Public Safety Committee

CITY OF HENDERSONVILLE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE May 9th, 2023, at 5:15 p.m. 101 Maple Drive North, Hendersonville, TN 37075 I. Call to Order by the Chairman II. Acceptance of agenda III. Minutes A. Approval of April 11th, 2023 meeting minutes 2-3 IV. Ordinances and Resolutions Goodwin 1. Reading of Ordinance 2023-10, an ordinance to amend Title 3, Chapter 3, 4-7 Section 3-302 to establish reasonable court costs V. Other Agenda Items 2. Discussion: Fleet Replacement Program 3. Other Business VI. Adjournment Anyone needing accommodations due to disabilities, please contact the ADA Coordinator at 615-822-1016 at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. 1  PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES April 11, 2023 Committee Chairman Terri Goodwin called the meeting to order of the Public Safety Committee at 5:15 p.m. Present: Jamie Clary (Mayor), Jesse Eckenroth (COO), Scotty Bush (HFD), Jim Jones (HPD), Larry Daniel (HPD), Casey Lamar (PIO), Terri Goodwin (Alderman – Chairman), Janna Garton (Alderman – Vice Chairman), Rachel Collins (Alderman), and Jeff Sasse (Alderman). Garton motioned to accept the agenda for the Public Safety Committee meeting; Goodwin seconded. Garton motioned to approve the minutes for the February 28, 2023, meeting; Goodwin seconded. Garton motioned to move Resolution 2023-11, to accept a Fleet Replacement Schedule, to the next PSC Meeting; Goodwin seconded. Discussion on the 2024 Fiscal Year Budget Review. Eckenroth had requested that all the City’s departments keep their budgets within 1% of the budgets from last year. Some areas where 1% was not possible, they asked for justification for an increase greater than 1% (i.e. fuel cost increases). Eckenroth stated that with a possible 6% COLA for the upcoming fiscal year and the operational budgets of all of the departments, there will only be $1936.00 left over. HPD salaries and benefits budget is increasing by 7.3%. HPD Assets are increasing by 4.71% because of the purchase of ten new vehicles and all of the equipment needed for the new vehicles (lights, sirens, etc.) Eckenroth noted that originally there was a request for twenty new vehicles for PD but that they are considering four more being bought within the 2023 fiscal year budget, the ten allotted for 2024, and the possibility of another six being bought after the midyear review next year. HPD continuing projects would include some repairs and upgrades to the mobile command unit, finishing the gun range, and the remainder of the K-9 costs that would not be covered by the grant that was awarded to HPD. Operational expenses for HPD was able to stay at 0.99% increase which in total for the entire budget is an increase in 7.12%. HFD is allotted a 32.83% increase in overtime salaries for the 2024 FY to account for the opening of Fire Station 7. HFD will lose the budget for the assets in order to transfer $350,000 to the Equipment Replacement Fund for new apparatus and new engines for Marine 1. HFD operational expenses will increase by 6.79% with an extra $41,000 for fuel costs for all the engines/trucks, including putting Engine 7 into service, and the uptick in utilities with Station 7 opening. HFD maintenance of buildings budget decreased in order to keep the budget down. HFD will have a 7.43% increase from the 2023 budget. HPD total proposed budget is $17,718,800. HFD total proposed budget is $14,058,200. The total proposed budget for all departments is $58,815,140. The total revenue 2 expected is $58,817,076 which is over the budget by $1936.00. Eckenroth noted that the city wanted to start with a little more conservative budget for the 2024 fiscal year and they can add more to it at the next mid-year review. Both Jones and Bush stated that employee retention was their most important factor in the budget and that the upcoming results from the pay study could possible affect the COLA. Bush said that the assets could potentially suffer from having less money in the budget to put towards building maintenance (i.e. multiple stations needing to be repaved soon). Discussion on CodeRed Parameters. Casey Lamar has taken over CodeRed from the HFD. She stated that there are three different notifications that people can sign up to receive. General for all notifications; Emergency for just the high importance notifications; Weather for weather only notifications. Weather notifications are not sent out by the city or the county, but by the National Weather Service. General notifications could eventually expand to include Public Works notifications (i.e. trash pickup changes due to weather and/or holidays, etc.) Eckenroth stated that CodeRed could be rebranded as Hville Alert. Lamar would like to set appropriate hours for general alerts and work with the county as well for the same parameters. Dixon would like for the CodeRed alerts to send out an “All Clear” message after certain emergency situations. Discussion on installing a Safe Haven Baby Box at one of the fire stations. Chief Bush was approached by the 501c3 about installing a Safe Haven box in the city of Hendersonville. It is a box where a new mother can drop off their baby safely in a bassinet at a fire station without legal repercussions. Once the baby is placed in the bassinet in the box and the door is shut, the outside door automatically locks and an alarm is triggered within the fire station alerting the firefighters/EMS that a baby has been dropped off. Firefighters/EMS can then retrieve the baby and administer any care that the baby may need until it can be taken to the hospital. A notification will also be sent to the supervisor of that shift and to the Fire Chief in the event that there is no one at the station when the baby is dropped off. Bush stated that the station that would be chosen for the Safe Haven box would be Fire Station 5 due to it being directly off the bypass and in close proximity to the hospital. If the box is installed, it would be the first Safe Haven box in middle Tennessee. Knoxville currently has two installed. Bush spoke with the Carmel, Indiana fire captain about the Safe Haven box in their city; in 2022, three babies were dropped off at the Carmel, Indiana fire station within a 5-6 week period. The Safe Haven box is an alternative for newborn babies being abandoned, cared for improperly, or worse. The box would not cost the city anything to be installed or maintained but it would require the mayor to sign a contract for it. Training would also be provided by the Safe Haven group