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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Public Safety Commission 02/08/2012CITY OF PALM DESERT PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Wednesday, February 8, 2012 — 3:30 p.m. Administrative Services Conference Room CALL TO ORDER Chairman Lebel called the meeting to order at 3:32 p.m. II. ROLL CALL Present: Absent: Chairman Lebel Vice Chairman Butzbach CITY COUNCILACTIO'ti Commissioner Kirkwood APPROVED DFNIFI) _ Commissioner Luhring RECEIVED) Fi e O'I`lll�,tt Commissioner Nethery <b� 1��DD^:F,T'INC DATC � AYES: ' _ Staff Present: NOES: N cne_ �� ABSENT:rt�� Councilmember Cindy Finerty ABSTAIN: N-C-11C_ Councilmember William R. KrooneRERIFIED BY: ' � _ John Wohlmuth, City Manager Original on File with city Clerk's (ffice Stephen Aryan, Risk Manager Fire Marshal Steve Brooker, Riverside County Fire Department Lieutenant Andrew Shouse, Palm Desert Police Department EMS Captain Scott Visyak, Riverside County Fire Department Karen Prusinowski, Recording Secretary II. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS Phyllis Harkins, Community Association Manager for the Palm Desert Country Club, talked about the ongoing crime problem at the Michigan Avenue apartment complex which is of concern to residents in the Palm Desert Country Club community. She asked the Commission what could be done to address the high crime rate at this apartment complex. MEETING MINUTES PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING February 8, 2012 Lt. Shouse shared the concerns discussed. The Police Department has met with the manager of the complex in the past. In addition, approximately three years ago the City sent a letter to the owner asking for his support in addressing crime issues. The complex does not fully participate in the Crime Free Multi -Housing program. Lt. Shouse indicated there are police programs that can be implemented for periods of time to make residents feel safer. He recently spoke with Lauri Aylaian, and she and Pedro Rodriguez, Code Compliance, visited the site to check for Code violations and found none. Councilmember Finerty asked if the Police Department could increase patrols for a period of time, and Lt. Shouse said yes. Chairman Lebel suggested the City send another letter to the owner indicating that it has come to the attention of the Public Safety Commission that there is an increased crime problem emanating from that location and suggesting that they participate in the Crime Free Multi - Housing program to lessen the effects of the crime potential in that neighborhood. It is a form of formal action to put them on notice of the issues. Lt. Shouse said this was done three years ago, and it should be done again. After the first letter was sent, there was a response from management and they met with officers, performed inspections, and implemented some of the recommendations from the Police Department. Vice Chairman Butzbach said he is in full agreement with sending another letter to the owner. Commissioner Nethery asked staff to confer with the City Attorney, Police, and Fire to look at options and determine what can be done, and give the Commission a report next month. Commissioner Kirkwood would like the City to move forward with sending a letter now. Commissioner Luhring said this is an area of concern both for the City and Palm Desert Country Club. We want to make sure we do the right thing. Chairman Lebel thanked Phyllis Harkins for bringing the matter to the attention of the Commission. IV. PRESENTATIONS 2 MEETING MINUTES PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING February 8, 2012 None. V. CONSENT CALENDAR A. Minutes of the Public Safety Commission Meeting of December 14, 2011. B. Palm Desert Specialized Units End of Month Reports for December 2011. C. Palm Desert Fire Services Monthly Reports for November/December 2011. Commissioner Lebel had comments on the Palm Desert Specialized Units End of Month Report for December 2011, and asked that it be pulled for discussion. Commissioner Nethery asked that the Minutes and the Fire Report for November be pulled. Discussion: The Minutes of December 14 contained a typographical error that should be corrected. Motion by Commissioner Nethery, seconded by Commissioner Kirkwood, to approve the Minutes as corrected, unanimously carried. Specialized Units End of Month Report for December 2011: Chairman Lebel asked that a correction be made to the report, and Lt. Shouse will handle. Burglary Suppression Unit Report: Chairman Lebel asked that the report be reviewed and ages of suspects verified before report is released. Lt. Shouse will handle. Chairman Lebel said that a comprehensive review of the report indicates the teams are doing an outstanding job. Commissioner Nethery asked for a presentation and overview of the gang situation in the Coachella Valley. Lt. Shouse said that a presentation was made a couple of years ago and it is time for another presentation. Deputy Barroness is the new representative and he is one of the best 3 MEETING MINUTES PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING February 8, 2012 gang cops in the valley. He is extremely dedicated and has done an outstanding job. He will arrange a presentation for an upcoming meeting. Vice Chairman Butzbach asked whether there is still participation from the State on the Gang Task Force. Lt. Shouse said Sgt. Tim White is the new supervisor of the Gang Task Force and is doing a great job. Sgt. Mark Hoyt is supervising the Narcotics Task Force. These task forces are in great hands. Motion by Commissioner Kirkwood, seconded by Commissioner Luhring to