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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Minutes - City Council - Meeting Date: 3/14/2006 (3) *PLEASE NOTE: Since the Glendale City Council does not take formal action at the Workshops, Workshop minutes are not approved by the City Council. MINUTES CITY OF GLENDALE CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP March 14, 2006 1:30 p.m. PRESENT: Mayor Elaine M. Scruggs, Vice Mayor Thomas R. Eggleston, and Councilmembers Joyce V. Clark, Steven E. Frate, David M. Goulet, H. Phillip Lieberman, and Manuel D. Martinez ALSO PRESENT: Ed Beasley, City Manager; Pam Kavanaugh, Assistant City Manager; Craig Tindall, City Attorney; and Pamela Hanna, City Clerk 1. FISCAL YEAR 2006-07 BUDGET: 1sT WORKSHOP CITY STAFF PRESENTING THIS ITEM: Ms. Sherry Schurhammer, Management and Budget Director, Mr. Art Lynch, Deputy City Manager and Mr. Ray Shuey, Chief Financial Officer. This is a request for the City Council to review the Fiscal Year (FY) 2005-06 second quarter report on General Fund (GF) revenues and expenditures, as well as the Fiscal Year 2006-07 GF revenue projection. The Police Department will present a report on its staffing needs and a proposed long- term implementation plan to systematically address meeting the community's needs. This item incorporates the Council's strategic goals and key objectives, while ensuring the city's financial stability, by presenting realistic analyses about the provision of city services and future revenue expectations. During FY 2003-04, the budget process was modified per the Council's request. Some of the more significant modifications include the following: o Council receives quarterly presentations on General Fund (GF) revenues and expenditures: o Council receives periodic presentations throughout the year on enterprise fund issues, such as rates and fees for solid waste services and water and sewer services; 1 o Council reviews the proposed capital improvement program (CIP) budget at the same time as the operating budgets for next fiscal year, as evidenced by the inclusion of CIP operating and maintenance supplementals as part of the operating budget process; and o Council reviews all supplemental spending requests as part of the operating budget process. Future budget workshops are scheduled as follows: o March 21 , 2006 8:30 a.m. — 5:00 p.m. o March 28, 2006 1 :30 p.m. — 5:00 p.m. o April 4, 2006 8:30 a.m. — 12:00 p.m. o April 11, 2006 1:30 p.m. — 5:00 p.m. The GF's second quarter revenue budget and actuals are as follows (in 000s): FY 2005-06 Budget FY 2005-06 Actuals City Sales Tax $ 27,827 $ 29,349 State Income Tax $ 9,865 $ 11,455 State Sales Tax $ 9,204 $ 11,039 State Motor Vehicle In-Lieu $ 4,433 $ 5,098 Highway User Revenue Funds $ 7,587 $ 8,046 Primary Property Tax $ 1,840 $ 1,969 All Other $ 12,734 $ 14,743 TOTAL $ 73,490 $ 81,699 As the preceding list shows, FY 2005-06 second quarter GF revenue receipts are almost $8.2 million, or 11% more than budgeted. City sales tax receipts account for almost 38% of the city's total GF revenue budget. City sales tax collections for the second quarter came in better than expected, with actuals exceeding budget by $1.5 million, or 5.5%. FY 2004-05 city sales tax collections for the second quarter were almost $26.3 million. Therefore, FY 2005-06 collections of over $29.3 million are almost $3.1 million, or almost 12%, ahead of FY 2004-05 second quarter collections. State-shared revenues account for 32% of the city's total GF revenue budget. State-shared revenue collections for the second quarter were nearly $27.6 million, an amount that is almost $4.1 million, or 17%, more than expected. Each of the three components of state-shared revenues performed very well, as the following detailed information shows: 2 o State income tax collections were almost $1.6 million, or 16%, ahead of budget; o State sales tax collections were over $1.8 million, or almost 20%, ahead of budget; and o Motor vehicle in lieu collections were more than $665,000, or 15%, ahead of budget. FY 2004-05 state-shared collections for the second quarter were over $24.2 million. Therefore, FY 2005-06 collections of nearly $27.6 million are $3.3 million, or almost 14%, ahead of FY 2004-05 second quarter collections. Highway User Revenue Funds (HURF) are revenues commonly known as the gas tax, although there are several additional transportation-related fees that comprise this revenue source. This revenue source exceeded the FY 2005-06 second quarter budget by $460,000, or 6%. There is a notable one-time source of revenue reflected in the FY 2005-06 second quarter actuals. The sale of parcels at the Northern Crossing development generated approximately $853,000 through the second quarter. The FY 2005-06 second quarter budget and actuals for the GF operating and pay-as- you-go (PAYGO) capital expenditures are as follows (in 000s): FY 2005-06 Budget FY 2005-06 Actuals GF Salaries/Benefits $ 49,683 $ 46,999 GF Non-Personnel $ 26,799 $ 22,255 GF Debt Service (leases) $ 2,403 $ 2,803 PAYGO Capital $ 3,984 $ 1,024 TOTAL $ 82,869 $ 73,081 Salary savings for the second quarter of FY 2005-06 totaled almost $2.7 million. Non-salary savings for the second quarter of FY 2005-06 totaled over $4.5 million. At the end of the second quarter of FY 2005-06, the budget-basis GF fund balance was just over $61.1 million. FY 2006-07 REVENUE PROJECTION The starting point for the FY 2006-07 GF ongoing revenue projection of $165.7 million is the FY 2005-06 GF ongoing revenue estimate of $158.9 million. This FY's estimate of $158.9 million is primarily based on the revenue pace of actuals received through the second quarter. 