Safety & Public Works Committee

SAFETY AND PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE MINUTES THURSDAY February 1 , 2024 8:00 AM VIA ZOOM MEETING Members Present: Anne Williams, Council Chairperson James Sammon, Citizen Member Sara Schiavoni, Citizen Member Nancy Moore, Council Member Kim Harris, Citizen Member Others Present: David Weiss, Mayor Jeri Chaikin, CAO Patrick Sweeney, Fire Chief Jim Heath, Asst. Fire Chief Wayne Hudson, Police Chief Patti Speese, Director of Public Works Christian Maier, Asst. Direct of Infrastructure Annette Amistadi, Mental Health Response Program, Clinician Kara O’Donnell, Principal Planner John Potts, Director of Finance Annette Tucker Sutherland, LWV Arielle Urich, Recording Assistant The meeting was called to order by Council Chair Anne Williams at 8:02 am. APPROVAL OF January 4, 2024 MEETING MINUTES Council Chair Williams requested a motion to approve the January 4, 2024 Safety and Public Works minutes. A motion was made by Council Member Nancy Moore and seconded by Citizen Member Sara Schiavoni. The motion carried. Expenditures from Local (Fund No. 701) and Federal (Fund No. 702 Wayne D. Hudson, Chief of Police The Shaker Heights Police Department (SHPD) is seeking approval to utilize funds from the Federal Law Enforcement Trust Fund (Fund No. 702) and the Local Law Enforcement Trust Fund (Fund No. 701) for the purchase and updating of equipment, enhancement of mission essential training, and community engagement. The request aligns with the recommendations of the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing, focusing on pillars such as Building Trust and Legitimacy, Technology and Social Media, and Training and Education. The Federal Law Enforcement Trust Fund receives funds from federal forfeitures, and the SHPD aims to utilize these funds for purposes in line with the Task Force's recommendations. The Local Law Enforcement Trust Fund, derived from forfeitures under Ohio law, is intended for economic disincentives related to criminal offenses. City Council previously approved the overall appropriation of a significant portion of these funds on January 8, 2024. The current request seeks legislative approval for the specific expenditure of funds, subject to the City's procurement requirements. Chief Wayne D. Hudson and SHPD Commanders have reviewed the rules and regulations, ensuring that the proposed items and services meet the criteria for fund utilization, aiming to enhance the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the SHPD. Council Chair Williams opened the floor for any comments and questions. Citizen Member Schiavoni asked how much will be left in the Local Fund 701 and Federal Fund 702 after the expenditures? Chief of Police Hudson responded that about $200,000 will be left in the federal fund and about $70,000 in the local fund. Citizen Member Schiavoni asked for verification that there are enough funds in 701 and 702 to be able to cover the upfront cost and additional year to year costs. Chief of Police Hudson stated that is correct. The Federal Forfeiture law allows us to pay for the recurring costs from the federal forfeiture fund. Plus, every year we receive funds that go into our local and federal trust fund account. Citizen Member Schiavoni expressed concerns about privacy issues that can arise due to certain expenditures like pole cameras, drones and surveillance that was mentioned in the memo. Citizen Member Schiavoni requested more information or an explanation regarding these concerns. Chief of Police Hudson responded first with pole cameras. There has been a rise in break- ins and property damage in Zone One. To address the issue, they initially deployed a police cruiser as a deterrent, which proved effective. However, when crime spikes in a specific area and time period, they opt to install pole cameras to monitor businesses lacking surveillance. The purpose is to enhance security by alerting officers in cruisers promptly if there is an attempted break-in, allowing for quicker response times. As far as drones, Chief Hudson acknowledges the controversy surrounding them, however, advising that there are certain regulations on when those drones can be deployed. Chief Hudson emphasized the importance of establishing a comprehensive drone policy before acquiring any drones. Chief will have a solid policy in place then the policy will be presented to City Council for approval, if not approved the SHPD will refrain from purchasing any drones. Citizen Member Schiavoni responded with wanting clarification in regard to pole cameras. Right now there is litigation going on in circuit courts about whether or not keeping pole cameras in one place is violation of the Fourth Amendment. Can SHPD assure the surveillance periods will be brief, and there are no plans for prolonged and continuous monitoring of residence for months and months? Chief Hudson replied correct, it will only be used in targeted hotspot areas for a designated amount of time. Citizen Member Schiavoni also asked if there have been any claims, whether resolved or not, asserting that items or money were taken unethically through forfeiture, either by the federal government or within the local fund. Chief Hudson replied that he has only been with the SHPD for a year and so far there