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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Public Safety Commission 04/11/2018 TrT _ 2- CITY OF PALM DESERT isyra 2411- _ b 4•0 b I ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DEPARTMENT At °'`%JEBIE- `E•'' INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM To: Rachelle D. Klassen, City Clerk From: Brianne Lawson, Clerical Assistant Date: June 14, 2018 SUBJECT: Submission of Minutes for the Public Safety Commission Attached for your records are the approved minutes of the Public Safety Commission meeting of Wednesday, April 11, 2018. Please let me know if you have any questions or need additional information. Thank you. Attachment (as noted). CITY OF PALM DESERT PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING r APPROVED MINUTES 2,11 .,1 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2018 — 3:30 p.m. Palm Desert City Hall 73-510 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92260 Administrative Services Conference Room I. CALL TO ORDER Chair Taylor called the meeting to order at 3:31 p.m. II. ROLL CALL Present: Chair Frank Taylor Vice Chair Martin Nethery Commissioner Gloria Kirkwood Commissioner Terry Kramer Commissioner Doug Luhring Commissioner Carole Schaudt Absent: Phyllis Harkins Also Present: Mayor Sabby Jonathan Mayor Pro Tem Susan Marie Weber Stephen Aryan, Risk Manager Lauri Aylaian, City Manager Ryan Stendell, Director of Community Development Lon Carney, Director of Administrative Services Eric Ceja, Principal Planner Johnny Terfehr, Management Analyst Eric Cadden, Emergency Operations Coordinator Lt. Matthew Martello, Palm Desert Police Department Battalion Chief Eddy Moore, Palm Desert Fire Department Brianne Lawson, Recording Secretary Public Safety Commission Approved Minutes April 11, 2018 Page 2 III. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS NONE IV. PRESENTATIONS Eric Ceja provided a presentation regarding Palm Desert cannabis dispensaries, and updated the Commission on the progress that has taken place in relation to cannabis regulations. Mr. Ceja stated that the City Council had adopted comprehensive cannabis regulations in October of 2017, and that when the application process for conditional use permits was opened, thirty-three Palm Desert cannabis businesses submitted applications. Five of those applications were eliminated, which brought the total down to twenty-eight. Mr. Ceja then added that the City Council approved a very limited number of cannabis operations within City limits, in order to see what the impact would be on the community. Consequently, only six dispensaries are currently allowed within the City, including one on El Paseo. There are also six permits available for cultivators. The current applications include eighteen submitted for dispensaries, and ten for cannabis cultivators or manufacturers. Mr. Ceja explained that since there are a limited number of permits available, a ranking process has been created for the applications that are received. Specific criteria has been established for how to review each application, based on details such as how the business would be compatible with their surrounding uses, what community benefits the business would provide, what kind of odor control they have planned, and what kind of public safety measures they're considering. The ranking process for the received applications is currently taking place, with the goal to have all of them ranked and made public on April 20, 2018. Once those ranking scores are released, it will determine which businesses will receive the available permits. Following that will be the appeals process and public hearings, which will most likely take place at the end of May or the beginning of June. Vice Chair Nethery then inquired if the ranking process would determine who would receive the six permits for dispensaries, as well as the six permits for cultivators. Mr. Ceja confirmed that this was correct. Following this, Vice Chair Nethery then asked if those who had their applications denied will have a right to an appeal. Mr. Ceja confirmed that this was also correct, and explained that those who are denied can make an appeal based on the number of points they were awarded during the ranking process. Vice Chair Nethery then asked if Mr. Ceja could provide some examples of the criteria used to score points when ranking applications. Public Safety Commission Approved Minutes April 11, 2018 Page 3 Mr. Ceja responded that guidelines from the ordinance are used when distributing points, including that the business must be 1,000 feet away from a school, cannot abut residential property, and must be 500 feet away from sensitive uses (for example, drug rehab centers or parks). Mr. Ceja added that location is highly important when considering the ranking of a cannabis business application, especially in relation to what is nearby. Security measures are also an important part of the criteria, as well as how the potential business is planning to address odor control. The ranking process also had a large emphasis on building improvements, with an extra twenty points being given to applications that include plans for