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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Public Safety Commission 01/14/2015X-CZ CITY OF PALM DESERT PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING APPROVED MINUTES WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2015 — 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 Chairman Luhring called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m. II. ROLL CALL Present: Commissioner James Butzbach Commissioner Phyllis Harkins Commissioner Gloria Kirkwood Commissioner Terry Kramer Chairman Doug Luhring Commissioner Frank Taylor Absent: Vice Chairman Martin Nethery Also Present: Mayor Susan Marie Weber Mayor Pro Tern Bob Spiegel John Wohlmuth, City Manager Stephen Y. Aryan, Risk Manager Lt. William Sullivan, Palm Desert Police Department Chief Bill Hunley, Riverside County Fire Department Sergeant Dave Adams, Palm Desert Police Department Frankie Riddle, Director of Special Programs Donna Evans, Recording Secretary Public Safety Commission January 14, 2015 Page 2 III. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS Mayor Pro Tern Spiegel stated that he would like to add Proposition 47 to the agenda for discussion and clarification. Lt. Sullivan commented that he would like to present a report regarding Proposition 47 at the next meeting. Commissioner Butzbach made a motion to add Election of Officers for Calendar Year 2015 to the agenda. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Kirkwood. Commissioner Butzbach nominated Vice Chair Nethery for Chairman and Commissioner Kramer for Vice Chairman. The nomination was seconded by Commissioner Kirkwood and carried by a 6-0 vote (AYES: Butzbach, Harkins, Kirkwood, Kramer, Taylor, and Luhring: NOES: None; ABSENT: Nethery). IV. PRESENTATIONS NONE V. CONSENT CALENDAR A. MINUTES of the Regular Public Safety Commission Meeting of November 12, 2014. B. PALM DESERT SPECIALIZED UNITS End of Month Report for October and November 2014. C. PALM DESERT FIRE SERVICES Monthly Report for November and December 2014. Commissioner Kirkwood moved to, by Minute Motion, approve the consent calendar. Motion was seconded by Commissioner Kramer and carried by a 6-0 vote (AYES: Butzbach, Harkins, Kirkwood, Kramer, Taylor, and Luhring: NOES: None; ABSENT: Nethery). VI. CONSENT ITEMS HELD OVER NONE VII. NEW BUSINESS A. UPDATE ON THE DUI DRIVER AND VEHICLE IMPOUND COST RECOVERYFEE Stephen Aryan stated that staff is recommending that the Vehicle Impound Cost Recovery fee be increased from $140 to $165 to account for the increased deputy rate and staff time. The current VICR rate has remained unchanged since being established in 2009. A new traffic DUINICR fee of $705 would also be added. This body approved the intent of staff action and asked staff to look at a method where if someone who was Public Safety Commission January 14, 2015 Page 3 acquitted of all crimes could appeal the process and associated fees. The City Council approved an appeal process which is incorporated into a letter that goes out to all vehicle owners. It states that individuals who are acquitted of all crimes that they are charged with may request a refund of the assessed Vehicle Impound Cost Recovery fee by contacting the Palm Desert Sheriff's Station no later than thirty days after the acquittal date. Reimbursement requests that are greater than thirty days may be considered by obtaining City Manager approval. Similar language is also in the resolution. Commissioner Butzbach asked if there was a way to plead a hardship and set up a payment plan. Lt. Sullivan stated that they waive fees as necessary. Chairman Luhring moved to, by Minute Motion, receive and file the informational report. Motion was seconded by Commissioner Harkins and carried by a 6-0 vote (AYES: Butzbach, Harkins, Kirkwood, Kramer, Taylor, and Luhring: NOES: None; ABSENT: Nethery). B. PURCHASE OF ONE NEW 2015 BMW R1200 RT-P MOTORCYCLE AND EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT. Mr. Aryan stated that in 2012, the City Council approved a police motorcycle replacement schedule. In late 2013, the City went out to bid for two new 2013 BMW motorcycles. BMW Motorcycles of Riverside was the lowest bidder at $31,686.78 per unit, which is a price that the dealership agreed to honor until June 30, 2015, for any model year 2013 or 2014 BMW motorcycle. Unfortunately, staff was recently notified that the 2013 and 2014 models were no longer available and, therefore, would be required to go back out to bid for the purchase of one 2015 BMW motorcycle. There's also the option to go to Council to waive the bidding process. Staff anticipates the cost to be approximately $35,000, including tax, labor and accessories. Staff would like to make a motion to waive the bidding requirement for the purchase of one new 2015 BMW R1200 RT-P motorcycle and emergency equipment and approve the purchase from BMW Motorcycles of Riverside in the amount of $32,442.74. This is an increase of approximately $700 over last year, since it's a newer model. If this item was sent out to bid, the price would most likely be significantly higher. Commissioner Kramer moved to, by Minute Motion, receive and file the informational report. Motion was seconded by Commissioner Butzbach and carried by a 6-0 vote (AYES: Butzbach, Harkins, Kirkwood, Kramer, Taylor, and Luhring: NOES: None; ABSENT: Nethery). C. REQUEST TO UTILIZE VENDORS ON AN AUTHORIZED PUBLIC SAFETY VENDORS LIST FOR RELATED EQUIPMENT REPAIRS, EQUIPMENT PURCHASES, AND SPECIALTY SERVICES, UTILIZED BY THE PALM DESERT POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS. Public Safety Commission January 14, 2015 Page 4 Mr. Aryan stated that every year a vendor list is presented to the City Council for approval. These are vendors that will be utilized by both the Police and Fire Departments on a regular basis. In