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HomeMy Public PortalAbout2024-02-29 minutes 1 Public Safety Committee Meeting Call to Order The February 29, 2024, Public Safety Committee meeting was convened at 7:30 a.m. by Councilman Spencer. Attendance Present: Committee Members: Councilman Scott Spencer, Councilman Jack Deeken, Councilman Mark Schwartz, Councilman Aaron Mealy Guests: Fire Chief Matt Schofield, Chief of Police Eric Wilde, Emergency Medical Services Chief Eric Hoy, Emergency Management Services Director Nicholas Tietsort, Fire Division Chief of Preventions Jason Turner, Division Chief Jerry Blomberg, City Attorney Ryan Moehlman, City Administrator Brian Crane, Mayor Fitzwater, Councilman Randy Wright Approval of Minutes Councilman Mealy motioned to approve the minutes from the January 25th meeting. Councilman Schwartz seconded the motion. Minutes approved. Discussion of Agenda Items PRESENTATION FROM THE GALLERY Nothing to Report. OLD BUSINESS Nothing to Report. NEW BUSINESS Zetron Radio Maintenance Contract Chief Wilde advised the topic regarding the Zetron Radio maintenance contract will be added to the consent agenda for the upcoming City Council meeting, but he wanted to bring it to the Council’s attention. Chief Wilde stated the current Zetron Radio maintenance contract for the Communication’s radio system has exceeded the current 5-year term. The department will ask the Council to renew the contract for another 5 years for a total of $140,000. This will be purchased through the Sales Tax H fund if approved. 2 Open Burning Dates Chief Schofield gave an extended history of the City’s open burn policy. He stated the policy has evolved over time with the addition of yard waste, trash, and paper products since the early 2000’s. This was voted on by the citizens at the time and the vote was reprehended. Since this policy was created, the department has received many calls for service and administrative calls regarding open burning. Chief Schofield stated there have been many changes to the burn policy since the 2000’s such as the discontinuation of paper product burns. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has regulated the burning of plastics and rubber products, but paper products became a concern to the City. The City declared an exclusion of only burning yard waste, which State and City codes define as products that are produced by the property such as twigs, leaves, grass, etc. It is the responsibility of the property owner to burn away from property lines, not burn in the streets, always have someone attending the fire, and always have a way to extinguish the fire if necessary. When the department sends out a ‘Red Flag’ warning, established by the National Weather Service, this is not a burn ban for the city. The warning is a cautionary measure in which parameters are set during certain times of day. The property owner is responsible for any damages if they decide to burn during those parameters. Chief Schofield advised there was a referendum to bring back no-regulation burns, but this was defeated by the vote of the people. Instead, a modification to the burn window was made. Chief Turner explained there was an ordinance where citizens would have to apply for a DNR permit if they wanted to burn products of laying and clearing land. This would be a larger product which would produce more smoke. Citizens no longer have to apply for a DNR permit. So far, there have been no issues. Chief Schofield advised the department has concerns about expanding the open burn season. If a change is made, the department and Council would have to discuss alternatives. The department’s biggest concern is the public’s knowledge of safe burning. The City would have to communicate knowledge effectively so the public knows when and what they can and can't burn. Councilman Schwartz explained social media is a great resource for distributing information to the public and a great forum tool for citizen suggestions and questions. In response to Councilman Schwartz’s question regarding the City of Moberly’s burn operations, City Administrator Crane stated the City owned a piece of property for residences to discard waste. This property was managed by the Public Works department where they managed safety within the site and would manage the waste by processing and transporting it elsewhere. This site was also under video surveillance at the gated entrance. In response to Councilman Schwartz’s question regarding an alternate access point to the temporary Jefferson City public yard waste disposal site off Ellis Boulevard, City Administrator Crane advised a second access is doable if the city decides to hire a contracted company to clear the land for the access point. He stated the site will be closed soon and doesn’t see a reason to make an alternate access. Councilman Schwartz stated contracting a company is not feasible for the City at this moment and the City should look into something less cost effective. The City has budgeted $195,000 for yard waste services in FY 2024. City Administrator Crane advised if the City continued to use 3 the current waste disposal site, it would cost an estimated $20,000 to keep the site operational with the supervision