interior and exterior building modifications. Vice Chair Nethery asked if an applicant who was further away from a school than another applicant would receive more points, to which Mr. Ceja responded that they would be ranked the same as long as they are both at least 1 ,000 feet away from the school grounds. Chair Taylor asked about the impact of new cannabis businesses on area rent, using Perez Road in Cathedral City as an example. Mr. Ceja responded that this has been one of the major concerns when contemplating allowing cannabis in Palm Desert, as the City has a limited service and industrial area. The huge increase of rent in Cathedral City was something that was kept in mind, as it caused tenants to relocate to other cities. As a way to help prevent this, Palm Desert has placed a limit of cannabis operator proximity, so that cannabis operator businesses cannot be located within 1 ,500 feet of another cannabis operator. Chair Taylor inquired if the Police Department was involved with the process of ranking the applications. Mr. Ceja responded that they have not been involved with the application process, but the Police and Fire Departments were heavily involved with creation of the cannabis ordinance. Vice Chair Nethery asked if the names of those applying for the cannabis permits are run through the Police Department's database. Mr. Ceja confirmed this, stating that every application is required to identify any person with at least 10% ownership in the LLC. Each person identified is required to have a background check. Commissioner Kramer commented about the onsite security officers that are present at most cannabis locations, stating that he hoped the Sheriffs Department has some input on the security companies or type of security that is used at cannabis businesses. He added that it would be preferable to have people in these positions from companies that the Police Department is familiar with, 'or who have at least been vetted as a reputable company, especially since many locations are hiring armed Public Safety Commission Approved Minutes April 11, 2018 Page 4 security officers. Ryan Stendell responded, saying that the Community Development Department would like to have the Sheriffs Department involved. However, given the disparity between state and federal regulations, the Sheriff's Department has expressed they have no interest in engaging in this discussion. This gap is being filled by conducting the background checks of those identified on the applications for permits. V. CONSENT CALENDAR A. MINUTES of the Regular Public Safety Commission Meeting of March 14, 2018. B. PALM DESERT SPECIALIZED UNITS End of the Month Report for February 2018. C. RIVERSIDE COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT/CAL FIRE End of the Month Report for March 2018. Commissioner Kirkwood moved to receive and file the minutes of the Regular Public Safety Commission Meeting of March 14, 2018. Motion seconded by Vice Chair Nethery and carried by a 6-1 vote (AYES: Kirkwood, Kramer, Luhring, Nethery, Schaudt, Taylor; NAES: None; ABSENT: Harkins). Items B and C of the consent calendar were held over, at the request of Vice Chair Nethery. VI. CONSENT ITEMS HELD OVER B. PALM DESERT SPECIALIZED UNITS End of the Month Report for February 2018. C. RIVERSIDE COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT/CAL FIRE End of the Month Report for March 2018. Vice Chair Nethery asked about the housing waitlist mentioned on page ten of the Business District Team Report included in item B, and the several instances recorded of homeless individuals being moved up on a housing waitlist. Lt. Martello responded, stating that these were most likely incidents where a homeless person was looking for accommodations at a County facility. Vice Chair Nethery then asked Mayor Jonathan if he could give a short summary of what is currently available for homeless people in the City. Mayor Jonathan responded that Palm Desert is part of the regional effort through CVAG, and CVAG has contracted with Path of Life. Path of Life is an organization that Public Safety Commission Approved Minutes April 11, 2018 Page 5 utilizes a "housing first" model, which was introduced by the Obama Administration and adopted by the state of California. This model emphasizes housing homeless individuals as a first step, followed by addressing other issues (such as addiction and mental health) once housing has been obtained. Mayor Jonathan added that when a homeless person agrees to be housed, they also agree to be assigned a caseworker and added to a data entry system. They are tracked through the system and matched with resources. Mayor Jonathan continued, stating that the first step is to house the homeless person who has agreed to enter the system. This is unique and effective because there is no shelter involved. Shelters are yesterday's model. One, because to build new shelters requires neighborhood agreement, and two, because shelters are not a productive environment for helping homeless people improve their lives. Individual housing combined with caseworkers is more effective. Mayor Jonathan then explained that Path of Life works by leasing apartment units, but