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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCommittee of the Whole Minutes 11.06.2002 MINUTES CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE NOVEMBER 6, 2002 6:30 P.M. COUNCIL CHAMBERS MEMBERS PRESENT: Chairman Bud Jolmson Lauren Van Roekel Ken Olson Gay Easton Doug Poehls Mark Mace Daniel Dart John Oakes OTHERS PRESENT: Matt Erekson Mayor Johnson suggested discontinuing the Committee of the Whole meetings. The council briefly discussed the issue and agreed. It was suggested to schedule the Council Workshop and the City Council meetings at 6:30 p.m. Mayor Johnson introduced Jay Hatton, the School Resource Officer, who is jointly shared by the City of Laurel and the Laurel School District. Jay presented a SRO Program update to the school board in October. Jay thanked the council and the mayor for sending him to the School Resource Officers' Conference in Palm Springs, California this summer. Approximately 1,200 SROs, school administrators, and some elected officials attended the conference. Twenty-eight hours of classes were mandatory, and Jay attended approximately 35 hours of classes. The topics focused on terrorism in the schools, and there were classes on school emergency management crisis plans. The plans should be very comprehensive in nature and cover every possible aspect. With the proximity to the refineries and railroads here in Laurel, there could possibly be a chemical vapor release that would precipitate a directed response in the schools. It is a definite concern that needs to be considered. Jay offered to make the information available to the council at their request. The classes stressed that you need to cover everything and you need to be prepared for every contingency, such as transporting students to another location. The recent V-1 Propane situation is a good example of what would need to do be done if there ever were an incident in Laurel. Jay attended a class on the active shooter and rapid deployment. Since the Columbine incident, things have changed and it is necessary to go in immediately and take care of the threat. Jay stated that they received very good training, and he suggested that some practical application should be done at the school this summer. The new vehicle fi.om Laurel Ford is working out great. Jay uses it for games, meetings, and for trips to the truancy center. When he takes students to the truancy center, the parent signs a waiver that allows him to transport their son or daughter to the center. The students sit there for eight hours and are not allowed to read, to listen to the radio, to do homework or do anything. It seems to be effective, as he has received feedback from kids who do not want to go back there. Jay thanked Ford for making the vehicle possible and for paying for the decals and striping. With budget constraints, Jay stated that it is nice when we can think "out of the box" and make things like that happen. Jay has taught bike safety at West School. He is trying to make drug education a priority in the schools. He has participated in the driver's education program, the Run for Sobriety, and the street law class at the high school. City Council Committee of the Whole minutes of November 6, 2002 Future goals for the SRO Program include seeking grants to enhance the school security. The video surveillance system is antiquated, but it does prevent a lot of crime in the parking lot, and things of that nature. Jay talked to Mrs. Singleton about the possibility of having a SRO at the Middle School. This could possibly be done with a 75/25 split with the city and school district. Jay mentioned that the county has had schools approach them for school resource officers. Funding depends on where you can obtain it and how you can make it happen. Jay stressed the importance of being more proactive in the Middle School. The majority of his time is spent at the high school, and it is usually a reactionary type thing when drugs are found. If there was a SRO at the Middle School, the situations could be proactive and the students would get used to seeing the officer there. The future looks very optimistic for the SRO Program. They have been working on community issues. Some vandalism was done to the ball field, and some surveillance was done there. Officers wrote some MIP-Tobaccos and some littering tickets. It was very beneficial because community members were reporting that students were messing up the park and something needed to be done about. The community involvement backed up the Police Department in that situation. Jay stated that it has been a great start to a second year as school resource officer. The people at the high school are great to work with. Ken asked regarding policies for funding school resource officers throughout the state. Schools in Billings provide 100 percent funding for their SROs, but it depends on the type of Memorandum of Understanding entered into between the entities. Funding for an additional SRO would need to be worked out with the school district. Lauren asked if the trend of MIP-Tobacco had decreased. Jay stated that cigarettes are going to be popular because the older kids smoke and it is a trendy thing. During the first year, he focused on keeping cigarettes out of and away from the school. That focus caused the students to move into the park. Now that they are in the park, officers are trying to move them out even more. The consequences of smoking, the health issues, and the cost of cigarettes should deter the problem, but it is an ongoing problem and is a trendy thing. Mark suggested that Jay should attend the Local Emergency Planning Committee meetings. The City of Laurel is a member, and he could attend the meetings whenever possible. Cenex, Burlington Northern, Montana Rail Link, the refineries in Billings, the school district, the City of Billings, and Yellowstone County are active members of the committee. Mayor Johnson stated that the Emergency Services Committee has received a document, entitled Yellowstone County Terrorism Response Plan, which gives details for the county's response to terrorism. The Police Department has a copy of the document. Jay had a copy of a survey that was done during the School Resource Officer conference last summer. The survey included numerous statistics compiled from the 1,200 officers at the conference. Four or five Montana school resource officers attended the conference last summer. Matt Erekson complimented Officer Hatton on a job well done at the Laurel High School. He assured the council that we have one of the best SROs, in the right position, doing what is needed, and having the proper interaction with the youth. We have a truly tremendous individual doing a great job. Mayor Johnson also thanked Officer Hatton for his work in the SRO Program. 2 City Council Committee of the Whole minutes of November 6, 2002 Officer Hatton stated that he wants to see the program continue, mad that the results would probably be continue to be realized years from now. Mayor Johnson thanked Officer Hatton for his presentation. The council discussion was held at this time. Mayor Johnson stated that Curt Alme, Director of the Department of Revenue, and Larry Swanson would be at the Yellowstone Coalition meeting on Wednesday, November 13th, at 7:00 a.m. at MSU-B. At the department head meeting today, Mayor Johnson talked with the department heads regarding changing the direction of the budget process a little bit. The department heads would come forward with a preliminary budget, and the council would review it in work sessions. The CIP is also being considered. The Local Government Center is going to tweak the CIP before we put it in as a policy. The CIP and the budget will be presented to the council in a little different process than in previous years. The Budget/Finance Committee will still have plenty of opportunity to review the budget. Doug Poehls will attend a long-range planning meeting with the YMCA Board on November 15th from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Ken Olson mentioned that the restroom has been set at the Ponderosa Park complex. The restrooms come as a result of the Charlotte Y Martin Foundation. The project is coming together and will be a nice complex, and he encouraged the council to drive by the facilities. The park can be used now, but the restrooms will not be completed until next spring when the water lines can be laid. Mayor Johnson thanked Ken for his efforts in this project. Mayor Johnson stated that slush conditions in the river on Friday, November 1st, made it necessary to do more work in the river. A berm is in place now and water is flowing. Flow had been lost or greatly reduced, and we were unable to fill the reservoir. We continue to work through that dilemma. Alternatives for the water intake will be presented at the council workshop on November 12th. The meeting adjourned at 6:52 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Cindy Allen Council Secretary 3