Police & Fire Commission Meeting

Police & Fire Commission Meeting Whitewater Municipal Building Community Room, 312 West Whitewater St., Whitewater, WI 53190 *In Person and Virtual Monday, June 03, 2024 - 6:00 PM Citizens are welcome (and encouraged) to join our webinar via computer, smart phone, or telephone. Citizen participation is welcome during topic discussion periods. Police & Fire Commission Meeting Jun 3, 2024, 6:00 PM Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone. https://meet.goto.com/709264645 You can also dial in using your phone. Access Code: 709-264-645 United States: +1 (224) 501-3412 Please note that although every effort will be made to provide for virtual participation, unforeseen technical difficulties may prevent this, in which case the meeting may still proceed as long as there is a quorum. Should you wish to make a comment in this situation, you are welcome to call this number: (262) 473-0108. AGENDA CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 6:00 PM by Support Services Manager Sabrina Ojibway ROLL CALL PRESENT Commissioner Jerry Grant Commissioner Beverly Stone Commissioner Mwita Binagi Commissioner Tom Miller Police Chief Daniel Meyer Police Captain Adam Vander Steeg Assistant Fire Chief Ryan Dion Support Services Manager Sabrina Ojibway ABSENT Commissioner Marissa Aranda Police & Fire Commission Meeting Minutes June 03, 2024 Page 2 APPROVAL OF AGENDA A Commission member can choose to remove an item from the agenda or rearrange its order; however, introducing new items to the agenda is not allowed. Any proposed changes require a motion, a second, and approval from the Commission to be implemented. The agenda shall be approved at each meeting even if no changes are being made at that meeting. Motion made by Commissioner Binagi, Seconded by Commissioner Grant to approve agenda. Voting Yes: Commissioner Grant, Commissioner Stone, Commissioner Binagi and Commissioner Miller. Motion passed. CONSENT AGENDA Items on the Consent Agenda will be approved together unless any Commission member requests that an item be removed for individual consideration. 1. Approval of Minutes from March 12th, 2024 Motion made by Commissioner Grant, Seconded by Commissioner Binagi to approve agenda. Voting Yes: Commissioner Grant, Commissioner Stone, Commissioner Binagi and Commissioner Miller. Motion passed. HEARING OF CITIZEN COMMENTS No formal Commission action will be taken during this meeting although issues raised may become a part of a future agenda. Participants are allotted a three minute speaking period. Specific items listed on the agenda may not be discussed at this time; however, citizens are invited to speak to those specific issues at the time the Commission discusses that particular item. There were no citizen comments. To make a comment during this period, or during any agenda item: On a computer or handheld device, locate the controls on your computer to raise your hand. You may need to move your mouse to see these controls. On a traditional telephone, dial *6 to unmute your phone and dial *9 to raise your hand. NEW BUSINESS 2. Election of Police & Fire Commission Officers Ojibway called for nominations of the Chair of the Police and Fire Commission. Stone nominated Grant with a second from Miller. Ojibway called for any other nominations. There were no other nominations. Ojibway called the roll for a vote on the appointment of Grant for the Chair of the Police and Fire Commission: AYES: Grant, Stone, Binagi, Miller NOES: None ABSENT: Aranda Police & Fire Commission Meeting Minutes June 03, 2024 Page 3 The vote reflected that Grant was the next Chair of the Police and Fire Commission. Ojibway turned the meeting over to President Grant. Grant asked for nominations for the Vice Chair of the Police and Fire Commission. Binagi nominated himself with a second from Miller. Grant called for any other nominations for the Vice Chair of the Police and Fire Commission. There were no other nominations. Ojibway called the roll for a vote on the appointment of Binagi for the Vice Chair of the Police and Fire Commission: AYES: Grant, Stone, Binagi, Miller NOES: None ABSENT: Aranda The vote reflected that Binagi was the next Vice Chair of the Police and Fire Commission. Grant asked for nominations for the Secretary of the Police and Fire Commission. Binagi nominated Stone with a second by Miller. Grant called for any other nominations for the Secretary of Police and Fire Commission. There were no other nominations. Ojibway called the roll for a vote on the appointment of Stone for the Secretary of the Police and Fire Commission: AYES: Grant, Stone, Binagi, Miller NOES: None ABSENT: Aranda The vote reflected that Stone was the next Secretary of the Police and Fire Commission. REPORTS 3. Fire Chief's Report a. Personnel Update Paid-on-Call member Dustin Schneider resigned. The following personnel have successfully completed their initial probationary period: Ashley Dodd, Alex Rohde, Crystal Griffin, Carl Strait, Tanner Stark, Ben Kastern, Alana Kolesar, Mikayla Fehl, Riley Walters and Sean O’Flanagan. The following personnel have successfully completed their probationary period for their respective positions: