Public Safety Committee

Roswell Public Safety Committee Tuesday 13, 2018 4:30 p.m. City Hall Large Conference Room 425 N. Richardson Ave. Roswell, New Mexico 88201 Committee Chair: Jeanine Corn Best Committee Vice Chair: Angela Moore Committee Members Steve Henderson, Barry Foster Staff Coordinator: Mike Mathews ROLL CALL APPROVAL OF AGENDA APPROVAL OF MINUTE 1. Approval of minutes from the October 16, 2018 Public Safety Committee Meeting. REGULAR ITEMS 2. None NON-ACTION Items 3. Ambulance update/ Chief Graham 4. Animal control update/ Gonzales and Telles 5. Combined dispatch update/ Mathews 6. Update on Staffing at RPD/ Chief Smith 7. Update on DHSEM Grants/ Sanders Information Next meeting December 18, 2018 Chair announcements/ reports Adjourn Notice of this meeting has been given to the public in compliance with Sections 10-15-1 through 10-15-4 NMSA 1978 and Resolution 18-55. NOTICE OF POTENTIAL QUORUM – A quorum of the City Council may or may not attend, but there will not be debate by the City Council. If you are an individual with a disability who is in need of a reader, amplifier, qualified sign language interpreter, or any other form of auxiliary aid or service to attend or participate in the hearing or meeting, please contact Human Resources at 575-624-6700 at least one week prior to the meeting or as soon as possible. Public documents including the agenda and minutes can be provided in various accessible formats. Please contact the City Clerk at 575-624-6700 if a summary or other type of accessible format is needed. Printed and posted: 11/8/2018 Regular Meeting of the Public Safety Committee Held in the Conference Room at City Hall October 16, 2018 @ 4:30 p.m. Notice of this meeting was given to the public in compliance with Sections 10-15-1 through 10-15-4 NMSA 1978 and Resolution 1 8 - 5 5 . ROLL CALL The meeting convened at 4:32 p.m. with Chair Best presiding, Councilor Moore and Councilor Foster being present. Councilor Henderson being absent. Staff present: Mike Mathews, Public Safety Director, Karen Sanders, Emergency Manager, Chief Devin Graham, Police Chief Phil Smith, Deputy Chief Stanton, Captain Fil Gonzales, and Angela Vegara Roswell Fire Department NON-ACTION ITEMS 3. Ambulance Update Chief Graham advised committee that EMS Chief Eric Mann has been in contact with the PRC regarding the regulatory side. This requires a process for dual use of the City-owned certificate of necessity. Legalities are currently being worked through. In regards to the other half of the ambulance proposal, Mr. Neeb City Manager was requesting; it is being formatted in a business plan. It will remain a priority to bring to council soon. FOR THE RECORD: Councilor Foster joined the meeting at 4:43 p.m. On the Ambulance side, if there were a need to generate revenue that would be gained on the transport side, not on the non-medical side. The Fire Department feels it could meet the needs of the community. Staffing would be the only issue, but Chief Graham believes they could provide that service to the community. The department is almost at full capacity with eleven new recruits graduating in December. Currently, the department will be short five personnel total. Staffing would be the key to provide ambulance service, upwards of thirty plus personnel would be needed. NON-ACTION ITEMS 4. Animal Control Update Captain Fil Gonzales gave the Animal Control update stating that an adoption clinic was held September 29, 2018, at the Soccer Complex, the other at Tractor Supply on October 13, 2018. During both clinics, five rescues were adopted out. Ms. Telles is managing the new Facebook page and is working on numerous plans for Animal Control. An open house will be posted by month end to bring in Pit Bull awareness. One new kennel worker was hired, and we are currently looking at hiring a third. They are trying ways to promote the position such as benefits and being indoors. Currently, there is signage stating that on the twenty-second day the animal will be euthanized if no other arrangements are made, that verbiage is going to be removed. With the current signage, it gives the impression that all animals are being kept for twenty- one days. This does not allow staff to be cost effective with the upkeep and expense of maintaining dogs. As soon as the new employees have been fully trained, they will be exploring an option of going with a 4/10 work schedule. Kennel staff will cover 7:00 a.m.- 7:00 p.m. for the week. This proposal has not been made yet. It should be closer to year-end, with Animal Control getting prior approval soon. An Open House will be held soon, and with the new Facebook page the rescue activists seem to be content. The illegal posting complaint has been taken care of due to the new Facebook posting method. New pictures are taken, including kennel numbers. Rescue activist calls have ceased due to the new process. 5. Combined Dispatch Update Mr. Mathews and Captain Gonzales gave the update to the committee stating that dispatch is short two, the Police Department have advertised for those positions. The Sheriff’s Department has not received the Legislative Appropriations so those funds will be re-invested back into the communications project. No additional monies or equipment will be invested. Each department may invest on their own. 6. RPD Update Captain Gonzales gave the current update to the committee. Thirteen openings were filled, seven hired with four background checks pending. Two laterals will begin on November 15, 2018. A total of twenty-one personnel were hired with six no longer with the department, for one reason or another. Of those, eight are at the academy with six recruits attending soon. One out of state lateral has started with the other on November 16, 2018. There