3 The economy continues to grow robustly, as evidenced by the city's collections through the first six months of the current FY. Actuals received through the second quarter of FY 2005-06 exceeded the GF revenue budget by $8.2 million or 11%. By the end of FY 2005-06, we expect GF ongoing revenues to total $158.9 million (excludes one-time revenue of $853K). This amount is almost $12 million more than the FY 2005-06 GF revenue budget of almost $147 million, and $12.2M more than the FY 2004-05 GF ongoing revenue actuals of $146.7 million Another way to look at the reasonableness of the FY 2005-06 GF ongoing revenue estimate of$158.9 million is to compare it to the collections in FY 2004-05. When compared to FY 2004-05 collections, current FY city sales tax collections are up almost $3.1 million or almost 12% over collections through the second quarter of FY 2004-05. State-shared revenues are also doing very well, coming in $3.3 million or almost 14% ahead of the same time period in FY 2004-05. The FY 2005-06 estimate of $158.9 million is $12.2 million more than the FY 2004-05 GF ongoing revenue actuals of $146.7 million. The six-month pace of collections this FY clearly demonstrates that the city is on its way to meeting this FY's estimate of $158.9 million. For FY 2006-07, the consensus among experts on the Arizona economy, including Marshall Vest at the University of Arizona, is that the growth we are currently experiencing will continue for the foreseeable future, fueled by continued population growth, healthy wage and other income growth, continued job creation, and continued appreciation in housing prices. The GF ongoing revenue projection for FY 2006-07 is almost $165.7 million. This is about 4.3% or $6.8 million more than the FY 2005-06 estimate of $158.9 million. This is a prudent and reasonable estimate of overall growth given the robust growth Glendale has experienced in ongoing GF revenues. The following table reflects Glendale's ongoing GF revenue actuals since FY 2001-02. Glendale experienced 4.9% growth in ongoing GF revenues from FY 2001-02 to FY 2002-03 despite the economic downturn that affected the nation's economy after the terrorist attacks in September of 2001 . The growth that Glendale experienced at that time is higher than the projected increase from FY 2005-06 to FY 2006-07 that is shown below. 4 Fiscal Year Ongoing Actuals Percent Change From (lx revenues Prior FY excluded) 2001-02 $116.5M -- 2002-03 $122.2M 4.9% 2003-04 $138.3M 13.2% 2004-05 $146.7M 6.1% 2005-06 $158.9M 8.3% 2006-07 $165.7M 4.3% FY 2006-07 City Sales Tax Projection For FY 2006-07 city sales tax revenue, we assumed a growth rate of about 5.9% over this FY's estimate of $58.7 million, for a FY 2006-07 projection of almost $62.2M. This rate of growth in aggregate retail sales is in line with the experts' prognostications. For example, the governor's budget is assuming a growth rate of 8.5% over this FY's estimate for aggregate retail sales. Marshall Vest at the University of Arizona is forecasting 6.3% growth for the Phoenix metro area and 6.8% growth rate for Arizona as a whole for calendar year 2006. When compared to the actual growth in city sales tax receipts that Glendale has experienced over the past several FYs, the 5.9% assumed increase is reasonable. The following table shows that Glendale experienced 5.1% growth in ongoing GF revenues from FY 2001-02 to FY 2002-03, despite the economic downturn that affected the nation's economy after the terrorist attacks in September of 2001 . The growth that Glendale experienced at that time is only slightly lower than the projected increase from FY 2005-06 to FY 2006-07 shown in the table below. Fiscal Year City Sales Tax Percent Change Receipts (rounded) From Prior FY 2001-02 $41.4M -- 2002-03 $43.5M 5.1% 2003-04 $49.8M 14.5% 2004-05 $52.5M 5.4% 2005-06 $58.7M 11.8% 2006-07 $62.2M 5.9% 5 FY 2006-07 State-Shared Revenue Projection To develop the FY 2006-07 revenue projection, we took a conservative, prudent approach. The FY 2005-06 estimate is approximately $54.9 million, or almost $5.2 million more than the state-shared revenue actuals of $49.7 million for FY 2004-05. The city is clearly on the way to attaining this estimate as evidenced by collections through the second quarter. By the end of the second quarter, current FY collections totaled nearly $27.6 million. This is $3.3 million, or almost 14%, ahead of FY 2004-05 second quarter collections. For state-shared income tax, we started with an estimate that the Arizona League of Towns and Cities provided for FY 2006-07 income tax revenue to be distributed to the cities. For Glendale, that figure is almost $26.8M. From this figure, we deducted $1.8M to derive an FY 2006-07 projection of almost $25M. For state sales tax, we started with the FY 2005-06 estimate of $21.9M and increased it by 5.9% (which is the increase we are projecting for city sales tax revenues) to get almost $23.2M. From this figure, we deducted $1.3M to derive an FY 2006-07 projection of$21.9M. For HURF revenues, we started with the FY 2005-06 estimate of almost $16.5M and increased it by 3% to get almost $17M. We used the more conservative 3% growth rate because of this source's history of more moderate growth over the past several years. From the figure of almost $17M we deducted $1.1M to derive a FY 2006-07 projection of $15.8M. Motor vehicle in lieu revenue is distributed based on a municipality's