the past, the vendor list only included traffic -related vendors; however, over the years the Police and Fire Departments have been using more non - traffic related vendors, such as drug and alcohol testing and trauma scene clean-up. These vendors have been added to the list for City Council approval. Commissioner Kramer moved to, by Minute Motion, recommend that the Palm Desert City Council approve the Authorized Public Safety Vendors List as presented in the Riverside County Sheriff's Department Memorandum dated January 6, 2015, and Riverside County Fire Department email dated January 7, 2015. Motion was seconded by Commissioner Kirkwood and carried by a 6-0 vote (AYES: Butzbach, Harkins, Kirkwood, Kramer, Taylor, and Luhring: NOES: None; ABSENT: Nethery). D. 2014 HOLIDAY THEFT SUPPRESSION PROGRAM REPORT Business District Sgt. David Eichelt was present and reported on the 2014 Holiday Theft Suppression Program, which ran from November 28, 2014, through January 4, 2015. The program was conducted utilizing staff assigned to the Palm Desert Police Department's Business District Team with overtime staffed by P.D. Police and funded by Cal Cops. This year's expenditure increased by $5,000 over the 2013 program. Volunteers were utilized from the Riverside County Sheriff's Department's Mounted Posse who patrolled the Westfield Shopping Center on two weekends. Also, the Citizens on Patrol Officers put notices on cars warning people of potential opportunities for a theft to occur. The mounted posse was highly effective. Their presence discouraged thieves from breaking into vehicles and they also served as a great public relations tool. With the passing of Proposition 47, criminals are now aware that being caught for shoplifting for amounts totaling less than one thousand dollars is now a misdemeanor, and a citation release. Suspects were asking officers to hurry up and give them their citation so that they could move along. Both Kohl's and Wal-Mart upgraded their video surveillance equipment and increased their staffing in loss prevention. They also notified dispatch as soon as a theft occurred so that officers would have time to respond and apprehend the suspects. It's the recommendation of the Palm Desert Police Department that the program be continued with full funding in 2015. It's also recommended that the Citizens on Patrol and the Riverside County Sheriff's Department's Mounted Posse are utilized in future programs, as they proved to be very effective. Commissioner Butzbach moved to, by Minute Motion, receive and file the informational report. Motion was seconded by Commissioner Harkins and carried by a 6-0 vote (AYES: Butzbach, Harkins, Kirkwood, Kramer, Taylor, and Luhring: NOES: None; ABSENT: Nethery). Public Safety Commission January 14, 2015 Page 5 VIII. CONTINUED BUSINESS NONE IX. OLD BUSINESS NONE X. REPORT ON CITY COUNCIL ACTION(S) NONE XI. REPORTS AND REMARKS A. Citizens on Patrol Program Ms. Riddle stated that the new Citizens on Patrol report shows a breakdown of each area and how many times each area has been patrolled. The patrols can be adjusted if we see certain areas that need it. She noted that she will be out in the community on January 30 shooting a new PSA for the COPS Program. B. Legislative Update NONE C. Police and Fire Departments 1. Discuss meeting time for the Alarm Ordinance Subcommittee. Mr. Aryan suggested that Lt. Sullivan send out an email to all the members of the Alarm Ordinance Subcommittee with some suggested dates and times to meet. 2. 2014 "Shop with a Cop" event. Sgt. Adams stated that 34 kids showed up for the Shop with a Cop event, but six kids didn't make it. They had $5,500 to spend at Wal-Mart on toys for the kids and they had $1,700 left over which was spent on toys and hand delivered to other needy kids in the community. The event was very well organized and support from the City Council and staff was appreciated. Mayor Weber commented that when all the police cars showed up, the kids got so excited. It's a wonderful program and the kids and their parents loved sitting in the police cars. Public Safety Commission January 14, 2015 Page 6 Lt. Sullivan gave an update on the missing person last seen at the JW Marriott. Omar Meza is a sales representative for AIG and comes to the valley for monthly meetings. Mr. Meza entering the lobby of the J.W. Marriott Resort and subsequently disappeared. His jacket and wallet were discovered near one of the lakes on the property. The lakes are being searched by the Riverside County Sheriff's Department dive team along with cadaver dogs. It's a slow process due to the large amount of silt at the bottom of the lakes and zero visibility. Soon this incident will become an investigative situation. There's still one pond next to the entrance of the hotel that has to be searched. 3. 2014 Palm Desert Fire Department Statistics (Oral Report) Fire Chief Bill Hunley stated that in the City of Palm Desert there was an increase of 237 responses in 2014 (up 28% from 2013). Station 71 averaged 11.6 calls per day, with each call taking approximately one hour. He noted that 86% of the calls in 2014 had response times under five minutes. Chief Hunley commented that the year-end report will be submitted in February. D. Staff 1. Golf cart safety. Mr. Aryan stated that "Rules of the Road for Golf Carts" was published in the January/February issue of the Bright Side newsletter outlining the Golf Cart Transportation Program. Code Compliance Officers will be going to Palm Desert Country Club to do inspections and register carts. Commissioner Harkins commented that she is also going to run an article regarding golf cart safety in the Palm Desert Country Club newsletter. XII. NEXT MEETING DATE — FEBRUARY 11, 2015 XIII. ADJOURNMENT With Commission concurrence the meeting was adjourned at 4:22 p.m. Q4MA) Donna Evans, Recording Secretary