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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Public Safety Commission March 9, 2011Ica CITY OF PALM DESERT ADJOURNED PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Wednesday, March 29, 2011 — 3:30 p.m. Administrative Conference Room CALL TO ORDER Prior to the Call to Order, City Clerk Rachelle Klassen swore in Doug Luhring as a member of the Public Safety Commission. I I I I cI I I I Chairman Lebel called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m. ROLL CALL Present: Chairman Lebel Vice Chairman Butzbach Absent: Commissioner Kirkwood C Commissioner Luhring Commissioner Nethery a .d Also Present: c; 4 Councilman William R. Kroonen ? c o A Stephen Aryan, Assistant to the City Manager U ^ > zi Gary Rosenblum, Risk Manager w` Captain Dan Wilham Lt. Andrew Shouse, Palm Desert Police Department/ a a Sgt. Misty Reynolds, Palm Desert Police Department Chief Dorian Cooley, Riverside County Fire Department Battalion Chief John Rios, Riverside County Fire Department Fire Marshal Steve Brooker, Riverside County Fire Department Karen Prusinowski, Recording Secretary Chairman Lebel welcomed Mr. Luhring to the Public Safety Commission. III. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS None. �z w iy "s pq a 0 O MEETING MINUTES ADJOURNED PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING MARCH 29, 2011 IV. PRESENTATIONS None. V. CONSENT CALENDAR A. Minutes of the Public Safety Commission Meetings of January 5, 2011 and February 9, 2011 B. Palm Desert Fire Services Monthly Report for January 2011 C. Palm Desert Police Department Specialized Units Monthly Report for February 2011 D. Palm Desert Police Department 2010 Annual Report E. Palm Desert Fire Department 2010 Annual Report F. Annual Disaster Response Management Report Chairman Lebel indicated that all consent items could be approved with one roll call vote, or items may be pulled off the consent calendar for discussion, if desired. Motion by Commissioner Kirkwood, seconded by Commissioner Nethery, to approve the Consent Calendar as presented, unanimously carried. VI. CONSENT ITEMS HELD OVER None. VII. NEW BUSINESS A. Request to expend funds for purchase of Palm Desert Police Department Promotional Items Motion to approve by Commissioner Nethery, seconded by Commissioner Kirkwood, unanimously carried. B. Request to expend funds for Basic Motorcycle Academy Training at the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department's EVOC Center (San Bernardino, CA), May 16-17, 2011 2 MEETING MINUTES ADJOURNED PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING MARCH 29, 2011 Lt. Shouse explained that this training is for the motor officer who replaced Corporal Courtney Donovan, who was selected as one of the Department's Public Information Officers recently and transferred to Riverside. Motion to approve by Commissioner Nethery, seconded by Commissioner Kirkwood, unanimously carried. C. Request to expend funds for Officer Steve Rivera and canine Van Snapp to attend a Tracking Training Seminar at Alderhorst International (Riverside, CA) April 25-29, 2011 Lt. Shouse explained that canines are typically trained to find suspects and/or people using scent that saturates a room. This training will give Van Snapp the ability to track both suspects and/or missing persons, children, etc., much like a blood hound, using the smell of footsteps. Motion to approve the recommendation by Commissioner Butzbach, seconded by Commissioner Nethery, unanimously carried. D. Proposed FY 2011/12 Palm Desert Police Department Budget Commissioner Nethery mentioned that there were two recommendations that result in a relatively small increase and a number of options. He asked staff for its recommendation. Stephen Aryan reported that he attended a meeting with the City Manager, Lt. Shouse, and Captain Wilham to review this budget, and these were some of the recommendations they made. Staff supports the proposed budget. He indicated that, from his point of view, these were good recommendations. The Police Department is requesting to move a Community Service Officer I position to a CSO II, which is a modest increase. Doing so would allow them increased operational efficiencies in allocating crime prevention resources and allows two deputy positions to be reassigned to burglary suppression teams. Commissioner Nethery asked if staff was asking the Commission to discuss the options in detail. Mr. Aryan said that the options listed are based upon the Sheriff Department's preferences in terms of least to most impact to the community. 