Loading...
Public Safety Minutes 2015 06-04-15Page 1 of 3 APPROVED 10/1/15 UNITED CITY OF YORKVILLE PUBLIC SAFETY MEETING Thursday, June 4, 2015 6:30pm City Hall Conference Room In Attendance: Chairman Larry Kot Alderman Joel Frieders Alderman Carlo Colosimo Alderman Seaver Tarulis Other City Officials in Attendance: Police Chief Rich Hart Deputy Chief Larry Hilt Others in Attendance: None The meeting was called to order at 6:30pm by Chairman Kot and a quorum was established. Citizen Comments: None Minutes for Correction/Approval: March 5, 2015 The minutes were approved as read. New Business: 1. PS 2015-15 Police Reports for February – May 2015 Chief Hart said these are the standard reports, but police activity is rising. Alderman Frieders asked about the overtime hours and the different types. Court time uses substantial overtime and training also takes many hours. A few hours could be for assists for other Counties. No further action. 2. PS 2015-16 Adjudication Reports for March – May 2015 The report shows the fines for the adjudication hearings and mowing/water violations will soon begin. Chief Hart noted that Gregg Ingemunson is the new Hearing Officer. 3. PS 2015-17 Discussion of Traffic Problem in the Area of Town Square Park Chairman Kot said there are several issues at this location due to the Rt. 47 construction and rerouting of River Road. There has been reported speeding, increased traffic, etc. Page 2 of 3 which will continue especially with Game Farm Road construction. Chief Hart said the view is obstructed at Church and W. Main. Engineers looked at the issue and this matter will be brought to Public Works for consideration of a 4-way stop. It was noted that a post had been placed by the Ingemunson building to keep vehicles from hitting the building, however, Alderman Funkhouser said it blocks visibility. This item is for information. 4. PS 2015-18 Request to Dispose of Police Department Vehicles Chief Hart said his department has five vehicles with mileage over 100,000 miles. When considering disposal, they look at age, mileage and how much money has been spent on the cars. At 80,000 miles, they are removed from patrol. The committee then discussed item #5 before finishing this item. After discussion of item #5, all committee members were OK with the disposal of vehicles as recommended. Sealed bids will be taken and Chief Hart said there are already interested parties. 5. PS 2015-19 Request to Purchase and Equip Three New Vehicles Deputy Chief Hilt did the research on a new police vehicle purchase and looked at several dealerships. However, the State bid is usually the most competitive. Chief Hart said that the equipment needed such as cameras, cage, video, lights, etc. is sometimes more expensive than the car itself. He said the cars are a high priority as many vehicles run 24/7. Alderman Frieders suggested the actual engine hours should be documented as it is more valuable than mileage. Some of the newer cars now have that capability. Alderman Kot said he prefers to buy locally, however, Chief Hart said the recommended dealership offers free delivery. The committee supported purchasing three squads. Chief Hart said the department will be getting body cams and officers must advise people they are being filmed and audioed. During arrests, officers can automatically film, however, the cams must be turned off during calls for domestic disputes. Alderman Frieders said he does not want officers having to share cams. The committee approved of this purchase and this item moves to the consent agenda for a vote. 6. PS 2015-20 Selection of Vice-Chairman Joel Frieders will be the Vice-Chairman of this committee. 7. PS 2015-21 Selection of Committee Liaisons Chris Funkhouser will continue as the school liaison. Currently he is also liaison for KenCom and will continue in that role—that position is a mayoral appointee. 8. PS 2015-22 Police Department Update Chief Hart informed the committee how many employees the department has and what positions they hold. He said two officers per 1,000 population is needed ideally. A more important concern is that sex offenders are brought to the current building that is next to the library, schools and city hall. Building a new building is a 5-7 year process Page 3 of 3 and Chief Hart said a new building should be planned for 20 additional officers. A major problem is no holding facility, so prisoners are booked at the Sheriff's office. To meet current standards in a new building, a holding facility would be required. Costs for a new building were also discussed. Mr. Frieders also said that more room is also needed for other equipment and a larger parking lot. Chief Hart said no new officers are budgeted at this time, but he would like to have a K9 unit in the future. Deputy Chief Hilt also had concern for the safety of kids walking through the PD parking lot. He said that squads are required to back into their parking spaces for safety and insurance reasons. Chief Hart commented that the department is also short on civilian employees. In addition, administrative vehicles are in poor condition and are past their lifespan. He will request replacements for them next year, but they don't require all the equipment that squads do. Seizure vehicles were briefly discussed. Chief Hart said 2-3 more patrol cars are needed next year and 2 administrative cars at the end of this year if there is a budget surplus. Old computers also need to be replaced. Alderman Colosimo said proceeds from old squads that are sold, need to come back to the Police Department budget rather than to the City General Fund. Alderman Kot said the purchase of police administrative vehicles should be put on the agenda mid-year. Chief Hart also referred to an organizational chart he provided. The ratio of Sergeant to officer was discussed by Alderman Funkhouser. Currently it is 3:5 ratio and a fifth Sergeant position will be requested at some point. In response to Alderman Kot, bike patrols are still used for certain occasions, however, there is not enough manpower. He said the bike patrols can be an effective crime tool. 9. PS 2015-23 Weather Warning Sirens Update The weather warning sirens are a federal requirement and monitored by the Police Department while the lightning detectors are controlled by the Parks Department. A maintenance contract with Fulton is signed each year for the weather warning sirens. Chief Hart said the City is 100% covered by weather sirens. He added that the lightning detectors are only about 75% accurate and they can activate when the “conditions are right” including what could be a sunny day. The coverage range for the lightning detectors is one mile. There is one portable detector and Alderman Kot said extra money should be found for total park coverage. The Parks Dept. funds the lightning detectors. Mr. Kot said the lightning detectors resulted from baseball games continuing in bad weather conditions in the past. He said each year the sports associations need to be educated or reminded of safety during bad weather conditions. Old Business None Additional Business Alderman Tarulis asked about the cruise night. Chief Hart said Hydraulic St. was shut down for a period of time and a complaint was received as a result. There was no further business and the meeting adjourned at 7:52pm. Minutes transcribed by Marlys Young, Minute Taker