population in relation to the total incorporated population of the county. This revenue source varies because it is tied to the value of the vehicle. Therefore, we assumed just a minor increase of 1 .4% over this FY's estimate. Glendale's budget is an important financial, planning and public communication tool. It gives residents and businesses a clear and concrete view of the city's direction for public services, operations and capital facilities and equipment. It also provides the community with a better understanding of the city's ongoing needs for stable revenue sources to fund public services, ongoing operations and capital facilities and equipment. The budget provides the Council, residents, and businesses with a means to evaluate the city's financial stability. All budget workshops are open to the public and are posted publicly per state requirements. 6 Today's workshop is for information only. Decisions on the proposed budget will not be requested until the final balancing budget workshop, scheduled for April 11, 2006. Ms. Schurhammer began the presentation by stating that the second quarter report highlights the fact that the city has continued along a path of fiscal stability, which Council has repeatedly said is a priority. She also noted that the report highlights the benefits of strategies and programs that Council has directed staff to implement. The positive results of these strategies and programs have translated into tangible benefits for the Glendale community. Ms. Schurhammer proceeded to cover the material presented in the slide titled "FY05- 06 Second Quarter Revenues." She noted the significance of the information presented on the slide by stating that the bottom line shows the city's GF revenues to be $8.2 million or 11% above expectations through the second quarter. She noted that this very positive outcome is the result of particularly strong collections for state-shared revenues, highway user revenue fees (HURF), and city sales tax receipts. The all other revenue category is $2 million or 16% ahead of expectations because of strong results in a few notable areas. Specifically, revenue from development permits and fees revenue is approximately $336,000 or 12% ahead of collections through the second quarter of last FY. This performance indicates that development activities within the City of Glendale continue to be very strong. Franchise Fees are doing very well, coming in 25% or $437,000 ahead of budget. Franchise fees are levied on natural gas, electric, and cable television services. Councilmember Lieberman said the all other revenue items displayed in the slide do not add up to the $2 million shown on Page 2 in the Council's book. Ms. Schurhammer explained her slide shows only a component of the all other category and is intended to highlight the primary reasons the all other category is $2 million ahead of budget. Councilmember Lieberman asked Ms. Schurhammer to identify the other categories. Ms. Schurhammer said some of the other items in that category include interest earnings, library fines and fees, parks, and court revenue. Mr. Lynch discussed the slide about the Northern Crossing development. He said the purpose of the Northern Crossing development was related to transfer a vacant, non- performing retail property into one that provided jobs to Glendale residents and produced sales tax receipts to support the provision of high quality city services. He said the city's total receipts of $14.5 million for the Northern Crossing project now total its original loan amount of $14.5 million, and that this result occurred a few years ahead of schedule. He commented on the city's remarkable vision, courage and commitment to the project. Councilmember Frate asked how many people are employed at Northern Crossing. Mr. Lynch was unable to say, but offered to research the answer. Councilmember Frate stated the number of employees has to be substantial, pointing out prior to its redevelopment the property provided no employment opportunities. 7 Ms. Schurhammer provided more information on the performance of city sales tax receipts and state-shared revenues when compared to collections through the second quarter for the prior FY. In both cases, current year collections experienced double- digit percent increases over prior year collections, as indicated in the council communication. Mr. Shuey then reported the second quarter GF fund balance slide that showed the fund balance grew to $61.1 million, after setting aside funds for national events. He said the stable fund balance is consistent with the Council's policy of fiscally prudent and sound practices. Mayor Scruggs thanked staff for the good news, stating the results are quite remarkable. Ms. Schurhammer began this portion of the workshop presentation by saying the revenue projection for next FY is fiscally prudent and reasonable because it is based on past collections experience and consensus expectations for next year's local and state economy. Specifically, the consensus among experts on the Arizona economy is that next year will continue to be vibrant and strong. Ms. Schurhammer explained the slide titled "GF Ongoing Revenue" by noting that the historical information shows a trend of strong growth since FY 2001-02. In fact, between FY 2001-02 and FY 2004-05, GF ongoing revenue increased over $30 million, or 26%. She noted that this growth is really significant because it means the city can support and maintain quality, ongoing city services, as directed by Council, that contribute to a high quality of life for the