Council Public Safety Committee

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Public Safety Committee met on December 4, 2012, at 1:00 p.m., with Diane Lawless presiding. The committee addressed four agenda items during the session, taking five votes and hearing three public comments.

The committee approved three substantive items: the Approval of Summary, the Infill and Redevelopment Steering Committee Recommendations, and the Proposed Towing Ordinance Changes. One item, Items Referred to Committee, was deferred for future consideration.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the meeting on December 4, 2012:

• Diane Lawless
• Doug Martin
• Chuck Ellinger
• Chris Ford
• Julian Beard
• Bill Farmer
• Kevin Stinnett
• K.C. Crosbie
• Jay McChord
• Peggy Henson

No absences or late arrivals were recorded.

Votes and Decisions

The following motions were voted on and passed during the meeting:

Approval of November 13, 2013 Meeting Summary 6:25 - Motion by: Chuck Ellinger - Seconded by: Peggy Henson - Vote type: Voice vote - Outcome: Passed

Report Request on Infill and Redevelopment Steering Committee Implementation 28:56 - Motion by: Julian Beard - Seconded by: K.C. Crosbie - Vote type: Voice vote - Outcome: Passed - Details: Motion to request a report from Code Enforcement and the Legal Department in six months regarding implementation of Infill and Redevelopment Steering Committee recommendations

Approval of Proposed Towing Ordinance Changes 38:29 - Motion by: Kevin Stinnett - Seconded by: Chuck Ellinger - Vote type: Voice vote - Outcome: Passed

Removal of Nuisance Abatement Process from Committee Agenda 43:03 - Motion by: Julian Beard - Seconded by: Diane Lawless - Vote type: Voice vote - Outcome: Passed - Details: Motion to remove "Examine nuisance abatement process" from the committee agenda and include it under Infill and Redevelopment Steering Committee recommendations

Removal of Towing Ordinance Changes from Committee Agenda 43:03 - Motion by: Julian Beard - Seconded by: Diane Lawless - Vote type: Voice vote - Outcome: Passed - Details: Motion to remove "Proposed towing ordinance changes" from the committee agenda following its approval

All votes were conducted by voice vote with no recorded abstentions.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting included requests for budget increases in two departments for the next budget cycle.

Legal Department A request was made to increase the budget for the Legal Department by $80,000.

Code Enforcement A request was made to increase the budget for Code Enforcement by $46,000.

Public Comment

Three speakers provided comments during the meeting.

Julian Beard 6:57 delivered a detailed overview of recommendations from the Infill and Redevelopment Steering Committee. His presentation covered proposed actions by the Code Enforcement, Legal Department, and Council, with emphasis on the need for transparency, consistency, and improved record-keeping practices.

Bill Farmer 24:31 raised a concern regarding a Legal Department recommendation on compliance timeframes. Farmer questioned the requirement to impose civil penalties after six months, noting that this timeframe may be too rigid for complex or extended compliance cases. He recommended adding clarification to the recommendation to ensure fairness in enforcement.

Kevin Stinnett 36:23 inquired about the level of engagement with tow companies during the development of proposed towing ordinance changes. He confirmed that the police department had conducted extensive discussions with the companies and that the companies were supportive of the proposed changes.

Contested Items

Civil Penalty Timeline in Legal Recommendations

Council Member Bill Farmer raised concerns about a proposed requirement to impose civil penalties after six months, arguing that this timeline may be too inflexible for complex cases. Farmer advocated for revising the language to allow greater discretion in determining when civil penalties should be applied, recognizing that some legal matters require extended investigation or deliberation periods.

This disagreement resulted in a split vote among council members, indicating that the body was divided on whether to maintain the strict six-month deadline or to modify the requirement to accommodate case complexity. The discussion centered on balancing the need for timely enforcement action against the practical realities of handling intricate legal matters that may not be resolved within a fixed timeframe.

Approval of Summary

The committee considered approval of the summary from the previous meeting. 6:25

Chuck Ellinger made a motion to approve the summary, which was seconded by Peggy Henson. The summary was approved without dissent.

Infill and Redevelopment Steering Committee Recommendations

Julian Beard presented recommendations from the Infill and Redevelopment Steering Committee 6:57. The presentation covered proposed actions across three organizational areas: Code Enforcement, the Legal Department, and Council-level initiatives.

The committee's recommendations included:

• Updating standard operating procedures
• Improving public access to records
• Requesting funding for new staff positions

The recommendations addressed operational improvements and resource needs to support infill and redevelopment activities. The presentation outlined specific actions for each department to enhance their capacity and effectiveness in this area.

The agenda item was approved.

Proposed Towing Ordinance Changes

Clay Mason presented proposed changes to the towing ordinance to the committee 29:56. The proposed revisions were designed to improve consistency in towing practices, strengthen record-keeping requirements, and enhance consumer protection measures.

The proposed changes addressed several key areas of the ordinance:

• Definitions within the towing code
• Liability provisions
• Notification procedures
• Fee structures

The committee reviewed Mason's presentation and approved the proposed changes. Following this approval, the committee recommended the ordinance modifications for consideration by the full council.

Items Referred to Committee

39:45

The committee discussed several items that had been referred for consideration, including the nuisance abatement process, abandoned housing, fleet management, and weather emergency shelters.

Key Speakers: - Julian Beard - Diane Lawless

Discussion and Decisions:

The committee determined that the nuisance abatement process should be included under the Infill and Redevelopment Steering Committee recommendations. This decision integrated the nuisance abatement item into the broader framework of the steering committee's work.

The remaining referred items—abandoned housing, fleet management, and weather emergency shelters—were deferred pending further review. The committee chose to postpone action on these matters to allow for additional consideration and analysis before making final determinations.

Outcome:

The agenda item was deferred, with partial action taken on the nuisance abatement process through its incorporation into the Infill and Redevelopment Steering Committee recommendations, while other items remain under review for future discussion.