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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003.1009.TCWSM.Minutes TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS MINUTES OF THE WORK-STUDY SESSION OF THE FOUNTAIN HILLS TOWN COUNCIL [ OCTOBER 9,2003 Mayor Wally Nichols convened the work-study session at approximately 5:30 p.m. ROLL CALL — Present for the roll call were the following members of the Fountain Hills Town Council: Mayor Wally Nichols; Vice Mayor Rick Melendez; Councilmembers Michael Archambault, John Kavanagh, Kathleen Nicola, Susan Ralphe, and Leesa Stevens. Also present were Tim Pickering, Town Manager; Andrew McGuire,Town Attorney; and Bev Bender,Town Clerk. Mayor Nichols introduced Captain John Kleinheinz, in charge of the law enforcement program in Fountain Hills,beginning October 9,2003. The Mayor announced that the intention of the work-study session was to discuss the Public Safety Commission. Direction had been given to staff to develop a proposal, taking into consideration the items discussed at the previous meeting. Vice Mayor Melendez introduced Deputy Chief Larry Black. Mayor Nichols then indicated that Town Manager Pickering had provided the Council with background information and a proposed resolution in regard to the Public Safety Commission. He asked that Mr. Pickering review that proposed resolution. Town Manager Pickering noted that staff had crafted a draft ordinance that reflected the ideas of the Council.He indicated that the Sheriff's Department had volunteered to do additional research in this regard, and that research was received from several areas with public safety commissions, i.e., Dallas, Iowa City, Baltimore, etc. iipe The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, however,proved to be the most helpful, as that department had a Community Advisory Committee. Mr. Pickering noted that staff had previously provided input from three communities in Arizona that had this type of Committee. There were two main factors that would contribute to the success of this Committee: (1) who should serve on the Board, and (2) what would be their specific responsibilities? Staff tried to address both issues in the draft resolution. Regarding who should serve on the Board, Mr. Pickering noted that staff had been very specific about the types of qualifications they wished to recruit, such as placing two members with law enforcement service background, two members with fire and emergency medical service background, and one member with emergency management services background. Specific duties and responsibilities were listed in Sections 6 through 9 of the draft resolution. Mr. Pickering reviewed the Council's request for discussion on the emergency management and emergency management position/public safety position. The proposed job description had been included in the Town's budget for Council review. Councilmembers Ralphe and Archambault had been consulted regarding a Fountain Hills' individual with background in emergency management who provided additional background. Mr. Pickering introduced Tim Newbill, the County representative for emergency management. He stated that Mr. Newbill had put together the draft emergency management plan that would be distributed to the Council for their consideration at their next meeting. He acknowledged that Mr. Newbill was present to answer any questions. Councilwoman Stevens thanked Mr. Pickering for the information but noted that she disagreed with the direction staff had taken. She noted that at the previous meeting discussion was not allowed on the additional person to be hired, but she indicated that discussion was key to the Commission. The basic premise of the Commission as stated in the proposed resolution was not the direction she wished to pursue. She had in mind a community minded group and not anyone who would make recommendations to the department, but would E.\BBender\Documents\Current Minutes 2003\Work-Study Session-10-9-03.doc Page 1 of 10 make recommendations to the Council. She supplemented that she was not interested in fostering better communication between the Commission and the departments. She was looking for a Community group who would be interested in all aspects of public safety and not necessarily only law enforcement or fire service. She referred to the Emergency Management Coordinator position job description stating that she saw the position as the Commission's staff person — which would include emergency management duties but that would also include public safety coordination with law enforcement and fire service. This individual would ensure that the law enforcement and fire service agencies were living up to their contracts, and would aid in negotiating the contracts. Councilwoman Stevens stated that she did not see the Commission working on department issues. Stevens felt that the information provided by Mr. Pickering was off track. She was looking for this group to work on community issues and not fire truck routes or law enforcement ticket quotas. Mr. Pickering responded that the Town Council would have to make a decision as to whether or not the Commission would be involved in traffic issues. He noted that the issues brought up by Councilwoman Stevens were of a different scope. He asked if the Council wished to go that direction, as that was not his understanding from the previous meeting. He