Glendale community. For the current FY, Ms. Schurhammer said FY-end actuals are expected to total $158.9 million, which is $12.2 million or 8% more than FY 2004-05 actuals. For next FY, ongoing GF revenues are expected to come in 4.3% or $6.8 million over this FY's expected actuals. This forecast reflects a prudent, reasonable, and conservative approach linked to recent forecasts by experts on the Arizona economy. Councilmember Clark asked how the percentage increase for ongoing actuals would change if the one-time excluded amounts were added back into the figures. Ms. Schurhammer explained that the intent of excluding one-time revenue is to reflect ongoing revenue only, which is used to fund ongoing operations. Examples of one-time revenue include parcel sales at Northern Crossing. Vice Mayor Eggleston referred to Page 3, asking if we are projecting revenues for the remainder of the current year. Ms. Schurhammer explained the projection for next year of $165.7 million is based on expectations for this FY's GF ongoing revenue collections. She said the estimate for this fiscal year was derived by looking at collections through the first six months and estimating collections for the last six months. She noted the city generally collects the same amount during the last six months as is collected during the first six months for the vast majority of revenue sources and, in some cases, 8 revenue comes in more heavily during the last six months of the year. She characterized the current FY's estimate as conservative. Ms. Schurhammer proceeded to review the slides showing historical information on city sales tax collections and state-shared revenue collections. She noted that city sales tax collections have grown 27% or $11 .1 million between FY 2001-02 and FY 2004-05, as a result of the quality economic development strategies that Council has pursued. Clearly, these economic development strategies have resulted in healthy growth in this ongoing GF revenue source. For the current FY, collections are expected to come in $6.2 million or 12% over actuals received in FY 2004-05. For next FY, the forecast assumes 5.9% growth, or a $3.5 million increase over this FY's expected collections. This growth rate is consistent with Marshall Vest's forecasts. Ms. Schurhammer noted that Mr. Vest spoke to Council in the past two years about the Arizona economy and that he is considered an expert given his 25-years of experience evaluating the Arizona economy. In any case, experts on the Arizona economy agree that the state will continue to see a robust economy over the next year. Ms. Schurhammer noted that state-shared revenue collections since FY 2001-02 have demonstrated healthy growth. Between FY 2001-02 and FY 2004-05, this revenue source has increased 6% or $2.8 million. Ms. Schurhammer said staff is expecting to receive later this week the preliminary mid-decade census numbers. Once those figures are available, staff will assess the figures and present the revised state-shared revenue projections for next fiscal year at next week's budget hearing. POLICE STAFFING STUDY CITY STAFF PRESENTING THIS ITEM: Police Chief Steven Conrad and Ms. Joanne Nelson. Chief Conrad explained the purpose of the Police Staffing Study was to determine the appropriate level of staffing and deployment of officers, as well as identify ways to utilize a "best practices" approach in staffing decisions. He said the study provided him with an opportunity to assess the department's strengths and weaknesses and develop a plan that will allow them to compliment those strengths and build upon those weaknesses. He stated the projections in the study made certain assumptions, primarily that certain levels of calls for service and certain levels of crime will remain the same over the next four years. He said the study will be replicated annually in case those assumptions do not prove true. He stated the department's deployment strategy is driven by its mission and values, which are crime prevention, crime control, community involvement, and fair and equitable treatment. Chief Conrad explained the study looked at officer availability, current workload based on calls for service, and the time needed for pro-active prevention activities. He said their recommendations call for more patrol resources, but they want to ensure the 9 officers are focused on preventing crime, and more investigative resources, but they need to make sure the investigators have the necessary tools and information to allow them to focus on controlling crime when it occurs. He said their recommendations also call for additional resources to focus on neighborhood problem solving, community interaction, and ensuring people are treated equitably and fairly. He noted they are looking at ways to reduce their current load of calls for service, explaining prior to his arrival they implemented a plan that reduced police response in situations where an officer's response is not warranted. He stated the study found officers spend 6 percent of their total calls for service responding to alarms, the vast majority of which prove to be false. He said they will continue to look at false alarms and may come back to Council with recommendations on how best to address the issue. He expressed his opinion officers should have at least one third of their time available for handling pro- active prevention directed activities. He reviewed the related costs associated with the hiring of an officer, stating their salary and benefits reflect only a percentage of the overall cost. He said the