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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-12-09 PSC Regular Meeting Minutes CITY OF PALM DESERT PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING APPROVED MINUTES WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 09, 2020 – 3:30 p.m. Zoom Virtual Meeting https://palmdesert.zoom.us/j/85188855484 I. CALL TO ORDER Vice Chair Kirkwood called the meeting to order at 3:33 p.m. II. ROLL CALL Present: Vice Chair Gloria Kirkwood Commissioner Terry Kramer Commissioner Doug Luhring Commissioner Martin Nethery Commissioner Frank Taylor Absent: Chair Carole Schaudt Commissioner Phyllis Harkins Also Present: Lori Carney, Director of Administrative Services Stephen Aryan, Risk Manager Ryan Stendell, Director of Community Development Pedro Rodriguez, Code Compliance Supervisor Chris Gerry, Management Analyst Michael Ornelas, Emergency Services Coordinator Lt. Matthew Martello, Palm Desert Police Department Sgt. Frank Velasco, Palm Desert Police Department Deputy Steven Nelson, Palm Desert Police Department Battalion Chief Bryan White, Riverside County Fire Department Jeff Alley, Citizens on Patrol Marcus Cannon, Riverside University Health System Brianne Lawson, Recording Secretary Public Safety Commission Approved Minutes December 9, 2020 Page 2 III. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS NONE IV. PRESENTATIONS NONE V. CONSENT CALENDAR A. MINUTES of the Regular Public Safety Commission Meeting of October 14, 2020. B. PALM DESERT SPECIALIZED UNITS End of the Month Report for October 2020. C. RIVERSIDE COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT/CAL FIRE End of the Month Report for November 2020. D. CODE COMPLIANCE Weekend Reports for October and November 2020. E. EMERGENCY SERVICES COORDINATOR Monthly Report for August to November 2020. Commissioner Nethery moved to receive and file the items of the consent calendar. Motion was seconded by Commissioner Taylor and carried by a 5-0 vote (AYES: Kirkwood, Kramer, Luhring, Nethery, Taylor; NAES: None; ABSENT: Harkins, Schaudt). VI. CONSENT ITEMS HELD OVER NONE VII. NEW BUSINESS A. Selection of Commission Chair and Vice Chair to commence their term on January 1, 2021. Stephen Aryan stated that the annual selection of the new Commission Chair and Vice Chair was being carried out slightly earlier than usual, in the event that there is not a meeting held in January. Public Safety Commission Approved Minutes December 9, 2020 Page 3 Commissioner Nethery moved to, by Minute Motion, recommend that the Public Safety Commission appoint Vice Chair Kirkwood as Commission Chair and Commissioner Luhring as Commission Vice Chair. Motion was seconded by Commissioner Taylor and carried by a 5-0 vote (AYES: Kirkwood, Kramer, Luhring, Nethery, Taylor; NAES: None; ABSENT: Harkins, Schaudt). B. Sheriff’s Department oral update relating to increased transient issues. Mr. Aryan stated that the Sheriff’s Department would provide an oral update regarding operational issues related specifically to current transient issues, and how they relate to the budget. Lt. Martello introduced Deputy Nelson and Sgt. Velasco, two members of the police Department who have been working closely with transient issues. Sgt. Velasco stated that a majority of those being arrested are transients. Many of these cases involve drugs, and during the past Point-in-Time count only one person expressed interest in being connected with services. Three to four months before COVID-19 hit, the Sheriff’s Department began doing heavy transient enforcement and disbursement of trespass letters. This enforcement is now the majority of what the Business District Team is handling. Transient camps continue to pop up, and many transients are coming to Palm Desert specifically because it is safer and they can get more money panhandling. When a position was cut in July of 2020, this reduced the Business District Team to two people. The surge in the transient presence and the appearance of multiple camps has made the task overwhelming for a two person team. Consequently, part of the SET team has had their hours readjusted to help assist the Business District Team. This is putting a strain on resources for handling other issues. Lt. Martello then added that many of these individuals who are arriving to Palm Desert as transients are being bussed in from other counties to Indio and Palm Springs. They migrate into Palm Desert where they are able to collect more money while panhandling. This is impacting the safety of both police officers and Palm Desert code enforcement employees, as they are the ones who work on enforcement and clearing out transient camps. Sgt. Velasco then stated that it has been found that certain businesses cater to transients, offering them food, water, and money. This makes it not just an enforcement issue, but also a community issue. Additionally, the Sheriff’s Department has worked with the HHOPE Program, and hardly any of the transient individuals were interested in taking their services. Sgt. Velasco then suggested that the expense of the HHOPE Program could be replaced with Public Safety Commission Approved Minutes December 9, 2020 Page 4 additional Business District team officers, as the majority of the transients they are encountering have chosen homelessness as a lifestyle. Following a brief discussion regarding the past and current locations of transient camps in Palm Desert, Mr. Aryan then introduced Mr. Marcus Cannon of the Riverside University Health System. Mr. Cannon stated that the solution for transient issues cannot be determined as being just enforcement or just the provision of social services. While there have been documented cases of success with individuals accepting services, the challenge of