APPROVED
Minutes of a WorkSession
PittsfieldCharterTownship Board of Trustees, April 22, 2002
E.A. Jackson Morris Hall, The RobertA. Lillie Service Center
6201 W. Michigan Avenue, Ann Arbor, Michigan48108
Members Present: Burhop, Conner, Lirones, Marine, Skrobola, Walter
Members Absent: Brostrom
Others Present: Nicole Hlavka (Recording Clerk), Director John Phillips, Captain Elizabeth McGuire, Judith Walter
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1.0 Call Meeting to Order
Supervisor Walter called the
meeting to order at 7:30 p.m., a quorum was present.
2.0 Pledge of Allegiance - led by Supervisor Walter.
3.0 Roll Call - Trustee Brostrom was absent.
4.0 Open Meetings Act/Public Comment I - none.
5.0 Public Hearings/Presentations
6.0 Approval of Minutes
7.0 Consent Agenda
8.0 Items from the Treasurer
9.0 Items from the Clerk
10.0 Items from the Supervisor/Assessor
11.0 Items from the Office of Public Safety
12.0 Items from the Office of Municipal Services/Planning and Zoning
13.0 Items from the Parks & Recreation Department
14.0 Unfinished Business
15.0 New Business
15.1 Discussion of Public Safety Millage.
Supervisor Walter said the current millage expires this year and that the Public Safety Committee headed by Treasurer Skrobola with representatives from the Department of Public Safety has worked hard to come up with a proposal.
Public Safety Director John Phillips said in 1987, the electorate approved a millage for funding years 1988-1992 and these funds were used mainly to build Fire Station #2, but also for additional police officers and the purchase of fire apparatus. He said in 1991, the electorate renewed that millage for ten years and it was used to build Fire Station #3, replace fire apparatus, implement new technology, maintain a number of sworn police officers and continued funding for the Community Coordinator position and related public safety program support. He said on March 27, 2002, this Board was provided a detailed report requesting consideration of the renewal of the Public Safety millage. He said the Public Safety Department has been working on this recommendation since May of 2001 and has focused on five areas: additional firefighters, police officers and support staff; equipment; training; technology; and a new public safety building. He said the term “homeland security” is an initiative in which every citizen of this community will play a role. He said the township is monitoring funding sources through federal, state and local sources that enhance the delivery of services and improve the quality of life for the residents. He said that with him tonight were Fire Marshall James Payeur and Captain Elizabeth McGuire. He explained that Fire Marshall Payeur is a graduate of the FederalEmergencyManagementAgencyNationalFireAcademy in the Executive Fire Officers Program in Emmetsburg, Maryland. He said Captain McGuire is a graduate and an executive board member of the F.B.I.NationalAcademy Associates, the School of Police and Staff that Command and is currently working on her master’s degree in Business Administration. He said in 2001, the fire department responded to over 1,800 calls for service and the police department responded to over 12,000 calls.
Supervisor Walter said there was a meeting of the Community CEO’S today and the topic was law enforcement. He said looking at what other townships are struggling with in the area of law enforcement, it made him feel that PittsfieldTownship is very fortunate to have the quality of service it does.
Trustee Conner said the Department of Public Safety is doing a great job in terms of getting grants.
Treasurer Skrobola said he had the distinct pleasure of working with the Department of Public Safety since 1987 and over the last fifteen years he has seen the department grow in a truly professional way. He said over the next ten years, this millage is critical to this department. He said this is a good sound community and can only maintain this quality by the strength of public safety in order to assure residents they are living in a safe community.
Clerk Lirones said that on the community survey one of the top five responses was to maintain a strong public safety presence in the township. She said some people would like a siren to warn them of storms and for the prison.
Director Phillips said there are other ways to get the word out. He said the prison has a different warning system. He said there is currently a siren that sits on top of the YpsilantiForensicCenter and he was told that the siren would be moved to another location and remain active.
Trustee Burhop said she would like to extend her thanks to the professional help that the township receives from the Department of Public Safety. She said she has never heard an adverse comment about any of the services citizens have received from this department.
Captain McGuire said the police department is looking forward to the next ten years with new diversity in the work force, new technologies and training and hoped to be the leaders in the field. She said part of the professionalism the citizens enjoy is due to this and the standards implemented in hiring, recruiting, training and discipline within the agency. She said the department will continue to pursue funding sources and will continue to grow and respond to the needs of the community.
Fire Marshall Payeur said the township has some of the most dedicated employees that anyone could find in the fire service. He said the fire department is in a rapidly changing environment in the area of terrorism and protection for citizens, technologies in terms of what the department does, how it responds and capabilities. He said this department sees a lot of changes occurring but looks at them as challenges that can be beat together.
Director Phillips said that the Department of Public Safety values the Board’s comments, thoughts and suggestions and said he is available 24/7, as are Fire Marshall Payeur and Captain McGuire.
Trustee Marine thanked Director Phillips, Fire Marshall Payeur and Captain McGuire for the purchase orders that are submitted to the Board. He said this Board is very dedicated to maintaining and improving the service that is received from theDepartment of Public Safety. He said the people of the township are lucky to have such highly qualified individuals and such a highly qualified group to serve them. He said he thought it was essential to renew this millage and the Board needed to know how to do this. He said he wished to make sure the Board has a mechanism to make sure this does pass.
