Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-05-13 PSC Regular Meeting Minutes CITY OF PALM DESERT PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING APPROVED WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 2020 – 3:30 p.m. Zoom Virtual Meeting I. CALL TO ORDER Commissioner Nethery acted as Chair, and called the meeting to order at 3:39 PM. II. ROLL CALL Present: Commissioner Phyllis Harkins Commissioner Terry Kramer (Left at 4:45 PM) Commissioner Doug Luhring Commissioner Martin Nethery Commissioner Frank Taylor Absent: Chair Carole Schaudt Vice Chair Gloria Kirkwood Also Present: Councilmember Susan Marie Weber Lt. Matthew Martello, Palm Desert Police Department Battalion Chief Bryan White, Riverside County Fire Department Battalion Chief Mike Beverlin, Riverside County Fire Department Lauri Aylaian, City Manager Janet Moore, Director of Finance Stephen Aryan, Risk Manager Alex Vasquez, Code Compliance Officer Jeff Alley, Citizens on Patrol Brianne Lawson, Recording Secretary III. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS NONE Public Safety Commission Approved Minutes May 13, 2020 Page 2 IV. PRESENTATIONS NONE V. CONSENT CALENDAR A. MINUTES of the Regular Public Safety Commission Meeting of February 12, 2020. B. PALM DESERT SPECIALIZED UNITS End of the Month Report for February, 2020. C. RIVERSIDE COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT/CAL FIRE End of the Month Report for March, 2020. D. EMERGENCY SERVICES COORDINATOR Monthly Report for February 2020. E. CODE COMPLIANCE Weekend Reports for February 2020. F. CODE COMPLIANCE Weekend Reports for March 2020. Commissioner Harkins moved to receive and file the items of the consent calendar. Motion was seconded by Commissioner Luhring and carried by a 5-0 vote (AYES: Harkins, Kramer, Luhring, Nethery, Taylor; NAES: None; ABSENT: Kirkwood, Schaudt). VI. CONSENT ITEMS HELD OVER NONE VII. NEW BUSINESS A. Approve to staff and purchase a paramedic squad at Fire Station No. 71, as part of the Fire Department’s Fiscal Year 2020/21 Budget Request. Stephen Aryan provided a presentation to propose the staffing and purchasing of a new paramedic squad for Fire Station No. 71. He explained that a paramedic squad includes the use of an advanced life support (ALS) vehicle with a crew consisting of an engineer and a paramedic for each shift. The ALS vehicle does not provide patient transport, but it can help to alleviate demand on the emergency response system. The primary response area for Fire Station No. 71 Public Safety Commission Approved Minutes May 13, 2020 Page 3 is densely populated, and includes many skilled nursing facilities. This increases call volume and response time. The addition of a paramedic squad would provide more staffing for emergency incidents, meaning it could fulfill both the role of a medic unit and some responsibilities of an engine. Mr. Aryan then added that the total startup cost for a paramedic squad would be approximately $1.2 million. After the first year, annual costs are anticipated to be between $950,000 and $1,000,000. Mr. Aryan then addressed ancillary services of the Fire Department, stating that there are really only two areas where costs could be reduced without impacting the Fire Department’s public safety services. The first of these is the current provision of Riverside County Fire Marshal services at Palm Desert City Hall, and the second is having City provided emergency medical ambulance response. He then stated that the City Manager has brought forward a modification proposal to the City Council, which would eliminate the Riverside County Fire Marshal staff at City Hall. Staff would most likely be relocated to a County building near Sun City on Washington Street, and 120 day notice provided to the County is required per the contract. This notice was provided in April, so this would place the removal of Fire Marshal services from City Hall in August of 2020. This change would result in a savings of $500,000 in the City’s Fire Department budget. Mr. Aryan then addressed the second area where costs could be reduced, which would involve the elimination of City provided ambulances. This action is not recommended due to the number of negative impacts it would cause. The elimination of City provided ambulances would require the service to be provided by an outside agency, so the City would have no direct control over service quality or response times. This would also mean that the City would no longer have any means for EMS cost