this is a challenge due to the lack of available affordable housing. Path of Life has acquired four units in Palm Desert, and they have opened three offices in Palm Springs, Cathedral City, and Desert Hot Springs. Also, housing units are now provided throughout the entire Valley. Mayor Jonathan then stated that the City is looking at how to provide more, since the more successful Path of Life is, the more housing is needed. Vice Chair Nethery inquired if the Path of Life program is entirely located within Riverside County. Commissioner Schaudt responded there is now another group for mental health services called Home Connect. This program provides immediate housing to those who are homeless and not on drugs or alcohol. Unfortunately, the only place at the moment that has open housing is Desert Hot Springs. There are four units, and if an Officer calls and says that there is a family who is homeless, Home Connect will come get them and place them in housing. Mayor Jonathan responded that there are numerous service providers who provide different forms of housing under various programs, including the CV Rescue Mission, Martha's Village, Safehouse of the Desert, etc. These different programs are tuned into certain sectors, and people with specific needs. Path of Life is based out of Riverside, but the employees who are serving this contract are located in the Coachella Valley. The County also has various programs, but Path of Life matches homeless individuals to various available resources. The program houses the homeless, evaluates their needs, and then matches them up with the appropriate resources. Vice Chair Nethery inquired about housing lists that exist, and if all of the available resources are being utilized by the Police Department. He then asked if Public Safety Commission Approved Minutes April 11, 2018 Page 6 all resources within the City and County are being taken advantage of, or if the Police Department is limited to using the resources with which they are familiar. Mayor Jonathan responded that all resources are not yet being utilized, and that the challenge is that our public safety officials are not trained in dealing with homelessness. Police Officers are not behavioral specialists, but they are doing the best job possible to handle the homeless situation. Up to 50% of deputy time is currently being spent on homeless related issues, and contracting with Path of Life is a way to help alleviate this situation. Path of Life employees are trained in engaging with the homeless, and they do have the time available to match them with the resources they require. Once individuals are entered into Path of Life's database, they are prioritized for housing on different scales. Citing the higher demand for housing than is available, Mayor Jonathan then stated that the City of Palm Desert is looking to obtain one (hopefully two) behavioral specialists through matching grants with the Desert Healthcare District. This would help relieve the Police Department deputies from spending so much time on homeless issues. The two behavioral specialists would be exclusively tasked with homelessness issues, and would coordinate with Path of Life as well as the Police Department. This would help with a better utilization of police expertise in the areas of crime for which they have been trained. Additionally, Mayor Jonathan noted that Palm Desert's homeless count has gone up, while Palm Springs has experienced a decrease in homelessness since bringing in four behavioral specialists to work with homeless individuals. Vice Chair Nethery replied that the reason he has asked about the housing lists is because homelessness is a public safety problem, and then posed the question of what the Commission can do to assist with the issue. Vice Chair Nethery then addressed item C of the consent calendar, asking how the City and the Commission can help to increase the number of calls with a response time of 0-5 minutes and to eliminate any with a response time of above 8 minutes. Battalion Chief Eddy Moore responded that Station 33 is going to become a test site for an out-the-door timer, in order to find out how long it is taking for the troops to get out of the Firehouse in response to a call. He then added that they do like to see the amount of response times within the 0-5 minute range in the 90% percentile, but a lot of what factors into the response times are the types of calls that are coming in. Code 2 and Code 3 call types have longer response times, as sirens and lights are not used when driving to those incidents. This changed recently, as up until a few months ago sirens and lights were still used for Code 2 and Code 3 calls. Consequently, the reports of response times might currently be slightly skewed by this change, but the Fire Department is working on fixing that issue with the report data. Public Safety Commission Approved Minutes April 11, 2018 Page 7 Vice Chair Nethery asked if the Fire Department could keep the Commission updated with any progress on fixing the reports, and suggested that the report might need to be slightly modified to take into account the siren usage change in Code 2 and Code 3 responses. Chief Moore confirmed