proposed to include that information if the Council wished stating that it would then change the scope of the ordinance. Mayor Nichols noted the importance of a work-study session to flush out that type of issue prior to finalization. Councilwoman Ralphe continued that as far as the draft resolution was concerned, members of the Public Safety Commission were to be appointed by the Town Council. The resolution indicated that the Commission would issue an annual report to the Town Council in July. They would also be reporting to the departments' commanders, i.e., Sheriff's or Rural Metro's commanders. It was further noted that the Commission would be appointed by the Council but not responsive to the Council - appointed by the Council but working with and almost for Rural Metro and the Sheriffs Department. Councilwoman Ralphe expressed concern with the structure of the proposed resolution. Councilwoman Nicola agreed with Councilwoman Stevens's assessment of structure, but she did not necessarily agree with the traffic-related issues. Councilwoman Nicola agreed with Town Manager Pickering, noting that there was a more appropriate forum for that. She noted that the Public Safety Commission was not to be a Complaint Department. She also was concerned that the Public Safety Commission was not working directly with the Town Manager or the Council according to the resolution. Councilwoman Nicola also noted that this Commission could provide assistance and guidance with the formation of a Community Emergency Response Team formation. She suggested that the Commission should report to the Council on a more frequent basis than annually, as well as definitely work with the Public Safety Coordinator or Director whichever was put into place. Councilwoman Nicola also noted a typographical error in Section 1 of the proposed resolution stating that it should read, "That the PSC is hereby formed and shall consist of five Town residents, one Fire Department designee and one Law Enforcement designee (not Department)." She questioned if the Council wanted Section 2(a)(1)to apply to the law enforcement and fire designees,noting that not a significant number of Fountain Hills law enforcement and police personnel resided in Fountain Hills thereby it would reduce the number of available candidates. She suggested that the citizen members be required to be residents of the Town. Regarding the Emergency Management Coordinator, Councilman Kavanagh shared concerns regarding routine police work and out-of-the-ordinary disaster occurrences. He noted that he was not opposed to an Emergency Management Coordinator in Town, but that when actual emergencies occurred, people reacted in chaos, dismissing half the original plan. He suggested that groups should work on improved response by working on non-emergency aspects of emergency response in terms of everyday cooperation between law enforcement, police, and fire. His concern was that after the emergency plan was formulated and polished, all that would be required of the Emergency Management Coordinator would be to run a drill quarterly. A full-time coordinator may not be necessary. He had noticed the interjection of non-emergency tasks in the overall list of duties, but noted that they appeared to be afterthoughts. He stated that he would like to see more focus on daily police and fire operations for the Emergency Management Coordinator, i.e., budgeting, administration, and delivery of services. Mayor Nichols agreed with the concerns voiced by the council members and indicated that this job description "did not look like a fulltime job on an ongoing basis". It might be a fulltime job at the beginning to set up the E:\BBender\Documents\Current Minutes 2003\Work-Study Session-10-9-03.doc Page 2 of 10 structure for emergency preparedness, but after that was done, the job content looked too light for fulltime. Even though it was noted that the individual would assist in negotiating contracts, it was more a "tack on" at the end of the job description. He felt that in order for the position to be a fulltime job, it would have to be broadened to cover public safety as opposed to only emergency. He also noted that after reviewing Los Angeles' materials dealing primarily with the Community Action Committee (CAC), that the Council should discuss both the CACs and the Public Safety Committees. The Public Safety Committee was what the Council would be working with, not the CAC. Los Angeles' materials showed the Public Safety Committee's purpose to be "advise the municipality on ways in which it could enhance the safety of its residents". That would be the purpose of the Public Safety Committee as opposed to what was outlined in the LA material CACs. Mayor Nichols felt that the Public Safety Committee should be an advisory committee reporting through the Town Manager to the Town Council,not directly interfacing with department heads. Vice Mayor Melendez recommended that the Council address one issue at a time, not move back and forth between Emergency Coordinator and Public Safety Commission. He asked that the Council first deal with the Public Safety Commission and complete that before moving on to the next issue. Vice Mayor Melendez noted that, in his opinion, public safety should include the issue of water quality. He noted that LEAP's co-founders came from the community-policing concept that was funded through former