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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES Public Safety Committee 2009-05-21RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado, May 21, 2009 Minutes of a Regular Meeting of the PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE of the Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado. Meeting held in the Town Hall in said Town of Estes Park on the 215t day of May, 2009. Committee: Chair Eisenlauer, Trustees Ericson and Homeier Attending: Chair Eisenlauer, Trustees Ericson and Homeier Also Attending: Town Administrator Halburnt, Deputy Town Administrator Richardson, Chief Kufeld, Chief Dorman, and Deputy Town Clerk Deats Absent: None Chair Eisenlauer called the meeting to order at 8:00 a.m. PUBLIC COMMENT. None POLICE DEPARTMENT. AMENDMENT TO MODEL TRAFFIC CODE. Police Department and Public Works Department staff performed a walk-through of the downtown area to ensure parking signage and sign placement corresponds with parking ordinances previously passed by the Town Board. Subsequently, staff recommends the following revisions to the Model Traffic Code Appendix: • A limited number of spaces for all -day parking for "Hybrid Vehicles Only" on MacGregor Avenue and Park Lane • Placement of a loading zone at 242 Moraine Avenue, located a safe distance away from the pedestrian crosswalk • Three-hour parking restriction on East Riverside Lot to be consistent with other downtown area Tots • Three-hour parking on MacGregor Avenue along the east side of Bond Park to create consistency with other parking surrounding Bond Park • "Open Parking" allowing all -day parking in approximately ten spaces at the north end of West Riverside Lot Costs associated with this project are $350 for signage from account #101-3100-431- 25-25, budgeted. The Committee discussed the recommended Hybrid parking and requested it be changed from "Hybrid Vehicles Only" to include any alternative fuel vehicle and that the parking duration for those vehicles be limited to three hour parking as opposed to all day parking. Town Administrator Halburnt said the preferential parking will demonstrate the Town's acknowledgement of the conscious effort made by drivers of alternative fuel vehicles in reducing carbon emissions. The Committee requests the revisions to the Model Traffic Code Appendix, specifically the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Parking, be discussed by the full Board and included as an action item on the Town Board agenda. REPORTS. 1. Safety Fair Report — Officer Solano reported that the Emergency Services Safety Fair will be held on Saturday, May 30, 2009, from 10:00 a.m. till 4:00 p.m. in Barn W at the Stanley Park Fairgrounds. He said that the fair, which began in the early 1990s as the Bicycle Rodeo, has grown into an event including multiple agencies such as fire departments, police departments, SWAT teams, ambulance crews, the Salvation Army and Crossroads. This year's free event will once again include the Bicycle Rodeo component, in addition to tethered hot RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Public Safety Committee — May 21, 2009 — Page 2 air balloon rides and a picnic. 2. Police Department Awards Banquet — Chief Kufeld reported on the 3rd annual awards banquet which was held on May 8, 2009, to celebrate the successes of the police department in 2008. Awards were presented to Officer Rick Life — Employee of the Year; Melissa Lindeman — Civilian Employee of the Year; Officer Ray Meyer — Officer of the Year; Officer Rudy Solano — Top Cop; Officers Ray Meyer and Jeremiah Polucha — Top Guns; Officer Tyson Russell — Top Jock; Larry Carpenter — Volunteer of the Year (Auxiliary); Harriett Woodard — Volunteer of the Year (Restorative Justice); and Chief Wes Kufeld — Pain in the Brass Award recipient. The awards were voted on by all members of the Police Department and volunteers to the department. FIRE DEPARTMENT. REPORTS. 1. 1s Quarter Report — Chief Dorman reviewed the first quarter statistics for the Volunteer Fire Department related to the total number of calls responded to, the types of calls, and the locations of calls (in -town or out-of-town.) He noted that 93 calls were received in the first quarter with Rescue and Emergency Service Incidents making up the major portion of the calls, and that volunteer firefighters participated in 1850 hours of training between January 1, 2009 and March 31, 2009 in order to comply with current regulations and standards. The Committee requested that the 2nd Quarter Report include information related to man hours spent on each type of incident. 2. New Fire Engine Update — Chief Dorman reported that a final inspection of the fire truck is scheduled for July 21, 2009. The engine will be delivered to Estes Park and is expected to be on-line in early August. DISCUSSION ITEM. 1. Fire Services Fee — Town Administrator Halburnt provided background related to the implementation of the fire service fees stating that after ballot issues to create a fire district failed at the polls in both 2004 and 2006, the Town was unable to sustain the same level of fire services, making it necessary to start charging for fire services within the unincorporated area of the Estes Valley. In 2008 a voluntary, annual subscription fee of $130 was initiated for county residents and in the event of an incident at a county property with an unpaid subscription fee, the property owner would be charged for services provided. The Committee stated that the Town Board recognizes the need to reevaluate the current method of calculating charges and making any change retroactive, and suggested looking into establishing a flat fee either by incident or by the hour for equipment and the personnel necessary to operate the equipment, and stressed that the passage of the fire district in November would make the subscription fee and charges unnecessary. Public comment in favor of the fire district was heard from Howard Lewis, Bill Van Horn, Don Widrig, and Suzanne Miller, all county residents. Comment in support of reevaluating the fire services fee schedule was taken from Bill Van Horn, Don Widrig, Suzanne Miller, Phil Edwards, Pam Duemig, and Holly Fenelon, all of whom were appreciative of the Town's willingness to revisit the method of calculating charges for fire services. Chief Dorman stated that the volunteer firefighters are not in favor of an hourly fee for their services but that a charge based on apparatus and the personnel necessary to operate the apparatus may be palatable. Mayor Pinkham requested the Public Safety Committee work with staff to develop a proposal to bring forward to the Town Board. Town Administrator RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Public Safety Committee — May 21, 2009 — Page 3 Halburnt stated she would work with Chair Eisenlauer on procedure to follow to develop a proposal to bring forward, per the Mayor's request. There being no further business, Chair Eisenlauer adjourned the meeting at 9:47 a.m. Cynth Deats, Deputy Town Clerk APPROVED - 9 2009 TOW OF ESTES PARK r1 ;=.f;D OF TRUSTEES