3 MEETING MINUTES ADJOURNED PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING MARCH 29, 2011 Captain Wilham said that the options were included in the event the budget needed to be reduced. Based on the meeting with City Manager Wohlmuth and Stephen Aryan, it appeared the City is able to support the budget as presented and cuts will not be necessary. However, the Council may have a different point of view. He wanted to be in front of the curve in case cuts were requested. Commissioner Nethery asked if staff was reasonably comfortable with the budget as presented without options. Stephen Aryan said that speaking from the staff level, yes. He said he could not speak for the City Council. Lt. Shouse said from his experience with the Commission in years past, the Commission has made recommendations on options in case cuts were necessary. Stephen Aryan said that an item not included in the budget was a cut in overtime pay. It was originally presented as $300,000. After meeting with the City Manager, it was reduced by $50,000 to $250,000. Captain Wilham added that in past years, there was never a line item for overtime. The reason for that was because they have never been fully staffed. When Captain Wilham arrived three years ago, he made a commitment to the City Council that they would get fully staffed and they now are, short of one position that is being filled. In the past, salary savings from unfilled positions could be used to pay overtime costs and now this cannot be done because there are no unfilled positions. Commissioner Nethery asked about the plan for the substation. Stephen Aryan said that a year ago, the City Manager recommended that there be a one year general public transition period when the Sheriff Department relocated to its Gerald Ford location. August, 2011, will mark one year. Although it will not be closed, staff recommends eliminating access to the Civic Center substation. There will still be a police presence through dispatch and officers that use the facility to write reports, etc. Commissioner Nethery said that if there was a significant cost savings if it were closed, it should be closed to public access. Stephen Aryan said that part of this was having the CSO I position going to a CSO II level. CSO I's cannot be in the field but once they go to a CSO 11 level, public access will be phased out. 112 MEETING MINUTES ADJOURNED PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING MARCH 29, 2011 Lt. Shouse said that operationally the impact of having any substation open is minimal. It affords the public some additional access to police officers and resources. If the Commission recommended converting those CSO I positions earlier, and the Council agreed, then the transition could happen a little earlier. Captain Wilham explained the difference between the CSO I and II positions was $30,000, but it gives the Department more flexibility and puts more deputies on the street. As far as the substation, the current CSO I's (restricted from going into the field) are handling other responsibilities at that station and are available when the public comes in. As stated in the report, most of the pubic contact involved people asking for directions and it is not cost-effective to have someone doing just that. Chairman Lebel asked how long it would take to implement this change if the Council authorized the conversion of those two positions today, and the response was approximately six weeks. Commissioner Butzbach had previous conversations with Lt. Shouse and Stephen Aryan and is satisfied with the budget as proposed with recommendations 1 and 2. Commissioner Kirkwood also had earlier conversations and she is satisfied with the budget as presented. Chairman Lebel had a question concerning option 5A (elimination of three Traffic Team Officers) and whether that option would be held in whole or could the Council make a decision to eliminate one officer? Lt. Shouse said the Council could eliminate 1 or 2. Lt. Shouse said they were trying to give options totaling up to $2 million in cuts. If the three traffic positions were cut, there would not be a need for the Traffic Sergeant who supervises those positions, and that is option 513. Commissioner Butzbach asked where the supervision would come from if the Traffic Sergeant position was eliminated, and Lt. Shouse said it would come from the Motor Sergeant. The Motor Sergeant is supervising eight motors. We currently have a 15 officer traffic team including the sergeants. In addition, the City has numerous special events that require traffic plans and these Traffic Sergeants attend planning meetings for these events; they are very busy. Chairman Lebel . mentioned that the elimination of one School Resource Officer, at Palm Desert Middle School, (option 3) was a topic 5 MEETING MINUTES ADJOURNED PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING MARCH 29, 2011 of discussion in the past. He asked if it was still the position of the school district not to support this. Lt. Shouse said that the school district agreed to support the SRO at the high school at 25% this last year. The middle school falls outside the school district because it is a charter school and it does not have funding to support the position. Stephen Aryan said that he is putting