President Clinton's work-in-progress with respect to law enforcement. He stated his belief that this proposed Commission would be a combination of LEAP plus other factors. He reminded the Council that the Town of Fountain Hills had a Traffic Standards Committee (of which he was at one time a member) that was a separate group. Vice Mayor Melendez's bottom line was that the Public Safety Commission, if necessary, should be an upgrade of what LEAP was—formed from citizens, some of which do and do not have fire and law enforcement experience,but who would tend to citizens' needs. He noted that the Commission should not be a policy-making entity but should be a standing Commission. Councilman Archambault asked if the Council had come to the conclusion that Section 2, (b), (c), and (d)of the proposed resolution were to be eliminated. He had understood that the Council wanted to appoint the citizens serving on this Commission. He liked the idea and noted that it would be helpful to have an experienced Fire or Sheriff's Department representative available on the Commission as a non-voting member as someone with whom to bounce ideas. Councilwoman Stevens proposed that the seven-member commission be entirely composed of community members. She saw the fire service and law enforcement as "staff'— who would plan to attend meetings and be available to answer questions. Councilwoman Stevens felt that the head person would coordinate what staff members would be needed for meetings. It was her opinion that the Public Safety Commission should be open to anyone in the community who was interested,not specifically experts. Each member should be able to receive knowledge to make informed decisions Councilwoman Stevens also noted that she felt the Public Safety Commission should make recommendations to the Council for improvements to the community. It was her opinion that the commission should be wide enough that they could be asked for their opinion and recommendation on community matters. Traffic would be part of this subject,but not all of it. Councilman Archambault added his agreement that more than an annual report be received. He suggested that the Council receive the minutes of this Commission's meetings and that their meetings be televised for those unable to attend just as was done with the other Commissions. Councilwoman Stevens and Mayor Nichols stated that Commission meetings were not televised. Councilman Archambault stated that the Public Safety Director should dictate when the Commission meets and publicize that meeting. The Director would then report back to the Council with the Commission's recommendations, i.e., location of new fire station. He was of the opinion that the Council should appoint the Commission members. Vice Mayor Melendez requested that the Council refrain from creating another level of government. He felt that seven members were too many, as the larger the Commission, the less strength it would hold. He also stated that although many different walks of life should be represented on the Commission, the quality of the individual E:\BBender\Documents\Current Minutes 2003\Work-Study Session-10-9-03.doc Page 3 of 10 serving on the Commission would be the key; individuals' experience would be more important for representing the community. Mayor Nichols agreed with the concept of a seven-member committee. He felt that the charge of the Commission was to enable the Council to make proper decisions on public safety issues. He did not want two Nair members from law enforcement or two from fire, but he did want one from each of those departments and felt that the remainder should be members-at-large. He also noted that oftentimes the number of members on a committee is reduced by attrition; thus, seven members would not be too many. Councilman Kavanagh noted that the discussion was slipping from a work-study session into the form of a Council meeting. All agreed that the workshop was for an exchange of information between Council and staff, but Councilman Kavanagh pointed out that specific requirements for membership on the Commission were being discussed, and that issue should be done in an open meeting. One of Councilman Kavanagh's concerns included politics. He stated that he was a defender of LEAP and had been originally opposed to a Public Safety Commission. He noted his disappointment in LEAP in the last four to six weeks, i.e.,misrepresentation of its position and misleading/inflammatory articles by a LEAP member in the newspaper that had created confusion in the Town. He was concerned about the Commission dealing with political issues and asked that staff get back to the Council on what could be done to minimize that. He also suggested that the Council consider the exact format of the Commission, i.e., consideration of two committees - one committee to provide citizen input, and the other to provide technical advice. Councilman Kavanagh felt that a public input committee should be ordinary citizens,but an advice-giving committee, i.e., specific locations for buildings, how many people on fire trucks, and the number of patrols needed, should be obtained from someone with the proper background. He was thinking that the Council should be setting up two different committees. The committee crafted by the proposed resolution would clearly be the second, or the technical committee. He also thought that they should