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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07202022 PSAB Minutes PUBLIC SAFETY ADVISORY BOARD Virtual Meeting Port Angeles, Washington July 20, 2022 6:00 pm CALL TO ORDER: Chair Andrew Schwab called the regular meeting of the Public Safety Advisory Board to order at 6:05 p.m. ROLL CALL: Members Present: Gayle Brauner, John Hauck, Mary Margolis, Michael McGuire, Andrew Schwab Absent: Evan Brown, Jesse Charles, Kathleen Graf, Autumn Hudgins, Kelsey Lane, Octavia Smith Staff Present: Mike Sanders, Interim Fire Chief; Brian Smith, Police Chief; Catherine Dewey, Secretary REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES: With no quorum, the May minutes will not be approved. Gayle’s recommended changes to the May minutes are attached for consideration. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC: PUBLIC HEARINGS/OTHER BUSINESS: 1. Discuss August Meeting: With not quorum, the August 17th meeting will be held as scheduled. STAFF UPDATES: 1. Police Department Report – Chief Smith noted that they have been busy this summer. They had 2 Officers graduate this summer and one more graduating in September. He also mentioned that they look forward to providing a review on their Independent Response Team training at an upcoming in person meeting of the PSAB. If there was a situation in PA where deadly force was used or had an in- custody death, they would call in uninvolved agencies to do an independent response team review of the event. The PSAB would be the resource for civilian representation on that team. 2. Fire Department Report – Chief Sanders provided a personnel update, in April Port Angeles Fire hired 6 new personnel. 3 of those new hires went straight to shift and 3 of those new hires are going through the Fire Academy in North Bend and will be joining the shifts soon. Chief Sanders also noted the difficulty in hiring Paramedics and nationwide which has led PA Fire to hire EMTs and assist them through Paramedic school while on shift so that by mid 2023 we will have 3 new Paramedics on staff and will then send a new group through the same process. July 4th was a relatively good day for the Fire Department, no structure fires in the City but was called mutual aid to the district for a residential fire out at Lake Sutherland. The City is currently recruiting for the Fire Chief po sition and there are 6 applicants currently being considered by HR and the City Manager. DISCUSSION AND POTENTIAL ACTION: 1. Workplan continued: Chair Schwab recommended tabling this discussion for the August meeting so that we have a quorum and are able to take action if necessary. REPORTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS: 1) Members may make statements or offer observations about the character or work of the board without having any specific agenda item. • Michael McGuire did a ride along with Officer Tate with PD and enjoyed the experience and encouraged other board members to also ride along. Michael would like to continue this conversation and make a motion in the August meeting. • Chair Schwab asked staff to look into City Code section 2.26.030 where it addresses appointment of terms it reads “for enrolled tribal member it says any enrolled member in good standing of a legally recognized tribe can be appointed, proceeds to be filled by enrolled tribal members” Chair is asking why it is only and specifically Lowe r Elwah Tribe? Chair also addressed some of the statements made previously regarding her history of the Board for clarification. Chair Schwab’s notes are enclosed. • Gayle Brauner noted that at August 1sth the first report from the Attorney Generals office on Missing and Murdered Indigenous women and people will be published, if members would like to read prior to the September meeting where we will have two speakers on this very topic. Gayle is asking for City Council to explain why we have yet to fill the Tribal seat on the Board. Gayle also recommended an award winning book to the Board related to the topic of Indigenous people by Michelle Good, titled “Five Little Indians” a synopsis can be found HERE. ADJOURNMENT: Chair Schwab ended the meeting at 6:59pm The next Scheduled PSAB Meeting August 17th, 2022 Chair Schwab’s clarification on history of the Board: “The Board is an advisory board and has no management, oversight, or policy making role with Public Safety.”1 -This is mostly true but is missing one detail. Like the other boards and commissions for PA, we act as an advisory board and have almost no authority. No one is required to listen to us. There is one caveat. We do have power and authority to investigate, review, or otherwise participate in matters if specifically requested by the Police Chief, Fire Chief, or City Manager2. “The Board does not take up causes or issues beyond providing input to the Chiefs in response to what is brought to the Board from the Chiefs for input.3” -This is poorly worded or misleading. In the past, the Board may not have not taken up issues or provided input outside of what was specifically asked. However, the Duties of the Board as outlined in City Code does not prohibit us to only topics “as brought to the Board from the Chiefs.” For example, one of our duties is “To review and make recommendations concerning Police and Fire Department policies, procedures, programs, accreditation standards, and budgetary implications.”4 It does not say we only recommend it if asked. Of the 11 duties outlined, only one states “To review