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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES Public Safety Committee 2007-01-25RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado, January 25, 2007 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 25' day of January, 2007. Committee: Chairman Newsom, Trustees Blackhurst and Eisenlauer Attending: Also Attending: Absent: All Administrator Repola, Chief Richardson, Chief Dorman, Deputy Clerk Deats None Chairman Newsom called the meeting to order at 8:00 a.m. FIRE DEPARTMENT. Road Closure for Colorado State Firefighters Association Annual Convention — Request Approval. Chief Dorman reported that Estes Park has been chosen as the site of the Colorado State Firefighters Association's (CSFFA) annual convention. The Estes Park Volunteer Fire Department will host the 2007 convention scheduled for Monday, June 18th through Friday, June 22nd, with the possibility of a parade on Saturday, June 23rd. As part of the convention, firefighter tournament competitions will be held on Friday, June 22nd and will require a section of roadway that is level, straight, and has the availability of two fire hydrants. Manford Avenue, between the Estes Park Rent -All building and Community Drive, is proposed as the site for these events. The competition would require the road to be closed from 6:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. All businesses would be notified prior to the event and signs, traffic cones and a summer Police officer would be used to direct people to businesses in the area. The Fire Department previously hosted this event in 1999 and 2002 and did not receive any complaints regarding the road closure in either year. The Committee recommended approval of the street closure as outlined above. Chief Dorman reported that the Fire Department is currently making arrangements for a 100th anniversary celebration. Tentative plans include a display at the museum, an event honoring volunteers and firefighters, and the possibility of a 100th anniversary commemorative statue. Town Administrator Repola requested that Chief Dorman bring more information regarding the statue design and costs to the February meeting. Reports: 1. Wildland Urban Interface Coordinator's Report — Sue Pinkham provided a report on her activities as the program's coordinator through 2006 including attendance and participation in programs and seminars with the National Firewise Conference in Denver; making property owners aware of the need to create defensible space around their homes and Community Wildlife Protection Plans (CWPP) within their neighborhoods; performance of defensible space evaluations for individuals and homeowner's associations; involvement in a slash collection service through the Fire Department; and addressing concerns about beetle -kill. She stated that educational/informational programs and events would increase in 2007 to include an event to be held in conjunction with the Fire Department's 100th anniversary celebration, and a wildfire fair at the fairgrounds on May, 19, 2007. POLICE DEPARTMENT. RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Public Safety Committee — January 25, 2007 — Page 2 Estes Valley Victim Advocates Annual Contract — Request Approval. Each year, Estes Valley Victim Advocates, Inc. receives funding from the Town of Estes Park for services rendered to crime victims who are residents of Estes Park. The Police Department received the contract for 2007 and reviewed it with Town Attorney White. There are no concems or recommended changes for this year's contract. The Committee recommends the contract be approved at a cost of $7,500 as budgeted for 2007 (101-2100-421.22-98). Reports: 1. Municipal Court Annual Report — Judge Gary Brown provided the Committee with a summary of cases and revenue from the municipal court for 2006, and stated that these numbers are a direct result of the number of tickets written by the Police Department and processed through the court. Judge Brown stated that a comparison study is done every few years to ensure that the penalties and fines being imposed by the court are consistent with those in outlying counties and that this process is currently ongoing. Judge Brown stated that he utilizes counseling and community service as alternatives to high fines in order to better address the needs of the families and defendants involved in cases. Judge Brown commented that he had reviewed the Police Department's new computerized ticket -writing system and stated that although tickets are still on paper when he receives them in court, they soon will be computerized. Administrator Repola suggested a discussion with the IT Department regarding a virtual private network connection for the municipal court clerk and the possible availability of a laptop computer for use by the court. 2. PTO Presentation — To satisfy a requirement of new police officer training, Officer Tyson Russell researched the Estes Park community and identified false alarms as a public safety issue. He defined a false alarm, and reported on the dangers officers face when dispatched to this type of call. He reported on the causes of false alarms and the time and money spent responding to them. Estes Park currently has a fee for repeated false alarms and Officer Russell suggested revising the current fee schedule and requiring individuals/business owners to receive adequate education and training on the use of the alarms in an attempt to reduce the number of false alarms received. He suggested the Municipal Code be revised to include registration procedures and guidelines on home and business alarms. The Committee thanked Officer Russell for his presentation. Administrator Repola stated that this is a topic that needs to be addressed and that a public hearing will be held at a future time to receive input. The Committee requested follow-ups to this and two previous PTO presentations. 3. Republic Parking Report — Chief Richardson reviewed the recommendations included in the report prepared by Republic Parking. He stated that during the past year the Wiest parking lot had been re -striped which resulted in four or five additional parking spaces in the lot, and that directional signage for parking lots had been installed in various downtown locations. The names of the parking lots are being updated to accurately reflect their locations. Items to be addressed in the future include outlying lots for employee parking, elimination of the three-hour parking limit in downtown lots, a parking policy and enforcement program, the elimination of RV parking in the downtown area, and shuttles from outlying areas to downtown. Miscellaneous: County Commissioner Glenn Gibson addressed the Committee concerning future funding of the Larimer County Jail, due to the failure of a recent initiative at the November election to fund the operation of the jail. The county will be forced to develop a new plan for future funding. Commissioner Gibson indicated that there is some time to develop this plan as the current tax continues until 2014. RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Public Safety Committee — January 25, 2007 — Page 3 There being no further business, Chairman Newsom adjourned the meeting at 9:46 a.m. Cynth Deats, Deputy Town Clerk APPROVED F E B 1 3 2007 TOWN OF ESTES PARK BOARD OF TRUSTEES