Lt. Jacob Maas, Lt. James Lewis and EMS Chief Jason Dean. Interviews for FTE spot will be forthcoming. Paid on Premise program has been in effect for the past month and a half and has been successful in increasing staffing on the weekends. The utilization of part-time, paid-on-call employees has allowed the fire department to have 5 members in the station from 6pm Friday night until 6am on Monday morning. b. Training Update Assistant Fire Chief Dion is currently in the process of starting to procure bids for a NFPA compliant training facility using funds from the Hickey Trust. This will facilitate more diverse training resulting in higher skilled employees. c. Community Engagement Update The Fire Department visited Fairhaven to call bingo numbers, gave a presentation at the Kiwanis breakfast meeting, and provided a parade for the UW athletes involved in Wheelchair Basketball, Police & Fire Commission Meeting Minutes June 03, 2024 Page 4 and Track and Field. It is anticipated that fire extinguisher training will be provided during the summer months. d. Equipment Update P25 portable and mobile radios are slated for later this year in anticipation of the Walworth County radio upgrade. A new Engine (Pumper) will be added to the fleet in September 2024, a new Ambulance in February 2025 and a new Ladder Truck in September 2025. 4. Police Chief's Report a. Personnel Update Officer Hunter Martin started on March 25th, 2024 and is currently in week 11 of the Law Enforcement Academy at Fox Valley Technical College. Patrol Lieutenant Ryan Taft was promoted to Patrol Captain on March 14th, 2024. Patrol Officer Brandon Taylor was promoted to Patrol Lieutenant on March 14th, 2024. There currently remains one dispatch vacancy. A dispatch candidate that was in the background phase withdrew and the hiring process has been re- opened. b. Training Update On April 8th, 2024, the department hosted a training on Transnational Gangs that was put on by an FBI agent specializing in that topic. On April 9th, 2024, all sworn staff received Legal Update training from Walworth County DA Zeke Wiedenfeld coupled with Major Crime response and Mobile Field Force refresher trainings. In May, all sworn staff completed annual firearms qualification held at the Walworth County range and conducted by in-house instructors. Seven officers on the Mobile Field Force Team have attended multiple trainings in preparation for deploying for the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in July. c. Community Engagement Update On March 15th, 2024, Lincoln Elementary hosted a Cops ‘N Kids book reading. On May 30th, 2024, Washington Elementary hosted a Cops ‘N Kids book reading. During each of those events, officers read to 2-4 classes, answer student questions about law enforcement, and provide each student with a free book. On April 27th, 2024, SRO James Garcia attended the International Children’s Day event at Lincoln Elementary. Information regarding recent demographic trends within the city was presented to the Greater Whitewater Committee on March 14th, an Immigration panel hosted at the Community Engagement Center on April 15th, Walworth County AARP on April 23rd and Whitewater Kiwanis on May 21st. d. Miscellaneous Topics to include updates on Spring Splash, Wisconsin Law Enforcement Accreditation Group On-Site, Republican National Convention, Worldwide Tech Connections, Federal Grant Request, Federal Funding Appropriation Request and Fitch Staffing Study An after-action review was presented to the Commission in regards to Spring Splash. Overall the law enforcement response mirrored what was utilized in 2023 and the event went smoothly. Heavy foot traffic was encountered throughout the day, Mobile Field Force was utilized to disperse the larger crowds. Two disorderly incidents involved firearms, one real and one replica. Police & Fire Commission Meeting Minutes June 03, 2024 Page 5 Total event cost, to including staffing, food and materials, came to $17,367.53. Arrest statistics were up from 2023 but lower compared to earlier years. Chief Meyer expressed his appreciation for the fifteen outside agencies that provided assistance. The Wisconsin Law Enforcement Accreditation Group (WILEAG) on-site, completed once every 3 years, is scheduled for June 18-20, 2024. The police department will have 3 assessors here for 3 days to review operations. They’ll report their findings to the WILEAG Board who will determine if the department attains reaccreditation. Only 10% of agencies in the state are currently accredited. For the Republican National Convention (RNC), Whitewater PD will be sending seven (7) officers to deploy with the Walworth County Mobile Field Force Team July 15-18. The City has entered into an agreement with the City of Milwaukee for reimbursement of staff time and equipment used. The police department, along with the City, will be working with a company called Worldwide Tech Connections to test some translation software. Staff will be provided with additional training later in the week. Whitewater PD is in the process of applying for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office Hiring Grant (federal grant). The grant would help the City fund additional