that the Commission will be kept updated on this progress, and added that another factor in cases with response times of 10 minutes or more is heavy call volume and the distance that the units have to travel. Mr. Aryan then inquired how often AMR is utilized. Chief Moore responded that it has been a long time since AMR was called into the City, and that the Fire Department strives to avoid using them. Chief Moore receives the reports of when AMR is requested into the City, and he stated he has not received any reports in a year and a half. Chief Moore added that there were 900 calls in the previous months, and the call volume is no longer dropping off in the Summer season. The number of calls continues to rise every month. Chair Taylor moved to receive and file items B and C of the consent calendar. Motion seconded by Commissioner Kirkwood and carried by a 6-1 vote (AYES: Kirkwood, Kramer, Luhring, Nethery, Schaudt, Taylor; NAES: None; ABSENT: Harkins). VII. NEW BUSINESS A. FY 2018/2019 PALM DESERT POLICE DEPARTMENT PROPOSED BUDGET Mr. Aryan provided a PowerPoint presentation for the proposed FY 2018/2019 Palm Desert Police Department budget. A $21.9 million budget is recommended, which is a $348,500 increase from FY 2017/2018. The anticipated increase of the patrol rate is going to be 5%, which is due to multiple union negotiations. Mr. Aryan then addressed the cost savings measures that have been implemented over the past two years. This included combining the SET Sergeant position's responsibility, so that the SET Team is now overseen by the Business District Team Sergeant. Additionally, two motor officer positions have been frozen, which means the positions have not been eliminated, but the vacancies are currently not being filled. The SET Officer is another position that has been frozen, as well as a CSO. Having the K9 Officer also serve on parts of the patrol was another cost savings measure, and currently offsets 5 daily hours and provides a savings of approximately $344,000. Public Safety Commission Approved Minutes April 11, 2018 Page 8 With a modified staffing model, there will be about 77 sworn officers. This means that there will be about 1.52 officers for every 1,000 Palm Desert residents. With a full staffing model, that number will raise to approximately 1.6 officers for every 1,000 residents. Currently, 171.4 patrol hours are carried out per day. This translates to about 62,000 patrol hours per year. In 2017 the Police Department received about 52,497 calls for service, which is a slight decrease from 2016. Part I crimes, which include crimes such as assault, armed robbery, homicide, and rape, decreased by approximately 3%. Mr. Aryan added that the City of Palm Desert also has enhanced Police Department services, and introduced Lt. Martello to go over their different aspects. Lt. Martello stated that the Business District Team has four deputies and one sergeant, and that they are assigned specifically to the business district. They also work high profile events, such as the Golf Cart Parade. Lt. Martello added that the Business District Team also works specifically with merchants, and supplements patrols at times. Additionally, the Business District Team works with the trespass program, where transients are asked to leave certain areas and given documents to sign indicating that they will be arrested if they do not comply with vacating the premises. Lt. Martello then described the functions of the Special Enforcement Team, which provides services for investigation follow-ups in communities that have been experiencing burglaries. He then described the Traffic Team, which includes one sergeant, six motor officers, and one commercial vehicle officer. Lt. Martello noted that the most recent Traffic Team statistics displayed a 9% decrease in traffic collisions. Lt. Martello then added that the Palm Desert Police Department is part of the Coachella Valley Narcotics Task Force, and the Coachella Valley Violent Gangs Task Force. Additionally, Lt. Martello stated that Rio, the Police Department's K9 unit, works in the field and acts as an ambassador for the City. Rio makes appearances at City events, such as the Golf Cart Parade, as well as at local schools. Following this, Lt. Martello stated that there are currently two school resource officers (SROs), one stationed at Palm Desert Charter Middle School and the other at Palm Desert High School. These officers work five days a week and investigate any potential threats, to the point that they will go to the homes of students who are suspected to be a threat and search their rooms. All threats are taken very seriously, and addressed immediately. Mr. Aryan added that there is a cost sharing agreement between the City and Desert Sands Unified School District for the SRO at Palm Desert High School. The district pays 50% of the cost for the SRO, while the City pays the other half. However, Palm Desert Charter Middle does not participate in cost sharing for their SRO. Public Safety Commission Approved Minutes April 11, 2018 Page 9 Lt. Martello then stated that the Police Department has two Crime Prevention Officers - two community service officers who are not sworn. These officers look into cyber bullying, and also work with the neighborhood watch program. Mr. Aryan then addressed City wide goals for the Police Department that have been identified by the Council and the City Manager. These goals include: 1. Work with the City in developing homeless outreach programs. 