recovery, and Palm Desert residents would also be charged for ambulance services from an outside agency. In relation to the proposal for a paramedic squad, Mr. Aryan highlighted that twenty percent of service calls that are being responded to by Fire Station No. 71 are going into Rancho Mirage. This creates a compelling argument on the part of Palm Desert to develop a cost sharing agreement with Rancho Mirage for the new paramedic squad. Commissioner Luhring inquired if Fire Station No. 71 would have space for a new rig. Mr. Aryan responded that this was looked into, and deferred to Battalion Chief White and Battalion Chief Beverlin for comment. Chief White replied that Station 71 had temporarily housed an additional ambulance from Indian Wells in 2018, and although it was a tight fit they were able to make it work. Some areas that would need to be addressed would be the day room and the kitchen table, which are currently not large enough to accommodate any additional staff. In Public Safety Commission Approved Minutes May 13, 2020 Page 4 order to make room for another vehicle, the plan is to relocate the reserved fire engine that is currently stored at Station 71 and replace it with the paramedic squad vehicle. Commissioner Kramer then inquired about the reason for staffing the squad with an engineer. Chief White replied that an engineer has company officer level experience and command level experience, and this would be necessary in the event that the paramedic squad responded to a rapidly escalating incident. Mr. Aryan added that there is approximately a $2,000 difference between the cost for a firefighter and the cost for an engineer. After some additional discussion regarding response times and costs, Commissioner Nethery inquired on the projected timeframe for a new station to be built to accommodate the University Park area. Mr. Aryan responded that prior to the COVID-19 pandemic the projected time was in five to six years. That expected timeframe has now doubled. The City is now looking to alleviate the pressure on Station 71 with this potential addition of a paramedic squad. Commissioner Harkins moved to, by Minute Motion, recommend that the Public Safety Commission approve to staff and purchase a paramedic squad at Fire Station No. 71, as part of the Fire Department’s Fiscal Year 2020/21 Budget Request. Motion was seconded by Commissioner Luhring and carried by a 4-1 vote (AYES: Harkins, Luhring, Nethery, Taylor; NAES: Kramer; ABSENT: Kirkwood, Schaudt). B. Approve cost reduction options for the FY 2020/21 Palm Desert Police Department Budget. Mr. Aryan stated that the following proposed options for Palm Desert Police budget reductions may only need to be temporary actions. These options include a reduction of patrol hours from 171 hours a day to 144 hours a day, vacating and temporarily suspending the Administrative Sergeant position, reducing the motor team down to four officers, and a temporary suspension of the K9 team. Additionally, Mr. Aryan stated that bringing the Business District team down to three positions is also being proposed, as well as vacating the School Resource Officer (SRO) position at Palm Desert Charter Middle School. There are no cost sharing funds provided by Palm Desert Charter, so this position is currently funded completely by the City. Following this, Mr. Aryan stated that the reduction in patrol hours would be offset by an increase in Community Service Officer (CSO) positions. Commissioner Kramer inquired how it will be possible to make these reductions in the budget while still effectively providing public safety services, especially since response times to calls for service have been increasing. Mr. Aryan Public Safety Commission Approved Minutes May 13, 2020 Page 5 responded that it should be kept in mind that the City is looking at current conditions, which include a decrease in traffic and tourists. These options are also temporary, although the timeframe is unknown due to the ongoing effects of the pandemic. City Manager Lauri Aylaian then stated that Palm Desert’s revenue depends heavily on the City’s status as a tourist destination. Sales tax and transient occupancy tax (TOT) revenue has been significantly reduced, and the City’s revenue has dropped by $11.1 million within the past four months. It is now anticipated that there will be 25.5 percent less revenue than previously expected for next year. This means that the City’s fund reserves will need to be utilized next year, and it is estimated that about $8 