together another letter requesting funding. The other two cove cities have also been asked to participate, but they have indicated they will not participate. Chairman Lebel said that the Commission has supported this in the past, and anything the City can do to encourage financial support is appreciated. He feels there is a significant benefit in having an SRO at the school site. Stephen Aryan said we are requesting the percentage be incrementally increased every year to achieve 50% funding participation. Lt. Shouse said there have been discussions with the Superintendent at 2 x 2 Committee meetings over the past year. The district recognizes the need to participate, and the Superintendent and the Board agreed to do that. They started out with 25%. Commissioner Nethery had a question concerning option 4 (elimination of both Multi -Jurisdictional Task Force Officers). Although he understands that we have the benefit of the bigger team when needed, it seems our City has less need, not that we don't have any need, and may receive less than we give. Captain Wilham mentioned that the Palm Desert deputy assigned to that team is without question the busiest member of that team. It is not because we have more of a drug problem; it is because he is an aggressive, self -initiated deputy and he is doing a fantastic job and spends the majority of his time in Palm Desert. It has had a significant impact in the drug issue, especially as it relates to the high school and people between the ages of 12 and 25. Captain Wilham said we are getting our share from that officer. Captain Wilham discussed the Palm Desert deputy assigned to the Gang Task Force. Captain Wilham is the Vice President of the Gang Task Force and received a report from all the gang task force regions county -wide. Reports show that the Palm Desert deputy is the fourth most productive deputy in the entire county. That doesn't mean that R MEETING MINUTES ADJOURNED PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING MARCH 29, 2011 the activity is Palm Desert. The majority of his time was spent elsewhere. Commissioner Nethery asked if the Council could split option 4 and eliminate the Gang Task Force Officer and keep the Narcotics Officer, or whether we are committed to that task force for a certain period of time. Captain Wilham responded that the decision is at the discretion of the Council. He recommends that the Narcotics Task Force position be funded. The Gang Task Force position is of benefit because we receive the benefit of the entire team, but reality is that we do not have a significant gang problem in the City of Palm Desert. Our regional gang problem does influence Palm Desert and does have an effect on the residents here because it is valley and county -wide. There is a need for the task force and our participation has been of benefit. But we are not getting the same benefit from that as we are the Narcotics Task Force. Lt. Shouse said last week the Department conducted a sweep throughout Riverside County that included 150 officers. Of those officers, four separate Gang Task Force regent teams participated in the event. Our Gang Task Force Officer was critical in helping organize that sweep. It is important to participate in these multi - jurisdictional task forces because criminals cross boundaries and they come into Palm Desert and shop at the malls and commit crimes in our communities. It is important for us to keep on top of these players. Palm Desert does not have the gang problem that other jurisdictions have because the community has been proactive in ensuring that sufficient police resources are dedicated to combating that element. Captain Wilham said that they were asked to move positions into the new Burglary Suppression Team being formed at the station. Many of the gang members that the Gang Task Force is fighting are the very suspects that are coming into the city and committing the burglaries. We will be working closely with them when we operate the new Burglary Suppression Unit. Burglary is our biggest issue in the valley and it has become worse in the last year. Chairman Lebel commended Captain Wilham and Lt. Shouse for an excellent Annual Report. The Council will have the opportunity to review the Annual Report along with Budget to help them make a decision. Lt. Shouse mentioned that Sgt. Reynolds assisted. Lt. Shouse said that the SRO's have value to the students and teachers. Also, when you talk about removing that officer, there is a question of who will handle those calls for service. If that officer isn't 7 MEETING MINUTES ADJOURNED PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING MARCH 29, 2011 there to handle the calls for service, patrol resources have to be diverted to the school to handle the calls, taking that patrol officer off the streets. It is the same situation with the Community Services Officers who handle most of our officer transports to the jail. Even though we may need