additional costs relate to the officer's training and field training, equipment, supervision, communications, records, detention, investigations, and support from outside agencies such as the City Prosecutor's office and the City Courts. Chief Conrad said, thanks to the dedication and hard work of the men and women of the Glendale Police Department, crime has actually decreased in the City of Glendale. He stated, however, without additional resources they will not be able to maintain the decrease over the long haul. He said Glendale, although a safe city, could be a safer city and the implementation of their recommendations will not only result in increased patrol and investigative staffing, but allow the department to change the way they do business. He stated the department will be in a position to prevent and control crime by increasing the size of the city's Neighborhood Response Units and they will end up with a safer downtown through the creation of a Downtown Neighborhood Response Unit. In response to continuing complaints from the community regarding traffic, they are recommending the creation of a centralized traffic unit, increasing the number of motor officers, and the creation of a group of civilian accident investigators to allow motor and patrol officers to spend more of their time on enforcement. He stated they are also recommending the hiring of 50 part-time seasonal traffic control personnel to assist in directing traffic at events. He noted this approach will be somewhat if not entirely cost neutral in that they will look to contractual agreements to have the city's costs reimbursed. He said they are also recommending the creation of a number of specialty officer positions to enhance the department's ability to respond to unique situations, such as officers to focus on the gathering and dissemination of intelligence, explosive ordinance disposal, and tactical operations as well as additional K-9 resources. He stated, to ensure adequate response when crimes occur, they are recommending increasing the number of detectives. He explained through their analysis they identified a number of positions throughout the department that he believes can be filled using civilian employees as opposed to sworn officers. He said, for instance, the department has six detectives assigned to case management. He stated those six qualified, hard working detectives, could be returned to their investigative duties through the hiring of six civilian employees. 10 Chief Conrad said another important component of the study looked at administrative and support personnel. He said officers take reports and make arrests, but the information needs to be entered into the department's records management system if they expect to have accurate and timely crime statistics. He said it is his intention to ensure the city has an appropriate number of data entry, communications, and detention personnel. He stated he is also recommending they hire a civilian impoundment administrator. He explained the legislature passed a law last year requiring that they have an additional number of impoundments in certain situations and, because they had no other option, a detective from the Vehicle Crimes Unit was assigned to overview the impoundment operations. He said he wants to ensure they increase the size of their Professional Standards Unit to make sure they investigate complaints against department employees in a timely manner. He stated he also wants to make sure they are in a position to keep their facilities safe, noting they currently have four officers working as call expediters who handle security for the building. He said he is convinced they can hire security guards to provide security services, allowing those four officers to go back onto the street. He said the City of Glendale has made a significant investment in training and they need to ensure they have adequate training staff in place. He recommended the unit be commanded by a Lieutenant and that they provide additional officers to handle advanced officer training, skills training, driver's training and fire arms training on an annual basis. Chief Conrad summarized his presentation, stating, overall, he is recommending they hire an additional 166 full time employees and 50 part time employees over the next 4.5 years. He said, while they actually need 121 Sworn personnel, they are implementing a number of strategies that he believes will reduce that number to 92. He noted 13 COPS Universal Hiring Grant Program Officers are included in the 121 Sworn personnel figure and are already in the city's budget. He stated through the civilianization of several positions, he also believes 16 officers or detectives currently performing administrative functions could be placed back on the street or returned to investigations. He said based on his professional judgment, the results of the study, and the City Manager's direction, the department is proceeding with its operational planning. He stated the next step will involve obtaining the necessary funding to hire the additional personnel. He said, once funding is in hand, they will be in a position to implement their plan, noting it will be phased over 4.5 years. Mayor Scruggs asked if they are going to discuss the budget for the Police Department. Mr. Lynch responded no, explaining the budget overview for the Police Department will take place next Tuesday. Councilmember Goulet acknowledged Acting Chief Preston Becker and the work that he and the department did during a difficult time for the community. Councilmember