Girdwood Public Safety Task Force
Meeting Minutes
THUSeptember 17, 2015
7PMGirdwood Community Room
1. Call to Order, Sam Daniel, Chair
This is a info gathering group. No decisions are made by the task force. Community Charette will be held hopefully in November.
Introductions of members of the Task Force.
Meeting Agenda approved.
Meeting Minutes from August approved.
2. Introductions/Guests
Janet Sperbeck, Turnagain Arm Community Council
Group meets every 3 months
George Asselin, President, APDEA (Police Employee Union)
Old Business
3. Review of new information regarding options under discussion:
Option D:
Contracting with AlaskaState Troopers (Tommy O’Malley)
There is no legal barrier keeping Girdwood from contracting from a police entity other than Anchorage Police Dept. Girdwood could even hire its own police.
Update from Jennifer Johnston(Anchorage Assembly) regarding Mayor’s effort to keep AST
State troopers will continue to police the Seward Highway. Federal grants are in place to pay for this service.
Mike Hawker has been working on trying to find a way for Girdwood to Grant funds for trooper service.
Girdwood could give grant to Troopers to help pay for their work in the tri-valleys (Bird, Indian, Girdwood).
Sam Daniel: In order to anything at all, Girdwood must vote to allow taxation powers for GBOS to pay for public safety.
Jennifer Johnston has been working with Municipal Clerks office to establish what is needed for Girdwood to vote to give GBOS the power to tax for public safety. Johnston and Evans want to propose ordinance at the Assembly meeting on 9.29.15. They propose mail-in ballot with 2 items registered voters in Girdwood to approve:
ordinance for Girdwood tax itself for public safety services
ordinance for GBOS to have taxation powers for the Girdwood Service Area only for funding public safety services
Trying to make language generic enough that ordinance will work regardless of option that Girdwood decides to vote on. If introduced at September meeting, it could be approved at October meeting and election held in November. If not, then it would be delayed by 1 month, with vote in December. This allows for action prior to Jan 1. As taxes aren’t paid until later, Girdwood may need to borrow from fund balance.
Girdwood Public Safety Task Force Agendas and minutes are available on line:
Lou Thiess recommends adding tax cap or maximum so that voters feel more comfortable.
Sam Daniel states that task force has stayed focused on Girdwood. They have not been working on adding other valleys on Turnagain Arm or Crow Creek Road.
Tommy O’Malley recommends that Jennifer Johnston make effort to reach to people in other valleys. There has not been sufficient outreach to other communities.
Later in meeting, need motion to get this placeholder on the ballot.
Update Cathy Giessel (State Senator):
Met with Commissioner Folger and Col Cockrell. AlaskaState Troopers:
After Jan 1, 2015: 3 troopers from South Anchorage will monitor Seward Highway.
They will not be in Girdwood, but will be on highway.
Sen. Giessel says that she does not think this option is likely.
Station in Girdwood will close. 27 trooper positions have been eliminated.
Dispatch will be from Soldotna.
For each substation closed, state saves $80,000 in rent; per trooper cost is approx $100,000 (plus incidentals of training, vacation, etc).
With loss of 27 positions, contracting is not possible.
Highway patrol can be concentratedin force for special events, such as Forest Fair.
Mandy Hawes requests quantifiable amount that Girdwood could use as comparison as group looks at other service providers.
Michelle Weston agrees to help in reviewing budget numbers.
Overall wrap-up: Jennifer Johnston remains optimistic about troopers. Sen Giessel says this is unlikely due to state fiscal situation.
Lou to write letter back to APDEA thanking them for their non-objection.
Option E:
Contracting Whittier Police (Lou Theiss and Chief Chadwick)
Sgt. Gerard Asselin, APDEA wrote letter on behalf of police union to City Manager, Mike Abbott,not objecting to Girdwood contracting with other policing entities. This opens door for Girdwood to use service other than Anchorage Police Dept.
AST estimates 1400 calls per year, including highway and Girdwood calls.
Asselin cautions that enforcement is something you don’t feel the need for until you need it: break-in, assault, etc – people expect to call and have rapid response. Also cautions about limited service and locations outside of service are (Crow Creek, Turnagain Arm communities).
Chief Schofield, Whittier Police. January is slow time for Whittier Police Dept. Able to extend patrol in to Girdwood, however would need to grow into service in Girdwood. Start on 1/1/15 with 90 days for hiring process to increase staffing.
Railroad tunnel: Whittier police can get through tunnel during closures. It could take 15-20 minutes to get out of Whittier if all officers are in Whittier. If tunnel is occupied by train, then tunnel must clear before officer can go through.
Community outreach: definitely able and interested in community outreach at school, etc. and becoming engaged with population.
$425,000 annually for Whittier Police
6000 calls/year.
Michelle Weston states that Seward Police Dept may be a good model to look toward as their size is comparable to Girdwood/Whittier.
