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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Minutes - City Council - Meeting Date: 1/30/2007 *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 JANUARY 30, 2007 1:30 P.M. PRESENT: Mayor Elaine M. Scruggs, Vice Mayor Manuel D. Martinez, and Councilmembers Joyce V. Clark, Steven E. Frate, David M. Goulet, Yvonne J. Knaack, and H. Phillip Lieberman ALSO PRESENT: Ed Beasley, City Manager; Pam Kavanaugh, Assistant City Manager; Nick DiPiazza, Deputy City Attorney was present until Craig Tindall, City Attorney arrived; and Pamela Hanna, City Clerk 1. GLENDALE FIRE DEPARTMENT NEEDS ASSESSMENTS CITY STAFF PRESENTING THIS ITEM: Mr. Mark Burdick, Fire Chief This is a presentation to the City Council on the Fire Department's Needs Assessment, which covers Fiscal Year (FY) 2007-2010. This assessment provides a current snapshot of the organization's service delivery demands. In addition, it outlines recommended resources needed to adequately maintain and improve our current level of service. This item addresses the Council strategic goal of providing high quality services to citizens by identifying the fire department's critical needs for the next three years to provide an acceptable level of public safety services. During the Council budget reviews of the FY 2006-07 preliminary budget, the Fire Chief was asked several questions by the Council regarding current and future needs. At that time the Council was advised that, under the direction of the City Manager, the Fire Department would be returning with a comprehensive Needs Assessment. The results of this analysis identified three key issues that exist and the recommendation or strategies to address the issues: 1. The National Fire Protection Association Standard 1710 (NFPA 1710) was designed to establish a national standard for municipal fire department response and staffing. This standard requires that the first unit responding arrive on the scene of an emergency medical incident in less than four minutes of travel time, 1 90% of the time. The Glendale Fire Department (GFD) currently arrives under four minutes 71% of the time for medical incidents. GFD is in the process of redeploying existing medic units to more efficiently address response needs. These medic units have proven to be effective in improving reliability and reducing response times. GFD will begin a comprehensive analysis and review of current Emergency Medical Services (EMS) delivery system as it pertains to transportation. The analysis should be completed as soon as possible. 2. The addition of staff positions is critical to maintain effective service delivery. Over the past ten years, due to the tremendous growth Glendale has experienced, the fire department filled key staff positions by re-assigning personnel from their field positions. While this has served as an interim fix, over the past several years it has been maintained by utilizing one-time overtime funding. This practice has placed the department in the tenuous position of relying on continual one-time funding to support critical staffing levels in administration. If unsuccessful in receiving ongoing funding for these positions, the divisions and the support provided would be shut down and personnel would return to field positions. The recommendation is to aggressively replace these re-assigned, contractual and identified positions with permanent staff to maintain existing service delivery to our firefighters and citizens. 3. The addition of personnel and apparatus drives the need to provide adequate equipment, training and support functions. The fire department has used a variety of means to add or replace equipment, apparatus and provide ongoing training and development, through the use of grants, one-time funding or extending the use of the equipment beyond its recommended life span. The recommendation is to provide ongoing funding for training, equipment, apparatus and support to maintain an acceptable level of technology and function. This process has been graduated over the three-year plan, with the end result being a system that effectively and efficiently manages the technology, function and safety aspects of firefighting. This assessment will assist in identifying service delivery demands and resources needed to adequately provide an acceptable level of services to the community. This is an informational report on the Fire Department's Needs Assessment and Council guidance is not being requested. Chief Burdick explained that they were currently meeting the national standards in two out of three response time criteria. Additional staff is needed to maintain effective service delivery. Equipment, apparatus, training and support are items needed to maintain effective service delivery. He informed the Council that the NFPA 1710 requires an advanced life support unit to arrive within 8 minutes travel time 90% of the 2 time. He was proud to announce that currently the department arrives on the scene with the listed capability 98% of the time. He added that for fires, the first pumper on the scene arrives with 14 personnel in less than 8 minutes 92% of the time. He was extremely proud of that fact. Councilmember Clark asked what the response time was for a pumper to arrive on the scene. Chief Burdick said there were a lot of factors involved but typically the first pumper in on the scene in the prescribed time 70% of the time. He said that they were trying to improve in this area. Chief Burdick confirmed for Vice Mayor Martinez that the "time clock" begins at the time they leave the station. Chief Burdick explained that to continue to meet NFPA 1710 requirements he recommends maintenance of current staffing levels of paramedics on fire engines and rescues. He said that the Council has always approved and acknowledged the importance of having paramedics on every unit. Chief Burdick explained that for EMS incidents, NEFA 1710 requires the first unit capable of defibrillation to arrive in under four minutes, 90% of the time. He said that currently the department meets this requirement 71% of the time. He sees the need for improvement in this area. He recommends increasing future paramedic unit deployment in the city. He is also pursuing integrating the private ambulance provider into a public/private partnership. He hopes this partnership will reduce EMS