to save money, If those positions are eliminated it means our deputies are doing their own transports to the jail which takes them out of the City for an hour or two, depending on how busy the jail is with bookings. Cutting one of these positions affects the entire organization. Captain Wilham said the city has been good about giving the resources needed to do the job. We run a very lean, efficient operation. Any cut would have an impact. Commissioner Butzbach believes the Commission is responsible for making recommendations to the Council to make sure that the highest level of law enforcement services/public safety is provided to the citizens of Palm Desert. After studying the report and reviewing the recommendations of the Chief, and knowing what the anticipated revenues are for the city this coming year versus the operational expenditure estimates, he made the following motion: Motion by Commissioner Butzbach to recommend the proposed budget including recommendations 1 (converting two existing Community Service Officer (CSO) I's to CSO ll's) and 2 (assigning two existing dedicated sworn officers to a newly formed Burglary Suppression Unit), and omit the recommendation of any of the options and submit as proposed. Discussion: Commissioner Butzbach said if the Council determines that funding is such that they want to cut back with the team effort of entire City departments, the options can then be examined. The Department has prioritized, not necessarily by dollar amount but by the value of the program to the City. Motion seconded by Commissioner Nethery and unanimously carried. Commissioner Butzbach thanked the Chief, Assistant Chief and Sgt. Reynolds for the budget and proposal. MEETING MINUTES ADJOURNED PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING MARCH 29, 2011 E. Proposed FY 2011/12 Palm Desert Fire Department Budget Stephen Aryan reported that the budget was shown with two columns. The yellow column on the left, entitled "Exhibit A", is what the State provides on their estimate of the salaries at the top step; taking all the positions we have and budgeting them at the very top tier of the salary level. The blue column is the "Anticipated" budget. Our Finance Department budgets this in the City budget and that is a more realistic. approach of where the salary levels are. There is a significant difference between the two columns. The budget being recommended for approval is the "Anticipated" column. The total being recommended is the combined total of approximately $9.7 million. Commissioner Nethery asked if this represents a $300,000 increase from last year, and Mr. Aryan responded yes, and that is not taking into account any revenues that will be brought in; i.e. fire tax credits and truck cost reimbursement from the other two cities which lowers that about $6 million. Our net has been budgeted at $3.7 million. But we are asking for a recommendation of $9.7 million. Chairman Lebel asked Chief Cooley a question concerning Exhibit A. On page 2 it shows salaries at top step, and he asked if that included all related benefits. Chief Cooley said yes, they are fully loaded salaries. Chairman Lebel asked what percentage of salary was benefits, and Chief Cooley said 61 %. Chairman Lebel understood that Riverside County Fire Department is a County operation working under the State contract and not subject to annual increases to the degree that County employees are. Chief Cooley said it is a different level of negotiating, but Riverside County Fire Department is a County operation. A good part of the Department is under the contract of State employees. Chairman Lebel asked the last time those employees received a raise and Chief Cooley responded that it has been quite a few years. There was a contract recalculation that started in 2006 that changed how overtime was paid. But beyond that it has been a while since they had a raise. They negotiated a new contract this past year and there were no benefits in that. The firefighters' association agreed to a reduction in their retirement system and they are going from a 3% at 50 to a 3% at 55 calculation and from the single highest year to an average of three years. They are picking up 4% more of their contribution, so they are paying 10% towards retirement. Those were giveaways to the State this past year. 9 MEETING MINUTES ADJOURNED PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING MARCH 29, 2011 Chairman Lebel asked why there was a 3% budget increase given the fact there has not been an increase in a number of years. Chief Cooley said there are several things. A small percentage of it is what is called the State-wide pro rata, paying, for example, the Finance Department and personnel administration. By law the departments have to charge a portion of their services to the different agencies and that cost went up a little. The cost of benefits, primarily PERS medical benefits, went up 3.6% and that is what caused