Central Vermont Public Safety Authority

Central Vermont Public Safety Authority Central Vermont Chamber of Commerce Building January 5, 2017 Meeting Minutes – Draft Directors present: Kim Cheney, Doug Hoyt, and Alexandra Pastor, at-large directors; Dona Bate and Tom Golonka, representing the City of Montpelier Directors absent: Martin Prevost and Michael Smith Others attending: Joe Aldsworth; Paco Aumand, CVPSA Executive Director; David Delcore, Times Argus reporter; Caroline Earle; Tony Facos; Robert Gowans; Dave Rubalcaba; and Bob Sager, CVPSA Treasurer The meeting was called to order by Tom at 6:31 pm A motion to approve the agenda as presented was made by Kim, seconded by Dona. Motion passed. No public comment. A motion to approve the minutes from the December 15 meeting was made by Kim, seconded by Dona. Motion passed. Paco presented the Executive Director’s report. CVPSA’s “Article 1” (budget request to Barre City and Montpelier) will be placed on the respective cities’ March 2017 ballots. A motion to approve Article 1 was made by Doug, seconded by Dona. Motion passed. The CVPSA will conduct two public meetings: Thursday, January 19, and Thursday February 2, 2017 at the Central Vermont Chamber of Commerce Building. Paco will send the two-meeting notices to Barre City and Montpelier, publish the Warning on the CVPSA website, and publish the same in the Times Argus. Paco will also provide Barre City and Montpelier City Councils with CVPSA’s budget narrative. The budget is level funded for FY18. Discussion ensued about next steps for the CVPSA and dispatch centers. Paco is meeting with Tony Facos and Tim Bombardier to discuss dispatching implementation and will report back to the Board at the February 2 CVPSA meeting with recommendations for the CVPSA Executive Committee, as well as identification of potential members. The CVPSA Executive Committee will be an established committee of the Board, report directly to the Board, comprise pubic safety officials from the two cities, be responsible for operational policies and procedures, counsel the Board on next steps in the ceding of authority process, be responsible for drawing up an action plan and setting benchmarks and measureable standards, and address staff training. Both cities indicated that it is their preference that this Executive Committee be in place before dispatch authority would be ceded from Barre City and Montpelier to the CVPSA. Paco attended a Chittenden County Consolidated Dispatching Committee meeting. They seek to formalize a governance structure under the authority of the regional planning commission. The committee will hire an executive director and have paid an outside consulting firm to draft a consolidated dispatch implementation plan. The consulting firm is also exploring CAD (computer-aided dispatch) capability with Crosswinds, the company that provides Valcor. Currently Valcor does not meet dispatch best practice standards. Paco also attended a meeting with Fairpoint and others on the acquisition of a data circuit that would allow Capital West fire departments to communicate between Barre and Montpelier. Paco reported that the town of Stowe had hired a consultant to study the merging of Fire and EMS. The study found that the emergency medical dispatch (EMD) currently provided them by Lamoille County is not adequate. The report recommended that Stowe petition Lamoille County to provide an actual EMD service or seek EMD services elsewhere if they are to be in line with dispatching best practices. Of note, Stowe currently has Valcor but no CAD system. Paco presented the Board with an updated version of CVPSA chair’s budget talking points for presentation of the CVPSA budget at our warned public meetings. Without objection, Tom adjourned the meeting at 7:54 pm. Respectfully submitted by, Alexandra Pastor CVPSA Member, at-large The Next scheduled meeting of the Central Vermont Public Safety Authority will be held January 19, 6:30 pm at the Central Vermont Chamber of Commerce Building located at the corner of Stewart Road and Paine Turnpike in Berlin.