2. Improve public relations by increasing community events. 3. Analyze effectiveness of community outreach programs. 4. Analyze and make recommendations for containing costs and exploring shared services. Commissioner Kramer stated that the numbers seem good, and it's nice to see the crime rate go down. He added that he knows the value of a Community Service Officer to the officers on the street, as they do relieve them of a lot of duties. Commissioner Kramer then stated that this is a position that has not been filled, and although he isn't proposing that filling the position should be done immediately, it is something to keep in mind. Also, he added that previously the motorcycle officers were first responders for the deputies, which was a unique practice. He then asked if this was still being utilized, which Lt. Martello confirmed in response. Lt. Martello then stated that the motor officers provide traffic enforcement, assist schools in the mornings and afternoons, and additional work throughout the City. Mr. Aryan added that the City has asked the Police Department to monitor the impact of modifications, and to report back if there are any other modifications that need to be made. Lt. Martello responded that the Police Department is functioning at a level that is significantly helpful. Commissioner Kirkwood stated that she was good with everything from the presentation, but she did agree with Commissioner Kramer about the importance of a Community Service Officer. Vice Chair Nethery called attention to the section of the report stating that, "staff does not anticipate a negative impact from these current reenacted modifications, and recommends continuing them." He stated that he took this as being a joint recommendation from the Police Department and City staff. Following this, Vice Chair Nethery stated that he agreed that if the Police Department is monitoring and keeping the staff advised if there is something that needs to be done during the course of the fiscal year, then the Commission would like to hear about it and have a discussion. He then inquired if there have been any cost savings measures discussed or suggested by staff. Mr. Aryan responded that there have been informal discussions about what would need to be done if additional money needed to be cut. Some priorities have been identified in the event that cutting the budget becomes necessary, but nothing Public Safety Commission Approved Minutes April 11, 2018 Page 10 like that is currently being recommended. He then stated that if something like that were to happen, the Commission would be informed. Vice Chair Nethery then asked if possible places to cut have been identified, if the Council decided cuts were needed. Mr. Aryan confirmed that this was correct. Vice Chair Nethery inquired if the new budget is meant to be adopted at the City Council's meeting in May. Mr. Aryan responded that the budget is usually officially adopted at the second Council meeting in June. Vice Chair Nethery then asked if any issues regarding the budget come up in study session, if those could be reported to the Commission at the next meeting. Mr. Aryan confirmed that any budget changes that arise at the study session would be presented at the next Public Safety Commission meeting. Chair Taylor commented that using the K9 unit as a patrol operation seems to reduce the patrol time within the City, since the K9 unit often makes appearances at schools and other programs. He added that it would be different if the K9 unit was being used for patrol at night, but there is a larger impact since Rio is being used for patrol during the day when there are more calls for service within the City. Chair Taylor then inquired about the reported action of vacating positions. Mr. Aryan responded that this refers to vacant positions that are currently frozen. Vice Chair Nethery moved to, by Minute Motion, approve as recommended. Motion was seconded by Commissioner Kirkwood and carried by a 5-1-1 vote (AYES: Kirkwood, Kramer, Luhring, Schaudt, Nethery; NAES: None; ABSTAIN: Taylor; ABSENT: Harkins). B. FY 2018/2019 PALM DESERT FIRE DEPARTMENT PROPOSED BUDGET Mr. Aryan gave an overview of the Palm Desert Fire Department, stating that the City currently has three fire stations: Station 67, the Mesa View Fire Station, Station 33, the Mall Station, and Station 71 on Portola and Country Club. The current Fire Department staffing level is comprised of 62 professionals, each station has one engine, and Station 33 houses a truck company that is a shared cost with the Cove Commission. Fifty percent of the cost of the engine is spread equally amongst Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, and Indian Wells. The other fifty percent of the cost is shared based on total call volume. Mr. Aryan added that the City has four ambulance units, including one at each fire station and one housed at Station 