and make recommendations concerning such other and further matters as may be referred to the Board, from time to time, by the City Council, City Manager, Police Chief or Fire Chief.”5 If we are only to make recommendations when requested, there would be no need for many of the other duties. “Members give feedback and advice generally based upon their knowledge of the community and are not expected to canvass or survey the community personally.”6 -This is true, but needs clarification. We are not to personally survey the community. However, we do have the authority as a full board or to create a subcommittee with the task of surveying the community. One of our duties explicitly states, “To hold public meetings from time to time to solicit public input regarding public safety services and programs.”7 This is outside of regular meetings. We as independent members cannot. “We are not here to oversee the Police or Fire Department; we are here to assist and support our Police Department and Fire Departments.”8 -This is true, but needs clarification. Overseeing implies authority to direct. We have no authority unless explicitly given to us9. However, we are to review and advise. In our 11 responsibilities, “review” is mentioned 4 1 Graff, K. (2022, May). History of the Public Safety Volunteer Board. Port Angeles Safety Advisory Committee. Port Angeles. 2 Port Angeles Municipal Code 2.26.050 B 3 Graff, K. (2022, May). History of the Public Safety Volunteer Board. Port Angeles Safety Advisory Committee. Port Angeles. 4 Port Angeles Municipal Code 2.26.050 A3 5 Port Angeles Municipal Code 2.26.050 A10 6 Graff, K. (2022, May). History of the Public Safety Volunteer Board. Port Angeles Safety Advisory Committee. Port Angeles. 7 Port Angeles Municipal Code 2.26.050 A6 8 Graff, K. (2022, May). History of the Public Safety Volunteer Board. Port Angeles Safety Advisory Committee. Port Angeles. 9 Port Angeles Municipal Code 2.26.050 B times10111213, “make recommendations” 4 times14151617, and “advise” once18. We support our Police Department and Fire Department by enhancing community relations, promoting public awareness of services and programs, acting as a liaison between the Departments and the community, and giving recommendations. “When a member speaks about the Board outside of the meetings, they are not representing the Board, but rather their individual take on matters.”19 -This is true and important. However, you are still a citizen of Port Angeles. You have every right to reach out to City Staff, make public comments, or anything else any other citizen of Port Angeles is allowed. Being a Board Member doesn’t strip you of those rights. However, when addressing City Staff, Council, or public comment, you must state that you are speaking as a private citizen. As further clarification, if the Board forms a subcommittee and the subcommittee is authorized by the Board to act on the Boards behalf, then yes, the subcommittee represents the Board. 10 Port Angeles Municipal Code 2.26.050 A3 11 Port Angeles Municipal Code 2.26.050 A4 12 Port Angeles Municipal Code 2.26.050 A10 13 Port Angeles Municipal Code 2.26.050 A11 14 Port Angeles Municipal Code 2.26.050 A1 15 Port Angeles Municipal Code 2.26.050 A3 16 Port Angeles Municipal Code 2.26.050 A10 17 Port Angeles Municipal Code 2.26.050 A11 18 Port Angeles Municipal Code 2.26.050 A1 19 Graff, K. (2022, May). History of the Public Safety Volunteer Board. Port Angeles Safety Advisory Committee. Port Angeles. Gayle Brauner, PSAB member I. May Minutes – changes A. Under the resource I gave about Interior Dept. boarding schools, there needs to be only 2 numbers (1, 2)– because #2 and 3 are the same link. B. Reports by board members – mine: Needs some punctuation and syntax changes so the passage reads smoothly: Such as --- “GB provided a resource from the U.S. Dept. of Interior, Sec. Deb Haaland, the first ever Native American person to serve as Sec of the DOI. The DOI released a first report on the Govt’s program of Native American children’s boarding schools, in conjunction with some churches, and how these facilities had a devastating effect on the lives of children and their families, the indigenous population and culture. Resources enclosed. ” C. My motion to ask Council to consider adding personnel for Fire Dept. in 2023 budget. 1. It states that Chief Dubuc said to have Financial give a budget overview PRIOR to any recommendation to add another worker to the FD. 2. I listened to the May audio. As far as I can hear, Chief Dubuc did not say we needed to wait to make a recommendation PRIOR to hearing from Financial, and I have no reason to believe that he’d meant for PSAB to WAIT until Financial explained how budgetary priorities are made. If he did mean to wait, I never would have made the motion. 3. A couple of PSAB board members did say that the Board should wait until hearing from Financial before making the recommendation. 4. PSAB duties and responsibilities, #3, supports the board making recommendati ons with budgetary implications. 5. No vernacular used in the duties & responsibilities, or the ordinances which govern the PSAB, states that budgetary recommendations, including personnel, made by the Board must be equivalent for both the Fire and PD. In fact, PSAB precedent proves differently. It’s a team effort. Budget is determined by need. This makes sense. 6. When PSAB recommends, it does not mean the decision is made. It means that the Board sees a need and wants to bring it to the Council’s attention.