than 2.6 million dollars.”

The funded balance at the end of this reporting period was $4,474,858. Of this amount, there were already 2.9 million dollars committed and spent on construction. 

The Citzens’ Sales Tax Oversight Committee reviewed the annual report on Dec. 16, 2021, and approved it. They also recommended approval of the report by the City Council.

“I’m so happy that we got some roads paved that’s been a long time coming, and they’re wonderful to drive on, and it’s just delightful,” said public commenter Deborah McKrell. However, she did go on to express concerns about certain roads not draining well during the rains and asked when future road projects would be put up on the interactive map.

Most of the funds have been used on neighborhood roads in Atascadero, with 29.57 miles being fixed during the duration of the rehabilitation measure, which is close to halfway done.

The 2021 annual road report will hit people’s mailboxes in early February of this year.

The motion for the Fiscal Year 2021 Annual Road Report and the 2021 Community Road Report passed unanimously.

The next Atascadero City Council meeting will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 25, at 6 p.m.