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HomeMy Public PortalAbout2018-10-25 minutes 1 Public Safety Committee Meeting Call to Order The October 25, 2018, Public Safety Committee meeting convened at 7:32 a.m. by Councilman Schreiber in Councilman Graham's absence. Attendance Present: Committee Members: Councilman Schreiber, Councilman Kemna and Councilman Hussey Guests: City Administrator Steve Crowell, City Counselor Ryan Moehlman, Fire Chief Matt Schofield, Police Chief Roger Schroeder, Police Captain Deric Heislen and Police Lieutenant Chad Stieferman. Approval of Minutes Councilman Hussey made a motion to approve the minutes of the June 28, 2018 meeting. Councilman Kemna seconded the motion. Minutes were approved. Discussion of Agenda Items OLD BUSINESS Fire Apparatus Fleet Status Chief Schofield advised five of the seven new fire apparatus have been received; three engines and two squad trucks. They are awaiting the arrival of two ladder trucks. He is in the process of mounting equipment and conducting training. This has been a three-year process and represents a major milestone. Chief Schofield advised the committee new Engine #4 would be available for viewing after the meeting. The new apparatus are very functional and were designed by JCFD personnel. The apparatus will be durable, reliable and capable of serving the community for the next 20 years, 10 years of frontline service and 10 years of reserve service. The old trucks are being slowly taken out of service for surplus. There are sale commitments on each one. Two will be held in reserve until all new apparatus are established in the fleet. Fire Station #2 Update Chief Schofield stated the construction of new Fire Station 2 is moving ahead, and he is happy with the progress. The roof trusses will be installed by the end of the week, and the outer structure should be up by Thanksgiving, as originally projected. The conclusion of the project is estimated to be late spring/early summer. 2 NEW BUSINESS Intent to Declare the Property at 2400 E. McCarty (old Fire Station 2) Surplus and Sell Via Sealed Bid Chief Schofield asked the committee for their endorsement of the intent to sell the property housing old fire station 2. The selling of the property may have to include zone changes and splitting of the lot. It is the intent to have a buyer before moving out of old fire station 2 to avoid paying utilities on both the old and new buildings. City Counselor Moehlman advised there may be a closed session of the City Council to discuss sale terms, depending on what is ultimately decided to do with the property. New Firefighter Eligibility Process Accepting Applications November 1st Through December 17th, Written and Physical Test January 2nd-5th Chief Schofield advised the City will begin advertising and taking applications for a firefighter eligibility roster. The list will become effective upon completion of the process in adherence to the City Code. Proposed Changes to Shelter Advisory Committee Ordinance Captain Heislen stated the Shelter Advisory Committee had voted at its meeting on September 18th to increase the number of their committee by two, to include one representative of Cole County and one resident of Jefferson City/Cole County that is not required to have a veterinary license. The intent is to broaden the spectrum of the board and expand involvement. The proposed ordinance also includes the change from a veterinarian on the committee being required to be the owner of a clinic to being required to be a practicing veterinarian. Councilman Hussey made a motion to move the proposed ordinance changes onto the City Council for consideration. Councilman Kemna seconded the motion. Motion approved. Community Cats Proposed Ordinance Captain Heislen advised at the present time there is no ordinance regarding feral cats. Presently they fall under the City's leash law which would require them to be trapped and euthanized. The Shelter Advisory Committee is requesting an ordinance to establish separate colonies of feral cats to allow non-profit groups to trap, sterilize and release the cats. Responsibility for these cats would fall on the caretakers of the established colonies. There would be no cost to the City. If the cats become a nuisance, they would be treated as any other nuisance animal and dealt with by Animal Control. The ordinance would satisfy both ends of the spectrum on feral cats. Councilman Hussey stated he saw this as a middle-of-the-road solution to the feral cat situation, and a good plan. Councilman Kemna made a motion to move the proposed ordinance onto the City Council for consideration. Councilman Hussey seconded the motion. Motion passed. 3 Updates to Computer Network Lt. Stieferman stated issues with the computer infrastructure have been uncovered which affect the entire City and 911 Center. He is working with IT Manager Meyer to remedy these issues. Outside vendors conducted a full network analysis and determined that outdated hardware needed to be replaced, and the network needs reconfiguration. This will provide optimal internet traffic and improve all core functions. The UPS (uninterrupted power supply) at Fire Station 3 was also found to be insufficient, and an upgrade is in the process. This upgrade will provide a fully powered redundant communications center at Fire Station 3. A hardware configuration of the entire city network will occur next Wednesday, October 31st which will require a brief interruption of service. The goal is to provide optimum public safety service to the community. OTHER BUSINESS Fire Department Update Chief Schofield stated October is Fire Safety