hasn’t been any claims. Council Chair Williams requested a motion to approve. A motion was made by Councilwoman Moore and seconded by Citizen Member James Sammon. The motion carried. Recovery Resources- CALL Program Annette Amistadi, Mental Health Response Program, Clinician The Shaker Heights Police and Fire Departments are seeking approval to enter into a contract with MetroHealth/Recovery Resources for the Crisis Intervention and Local Linkage (CALL) Program, totaling $1,057,946 from March 1, 2024, to May 31, 2026. The program originated as the Mental Health Response Program (MHRP) in January 2022, addressing mental health crises as an alternative to police response. It is a partnership between the city and MetroHealth/Recovery Resources, with the latter being a non-profit organization providing mental health services since 1955. The MHRP, now expanding regionally and renamed CALL, involves a licensed social worker responding to crisis calls, conducting follow-ups, and offering support, linkage to services, and education to first responders and the community. The program received positive feedback, leading to interest from surrounding cities and additional funding from the Department of Justice. The total cost of regional expansion is estimated at $860,000. Council Chair Williams turned it over to Councilwoman Moore. Councilwoman Moore wanted clarification on how this contract with Recovery Resources will affect the Mental Health Clinician position with the City of Shaker Heights. CAO Chaikin explained Shaker Heights initiated the program with the help of Recovery Resources and Mental Health Clinician Annette. To avoid cities individually hiring social workers, the contract with Recovery Resources ensures they handle the employment of social workers and peer support specialists, with Annette serving as the coordinator. The goal is for the regional program's management to transition to Chagrin Valley Dispatch (CVD) once successful. Currently, Shaker Heights, as the grant applicant, is the recipient of funds, but the plan is for CVD to take over when the program achieves regional success. Councilwoman Moore asked what portion of the costs the City of Shaker Heights would be responsible for. Mayor Weiss responded that additional funds are still being raised, but there is enough in grants to sustain operations for over a year. The budget details, particularly on page three of the memo, illustrate the staffing levels for the separate operation. Annette's position is highlighted among four social workers, and the supervisor is sourced from Recovery Resources. Mental Health Clinician Annette stated that her position is not part of these numbers. Councilwoman Moore expressed that she is concerned with the potential reduction in services under the new collaborative program, despite the possibility of a lower cost. Mental Health Clinician Annette acknowledged the concern and advised that the team is expected to provide the same level of referrals as before. Additionally, the dispatch center will offer a new service for quicker assessments and linkages to appropriate services, enhancing the overall response. While it may appear different locally, Mental Health Clinician Annette emphasizes that the community will benefit significantly from this expanded service. Councilwoman Moore asked if she understood correctly, assuming after the first year, the residual amount of whatever the program costs us, will be divided between four municipalities, Dispatch and Shaker? Mayor Weiss advised no, the costs to the extent not covered by grants would be split between the 5 communities. The allocation of costs are still being determined and generally expected to be based on the size of each municipality. This approach is similar to the current share of costs for the existing program. Councilwoman Moore requested that when this proposal is presented to the Finance Committee and Council, the financial aspects of the program should be more thoroughly explained and detailed anticipating that similar questions will be asked. Council Chair Williams agreed with the raised questions, expressing uncertainty about Shaker Heights' obligations under the contract and seeking clarification on the financial aspects, particularly regarding when payments will be made and how the staggered hiring process aligns with financial commitments. Council Chair Williams asked if there is an estimate we are looking at before this is fully staffed and in place. Mental Health Clinician Annette stated that she has been working with Recovery Resources and already have one staff member who has been training for six months to a year. Two additional individuals within Recovery Resources have shown interest, even before the position has been officially posted. The early start to the contract is aimed at initiating the hiring and training process, with the goal of being fully staffed by June 1st for the program rollout. Council Chair Williams asked if the City of Shaker Heights was the only ones on this contract or are all of the communities on it. Mental Health Clinician Annette states Shaker Heights will be the only one in contract with Recovery Resources. However, all the other communities will enter into a memorandum of understanding with us. Also, Recover Resources are the ones