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HomeMy Public PortalAbout2019-09-26 minutes 1 Public Safety Committee Meeting Call to Order The September 26, 2019, Public Safety Committee meeting convened at 7:30 a.m. by Councilman Graham. Attendance Present: Committee Members: Councilman Graham, Councilman Schreiber, Councilman Mihalevich, Councilman Kemna and Councilman Hussey. Guests: Mayor Carrie Tergin, City Administrator Steve Crowell, Fire Chief Matt Schofield, Police Chief Roger Schroeder, Police Captain Eric Wilde, Cole County Emergency Management Coordinator Bill Farr, and Architects Alliance Representatives Cary Gampher and Abigail Steck. Approval of Minutes It was noted the minutes attached to the packets for the meeting were not the August 29th minutes. The correct minutes were available in the paperless packets. Councilman Mihalevich made a motion to approve the minutes of the August 29, 2019 meeting. Councilman Schreiber seconded the motion. Minutes were approved. Discussion of Agenda Items OLD BUSINESS None. NEW BUSINESS Architects Alliance Police Department Building Study Presentation Chief Schroeder advised the committee had requested additional information regarding the police department's list of needs which included an addition and renovation to the existing 40 - year-old building. Chief Schroeder stated he was not requesting money at this time, but the building study was a critical first step in the process. He turned the discussion over to Captain Wilde, who was assigned the task of initiating the project. Captain Wilde stated there were three objectives to the project: a building that would last another 40-50 years, to be a good steward of the City's tax money, and create a building that was efficient. He introduced Cary Gampher and Abigail Steck with Architects Alliance who produced the building study. Mr. Gampher stated the police department building was originally designed to accommodate a second floor. There was sufficient space at the time it was built, but growth has provided inefficiencies over the years. The building is approximately 30,000 square feet. The addition of 2 an upper level would add an additional 14,000 square feet. This would be a three-year project and cost approximately $6.5 - $7 million dollars for the general contractor to construct the addition. Mr. Gampher advised it is more cost efficient to renovate a building than to build a new one. A new building would cost approximately $16 – $17 million dollars. Ms. Steck distributed sets of renovation plans to the committee and reviewed both the existing and proposed floor plans. It was noted that many of the current office spaces were at one time closets and storage, and not adequate for the number of people occupying those spaces. One of the most critical safety issues is officers walking subjects/prisoners up two flights of stairs to the processing/interview area. This is dangerous for both the subject and the officer. Chief Schroeder noted that there has been approximately 90% growth in the size of the department personnel over the past 40 years, and every component in the building is strapped for space. The committee members thanked Mr. Gampher and Ms. Steck for their presentation. OTHER BUSINESS Fire Department Update Chief Schofield advised October is fire safety month, with Fire Safety Week being observed October 6-12. The motto for the week is "Not every hero wears a cape - plan and practice your escape". Members of the Jefferson City Fire Department and Cole County Fire Districts will take the Fire Safety House to schools and give fire safety presentations. The Fire Department will partner with Lowe's and the Red Cross to go house to house with free smoke detectors. Carbon monoxide detectors will also be available. Hose testing occurred during the month of September. Thousands of feet of hose was tested to ensure it was in good working order. Police Department Updates Chief Schroeder stated Lori Blatter had been hired as the Animal Shelter Manager. Lori has a Bachelor of Science degree in business management. She was formerly employed at SEMA as a state floodplain management officer. Chief Schroeder advised there will be a positive new direction with the Animal Shelter program. He noted that over 20,000 people visit the Shelter each year. Chief Schroeder advised the department is experiencing difficulty in generating interest in hiring. This is being experienced on a national level. Numbers of applicants have decreased significantly. The department currently has three communications operator and two police officer vacancies. Applications for those positions close on October 1. To date, the City has received only 24 officer and 13 communications operator applicants. Chief Schroeder noted the department used to exceed 100 applicants twice a year. He is exploring every possible means of securing interest, including recruiting high school students for communications operator positions. The position requires the applicant be 18 years or older. Councilman Graham asked if a factor in the low interest in hiring was pay. Chief Schroeder stated the recent tax in St. Louis which resulted in pay increases to St. Louis police officers has had an impact. He had lost three officers to St. Louis and one to the State of Missouri this year, 3 all to significant pay increases. Salary, the police atmosphere, and media have all contributed to the decline. When asked about Fire Department staffing, Chief Schofield advised he had lost one firefighter trainee last month. They have a replacement beginning employment in a couple of weeks. Firefighters are in the same pay range as police officers and their pay is comparable to officers. Councilman Graham asked that new employees be presented at a council meeting to be recognized and welcomed. Chief Schroeder advised it is difficult to convey to employees in their 20s the positive aspects of living in Jefferson City. They tend to prefer the bigger city lifestyle. Councilman Mihalevich stated if Jefferson City is not comparable to surrounding communities in pay, he suggested the 2016 salary study be reviewed. Chief Schroeder stated the City was competitive in pay until the St. Louis tax increase. Columbia Police Department is also going through salary changes, and they will likely become competitors as well. Councilman Mihalevich noted that the renovations to the police department could be a recruiting tool, emphasizing personnel safety and comfort. Chief Schofield stated retaining employees was a concern. They train and stay here for a couple of years and then leave to more competitive markets. The biggest challenge is to retain talent. Councilman Graham recommended looking at the compression issue and reviewing the salary study. Chief Schroeder advised the department had enjoyed three years of almost no turnover. This year the turnover will be in double digits, going from approximately 3% to over 10%. Other Updates Emergency Management Coordinator Bill Farr stated he had attended a long-term tornado recovery meeting to review citizens' unmet needs with United Way's Ann Bax and representatives of area churches. There has been approximately $300,000 donated to a fund to use for ongoing needs. The old Sears building is being used for storage. He will attend a meeting with FEMA tomorrow to discuss the process of recovering money expended on tornado clean up and recovery. Councilman Schreiber complimented Mr. Farr on his recent presentation to the Lions Club. Chief Schroeder advised there were not enough applicants to have a Citizen Police Academy this Fall. Councilman Graham noted the recent shootings in Columbia. He stated that council persons, when attending neighborhood meetings, should encourage attendees to contact police if they see or hear anything out of the ordinary. He thanked both the police department and fire department for keeping the city safe. Captain Wilde advised he had moved a couple of officers out of the Traffic Unit into the Community Action Team (CAT), and one officer has been assigned to ATF as a task force officer to address the local increase in violent incidents and instances of gunfire. Chief Schofield advised he had informational fliers for the Smart 911 system to promote participation. 4 Mayor Tergin advised Lt. Dave Williams would be recognized at the October 7th Council Meeting for his Employee of the Year Award. Saturday, October 19th is the Memorial Stair Climb at Jefferson Building. Councilman Schreiber advised he and Councilman Hensley attended three of the Neighborhood Watch gatherings during National Night Out. He complimented the officers who presented at the gatherings, and advised the gatherings were well attended. Adjourn Councilman Schreiber made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Councilman Mihalevich seconded the motion. The meeting was adjourned at 8:38 a.m.