City Council

MINUTES CITY OF DEKALB SPECIAL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING MARCH 20, 2018 The City Council of DeKalb, Illinois held a Special Committee of the Whole meeting on March 20, 2018, in the City Council Chambers of the DeKalb Municipal Building, 200 South Fourth Street, DeKalb, Illinois. Mayor Smith called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. A. ROLL CALL City Clerk Herrmann called the roll and the following members of the City Council were present: Alderman Dave Jacobson, Alderman Bill Finucane, Alderman Pat Fagan, Alderman Kate Noreiko, Alderman Mike Verbic, and Mayor Jerry Smith. Alderman Mike Marquardt was absent. Alderman Tony Faivre arrived at 5:28 p.m. Also present were: Assistant City Manager Patty Hoppenstedt, City Attorney Dean Frieders, Finance Director Molly Talkington, Assistant Finance Director Bob Miller, Deputy Police Chief John Petragallo, Information Technology Director Marc Thorson, and City Clerk Susanna Herrmann. B. CONSIDERATIONS 1. Budget Workshop a. Service Level Overview. Alderman Fagan asked that this item be removed from the agenda and explained his request. Finance Director Talkington asked if staff could still conduct and follow up with the survey to facilitate this process as it pertains to the budget. MOTION Alderman Fagan moved to remove Item B.1.a. from the agenda; seconded by Alderman Fagan. VOTE Motion carried on a 6-0-2 roll call vote. Aye: Jacobson, Finucane, Fagan, Noreiko, Verbic, Smith. Nay: none. Absent: Marquardt, Faivre. Mayor Smith declared the motion passed. Special Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes March 20, 2018 Page 2 of 12 b. Police Department Deputy Police Chief Petragallo used a PowerPoint presentation to provide an overview of this item. He began by stating that the Police Department is committed to reducing crime and enhancing the quality of life through an active partnership with the community. To achieve this mission, the Police Department continuously reviews its service level capabilities to effectively deploy its resources to meet the demand for services. He explained that the Police Department has continued to experience an increase in calls for service from year to year, climbing from 38,803 in 2011 to 52,136 in 2017. He added that during 2017, the City also experienced an increase in drug and weapons related offenses, which was highlighted by a series of gang related shootings that paralyzed the community. He explained that the negative perception created by those shootings is still a concern today, despite an 11% decrease in violent crime and 10% decrease in property crime in 2017 as compared to 2016. He then highlighted and explained some of the key accomplishments of the department in 2017: 1. In 2016, the community saw a surge in crime, which was also experienced in other cities throughout the nation. However, for 2017, the Police Department reported an 11% decrease in violent crime and a 10% decrease in property crime city-wide as compared to 2016. This double-digit decrease was welcomed, yet it did not come without a cost, as the Police Department’s resources were taxed to the maximum. 2. The DeKalb Police and Northern Illinois University Police Departments’ Co- Policing Program continued, despite the sizeable decreases in sworn officers and vacant positions for both agencies. This agreement has been critical in meeting the increasing demands for service that were experienced in 2017. 3. The DeKalb Police Communications Division made significant strides in 2017 to meet the state mandated Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) consolidation requirements. Currently the Police Department is poised to absorb all the 911 emergency phone calls that are taken by the Northern Illinois University Police Department. This will increase our total 911 call volume by approximately 2,500 calls annually. The department also completed and filed its consolidation plan to the state and led the DeKalb County Emergency Telephone System Board (ETSB) through Police Commander Jason Leverton, the current ETSB Board President, to attain an 11-county alliance that will facilitate the implementation of the “Next Generation 911” program in the community. 4. In 2017, the Camp Power Program, an eight-week summer program for less fortunate, school aged children in DeKalb, was given the International City- County Manager’s Association (ICMA) Health and Safety Award in San Antonio, Texas. The Camp Power Program, which originated within the Police Department and debuted in 2013, has had a positive impact on hundreds of Special Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes March 20, 2018 Page 3 of 12 lives and reduced calls for service in the neighborhoods serviced by the program in its four-year history. This was a significant honor when considering the world-wide scope of the ICMA. 5. Transitioning the City’s School Crossing Guard program with over 20 part-time employees being managed internally by police command staff, to an independent contractor saved countless hours of staff time and resources. It was particularly impactful due to the demand for police officer time that was required to fill vacant crossing guard positions, which often forced officers to cover school crossings and place other calls for service on hold. Currently the Police Department is working with DeKalb Community Unit School District 428 to transition the entire program, including costs back to the school district. 6. Though the implementation of the 20/20 Vision for the Future Plan, Phase Two has slowed due to staffing limitations in 2017, a key component of the program moved forward in a positive manner. The program, Project: HOPE, or the Heroin Outreach, Prevention, and Education Program, has engaged numerous community stakeholders, including the DeKalb County States Attorney and a host of social service agencies. The Police Department’s goal with Project HOPE is to proactively address the heroin and opioid epidemic in a non- traditional manner. 