55 in Indian Wells. Vice Chair Nethery inquired if Indian Wells has their own ambulance. Mr. Aryan confirmed that there are two ambulances housed at Station 55, one belonging to the City of Palm Desert and one belonging to Indian Wells. Mr. Aryan then reported that in calendar year 2017, the Palm Desert Fire Department responded to 9,800 calls for service. The average response time was five minutes, at about ninety percent of the time. He then added that Public Safety Commission Approved Minutes April 11, 2018 Page 11 Riverside County annually provides the City with an "Exhibit A" document, which budgets at the top salary level. This means that the "Exhibit A" budget is higher than actual cost. Based on the "Exhibit A" document alone, the Fire Department budget would be at $15.2 million. However, City staff looks at a five year average of actual costs and, based on that average, is recommending a budget of $12.9 million for FY 2018/2019. Mr. Aryan added that in addition to that budget, $50,000 has been put aside for contingency for the three Fire Stations to utilize as they wish. Mr. Aryan then stated that Eric Cadden, the Emergency Management Coordinator, is not part of the Fire Department budget. The expense for Eric's position is instead paid to the Emergency Management Department, and the cost is shared with the City of Indian Wells. That cost for this year is $68,000. Mr. Aryan added that he has budgeted money for CERT training for next year, and that the City is also looking to purchase some emergency supplies as well as a drone to be used for emergency services and GIS mapping. Some financial considerations for the budget include a wage increase, as well as a fire tax credit that was received back from the County of approximately $5.9 million. A City fire prevention and protection tax is anticipated to generate another $2.1 million this year. However, a General Fund transfer is still required to cover the costs of the Fire Department, which is anticipated at $3.6 million this year. Mr. Aryan announced that the City is in the process of going through an EMS cost recovery and billing services program. This was put out to RFP in March, and closed a week and a half ago. There were seven responses, which the City is currently reviewing. Mr. Aryan then stated that he anticipates this item to be brought to Council by June. Originally, the City had chosen Novato Fire Protection District. Not long after the Council had approved Novato, the company announced that they were having solvency issues and opted not to enter into the JPA with the City. Mr. Aryan added that he recently found out that Novato is going completely out of business. Consequently, the City of Palm Desert has invited the two cities of Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells, who were with Novato and now need to find a new service provider, to take part in Palm Desert's review and selection process. Vice Chair Nethery inquired how this process will work. Mr. Aryan responded that there will be a committee who reviews all of the RFPs, and they will make a selection of the top two companies. Those two will be invited back to give presentations, and the selection and recommendation to go forward will be determined afterward. Mr. Aryan added that Commissioner Harkins is on the selection committee, as well as Mayor Pro Tem Weber and Council Member Kelly, additional City staff, and Battalion Chief Moore. Public Safety Commission Approved Minutes April 11, 2018 Page 12 Mr. Aryan then touched upon some Citywide goals for the Fire Department, which include updating the website to include Fire Department and Fire Marshal information, exploring the Trackit system for the Fire Marshal, developing a disaster preparedness program, and analyzing containing costs. Commissioner Kramer moved to, by Minute Motion, approve as recommended. Motion was seconded by Vice Chair Nethery and carried by a 6-1 vote (AYES: Kirkwood, Kramer, Luhring, Schaudt, Nethery, Taylor; NAES: None; ABSENT: Harkins). C. REVIEW OF BYLAWS OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION Stephen Aryan stated that at the last meeting, the Commission had requested a review of the Public Safety Commission bylaws. There had been a question of whether the bylaws would need to be changed if the Commission meetings were changed from monthly to quarterly. The need for this change was confirmed, as the bylaws currently state that the Commission will meet on a monthly basis. Mr. Aryan added that the possibility of holding workshops when there are no meeting items for discussion was suggested at the last meeting. He then added that staff is looking for direction in relation to modifying the current ordinance and bylaws regarding meeting dates. Commissioner Kramer stated that he is hesitant to changing the frequency of the monthly meetings, as meetings can always be cancelled due to a lack of agenda items. He added that he does like the idea of having study sessions for hot topics, but that he believes it would be best to keep the meetings scheduled monthly. Vice Chair Nethery asked if despite the language of the Public Safety Commission Ordinance, does staff have the power to cancel a