of Public Works employees. Once operational, the chipping and transportation of waste material would be the most costly at about $50,000 annually. The City of Moberly bought their own chipping equipment, but other surrounding agencies have hired third- party companies to chip and transport materials. Some organizations also send the material to a recycling site to produce energy. In response to Councilman Mealy’s question regarding property damage costs due to controlled burns, Chief Schofield stated the Fire Department uses a program called Emergency Networking, but the program is outdated and does not track how the call for service is received. Some calls are received as smoke in the area, fire out of control, or as a complaint. How it is logged is also dependent on how the employees report the situation. This data can be manually obtained but the process is very time-consuming. Councilman Mealy thanked Chief Schofield for all the information he provided and his feedback. In response to Councilman Spencer’s question regarding the FLOCK camera system managed by the Police Department, Chief Wilde stated a camera could be placed and would function similarly to the City’s park entrance cameras. The FLOCK camera would be able to track how many vehicles enter and leave the site and also flag license plates involved in illegal activity. City Administrator Crane stated the City could also contract a third-party company to place a geofence around the site to track activity through cellphone data. Councilman Mealy advised since no member of the Public Works Department was present for the meeting and could not give input, he will abstain from today’s vote. City Administrator Crane advised if the vote is passed, he will report to the Public Works Department to develop a site plan and memo outlining the plan. City Councilman Wright advised he approves of the topics discussed at this time and appreciates all information provided. A motion was made by Councilman Schwartz relating to open burning dates including the following points: • Not extending the current burn dates • Opening the current gated public burn site from 8AM-4PM, 7 days a week • Adding a second entrance on Ellis Blvd away from the roundabout • Significant cost savings for the city with no staffing at the burn site Councilman Deeken seconded the motion. Roll Call Vote: Councilman Spicer – Absent Councilman Spence – Y Councilman Schwartz – Y Councilman Deeken – Y Councilman Mealy – Abstained Motion to approve passed on a vote of 3 yesses. 4 Fire Records Reporting Chief Schofield stated the Fire Department is seeking to refine its records reporting software in one of two ways. First is a fire prevention and inspection software through Tyler Technology which is a sub-component of the CAD system. The second is an internal emergency system called Emergency Networking which is a federal and state database that is at the end of its life. Division Chief Blomberg advised agencies in the surrounding areas are also looking for a new software and have verbally agreed to partner with Jefferson City to share the cost of a new vendor. The department is asking the Committee's permission to create an MOU to equally split $24,000 a year across 6-7 agencies for the cost of the vendor, and take the MOU to full Council. Chief Schofield stated the exact contribution and breakdown of cost will be presented by the time the item is brought to full Council. Chief Turner stated the upgrade will allow better operations for the crews and integrate new calls for service codes to allow the crew to better serve the community based on specific needs. The upgrade will also help decrease the International Organization of Standardization (ISO) ratings. Businesses look at the location’s ISO rating when they want to build or relocate. A lower ISO rating influences the business’s decision to operate in the area. Chief Schofield anticipates an ISO audit in the near future. Councilman Spencer stated, as a former firefighter, the current software is not capturing the data that other software’s can. A new software would benefit the personnel and the department. Councilman Mealy motioned to provide a new business 5C to move forward and to purchase the new software. Councilman Schwartz seconded the motion. Roll Call Vote: Councilman Spicer – Absent Councilman Spence – Y Councilman Schwartz – Y Councilman Deeken – Y Councilman Mealy – Y Motion to approve passed by a vote of 4 yesses. OTHER BUSINESS Fire Department Update Chief Schofield stated it is a busy time of year for the department. The department is completing departmental health physicals this week, and has been working on training in Honor Guard, EMD, and Wildlife training. Upcoming training includes Electric Vehicle Training, which the department will host smaller group meetings with drivers. Chief Schofield gave a brief update of the Burn Building/Drill Tower project. He stated the construction crew is reconstructing the foundation and stem walls to make sure the tower is stable, durable, and safe. The department is currently working with the contractor, WHP, on resolving the issues. 