the biggest jump. The State did not give an across-the-board raise; they added a 4% step in the middle of the contract. The most senior employees that are maxed out will be eligible for a 4% increase at that point. That is factored in the cost increase and would take effect mid -year. In summary, they are paying 4% more for their retirement right away, and those employees later on will be getting a raise to help compensate for that. Commissioner Nethery had a question concerning a comment in Stephen Aryan's memo concerning redevelopment pass -through and he asked for an update. Chief Cooley said supposedly it would be protected. There are a lot of cities that have redevelopment agencies and a lot of them have pass-throughs. It was set up initially when redevelopment agencies were set up with the understanding that there needed to be funding for emergency services. Chief Cooley summarized the cost increases by saying that everything has been done that could be done for the past couple of years. Last year costs actually went down a little. We have held the line on services. The only way not to impact the number of firefighters at the street level is to look at what is termed "overhead", and that is what is called the support side of the Department. 16% has been cut on the support side of the Department over the last three years. At some point it catches up like it did this year, and that is why there is an increase. Commissioner Butzbach asked about vacancies that occur in the organization that put shortages on the shifts and whether those are taken care of by overtime or do firefighters come from outside areas to man those positions. Chief Cooley said vacancies are initially taken care of by overtime. Overtime is actually less expensive than a staff position because there are no benefits. It is important not to have too many positions open; for career continuity we want to have teams that consistently work together. If you hold a vacancy on a shift where every day a new firefighter is coming in, you do not have that continuity. 10 MEETING MINUTES ADJOURNED PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING MARCH 29, 2011 Motion by Commissioner Nethery that the Commission recommend to the Council the budget under the column "Anticipated" as recommended by the City Manager and the Fire Department, seconded by Commissioner Kirkwood, unanimously carried. VIII. CONTINUED BUSINESS IX. OLD BUSINESS None. X. REPORT ON CITY COUNCIL ACTION(S) Stephen Aryan reported that the CNG ambulance pilot program concluded recently and a report was sent to the City Council. The recommendation supported by the Council was to have that CNG unit reconverted back to a diesel. Diesel engines have come a long way and 95% of emissions are reduced. The Fire Department is working on a medic replacement schedule. It is not reflected in this budget because we wanted to see what was going to happen with the pilot CNG program before a recommendation was made. That recommendation and replacement schedule will come before this Commission at a later date. The main issue was the fuel range. There are federal standards and a county ordinance that adopts those federal standards which states that an ambulance would have to meet the minimum requirement of having a range of 250 miles per fill. The CNG ambulance data, based upon data the Fire Department collected since the program began, showed that it was getting approximately 82 miles per fill. If we go to a higher pressure gauge CNG fill, which is at SunLine, we get about 130 miles per fill, still well below standards. Chief Cooley added that the City will negotiate on the conversion of the original chassis. The ambulance manufacturer is aware of the situation and will set aside a chassis so that it will be a 30-day turnaround. 11 MEETING MINUTES ADJOURNED PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING MARCH 29, 2011 XI. REPORTS AND REMARKS A. Citizens on Patrol Program 1. Monthly Report for February 2011 2. COPS Caller for January, February, and March 2011 3. Letter from Sheriff Stan Sniff Honoring COPS Stephen reported that Ms. Riddle was not available due to another commitment. Chairman Lebel acknowledged the monthly reports and COPS Callers received for February and March and also a letter from Sheriff Sniff concerning an annual awards dinner. Captain Wilham said the annual awards dinner is March 30, and the COPS will be honored at this event. He will attend. B. Legislative Update Gary Rosenblum reported that the California Redevelopment Agency and the League of Cities have come up with a viable alternative to dismantling redevelopment agencies. The position would be for RDA to voluntarily give up a portion of the tax increment in exchange for extending their project area. It would also ensure the pass through for the schools would occur at the highest level so that the State would give credit. Stephen Aryan added that under Prop 98, the State has