officers at a lower up-front cost with greater contribution from the City annually over a three-year funding period. Application is due June 12th. The police department is also in the process of an appropriation request through U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin’s Office. The funding request is for the hiring of an Immigration Liaison position. Chief Meyer has been working with staff from her office and should find out later this fall whether funding is approved. The City has commissioned Fitch & Associates to complete a comprehensive organizational workload study for the Police Department. PD Staff has been working with Fitch and Associates over the last two months, providing them with comprehensive data and statistics relating to the department (how it operates, call volume, etc). They will be on site here in early July (July 1st and 2nd) and have expressed interest in meeting Commission members individually. EXECUTIVE SESSION Adjourn to Closed Session, TO RECONVENE, pursuant to Wisconsin Statutes 19.85(1)(c) “Considering employment, promotion, compensation or performance evaluation data of any public employee over which the governmental body has jurisdiction or exercises responsibility". Items to be discussed: 5. Probationary EMT/Firefighter Employment Update Presentation of EMT/Firefighter Paid on Call Candidates for Certification Interview of Patrol Officer Candidate Motion made by Commissioner Miller, Seconded by Commissioner Stone to go into closed session. Voting Yes: Commissioner Grant, Commissioner Stone, Commissioner Binagi and Commissioner Miller. Motion passed. RECONVENE INTO OPEN SESSION Motion made by Commissioner Miller, Seconded by Commissioner Binagi to go into open session. Police & Fire Commission Meeting Minutes June 03, 2024 Page 6 Voting Yes: Commissioner Grant, Commissioner Stone, Commissioner Binagi and Commissioner Miller. Motion passed. The Police & Fire Commission went into open session at 7:31 PM 6. Announcement of Recommendation Concerning Whitewater Fire Department Certification Process Motion made by Commissioner Binagi, Seconded by Commissioner Miller to approve the appointment of Elias Adrian to the position of Paid-on-Call EMT, effective June 3rd, 2024. This appointment is subject to the successful completion of a 12-month probationary period. Voting Yes: Commissioner Grant, Commissioner Stone, Commissioner Binagi and Commissioner Miller. Motion passed. Motion made by Commissioner Binagi, Seconded by Commissioner Stone to approve the appointment of Jonathan Brock to the position of Paid-on-Call Firefighter, effective June 3rd, 2024. This appointment is subject to the successful completion of a 12-month probationary period. Voting Yes: Commissioner Grant, Commissioner Stone, Commissioner Binagi and Commissioner Miller. Motion passed. Motion made by Commissioner Miller, Seconded by Commissioner Binagi to approve the appointment of Michael Messler to the position of Paid-on-Call Firefighter/AEMT, effective June 3rd, 2024. This appointment is subject to the successful completion of a 12-month probationary period. Voting Yes: Commissioner Grant, Commissioner Stone, Commissioner Binagi and Commissioner Miller. Motion passed. Motion made by Commissioner Miller, Seconded by Commissioner Stone to approve the appointment of Emily Kaddatz to the position of Paid-on-Call EMT, effective June 3rd, 2024. This appointment is subject to the successful completion of a 12-month probationary period. Voting Yes: Commissioner Grant, Commissioner Stone, Commissioner Binagi and Commissioner Miller. Motion passed. Announcement of Recommendation Concerning Whitewater Police Department Hiring Process Motion made by Commissioner Stone, Seconded by Commissioner Miller to endorse and recommend the hiring of Ryan Kozlowski to the position of patrol officer for the Whitewater Police Department. Voting Yes: Commissioner Grant, Commissioner Stone, Commissioner Binagi and Commissioner Miller. Motion passed. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Chief Meyer requested a special session for the purpose of hiring a 25th patrol officer in anticipation of a 2025 retirement, potential meeting date of June 17 th, 2024. ADJOURNMENT Police & Fire Commission Meeting Minutes June 03, 2024 Page 7 Motion made by Commissioner Binagi, Seconded by Commissioner Miller to adjourn. Voting Yes: Commissioner Grant, Commissioner Stone, Commissioner Binagi and Commissioner Miller. Motion passed Meeting adjourned at 7:37 PM EXECUTIVE SESSION Adjourn to Closed Session, NOT TO RECONVENE, pursuant to Wisconsin Statutes 19.85(1)(d): Except as provided in s. 304.06(1)(eg) and by rule promulgated under s. 304.06(1)(em), “Considering specific applications of probation, extended supervision or parole, or considering strategy for crime detection or prevention." Items to be discussed: 7. Police Department Critical Incidents Presentation A quorum of the Common Council may be present. This notice is given to inform the public that no formal action will be taken at this meeting. Anyone requiring special arrangements is asked to call the Office of the City Manager / City Clerk (262-473-0102) at least 72 hours prior to the meeting.