for all first responders. Dixon motioned to adjourn the meeting; Goodwin seconded. Meeting adjourned at 5:52 p.m. _____________________________________ ________________ Terri Goodwin, Chairman Date 3  ORDINANCE 2023-10 Sponsor: Goodwin AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND TITLE 3, CHAPTER 3, SECTION 3-302 TO ESTABLISH REASONABLE COURT COSTS. WHEREAS, Tennessee Code Annotated, § 16-18-304 allows cities to set and collect reasonable municipal court costs and Tennessee Code Annotated, § 67-4-601 allows cities to levy and collect local litigation taxes; and WHEREAS, the City of Hendersonville has determined that it is in the best interest of the City to amend Title 3, Chapter 3, Section 3-302 regarding court costs and set a revised court cost amount: NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF MAYOR AND ALDERMEN OF THE CITY OF HENDERSONVILLE, TENNESSEE that Title 3, Chapter 3, Section 3-302 of the City of Hendersonville Municipal Code is amended by deleting the current language in its entirety and substituting instead the following: 3-302. Imposition of Fines, Penalties, and Court Costs. (1) All fines and costs, if any, in all cases heard and determined by the city judge shall be recorded by the city judge or city court clerk upon the charging instrument, i.e., warrant summons, citation or separate order. The city court clerk shall record said fines and costs upon the city court docket and prepare the minutes of the court, for approval by the city judge. (a) In accordance with the authority granted by Tennessee Code Annotated, § 6-54- 308 municipal fines shall not exceed fifty dollars ($50.00) for each violation of an ordinance of the City of Hendersonville. (b) Municipal fines for all moving traffic violations shall not exceed fifty dollars ($50.00) for each violation. (2) Court Costs. (a) Notwithstanding subparagraph 3-302(2)(b) below, in all cases heard and determined by him or her, the city judge shall impose court costs in the amount of one hundred seventy-five dollars ($175.00). One dollar ($1.00) of the court costs shall be forwarded by the court clerk to the state treasurer in accordance to Tennessee Code Annotated § 16-18-304(a) to be used by the Administrative Office of the Courts for training and continuing education courses for municipal court judges and municipal court clerks. (b) When any person has been charged with violation of a law regarding vehicle equipment (including but not limited to inoperable headlights, tail lights, brake lights or turn signals), driver licensing, or vehicle licensing and registration, the charge may be dismissed if the person charged with the violation submits evidence of compliance with such law to the city judge; 4 provided, however, that the city judge may establish a separate court cost not to exceed eighty- seven dollars and fifty cents ($87.50) to be collected from the person charged with the violation prior to the dismissal of the charge. This separate court cost will be assessed in lieu of the court costs detailed in subparagraph 3-302(2)(a) above. One dollar ($1.00) of the court costs shall be forwarded by the court clerk to the state treasurer in accordance with Tennessee Code Annotated, § 16-18-304(a) to be used by the Administrative Office of the Courts for training and continuing education courses for municipal court judges and municipal court clerks. (3) Litigation Taxes - In all cases where the defendant is charged with the violation of a city ordinance or authorized state statute and is found guilty, whether by trial or plea of guilty, such defendant shall pay: (a) The State litigation taxes as defined in Tennessee Code Annotated, § 67-4-601. (b) Any other taxes and/or fees imposed pursuant to state statutes and/or city ordinances. 4) Pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated, § 55-10-207, all citations issued shall give notice to such persons cited that failure to appear as ordered is punishable as contempt of court. If a person cited to appear in City Court at a stated time fails to appear as ordered, or if provided the option to pay all fines and costs by such time and fails to do so, such failure is punishable as contempt of court pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated, § 16-18-306 and may be assessed additional costs for the administrative and other resources expended resulting therefrom in an amount not to exceed $25.00. This ordinance shall take effect at the earliest date allowed by law. First Reading: ___________________________ Second Reading: ___________________________ APPROVED: __________________________ ATTEST: JAMIE CLARY, Mayor _________________________________________ TAMARA INGERSOLL, Interim City Recorder APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY: _____________________________________ LANCE A. WRAY, Interim City Attorney 5  LEGISLATIVE HISTORY Ordinance 2023-10 Sponsor: Goodwin Committee: Public Safety Date of Committee Meeting: May 9, 2023 Committee Recommendation: 6 DATE: May 9, 2023 ORDINANCE/RESOLUTION # Ordinance 2023 - 10 SPECIFIC REQUEST/ Request an Ordinance to Amend Municipal Code relative RECOMMENDATION: to City Court costs and fees STAFF REPORT PREPARED BY: Lance A. Wray, Interim City Attorney REPORT BACKGROUND: 1 City Court costs have not been adjusted since approximately 2016. Currently, court costs received by the City are $125.00 (not including fine in the maximum amount of $50.00, State Litigation Tax of $13.75, and Fee to State Admin of Courts of $1.00). There are currently no admin fees or assessments charged to Defendants failing to appear to Court. DISCUSSION: 2 This Ordinance would increase court costs by $50.00 for a total of $175.00 received by the City. According to MTAS, “this is still in line with other municipalities of similar size as the City.” The other current fines and costs will remain the same, except this Ordinance would impose an additional $25.00 assessment for Defendants failing to appear to Court. This Ordinance would decrease City Court costs for what are sometimes called “fix it tickets” – various citations for non-moving violations such as registration, defective light, etc. MTAS was asked to review our current Ordinance and recommended certain other changes including: taking out the current provision allowing the Judge to decrease court costs by 50% in exchange for performing community service; and take the current provision automatically increasing court costs by 10% each year to a maximum. FISCAL IMPACT: 3 Unknown at this time. ATTACHMENTS: 4 Ordinance 2023-10 7