Goulet referred to Page 2 of the Executive Summary, pointing out it says no national standards are used to determine staffing needs. He said, in the past, he heard statements to the fact that certain things were needed based on some form of standards. He asked Chief Conrad if they are giving authority to patrol officers or other 11 field personnel that might typically be rendered by a higher ranking police officer. He also asked, if that is the case, could the department be creating a situation that could expose the city to some potential liability. Chief Conrad said, unlike the fire service's national board that sets national standards, their research found no similar board related to policing. He stated, while CLEA sets national accreditation standards, they do not address specifics in terms of national response times or national ratios of police officers to citizens. He noted a recommendation from a trainer from the International Association of Chiefs of Police was the closest they came to anything that even reflected a standard. With regard to their philosophical approach to policing, Chief Conrad said their officers need to be problem solvers and are given a tremendous amount of authority and responsibility. He said he looks for officers to be innovative in addressing problems on their beats, but the measures they employ must be legal, ethical and fiscally responsible. He stated his intention is to have not only the Police Department, but other departments within the city, work together to find ways of preventing crimes before they occur. Councilmember Lieberman said, while they may not have any national standards, certain "best practices" guidelines and staffing averages have been identified. He noted Glendale currently has an authorized strength of 384 with 237,260 residents, resulting in a 1 .62 percent officer/resident ratio. He stated Glendale's ratio is lower than the national average and ranks fifth locally. He mentioned that four or five years ago the city's officers were on duty 92 percent of their time. He asked how many officers the city currently has. Chief Conrad said the department has 364 officers, with 17 vacancies. He noted 10 conditional offers of employment are currently in place, stating he is fairly confident 10 of the 17 vacancies will be filled in the near future. Councilmember Lieberman commended Chief Conrad, stating he has conducted the most comprehensive study of the department he has ever seen. He stated the city will have to rely on completing the training center as quickly as possible, asking if it is true that Glendale can only send 14 officers through the Phoenix academy each year. Chief Conrad responded no, stating Glendale currently provides a Sergeant and an officer to the ALEA Academy located in Phoenix and, in return, Glendale has the promise of up to eight slots per month. Councilmember Lieberman asked about the length of the training program. Chief Conrad said the program runs 18 weeks, but officers also go through a two week pre-academy, where they are oriented to the Glendale Police Department policies and procedures, and a two week post-academy. He stated the post academy is then followed by 12 weeks of field training. Councilmember Lieberman asked if the academy runs a new class every month. Chief Conrad responded yes. Councilmember Lieberman asked how long they anticipate before they are able to offer training at Glendale's training facility. Chief Conrad was unable to say, stating their focus has been to continue their work with ALEA. He noted they plan to use their new academy as soon as possible for advanced officer training. Councilmember Clark said the staffing report recommends an increase in departmental staffing of 121 Sworn officers and 124 Non-Sworn personnel over the next four fiscal years. She asked Chief Conrad if he is asking for 92 Sworn and 74 Non-Sworn personnel. Chief Conrad answered yes. Councilmember Clark pointed out the Chiefs 12 request is for 29 fewer Sworn positions than are called for in the staffing report. Chief Conrad explained the staffing report figure includes the 13 COPS Universal Hiring Grant officers included in this year's budget but not yet hired. Councilmember Clark said it appears the department is embracing a new philosophy of civilianization. She asked Chief Conrad to explain how he believes the philosophy will benefit the department. Chief Conrad said civilianization offers the department an opportunity to impact staffing in a relatively quick fashion. He explained it takes about four months from the date a person applies to the date when the department can hire them for the job. He said the officers are then put through the pre, full and post academies and field training, extending the time between the date they apply and the date they are put on the street to about one year. He said civilianizing positions reduces the time needed to hire and train the employee and it allows the department to return officers and detectives currently filling positions that will now be filled by civilians back to the duties for which they are trained. He expressed his opinion civilianization also represents a more effective and efficient use of the department's resources, stating it is a waste of valuable resources when the department puts highly trained sworn officers in jobs that do not require a badge or a gun. He acknowledged there may be a time when he has to come back to Council requesting additional resources, stating that is why they intend to conduct assessments on an annual basis. Councilmember Clark said