response time, dispatch appropriate units for the call type and complete this task at a minimal cost to the city. He said that these were issues that had to be addressed before moving forward, however, he was confident in this endeavor. Councilmember Lieberman asked where the alarm room was located or whether fire units are dispatched out of Phoenix. Chief Burdick stated that they were dispatched through a Phoenix central access point. Chief Burdick stated that the third recommendation was to add a third ladder company to the city. He said that this would provide additional fire fighting capability. He said that the city is changing and growing and the needs have grown. Councilmember Lieberman asked where it would be based. Chief Burdick stated that they would analyze the best location between either the new fire building off of Glendale Avenue or Station 157. Councilmember Lieberman stated that the new station would accommodate the new ladder truck. Vice Mayor Martinez questioned the statement that this will reduce our reliance on automatic-aid coverage. Chief Burdick stated that if a ladder company goes out of service they only have one ladder company in Glendale and are supported through the automatic-aid system. 3 Councilmember Clark stated that this might work against Glendale in situations where other cities are utilizing Glendale's ladder company when it is needed in Glendale. Chief Burdick stated they she was correct, however each city is trying to become self- reliant. Councilmember Clark stated that she had requested additional information on this item. She believes that the information she received clearly implies that the city does not rely on automatic-aid coverage. She noted that Glendale's EMS services responded to other cities far more than vise versa. Chief Burdick stated that it was primarily due to the fact that paramedics were on board all our engine companies. Councilmember Clark stated that she believes that part of the reason for the four-minute response time lapse could be because of the automatic-aid coverage. She wanted to make it clear that she supports the automatic-aid coverage system; however, she wanted to discuss it further. Mr. Burdick stated that he agreed that it could have a negative impact on response times. Councilmember Lieberman wanted clarification on how many ladders and trucks were requested. Chief Burdick said that his request was a ladder replacement and a ladder company with personnel. Chief Burdick continued describing the need for additional staff to maintain effective service delivery. He requested funding for administrative staff positions using FTEs. He informed them that traditionally, the department has re-assigned field personnel to staff positions. He said that this practice has resulted in inadequate staffing levels to fill both roles. Councilmember Clark asked if they could identify which are recommendations for civilian positions and which are for fire captain, etc. Chief Burdick stated that they use civilians when possible, and he believes this is very important. He said he was requesting 10 civilian and 10 sworn positions. He added that the additional personnel would give them a bit of flexibility. Chief Burdick stated that the last assessment he wanted to discuss was equipment, apparatus, training and support. He said that these functions are needed to maintain effective service delivery. He recommends receiving on-going funding for the equipment, apparatus, training and support. He said that the recommendation has been granted over the three-year plan to allow for a system to effectively manage fire stations, apparatus, and equipment and provide support for personnel. Councilmember Clark had questions on funding on items she believes are essential for continued growth being held off until 2008-2009. She also questioned not adding an additional fire inspector until 2009-2010. Chief Burdick stated that the needs assessments here today were a snap shot of staff analysis of what was needed at the moment. He stated that they had to make decisions and priorities on the key issues that impact the department and community today. Councilmember Clark asked if they were moving away from volunteer positions to paid positions. She also asked if they had recently recruited and trained people on the crisis response team. She asked about his request to wait until 2008-2009 to add two medic units and overtime to staff a third unit when necessary. Chief Burdick stated that his 4 request was for 2009 because he will assess integrating EMS service providers first and feels confident in waiting to request the additional medic units. In regards to the crisis volunteer program, the program will be maintained as a volunteer program. He said that the difficulty comes from one person managing a whole department. He is asking for additional personnel to help manage this program. In response to questions on fire investigations, Chief Burdick stated that last year they received two new fire inspectors. He said that the division is well staffed. Councilmember Clark asked if they had a plan in place for the Super Bowl with respect to the airport. Chief Burdick stated that the FAA guidelines do not require on site protection. For this year's bowl games Luke Air Force Base provided a crash truck on site for additional coverage. Councilmember asked if Luke Air Force Base would provide a crash truck for the Super Bowl. Chief Burdick stated that they would and said they could possibly even get one from Phoenix Fire. He felt confident that the issue was covered. Councilmember Goulet commented that they should move forward when the time is right to address the need to acquire their own equipment given that the city has grown and might need assistance other than with large events. Vice Mayor Martinez wanted clarification on when the airport would require having a crash truck on site. Chief Burdick stated that it depended on the length of the planes and how many take offs and landings occurred per day, and they were not at that point. He noted that they are involved in current talks with transportation on their future needs. Councilmember Frate commented on the many changes that have occurred in Glendale. He said that his biggest concern was that they had enough personnel and equipment to take care of the needs of Glendale and possibly help others should there be a