Sam Daniel: This model is one that we want to take a close look at. What are the questions that we need answered to develop local model in Girdwood administered by Whittier Police Dept?
Where does revenue go that is generated by citations?
Answer: back to Whittier. This would need to be worked out.
Staffing on this side of the tunnel? Office space?
Communications? Seems like they already have this and it integrates with Girdwood Fire Dept.
Infrastructure? Existing Whittier system is that telephonically meet with magistrate.
Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) and how funded? Michelle Weston Agrees to help with this.
Currently no dispatch system. 911 calls ring directly to officers currently.
What is Whittier city council position: Positive but needs to be mutually beneficial.
Whittier provide total price for service?
How handle arrests? Whittier Jail? No, arrestees are taken to Anchorage.
How handle big days: Forest Fair, NYE, Spring Carnival, weekends.
Handle only state statute? Yes, similar to current service by APD.
Between now and next meeting, need to come back with answers to the above questions and provide:
Staffing model
Budget
Task Force members to get on agenda with city manager/Whittier city council to discuss policing option. Next Whittier city council meeting is October 20.
Gerard Asselin, APDEA, suggests that Girdwood really compare their costs/benefits of APD vs Whittier policing. Consider cost of handling evidence, record keeping, crime scene investigation, special units of APD, liability etc which will be substantially greater with addition of Girdwood in Whittier.
Tommy corrects the stats, indicating that 2.8 million is cost for APD full service in Girdwood. Anchorage would have to subsidize Girdwood Policing by over 1 million. This would require that both Girdwood and Anchorage would vote for it. School is a good example of success.
Sam Daniel states APD model does have great aspects: Seward highway safety would be a strong element for Anchorage voters. More rapid response from 911 calls – estimated 10 minutes response time.
Option F:
Create Girdwood Police Department (Tommy O’Malley)
Sgt. Asselin has pointed out some of complications: judicial, specialty, code enforcement, liability.
In long term would be good to examine and determine if Girdwood needs its own police force:
There is nothing to keep us from doing this, but will need time to develop it. Create non-profit group similar to Fire Dept. Perhaps contract with Whittier until able to move forward to creating own.
It is a 3 month – 1 yr process to complete hiring for police officers.
Mike Opalka states that one concept is to combine police and fire as Anchorage Airport Police and Fire.
Option C:
No Service, contract for special events coverage (Mike Opalka and Laura Bowen)
Bring in service for special events.
Nothing new to report. This is not truly an option. Removed from agenda in future.
4. Ordinance for GBOS to receive Police Powers
Jennifer Johnston is working on ordinance for Assembly to consider.
Letter to all registered voters in Girdwood. As not all receive mail at PO, there would be an election staffer at Community Room also.
48% of homes in Girdwood stand empty and are second homes. Tommy recommends notification to all property owners about situation. Tommy states frustration regarding lack of proactive response by city and state. Perhaps Girdwood 2020 can help in getting the word out to Girdwood property owners.
Motion:
Girdwood Public Safety Task Force moves to request the Girdwood Board of Supervisors request that Jennifer Johnston and Bill Evans draft a ballot ordinance that would allow for Public Safety services in Girdwood and also allow GBOS the taxation powers to fund those services. This ordinance would require a special election to be held for the registered voters in Girdwood to decide these Public Safety powers and services.
Motion by Lou Theiss
2ndby Bill Chadwick
Motion passes unanimously
1 abstain
5. Public relations and media outreach.
Information from Kevin Opalka on media attention to Seward Highway enforcement issue
Media outlets have been contacting task force members.
6. Update on Community outreach/Community involvement
a. Attend local organizations meetings:
Girdwood 20209/12TBA
GW Rotary 8/27Lou Theiss
PTA/GW SchoolSam Daniel
Lions ClubTBA Next meeting not until September
Girdwood ChamberTBA
Little Bears
Clinic
Four ValleysCommunitySchool
b. Schedule Charrette or other public meeting to vet options and educate community
Want to hold meeting at the GirdwoodSchool. Currently don’t have occupancy of the building. Jennifer Johnston to inquire on timeline when she meets with
c.Other
7. Review of Information Sheet
Review and Edit as needed.
Action Items:
Letter back to APDEA thanking them for their non-objection. (Lou Theiss)
Task Force to get on Agenda for WhittierCity council 10/20/15 meeting (Tommy)
Task force subcommittee to research these questions with regard to Whittier Police options: (Tommy/Lou)
Where does revenue go that is generated by citations?
Staffing on this side of the tunnel?
Girdwood office space?
Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) and how funded?
Confirm Whittier city council position?
Whittier provide total price for service?
How handle arrests? Whittier Jail?
How handle big days:
Handle only state statute?
Between now and next meeting, need to come back with answers to the above questions and provide:
Staffing model
Budget
Check in to date for Charette. School/Girdwood Community Room (?)
Check with Seward regarding cost of their service. (Mandy Hawes)
New Business
8. Set Next Task Force Meeting
THU October 22, 2015 7PM