the obligation for 40% of their budget for schools. Mr. Rosenblum said a lot of the money the State gets goes back to the schools. Basically it is a compromise and nothing has happened, yet. There was a vote on eliminating RDA that failed by one vote. There was supposedly going to be another vote this week on either dismantling, a compromise, or something entirely new but we do not know what that is. There were 2,323 other bills introduced that do not have anything to do with budget. Commissioner Nethery asked for information on the Controller's Audit of RDA. Gary Rosenblum said our audit was very clean in terms of tracking and reporting, although the renovation at Desert Willow was mentioned. There was only one minor discrepancy and overall our RDA audit came out well and nothing improper was reported. 12 MEETING MINUTES ADJOURNED PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING MARCH 29, 2011 Mr. Aryan said that if the Commission wished, he could schedule a presentation at the May meeting by RDA staff on the benefits of RDA, and the Commission said yes. C. Police and Fire Departments 1. 2010 Holiday Theft Suppression Program Lt. Shouse reported this was another successful program. There was a slight increase in calls for service in the commercial area over the holidays. The program is effective and it caused people to feel safe while shopping during the holiday season. The plan is to continue the program this year. This program was funded by CAL COPS grant money. Lt. Shouse reported that a truancy sweep was conducted on March 29. Nine juveniles were cited for truancy, six were Palm Desert High School students and three from other schools in the valley. One juvenile was arrested for possession of narcotics and another for possession of alcohol. There will probably be one or two more sweeps before the end of the school year. D. Staff 1. E-Mail from Lakes Country Club Stephen commended Gary Rosenblum for his work in educating the public on disaster preparedness. An e-mail from the Lakes Country Club was received commending Gary for his presentation to over 300 of its residents. This presentation was taped and will be shown again on their channel. Gary's participation was a major part of their successful meeting, and he should be recognized for a job well done. Mr. Rosenblum indicated that his request for presentations has gone up substantially during this month. A presentation is scheduled at City Hall on April 12, 6:00 p.m. in response to a request from Moms of the Desert who are interested in earthquake preparation for Moms with infants and toddlers. A local Palm Desert vendor will be on site to sell earthquake preparation supplies. 13 MEETING MINUTES ADJOURNED PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING MARCH 29, 2011 Chairman Lebel commented that Gary has made several excellent presentations at Monterey Country Club. Mr. Aryan announced the Family Safety Fair scheduled for Saturday, May 7, 8:00 a.m. at Civic Center Park. Lt. Shouse will be leaving for Quantico on March 30 and will be back for the June meeting. Sgt. Reynolds will assist with administrative duties during his absence. Mr. Aryan asked for direction from the Commission concerning the April meeting. It was his recommendation that the April meeting be adjourned for lack of agenda items. After discussion, the Commission was in agreement. Lt. Shouse announced the Crime Prevention through Environmental Design seminar scheduled for April 20 in the Council Chamber. Homeowners and business owners are invited. A recognized crime prevention expert will conduct the seminar that encourages changes in the design of buildings and surroundings to enhance community safety and minimize opportunities for crime. Those wishing to attend were asked to call Officer Cecilia Ellis at 836-1686. Commissioner Nethery said it would be helpful for the Commission to receive monthly a -mails listing upcoming events, and Mr. Aryan will handle. Battalion Chief Rios announced an April 13 presentation at Indian Ridge Clubhouse, similar to what was provided at Monterey Country Club, with approximately 150 attendees expected. Commissioner Nethery asked the status of the renovation to the Fire Station. Mr. Aryan reported that the contract was awarded recently and the kick-off meeting with the contractor is scheduled for April 4. It is anticipated this project will take 180 days. Commissioner Nethery asked for an update on the cameras on El Paseo. Mr. Aryan said that Gary Rosenblum has been collecting information on this. Commissioner Butzbach mentioned there was a sales team from Bosch going to Desert Willow to demonstrate camera equipment and Commissioners will be receiving invitations. It is an all day event, with lunch provided. 