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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-07-1999 Meeting I PUBLIC SAFETY COl\1MITTEE COMMITTEE ROOM - June 7, 1999 3:30 P.M. PRESENT: B. Young, Mayor; F. Handy, Chairman, B. Kuhlke, W. Mays, S. Shepard, members; U. Bridges, J. Brigham, Commissioners; R. Oliver, Administrator; J. Wall, Attorney; E. Johnson, Clerk"ofCourt; R. Few, Fire Chief; H. Sears, Tax Assessor; S. Hatfield, Sheriffs Department; C. Rushton, Director IT, G. Hewett, IT; J. Larmer, Director Animal Control; T. Beck, Director Recreation; L. Bonner, Clerk of Commission. ALSO PRESENT: S. Cooper, Augusta Chronicle; S. Eidson, Metro Spirit; G. Eskola, Channel 6. Approve the following expenditures for new Registry of Deeds (ROD) system: . Purchase another scanner system as backup for primary scanners ($11,242); . Purchase software/hardware for a fourth IndexingfProofing position ($3,691.67; · Purchase software/hardware upgrades to allow Tax Assessor's Office -Land Records Division access to new ROD system ($8,362) Mr. Handy: So move. I Mr. Mays: Second. Motion carried unanimously. A request to approve Animal Control employees receiving rabies vaccine shots by Health Department at no cost. The Committee received this as information. A request to appoint Mr. Phil Wasson Interim 911 Coordinator responsible for all current 911 personnel in the Sheriff's Department and Fire Department with all 911 staff members maintaining their present rank. This position will report to the 911 Steering Committee with all employees being subject to the rules developed by the Steering Committee. No filled positions will be eliminated. I Mr. Oliver: As part of the management study it was recommended that the 911 Center be consolidate into one center. There are a number of inequities in the Center, specifically being that the 911 fees right now are used totally to support the people that are under the Sheriffs jurisdiction, the Fire Department funds their own positions. It's felt that by putting the two together we can dilute the number of calls per person, provide the same or better level of service and return $245,000 to the Fire Department's budget. This is the net savings of five positions which we don't believe will impact the operation of the 911 Center. At the same time we're going to move toward letting them also dispatch the Animal Control function as was recommended by the study. I would note that the person in charge of this center would report to the 911 Steering Committee. The Sheriff expressed some interest or a desire that felt that the person in charge had to have law enforcement experience to ensure that side is represented since a majority of the calls come from the law enforcement area. However, the Steering Committee is composed of the Sheriff, Fire Chief, Adrriinistrator, Assistant Administrator, EMA Director a representative of the ambulance service, the Director of Facilities Management, the Police Chief from the city ofHephzibah and a representative of Blythe. Ex-officio members include the Counry Attorney, Comptroller and a member of Risk Management. Because of the sensitive nature of this, the Director would serve at the pleasure of this committee and individuals within that department would again, have only the appeal rights as it relates to this committee and not the same as a governmental jurisdiction. The Sheriff felt that it was extremely important that issues within the 911 Center be taken care of on an expedited basis because of the public safety concerns. It would also provide from the date of approval forward that none of the Fire Department 911 expenditures be paid out of the Fire Department budget. I Mr. Hatfield: I think it has a lot of potential, and it's a matter that has been discussed for quite some time. The Sheriff is very comfortable with it and the study supports it. They are of the opinion that it would be advantageous to everybody and we're ok with that. It's just a matter that this would now become a stand-alone division working directly for the committee. The quicker the Committee meets setting the rules and regulations the quicker they will be off and running. I Chief Few: I've seen this work both ways, dispatched together, as well as a separate unit. I will say I have some very valuable employees down there and they have done a magnificent job in pushing our Fire Department ahead and we've had to change so much of our organization in the last two years and they've been able to move that for us. I do have some concerns about the person second in charge of that division. As the Sheriff had some concerns about making that someone understood his side of it, I have the same concerns. I have a lady down there who is Chief of Communications who has done a magnificent job. We have a very efficient operation because we have nine employees and one supervisor. My problem is that I have a good person down there who is Chief of Communications and I think not to give her the second job in line, I think that we are doing a disservice not only to our fire side of it but to her as well. This lady is very well qualified for the position. She has seven years on the Sheriff s side and about eight or ten years on the Fire side and she has every degree you can think of in Emergency Services dispatch. I will support this, but at the same time I'm asking that you put this young lady second in charge. Mr. Kuhlke: Is that something that we do or is that something that the committee does? Mr. Oliver: It's up to you all. Obviously, I don't know either one of these individuals at all and I have to rely on the Sheriff and the Fire Chief for that. I I Mr. Handy: Why don't we have an organizational chart for this particular organization, since you are revamping everything? Mr. Oliver: That can be done, but I think that needs to be done under who ever will be the new Director of the department. To prepare that organizational chart without that, I don't think somebodY-that's not experienced in that arena can properly do that. After further discussion; Mr. Oliver: If you want to favorably consider this you may request that the Director or the Interim Director bring back a draft within thirry days for subsequent consideration. Mr. KuhIke: I wonder if we could entertain a motion a long the lines of what Mr. Oliver said to possibly approve Mr. Wasson as the Interim Director and direct he and the Committee to come back to us in thirry days with a completed organizational chart. I Mr. Mays: In reference to employees and I know that within the makeup of the system of law enforcement where from Mr. Hatfield on down in reference to serving at the pleasure of the Sheriff but, with the certified people that are there in law enforcement and you have some on the dispatchers side, are those folk, since it will come under the Committee, are they being given the option of a choice to either trying to get into law enforcement, since they are certified or to remain certified, do they drop their certifications, where does that stand? !VIr. Oliver: We had that discussion, the Sheriff and I talked about this as I've talked with the Fire Chief, talked about the concept of it and I subsequently met with him and a couple of people he invited which included those things and that's why the prevision in there that the current staff members would maintain their present rank and certification. There was some concern by the people on the Sheriff s side that they could do specials and things like that, that's why that accommodation was made, it was thought however, that new people coming in would not be Sheriff employees or Fire employees, but they would be 911 employees from that standpoint. So there has been accommodations made for that, the Sheriff indicated to his people that if they desired to transfer back to the Sheriffs Department ifhe had an opening, they could apply for that opening and he would consider them based on the merits. The only other option would be to leave it as it is. This represents a savings of five positions and it gives the Fire Department about $245,000 in revenue. After further discussion; I Mr. Shepard: I do want to find out a little more about what we've been talking about and I'd ask that the Committee come back with an organizational chart and a proposed balanced budget and come back to this Committee in thirty days. Mr. Handy: So move. Motion carried unanimously. I With no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned. Lena J. Bonner Clerk of Commission fbb I I I PUBLIC SAFETY AGENDA COMMITTEE ROOM - June 7, 1999 3:30 P. M. 1. Approve the following expenditures for new Registry of Deeds (ROD) system: · Purchase another scanner system as backup for primary scanners ($11,242) · Purchase software/hardware for a fourth IndexingIProofing position ($3,691.67) · Purchase software/hardware upgrades to allow Tax Assessor's Office - Land Records Division access to new ROD system ($8,362.00) 2. Approve Animal Control employees receiving rabies vaccine shots by Health Department at no cost. 3. Appoint Mr. Phil Wasson Interim 911 Coordinator responsible for all current 911 personnel in the Sheriff s Department and Fire Department with all 911 staff members maintaining their present rank. This position will report to the 911 Steering Committee with all employees being subject to the rules developed by the Steering Committee. No filled positions will be eliminated. I I