5 Chief Schofield advised the firefighter hired on February 5th has completed training. This puts the department at full staff. Police Department Updates Chief Wilde advised the department recently purchased two radar trailers, one trailer financed through a MODOT grant. There are many complaints about speeding in neighborhoods, and the trailers will help slow traffic in the posted areas. Chief Wilde stated technology and budget don’t always thrive together. Technology advances about every 5 years, and upgrades can be costly. In order for the department to best serve the community, upgrades need to be made. Chief Wilde thanked the Committee for the approval of the $125,000 purchase of 3D crime scene scanners. This purchase was made through the Jefferson City Missouri Police Foundation. Chief Wilde thanked the community for their generous donations to the Foundation to make this purchase possible. Chief Wilde stated improving the technology in the department helps make the department more efficient. For example, cell phones can be used to extract data regarding cases. The department upgraded the detective’s data extraction software, which has already made very positive impacts on the community with the ability to help solve cases. Chief Wilde thanked the Committee for the approval of this purchase. Chief Wilde gave a brief staffing update. He advised years ago, the department was do wn 12-15 officers. With the help from the Committee and Council for approving hiring bonuses and marketing studies and campaigns, the department is only down 2 police officers. Last budget season, the Council approved $50,000 for a marketing campaign. The marketing provider will focus on selling the profession, department, and community. Chief Wilde stated he cannot thank the community enough for showing their support towards our department, making it an even better workplace. The department is still down 4 communications operators. A staffing study and facility study are coming soon to help make a staffing and 911 center decision. Councilman Mealy thanked the department for all their efforts to keep the community safe. Emergency Medical Services Update Chief Hoy advised the call volume for the first 60 days of the year has been 300 calls higher than last year with over 18,000 calls total. In response to Councilman Deeken’s question regarding why call volumes are higher, Chief Hoy stated there is no statistical reason for the increase in call volume. He suggests is it because the community has more resources and is more comfortable with seeking the help they need from the department. Chief Hoy stated the department is looking at the number of resources the department has for the community. The building being constructed will allow for more resources, and the department is looking into purchasing an additional ambulance for that location. A discussion on this topic is scheduled for a later meeting. Chief Hoy gave a brief update on the building being constructed on McCarty Street. According to the General, the construction is progressing as scheduled. The building is projected to be completed in August 2024. 6 Chief Hoy advised the Automatic Voice Dispatch project is in the final stages of implementation. This was a joint project between the City and County to implement technology that would automate the dispatch of fire and EMS resources. The technology will allow 911 Communicators to focus on gathering information and providing pre-arrival instructions to 911 callers during emergencies. The city and county decided to fund this project utilizing Opioid settlement funds, as the system will directly reduce the mortality of those suffering opioid overdoses by ensuring a quicker emergency response and better pre-arrival instructions. The system is currently operating in a test mode, with positive results. The system should be going live shortly after additional hardware installation is completed and 911 Communicators receive training on the system. Emergency Management Update Director Tietsort advised Severe Weather Preparedness Week is March 4 – 8, 2024. During this time, there will be a statewide tornado drill. Director Tietsort encourages all state and city government agencies and businesses to participate in this drill on March 6th, 11:00 AM. He also encourages the public to review community and business emergency plans. Director Tietsort advised the $60,397 LEPC grant has projects for the Hazmat team supplies, equipment, and physicals. It also will purchase Electric Battery Fire Blankets for the Jefferson City Fire Department. Director Tietsort stated the department was able to secure a State and Local cyber security program for $225,000 with a 20% match. Councilman Spencer advised he attended the Community Organization Active in Disaster (COAD) meeting and was happy to see all the nonprofit partners and organizations who came together to use the resources needed to prepare the community in the event of a natural disaster. Director Tietsort advised the next meeting in scheduled for May 2nd at the Soybean Association Country Club. Citizens can sign up for COAD through the United Way of Central Missouri’s website under “Get Involved”. Other Updates Nothing to Report Adjourn Councilman Mealy motioned to adjourn the meeting, Councilman Spencer seconded the motion. Meeting was adjourned at 8:48 a.m.