7. In 2017, the Police Department began the Safe Streets Initiative that implemented several proactive policing strategies, obtained City Council approval for the parking ordinance revisions for phase one of the program, and designed the “Safe Routes” program to be implemented in 2018. The Safe Streets Initiative was conceived to reduce crime and enhance the quality of life for students and residents in the neighborhoods near the Northern Illinois University campus. The implementation of phase one of the Safe Streets Initiative is currently underway. 8. In 2017, the Police Department, in conjunction with the DeKalb County Mental Health Board and other community stakeholders, applied for a U.S. Department of Justice grant to fund a coordinated law enforcement/mental health services strategy to address the rising calls for service regarding individuals suffering from behavioral health issues. As a result of that application, the Police Department was awarded a $75,000 planning grant to develop a program for the coordinated response, which could lead to a multi-year program funding opportunity through the U.S. Department of Justice. Part of the award pays for a part-time Mental Health Coordinator position within the Police Department at no cost to the City. 9. In 2017, the Police Department submitted a grant application to the Illinois National Guard Counter-Drug Task Force, requesting the services of a crime analyst to support the department’s proactive policing strategies that combat illegal narcotics trafficking. Because of that application, the Police Department Special Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes March 20, 2018 Page 4 of 12 was awarded a fulltime crime analyst that is completely funded by the Illinois National Guard. The addition of this service to the department was a factor in the reduction of crime in the community during 2017. 10. In 2017, the community was victimized through a series of gang-related shootings that resulted in an increased level of concern regarding public safety, especially in the neighborhoods near the Northern Illinois University campus. The Police Department proactively investigated those shootings, which resulted in 12 arrests, two additional subjects wanted on warrants, and additional arrests that are pending. In the months that followed, the level of gun violence was reduced dramatically. 11. In the late summer of 2017, the Police Department initiated a series of proactive policing strategies over a 25-day period in which 243 subjects were arrested for 297 misdemeanor and 77 felony offenses. There were also nine firearms seized and 79 arrest warrants served during this time frame. These initiatives also factored into the reduction of crime during the year. 12. In 2017, the Patrol Division exceeded its overtime budget by 48% or nearly $147,000 to insure minimum staffing and to address specific crime problems and other service demands. Though this was a considerable expense, the Police Department overall came in under budget for FY2017. Deputy Police Chief Petragallo continued his overview and discussed the Realignment of Resources to Address Demands for Services and Staffing Limitations: 1. The Pleasant Street Resident Officer Program (ROP) officer was reassigned to full-time patrol duties due to limited staffing, until such time that current vacancies are filled. 2. Personnel changes in the Targeted Response Unit (TRU) have been delayed due to staffing shortages within the Patrol Division. 3. Two Detective positions have not been filled due to staffing shortages within the Patrol Division. 4. Minimum Patrol Division staffing based on shift demands have been altered to the point that shift minimums from 3:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. are regularly at four officers and one sergeant. This situation often creates additional overtime due to holding officers over from the afternoon shift or day shift officers being called in early to meet minimum shift staffing or address shift needs that the staffing minimums cannot support. 5. The increasing level of annual and new special events continues to drain police resources and overtime usage. Though these events enhance the quality of life Special Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes March 20, 2018 Page 5 of 12 in the community and economic development, they tax available police resources to their limits. As a result, command staff and outside agency assistance continues to support the Patrol Division by also staffing these events, yet as previously stated the availability of outside agency support is also limited. 6. Overtime was allocated for the deployment of additional officers to address specific crime challenges on the street that were linked to gun violence and crimes in progress. 7. Command staff have filled in for first line supervisors when shifts have been below minimum staffing levels. 8. Vacancies in specialty assignments, such as the Special Operations Team, Field Training Officers, and Bike Patrol, have been delayed due to staffing limitations in the Patrol Division. These assignments are not primary, but additional duties officers have assumed to address special needs, some of which are high risk assignments. 9. Community engagement programing, which addresses crime prevention and other proactive police and community initiatives (such as Project HOPE or the Heroin Outreach Prevention and Education initiative) has been reduced due to staffing limitations in the Detective Division. 10. Coordination and implementation of essential training has been reduced due to the reassignment of the Community Relations and Training officer to the Detective Division to assist in handling their caseload due to vacancies. 11. A Police Commander continues to be dedicated to the Police Department’s information technology (IT) needs due to limited support available from the City’s IT Department due to staffing. 12. A Deputy Police Chief position has not been filled for the past two years to add the additional police officer position to the Patrol Division. 