14 MEETING MINUTES ADJOURNED PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING MARCH 29, 2011 Mr. Aryan encouraged those who have not submitted their Form 700 to the City Clerk to do so prior to April 1. E. Public Safety Commissioners Commissioner Luhring thanked the Commission for welcoming him as a new member of the Commission. The budgets were informative and the memorandums were helpful. Commissioner Nethery said both presentations were informative. Budgets are one of the core items that the Commission reviews every year. The options and explanations help the Commission, and hopefully what the Commission talks about helps the Council. The Annual Reports are terrific. Chairman Lebel commended Chief Cooley, his staff, and the Police Department for preparing the Annual Reports. The Annual Report prepared this year reflects well on the Fire Department and the services provided to the City of Palm Desert. Providing comparative stats with similar cities of like size will be helpful for members of the City Council to understand how this Fire Department stacks up with other agencies in the area. It is important for a Council member to have that information when they talk to their constituents about the public safety services in the city. After the Council reviews and adopts the Annual Reports, Chairman Lebel suggested that copies of the reports be filed with the local library to be available for public safety students attending the academy at College of the Desert as well as those who are researching and writing papers on Police and Fire Departments. Chairman Lebel commended Sgt. Reynolds for the Every 15 Minutes Program. Sgt. Reynolds was the Incident Commander of the project. The Police and Fire Departments did an outstanding job with this program. He understands it is a tremendous effort to put the program together, but he feels the program is very well received and has a profound impact on the students in our community. Sgt. Reynolds thanked the Commission, and added that most people do not see the behind -the -scenes retreat that is part of the program. There is a parent retreat and a separate student retreat. The impact at the retreats was very significant. 15 MEETING MINUTES ADJOURNED PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING MARCH 29, 2011 A question was asked as to whether a CD of this year's program was available, and Sgt. Reynolds said she will get a copy to the Commission. Commissioner Butzbach commented on the preparation of the budgets and annual reports. He congratulated both the Police Department and the Fire Department. Commissioner Butzbach wished Lt. Shouse well on his upcoming opportunity to go through the FBI National Academy. He had the opportunity to go through this Academy during his law enforcement career, and said the network opportunities will stay with him through the remainder of his growing law enforcement career. It is looked upon as one of the finest law enforcement executive development programs in the country. Lt. Shouse said he will do his best to well represent the Palm Desert Police Department. Commissioner Kirkwood said the Annual Reports were extremely helpful. The Palm Valley annual membership meeting was held in February and focused on disaster preparedness. Gary was not available to attend this meeting, and she will arrange a presentation at another meeting. Several COP members attended, and she wanted to thank Frankie Riddle for making those arrangements. Firefighters along with an engine who were present were well received by the homeowners. She thanked those who participated. Councilman Kroonen said this was the first meeting he was able to attend. He expressed his admiration to the Commission for its fine work. The depth of the preparation is profound and the Commission studies the issues very well. When matters come to the Council, it is easier to make those hard decisions when you know there is a group such as this Commission behind the recommendations. He is looking forward to attending future meetings. Chairman Lebel said that from time to time members of the Commission attend meetings or are asked to make presentations. He put together the Purpose, Responsibilities and Composition of the Commission included in the packet. He initially put this together 8-9 years ago, and he updates it every time there is a change in the composition of the Commission. He hopes this will be helpful to the Commissioners. 16 MEETING MINUTES ADJOURNED PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING MARCH 29, 2011 XII. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the Commission, Chairman Lebel asked for a motion to adjourn. Commissioner Butzbach said that before the motion is made, he would like to ask that the meeting be adjourned in memory of Police Officer Gibson, Cathedral City Police Department, who died in the line of duty this past week. He was the 47tn law enforcement officer to die in the line of duty in Riverside County. Motion seconded by Commission Kirkwood, unanimously carried. The meeting adjourned at 5:00 p.m. Respectfully submitted, kJ '- 'VW'06a"o 16� Karen Prusinowski, Recording Secretary 17