disaster. He added that the report was very comprehensive and informative. Councilmember Knaack commented that in reading through the report they seem to always be playing catch up with personnel and equipment. She would like to see an effort to get ahead of the game both in the fire and police departments. She added that she believes it is a good idea to have firefighters going out and talking to the community. She said education is the answer. She thanked the Fire Chief for all his work. Chief Burdick explained that the total cost of all recommendations over three years equals $21,131,629. He said the numbers would break down as follows: ongoing costs, $9,076,016 and one time costs, $12,055,613. The average over the three-year period will be: $3,025,338 ongoing per fiscal year and $4,018,537 one time per fiscal year. He stated that he is comfortable with this proposal because costs are associated with all the strategic planning involved, therefore, Council can make an informed decision. Vice Mayor Martinez thanked Chief Burdick and complemented him on an excellent report. Mayor Scruggs asked about retirement projections. Chief Burdick stated that by June, seven members would be retiring. Those individuals will be replaced; however, they are concerned with the loss of knowledge and skills. He said they are working to address the concern. Mayor Scruggs asked how many persons would be needed to fill the vacancies created by retirement in the next three years. Chief Burdick stated that it was between four and seven per a year. He said that the advantage is that they receive around 800 applicants for firefighters annually. 5 Mayor Scruggs commented that this assessment and the police department assessment are wonderful, critical and long needed. She wanted to thank the department and give sincere appreciation to the city manager and assistant city manager. She said that in the past staff had not always identified the needs clearly. She believes it takes a lot of courage, honesty and integrity in having these documents that show needs and that they should not be looked at as failures but as strengths. She said that this was their road map to where they want to be in the future. She said that they are responding to the Council's request that public safety is its number one priority. She said that it seemed that they were trying to always play catch up from years past. She once again complimented the staff for a job well done. Councilmember Lieberman inquired about the staff and departmental training and thanked Chief Burdick for his work on the assessment reports. Chief Burdick stated that they would open July 1. Mayor Scruggs expressed her admiration and appreciation for the work done on the public regional training facility under the direction of Chief Higgins and many other fine people. She stated that it was remarkable that the project was competed in the time that it was. She noted that the building is a true hallmark of a city that is doing what it needs to do for the citizens and businesses. 2. 2007 POLICE STAFF STUDY REPORT CITY STAFF PRESENTING THIS ITEM: Mr. Steven Conrad, Police Chief This is a request for the City Council to review the Police Department's annual staffing study. This report represents the department's commitment to annually examine staffing levels and to adjust the staffing recommendations based on current conditions. Public safety is an integral component of each of the Council's goals and key objectives. By ensuring that adequate staffing of the police force is accomplished, Council will continue to provide the citizens of Glendale with a strong crime prevention and enforcement service. On March 14, 2006, during the FY 2006-07 budget process, the police department's 2006 Staffing Study was presented to Council. At that time, the Council requested staff to present the study on an annual basis. The results of the 2007 study include: o An organizational overview that covers this past year's restructuring and reorganization, including the shifting of resources to address emerging crime trends and major events. o A summarization of crime and calls for service, case clearances, court filings and arrest information. 6 o A best practice section, which reports on the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) goals, International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) recommendations, regional and valley staffing comparison, and future growth and development. o A vacancy and hiring section that outlines vacancies and the efforts to fill them, as well as hiring challenges. o A recommendations section that outlines specific positions and the staffing increases needed in the bureaus and divisions. o An implementation plan continues last year's proposed phasing approach after evaluating the new recommendations and redeployment impacts, and includes those positions that are currently covered by contract workers. With the annual analysis of the police department's staffing needs, recommendations are made to address the department's main objectives: crime prevention, crime control, community involvement, and fair and equitable treatment of all citizens and visitors of Glendale. This is an annual report that staff is presenting to the Council for their review. Chief Conrad stated that they had made significant changes this year to better serve the public. He said that they had reorganized the department into three functional bureaus with an assistant chief or director that will head these bureaus. He said they had reinstituted the neighborhood response squads, which are groups of officers that focus their time and efforts addressing neighborhood problems. Through grant funding they have placed additional police officers on the street as well as detectives assigned to investigations. He stated that they also recruited new employees, both sworn and non- sworn, and were able to hire 81 employees in 2006. He stated that they were successful in preparing for the mega events that occurred throughout the city. Chief Conrad explained that the hard work and dedication of the Glendale Police department resulted in significant improvements for the year 2006. He stated that crime was down 1.2% and calls for services dropped by 1.8%. Officer activity was up 24% with court filings up 14.26%. He said that bookings were also up 8.5% as well as investigations up 10% and case