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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Committees - Public Safety Committee - 02/13/2018 (2) Unless otherwise noted, the Public Safety Committee meets at 4:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month in Kent City Hall, Council Chambers East, 220 Fourth Ave S, Kent, WA 98032. For additional information please contact Jennifer Hays at 253-856-5705 or via email at jhays@kentwa.gov. Any person requiring a disability accommodation should contact the City Clerk’s Office at 253-856-5725 in advance. For TDD relay service call Washington Telecommunications Relay Service at 1-800-833-6388. Public Safety Committee Agenda Councilmembers: Bill Boyce – Les Thomas – Toni Troutner, Chair Chief Ken Thomas February 13, 2018 4:30 p.m. Item Description Action Speaker Time Page 1. Call to order Chair Troutner 1 2. Roll Call Chair Troutner 1 3. Changes to the Agenda Chair Troutner 1 4. Approval of meeting minutes dated January 9, 2018 and January 30, 2018 YES Chair Troutner 1 1 5. Shots Fired Presentation – Information Only NO King County Prosecutor Dan Carew 20 7 6. Chief’s Report – Information Only NO Chief Ken Thomas 10 9 This page intentionally left blank. Public Safety Committee Minutes Approval Pending Page 1 of 3 Date: January 9, 2018 Time: 4:30 p.m. Place: Chambers East Attending: Les Thomas, Bill Boyce, and Toni Troutner, Chair Agenda: 1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Changes to the Agenda There were no changes to the agenda. 4. Approval of Minutes dated October 10, 2017. B. Boyce moved to approve the Public Safety Committee minutes dated October 10, 2017. L. Thomas seconded the motion, which passed 3-0. 5. Police and Criminal Justice Ballot Measure-Resolution – Information Only. Chief Administrative Officer Derek Matheson and City Attorney Tom Brubaker provided information regarding a resolution that would begin the process to submit a ballot proposition, “Proposition A,” to authorize Kent to raise the existing six percent utility tax to eight percent on the gross revenues of companies operating in Kent that provide electricity, manufactured and natural gas, telephone, and cable television services. State law requires that voters must approve any utility tax increase on these companies that exceeds six percent. The two percent increase in utility tax revenues is estimated to raise approximately $4.8 million per year in additional revenue which will be dedicated solely to expand staffing, equipment for police, and criminal justice purposes as well as to fund the impacts of additional police officers on police support services, the city’s municipal court, its municipal jail, its prosecution division, and its public defender office. There are a four steps needed over the next few weeks to meet critical deadlines, they are: 1. to work with committee chair to coordinate a special Public Safety Committee meeting later this month, most likely January 30th, to take action on the proposed resolution that would call a special election on Tuesday, April 24th; 2. staff will work on Mayor’s recommended allocation of funds to be presented to the committee; 3. staff will work on a communications plan to present to the committee; 1 Public Safety Committee Minutes Approval Pending Page 2 of 3 4. issue a press release seeking recruitment of pro and con committees (three members each) to write pro and con statements for the voter’s pamphlet prior to the election. The deadline to adopt a resolution calling the election, submit an explanatory statement, and provide names of the pro and con committees is Friday, February 23rd. If committee members agree to have a special Public Safety Committee January 30th and votes to recommend the resolution to the full Council, staff will work to schedule the resolution then a second resolution by which Council would express the support for the ballot measure, and next adopt a motion to appoint the pro and con committees during the February 6th council meeting. If needed, the discussion can continue to the February 20th council meeting. 6. Chief’s Report – Information Only Chief’s supplied information on a variety of topics, they are:  Recruiting hire update: four positions have been approved for 2018 with one carry-over position from last year. There are three retirements scheduled, two sergeants (25 and 32 years served) and one officer. Final offers of employment were given to two lateral officers from Florida and Texas, a lateral officer is testing now on a ride-along, plus one additional new-hire officer. One person of interest is still in the military and is scheduled to join the department in June. There are four assessments scheduled with 67 candidates the first quarter of 2018.  Officer safety: with the loss of a Pierce County deputy, it highlights the importance of safety and the need for increased staffing. There has been an up-tic in violent crimes recently with the first homicide of the year in the first week of January. Steps have been taken to secure staff and officers within the City Hall campus by adding bullet resistant glass around the parking garage. Officers are equipped with additional body armor that is capable of stopping rifle rounds as well as issued ballistic military style helmets.  