collecting all the funding and grants right now through us. Citizen Member James Sammon asked for an explanation of the process to a follow up visit after an incident has occurred. Will the intervention specialist go without police and fire? And if so, what happens if the specialist gets hurt in the process of helping someone. Mental Health Clinician Annette states during follow-up visits, they do not accompany Police or Fire Departments but handle those independently. The decision is based on safety considerations, and if a situation appears unsafe or if an individual is agitated, they avoid proceeding alone. If the circumstances change during the visit, they have a radio to directly communicate with dispatch and other first responders, allowing them to seek assistance promptly and ensure everyone is aware of their location and the evolving situation. Citizen Member Sammon asked if the Mental Health Clinician is covered by the City of Shaker or Recovery Resources. Mental Health Clinician Annette stated the City of Shaker Heights. Chief of Fire Patrick Sweeney added that if there are any safety concerns regarding a visit, both Fire and Police are available for support if needed. Also, it has been discussed, the social workers have the option to bring patients in to the police or fire station to provide coordination of care moving forward. Chief of Police Hudson added an important highlight is that the Mental Health Clinician and her team follow a similar protocol as law enforcement. If police are not physically present, their whereabouts are tracked. In case of an emergency situation, the team has emergency buttons on their radios. If activated, help can arrive within minutes. Mayor Weiss explained the determination of the need for safety services to accompany Annette is made on-site based on the circumstances. There is a sensitivity to decide when Annette and her teams can handle situations without backup. To revisit budgeting, we will have a full contract that will lay out capital, operating and cost sharing among the five cities. Council Chair Williams asked for any additional comments and or questions. A motion was made to enter into a contract with Metro Health/Recover Resources for the Call Program. The Motion was moved by Citizen Member Schiavoni and seconded by Councilwoman Moore. The motion carried. DOAN BROOK RESTORATION PARK IMPROVEMENTS Kara O’Donnell , Principal Planner Principal Planner, Kara Hamley O’Donnell is seeking authorization to apply for and accept a grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources 2024 Clean Ohio Trails Fund. The grant, amounting to $482,000, is intended for constructing two 10' wide multipurpose trails at Horseshoe Lake Park: the Lee Road Connection—South and the Park Drive Shared-Use Path—South. The estimated project cost is $740,000, with a 25% local match to be covered by the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District's Doan Brook Restoration project. The Clean Ohio Trails Fund, with a total allocation of $6.25M, supports trail development and linkages. The grant aligns with the City's strategy for park improvements, including dam removal and stream restoration as a regional priority. The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District will invest $24M in dam removal and stream restoration. The grant aims to enhance pedestrian and bicycle connections, create safe trails, improve recreational opportunities, and protect environmental resources. Engineering funds are already committed, and the estimated construction match of $258,000 will be covered by NEORSD site preparation work. Approval is recommended for submitting the grant application and accepting funds, with no city funds expected for the grant match. Council Chair Williams opened the floor for comments. Councilwoman Moore asked if these grants are received, will we follow the same public engagement process for Horseshoe Lake. Principal Planner O’Donnell advised that throughout the grant application process, close collaboration has been maintained with the Sewer District, particularly for environmental reviews necessary for the application. The Sewer District has taken the lead in initiating these processes. Over the past two years, significant engagement efforts have been undertaken by the Sewer District, in cooperation with both Shaker Heights and Cleveland Heights resulting in an impressive plan. Councilwoman Moore asked if there is any concern with flooding due to the creation of these trails. Principal Planner O’Donnell responded that the Sewer District is overseeing the engineering aspects of the project. We are also working with numerous State and Federal agencies such as the Army Corps of Engineering and the EPA throughout the engineering process. The primary objective is to ensure that the project effectively addresses flooding concerns. Strong safeguards are being implemented during construction to further mitigate potential issues. Council Chair Williams asked for any additional questions or comments and there were none. A motion was made Council Woman Moore and it was seconded by Citizen Member Schiavoni. The motion carried. The meeting adjourned at 8:48am. Respectfully, ________________________________________ Anne Williams, Council Chairperson Safety & Public Works Committee