clearances up 6%. He said that this indicated that the officers were practicing proactive efforts to make the city safer. Chief Conrad continued with the 2007-year commitment for improvement. He said that they would continue to focus on the safety of Glendale's citizens and visitors. He said they would work closely with neighboring law enforcement agencies to address crime problems. He stated that they would be forming advisory committees and public forums to gather information about neighborhood crime problems. He will also initiate and publicize performance measures based on the uniform crime reports in the city. He 7 stated that they would continue to look for more opportunities to add more patrol officers and detectives. He said he would also be looking for more personnel support and recruitment enhancement. He stated that he needed an additional 99 sworn personnel and an additional 75 non-sworn personnel; however, because of limitation on training and funds a phased approach is necessary. He stressed that the training of 99 sworn officers is a physical impossibility due to the screening process. He stated that for fiscal year 2007-2008 they would need 27 new officers in addition to six due to civilianization and 28 new civilian personnel. Chief Conrad and Vice Mayor Martinez had a discussion on the number of personnel lost to attrition. Chief Conrad stated that it was estimated to be 24 officers and 20 civilians per year. He stated that it comes down to hiring and training almost 100 personnel. He said the budget impact of the new employees is $4,288,615 with $1,021,653 one-time cost and a $3,266,962 on-going cost. He noted that as opposed to the fire department presentation, this request only reflects the new staffing needs. He said it did not include other budgetary needs. He stated that they would bring forth a budget that will focus on the needs to support the mission and also to address fixes in the base project. He said they would continue to use their resources in creative and innovative ways to meet the needs of the community. He added that to get results and improvements, they need the resources and will be looking for the Council's support in the budget meetings. Councilmember Goulet thanked Chief Conrad for his presentation. He said that the booklet contained tremendous information. He stated that he had a lot of respect for their office and the work they do. He asked if they were able to clear cases in a timely manner being that they were under staffed. Chief Conrad stated that they prioritize the investigation cases and reviewed them for potential solvability factors. He noted that cases are never ignored, however they are prioritized. Councilmember Goulet asked if they recruited from universities. Chief Conrad stated that they do not have specific ties to universities but use every opportunity to reach out to them. He said that they are looking into all avenues of recruitment. Vice Mayor Martinez commented on the difficulty in recruitment for the police academy and all the work and preparation staff encounters. He asked about offering signing bonuses as a recruiting tool. Chief Conrad stated that they have been looking into the possibility of doing that. He said that the downfall is the morale of the other employees that did not get the bonuses. Vice Mayor Martinez stated that he was glad to see the neighborhood response units have been brought back. He said he believed in them and they are much needed. He suggested being more involved with neighborhood block watches and HOA's. Chief Conrad agreed and stated that they have been looking into a division advisory committee that could be launched within three months. Councilmember Lieberman asked when they would be training officers in the facilities. Chief Conrad stated that they would not be training in the new training facility for basic academy issues. He said they are being offered eight slots in the elite academy for basic training and will be using the new facility for advanced officer training. He said he 8 had given a directive to increase hours of training to 40 hours for in-service officers. Councilmember Lieberman asked how many people they will hire by next January including the 27 requested and those that will be lost during the year. Chief Conrad stated that last year they were able to hire 81 people; therefore, he is hopeful that they will be able to fill all 99 slots in the next fiscal year. Councilmember Lieberman stated that the Council will help in anyway they can. He thanked the Chief and staff for their commitment to the citizens of Glendale. Councilmember Knaack stated that she was glad to see patrol officers downtown on the streets even if they are not sworn officers. Chief Conrad stated that there would be four officers active in the downtown area. He said that people would see an increase in officers having a proactive effort in the area. He said they will be watching out for problems and communicate immediately with other officers. Councilmember Knaack asked about the hours that this presence would be in place. Chief Conrad said that they are still studying the best hours to patrol; however, he said that he envisions two in the morning hours and two in the afternoon hours. Councilmember Clark asked if on average there was one officer per beat per shift. Chief Conrad stated that it was not always the case. He said that the average would differ depending on the time of day and the area of town. Councilmember Frate commented that he was glad that having several non-sworn patrol employees will help to free up some of the other officers and detectives. Chief Conrad explained that they still have to do background checks but not as intensive as the sworn officers. Councilmember Frate stated he believes that the city is safer because of their work. Chief Conrad invited the public to check the Glendale website to learn more information about the police department and its opportunities. Mayor Scruggs stated that she has been contacted regarding this issue and believes the other Councilmember's might have as well. She stated that she had sent a couple of names of interested people that were working as security at the stadium or have a prior background in law enforcement. She asked if it was acceptable to forward any interested party that comes though different channels. Chief Conrad stated that they do not