million will need to be used in order to close the gap. This use of emergency funds makes it necessary to reduce expenditures, and police services are the City’s largest expense during the course of the year. Commissioner Nethery asked if it would be possible to keep the SRO position at Palm Desert Charter if the school district would pay for half of the cost. Mr. Aryan responded that since it is a charter school, they are not part of Desert Sands Unified School District. Commissioner Nethery then asked if it would be possible for the Commission to get a list of members on the Charter School’s Board. Ms. Aylaian responded that the list can be sent to them, but the Board has continuously not been receptive to cost sharing in the past. Additionally, recent research has determined that most cities in the Coachella Valley pay for their school crossing guards, but (besides Palm Desert) only Cathedral City pays any amount toward School Resource Officers. Councilmember Weber then inquired what SROs have been doing since the schools have been closed due to the pandemic. Lt. Martello responded that they are operating as patrol. Commissioner Taylor commented that the proposed reductions would be cutting police officer positions for a temporary undetermined amount of time. This will cause an increase in response times, as well as a decrease in proactive activity time. He then stated that using CSOs is a good cost saving method, but CSOs are not sworn peace officers and they are not able to respond to emergencies. Following this, he added that he believes patrol hours should be increased rather than cut. Increasing patrol hours while reducing dedicated positions would prevent longer patrol response times. Lt. Martello responded that it is the officers in dedicated positions who solve and prevent crimes. There are functions that patrol officers cannot carry out, such as handling the large number of transients that are now coming into the Coachella Valley from Los Angeles. Public Safety Commission Approved Minutes May 13, 2020 Page 6 Commissioner Taylor responded that dedicated positions do not respond to incidents that occur after hours, and that it is patrol who provide emergency response when special enforcement units are off duty. Commissioner Taylor moved to, by Minute Motion, recommend that the Public Safety Commission approve cost reduction options for the FY 2020/21 Palm Desert Police Department Budget. Motion was seconded by Commissioner Luhring and carried by a 3-1 vote (AYES: Harkins, Luhring, Nethery; NAES: Taylor; ABSENT: Kirkwood, Kramer, Schaudt). VIII. CONTINUED BUSINESS NONE IX. OLD BUSINESS NONE X. REPORTS ON CITY COUNCIL ACTION(S) Councilmember Weber shared that she had spoken with someone who used the City’s new ambulance billing service, and they had the impression that they were working directly with the City rather than a separate agency when they called with questions. This is what had been hoped for when setting up the new service, and the individual she spoke to was very pleased. She then thanked the Commission for attending the meeting on such short notice, as it was very important to get their input on the two items that were presented. XI. REPORTS AND REMARKS A. Citizens on Patrol Program Jeff Alley stated that the new golf cart delivery has been placed on hold due to City Hall’s closure to the public. Also, COPs members have been participating in online training and Zoom meetings. B. Legislative Update Mr. Aryan stated that there was no update. Public Safety Commission Approved Minutes May 13, 2020 Page 7 C. Police and Fire Departments Lt. Martello provided a brief summary of the incident that occurred the previous week, which began with a stabbing in front of Southwest Church in Indian Wells and was followed by the death of an infant on Hwy 74. The suspect was caught by the police in a ravine off of the side of the mountain, and he has since confessed to the crimes. D. Staff Mr. Aryan thanked the Commission for taking the time to go over the presented items. E. Public Safety Commissioners Commissioner Luhring stated that he appreciated receiving the pandemic response plan from the Riverside County Fire Department. Commissioner Nethery added that he thought the two presentations and reports provided today were great work. XII. NEXT MEETING DATE – Wednesday, June 10, 2020 XIII. ADJOURNMENT With commissioner concurrence, the meeting was adjourned at 5:51 p.m. ________________________________ Brianne Lawson, Recording Secretary Brianne Lawson