consider the present structure of the Block Watch Program and see if they might perform the other committee's informational function through the community police officer. Councilwoman Nicola disagreed with the concept of two committees and stated that might lead to more confusion. Nicola agreed with Councilwoman Stevens' last comment in that seven members should be on the commission, and noted that since it was a body appointed by the Council, they should follow the same regimen followed for all other commissions, i.e., opening them up to the public, reviewing qualifications, and appointment of the individuals with the best qualifications for the purpose. Councilwoman Nicola stated that the Town of Fountain Hills had a wealth of retired law enforcement and fire personnel experience, and she suggested that there would be no problem filling the quality needs of the Commission. She reiterated that the Council should form the best-quality Public Safety Commission possible—one commission. Councilman Kavanagh noted that if Councilwoman Nicola felt that if background were required in specific areas, they were then in agreement. He asked if she wanted to tap the experience in the community. Councilwoman Nicola clarified saying that in any Commission appointed the Council did not designate that they were looking for specific background experience. She suggested that the Commission be opened up to the community at large and have interested individuals complete an application where qualifications are listed. The best candidates should be chosen based on background and experience, but sometimes people would be appointed with no background or experience. She noted that two individuals from two categories and one individual from another category might not be possible. She suggested that the Council eliminate the qualifications and open it up to the best people in order to appropriately stagger the experience levels. She felt that no members of the community should be kept from applying, as some individuals might have indirect experience in the fields needed. Councilman Kavanagh clarified that he was not proposing two commissions, that he was suggesting that the existing Block Watch structure would fulfill the function of the community input commission. Mayor Nichols asked Town Manager Pickering how he planned to have the Neighborhood Block Watch Program fit into the Public Safety Commission;Mr. Pickering responded that he had not addressed that issue. Councilman Archambault agreed that he did not see the need for two commissions. He stated that his objective was to tap all the residents of the Town. He felt the Planning and Zoning Commission was a good example. E:\BBender\Documents\Current Minutes 2003\Work-Study Session-10-9-03.doc Page 4 of 10 That Commission has been formed with individuals from all walks of life who made decisions that affected lives each day. He pointed out that ordinances and codes had been changed with recommendations from those individuals, and he saw only utilizing experienced applicants as a fallacy. He noted that the Commission would generate its own thought process that would develop good conversation, dialog, and resolutions brought to the Council for consideration. Therefore, he stated there was no need for Section 2(b), (c)and(d). Vice Mayor Melendez indicated that he had previously accepted the amendment when making the resolution and thought that when he accepted it, it was going to go in a different direction, the augmentation of the LEAP group with added fire and services separate from the emergency services. Referring to Resolution No. 2003-16, Section 5, "That the Town Manager is hereby authorized and directed to take all steps necessary to provide the Town Council with a plan for formation of a citizens Public Safety Commission." Melendez asked Attorney McGuire if the Council had to form a Public Safety Commission. Attorney McGuire indicated that the Council did not have to form a Commission based upon the language of Section 5 if it was the Council's determination that the Commission not be formed. There would be no violation of the Resolution, and he did not see the Resolution as a binding commitment on the Council as it was subject to amendment. Councilwoman Stevens noted that quite a bit of input had been given the Town Manager on the proposed Commission and requested that the Council move on to the discussion of the Coordinator position. She felt that the two issues needed to work together. Mayor Nichols asked if there were other council members who had further comment on the Commission and called upon Councilman Archambault. Councilman Archambault acknowledged that the Council had created a pact with the citizens when it passed Resolution No. 2003-16 to form a Public Safety Commission and to appoint a Town Marshall/Public Safety/Emergency Preparedness Director. He was of the opinion that the Council needed to follow through with their promises. Councilwoman Nicola also felt that as one of the few cities and towns in Arizona that contracts for both law enforcement and fire services, the Town of Fountain Hills did a good thing for the community by passing this section of the resolution and she supported forward moving in that context. Vice Mayor Melendez stated that his question to the attorney was not to disengage the discussion from the amendment accepted at that meeting but only to