Human trafficking: during a meeting at the Seattle-based FBI office Kent Detective Lovisa Dvorak was recognized and given an award of appreciation, signed by FBI Director Christopher Wray, for her work on the joint taskforce on child exploitation regarding human trafficking cases. Detective Dvorak served as task force supervisor for 18 months of investigations in the Puget Sound region.  National Night Out: Kent’s participation was recognized as eighth best in the nation. 2 Public Safety Committee Minutes Approval Pending Page 3 of 3 7. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 5:06 p.m. by T. Troutner. J. Hays Jennifer Hays Public Safety Committee Secretary 3 This page intentionally left blank. 4 Public Safety Committee Special Meeting Minutes Approval Pending Page 1 of 2 Date: January 30, 2018 Time: 4:30 p.m. Place: Chambers East Attending: Les Thomas, Bill Boyce, and Toni Troutner, Chair Agenda: 1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Changes to the Agenda There were no changes to the agenda. 4. Police and Criminal Justice Ballot Measure – Resolution - Recommend. Chief Administrative Officer Derek Matheson, Finance Director Aaron BeMiller, and Communications Consultant Dana Neuts asked members to move forward the resolution that would begin the process to submit Kent’s ballot proposition, “Proposition A,” to authorize the city to raise the existing six percent utility tax to eight percent on the gross revenues of companies operating in Kent that provide electricity, manufactured and natural gas, telephone, and cable television services. State law requires that voters must approve any utility tax on these companies that exceeds six percent. Mr. BeMiller estimates the two percent utility tax increase will approximately raise $4.8 million in yearly additional revenue to add staffing and provide equipment for police and criminal justice services in Kent in order to fund critical services within the community. The funds will be segregated from other city funds and accounted for separately. Overtime, all funds received from the utility tax revenues increase will be used solely used to pay for:  Police Patrol Officers: 21 new FTE positions,  Police Sergeant: two FTE positions,  Police Corrections Officer: two FTE positions,  Police Records Specialist: two FTE positions,  Prosecution Attorney: one FTE position,  Prosecution Paralegal: one FTE position,  Judicial Specialist: one FTE position,  Probation Officer: one FTE position, and  Vehicles: nine new Tahoe vehicles. Ms. Neuts reported that the deadline for interested parties to submit an application to participate in the pro and con committees has passed. Six applicants submitted interest, three each for the pro and con committees. City Council will have two opportunities to discuss and pass the ballot measure 5 Public Safety Committee Special Meeting Minutes Approval Pending Page 2 of 2 during the February 6 and February 20 council meetings. Once passed, a news release will be issued announcing City Council calls for a special election. Frequently asked questions will be added to the City’s ballot webpage along with a downloadable one-page fact sheet; postcards will be mailed to residents and businesses. King County Department of Elections must receive the resolution calling for the ballot measure, the explanatory statement, and the pro and con committee appointments at least 60 days before the special election, which would be no later than Friday, February 23, 2018. The special election will be held April 24, 2018. The ballot measure was originally presented and discussed at the January 9, 2018 Public Safety Committee as an information only item. B. Boyce moved to recommend Council approve a resolution to submit a ballot measure to the City’s voters for the April 24, 2018, special election, asking them to approve a 2% utility tax increase on electric, gas, telephone, and cable television services, the funds from which will be used exclusively to add police officers and fund associated areas of the city’s criminal justice system impacted by the addition of police officers. L. Thomas seconded the motion, which passed 3-0. 5. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 4:55 p.m. by T. Troutner. J. Hays Jennifer Hays Public Safety Committee Secretary 6 POLICE DEPARTMENT Ken Thomas, Chief of Police Phone: 253-856-5800 Fax: 253-856-6802 Address: 220 Fourth Avenue S. Kent, WA. 98032-5895 DATE: February 13, 2018 TO: Public Safety Committee FROM: King County Prosecutor Dan Carew SUBJECT: Shots Fired Presentation – Information Only MOTION: Information Only SUMMARY: King County Prosecutor Dan Carew will supply a PowerPoint presentation on shots fired. EXHIBITS: n/a BUDGET IMPACTS: n/a 7 This page intentionally left blank. 8 POLICE DEPARTMENT Ken Thomas, Chief of Police Phone: 253-856-5800 Fax: 253-856-6802 Address: 220 Fourth Avenue S. Kent, WA. 98032-5895 DATE: February 13, 2018 TO: Public Safety Committee FROM: Chief Thomas SUBJECT: Chief’s Report – Information Only MOTION: Information Only SUMMARY: Chief Thomas’ report will include a variety of items. EXHIBITS: n/a BUDGET IMPACTS: n/a 9 This page intentionally left blank. 10