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SARATOGA CITY COUNCIL
MEETING DATE: September 7, 2011 AGENDA ITEM:
DEPARTMENT: City Manager’s Office CITY MANAGER: Dave Anderson
PREPARED BY: Crystal Morrow DIRECTOR: Dave Anderson
Administrative Analyst II
SUBJECT: AlertSCC Non-Emergency Messaging
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Appoint the City Manager as the authorized representative to respond to the Santa Clara County
request to opt in or out of AlertSCC non-emergency messaging services and direct the City
Manager to opt out of AlertSCC non-emergency messaging.
BACKGROUND:
AlertSCC is an emergency alert service offered by Santa Clara County that utilizes telephone
voice messages, emails, and text messages to send alerts. The system uses phone numbers in the
911 and 411 databases, as well as cell phone numbers and email addresses registered with the
system via the AlertSCC website.
While the primary purpose of the AlertSCC notification system is to communicate emergency
information to the public, the system can also be used to share non-emergency messages. Cities
in Santa Clara County have been asked to notify the County by September 15, 2011 whether or
not they would like to opt in our out of this service.
Cities that opt in to non-emergency messaging services will be required to pay a one-time set up
fee of $5,000 and $5,000 for every year of non-emergency messaging services. Consequently, the
first year of non-emergency services will be $10,000 plus the cost of additional messages above
the number included in the annual fee.
Staff is recommending that the Council appoint the City Manager as the City’s authorized
representative to sign the AlertSCC Opt In/Opt Out form. Additionally, staff recommends that
the Council direct the City Manager to opt out of the AlertSCC non-emergency messaging
component of the AlertSCC program. The service comes at a high cost and the City already has a
number of communication tools at its disposal, such as the City website, email, paid newspaper
advertising, TIS radio station, and KSAR. Over the last year, the City has had access to AlertSCC
non-emergency messaging and has not had a need for this service.
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FISCAL IMPACTS:
If Council directs the City Manager to opt out of AlertSCC non-emergency messaging services,
there will be no fiscal impact to the City.
CONSEQUENCES OF NOT FOLLOWING THE RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:
The City would not submit an Opt In/Opt Out Authorization Form to the County for AlertSCC
non-emergency messaging services.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
The Council may decide to direct the City Manager to opt in to AlertSCC non-emergency
messaging services. If the City opts into this messaging service, Santa Clara County charges a
$5,000 set up fee for non-emergency AlertSCC messaging services. One year of use, including
100,000 messages, is $5,000. Additional non-emergency messages can be purchased at anytime
for $5,000 per 100,000 messages.
FOLLOW UP ACTION(S):
Implement Council direction.
ADVERTISING, NOTICING AND PUBLIC CONTACT:
Pursuant to Government Code 54954.2, this item was properly posted as a City Council agenda
item and was included in the packet made available on the City’s web site in advance of the
meeting. A copy of the agenda packet is also made available at the Saratoga Branch Library each
Monday in advance of the Council meeting.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment A: AlertSCC Non-Emergency Messaging Opt In/Opt Out Authorization Form