obtain a better clarification. He felt that an Emergency Service Director should not be part of the Public Safety Commission. It should be a clean unit, dedicated and enhanced to do the things that LEAP had done in its original formation. Vice Mayor Melendez noted that in his opinion LEAP had, however, moved in different directions and politicized. He felt that the basic philosophy of LEAP went back to the community-oriented policing concept. Mayor Nichols noted that on Page 5 of the Community Advisory Committee Handbook, Paragraph 3, stated: "At the core of every successful advisory committee is a basic exchange of information. As long as community concerns are being listened to and addressed,the committee is successful."He reiterated that it was important to have a vehicle for community concerns to be heard regarding public safety. He felt the Council was indicating that a vehicle was needed whereby the public could address a Commission with their concerns. The Commission would then address these issues with the Town Manager, and then, if appropriate, the Town Manager would then address the Town Council. Councilman Kavanagh asked that staff be directed to copy some of the aspects of the Ad Hoc State Trust Commission, as it was very balanced commission which in a very short period of time gave a representative opinion to the Council of most groups in the Town. Councilman Archambault agreed with Mayor Nichols, on Page 4, under Public Safety Committee, noting that was his vision of what the Commission should be. He noted that on Page 5, the core success was a basic exchange of information with the community. Councilwoman Stevens asked Attorney McGuire how much detail he would like the Council to provide and asked if staff had enough direction. Attorney McGuire indicated that he did not have any clear indication of the Council's consensus regarding the draft resolution, noting the purpose of the discussion was to shape the resolution so that it could be voted upon in a public meeting without massive amendments. Town Manager Pickering indicated that he too felt that overall he did not have a clear indication of the Council's consensus regarding the draft resolution. E:\BBender\Documents\Current Minutes 2003\Work-Study Session-10-9-03.doc Page 5 of 10 Councilwoman Stevens summarized her opinion: one Commission; seven individuals; formed similarly to Planning & Zoning Commission or the Parks and Recreation Commission; same support, reporting, and selection. She did not see any reason to reinvent the wheel. She felt that all commissions set up in that manner worked very well for the Town of Fountain Hills. She noted, however, that one of the reasons those NJ commissions function so well is that they had a staff member that firmly led them by providing agendas, support, and information so that the commission can then make recommendations. She reiterated that all projects would eventually be brought to the Council for voting. Mr. Pickering gave an example of an issue that would not come to the Town Council, i.e., complaints of speeding. That issue would come either to the Town Manager's office or would be forwarded on to the Sheriffs Department. It would not be an agenda item for the Town Council. Action would be taken to solve the problem without the attention of the Council. Councilwoman Stevens noted that she understood that the Commission would not be addressing speeding problems as that would be the responsibility of the Town Manager to talk to the appropriate staff member. She saw the Commission as advisors for decisions that the Town Council would be making. Mr. Pickering indicated that was not his understanding from the last meeting. He had heard that the Commission needed to be a sounding board for the public citizens to provide input in a safe place. Councilwoman Nicola agreed with the flow of the discussion and that if at "Call to the Public", a citizen indicated a speeding issue,the chairperson could then reflect that issue in the minutes and explain that it was not an appropriate discussion, but that the concern would be passed along to the Town Manager. Through the education process regarding the Commission, it could then be publicly understood that they were not a sounding board for complaints. She noted that she was not sure that LEAP or a Block Watch committee was an appropriate forum for complaints such as these either. In the proposed resolution, Councilwoman Nicola agreed with the first two paragraphs and asked that the word "Departments" be changed to "Council" in Paragraph 3. She suggested that an additional sentence could be inserted regarding what items should be directed to the Town Manager. In Paragraph 4, second line, Nicola also suggested changing the wording to reflect that communication would take place between the Town's citizens and the "Town Government". Mr. Pickering suggested that the Committee handle only those issues as directed or assigned by the Council and then have them report back to the Council with their recommendations. Councilman Kavanagh interjected that direction could also come from the Town Manager or staff. Councilman Kavanagh asked that a rough resolution be given to the Council by staff, i.e., how many people on the Committee,qualifications, and specific designated balance. Councilwoman Ralphe suggested that the Council have the structure of the other Commissions in front of them