Public Safety Advisory Commission

Wednesday, February 12, 2009 6:00 PM

Emergency Operations Center

Meeting Minutes

Attendance:

Tony Piper

Mark Butler

Sam O’Connor

Mark Mew

Karen Cameron

Sharon Chamard

Absent and Excused:

Lynda Zaugg

Ray Faust

Deputy Chief Ross Plummer, APD

Chief Liaison, Soren Threadgill, AFD

Genevieve Maurits, Office of Emergency Management

  1. Call meeting to order
  2. Meeting called to order 6:07
  3. Approval of minutes for November 12, 2008
  4. Minutes approved
  5. Reports

New commission Mark Butler introduced

Fire, Soren Threadgill Chief Liason

  • Strategic plan
  • Accreditation project
  • Revise as needed- budget cuts
  • Open house station 5
  • Oldest fire station
  • Question on fuel tank
  • Asbestos concerns
  • Budget cuts
  • Not as great as some departments
  • More to come – two more after that
  • Tax cap question –
  • Various percentages up to 5% to cut from our budget.
  • Rigs out of service
  • How we address bonds –can’t lobby, can speak on bullet point issues
  • Can’t sway how people vote
  • Fire stations are in the stimulus package
  • Discussion with the Municipal Manager
  • Not sure how that will relate to Alaska
  • Commission to be educated on the bonds
  • Bonds
  • Medic 7 was removed
  • Expansion of service
  • Not the right time to do that
  • Lifepacks made it to the ballot

Police Deputy Chief Ross Plummer

  • SAU stats
  • Gangs at the street level
  • Safe streets is the FBI
  • Convicted on drug crimes, get federal time
  • Success is seen on the streets with less shootings etc
  • These people will come back after they serve their sentences
  • Chief Huen is committed to keep the pressure on so that we don’t see the cycle of repeat offenders
  • Influx of hardcore gang members from lower 48 i.e. Samoan gangs from California and Hmong from Minnesota
  • Budget
  • 2.4 million hit – no academy 13 new officers, 20-25 academy
  • 9 to 11 openings, an officer retiring next week
  • reduce OT
  • nothing additional in round two
  • impact
  • IGC may be cut back to reduce overtime
  • current cuts don’t see any service reductions new officers cut loose in fall from academy now
  • any additional cuts will result in service reduction
  • if next year can’t hire, then the reductions will be seen
  • What is the costs if we are not up to staff with social services etc
  • nothing to correlate number of officers per capita
  • Mew recalls – Weurch administration cuts caused cannibalization that the department is just now recovering from
  • Lull in crime, not seeing a spike but do anticipate this summer will see more activity with people out of work, economy stressors.
  • Question on Noisy mufflers – what is the law, who enforces
  • City ordinance that can be cited by the officer

Genevieve Maurits, Office of Emergency Management

  • Last 5 weeks with Kevin Spillers on board reexamining
  • Jan 25 – EOC at level one, heightened sense of awareness due to volcano
  • General preparedness message
  • Feb 25 emergency watch orientation
  • 7:30 PM at the EOC

Old Business

  • Public inebriates
  • CW has moved on
  • Shelia Selkregg formed a working group, thinking outside the box for affordable housing
  • Health department Nathan Johnson now taking that role for them
  • Interlock devices
  • Piper went to DMV to see demo
  • Smart start was the one demonstrated
  • Other vendors also
  • Condition of probation, offender pays for it, first time

New Business

  • O’Connor- Invite Mike Smulski (VIPS) and Lt. Dave Parker: offset the spike of crime, proactive stance
  • Mew – emergency preparedness at home brochures
  • Tailored for school district employees
  • Butler – transition reports
  • Assembly public safety committee meeting
  • Ordinance for Flynn to change bar hours - soft vs. hard departure. (Drunks) vulnerable persons able to stay in the bar to wait for cabs etc.
  • Looking at other alternatives – like when they changed bar hours and limited the kind of marketing (2 for 1, happy hour)
  • Plummer – need a way of enforcement so they can be shut down, APD couldn’t support.

Meeting adjourned 7:11 PM