Public Safety Committee

PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE AGENDA COMMISSION CONFERENCE ROOM 4243 REMEMBRANCE RD. NW. MONDAY, AUGUST 11, 2025 5:00 PM Call Meeting to Order - Record Attendance 1. Committee Members: Mayor Carey (Chair), Thom Burke, Jessica Babcock, and Elaina Huizenga-Chase Discussion Items 1. Approval of Minutes from July 28, 2025 2. Police Department Updates 3. Fire Department Updates Adjournment Page 1 of 4  PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES COMMISSION CONFERENCE ROOM MONDAY, JULY 28, 2025 4:30 PM Call Meeting to Order - Record Attendance Called to Order at 4:36 p.m. Committee Members: Mayor Carey (Chair), Thom Burke, Jessica Babcock, and Elaina Huizenga-Chase. Also in attendance: Melanie Grooters City Staff: Darrel Schmalzel, Frank Wash, Shannon Bales, Rusty Shoultz, Keith Mankel Discussion Items Approval of Minutes from February 24, 2025 Motion by Jessica Babcock, seconded by Thom Burke to approve the February 24, 2025 meeting minutes. Motion Carried. Police Department Updates Chief Mankel provided an update on department staffing. He noted that a new officer is scheduled to begin on Monday, August 4, 2025, bringing the current staffing level to 40 officers. Additional interviews are planned in the coming weeks. The department is also preparing for upcoming retirements and is engaged in succession planning. Chief Mankel also reported that one department drone is currently out of service but is expected to be returned in about 30 days. Discussion was held. Public Safety Committee Minutes 7-28-25 Page 1 of 3 Page 2 of 4  Fire Department Updates Chief Shoultz thanked the Committee for the opportunity to serve and spoke positively about the ongoing collaboration with the Police Department. He commended the ambitious and dedicated fire staff. Chief Shoultz provided an overview of the progress since receiving the offer for the Fire Chief position, including:  Gained access to the Insurance Services Office (ISO) system and is currently working to update department information.  Conducted an assessment of equipment and apparatus  Implemented extended hours at Fire Station #3, adding a 6:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. shift  Currently interviewing candidates for Paid-on-Call positions He also identified areas for improvement within the department, including  Documentation and record-keeping practices  Understanding of agency-wide insurance and ISO standards  Training programs and protocols  Evaluation of the Department's current staffing model In addition, Chief Shoultz provided a list of action items aimed at strengthening the department’s position within the current ISO Public Protection Classification (PPC) rating, including but not limited to:  Implementing agency-wide training on ISO PPC requirements  Placing a tender in service at Station #2  Establishing an automatic-aid agreement with the Grandville Fire Department  Implementing policies to enhance systematic performance evaluations under ISO criteria  Instituting a three-apparatus response requirement Proposed solutions were discussed, including Phase One of a staffing plan for immediate implementation:  Hiring two additional personnel to establish 24/7 coverage at Stations #2 and #3  This would improve the City's ISO PPC rating, eliminate brownout situations, and strengthen overall response readiness  Furniture and partitions will be required for Station #3  Implementation timeline: 30 days. Discussion was held Motion by Thom Burke, seconded by Jessica Babcock to approve Staffing Phase One as proposed by Chief Shoultz, allowing the department to move forward with implementation as outlined. Motion Carried. Public Safety Committee Minutes 7-28-25 Page 2 of 3 Page 3 of 4 Adjourned at 6:15 p.m. Public Safety Committee Minutes 7-28-25 Page 3 of 3 Page 4 of 4