homelessness is a large problem all across Southern California. Commissioner Nethery asked Mr. Cannon what other communities have done in response to transient issues. Mr. Cannon responded that there are jurisdictions that are having success with housing individuals and connecting them with services, but larger issues such as affordable housing and criminal justice reform are contributing to the problem at large. Therefore, there isn’t one community that seems to have found an all-encompassing short term solution. Commissioner Taylor asked Sgt. Velasco why transients are gravitating to Palm Desert from Indio and Palm Springs. Sgt. Velasco responded that transient individuals have reported more safety issues in Indio, and that Palm Springs is more saturated with other homeless individuals. Palm Desert offers them more safety and less competition for panhandling. Mr. Cannon then added that some communities have focused on educating the public on not giving money to panhandlers, as it does not help the overall problem of homelessness. This education strategy can help reduce the presence of transients who are targeting an area for panhandling, as they begin to receive less money from the public and subsequently stop frequenting the area. Mr. Aryan stated that this issue will be brought before Council in January, and the Sheriff’s Department would like to fill either one or two positions on the SET team. Information regarding funding has not yet been developed, but that will be finalized and brought to Council. Council’s decision will then be reported back to the Commission. Any Commission feedback from today’s meeting will also be included when the item is presented before Council. Chris Gerry pointed out that the homelessness assistance program is funded by a grant that we have for the next five years. He then shared some statistics, including that the team has contacted two hundred and thirty nine unduplicated individuals within the past eighteen months. These individuals have been reached out to over forty-five hundred times with offers of services, and seven people have been connected with permanent housing. Public Safety Commission Approved Minutes December 9, 2020 Page 5 Mr. Aryan added that more data will be collected relating to this item before it is presented before Council in January. Commissioner Luhring moved to, by Minute Motion, receive and file the Sheriff’s Department oral update on increased transient issues. Motion was seconded by Commissioner Nethery and carried by a 5-0 vote (AYES: Kirkwood, Kramer, Luhring, Nethery, Taylor; NAES: None; ABSENT: Harkins, Schaudt). C. Approve the purchase of a paramedic squad vehicle and related equipment for use at Fire Station No. 71. Mr. Aryan stated that the Commission had recommended to Council the implementation of a paramedic squad vehicle at station No. 71 as part of the FY 20/21 Fire Department budget. The Council approved the recommendation at their budget review. Mr. Aryan added that Station No. 71 is located at Portola and Country Club, and is one of the City’s busiest stations. A paramedic squad would help alleviate call volume by providing a tiered level of response for both medical and fire emergencies. Paramedic Squad 71 will be staffed with a Fire Apparatus Engineer and a Firefighter II Paramedic at all times, and will require a total of four personnel to run the different shifts. The City plans to issue a letter of intent to the County to move forward with the staffing as approved. Staff would also like to proceed with a vehicle and equipment purchase, which will follow the County’s established purchasing protocols. The squad unit will take over one year to build, and the County will loan Palm Desert a paramedic squad and only charge for usage costs in the meantime. The total cost of the vehicle with equipment and a ten percent contingency is approximately $259,000. Staff recommends moving forward with this purchase and bringing this item before the City Council for approval in January. Commissioner Kramer moved to, by Minute Motion, recommend that the Palm Desert City Council approve and authorize the Riverside County Fire Department to purchase a paramedic squad vehicle and related equipment for use at Fire Station No. 71. Motion was seconded by Commissioner Taylor and carried by a 5-0 vote (AYES: Kirkwood, Kramer, Luhring, Nethery, Taylor; NAES: None; ABSENT: Harkins, Schaudt). Public Safety Commission Approved Minutes December 9, 2020 Page 6 VIII. CONTINUED BUSINESS A. Approve an ordinance relating to emergency access to gated communities by law enforcement. Mr. Aryan stated that this item was brought before the Commission about a year ago, but COVID-19 has caused a delay in bringing it back. He then added that the Police Department is experiencing reoccurring issues with access to emergencies when responding to calls for service within gated communities. Previous access was granted by the Fire Department, when they shared their Knox Box keys with the Sheriff’s Department. Due to the loss of several keys both within and outside the Fire Department, the Fire Department’s policy now does not allow the sharing of keys with any external agencies. At the request of the Commission, staff reached out to the Fire Department’s senior management to see if an exception could be made for sharing keys with the Sheriff’s Department. This request was denied, so staff is now recommending the passing of an ordinance relating to emergency access to gated communities by the Police Department. This ordinance would be modeled after one that was put in place by the City of La Quinta. Homeowners Associations would be responsible for ensuring that such access complied with standards set by the Police Department, and for the installation and maintenance of the