meeting? Mr. Aryan responded that he believes the intent was not to meet even when there is no reason to meet. Vice Chair Nethery agreed with this, as the City Council does not want Commission members to waste their time on meeting for no reason. Mayor Pro Tem Weber asked Mr. Aryan if it was true that when it's a workshop as opposed to an established meeting, it does not count as missing a meeting if Commissioners are not able to attend. Mr. Aryan responded that he believes this is correct, as workshops are purely educational and no action is taken. He then added that he will double check with the City Clerk. Vice Chair Nethery then asked what topics would be within the jurisdiction of the Commission. Mr. Aryan responded that public safety is a broad area, which could include workplace safety, ADA reviews of the City, homelessness, park safety, etc. There could also be potential meetings regarding school safety, and School Resource Officers. Mr. Aryan also added that meeting topics could include Public Safety Commission Approved Minutes April 11, 2018 Page 13 anything the Commission had collective or individual ideas about. Vice Chair Nethery listed police, fire, and disaster preparedness as potential topics. Eric Cadden responded that there are four phases to emergency management: preparedness, mitigation, recovery, and response. He added that in the event of a large earthquake, the Coachella Valley is going to be on its own for a few days since resources are going to Los Angeles and Orange County first, due to their higher populations. In response, Vice Chair Nethery stated that preparedness is more than response. He added that earthquakes and potential terrorism preparation have both been discussed in the past. Mr. Cadden responded that the most common disaster that happens in Riverside County is flooding, followed by fires. Earthquakes are high in intensity, but low in frequency. Vice Chair Nethery stated that the Commission should have a plan to look at different issues, and plan presentations for those that are hot button issues. Mr. Aryan recommended for staff to go back and look at different issues, and come up with some ideas to bring back to the Commission. The Commission can then rank priority of the topics, and give some direction of the presentations they would like to see. Vice Chair Nethery moved to, by Minute Motion, approve as recommended. Motion was seconded by Commissioner Kirkwood and carried by a 6-1 vote. (AYES: Kirkwood, Kramer, Luhring, Nethery, Schaudt, Taylor; NAES: None; ABSENT: Harkins). D. EMERGENCY SERVICES COORDINATOR ACTIVITIES (FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018) Stephen Aryan stated that Eric Cadden has been very busy. Over the last month he has held multiple presentations to HOAs, as well as CERT training classes. He has also met with the California Desert Association of Realtors, and participated in the Field Day event where he taught attendees how to properly use a fire extinguisher. Vice Chair Nethery stated that he would like the Commission to receive Mr. Cadden's presentation on the 12 Steps of Preparedness. Mr. Aryan responded that it has been quite some time since the Commission has looked closely at emergency preparedness, so it is definitely an area that would be good to touch upon. Mr. Cadden added that on Tuesday, April 17, there will be an EOC exercise for City staff to be trained on their positions in the event of an emergency. He then stated that it is also important to have staff prepared and trained for a disaster, because FEMA could take back funding if staff is not kept up to date on their training. Public Safety Commission Approved Minutes April 11, 2018 Page 14 Commissioner Kramer stated that the disaster preparedness training is phenomenal, and asked if a Commissioner would be able to attend the training for observational purposes. Mr. Aryan responded that the only concern he would have regarding this is that the EOC is a very small room, which may make it difficult to have spectators. Commissioner Luhring moved to, by Minute Motion, receive and file. Motion was seconded by Commissioner Kirkwood and carried by a 6-1 vote. (AYES: Kirkwood, Kramer, Luhring, Nethery, Schaudt, Taylor; NAES: None; ABSENT: Harkins). VIII. CONTINUED BUSINESS A. REVIEW OF CODE COMPLIANCE WEEKEND REPORTS FROM MARCH 9, 2018 TO APRIL 1, 2018. Ryan Stendell stated that twenty-one citations were issued during the period of March 9, 2018 —April 1, 2018. Most of these citations were issued for operating without a permit, and many of these citations were issued to repeat properties. Three officers will be on duty during the music festivals. Vice Chair Nethery asked if all three officers will be driving City vehicles. Mr. Stendell responded that they all will be driving a City truck, with the City Seal visible on the side. Vice Chair Nethery then asked for Mr. Stendell to remind the Commission of the follow-up for multiple violations. Mr. Stendell replied that the citations can be appealed to a hearing officer. The City requires that the operator pay their first fine, and then go through the appeals process. During the appeals process the fine can get waived completely, reduced, or