13. The utilization of outside agencies to supplement Police Department resources remains a necessity. The co-policing agreement with the Northern Illinois University Police Department continues to be an exemplar for inter-agency cooperation, however their staffing levels have decreased significantly which impacts their ability to provide the same level of support. Alderman Fagan asked Deputy Police Chief Petragallo how much more was spent on overtime from FY2016 to FY2017. Alderman Noreiko asked how much that amount would be reduced if the Police Department was staffed adequately. Deputy Police Chief Petragallo stated that Special Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes March 20, 2018 Page 6 of 12 overtime would certainly be reduced, but there are many variables that would go into that calculation. There was a brief discussion between Alderman Noreiko and Deputy Police Chief Petragallo regarding this issue. Finance Director Talkington noted that the answer to Alderman Fagan’s question is listed on page 5 of the memo provided to Council. Alderman Finucane asked Deputy Police Chief Petragallo what he would attribute the increase in crime in the North-Western quadrant of the City to. Deputy Police Chief Petragallo replied that crime is often related to poverty, but he noted that there were several contributing factors. Mayor Smith asked Finance Director Talkington for confirmation that the financial impact of hiring a new police officer would not appear in budget documentation until FY2019. She replied in the affirmative and provided a brief explanation. Alderman Jacobson noted the alarming increase in call volumes in the past year and expressed his opinion that it needs to be the focus of discussion. Deputy Police Chief Petragallo explained that calls for service are two-fold. Calls to the station and self-initiated calls. He added that officers are doing many more self-initiated calls which facilitates responses from the community. He also added there has been an increase in public trust, which has increased the call volume to the Police Station. Alderman Verbic expressed interest in a proposal that would display what officers can accomplish in regular time, without overtime. Deputy Police Chief Petragallo responded that the use of overtime comes from officers being unable to accomplish their tasks during regular time. c. Information Technology Department. Information Technology Director Thorson began his report by expressing excitement for the opportunity to present the information to Council. He stated that the Information Technology (IT) Department is composed of four employees, including himself, and the department has been broken down into four main services: 1. Technical Services Technical Services include the purchase, maintenance, security, and replacement of technology devices and software applications including:  Computers, laptops, tablets, and phones Special Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes March 20, 2018 Page 7 of 12  Servers, storage devices, switching and routing devices  Desk phones and phone serving devices  Video surveillance cameras in use by public safety and at City buildings  Door access controls  Audio/Visual equipment  Cabling infrastructure including copper and fiber optic  Software application installation and troubleshooting Information Technology Director Thorson explained that the IT service level for requests is roughly a 60-minute response time within business hours, and a four- hour response time outside of business hours. He stated that based on staff’s calculations, requests average 16 hours to completion. Technical Services accomplishments in 2017 include:  Public Safety Server and Storage Project  Expanded Data Backup Device including Cloud Storage  Phase 1 of Service Request System (Evaluating options in 2018/19)  Alternative Technology in Fire Department  Video Conferencing for Training and Meeting Alderman Jacobson left the dais at 5:43 p.m. 2. Data Services Data Services are the tasks to collect and transform data to present information to the stakeholder. The skills required are slightly different than traditional technical services in that the focus is on the data more than the devices. Data Services include:  Geographical Information Systems (GIS)  Database maintenance and support  Software application deployment  Data integration  Targeted software development Alderman Jacobson returned to the dais at 5:46 p.m. Data Services accomplishments in 2017 include:  Creation of Master Address and Master Parcel Identification Number tables  Creation of a Commercial Property Information Management application  Implementation of an ArcGIS Collector application  Expansion of online GIS data layers  Implementation of Online Parking Ticket Payment System Special Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes March 20, 2018 Page 8 of 12 3. Administrative Services Administrative Services encompasses the technology policies and procedures for the City, which includes general administrative tasks, project management, and compliance development. General administrative tasks include budgeting, performance measurement and metrics, and agenda management. Project management is included in Administrative Services as IT is typically tasked as the internal project manager for technology projects. Compliance development is an ongoing task that IT works toward in cooperation with other departments. Compliances are rules or guidelines organizations are required to follow either by best practices, insurance purposes, legal mandate, or all three. Such compliances include (but are not limited to):  Payment Card Industry Data Security Services (PCI-DSS)  Criminal Justice Information Systems (CJIS)  Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)  Illinois Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) Administrative Services accomplishments in 2017 include:  Development of a Cyber Incident Response Plan  Creation of breach notification plans  Data Backup Retention policy 4. Media Services Media Services is IT’s tasks to communicate information to the public, Council, and staff through certain mediums. Media Services includes:  Channel 14 Programming and Scheduling  City Website Maintenance and Support  Meeting Videography  Desktop Publishing Originally much of these tasks were carried out by the second IT Technician but are now divided between the Technical Services Supervisor, the Information Technology Director, and Mr. Byron Wilkins. Mr. Wilkins is the owner of TR-1 Studios and works to maintain the recording and broadcasting equipment. Additionally, staff is investigating bringing in interns from Northern Illinois University to provide some assistance and coverage for Mr. Wilkins. Media Services accomplishments in 2017 include:  Technology Improvements in Council Chambers  Upgraded Channel 14 broadcast equipment  Ongoing Website Improvements Special Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes March 20, 2018 Page 9 of 12 To conclude his presentation, Information Technology Director Thorson highlighted projects the IT Department is currently working on:  Downtown Wireless Internet: This project contributes to the Council’s goal of reducing crime by providing infrastructure for Public Safety technology.  