Police Advisory Commission Agenda 07-22-1998
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AGE1'\DA
REGL"'LAR ME"TlNG - MONTICELLO POLlCE COMMISSION
Wednesday, July 22, 199R-7 p.m.
Members'
Liz OeMarais, David Gerads, Bridget Baldwin, Brian StumpL Brad Fyle
1. Call to order.
2. Appmval of minutes of the meeting held February 18. 1998.
3. Considerat;on of reviewing the presentconlraCl level of service and recommendations for
budgelyear1999.
4. Adjournment.
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MINUTES
MONTICELLO POLICE COMMISSION
Wednesday, February 18, 1998 - 7 PM
Members Present:
Dave Gerads, Liz DesMarais, Brad FyIe, Chief Deputy DOll
Lindell, Deputies Steve Quill and Stewart Wirth
Members Absent: Brian Stumpf, Bridget Baldwin
Auuroval of minutes.
The minutes of the regular meeting held October 1, 1997, were approved as
presented.
Consideration of election of officers and review aonointments to advisory
committee.
The tenns of commission members Baldwin and Gerads expired December 31, 1997,
and it was noted that the City Council had recently approved re-appointment of
these individuals w another three-year term. Mr. Gerads suggested that the City
determine if there are any other individuals interested in serving on the
commission, as he would be willing to step down from his position if there were
others interested in serving. It was the consensus of the commission that an
advertisement would be conducted to see if anyone was interested. It was also a
consensus that the current slate of officers, consisting of Liz DesMarais as
Chairman, Brian Stumpf as Vice-Chairman, and Rick WolfsteUer as Secretary,
continue until the next meeting.
Discussion on increa.~d incidents of theft in Industrial Park areas.
Joel Abraham of Remme Ie Engineering had recently expressed concerns to the City
Council over an increasing number of incidences of theft oftheir recycling materials
placed outside at their business. Upon further investigation by the Sheriffs
Department, it was noted that Remmele Engineering had suspicions that theft of
their recycling materials was occurring and that the Sheriffs Department was not
necessarily promptly notified of these suspected thefts. The Sheriffs Department is
communicating with Remmele officials and is working on increasing surveillance in
the area and will be providing suggestions to various businesses on how they can
improve and deter future thefts.
In reviewing the statistical data from the Sheriffs Department, it does not appear
that there is an increasing level of problems in the area; and now that the Sherifi's
Department is aware of some concerns industries have in the area, they will be
better able to work with the businesses to deter future crime.
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Police Commission Minutes - 2/18/98
Consideration of reviewimt draft cony of the School Boulevard traffic
study.
Commission members reviewed a copy of the School Boulevard traffic study that
was authorized by the City Council in October 1997. The initial request came about
because of a Police Commission recommendation to have the City Council consider
a four-way stop sign at the intersection of School Boulevard and Fallon Avenue.
The report authorized by the City Council studied the traffic patterns along the
entire route of School Boulevard from Highway 25 to County Road 118 and made
recommendations in a number of areas, but primarily noted that a four-way stop
sign was not warranted at the intersection of Fallon and School Boulevard and that
also in the future when traffic volumes increase along Oakwood Drive, Oakwood
Drive should have the stop sign and the stop sign on School Boulevard should be
eliminated.
Chairman DesMarais still felt that as the traffic increases in the area because of
the high school being constructed, traffic movement would be safer with stop signs
along School Boulevard. Commission member Gerads also indicated that originally
he thought School Boulevard should have stop signs to control traffic; but after
reviewing the report, he would concur with the reco=endations of the traffic
engineer. Commission members also discussed and suggested that the report also
include a recommendation to install a pedestrian crosswalk on the south side of
School Boulevard across County Road 117 (Oakwood Drive) and that rumble strips
be considered along Fallon Avenue and in th€ future along County Road 117 as an
advance warning of an impending stop sign. With those recommendations, the
Police Commission recommended the study be forwarded to the City Council for
reV1€W.
DillCU!;sion on snowmobile trail route.
Deputy Steve Quill was in attendance at th€ meeting to briefly review with the
commission members the effectiveness of the snowmobile trail route that was
established this year through park of Monticello. Due to the unusual snow
conditions this year, Mr. Quill was not aware of any major problems with the
snowmobile activity in Monticello and did feel that the route established from the
Highway 25 bridge crossing along C€dar Street to the railroad tracks seemed to
have worked fairly well.