were one hundred thirty recruit applicants, fourteen out of state lateral applicants for 2018, and zero in state lateral applicants. A total of fifty-three recruit applicants showed with twenty-one being hired. The department lost twenty-three last year due to termination, resignation or retirement. Information was provided to council with the last five years of hiring, resignation, termination or retirement. With 2018, a new process was implemented in the hiring with the collaboration of Ms. Juanita Jennings, Public Affairs Director. There were two resignations in 2018 in lieu of termination. Councilor Jeanine Corn Best inquired if exit interviews were still being given. Captain Gonzales and Deputy Chief Stanton stated it is posted outside the Administrative Secretary’s Office, but the exit interviews are voluntary, not mandatory. Councilor Best asked for an explanation of a lateral. Captain Gonzales and Chief Smith stated that a brief definition of a lateral is being a certified in state or out of state officer. To transfer the certificate they must attend a two-week academy to learn the department’s methods. October 8, 2018, and October 9, 2018, all of the First Responders attended a Narcan Nasal Spray training. Two Sergeants are doing OC training in Albuquerque for the HP93 to allow for in-house training. The department is working towards being self-sufficient with in-house training. Councilor Best asked if the RFD training center was being utilized? Captain Gonzales stated that is primarily being used by SWAT. The PD has their facility to accommodate at least thirty for training. Councilor Foster and Captain Gonzales discussed salaries here in Roswell compared to Albuquerque. Mr. Mathews said the Police Department is down to thirteen openings with four already in the process. Deputy Chief Stanton advised that their goal is to make the PSA program a complete career path for PSA recruits. Currently, PSA’s are fully staffed. When first implemented the program was designed as a stepping stone, not a career. Previously there was no interest of the PSA position when all staffing issues have been resolved; they would like to return the position to a stepping-stone. It was originated for taking the lesser crimes such as traffic control. Currently, five or six senior officer’s started with the PSA position, and have been with the department over fifteen years. General candidates are local, Chaves County, Dexter, Hagerman and all within three hours, such as El Paso. There are 60%-65% Hispanic where it used to be 80% Caucasian. Demographics are balanced, with the majority being bi-lingual. With that, having a good presence you are drawn to it as a career. Chief Smith expressed he wants continued recruitment although fully staffed. It will allow the department to remain at 100% capacity. Councilor Foster stated, should budget be a concern, they will figure a way to continue with the recruitment. According to FBI statistics, they should have 130 officer’s; this would increase the service level. This position was budgeted for officer’s, but are using that salary line to pay the PSA’s. The overall goal is the PSA will become an Officer. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Councilor Best moved to approve the September 18, 2018, Public Safety Committee agenda as presented. Councilor Moore was the second. A voice vote was unanimous, and the motion passed 3-0 with Councilor Henderson being absent. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Councilor Best moved to approve the minutes from the July 18, 2018, Public Safety meeting as presented. Councilor Moore was the second. A voice vote was unanimous, and the motion passed 3-0 with Councilor Henderson being absent. REGULAR ITEMS 2. Proposed Ordinance 18-09 Prohibiting Hunting within City Limits Mr. Mathews stated that City Hall received calls requesting to hunt in Cielo Grande. Those were forwarded on to him, which he denied due to public safety. Proposed Ordinance 18- 09, Hunting within the City Limits or City Land ordinance was discussed with the committee. Staff has researched other cities handling these requests and proposed an amendment to Section 4-5. Mr. Mathews said if the committee approves the proposed ordinance, he will submit a request to advertise for a public hearing for the December City Council meeting. During the discussion, Councilor Best suggested the removal of the language “or upon City land” from the proposed ordinance in the new section 4-5. Councilor Foster moved to approve Proposed Ordinance 18-09 with the removal of the language “or upon City land” from the proposed ordinance in the new section 4-5 and to send to full City Council for advertisement of a public hearing. Councilor Moore was the second. A voice vote was unanimous and the motion passed 3-0 with Councilor Henderson being absent. INFORMATION Councilor Best advised Committee that she uses SENM Economic Development site to acquire information. She stated that they are going to allow older retired personnel from PD and Fire to work for the School Districts or City. They will be able to return and not loose retirement or PERA. Currently it is going to Legislation, for additional information contact Hubert Quintana. Next meeting November 13, 2018 at 4:30 pm, City Hall Large Conference Room. CHAIR ANNOUNCEMENTS/REPORTS Fire Station #2 Update Chief Graham informed committee of the status of Fire Station #2. Headway is being made and are the fire department is currently waiting on full-scale analytics and data to decide if that location will be chosen. The decision on the location is to be made after the data is collected. More information will be provided to council by next month. No further questions from council ADJOURN The meeting adjourned at 5:17p.m.