turn anyone away. He said that anyone interested could go through the process required. He noted that the surveys found that the best recruiters were their own employees that know good qualified people and forward them to the department. Mayor Scruggs commented on the Council's adoption of goals that required them to hear the facts on issues that were pending and needed immediate attention. She said that staff was to provide the bare facts without any fluff. She stated that this Sunday she met with a group of neighbors that talked about problems in their area. She said that most felt that the problems in the neighborhood had to get to a terrible state before they received any help. She said that she was glad that the police department is 9 addressing the block watch and enhancing communication with the citizens and the police to prevent crime. She explained that she wanted them to get to the position where they have the resources available to have an additional layer of deployment if necessary to areas that need serious prevention of escalation in crime. She stated that they needed to move forward and work together. She said she appreciates the city manager and staff for their role in helping this plan move forward. Chief Conrad said he wanted to thank his staff and recognize their efforts and dedication. 3. PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITY NEEDS UPDATE CITY STAFF PRESENTING THIS ITEM: Ms. Elizabeth Finn, Presiding Judge; Mr. Steven Conrad, Police Chief; Mr. Mark Burdick, Fire Chief; and Mr. Ken Reedy, Deputy City Manager This is a request for the City Council to review updates to the Public Safety facilities and provide guidance on the proposed City Court facility, as well as the Police and Fire Administration facilities. Over the last couple of years, studies have been undertaken by each of the three departments in Public Safety. The City Court project has been reviewed for current costs, and Police and Fire have completed studies that will provide the Council with updated needs. Public Safety staff worked collaboratively to evaluate the needs of all three departments, while minimizing the fiscal impact. By working together, staff was able to resolve a variety of issues that were increasing the costs of each project. This is a great example of inter-departmental cooperation, one leading to an improved solution for each department at a lower overall cost to the city. Presiding City Judge Elizabeth Finn, Police Chief Steven Conrad, and Fire Chief Mark Burdick were at the workshop today to answer any questions the Council may have related to the following recommendations. The Council has repeatedly indicated that the needs of the Public Safety departments are a top priority for the city. These improvements are important and critical to delivering the quality of customer service each department is striving for in a fiscally responsible way. One of the objectives of Council's strategic goal of "One Community with A Vibrant City Center" is to maintain timing set in the current Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for a Courthouse. Use of the 4701 West Glendale Avenue land will provide a base for economic development at this important entryway to the city. The new City Court project should also encourage additional redevelopment projects in the area. 10 With all three public safety departments working together, it became clear that staff needed to continue to focus on both the long-term and short-term issues. The primary task was to be mindful of the five-to-ten year timeframes for the planning efforts and needs. It was also important to make sure that the sites would accommodate long-term future needs without relocating the first phase improvements. By working together, staff could see that a plan to locate more than one department at the 4701 West Glendale site would not allow future expansion by any of the potential occupants. Working collaboratively, the departments have been able to reduce overall costs, while meeting the priority needs of all three departments. By demolishing the existing building at 4701 West Glendale Avenue, the Court can delay or eliminate the need for structured parking at the proposed site. The Police and Court have identified a detention solution that will improve customer service and reduce costs in the City Court project. Each of the public safety departments has completed studies to assist in the evaluation of the capital needs and prioritization of the various projects. City Court Facility The City Court Needs Assessment was completed in the summer of 2004 and has been updated related to changes in construction costs over the last few months. The current Court facility operates all five existing courtrooms and has no additional office space for court staff or judges. The demand for additional Court space is growing rapidly due to city growth and changes in the State laws in several areas. The increase in demand for courtrooms is growing at a current rate of one new courtroom every two years. Interim growth needs will require the creation of special work schedules and/or additional space to allow the Court to handle the projected case volume while the new facilities are being designed and constructed. The new facility will include up to twelve courtrooms in the 90,000 square foot building and also provide office space for the Court administrative staff and the Prosecutors Office. The logical site for the proposed Court facility is the property located at 4701 West Glendale Avenue. Staff is recommending the demolition of the existing building and to use the site exclusively for the Court facilities. Staff is also recommending that the previously planned structured parking for Court patrons is eliminated in the first phase and surface parking is used instead. Future expansion of the Court will be accommodated on this site by adding additional Court space and, if necessary, adding structured parking to meet the future parking demand. 