approve the Palm Desert Specialized Units End of Month Report for December 2011 as amended, unanimously carried. Palm Desert Fire Services Monthly Reports for November/December 2011: Commissioner Nethery read with interest the description of the rescue of the dog from the drain pipe. He said the things the fire fighters do for this community that we don't think about are a big deal, and this is another example of a job well done. Fire Marshal Brooker commented that the dog's owner was very grateful for the efforts involved in the rescue. Chairman Lebel said that he knows from previous experience, any confined space rescue is a delicate operation. Chairman Lebel noted the December 2011 report indicated there were 5599 medical emergencies year-to-date which was very impressive, and the response times for the total number of calls was impressive as well. He thanked the public service agencies for the work that they do. Motion by Commissioner Nethery, seconded by Commissioner Kirkwood, to approve the Palm Desert Fire Services Monthly Reports for November/December 2011, unanimously carried. VI. CONSENT ITEMS HELD OVER None. VII. NEW BUSINESS A. Selection of Committee Chair and Vice Chair. Chairman Lebel opened the nominations for Chair and Vice Chair. !I MEETING MINUTES PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING February 8, 2012 Motion by Commissioner Nethery to nominate Jim Butzbach as Chairman and Gloria Kirkwood as Vice Chairman, seconded by Commissioner Luhring, unanimously carried. Newly elected Chairman Butzbach asked Commissioner Lebel to continue to chair the meeting. B. Request to Expend Funds for Purchase of Surveillance Items. Commissioner Lebel mentioned a report form used by City departments when requesting expenditure of funds. He suggested that the Police and Fire Departments use this type of form when submitting a request to the Public Safety Commission. He suggested the heading on the first paragraph be "Recommendations", followed by background information. Mr. Aryan said there is a report form used for Council agenda items, and a similar form can be used when submitting requests to the Commission. Commissioner Lebel said that the item presented to the Commission is a request to expend funds for the purchase of surveillance items. The recommendation from the Police Department is to purchase a GPS tracker in the amount of $4,021.75. The source of the funds is CAL COPS funding. Lt. Shouse explained that this is a device used in surveillance, primarily with burglary suspects. Burglary and theft is the number one problem in all three of the Cove cities. Because of this, a Burglary Suppression Unit was formed in July 2011. This unit was started as an additional effort to combat burglary and theft in Palm Desert Station's area of responsibility. In 2006, a GPS device was purchased and that device is old technology and now obsolete. The team has a need for GPS devices. They have borrowed devices from the Indio Station as well as the Special Investigations Bureau, but it is important they have their own. There has been need in recent months for the ability to track multiple suspects and multiple vehicles. The Sheriffs Department will be purchasing a device as well. These are valuable tools. Motion by Commissioner Nethery to recommend approval of the purchase from CAL COPS funds in the amount of $4021.75, seconded by Commissioner Luhring, unanimously carried. MEETING MINUTES PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING February 8, 2012 VII1. CONTINUED BUSINESS None. IX. OLD BUSINESS None. X. REPORT ON CITY COUNCIL ACTION(S) Councilmember Kroonen reported that the City Council has asked the City Manager to look into the issues involving the relocation of parolees on probation. Mr. Wohlmuth commented that beginning in January, the State began releasing parolees per AB109. The Council has asked him to look at options and those options will be brought to the Council as part of the 2012/13 budget process. He met with Lt. Shouse and Captain Vest to consider options. AB109 will have an effect on the City and we will be preparing for that. Commissioner Nethery asked if there was a report on the impact of AB109 that could be sent to the Commission. Mr. Wohlmuth said the report he recommends is the County report, and Lt. Shouse will forward the report. Commissioner Lebel asked for a summary report on the actions/activities of the Public Safety Commission in 2011. XI. REPORTS AND REMARKS A. Citizens on Patrol Program 1. Monthly Report for December 2011. 2. The C.O.P.S. Caller (December 2011/January 2012). 3. C.O.P.S. Public Comment Cards. Stephen Aryan pointed out that the Citizens on Patrol program has logged 8608 patrol hours. Commissioner Lebel added that at $23.42/hour, this is a value of about $201,000 for their hours in the program, which is outstanding. It is a very valuable program not only for what they provide as the eyes and ears of the Police Department, but also as ambassadors of the City. Commissioner Luhring mentioned that the comment cards received indicate terrific work by the COPS members. 