when they debated the formation of this Commission. Councilwoman Nicola clarified that this was to be a "Commission" and urged focus on maintaining it as a standing "Commission". She suggested that a special committee for a certain purpose (such as an ad-hoc committee) might be appropriate. She asked how agenda items for the Commission would be determined. Mr. Pickering reiterated that those topics would be initiated by the Council versus being brought to the Commission for action by the public. Councilwoman Stevens suggested that the coordinator should drive the agenda and lead the Commission. The other commissioners would have the ability to ask to have items placed on the agenda by obtaining permission from a staff person to ensure it was appropriate. That coordinator would work hand-in-hand with the Commission, providing information and staffing. She added the need for the Commission, staff, and Council to coordinate. Councilman Archambault agreed with Councilwoman Stevens. There were many driving forces for the Commission that in his opinion would be headed by the Public Safety Director. A staff position should then delegate and regulate how often the Commission met and determine what issues would be addressed. E:\BBender\Documents\Current Minutes 2003\Work-Study Session-10-9-03.doc Page 6 of 10 Vice Mayor Melendez noted that this person might be a female. He asked for clarification of the exact job title as he has heard Public Safety Director or Coordinator. Councilwoman Stevens stated that it was "Coordinator". Vice Mayor Melendez asked if the Emergency Services Coordinator would be the lead staff person for the Public Safety Commission. Mayor Nichols said that was where the discussion was now headed. Mayor Nichols asked for discussion of exactly what the position should do and should be called. Councilwoman Stevens suggested the title "Public Safety Coordinator" with emergency management under that. Mayor Nichols agreed with that title. Councilwoman Nicola proposed that the last line of Section 7 of the draft resolution, "The Departments' commanders, or their authorized designees, shall be encouraged to attend the meetings, but attendance is not required." be deleted, as it would cause position overlap. Councilman Archambault agreed that the sentence should be deleted. Mayor Nichols noted a potential conflict between Sections 1 and 7. Councilwoman Nicola clarified a Commission would be made up of seven citizens with voting rights and the captain and chief would be present at the meetings as advisors and no voting rights. Mayor Nichols stated that the language would need to be revised between those two sections. Mr. Pickering explained that "directors" ran "departments" in the organization of the Town. In his opinion, the Fire and Sheriff Departments report directly to him. Mayor Nichols clarified that Mr. Pickering had authority, responsibility, and accountability for fire and law enforcement, which would remain intact, however, this would be a Public Service Coordinator, which would be a broader function than was reflected in the documentation being reviewed. Councilwoman Nicola noted that the April resolution threw out Town Marshall/Public Safety/Emergency Preparedness Director, but that direction was given for the Town Manager to provide the Council with research and recommendation. The Town Manager did come back and recommend a"Coordinator"position. She agreed with that title unless "code enforcement" was to be placed under the auspices of this person, as there would be no one else to direct. Directors would require a different salary range and level of qualification. While she felt there were missing items under duties and responsibilities in the draft currently being reviewed, it was her opinion that because there was a fire chief and captain for law enforcement, the Town needed someone to coordinate with them. She added that any direction would come from the Town Manager. Councilwoman Stevens did not oppose that idea, but she questioned if the chief and captain should both report to the coordinator. She stated that the coordinator would still report to the Town Manager and would decide which items were placed on the Commission's agenda. Councilwoman Stevens' issues were with ensuring compliance of"contracts" and "negotiations" of said contracts. She suggested that the person could assist the Town Manager with that charge. It would be the Town Manager who assigned him/her responsibilities depending upon the Manager's comfort level. Councilwoman Stevens saw this position as someone who would assist the Town Manager and handle the easier duties allowing the Town Manager to take on some of the more difficult or political areas. Mayor Nichols suggested that the Council was looking for a"Coordinator"as opposed to a"Director". Vice Mayor Melendez felt that the ultimate responsibility of fire and law enforcement belonged to the Town Manager and questioned whether or not Council wanted to place another management level in between. Mr. Pickering indicated that he administered contracts and that the captain and chief both reported directly to him. He acknowledged that he could use assistance and would never turn that away. He added that the position discussed was a mid-level position. If the position were a "Director" position and those entities reported to him/her,Mr. Pickering noted the need to hire a person at