Enterprise Resource Planning System: This project directly contributes to the Council’s goal of reducing operating costs to those within our means by increasing efficiencies, reducing printing costs, and increasing customer response.  Office 365: This project directly contributes to the Council’s goal of reducing operating costs to those within our means by the reduction in cost from the previous licensing means for office productivity software, and potentially eliminating other software as the implementation occurs.  SmartGov Implementation for Permitting: This project directly contributes to the Council’s goal of reducing operating costs to those within our means by increasing efficiencies in the building division, reducing printing costs, and increasing customer response. Mayor Smith commented that technology has allowed people to do much more with less resources. Alderman Noreiko asked what the City could do to be more technologically savvy. Information Technological Director Thorson responded that there would need to be significant investment from multiple aspects. There was a brief discussion between Alderman Noreiko and Information Technology Director Thorson regarding the issue. Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt added that the training for these technological advancements are voluntarily. She then discussed the idea of the City going “paper-less” and stated that staff has put forth significant effort towards that idea. Alderman Fagan asked for confirmation that police computer training is mandatory. Deputy Police Chief Petragallo replied in the affirmative and added that all the required police training is done on-duty with the occasional over-time training session. There was a brief discussion regarding the feasibility of providing training for personnel during their regular hours. Special Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes March 20, 2018 Page 10 of 12 Alderman Jacobson asked if there were any opportunities for training provided to personnel who are on medical leave. Deputy Police Chief Petragallo responded in the affirmative but noted that it depends on their level of activity. There was a brief discussion between Alderman Faivre and Information Technology Director Thorson regarding the video conferencing software. In reference to Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt’s earlier comment, Alderman Faivre commented that the City needs to establish a document retention plan. Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt responded that staff has been taking steps in that direction. Alderman Jacobson asked if there was a way to conduct training sessions through video tutorials to increase the accessibility of the training to employees. Information Technology Director Thorson responded that Lift-Off, the company working with the City to move forward in that direction, has those video tutorials built and they are willing to modify them to meet staff’s needs. Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt added that the performance management software systems were videotaped and provided to employees through the City’s system. Information Technology Director Thorson also mentioned that the management analysts of the organization have been instrumental in creating those videos. Mayor Smith noted there have been instances where Council members are being contacted by residents via email with questions during City Council Meetings. He wondered if it were possible for members of the community to email their questions and concerns to Council to be addressed at the meeting if they are unable to attend. Assistant City Manager Hoppenstedt deferred the request to City Attorney Frieders. Information Technology Director Thorson commented that the YouTube Live Stream service was recently reinstated. Alderman Fagan clarified that his previous motion was to eliminate that line item from the agenda to be discussed at the next City Council Meeting. Discussion ensued regarding the specific items to be discussed at upcoming City Council meetings. Finance Director Talkington asked for clarification that the change of the order of departments listed in the Service Level Overview document is acceptable. There was discussion among Council and staff regarding the structure of the document and the information to be presented at each Special Committee of the Whole Meeting for the remainder of 2018. Special Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes March 20, 2018 Page 11 of 12 C. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION There was none. D. RECESS FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION OF THE CITY COUNCIL Mayor Smith read the following title: 1. Approval to Hold an Executive Session to Discuss Personnel as Provided for in 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(1). MOTION Alderman Jacobson moved to hold an Executive Session; seconded by Alderman Verbic. VOTE Motion carried on a 7-0-1 roll call vote. Aye: Jacobson, Finucane, Fagan, Noreiko, Verbic, Faivre, Smith. Nay: none. Absent: Marquardt. Mayor Smith declared the motion passed. Mayor Smith closed the meeting to the public at 6:27 p.m. Mayor Smith opened the meeting to the public at 7:36 p.m. E. ADJOURNMENT MOTION Alderman Jacobson moved to adjourn the Special COW Meeting; seconded by Alderman Finucane. VOTE Motion carried on a 7-0-1 voice vote. Aye: Jacobson, Finucane, Fagan, Noreiko, Verbic, Faivre, and Smith. Nay: none. Absent: Marquardt. Mayor Smith declared the motion passed and the meeting adjourned at 7:36 p.m. _____________________________________ SUSANNA HERRMANN, City Clerk Approved by City Council: April 23, 2018. Special Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes March 20, 2018 Page 12 of 12