0 MEETING MINUTES PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING B. Legislative Update February 8, 2012 Mr. Aryan commented on various legislation, including redevelopment clean-up legislation. Commissioner Nethery asked how the legislation addressed ongoing or existing redevelopment projects. Mr. Wohlmuth said under A131 X26, if a project is currently under contract it continues as an obligation of the Agency. If it is not under contract, it will not continue. If there is a project that is under design but not under contract/construction, it does not continue. The biggest effect on the City of Palm Desert is the land the Agency owns. We own over 500 acres of property all the way from 176 acres on the corner of Frank Sinatra and Portola to the lot across the street from City Hall on San Pablo. The legislation requires us to dispose of assets of the Redevelopment Agency. That means that ultimately property will be disposed of in some manner, probably at fair market value or through an appraisal and some kind of bid process, and then sold. The revenue from the sale will go to the County Auditor Controller to disburse based upon the property tax formula. Concerning plans that we have for Desert Willow, the Larkspur Hotel, and the 30-acre park in the north sphere of Palm Desert, the City will either have to buy the land, essentially twice, or sell it to whoever is interested in buying it. The money goes to the County Auditor Controller to disburse. The second biggest impact to Palm Desert is the staffing impact. It will be a hit to the General Fund of around $1.2 for the remainder of this year and next year it will be somewhere between $3-4 million. Mr. Aryan reported on the following bills: ➢ AB 593 (Domestic Violence: Battering: Recall and Resentencing) AB 593 seeks to delete the January 1, 2020 sunset date of current law, which allows domestic violence survivors convicted of `violent' felonies to petition the court for a retrial or reduced sentence by filing habeas corpus petitions, if expert testimony on intimate partner battering and its effects was not considered at the time their case originally was prosecuted. ➢ SB 654 (Redevelopment) This bill allows the host city or county of a dissolving redevelopment agency to retain the funds on deposit in the agency's housing fund and expands the types of agency loans 7 MEETING MINUTES PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING February 8, 2012 from the host city or county that are considered enforceable obligations. ➢ Senate 1925 (Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2011 A bill to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act of 1994. ➢ H.R. 3125 (Earthquake Insurance Affordability Act) To establish a program to provide guarantees for debt issued by or on behalf of State catastrophe insurance programs to assist in the financial recovery from earthquakes. C. Police and Fire Departments 1. 2011 Holiday Theft Suppression Program Report. There was a decrease in total number of calls for service/activity this year compared to last year. 2. 2011 "Shop with a Cop" Update. Another successful program. Sgt. Reynolds provided a report and photographs of the event. Mr. Aryan mentioned that Sgt. Reynolds and Walmart were formally recognized with Proclamations at a City Council meeting. 3. Crossroads On -Line Traffic Collision Report Agreement. This is an Agreement that will be presented to the City Council for consideration. Motion by Commissioner Nethery, seconded by Commissioner Kirkwood, to recommend approval of the Agreement to the City Council, unanimously carried. 4. 2012 Palm Desert Family Safety Festival. This will be the Third Annual Palm Desert Family Safety Festival, scheduled for March 24, 2012, 9 am — 2 pm, at Civic Center Park. 5. Training Expenditures Report. This report was presented to the Commission as an information item. n MEETING MINUTES PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING February 8, 2012 1• Lt. Shouse emphasized that AB109 is a complete overhaul of the criminal justice way of doing business and it will have an impact. Crime numbers may increase. D. Staff 1. Shredding Event Statistics Mr. Aryan distributed a report showing that approximately 36 tons of material was shredded last year. 2. Tour of Recently Renovated Fire Stations. Mr. Aryan said that one of the last projects funded by redevelopment was the renovations of the two fire stations. He invited the Commissioners to tour the stations on February 21, 11:00 a.m. 3. Police and Fire Annual Reports. These reports should be presented to the Commission in March. 4. Selection of Date/Time for March 2012 Public Safety Commission Meeting to Review Proposed Police and Fire Budgets. The City Manager will review Police and Fire budgets with City departments on March 13 and with the City Council on April 23. The Police and Fire budgets will be presented to the Public Safety Commission at its April 11 meeting. 5. Ethics Training Ethics training is available on line or offered at La Quinta City Hall on February 15, 1-4 p.m. Mr. Aryan asked those who wished to attend the training in LaQuinta to contact him. E. Public Safety Commissioners 1. Update on Video Surveillance Report 9 MEETING MINUTES PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING February 8, 2012 Mr. Aryan reported that he and Commissioner Butzbach visited Desert Hot Springs to look at their video surveillance system and they will visit Redlands in the future. Commissioner Lebel distributed two items. He prepared "Cameras Monitoring Downtowns", which gave a brief overview of communities that provide camera systems. The second document was "Consideration for Security Cameras". Commissioner Lebel said that one factor he was introduced to a number of years ago at the National Fire Academy was that communities have an obligation to protect their financial interests for the livelihood of the community in order to protect the tax base. XII. ADJOURNMENT Motion to adjourn by Commissioner Kirkwood, seconded by Commissioner Luhring. With unanimous consent, Commissioner Lebel adjourned the meeting at 5:00 p.m. Respectfully submitted, (� Lc-'�. l , L� ��L � E' �� ail-/✓..t Karen Prusinowski, Recording Secretary 10