a higher income level. He felt, however,that he did not need a person of that caliber, only someone to assist him with negotiations, coordination, information, and statistics. Councilman Archambault indicated that when the resolution was originally passed, it required a Public Safety Director. It was his opinion that a "Director" was needed to oversee public safety (fire, emergency, E:\BBender\Documents\Current Minutes 2003\Work-Study Session-10-9-03.doc Page 7 of 10 preparedness, policing, ambulance services). He suggested that the Council needed to have someone oversee those contracts and report to the Town Manager. He stated that Fountain Hills was unique in that no other city or town in the state contracted out for their fire and police services. Councilman Archambault noted that was why Section 4 of the resolution was added. " Vice Mayor Melendez addressed the issue of a group of individuals aggressively collecting signatures for the formation of a fire district. He asked Town Manager Pickering if the Town had its own fire district, what function the Commission would serve. Mr. Pickering indicated and discussed his hesitancy to hire an individual of the caliber being discussed with the possibility of a new fire district being formed. Councilwoman Nicola suggested that if the Fire District returned, the Council could amend the scope of the Public Safety Commission's duties; however, the Council should never close their eyes to what the fire department or what any future district might be doing. It was crucial for the ongoing success of public safety in Fountain Hills that the Town maintain some line of communication. She suggested that there would be enough workload for a Public Safety "Coordinator". He or she would be able to interact with the departments, Commission and bring information back to the Council in an advisory role. She suggested that in the interim, Mr. Pickering could use assistance in monitoring contracts. Councilwoman Ralphe was concerned about the position and the possibility of a new fire district. She expressed that all essential Town services, police, fire, water, and sewer, should be under the Town's umbrella. She asked whether or not the Council was premature in its discussion of the position until after the Fire District decision had been made. Councilman Kavanagh asked Mr. Pickering for his timeframe for the position. Mr. Pickering was awaiting the timeframe on the Public Safety Commission before determining his timeline for advertisements, etc. Councilman Kavanagh suggested that the position could be altered easily but doubted that it would be a full- time position if this position just oversaw the law enforcement contract. He suggested that the Council would have a good idea in January whether or not there would be a new Fire District. .41) Councilwoman Nicola noted that many municipalities had full-time grant writing personnel and that grant writing could be written into the job description. It was up to the Town Manager's discretion to add duties to this position. It was her opinion that the position would not interact that much with the Fire Department, and that the loss of a Fire Department would not affect the position or the Commission to that great degree. Mayor Nichols indicated that Councilpersons Ralphe and Kavanagh made good points and suggested that the Council could wait three or four months for more solid information as to how well the process was going. Councilman Archambault noted that budget and contract talks would be forthcoming. The Council needed to plan for the present and adjust for a possible transitional future. He suggested continuing with discussions on the Commission and Coordinator. He felt the Coordinator position was a full-time job. Mayor Nichols agreed with Councilman Archambault that it would be easy to adjust the Commission and the coordinator position but not after making a commitment for someone to come to Fountain Hills as a Public Safety Director. Mr. Pickering noted that all qualifications for this position must be discussed. He agreed with the statement that a Coordinator position could be adjusted as needed, but a Director could not be so easily adjusted and someone would be mislead. That concerned him because of his recruitment involvement. Councilwoman Nicola stated she understood that if the Fire District returned and the elected officials were coordinating fire service, the Town still owned the fire stations and the equipment, and this suggested to her the need for a Public Safety Coordinator to coordinate those issues between the Town and the District. Town Attorney McGuire confirmed that the Town did own the assets, so a decision might need to be made regarding those assets and the"coordinator"would be involved. Councilwoman Stevens asked if the Council was trying to make a decision between a "Coordinator" and a "Director"this evening. Mr. Pickering indicated in his mind the decision had already been made by the amount of budgeted funds and the duties. Creating a "Director" position would be a mistake because of the possible E:\BBender\Documents\Cufrent Minutes 2003\Work-Study Session-10-9-03.doc Page 8 of 10 shift in responsibilities. Councilwoman Stevens then suggested that the Council move ahead with the "Coordinator"position,perhaps as a part-time position. That would be the Town Manager's call. Vice Mayor Melendez stated that when he