11 Police Department Facility The Police Department completed a recent study that indicates the department could remain in the existing Public Safety Facility when Fire administration is relocated. Police would also expand into the current Court space when vacated. Per the study, the first priority work will be to make tenant improvements to improve the setup and workflow to existing Police work areas. The Police Chief and his staff have reviewed operations and identified issues in several areas. Additional patrol staffing space in each station was one significant identified need that impacted several work locations. The Chief has decided that centralizing Traffic and Community Services and moving them into the main station after Fire administration vacates will help accommodate the growth needs in both of the stations. There are several remodeling needs that will also help accommodate some changes in space available at the main Public Safety Building, as well as the stations. Also, the new Public Safety Training Facility will allow the Training and Special Events Planning staff to be relocated into that facility and free up additional space at Gateway Station. Another significant remodel for the Police Department involves expansion of the detention facilities, which are critical to Court functions. By retaining one "jail court" at the current Court, the need for detention facilities at the new Court is dramatically reduced. Fire Department Facility The Fire Department has also completed a study and determined the need for a new downtown headquarters facility. The goal is to consolidate the department's management and support staff into one facility. The study indicates that the first phase of construction should include a 30,000 square foot office building with associated parking. A site should be acquired that will allow the phased expansion of the facility to at least 46,000 square feet with associated parking. The potential for a phased construction approach seems to provide the needed space in the most economical way. The Fire Administration Headquarters project will improve management and communication for the varied functions of the department by allowing all of the administrative staff to work collaboratively in a unified setting. In order to achieve the earliest expansion of Police space, a potential evaluation is to consider moving the existing Fire administration staff out of the Public Safety Complex and into temporary quarters. Staff will be reviewing potential temporary locations in the downtown area and bring possible solutions forward for budget review. On December 21, 2004, the Council adopted Resolution No. 3815 New Series, authorizing and directing the City Manager to acquire the property located at 4701 West Glendale Avenue for the development of a Public Safety and City Court Complex. 12 All of the Public Safety capital improvements are planned to provide improved service to the citizens of the city. The planned facilities will improve the responsiveness of each of the departments in a growing activity environment. The studies, that each of the three public safety departments completed, anticipated growth in service demand. The growth is partly related to population growth, but also reflects changes in the way each department is required to do business. In several situations, the demand for service is related to changes in the legal requirements that have been created by the Arizona Legislature. By accommodating the need for future growth and planning for it in new facility designs, the city will be able to provide the highest level of service throughout the planning period. Each department should be allowed to grow in an orderly and efficient way to better serve the community's service needs. The city's goals are to have appropriate facilities to properly manage the anticipated workload for the public safety departments. Each of the three departments has needs that will determine how the city should prioritize the Capital Improvement Program (CIP). The cost of the new Court facility, including demolition of the existing buildings, is $30 million. $22.8 million is budgeted in the current CIP beginning in Fiscal Year 2006-07 through Fiscal Year 2008-09, with construction planned for Fiscal Year 2008-09. Construction costs are projected to require $7.2 million more than is budgeted in the current CIP. For the Fire Department, there is $500,000 budgeted in the current CIP for Fiscal Year 2009-10. An additional $8.2 million is reflected in the last five years of the current CIP, Fiscal Year 2012-16. A detailed plan should be undertaken to find a location, acquire the land, and plan the phasing of construction so that an accurate budget can be prepared for the CIP. Based upon the first phase projection of a 30,000 sq. ft. building, the cost of the new Fire Administration Headquarters is estimated at $12 million, including land. For the Police Department, the cost of tenant improvements is estimated at $12 million. These improvements are not currently budgeted in the current 10-year CIP. The CIP adjustments and timing suggestions will be prepared for this year's Budget process for Council review and input. Staff is seeking guidance from the Council to use the property located at 4701 West Glendale Avenue for exclusive Court purposes, and to demolish the former car dealership building. 13 Judge Finn stated that there were a few issues that she wanted to point out. She said that the initial needs assessment for the court was done in August of 2004 and was recently updated to reflect the current needs and associated cost. She stated that each department really tried to identify what the major needs were and what they could do to assist each other. She explained that the court operated all existing courtrooms with no additional office space. She added that they would have to address this issue directly because of the rapid growth in the city. She said that the new facility would include up to 12 courts, be about 90,000 square feet and will include the prosecutor's office. Judge Finn stated that, at the moment, the court has the highest priority regarding needing additional space; however it is the hardest to build. She said that instead they looked at the next immediate need and quickest gain. They concluded that it would be most effective to give immediate space to the Police and Fire Departments. She stated that by moving the courthouse to the 4701 West Glendale location, they would be enhancing the gateway to the city, which is a priority for all involved. She stated that this provides for court expansion capability and eliminates the parking issue. She noted that there would be no need to build a parking structure at this time. She commended the different agencies for