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HomeMy Public PortalAbout20121101 public safety minutes 1 Public Safety Committee Meeting Call to Order The November 1, 2012, Public Safety Committee meeting convened at 8:05 a.m. by Councilman Luebbert in Chairman Councilman Pope’s absence. Attendance Present: Committee Members: Councilman Bill Luebbert, Councilman Rick Prather, Councilman Larry Henry. Guests: City Counselor Drew Hilpert, Fire Chief Bob Rennick, Police Chief Roger Schroeder, Public Works Director Roger Schwartze, Police Captain Bob Cynova, Emergency Management Coordinator Bill Farr, and Gilbert Cole with Missouri American Water Company. Approval of Minutes Minutes from the September 29, 2012, committee meeting were approved. All voted in favor. Discussion of Agenda Items Councilman Luebbert asked to deviate from the agenda and hear from Mr. Cole regarding the Missouri American Water Company outage on Tuesday, October 23. Mr. Cole stated he had considerable help from various City departments during the outage. The company’s emergency plan worked as intended. Part of the piping in the release system on a high-service pump came loose, spraying water inside the building. The power was shut off to the building, which stopped the water pumps. The piping was repaired within 2 ½ hours. The fire department assisted in pumping water out of the building. Mr. Cole advised it took 18 hours from the time a water sample is taken to get it cleared for drinking, lifting the boil advisory. Councilman Prather inquired about safety issues during the outage. Chief Rennick advised he activated their mutual aid plan for water, alerting area fire districts. The long-term plan is to build an elevated 1.5 million gallon water tank on Cherry Creek. The water tank would provide the same water pressure that the water plant presently provides. The ground water tank at Oak Hills Golf Course is under repair and was inoperable at the time of the outage. Chief Rennick, Emergency Management Coordinator Farr and Mr. Cole met with local hospital management regarding emergency plans. The new St. Mary’s Health Center and the two existing hospitals plan to truck in water and use their internal system in case of an emergency. It takes approximately 4-6 hours from the request for trucks to haul water into town until their arrival. Councilman Luebbert expressed concerns about the age and reliability of the system. Mr. Cole advised a comprehensive study was done in 2007 to determine the replacement priority. They now have a sophisticated system to analyze parts and repair/replacement needs. Mr. Cole will appear before the City Council on November 19 to discuss the outage and answer any questions. 2 Councilman Henry excused himself, which left the committee without a quorum. OLD BUSINESS Update on Fire Department Equipment Purchase Chief Rennick advised the fire department would be purchasing more equipment. He is looking at the supply side of the issue and changing from low pressure to high pressure air tanks. A new compressor will be purchased and modifications made to their present one. Chief Rennick stated the new compressor will allow them to continue to fill air tanks for local private companies. Fire personnel will be trained on the new equipment, and a field maintenance class will also be provided. Revised Noise Ordinance City Counselor Hilpert advised the revised ordinance addresses vehicle noise separately. A revision was made to change the point of measurement to 50 feet from the noise source. The noise decibels were lowered 5 points to 80 during the day and 75 at night. Mr. Brownstein , a resident of Ash Street, had asked that the levels be lowered from 75 to 70 at night; however, there was concern this would cause an issue with industrial noise limits. Councilman Luebbert asked Chief Schroeder if the police department was making the necessary preparations. Chief Schroeder responded the revised ordinance required compromise, and Counselor Hilpert had drafted the best policy possible under the circumstances. The police department would make the necessary equipment purchases. It was agreed that the effective date of the ordinance would allow the necessary time for the police department to make the purchases and provide training on the equipment. NEW BUSINESS Fire Department Response to American Water Outage Chief Rennick already addressed this issue during the discussion with Mr. Cole. Open Burning Season Chief Rennick advised the open burn season was discussed during the morning’s “brown bagel” meeting. With the implementation of Daylight Savings time, the Fire Department reminds citizens to change the batteries in their smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Fire Division Chief of Prevention Jason Turner will be putting out a reminder to the local media. Appropriation to Recognize Receipt of J.A.G. Grant Funds Chief Schroeder advised this notification is a formality. The Justice Assistance Grant (J.A.G.) is a no-match grant awarded by the federal government in which they determine the amount each agency will receive. The granted is divided 60% ($11,154.00) to the Jefferson City Police Department and 40% ($7,436.00) to the Cole County Sheriff’s Office. The grant is designated to be used for equipment. 3 Lease Agreement with Ozark Harley Davidson for Motorcycles Chief Schroeder advised this is the 8th year the department has leased motorcycles at a total cost this year of $5,600.00 for the two. The department also owns two Harley Davidson motorcycles. Chief Schroeder stated the department has had a good partnership with Ozark Harley Davidson; however, the contract may rebid next year. In response to an inquiry from Councilman Luebbert, Chief Schroeder advised the motorcycle Officer Sederwall was riding when he was hit by a suspect was owned by the department. Supplemental Appropriation from Animal Shelter Reserve Fund Chief Schroeder advised this is part of a transition from Public Works to the Police Department. The majority of the Reserve Fund (formally called a Donation Fund) comes from donations from the community and from Cole County. Public Works Director Schwartze advised the funds will be used to pay for several revisions/additions to the new building such as the HVAC system, a canopy over the incinerator, a power assisted door and smoke detectors. The architect had advised that the power assisted door and smoke detectors were not required, but the City decided they were needed. Chief Schroeder and Police Captain Cynova advised there are problems with the original flooring put in the shelter. Since this is a vendor issue, the vendor will pay for the floor replacement. Chestnut Street/Lincoln University Counselor Hilpert advised that Lincoln University’s goals, in taking over control of Chestnut Street, is to make the campus safer, to enforce the no parking zones, and make it a smoke free area. Chief Rennick has expressed concern that blocking off Chestnut Street would create a hazard for the fire department. Lincoln University’s plan is to place gates at either end of Chestnut. Counselor Hilpert stated a camera system to monitor the street will be installed and monitored 24 hours a day by Lincoln University. They would immediately allow access to emergency vehicles, including fire trucks, when necessary. Counselor Hilpert advised the City will maintain an easement for utilities and emergency equipment. Chief Rennick advised that fire trucks run two courses using Chestnut Street. Station 1 trucks travel through the main body of campus, and station 4 trucks use Chestnut to access area streets. They will have to alter those routes. Counselor Hilpert advised the Parking Division writes approximately 10 tickets a day in that area, with a very low collection rate. Because the majority of the students illegally parking are not from Jefferson City, it is difficult to collect fines. Lincoln University’s long-term goal is to provide a pedestrian area on Chestnut. A representative from Lincoln University will speak at the November 5th City Council meeting. OTHER BUSINESS None. Adjourn The meeting was concluded at 8:50 a.m.