upheld. Vice Chair Nethery inquired if there is a moratorium on new short term rental permits. Mr. Stendell responded that the moratorium has sunset, and new standards are in place. No new permits will be issued within the R1 and R2 zones. The 286 existing permits in these zones have until the end of 2019 to cease short term rental operations. Permits can still be issued in PR zones. Mayor Pro Tern Weber asked about a noise complaint included in the report that occurred on March 9th. Ms. Aylaian responded that the code officers will revisit properties that have a history of complaints. Mr. Stendell stated that the address from the March 9th incident had received a noise complaint the day before. He added Public Safety Commission Approved Minutes April 11, 2018 Page 15 that in many cases, the Code Compliance Officer will knock on the door and speak with the tenants. Commissioner Kirkwood asked if the areas in the report that state a property appeared vacant were times when the Code Officers had made physical contact at the front door of the home. Mr. Stendell confirmed that this was correct. Vice Chair Nethery asked what the term "light trespass" meant in the report. Mr. Stendell replied that this referred to overhead lights or flood lights that are shining onto a neighbor's property. Vice Chair Nethery then asked how Code Officers know occupants are being honest when they report the length of their stay in a short term rental. Mr. Stendell responded that the Officers can keep track of who is in the home and the cars that are parked out in front, but besides that, there is no additional follow-up with the length of an occupant's stay. Commissioner Luhring moved to, by Minute Motion, receive and file. Motion was seconded by Commissioner Kirkwood and carried by a 6-1 vote. (AYES: Kirkwood, Kramer, Luhring, Nethery, Schaudt, Taylor; NAES: None; ABSENT: Harkins). IX. OLD BUSINESS NONE X. REPORT ON CITY COUNCIL ACTION(S) NONE XI. REPORTS AND REMARKS A. Citizens on Patrol Program Reports were included in the packets for the Commissioners to review. Mr. Aryan introduced Johnny Terfehr, who has recently taken over the Citizens on Patrol program. He then added that the COPS team totaled over 2,200 volunteer hours for January and February. This equates to $120,000 in employment cost savings. Mayor Pro Tern Weber added that the COPS vacation program is very helpful. Mr. Terfehr responded that they are starting a pilot program for issuing parking Public Safety Commission Approved Minutes April 11, 2018 Page 16 citations. This will include citations for handicap parking, red curb, and fire hydrant parking. Mr. Terfehr added that the COPS now have radios, and can communicate with dispatch. Chair Taylor added that the COPS program does a fantastic job, and some education within the police department regarding that the COPS members are available for requests might be beneficial. B. Legislative Update Stephen Aryan stated that there are no updates. C. Police and Fire Departments Lt. Martello stated there are no updates. D. Staff Stephen Aryan stated that there are no updates. E. Public Safety Commissioners Commissioner Luhring thanked Mr. Aryan, Lt. Martello, and Chief Moore for the budget presentations. He commented that the presentations were well done, and well put together. XII. NEXT MEETING DATE — MAY 9, 2018 XIII. PUBLIC COMMENT At this point, members of the public who were not aware of the opening for oral communications at the beginning of the meeting requested to speak. Mr. Bruce Pointer asked about a conflict of interest for Vice Chair Nethery in relation to his voting on short term rental items. Vice Chair Nethery responded that he has not yet heard back from the City Attorney regarding this issue. He then added that the issue is that the owner of one of the homes reported on in the short term rental reports is represented by one of the lawyers at his law firm. It had been discussed if he could discuss a short term rental topic, but abstain from voting. Ms. Aylaian stated that there had been a misunderstanding, as she believed that Vice Chair Nethery was going to contact the City Attorney directly. She then recommended that Vice Chair Nethery contact him, as he would know the specifics to discuss. Vice Chair Nethery then responded that he will call Bob Public Safety Commission Approved Minutes April 11, 2018 Page 17 Hargreaves to ask him about his participation in short term rental voting. Mr. Pointer asked if at this point, Vice Chair Nethery abstains from any short term rental voting. Vice Chair Nethery responded that he would abstain from a substantive action vote, and probably leave the room during the voting. This would not be necessary for informational items, when the vote is meant to just receive and file. Chair Taylor suggested that a section could be added to the end of meetings for oral commentary. Mayor Pro Tern suggested that there could be time at both the beginning and the end of the meetings for the public to speak. Mr. Aryan responded that that change will be made for the next agenda. XIV. ADJOURNMENT With commissioner concurrence, the meeting was adjourned at 5:17 p.m. -110.0 Brianne Lawson, Recording Secretary