presented Resolution 2003-16, he had accepted the amendments by former Mayor Beydler and Councilwoman Nicola. The Council now needed to honor those amendments. He suggested that due to the political campaign timetable some of the present Council members might not be present in March or May. He felt that a policy needed to be formulated. Councilman Kavanagh asked staff to provide: (1) job descriptions with and without law enforcement responsibilities, and (2) a determination as to whether it was a full or part-time position. He also wanted Mr. Pickering's opinion as to whether the Town could get a quality part-time law enforcement coordinator. Councilwoman Nicola asked staff to provide a third, more generalized job description that stated neither police nor fire, only public safety service. Mr. Pickering noted that would be a difficult job description to write, as public safety was police and fire. He stated that he could clarify that if the Council wanted to contact him individually. Councilwoman Nicola reviewed the current Emergency Management Coordinator job description and did not see specific duties and responsibilities applicable to fire and suggested that they only had to strike "Fire Department"liaison and the job description was written. She also noted other issues that had not been discussed such as FEMA's CERT Program. Mayor Nichols indicated that the job description that Councilwoman Nicola was reviewing (August 12) had been revised. Councilwoman Nicola and Mr. Pickering noted that no major revisions had been made to the current job description she was reviewing. Councilman Archambault suggested that the Public Safety Coordinator could deal with the IGAs with other towns and cities. It might become a full-time position. Mayor Nichols indicated that it would be the Town Manager's decision for the individual to be either full- or part-time depending upon the duties assigned. Mr. Pickering stated that when this issue was brought back to the Council he would provide his recommendation as to if this position should be full or part time. Councilwoman Stevens asked if another work-study session was planned to review the rewrite. Mr. Pickering noted that another work-study session could be held to revise the subject, or it could be placed on a future agenda in italics and discussed at that time. He stated that would be up to the Council. Vice Mayor Melendez asked if that would involve public discussion. The question was answered in the affirmative. Mr. Pickering suggested the alternative of delaying discussion until January when more information was received regarding the future of the Fire District. Mayor Nichols asked for a consensus of the council members as to whether or not they wanted the subject brought to the full Council meeting. Councilwoman Nicola suggested placing the issue on the agenda for no later than the first meeting in December. Councilman Archambault supported bringing the issue to a Council meeting. Mayor Nichols agreed with bringing this to a Council meeting and observed Councilwoman Stevens and Vice Mayor Melendez's agreement that it should be brought to the Council and asked that it be brought forward for discussion and recommendation. Councilman Archambault asked that information on an emergency plan be discussed. Attorney McGuire noted the Council could discuss the coordinator position but pointed out that the plan was set as a consent agenda item for the next Council meeting. A discussion of the emergency plan was not planned for this agenda item. Councilwoman Nicola noted her intent to pull the subject off the agenda in order to hold discussion at that meeting. She requested that Mr. Newbill be invited back to the Council meeting for that discussion. She asked what the topic was for the next work-study session. Mr. Pickering asked if the Council wished to bring the Five-Year Financial Plan to the next work-study session to discuss revenue enhancements. Mayor Nichols agreed that it would be a good topic for the work-study session. He stated the process for strategic planning could also be a future topic. Councilwoman Nicola suggested the formation of an Economic Development Commission for the Town of Fountain Hills as a future work-study topic. E:\BBender\Documents\Current Minutes 2003\Work-Study Session-10-9-03.doc Page 9 of 10 Mayor Nichols confirmed that the November 12 work-study session would focus on the financial plan (from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.). On December 9 (5 p.m. to 7 p.m.), the focus would be the strategic plan process, and on January 13 (5 p.m. to 7 p.m.), an Economic Development Commission would be discussed. Councilman Archambault acknowledged County staff for attending the meeting. He then MOVED that the work-study session be adjourned at 7:12 p.m. Vice Mayor Melendez SECONDED the motion, and it PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS By: W. J. Nic ols,Mayor ATTEST AND !D� PREPARED BY: /'[ Bevelyn J. B deTown Clerk CERTIFICATION: I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the minutes of the Work-Study Session held by the Town Council of Fountain Hills on the 9th day of October 2003. I further certify that the meeting was duly called and that a quorum was present. DATED this 6th day of November 2003. By: Bevelyn J. B er own Clerk E:\BBender\Documents\Current Minutes 2003\Work-Study Session-10-9-03.doc Page 10 of 10