they are requesting an average of 20 to 23 new Sworn officers per year over the next 4.5 years. She asked Chief Conrad how many of the 20 to 23 Sworn personnel he sees being devoted to patrol Chief Conrad said he has attended several neighborhood meetings where he has heard complaints about the lack of officer visibility. He explained, however, the effective deployment and use of their officers has more impact on crime than their visibility. He stated over the 4.5 years he is requesting 64 officers to be assigned specifically to patrol activities as well as six Sergeants assigned to patrol, two Sergeants assigned to specialty squads, additional clerical support, a management aid, officers for a Downtown Neighborhood Response Unit, and officers for the Gateway area. Councilmember Clark referenced Page 37, asking who decided the number of officers over which a Sergeant has control. She also asked if they might be able to expand the span of control given the increase in technology improvements within the department. Chief Conrad said he does not know the history of the policy, expressing his opinion one supervisor for ten employees appears high rather than low. He said as part of his job he will look at all of the Department's policies and determine whether they make sense. He stated they have promised to comply with the National Incident Management System which recommends a ratio of 1 supervisor for every 5 to 7 employees. He said he would be inclined to have seven to ten officers per Sergeant, depending on the duties of the officers, explaining the officers are asked to make difficult decisions and he wants to ensure they have the support they need when they need it. 13 Councilmember Clark said the city's bicycle units were basically eliminated by the need to put more officers on patrol. She asked if there are plans to reinstate the units, noting they were very effective in her area. Chief Conrad agreed the bicycle units are a very valuable tactic, however, assigning officers solely to bike duty may not be the most effective use of those resources. He proposed they increase the size of the Neighborhood Response Units and ensure that all Neighborhood Response Unit officers are bike certified. He said, in that way, they can use the officers in a variety of different settings and circumstances. Councilmember Clark said the Neighborhood Response Units have proven extremely valuable, asking if they will have and enhance the north and south units in addition to establishing the Downtown Unit. Chief Conrad stated it is his intention to increase the size of the department's existing Neighborhood Response Units, noting they currently have one in the north part of the city and one in the south part of the city. He expressed his opinion staffing in both of those units is insufficient to do the type of problem solving he would like them to do. He said, given the great success they have seen with that tactic when staffing levels are sufficient, he hopes to duplicate the tactic in the downtown area. He noted when a situation calls for it he can deploy officers from all of the different Neighborhood Response Units to work together to solve a particular problem. Councilmember Clark asked Chief Conrad if he has ever considered going to a 2-man patrol, acknowledging the fact the department probably does not have enough officers to do so. Chief Conrad said they did not consider that approach in this study, although there are situations where they will send two officers out in one car. He explained the rationale behind the move from two officer to one officer patrols was to allow there to be more officers on smaller beats in a position to back one another up. He explained in domestic violence situations they require a second officer to be onsite to avoid putting a single officer in a position they cannot handle on their own. Councilmember Clark said, while the philosophy works well back east, the beats in the west are far larger. Councilmember Martinez said he likes the civilianization aspect of the study, stating it will put resources where they are most needed. He stated he also likes the idea of establishing a centralized traffic unit. With regard to bike units, he noted a friend of his said he could tell when bike units were in the area because they were very effective at deterring criminal activity. He asked if the department recruits new officers throughout the year. Chief Conrad responded yes, noting they advertise on a regular basis and are in the process of developing informational pieces they will use at job fairs. He said the department always accepts applications which can be downloaded from the department's website. He stated testing is offered once a month and candidates who successfully complete the tests then begin the background investigation phase of the process. He said five officers are currently dedicated to background investigations and recruiting duties, but the city's patrol officers are the department's best recruiters. He stated they are looking for people who want to have an impact on the lives of Glendale citizens. Councilmember Martinez asked how long it would take to absorb 92 officers into the force. Chief Conrad pointed out the department hired 62 officers last year; however, doing so put stress on the department's background investigators and Human Resources Department. He explained, on average, it takes 10 candidates to come up 14 with one viable police recruit; therefore, it will require the department to screen approximately 900 applicants to find 92 viable recruits. Councilmember