City Council
MEETING DATE: 3/9/2016
TITLE:
Title
Contract with Barrister Professional Services, LLC., for Background Investigations on Applicants for Medical Cannabis Businesses
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FROM:
George Crum, Chief of Police
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Staff recommends the City Council approve a contract with Barrister Professional Services, LLC to complete background investigations on Medical Cannabis Businesses within the City, and authorize the City Manager to execute the Service Agreement.
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BACKGROUND:
The Police Department has three part time background investigators that are tasked with conducting backgrounds for Police Officers, Dispatchers, Police Reserve Officers, Police Cadets and Firefighters. The internal background investigators completed four Marijuana Dispensary applications while balancing the prospective employee background demands. Police Administration began researching other viable options eight months ago to speed up the process with the intent to present a private investigator contract firm to the City Council. This firm has been identified and can conduct Marijuana Dispensary and Marijuana Cultivation applicant background checks in a timely fashion. This will allow our in-house background investigators to concentrate and commit 100 percent of their time to completing background investigations on Cathedral City Police Department and Fire Department applicants.
Police Administrators contacted the City Attorney during this research to inquire if they were aware of any such companies other cities were utilizing for backgrounds. The City Attorney put a request out via the internet on the City Attorney website asking the subscribers if they were aware of any private investigators that conduct backgrounds on Marijuana Dispensaries. We received several contractor names from attorneys that responded to the request that had positive comments about private investigator firms they had worked with that had conducted various backgrounds for their respective cities. All the firm names were contacted by Police Administration with some declining immediately to conduct marijuana dispensary and cultivation backgrounds.
Police Administration contacted and met with Lance Bauer who is the owner of Barrister Professional Services. It is recommended this private contractor be utilized to conduct Marijuana Dispensary and Marijuana Cultivation backgrounds in Cathedral City. Barrister Professional Services is a well-respected private investigation firm,that has been conducting background investigations for 26 years, starting business in 1990.
DISCUSSION:
Police Administration has met with Barrister Professional Services to discuss timelines of completion of Marijuana Dispensary and Cultivation CUPs. Barrister Professional Services has agreed that under normal circumstances that a background should be able to be completed in a 60 day timeframe barring any extenuating circumstances. The initial acceptance of Marijuana Dispensary and Marijuana Cultivation Site CUPs beginning on April 1st depending on the activity level could make this initial timeframe have some extenuating circumstances adding some additional time to some of the applicants that are accepted later in the process.
In an effort to streamline the live scan requirement process Cathedral City Police personnel will conduct all live scans on the prospective Marijuana Dispensary and Marijuana Cultivation applicants at the Police Department.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Barrister Professional Services will perform background investigation on Marijuana Dispensary and Marijuana Cultivation applicants for a fee of $90 an hour plus expenses. Each applicant background is capped at $3,500 and this budget will not be exceeded without prior approval of the Chief of Police or his designee. The fees will be paid by the applicants.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Professional Services Agreement for Background Investigations for Marijuana Dispensaries and Marijuana Cultivation Sites between the City of Cathedral City and Barrister Professional Services.
2. Proposal by Barrister Professional Services, LLC.