The Turlock City Council will consider at their next meeting approving funding a treatment that aims to enhance brain performance for public safety personnel.

City staff is recommending the City Council approve a $642,500 contract with Genesis Behavior Center for Personalized repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (PrTMS) to be offered to the Turlock’s public safety personnel.

According to city staff, the peaks of the COVID-19 pandemic proved especially challenging for city staff, and most notably for police and fire department personnel, with the additional demands and stresses placed upon the personnel in those departments.  PrTMS offers a non-invasive and personalized approach to enhance brain performance. PrTMS can improve a range of associated factors such as resilience in the face of stress and sleep quality. This program would provide public safety personnel the opportunity to participate in a voluntary program dedicated to emphasizing the clarity, high achievement, and performance potential of the brain in their work and daily lives.

After a functional measurement process that evaluates a person’s brain function, a personalized treatment plan is designed to restore brain wave synchronicity thus enhancing brain performance.  PrTMS is delivered according to this personalized treatment plan. Ideally, an individual undertakes the sessions five days per week. Sessions typically last anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes. A typical individual may undertake 30 sessions to obtain an optimal outcome, although others may undertake up to 60 sessions.

City of Turlock Human Relations provided notice to all labor groups informing them that the City of Turlock was considering offering PrTMS to all personnel within the police and fire departments. There were no questions or concerns presented, according to city staff.

If approved, this program would be funded by American Rescue Plan Act funds.

At their next meeting, set for 6 p.m. Tuesday, the City Council will also start a new procedure of posting on the City website citizen questions presented at City Council meetings and the answers researched and provided by City staff so Turlock citizens can view them.

Council meeting question cards will be available at the City Council meeting and must be given to the City Clerk during the City Council meeting to be read during the public participation portion of the meeting. Cards will be forwarded to City staff who will respond directly per the contact information provided. Responses will be posted on the City of Turlock website at https://ci.turlock.ca.us/government/documentsreports under “Council Meeting Question Card Responses.”

Questions should be specific to topics within the subject matter jurisdiction of the City of Turlock.

“We are implementing these new standards to improve transparency and facilitate better communication with our community,” said Mayor Amy Bublak in a press release.

At their next meeting, the Council is also expected to:

·         Consider approving the fire department applying or a SAFER Grant through FEMA for $3.08 million for the hiring of nine additional firefighters. If awarded this grant funding, the fire department will hire an additional nine firefighters raising Turlock daily staffing levels to the City Gate recommended Effective Response Force of 16 personnel on duty each day.  These nine firefighters will be deployed as the 4th member to three of the department’s four existing engine companies additionally bring the fire department closer to compliance with NFPA 1710 staffing levels.

Protective Equipment (PPE) costs are not covered by provisions of the SAFER Grant.  PPE costs are estimated to be $85,000.  This budget impact  is able to be covered by available funds in the department’s Fund 116 “Special Public Safety” expense account. The City will be solely responsible for the entire amount of the annual salary and benefit costs to maintain these nine full time positions at the end of the 36-month grant funding period. These nine positions are expected to be PEPRA Firefighter Step 4 positions totaling $1,116,234 in FY 2027-2028 based on the current salary and benefit schedule. 

·         Consider adopting the updated policies and procedures for the Housing Division for administering the City of Turlock Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), the CDBG Monitoring Plan, the Turlock/Stanislaus County HOME Consortium policies and procedures, adopting the Turlock/Stanislaus County HOME Monitoring Plan, adopting the City of Turlock Residential Anti-Displacement and Relocation Assistance Policy, and adopting the City of Turlock/Stanislaus County HOME Consortium Affirmative Fair Housing Marketing Policies and Procedures.

·         Consider approving an out-of-boundary service agreement for connection to City of Turlock water for the 10-acre parcel at 625 E. Taylor Rd., just north of city limits, that houses the Turlock Unified School District farm.

·         Consider accepting the annual review opinion of the Planning Commission that Natural Healing Center, located at 3401 W. Monte Vista Ave.,  has complied with the terms and conditions of the cannabis pilot program Development Agreement.

The Turlock City Council will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Yosemite Room at City Hall, 156 N. Broadway. Meeting are open to the public.