It was noted that th€ marked trail system ended at Washington Street and the
railroad tracks and that th€ City is continuing it's efforts to obtain permission from
Burlington Northern for establishing the balance of the route to the County Road
118 intersection. Burlington Northern has been slow to respond to the City's
request, and it was noted by member Brad Fyle that possibly a route near the
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Police Commission ~inutes - 2118/98
freeway will be easier to establish for next year if Seventh Street is extended
through the St. Henry's Catholic Church parcel in that the City could establish a
route along the right-oF-way of Seventh Street.
The consensus was that the City should continue to obtain the necessary approval
from Burlingron Northern for a trail on the railroad track right-or-way but to also
consider establishing a route along the right-oF-way of Seventh Street when it is
extended through the church parcel.
Miscellaneous:
Discussion on increasine: hour!! of coveraae - Commission members briefly
discussed the idea of including in the 1999 budget funds for increasing the hours of
coverage to provide for a cOIlsistent level of service as the city continues to grow. It
is reconunended that during the budget process for 1999, the Commission will
review the activity reports with the Sheriff's Department and make a
recommendation to the Council that may include staging an increase in 1999 and
2000 to add the equivalent of another full-time officer to our contract.
Discussion on school liaison officer. It was noted by the Sheriffs Department
that calls for service to the Monticello schools has not declined and an officer
serving Monticello can spend a lot of time dealing with issues at the school.
Sheriffs Department representatives have contacted the School District in the past
to see if they were willing to become involved in funding for a school liaison officer
from the Sheriff's Department that would be in the school full-time. To date, the
Monticello School District has not supported this concept; but as the calls for service
increase, the level of service to other residents in the community is suffering. As a
result, the commission supported the idea of requesting that the School Board
consider involvement in the school liaison officer in the future.
MEETING WAS ADJOURNED.
Q~t~~
City Administrator
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PoliccCorrunissionAgcnda~7/22/98
3. Consideration of reviewinl! the 1999 proposed police department budget and
contract rate. (RW.)
A RFFERENCEANOBACKGROlJND,
With the process soon beginning on the 1999hudgel I"or the City, I asked Chief Deputy
Don Lindell to provide the commission members with a report on how the current
contract is \vorking in Monticello as liu a,; the hours of coverage are concerned,andlO
also review with us a summary of the ~all~ lor service over the past few years. As the
city continues to grow, it is assumed that we may need to look at increasing the level of
service we arc receiving from the SheriW~ Department by increasing the coverage above
the 24.hour-a-day coverage we nOl'ireceive.
Our CIUTentcovcragc totals 9,376 hours annually, which is 14 hours aday , 7 days a week,
plus an additional 416 hours eoverage on Friuay, <llld S<lturoays for 6 month softheyear
plus an additionaJ 200 hours that can be sch~<.Iuk<.l<ltthediscretionofthe Sheriffs
Department. Our current contract tee i~ $35.55 p~r hour for the year 1998, and the
County Board has set the 1999 rate at $36.75. For 1999 this would amount to a total
eOlltractofS344,568basedonourcurrentlevclofeoverage,v~sus$333,316for1998.
Whil"th~Citydoesnothavea1ottosayaboutthehoL1Tlyrateor$36.75 projected
for next year, we <.10 have the ability to change the amount of hours of COVer<lg~ we
\vould like to receive.
If the Clty i,interested in changing the munbcrofhours of service, it must notify the
County Board of its intent prior to August 15 to enable the County surIicient time to plan
for additional deputies if needed. Hopefully the reports and summarie.~ availabk from the
Sheriff's Department ,Ifill provide the cOlmnission members with ~ome background for
making a recommendatiOll to the Council as far as level of service we sbould budget for
in 1999.
The ~ummary or calls ror s~rvice and other reports will be provided by the Sherirrs
l)epartmentWedn~~daynight.
Ene]OSl1f~:
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Monticello Schools Calls For Service 1997 & 1998
The stude". population forlhe Monticello School District is approximately 3,800 students. This is
more than half the size ofthe city of Monticello (7,079 popu!ation according to th 01998
estimate).
The charts below list lhe calls for service furibe Monticello School District during 1997, 1998 and
1999 through 9127/99.
MODticeUo ScboolsCalbforScnice 1997
School CallsjiJrService
High School ]04
MiddlcSchool 53
Little Mountain 17
Pioewood 2]
Total for all Schools 195
Monticello !khools Clllls for Service 1998
School Ca/l.. f;'r Service
High School 112
MiddJeScbool 54
Little Mounwin 20
Pinewood 41
Total for all Schools 227
Monticello Schoob Calls forSel:VlceJanu~l, 1999. s~mber 27 1999
Schuo/ CoU!iforSerl'lce
High8chool 72
Middle School 40
Little Mountain 14
Pinewood 27
Total lor all Schools 153