Martinez thanked Chief Conrad for conducting the study, stating it provided him with much greater insight into the department's needs and challenges. Vice Mayor Eggleston asked if the Special Assistant to the Chief position is new. Chief Conrad said the position is currently filled by Preston Becker. He agreed Commander Becker did an outstanding job as Acting Chief, stating he felt it was important to have him close at hand during the study phase to provide information concerning the history of the department. He stated the position will be eliminated once he determines the department's proper organizational structure. Councilmember Goulet referred to Page 38, asking Chief Conrad to review the timing of the Downtown Unit positions. Chief Conrad said he intends to use the COPS Universal Hiring Grant to promote a Sergeant and hire four officers for the Downtown Response Unit. Councilmember Goulet noted the bike patrol was very popular in the downtown area. He asked if the Downtown Unit will include bike, plain clothes and patrol officers. He also asked if a deployment strategy has been established for the Downtown Unit. Chief Conrad stated they will be using a variety of tactics and the working hours and assignments will depend on the problems they see in the community. Councilmember Goulet asked Chief Conrad if he will be available to address community groups that might want to hear more about the Downtown Unit. Chief Conrad responded yes, stating community input is very important to their efforts. Councilmember Goulet asked if a new Entertainment Unit will be created for the sports complex area or if the Bell Road Entertainment Unit will be increased to cover both areas. Chief Conrad referred again to Page 38, stating he has identified a Gateway Entertainment Squad which will focus on issues in the western part of the city. He stated, however, the squad is scheduled to come online on when the area has a sufficient level of calls for service to justify the squad's presence. He noted he has asked for a Sergeant for the Bell Road entertainment squad to ensure those officers have the proper level of supervision and support. Councilmember Frate asked if lateral transfers are common. Chief Conrad said the department takes and encourages lateral transfers from across the country, pointing out the training period for those officers can be shortened dramatically as long as their training meets the Arizona Police Officer Standards in Training. He stated, however, officers coming from smaller departments or other states often do not meet the AZ POST guidelines. Mayor Scruggs referenced Pages 22 and 23, stating her understanding of the chart indicates a decrease in the number of crimes that occurred in all of the beats except 34 which stayed the same. She stated beat 48 is close to 34 in terms of the number of crimes and, while that beat's 2004 numbers are low, it is because they did not cover that beat on a full-time basis in 2004. She said the need in that entertainment beat appears to be quite significant, pointing out it is the second highest in the city. Chief 15 Conrad explained beat 48 was carved out of beats 45 and 46, stating the increase seen in beat 48 is reflected in the decrease seen in beats 45 and 46. Mayor Scruggs pointed out the total number of calls for beats 45, 46 and 48 totaled about 2,400, stating that seems very high. She stated, however, a downward trend can be seen in the rest of the beats between 2004 and 2005. Chief Conrad agreed, stating the city realized a 7.5 percent decrease in crime and, except for beat 48, the decrease was spread throughout the city. He said the number of people and stores in the Bell Road entertainment area makes the area more susceptible to crime. He said when trying to prevent crimes they focus on the triangle of frequent victims, frequent offenders and frequently offended locations. Mayor Scruggs said in her opinion an area's proximity to a freeway also figures into its susceptibility for criminal activity. Chief Conrad said the opportunity to commit a crime is directly tied to how quickly the criminal can get away without being noticed, agreeing an area's proximity to a freeway may play a part. Councilmember Lieberman pointed out beats 34 and 36 both had identical crime rates for two years. Chief Conrad explained beat 34, which is in the southeast section of the city, is a residential area with a high level of calls for service. He stated Beat 31 is in the central portion of the city and is also primarily residential. He said, although the city has enjoyed a 7.5 percent decrease in crime, there is still room for improvement. Councilmember Lieberman noted the study calls for 51 additional officers immediately. Chief Conrad agreed, explaining the Council asked him to bring forward the department's immediate needs and, based on officer availability, current workload and the need to have officers spend one-third of their time on proactive activities, the department needs 51 additional officers. He stated 51 officers are not available at this time, but 13 are available through the COPs program. He recommended they focus five of those officers on the downtown area, place four in the Gateway Neighborhood Response Unit and assign the remaining four to the Foothills Neighborhood Response Unit. Mayor Scruggs thanked Chief Conrad for conducting the study and for his leadership, stating she appreciates his insight and willingness to look at the department with a fresh perspective. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 3:30 p.m. 16