Knox Boxes. Gated communities will have one year after the effective date of the ordinance to comply, and the City of Palm Desert’s Public Information Officer will work on getting this information out to the public. The cost to purchase each unit is estimated between $200 and $400. Any new gated communities will be required to provide immediate access as a condition of their approval during the development review process. Commissioner Kramer inquired if the City has considered any form of reimbursement of expenses for HOAs that can prove a financial hardship. Mr. Aryan responded that the Commission could make a recommendation to model the City of Rancho Mirage in subsidizing the cost of Knox Box installation for HOAs that complied with the ordinance within six months of the effective date. Commissioner Taylor pointed out that La Quinta’s ordinance does include a section that mentions relief hearings as needed. He then inquired if the ordinance would require gated communities to have a Knox Box on all of their entrance gates. Lt. Martello responded that the requirement is at least one gate, but equipping more of their gates with Knox Boxes will allow for a faster Police Department response. Mr. Aryan then asked Chief White if the Knox Boxes for the Fire Department are at the main gates of the gated communities, or if they are at all gates. Chief White responded that they are at all of the motorized gates, which are unmanned. Public Safety Commission Approved Minutes December 9, 2020 Page 7 Commissioner Kramer suggested an amendment to the recommendation to Council, which would include the condition that all non-staffed motorized gates at gated communities would need to have Knox Boxes added, and a with cause incentive provided to HOAs with a verifiable financial need if they install within the first six months from the effective date of the ordinance. Commissioner Kramer moved to, by Minute Motion, recommend that the Palm Desert City Council approve an ordinance relating to emergency access to gated communities by law enforcement, with the addition of a requirement for installation at all non-staffed motorized gates and a provision of an incentive for Homeowners Associations with a financial need who complete installation within the first six months from the ordinance effective date. Motion was seconded by Commissioner Nethery and carried by a 5-0 vote (AYES: Kirkwood, Kramer, Luhring, Nethery, Taylor; NAES: None; ABSENT: Harkins, Schaudt). IX. OLD BUSINESS NONE X. REPORTS ON CITY COUNCIL ACTION(S) Mr. Aryan provided a message from Susan Marie Weber, thanking the Commissioners for her experience serving as a liaison to the Public Safety Commission over the past eight years. She also thanked the Commissioners for their time and dedication. XI. REPORTS AND REMARKS A. Citizens on Patrol Program Jeff Alley reported that the Citizens on Patrol are looking forward to when they can be out again, and thanked Susan Marie Weber for all of her support. B. Legislative Update Mr. Gerry stated there was no update. C. Police and Fire Departments Lt. Martello stated that Shop with a Cop will still happen this year, although WalMart opted to not participate. The Sheriff’s Department and the City of Palm Desert are currently working with Target to make the event happen. Public Safety Commission Approved Minutes December 9, 2020 Page 8 Chief White stated that several Fire Department members have tested positive for COVID-19. This has effected scheduling, and caused brief periods where an engine was not covered. He thanked the City for securing contracts with vendors who provide sanitizing services, as this enables Fire facilities and vehicles to be sanitized at a faster rate in instances where an employee has been exposed to COVID-19. Chief White then stated that the numbers of COVID positive patients being transported has increased significantly, but the Fire Department does have all of the necessary PPE and supplies they require to provide services to the public. Following this, Chief White added that an 11,000 seat arena proposed to be built on the north side of Palm Desert will impact the Fire Department’s demand for service. The Fire Department is currently in early talks with the arena’s developers to address this impact. D. Staff Mr. Aryan stated that the City has experienced some COVID-19 related issues, and that City Hall is once again closed to the public without the possibility of meeting by appointment. There are new rules from OSHA that classify three people who test positive for COVID at one workplace within a fourteen day period as an outbreak. In the event that an outbreak is declared, the business must be closed and all employees are required to be tested. Only those who receive a negative test result are then allowed to come back to work. All incidents of possible exposure at City Hall have resulted in the facility being temporarily closed, and then deep cleaned and sanitized by a cleaning company. E. Public Safety Commissioners Commissioner Nethery inquired about the terms of Commissioners. Chris Gerry responded that Commission interviews and placement typically take place in February or March. However, Commissioners have currently been given an indefinite reappointment. Commissioners will receive a letter within the next few weeks that states their positions have been extended. Chris Gerry then stated that the COVID-19 testing taking place at the Civic Center is ongoing, and currently taking place every other Tuesday. This is scheduled through February of 2021. XII. NEXT MEETING DATE – January 13, 2021 Public Safety Commission Approved Minutes December 9, 2020 Page 9 XIII. ADJOURNMENT With commissioner concurrence, the meeting was adjourned at 5:10 p.m. ________________________________ Brianne Lawson