Month, and the y have been very busy. The Fire Department will hold their Halloween event "Pit Stop" at the Fire Museum on Halloween evening. In addition to candy for the children, smoke detectors and carbon monoxide monitors will be given out to the public. Chief Schofield advised every two years captain and driver eligibility testing occurs, these extensive written, practical and skill assessments were completed in October. The new Safety House, which was made possible through donations from community groups, has had very positive review. It has enabled more children to be processed through more efficiently. KRCG has partnered with the Fire Department to promote the Safety House. Police Department Updates Chief Schroeder advised that recent promotions and movement of people to new positions within the department has provided career development opportunities which are healthy for the organization. Two police officers are currently attending the Law Enforcement Training Institute at the University of Missouri. With one new police officer position authorized in the 2018-2019 budget, the department has two police officer and one communications operator vacancies. The turnover rate for the department is normally 7-8%, which is low for law enforcement. This year the turnover rate to date is lower, and the department can lose another three employees in the next two months before it reaches the normal percentage. The department will not be getting 2019 Ford patrol cars. The demand for the vehicles exceeded Ford's ability to manufacture the number requested. The department followed the local government process for requesting vehicles, but Ford shortened the window for ordering vehicles, which meant the vehicles were requested after the arbitrary cutoff date. There are two options for obtaining new patrol vehicles. Ford is manufacturing a 2020 electric hybrid Explorer, their next car available for police vehicles. Shawn Stumpe with Maintenance has stated he would prefer other departments discover problems with the electric vehicle before they are 4 purchased by the Jefferson City Police Department. Captain Heislen and Shawn Stumpe recently attended the National Police Fleet Conference in St. Louis. Captain Heislen advised Ford was very cryptic concerning their 2020 vehicle. Many law enforcement personnel at the conference expressed their displeasure with Ford's changes, and the extremely short ordering period. The Dodge Durango is also an option, but would require new equipment for the interior. Chief Schroeder stated the Dodge Chargers used by the Highway Patrol are too small and too fast for municipal policing. The Durango utility vehicle affords the necessary space and manageable speed. Captain Heislen estimates the cost of the equipment for the Durango to be $3,500 - $4,000 per car. Councilman Hussey confirmed with Chief Schroeder that the $300,000 allocated in next year's budget for police vehicles would include the cost of cars and equipment. Chief Schroeder stated a mass notification system will finally be implemented. Captain Heislen advised the law department is drafting an MOU between the City and Cole County for a Rave 911 system. Cole County will pay 50% of the cost of the system. Rave 911 is being utilized by surrounding counties, and the City/County system can be integrated with those of other counties. The specific uses of the notification system have yet to be determined, but there are many. Chief Schroeder stated Rave 911 was deemed the best vendor through the bidding process, and Councilman Mihalevich is a strong supporter of the system. Bill Farr, Cole County Emergency Management Coordinator, is also supportive of the system. Chief Schroeder advised Captain Wilde is attending Northwestern University Police Staff and Command School for 12 weeks. It is the department's policy that all commanders attend advanced recognized training such as Northwestern University or the FBI National Academy. Lt. McCutchen has assumed command of the Operations Division in Captain Wilde's absence. Chief Schroeder addressed an article advocating for community policing in the News Tribune. Captain Clark talked with Jerry Tritz of the News Tribune, advising no one talked to JCPD before publishing the paper's opinion piece. Chief Schroeder advised that the department has never stopped community policing and noted that community policing is an attitude, not a program. Department statistics show that 5100 security patrols, conducted on foot, occurred in 2017. Chief Schroeder is proud of the department's interaction with the community and stated it was an unfair and inaccurate opinion. Councilman Hussey commented he had received no phone calls from the public concerning the article. Chief Schroeder stated the CAT (Community Action Team) officers have been concentrating on the Ventura Street area, walking the neighborhoods and talking to residents. During a two-week period, they arrested over 40 people and issued over 120 citations. Quality of life is improved when the "bad" people are displaced from an area. This is an excellent example of community policing. Other Updates City Counselor Moehlman advised the renovations for the new Municipal Court space will be completed by October 31st. A ribbon cutting by the Chamber of Commerce and an open house is planned for November 14th at 5:00 p.m. The renovations are being completed on time and on budget, and Counselor Moehlman is looking forward to serving the public in the new facility. 5 Adjourn Councilman Hussey made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Councilman Kemna seconded the motion. The meeting was adjourned at 8:18 a.m.