coming together to work through the challenge. She said each gave a little and gained a little. Councilmember Frate asked how much space Chief Conrad would acquire with this plan. Judge Finn stated that the plan was that Chief Conrad would have 8,800 sq ft. plus an additional 14,000 sq. ft. at the courthouse. Mr. Ken Reedy, Deputy City Manager, commented that the existing space in the Public Safety Building is under utilized. This building will be remodeled to provide more usable space for the Police Department. The Fire Department would be moved into a temporary facility, possibly in the downtown. Councilmember Goulet asked if the courthouse will be built initially to the 90,000 square feet or gradually get to that point. Judge Finn stated that it will all be built out and then determined what space is needed for ultimate utilization. Vice Mayor Martinez asked the architects the reason behind the notion on building out - not up. Mr. Ken Reedy, Deputy City Manager, stated that it could be done both ways; however, the disruption to the building will cause inconvenience to the employees and surrounding areas. He said that with this building location it could be flexible and adaptable to future development in any way. Mayor Scruggs commented on the benefits of fire administration moving to the public safety training facility in terms of cost and distance to highways. Mr. Reedy stated that at this point they had not made a final decision on that issue. Mayor Scruggs discussed several issues regarding the cost. Mr. Reedy responded that he had a preliminary cost of $12 Million that is not yet in the CIP. He said it was really an issue of logistics and cost as well as evaluation of best alternatives to eventually develop the building. Mr. Reedy confirmed that the best location has not been determined. 14 Councilmember Lieberman asked Chief Burdick how many people he will have in the public safety training facility full time. Chief Burdick stated that they do not have that large of a staffing because of the regional approach. He said that they would probably have six to ten employees. He said that they would use the other partnering agency to provide some of the staffing. Councilmember Lieberman asked the same question of Chief Conrad, who stated he would have a lieutenant, sergeant and five officers. He said he would also utilize the space for planning the large events coming to town. Councilmember Lieberman and Mr. Reedy discussed the plan for demolishing the building at 4701 and the timeline of building the new courthouse. Councilmember Lieberman suggested possibly using the Bank of America building as fire Department administration space. He also stated that he likes the plans and the location at 4701 W. Glendale property. Judge Finn stated that the court's request is all contained in the Council's communications with direction from Mayor and Council. She ended by thanking the Mayor and Council for their time. Chief Conrad reiterated his request for additional staff and redesign for the new space. He stated that having a large facility helps incorporate all the various units under one roof. He indicated that he also wanted to expand the jail to be able to handle the growing population. Chief Burdick reiterated this request for additional office space. He said that the fire administration was the logical and lowest cost fix to move to a temporary location. He added that staff had communicated the idea for them to move downtown, and he believed that distance could be an issue. Mayor Scruggs indicated she understands the predicament regarding distance and not having highway access. Councilmember Frate asked where the funds for this temporary space would come from. Mr. Reedy stated that it was a budget issue that will brought forth in the FY 07-08 budget process. Councilmember Frate asked how long the design process takes to complete. Judge Finn stated that they were probably looking at 2010. She stated that if they were lucky it could be in 2009. Mr. Reedy stated that they could possibly speed up the process for June of 2009 but will still need to go through different procedures before opening. Mayor Scruggs conveyed the Council's consensus that this should move forward. 4. 2007 STATE LEGISLATIVE UPDATE AND 2007 FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE AGENDA DEVELOPMENT CITY STAFF PRESENTING THIS ITEM: Ms. Dana Tranberg, Intergovernmental Programs Director and Ms. Jessica Blazina, Deputy Intergovernmental Programs Director 15 This is a request for the City Council to provide direction on proposed state legislation, consistent with the approved 2007 state legislative agenda; and provide direction on the 2007 federal legislative agenda development that will form the foundation of the 2007 federal legislative agenda. The purpose of the federal and state legislative agendas is to affect federal and state legislation and regulations as they relate to the interests of the city and its residents. The 2007 state and federal legislative agendas provide the policy framework by which Intergovernmental Programs staff engages on state and federal legislative issues. Throughout the 2007 legislative sessions, policy direction will be sought on proposed statutory changes which fall under the adopted Council policy statements relating to the financial stability of the city, public safety issues, promoting economic development, managing growth and preserving neighborhoods. The Intergovernmental Programs staff recommends prioritizing the state legislative agenda to a few key issues to allow the city to have a stronger, more consistent message on the items of greatest priority. The proposed key priority issues for consideration are described in the reports that were submitted to the Council at the Workshop meeting. The legislative agenda defines the city's priorities for the upcoming session and will guide the city's lobbying activities at the Arizona State Legislature. The Intergovernmental Programs staff will come before the Council on a regular basis throughout the session for direction on bills and amendments that may be introduced. The city's legislative agenda is a flexible document and may change, based on activities at the Legislature and Council direction. The Intergovernmental Programs Department has conducted a citywide assessment of potential federal funding opportunities to be included in the 2007 Federal Legislative Agenda. Based on this assessment, staff recommends pursuing federal funding opportunities, including grant opportunities, line-item appropriations, earmarks and regulation revisions in the areas of: transportation, public safety, homeland security, historic preservation, libraries, youth workforce development and economic development initiative projects. The Intergovernmental Programs Department will return at the February 20, 2007 workshop to present the comprehensive 2007 federal legislative agenda inclusive of funding requests and policy areas for engagement. On December 19, 2006, the Council approved the 2007 State Legislative Agenda, which included policy statements on municipal legislative priorities and principles. On January 16, 2007, the Intergovernmental Programs staff presented legislative issues to the Council. 