Supervisor Walter said only factual information can be given out and that the township cannot ask people to vote one way or the other.
Treasurer Skrobola said that the township cannot use taxpayer money to advocate this millage even though it is clearly to the benefit of the taxpayers. He said in the past there were private organizations in the community to support the effort of the millage and to say so publicly in whatever fashion possible. He said the department itself acting on its own behalf and with its own funds has the same ability and right to support the township millage from its perspective.
Supervisor Walter said as a public organization and being taxpayer funded the Board’s job is to get factual information and make it available. He asked what the Department of Public Safety’s capital needs are and if the three fire stations would be sufficient or if the township would need to look at a fourth station.
Director Phillips said the capital improvement needs include a new public safety building and major renovations to Fire Station #1. He said the new building could be a headquarters, with three current public safety stations.
Supervisor Walter wondered if there was a need for another fire station, not just to serve the increased population but also to provide an acceptable response time. He asked if Fire Station #2 is able to handle the southeast area.
Director Phillips said Station #2 is the busiest and where the majority of calls for service arise.
Supervisor Walter asked if there was some thought that Station #2 might have to be expanded.
Treasurer Skrobola said the building does have capacity for the immediate future to handle both fire and police there. He said the integration of the fire departments is also a factor and that mutual aid agreements with Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and Saline have done well for the township in the past.
Supervisor Walter asked if mutual aid is most significant for the fire department or for freeway accidents.
Director Phillips said the township does have a mutual aid pact as well as with the law enforcement community. He said some of this is in writing with other agencies as to what level of support the township will have.
Fire Marshall Payeur said the mutual aid pact is a signed agreement between all the fire agencies in WashtenawCounty. He said one thing that is monitored with mutual aid is that agencies are not using it to support their staffing or their apparatus; it has to be shared both ways.
Supervisor Walter said he hoped to be active in a campaign committee for the Public Safety millage.
Director Phillips said that it would be his hope to meet with the union leadership and to give them factual information as to what the department is trying to accomplish.
Clerk Lirones wondered if it would be possible to produce a fact sheet for the public.
Supervisor Walter said in the ballot language it typically says what the millage would be for the first year and what people are going to get for their money.
Treasurer Skrobola said the way to do it was with a fact sheet and a description of the cost to the average taxpayer.
Director Phillips said there would be a format change on reports that are sent to the Board. He said they would now show the amount budgeted and the remaining balance.
Trustee Conner wondered if there was an ongoing chart for crime.
Director Phillips said weekly reports are done showing the types of offenses or specific file classes at the time of occurrence as compared to the township population at that time.
Trustee Conner said this might be used as some of the factual information presented in terms of the type of events monitored over time.
Treasurer Skrobola said the Building Department reports could be used by multiplying by the average household occupancy of 2.3 people. He said this would give Public Safety a rough estimate of the population for the township on a quarterly or a semi annual basis.
Supervisor Walter said sometimes statistics can be misleading if you do not have all of the facts and wants to be careful about using them. He said there are no statistics of crimes prevented.
Treasurer Skrobola said the act of prevention does show up in the per capita basis because of the amount of crimes that are reduced. He said from his own experience he knows that all communities do not record in the same fashion and that PittsfieldTownship was extremely accurate. He said at one point it appeared that there was a rising crime situation in the township, when in fact it was one of the safest communities in the area. He said this was because the township was very diligent in its recording system and this showed up in an area survey.
Director Phillips said a Channel 4 News reporter went to communities to look at crime rates and found that those who did not report uniform crime reports as required through the Michigan State Police appeared to be the safest communities in America.
Trustee Marine asked Director Phillips if this report would be sent to the union. He asked if the police and fire unions would support the millage.
Director Phillips said he would not be sending this report on to the union; he would be meeting with the union leadership and talking about the report that has been submitted to the Board for their consideration.
Trustee Marine asked if the question of union support for the millage was an open question.
Captain McGuire said from a police representative side she has not heard any objections and has heard strong support for a renewal of the millage.
Treasurer Skrobola said in the Board packets for tomorrow night’s meeting, there is information from Attorney Bruce Laidlaw regarding the Public Safety millage. He said he cannot anticipate a union saying that they do not want funding.
Director Phillips thanked the Board members for their time tonight and for scheduling this meeting.
Trustee Conner said when Community Coordinator Ritchie Coleman returns to work he wanted to approach him about arranging a tour for the Board to go the prison.
Director Phillips said he would see what he could do about arranging a time and said he would be in touch with Trustee Conner.
16.0 Public Comment II - none.
Motion by Clerk Lirones,
supported by Treasurer Skrobola, to adjourn.
MOTION CARRIED
17.0 Adjournment by Supervisor Walter at 8:25 p.m.
_______________________________
Nicole Hlavka, Department Assistant II
PittsfieldCharterTownship
______________________
Christina L. Lirones, Clerk
PittsfieldCharterTownship
_______________________
James R. Walter, Supervisor
PittsfieldCharterTownship
MINUTES APPROVED AS PRESENTED AT THE MAY 14, 2002PITTSFIELDCHARTERTOWNSHIP BOARD MEETING.