16 The priorities and principles of Glendale's 2007 state legislative agenda provide the venue for the city to identify and engage on state legislative issues. The key principles of the state legislative agenda are: to preserve and enhance the city's ability to deliver quality and cost-effective services to citizens and visitors; to address quality-of-life issues for Glendale residents, and to enhance the City Council's ability to serve the community by retaining local decision making authority and maintain state legislative and voter commitments for revenue sources. Development of a 2006 federal legislative agenda provides the venue for the city to identify and engage on federal issues of concern to the community, which will enhance the ability of the city to deliver superior services and to address quality of life issues for the residents of Glendale. Staff is requesting the Council to provide policy direction on the proposed state legislative issues and federal legislative program development. Ms. Tranberg addressed the preservation of state shared revenues. She said that there were several bills introduced that would have a negative fiscal impact on the state shared revenues. She stated that Council had already provided direction to oppose any proposed reduction in the state share revenues. She said that there were three bills that have been introduced: (1) urban revenue sharing for small municipalities, (2) Senate Bill 1246, which would provide a 15% tax credit to residents that live in the county, (3) corporate income tax rate reduction. She recommends opposing the first two bills and taking a neutral position for the third. Councilmember Frate suggested watching the third bill for any impact it might have on the city. Ms. Tranberg stated that the way it was written it could only have a minimal impact. Councilmember Clark commented that bill SB 1246 creates incentives to remain in the county and not to want to annex into another community because of the tax credits. Ms. Tranberg stated that it was the reason for their opposition. Ms. Tranberg addressed the Grill Bill that was brought forth last year. She said it was a bill proposed by restaurant owners who could not meet the 60/40 thresholds for food to beverage ratio that is required. She said the bill allowed for a hybrid license, which allowed an establishment to go up to 70% alcohol to food ratio. She said that the bill passed last year as a two-year pilot program with a cap of 15 licenses issued per year. She stated that the proponents were back with a bill removing the pilot program and issuing it indefinitely. She recommends opposing this bill. Councilmember Clark asked if there had been any hybrid licenses issued in the city of Glendale. Ms. Tranberg stated that she would make an inquiry. Councilmember Clark stated that the liquor board would make the final decision on the bill with the Council's recommendation. Councilmember Clark stated that they could be on record stating their opposition. Ms. Tranberg discussed the two sex offender related pieces of legislation that have been introduced. She stated that one revokes the driver's license for anyone who fails to register as required, and the other relates to clustering of sex offenders in multi-family housing. 17 She also addressed the payday lending bills. She stated that she foresees a lot of discussion on these issues. She stated that she would be surprised if these bills pass in their present form. She said that she would be keeping the Council informed should anything new arise. Ms. Jessica Blazina addressed the County Island Fire districts item. She stated that last year legislation passed and was signed by the Governor. It addressed giving fire and medical service to county islands in the East Valley. She said that the bill was ruled unconstitutional because it was considered special interest legislation. The League of Cities and Towns put together a working group to determine language to introduce a plan this year to address the problems that some East Valley communities face. She stated that they recognized the need for issues raised in the East Valley, however have concerns regarding the bill and would like Council's direction. Mayor Scruggs voiced her opposition to this bill. She stated that the emergency services would be stretched to the limit. She opposes opting out of an annexation and asked if there is a consensus among cities. Ms. Blazina stated that there was not a consensus among cities on how this should be approached. Mayor Scruggs and Chief Burdick had a discussion on the different county islands that wanted to be annexed as well as those who did not. Chief Burdick stated that it was a hot issue, and they are pushing for it to be looked at statewide. Mayor Scruggs stated that she would not support a city being forced to provide fire service. She said that the citizens would be the ones losing out. She noted that the reason for this problem was that not enough residents were willing to pay the subscription charges for the private fire services. Ms. Tranberg gave a brief federal legislative agenda update. She stated that a federal lobbyist had done a citywide assessment. She said that the common priorities that were found were consistent with the Council's goals such as air quality, water policy issue as well as other issues discussed by Council. She said that they would be presenting a full federal legislative agenda on February 20, 2007. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 5:35 p.m. 18